Joyful Thinking Packet
Winter: Exploring New Worlds
Audio Books
Reading aloud never gets old!
Enjoy some audio books while you eat lunch, paint the house, garden, or drive.
The City of Ember
The city of Ember was built as a last refuge for the human race. Two hundred years later, the great lamps that light the city are beginning to flicker. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, she's sure it holds a secret that will save the city. She and her friend Doon must decipher the message before the lights go out on Ember forever! This stunning debut novel offers refreshingly clear writing and fascinating, original characters.
The Odds Bodkin Storytelling Library
Including “The Earthstone”, “The Odyssey”, “The Crane Wife”, “The Adventures of Little Proto”, and many others, the Odds Bodkin Storytelling Library is filled with musical tales. Odds Bodkin shares traditional and original tales through spoken and/or musical interpretations has made storytelling fun and exciting for the whole family
Family Movie Night
Time to get out the popcorn and relax!
Watch these phenomenal movies that will make you laugh, cry, smile, and shout.
Movies for ages 7-10
An American in Paris (1986)
Jerry Mulligan (Gene Kelly) is an American ex-GI who stays in post-war Paris to become a painter, and falls for the gamine charms of Lise Bouvier (Leslie Caron). However, his paintings come to the attention of Milo Roberts, a rich American heiress, who is interested in more than just art.
Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
An inexperienced young adventurer becomes the key to unraveling an ancient mystery when he joins up with a group of daredevil explorers to find the legendary lost empire of Atlantis. A naive-but-determined museum cartographer Milo Thatch (Michael J. Fox), dreams of completing the quest begun by his late grandfather, a famous explorer. When a journal surfaces, an eccentric billionaire funds an expedition and the action shifts to high gear.
The King and I (1956)
In this film adaptation of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, widowed Welsh mother Anna Loenowens (Deborah Kerr) becomes a governess and English tutor to the wives and many children of the stubborn King Mongkut of Siam (Yul Brynner). Anna and the king have a clash of personalities as she works to teach the royal family about the English language, customs and etiquette, and rushes to prepare a party for a group of European diplomats who must change their opinions about the king
Movies for ages 11-13
Mrs. ‘Arris Goes to Paris (1992)
Ada Harris, a London charwoman in the 1950's, sees a Dior dress and decides that she's going to own one. First, she scrimps and saves her money, but when she has enough, and takes a trip to Paris, she learns that buying an original couture creation is a little harder than simply plunking down cash. Along the way to her goal, she manages to befriend a count, unite young lovers, and dodge customs.
South Pacific (1958)
Nurse Nellie Forbush (Mitzi Gaynor) of the U.S. Navy falls for middle-aged French plantation owner Emile De Becque (Rossano Brazzi), but recoils upon discovering that he's fathered two mixed-race children. When Nellie leaves him, the heartbroken Emile agrees to take on a dangerous espionage mission. In his absence, Nellie struggles to reconcile her prejudices with her love for him -- and after she spends time with his children and comes to care for them, fears that Emile may not return alive.
The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982)
British aristocrat Sir Percy Blakeney (Anthony Andrews) appears to be a vain and shallow man, but, in the guise of his alter ego, the Scarlet Pimpernel, he is a courageous swordsman. As the Pimpernel, Blakeney works to free Gallic nobility from death during the fervor of the French Revolution. However, Blakeney's life of luxury with his beautiful bride, Marguerite (Jane Seymour), is threatened when the French send sinister operative Chauvelin (Ian McKellen) to stop the Pimpernel at any cost.
Movies for ages 14+
Sabrina (1954)
Chauffeur's daughter Sabrina (Audrey Hepburn) returns home from two years in Paris a beautiful young woman, and immediately catches the attention of David (William Holden), the playboy son of her father's rich employers. David woos and wins Sabrina, who has always been in love with him, however their romance is threatened by David's serious older brother, Linus (Humphrey Bogart), who runs the family business and is relying on David to marry an heiress in order for a crucial merger to take place.
