Christmas Giving

One of the best things about snowy days is sitting curled up by the fire with a good book. If you order right now, I can still get books to you before Christmas with Expedited Parcel Service in Canada and UPS to the States.

I have listed my homeschooling book for sale below. It is not a remainder book.

Learning At Home:
A Mother's Guide To Homeschooling,
Newly Revised Edition
240 page 6" x 9" paperback

For US street + PO Box addresses (7-10 days) $18.95 + $4.00 shipping Total $22.95 US

US Street addresses only (1-6 days) $18.95 + $7.00 shipping Total $25.95 US

For all Canadian addresses including PO Boxes (3-10 days) $18.95 + $3.60 shipping Total $22.55 CND

books are presents that keep giving

I recently saw a program on the Knowledge network about advertising and children. It discombobulated me. Resorts that offering children more than just buckets and spades but video gaming, fashionable drinks and spa experiences to entice the children to nag their parents to book their next family holiday there. And much more...

Phew...

Research did show that 56% of children between the ages of 8-14 would prefer spending time with family and friends than going shopping.

Reading to your children is one way to go on a vacation without spending a lot of money - instead you spend time. Time that most precious commodity that you can't buy but you can give.

Give time to your children, buy them books or go to the library and read a book together. You'll both come away refreshed and will have met new people who enrich your life.

Remainder Books Nov. 25, 2008

Great deals on new remainder books! Shipping minimum is $4.00 in Canada and $5.00 to the US. I charge you the actual cost of postage plus a $1.50 handling fee. All prices are in Canadian funds. Copy the titles of the books you wish to order and email them to me (info@martylayne.com) with your address, including Postal or Zip code. I will send you a PayPal invoice. This way I can let you know if the books are still available.

If you live in Victoria or other parts of BC and would like to pick up these books, please let me know in your email and we can arrange it.

PICTURE BOOKS

The Fierce Yellow Pumpkin by Margaret Wise Brown Illustrated by Richard Egielski paperback $3.50 1 copies

A fat little, round little, yellow little pumpkin dreams of growing up to be fierce and frightening, just like the scarecrow in the field. Then one day in autumn, he unexpectedly gets the chance for his dream to come true, and the fierce yellow pumpkin becomes terrific and terrible!

Christmas & Hanukkah books

Biscuit’s Hanukkah boardbook $3.00 1 copy

Come along with Biscuit as he makes a beautiful menorah to celebrate Hanukkah. It's a great time for stories, songs, food and friends!

Ages 2 – 6

The Puppy Who Wanted A Boy pb $3.50 1 copies
When Petey the puppy decides that he wants a boy for Christmas, he discovers that he must go out and find one on his own. Ages 3 and up









Picture Books

Baby Food hardcover $7.00 8 copies
This delightful picture book shows how when you play with your food, you can create the cutest little babies with vegies and fruit!






Cabbages And Kings hardcover $7.00 1 copies
by Elizabeth Seabrook illustrated by artist Jamie Wyeth - A special friendship begins in Farmer Green's garden when a young asparagus stalk strikes up a conversation with his neighbor, a cabbage, and the two vegetables discover that they have much in common.






Lucky Chuck pb $3.50 2 copies
For anyone who has a child who loves motorcycles, this book by Beverly Cleary presents facts and a story about Lucky Chuck and his motorcycle trip. detailed illustrations.





Mike Fink pb $4.150 copies
A tall tale about a real man who was a riverboat hero told in Kellogg's usual style with witty illustrations.









The Great Cat Chase hardcover $6.00 3 copies
Kitty is not happy riding in Sarah Jane's baby carriage, so she runs away and hides all over the neighborhood. Sarah Jane tries to catch her, along with help from a neighbor boy and a police officer, but Kitty might be having too much fun to ever be caught again. Mercer Mayer's charming illustrations enliven this humorous story about a cat that refuses to be caught. Lots of pictures - few words. Ends happily - age 2 and up

Through Grandpa’s Eyes (Reading Rainbow) pb $3.50 1 copies
Grandpa is blind – his grandson, John, wonders how his grandpa does all of the things he does. A lovely story about the closeness of their relationship and how someone who is blind relies on other senses to maneuver in the world - age 4 and up.

