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Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life
Dear Reader,
A couple of years ago Joanne, a reader at the book club, sent me the book The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins.
"I hope you don't mind a recycled book, Suzanne. When I saw this one I just knew it was for you and your grandchildren."
I assured Joanne that not only did I love the story about a grandmother baking chocolate chip cookies for her grandchildren (and every time the doorbell rang more neighborhood children showed up to eat the cookies), but this particular copy was even more precious, because it had been used in a school. The big sign-out stamp on the inside cover reminded me of when I was in elementary school. Every year textbooks were reassigned and the new students in the class had to write their names on the sign-out stamp.
THIS BOOK IS THE PROPERTY OF:
Suzanne Beecher
And the neat thing about the line-after-line list of names was that I knew some of the kids who'd used the book before me.
When I first received The Doorbell Rang, I read it several times to my grandchildren. Then I put it up on the shelf for safe keeping. I thought it was such a cool book, especially since it had a history, and I didn't want it to get damaged. But whenever I put something away, out-of-sight, I forget... But the other day when I asked for book suggestions for my upcoming cooking/reading classes for kids, two readers from our book club reminded me.
"Hi Suzanne, I love that after all these years of you helping readers with book suggestions that we actually get to inspire you for a change. My suggestion is a book called The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins. It's perfect for you because it's about chocolate chip cookies. The children's grandma bakes cookies for them and every time the doorbell rings it teaches a lesson on sharing. Since you are such a giver I know you will LOVE this one."--Janet Coughlin
"Suzanne, my favorite chocolate chip cookie book is The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins. I like to tell the story and use 12 plates. I start with one plate full of 12 cookies and then divide the cookies onto the plates as more children arrive. Then at the end when Grandma brings a whole tray of cookies for all the kids, I have a tray full of cookies for everyone. This seems to help the younger kids visualize the sharing of cookies, and why the kids [in the book] might not want to answer the doorbell."--Sandy Krost/Children's Librarian/ Bremen Public Library
Thanks again for all of the children's book suggestions. And of course, "Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends."
Gratefully,
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.MuffinsandMayhem.com
P.S. Congratulations to the Online Pajama Party winners: Margaret Miller, Heather Mays, Sheila Johnson, Nancy Sosnowski, Vicky Judy, Karen Calvert, Bonnie Storm, Michelle Meyers, Angie Stewart and Mary Quails. If you didn't get to read all the pajama stories, goto: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/pj1.html
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