Miss Fiona's Stupendous Pumpkin Pies by Mark Moulton and The Littlest Pumpkin by R.A. Herman

These are my two all time favorite Halloween books to read with the kids. The Littlest Pumpkin is adorable and I just can't say anymore because it will spoil the whole thing, you just must read it yourself.

And Miss Fiona is a wonder, the kids love the rhyming poetry and the mesh of all things Halloween. The pictures are beautiful and the story is great. My two number one picks for this Halloween to read.

jlw

Gorillas in the Mist by Dian Fossey

If you haven't noticed I seem to be in the mood for nature books lately. I actually read this a while back but found it when putting up my other books into my science section. I am so fond of this book that I had to pull it out, adore it's pictures and read a few paragraphs. If you don't like science, this would not be the book for you. It is very scientific but to those that have a heart for our world's most magestic animals it reads like a novel. Truly, the courage it was written with, the courage that Dian held within her breast every morning and lived it to the fullest, is encouraging to me. This is a respected read, no one can walk away from it's truth and not feel the same pang of sadness that Dian lived her life to solve. And even today, the Dian Fossey foundation is working miracles for these creatures despite the continued war and poaching and infringment on environment. My daughter was so inspired by this story as I relayed it to her that she adopted an infant gorilla with her birthday money. Truly inspiring, truly sad, and truly the truth.

Robbing the Bees by Holley Bishop

As Michael Pollan says, this book is a "delicious reading experience." I loved every moment. Who knew of all the remedies and healing power of such a sweet product made by such a short lived insect. If you don't before you read it, then surely when you are finished reading this book you will respect the bee like Mother Nature's own daughter.

But it's not just a boring informative narrative, it really is an up close look at the beekeeper and the bees themselves. And when you are done you just must, must, must order some Tupelo honey and languish in it's slow stickiness all over your favorite bread.

jlw

Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat

This book is truly an adventure. Great for dog lovers, great for animal lovers, great for any naturalist. Adventures like this, written first-hand, have so much knowledge to share and are so exciting that you don't even realize how much wiser you become as you tag along with the author into a world hardly explored and so misunderstood. I'm sure that this will get a reread from me and I encourage every one to read this who has a dog, it is a beautiful picture of their primal heritage.

jlw

Be The Pack Leader by Cesar Millan

I recently added a puppy to my pack of two children, two dogs, and a husband. And just when I thought I was going to loose my mind I found the Dog Whisperer on National Geographic. So, I'm won over, I have the books, I have the Illusion Collar, and I have every episode on DVR. Not because it looks easy but because it brings balance to our pack, even with the kids and husband. Cesar's philosophy is primal and natural and it really works, really works. It's not a method of training that will get you crowd pleasing results. It's a way of life, a mentality, that brings harmony and balance to a home. I'm not a pro yet, but at least I'm beginning to recognize my own faults and work on them to bring my pack up to the highest level of pack harmony I can. Because ultimately, I'm the one that needs training, the others will naturally fall into place as they see me as a calm-assertive pack leader. This is a must read for dog owners, especially of multiple dogs.

jlw

Bear Feels Scared by Karma Wilson

Oh this is a perfect October book. I just love October weather and this book gathers all of that snuggle up close to me feeling. Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman are masters at their work. We have all of the Bear books and my daughters just loves Bear, he's an integral part of their love for reading, and an integral part of exploring their own emotions. Of all the October books, this is by far the best. Buy it today, snuggle up with your little bear, and make your children fall in love with reading.
jlw

The First Dog by Jan Brett

This book made the fav list. My youngest daughter found this at the Big Read in St.Louis for $1, and I praised her for finding one of those great classical books by Jan Brett. But then we read it and I wanted to cry inside. It just hits a dog lover right in the heart. We have read it at least three times a week since we brought it home. It just goes to show that the best books sometimes are cheap and used, and even a seven-year old can find them.

jlw

German Shepherds for Dummies by D. Caroline Coile, Ph.D.

I have recently brought home a German Shepherd puppy. And like anything I adventure into, I have to read about it. And I'm so glad I did. As a dog owner all my life I have always tended toward the small/medium gentle dogs. If we had a large dog, he lived outside and roamed the country-side as he wished. But now I live in town, and I want a German Shepherd in my house to alert me and protect me and my children. To keep a German Shepherd happy you have to understand the breed. Without giving him work to do, he will make his own work and destroy your house and your happiness. This book enlightened me to the heritage that my puppy has, his history, his inbred desires and is a tool for me to keep my GSD fulfilled, happy, and obedient. Regardless of the humiliation of actually buying a "Dummy" book for the first time, I am impressed, I am knowledgeable now and I am thankfull that I grabbed this book and read it front to back and then a few places over again. I recommend reading up on any breed of dog that you decide to bring home and the "for Dummies" series covers many of them.

jlw

The Bearded Dragon Manual by Phillippe de Vosjoli

Loved this book. Everything I need to know about a bearded dragon is referenced in this book. I have reread it's pages frequently and it has prepared me well for beardie ownership. For anyone looking to get a beardie this is a must read, they have special needs that many pet shops are not going to go into detail with you when you leave the store. Not following diet and light needs could be tortuous to your beardie, resulting in pain and often death. During my bearded dragon research I also found a great website, the owner of the site has gone to great lengths to make a diet chart that is extremely handy. http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/ is launched by a dragon owner who made those very mistakes but learned from them and now shares her story and her research. I recommend exploration of the site and intense study of this manual before ownership of a dragon. With ownership comes responsibility and when you are responsible to your pets, you truly enjoy them fully.

jlw

The Leopard Gecko Manual by Philippe de Vosjoli

This is probably the best up to date literature available for the leopard gecko. It brings together the expertise of breeders and veterinary science and gives a well rounded education on caring for your own leopard gecko. This delicate lizard should not be an impulse buy and I recommend that this manual be read before anyone brings home a leopard gecko. They aren't just like any other gecko and to be a responsible pet owner, this is a must read.

jlw