The Inn of Sixth Happiness (1958)
Gladys Aylward (Ingrid Bergman), a British maid, believes that she is destined to go to China. She is rejected as a missionary, but she eventually finds her way to the town of Yang Cheng and happily runs an inn there. Her peaceful existence, however, is interrupted by Japan's invasion of China. Aided by Lin Nan (Curt Jurgens), a half-Chinese/half-Dutch military officer, Gladys must lead a group of orphans to safety by embarking on a dangerous mountain journey.
Reading Time
No better way to spend free time than with a book! Take a look at all our book selections for grades 1-12.
By Eleanor Coerr: It's the time of the gold rush, and Chang has come with his grandfather to California from China. Chang's dream is to own a horse of his own. With luck ... and a little gold dust ... that wish just might come true.
By P. D. Eastman: Mr. and Mrs. Bird search for a place to build a new nest only to discover their old one is better.
By Lucinda Landon: Your kids will love solving mysteries alongside Meg Mackintosh, a sleuth who uses her powers of observation and analysis to crack tricky cases. The Meg Mackintosh Mysteries is a series of educational books that let children enjoy the challenge of finding clues in the illustrations and solving puzzles!
By Thornton W. Burgess: Originally published in 1910, Old Mother West Wind by Thornton W. Burgess introduces a group of enchanting woodland creatures, the Merry Little Breezes, Reddy Fox and Tommy Trout among them, to a new generation of readers. Michael Hague's Favorite Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales offers nine classic stories including The Snow Queen, Thumbelina and The Little Mermaid, all adapted by Jane Woodward.
By Jon Scieszka: The Time Warp Trio is a children's book series written by Jon Scieszka and illustrated by Lane Smith and later by Adam McCauley, which chronicles the adventures of three boys – Joe, Sam, and Fred – who travel through time and space with the aid of a mysterious object known as "The Book."
By Noel Streatfeild: Pauline, Petrova and Posy are orphans determined to help out their family by attending the Children's Academy of Dancing and Stage Training. But when they vow to make a name for themselves, they have no idea it's going to be such hard work! Pauline is destined for the movies. Posy is a born dancer. But practical Petrova finds she'd rather pilot a plane than perform a pirouette. Each girl must find the courage to follow her dream.
By Rebecca Rupp: Hannah, Zachary, and Sarah Emily are spending the summer at their Great Aunt Mehitabel's house on faraway Lonely Island. There, in a cave hidden high above the ocean, they discover a fabulous creature: a glittering three-headed dragon with a kind heart, an unpredictable temper, and a memory that spans 20,000 years.
By William du Bois: The story is about a retired schoolteacher whose ill-fated balloon trip leads him to discover an island full of great wealth and fantastic inventions.
By Margaret Landon: Anna Leonowens, a proper Englishwoman, was an unlikley candidate to change the course of Siamese (Thai) history. A young widow and mother, her services were engaged in the 1860's by King Mongkut of Siam to help him communicate with foreign governments and be the tutor to his children and favored concubines.
By Rutherford Montgomery: Kildee House by Rutherford Montgomery tells the story of Jerome Kildee who has retired from a life-long career as a stonemason and monument maker. Kildee builds a house on a piece of property he purchased deep in the redwood forest in California. As the story unfolds, Kildee has no apparent family or friends.
By Lind Sue Park: In a riveting narrative set in fifteenth-century Korea, two brothers discover a shared passion for kites. Kee-sup can craft a kite unequaled in strength and beauty, but his younger brother, Young-sup, can fly a kite as if he controlled the wind itself.
By Karen Cushman: The story about a young girl in the medieval times named Catherine. Her brother wanted her to write an account of her days, and she's not excited about it. To get her to write, her mother makes a deal with her: she can forgo sewing if she writes about her days. Catherine agrees. Along the way, many interesting things happen, like Jews coming into her family's house. Her pet bird falls into her cooking from her shoulder, and a ugly, old, drunk man wants to marry Catherine!
By Beverley Naidoo: Beverly Naidoo's ''Journey to Jo'burg'' is a glimpse at life as a black African during Apartheid in South Africa. The book follows a young girl named Naledi and her younger brother, Tiro, on a journey that not only saves their family, but also opens their eyes to nature of their world.