Webster J Duck pb $4.00 1 copies
Webster J. Duck turns to several animals when he tries to find his mother. Somewhat similar to Eastman's classic Are You My Mother? fun for 2 and up.




Zachary’s Ball pb $3.50 4 copies
When Zachary's father catches a foul ball at Fenway Park and gives it to him, something amazing happens - suddenly, Zachary finds himself on the pitcher's mound, wearing a Red Sox uniform! As long as Zachary has the ball, all his baseball fantasies seem to come true. But can he hold on to its magic? Ages 5 and up






Easy to Read

In A Dark Room And Other Scary Stories hardcover $8.00 2 copies
An I Can Read Book

Creak...
Crash...
BOO!

Shivering skeletons, ghostly pirates, chattering corpses, and haunted graveyards...all to chill your bones! Share these seven spine-tingling stories in a dark, dark room.

Shoeshine Girl by Clyde Bulla pb $3.00 2 copies
(high interest low vocabulary) Clyde Bulla excels in this kind of writing
Determined to earn some money, ten-year-old Sarah Ida gets a job at a shoeshine stand and learns a great many things besides shining shoes. Ages 7 to 10.





Chapter books for reading outloud or on one's own

Birthday Surprises pb $3.00 5 copies
Why would a beautifully wrapped birthday present hold nothing but an empty box? Ten leading authors give us ten deliciously different answers to the same question. Is someone playing a trick or teaching a lesson? What if the box isn't as empty as it first appears? Savor these original birthday surprises, then see if you can come up with your own solution to the mystery of the empty present. Ages 10 and up.




Cassie Binegar pb $3.50 2 copies
Cassie Binegar (rhymes with vinegar) About change, death and the difficulties of growing up when things around one – family, friends - don’t stay the same. A warm and touching book dealing with a difficult situation.








Charlotte’s Web hardcover $8.00 5 copies
Charlotte’s Web was recently made into a new movie. If you’ve not read the book to your children, please do. E. B. White’s writing is so wonderful. A movie just can’t capture his way with words. I’ve loved the story since I first read it when I was 10 years old. I read it to my children in various groupings at least three times and always found something new to enjoy. We have a recording of E. B. White reading Charlotte’s Web. I love hearing his voice! Here’s a link to a letter E. B. White wrote to children in answer to some of their questions about his books that you and your children might enjoy.



Charlotte’s Web Full Colour pb $5.00 1 copy











Snakes Don’t Miss Their Mothers pb $3.50 3 copies
Set in a very special animal shelter during the holidays, this story told from the point of view of the animals is about finding a home and happiness. I enjoyed reading it - ages 10 and up.







Thank You, Jackie Robinson pb $3.00 2 copies by Babara Cohen

After Sam's father died, he became so wrapped up in the Brooklyn Dodgers that he could describe every game they'd played in the past four years. Nobody was very interested, until Sam met Davy. They came from different races, religions, and generations. But it didn't take long before they had a friendship that went well beyond baseball. My sons enjoyed this story when they were about 9 -12 years old when they were playing baseball. Intersting story about friendship - not just ball.

The Facts And Fictions Of Minna Pratt pb $3.00 2 copies
The Facts and Fictions of Minna Pratt From the Book:
“Next to Minna, leaning against the seat, is her cello in its zippered canvas case. Next to her cello is her younger brother, McGrew, who is humming. McGrew always hums. Sometimes he hums sentences, though most often it comes out like singing. McGrew’s teachers do not enjoy McGrew answering questions in hums or song. Neither does the school principal, Mr. Ripley. McGrew spends lots of time sitting on the bench outside Mr. Ripley’s office, humming.

