Dear Readers,
It's been almost a month since I've written to you. My wife and I had confirmations, graduations, and family gatherings during May and June.
A couple of special graduations were: Our niece, Dana, graduated from Purchase College with a
degree in Graphics Design. Do you know what that is? I'm still not sure. Mom and Dad and little sis, Aimee, threw her a wonderful party at their house, and it felt like a reunion.
Our cousin, Valerie, graduated from elementary school with honors. We are so proud of her, too.
Her parents, Madeline and Gerard, feel the same way.They gave her a party at a nice hall in Queens. She also made her Confirmation, and we all wish the Holy Spirit guide her through life.
Our cousin, Christopher, made his Confirmation. Mom, Dad, his older brothers, Larry and Nicholas, are very proud of him. May the Holy Spirit guide him through life.
Our cousin, Claudia's, sweet sixteen birthday party was beautiful. She is so grown up. We are very proud of her, as are her parents, Lucia and Joe, and her sisters, Chelsea and Cinthia.
Claudia's sister, Cinthia, made her Confirmation. Again, we are proud of her, as is her family.
May the Holy Spirit guide her through life.
WE have a wonderful family, and we are close-knit and keep in touch often, in good times and in bad times.
Next week, Anna and I are going with our friends, Tony and Kathleen, to see our dearest friends, and their families, in Goshen. Do you know where it is or how far it is? I'm still not certain. Anyway, Sal and Fran invited all of us for a barbecue. It's like a day trip, and we see each other once or twice a year, since it's a long ride there. They have been our friends for more than thirty years. Their son, Christopher, has graduated from College this year, and we are so very proud of him. And so are his parents, his brother, Matthew, and his sister, Kathleen.
We are a close-knit group, and I also like to mention Georgine, the school secretary, and Connie, another teacher, who we keep in close contact with, and let's not forget, Sabra and Jerry, with whom we go to lunch with at a different restaurant, on a monthly basis. Again, I say, it's so great to have such caring and loving friends.
Now, let's get to those interesting picture books:
1. Bad Kitty-written and illustrated by Nick Bruel, 2005, and published by Roaring Brook Press.
The author takes us on an adventure through the alphabet, and Kitty acts badly because her favorite foods are not available to her. The words on the page are large, the pictures are very colorful, and some of the things she does is knock over the lamp, irritated the baby, wrote on the walls, and ruined the rug. Your child will learn what alliteration is from reading this book. The author goes through the alphabet four times, and the fourth time, she behaves well. There is plenty of action on each page which makes you want to read more.
2. Katy's Surprise-written by Ruth Lerner Perle and illustrated by Judy Blankenship. It is published by Grolier. This story is about Katie, the kind Koala, who visits her friends and neighbors, and she gives them a helping hand. One day, her friend, Nelly, flew a kite, and Katie ran to her and stumbled on a tree stump, hurting her foot. Katie lands in the hospital, and her friends, known as the Alphapets, visit her. The illustrations are large, they are of all the animal friends Katie has, and your child will learn alliteration from reading this book. The first page names all the animals, beginning with A and ending with Z. This is a great story about kindness.
3.Olivia and the Missing Toy-written by Ian Falconer and published by Atheneum, 2003.
Just as I love Olivia's adventures, I am certain your children would, too. There are so many books on Olivia for your child to enjoy. As you know, Olivia is a "fashion-conscious" pig . In this story, she confronts a childhood crisis.
4. Roller Coaster=written by Marla Frazee, and published by Harcourt, in 2003. In this story, a little girl experiences her first ride on the roller coaster. And, she can't wait for more. Remember your first time on the roller coaster. I do. I was petrified, and I thought I was going to fall off.
All these books can be read by 6-8 year olds. Check out THE DAY JIMMY'S BOA ATE THE WASH, published by Trinka Hayes Noble, and illustrated by Steven Kellogg. What happens when a boy brings his pet boa on a class trip to the farm? Read to find out.
Children, please don't forget to go to the library and take out picture books to read, either in the library, in school or at home. And don't forget to do your Summer Reading.
Whether you've made your Confirmation, or graduated from elementary school or are still in the early grades, I wish you much success in everything you do, and have a very enjoyable summer with your family and by reading books with characters who go on exciting adventures.
God bless.
Sincerely,
Frankie(a.k.a. The Ravenous Reader)
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