By Pearl S. Buck: The Big Wave by Pearl S. Buck is a short novel for children about two young boys who live in Japan. When the big wave comes and takes Jiya's family, Jiya is raised by Kino's parents, but he must make a life decision when people begin rebuilding the fishing village on the deserted beach.
By Kate DiCamillo: In DiCamillo's fifth novel, a clairvoyant tells 10-year-old Peter, an orphan living with a brain-addled ex-soldier, that an elephant will lead him to his sister, who the ex-soldier claims died at birth.
By Ethel Cook Elliott: A newly arrived family in a small village finds enchantment when their housekeeper, a mysterious girl from the mountains, introduces them to the world of fairies.
By Staton Rabin: Based on true events, Betsy and the Emperor tells the story of fourteen-year-old Betsy Balcombe and her friendship with Napoleon Bonaparte. Once the emperor of France, now in 1815, Napoleon is a captive of the British people.
By W.H. Hudson: A failed revolutionary attempt drives the hero of Hudson's novel to seek refuge in the primeval forests of south-western Venezuela. There, in the 'green mansions' of the title, Abel encounters the wood-nymph Rima, the last survivor of a mysterious aboriginal race. The love that flowers between them is soon overshadowed by cruelty and sorrow...
By Annie Pietri:When Marion Dutilleul enters the service of the Marquise de Montespan, she never imagines that her ability to recognize scents and to blend them into perfumes will win her the favor of Louis XIV's mistress. But the marquise quickly has the young girl creating new perfumes for her. Eager to please and hopeful that her olfactory gifts will win her recognition, Marion concocts memorable fragrances. Then, to her horror, credit is bestowed on someone else.
By Robert Louis Stevenson: Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson is a narrative about the complexities of science and the duplicity of human nature. Dr Jekyll is a kind, well-respected and intelligent scientist who meddles with the darker side of science, as he wants to bring out his 'second' nature.
By Willa Cather: A classic tale of pioneer life, this novel details daily life in the newly settled plains of Nebraska through the eyes of Jim Burden, who recounts memories of a childhood shared with a girl named Antonia Shimerda, the daughter of a family who have emigrated from Bohemia. As adults, Jim leaves the prairie for college and a career in the east, while Antonia devotes herself to her large family and productive farm.
By Eloise Jarvis McGraw: Mara is a proud and beautiful slave girl who yearns for freedom. In order to gain it, she finds herself playing the dangerous role of double spy for two arch enemies—each of whom supports a contender for the throne of Egypt. Against her will, Mara finds herself falling in love with one of her masters Sheftu, and she starts believing in his plans of restoring Thutmose III to the throne. But just when Mara is ready to offer Sheftu her help, her duplicity is discovered.
When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy: a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power. ragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds.
By Aldous Huxley: Brave New World is a dystopian novel written in 1931. Largely set in a futuristic World State, inhabited by genetically modified citizens and an intelligence-based social hierarchy, the novel anticipates huge scientific advancements in reproductive technology, sleep-learning, psychological manipulation and classical conditioning that are combined to make a dystopian society which is challenged by only a single individual: the story's protagonist.
By C.S. Lewis: Pitted against the most destructive of human weaknesses, temptation, the great man must battle evil on a new planet, Perelandra, when it is invaded by a dark force. Will Perelandra succumb to this malevolent being, who strives to create a new world order and who must destroy an old and beautiful civilization to do so? Or will it throw off corruption and achieve a spiritual perfection? The outcome of this mighty struggle alone will determine the fate of the peace-loving planet.
By Emily Bronte: Wuthering Heights is a wild, passionate story of the intense and almost demonic love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, a foundling adopted by Catherine’s father. After Mr Earnshaw’s death, Heathcliff is bullied and humiliated by Catherine’s brother Hindley, and wrongly believing that his love for Catherine is not reciprocated, leaves Wuthering Heights. Returning years later as a wealthy and polished man, he proceeds to exact a terrible revenge for his former miseries.