Minna smiles at her brother. He is small and stocky and compact like a suitcase. Minna loves him. McGrew always tells the truth, even when he shouldn’t. He is kind. And he lends Minna money from the coffee jar he keeps beneath his mattress.” 10 and up


The Trumpet Of The Swan pb $3.50 15 copies
The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White is a wonderful story about a mute trumpeter swan named Louie and a boy named Sam. The story follows Louie as he deals with his lack of voice. Louie learns to play the trumpet his father steals for him. Louie becomes a musician and plays his trumpet in various places to earn money to pay back the music store for the stolen trumpet. The story follows Louie in his career as a musician and his and Sam’s life. When Sam is about 20 years old, he is again camping in Canada (Red Rock Lakes) and hears Louis playing taps to his children. Sam writes in his journal: "Tonight I heard Louis’s horn. My father heard it, too. The wind was right, and I could hear the notes of taps, just as darkness fell. There is nothing in all the world I like better than the trumpet of the swan." 9 and up

Windcatcher by Avi pb $3.00 4 copies
Tony can hardly believe it. He's sailing with the wind, maneuvering through the narrow channels between the offshore islands with amazing skill. And he'sjust learned to sail! But suddenly Tony is confused. Which way had he come? Which way is he headed? And who are the mysterious couple with the high powered motor boat who are to busy searching beneath the water to answer his call for help?

Tony does some searching on his own. What he discovers leads him on a daring hunt for a 200-year-old shipwreck . . . and a dangerous confrontation with treasure hunters who will stop at nothing to keep Tony from learning their secret.

Series

Emily Of New Moon #1 Lucy Maude Montgomery pb $3.00 1 copy
When Emily's father dies, leaving her an orphan, she is sent to live with a stern aunt in Prince Edward Island, where her resourcefulness and love of writing help her adjust to a new way of life.








Emily Climbs #2 pb $3.00 1 copy
continues the story of Emily's adventures in PEI








Little House Rocky Ridge Years
#3 In The Land Of The Big Red Apple pb $4.00 2 copies
#4 On The Other Side Of The Hill pb $4.00 1 copy
#5 Little Town In The Ozarks pb $3.50 2 copies

Narnia Paperback Full Colour Editions
The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe pb $5.00 4 copies
The Horse And His Boy pb $4.50 3 copies
Prince Caspian pb $4.50 3 copies
The Voyage Of The Dawntreader pb $4.50 3 copies
The Magician’s Nephew pb $4.50 3 copies
The Last Battle pb $5.00 3 copies

by Patricia MacLachlan

Skylark pb $3.300 copies
Skylark follows the story started in Sarah Plain and Tall but can be read on its own. The prairie summer is hot and dry and many farmers are leaving their farms. Sarah, pregnant, returns to Maine with Anna and Caleb during the drought. The children worry that Sarah will not want to return because she loves Maine and her aunts so much. After the rain starts to fall in the prairies, Jacob comes to bring the family back much to the children’s and Sarah’s relief.




Caleb’s Story pb $3.00 2 copies
Anna passes the family journal on to Caleb to keep. Caleb keeps the journal in his own way. He discovers the secret of the old man his half sister Cassie has found in the barn. He helps to solve a family rift between his father and his father’s father (Caleb’s grandfather) – the old man found in the barn.







More Perfect Than The Moon hardcover $8.00 1 copies Cassie now takes over the journal keeping. The others in the family talk about her “imaginings,” but she says she writes the truths as she sees it. In this book, Cassie is worried that her mother (Sarah) will love the new baby she’s expecting so much that she, Cassie, will be left out. It’s a lovely record of a child coming to grips with the expansive nature of familial love.





Grandfather’s Dance hardcover $8.00 1 copies
Grandfather’s Dance – Cassie continues the family journal and writes about marriage and her own dream groom – a dog - as the family prepares for the marriage of her older sister Anna. It’s clear from her writing that she loves her new sibling – Jack, who is now 6 years old. She writes about the relationship she sees between Jack and Grandfather who are so much like each other. Grandfather is ill and dies before the end of the book. He is missed and at the same time his death is accepted as part of the circle of life.