Books Kiddos Love - Boys and Girls ages 7, 8, 9, 10

As most of you have seen on Instagram (@CopperCorners), our family loves to read. We have an entire room that was originally meant for adults to enjoy Margaritas (see it HERE)…. but it has somehow turned into the family reading room, ha! On the weekends, this room is the coziest space filled with our loud family, but it is actually so quiet because everyone has a nose in a book :)

BUT it wasn’t always like that. Especially with Valley. She wasn’t into reading. Turns out…. she just hadn’t found the books that she loved yet!

So, here are the books that got each of my children hooked on reading.

You can read Boston’s list HERE.

Valley got started on these books at age 7, in the 2nd grade.

The books that really got her hooked were the Dog Man and Cat Kid book series (click HERE- I also linked the Spanish version!! Also, this is a series, so make sure you start with book 1). They are easy to read, funny and semi-quick reads. They talk about all the things that make kiddos laugh, like poo, farting, and more. When Valley was reading these, I would hear her laugh out loud from the other room :). They feel like chapter books, which helped her feel accomplished when she would finish one.

Once she read these books she realized that reading isn’t just something you are forced to do for school. It is actually fun and entertaining! So next, I gave her the the Real Pigeons (click HERE-I also linked the Spanish version!! This is a series, so make sure you start with book 1) again an easy read, but with a little more reading involved per page. Just enough words on each page, but also not too many. The pictures still help the little reader have fun and not feel overwhelmed. Valley really loved the Real Pigeons but not so much the Bad Guys series. My son, Boston, LOVED the Bad Guy series. You can read about the books that got him hooked on reading HERE.

The next books Valley moved onto were the Ivy + Bean books (click HERE -also in Spanish. This is a series, so make sure you start with book 1). They were the first ‘bigger’ chapter books for her and she loved them! They have more words per page than Real Pigeons, but still had pictures and felt like a fun read, rather than a daunting read.

I hope your kiddos love these books as much mine, and become amazing readers!!

If there are any other beginner books that your kiddos loved, comment the names below!!

ENJOY!!

xo

M-C

Great Book Ideas for Kids Ages 7 to 11 - Boy and Girl Books

As most of you have seen on Instagram (@CopperCorners), our family loves to read. We have an entire room that was originally meant for adults to enjoy Margaritas (see it HERE)…. but it has somehow turned into the family reading room, ha! On the weekends, this room is the coziest space filled with our loud family, but it is actually so quiet because everyone has a nose in a book :)

BUT it wasn’t always like that. Especially with Valley. She wasn’t into reading. Turns out…. she just hadn’t found the books that she loved yet!

So, here are the books that got each of my children hooked on reading!

Let’s start with Boston. You can read Valley’s books HERE.

He got started on these books in the 3rd grade at age 8 and is now in the 4th grade, age 9 :).

The books that really got him hooked were the Bad Guy book series (click HERE- I also linked the Spanish version!! Also, this is a series, so make sure you start with book 1). They are easy to read, funny and semi-quick reads. Boston was always so proud when he finished one of the books. Something about finishing a whole book made him feel accomplished and ready for another one.

The next series he moved onto made him laugh out loud. The Real Pigeons (click HERE-I also linked the Spanish version!! This is a series, so make sure you start with book 1) again an easy read, but with a little more reading involved per page. Just enough words on each page, but also not too many. The pictures still help the little reader have fun and not feel overwhelmed. Valley really loved the Real Pigeons also, but she didn’t love Bad Guys as much as Boston did.

Here is a page from Bad Guys.

Here is a page from Real Pigeons.

The next book Boston moved onto was The Last Kids on Earth (click HERE - this is a series, so make sure you start with book 1). We ran into a book store in Florida and bought the first book on a whim. It was the first ‘bigger’ chapter book that he ever read and he loved it! It had more words per page than Real Pigeons, but still had pictures and felt like a fun read, rather than a daunting read.

The next series that is the actual first chapter book and is called Spy School (click HERE- also a series, start with book 1). He loves these books so much and will sometimes finish a book in 2 days. Now that he has read these chapter books, it has really opened him to so many other book options.

You can read the list of books that got Valley (age 7) started HERE.

I hope your kiddos love these books as much as mine do and become amazing readers!!

If there are any other beginner books that your kiddos loved, comment the names below!!

ENJOY!!!!!!!

xo

M-C

The Best and Easiest Asparagus Soup Recipe - Dairy and Gluten free

Now I must admit, when you think of a phenomenal soup… asparagus soup probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind.

But you just wait, m’dear. As soon as asparagus is in season, get a good 2-4lbs of it because this will be your new favorite soup.

My girlfriend gave me a recipe for asparagus soup years ago. Never did I think that it would become one of my family’s favorite soups. I have tweaked the recipe over the years to fit our diet, and even with all of my tweaks…I swear it is even BETTER. It has such simple ingredients and the extra charmer is the goat cheese on top! Now, if you are a little bit crazy and do not like goat cheese… then parmesan is a good substitute.

This recipe amount feeds my family of 5, and we each eat about 2 bowls.

And without further ado, here it is!!

You will need:

2lbs of fresh asaparagus

1.5 cups of chopped onions

2 tablespoons of butter

2 teaspoons of salt (or more)

Black pepper to taste

2.5 cups of veggie (or chicken) broth

2-3 bouillon cubes/tablespoons (veggie or chicken)

2 cups of milk (cows, almond, oat, whatev)

2 teaspoons of lemon juice (if you don’t have it, skip it)

Goat cheese (sub for parm cheese) -as much as your heart desires.

Step 1

Chop asparagus and onion. Place in soup pot with 1 cup of veggie broth and bouillon cubes. Bring broth to a boil and simmer veggies until tender.

Step 2

Scoop out a few of the asparagus tips (for garnish) and set aside in a bowl. Pour the remaining pot of veggies and broth into a blender with 1 cup of milk. Blend until totally smooth. If blender is not big enough, do it in 2 batches.

Step 3

Add remaining 1.5 cups of veggie broth to the pot along with the butter. Add the blended mix and 1 cup of milk into the pot. Add lemon juice, if you have it. Stir until heated through. Serve in bowls and garnish with the asparagus tips and goat cheese.

Optional

-In step 3, I previously would add a cup of sour cream (even creamier) or cottage cheese (creamier and extra protein) as well, but stopped once we went dairy free.

-I like to also add a small can of mushrooms in step 3 :).

THANK ME LATER!!!!!!

xo

M-C