Taking a page from the past and reviving this long lost post with a couple of updates and additions. Bringing this post back reminds me once again of the magic of books and of memories too. So here is to reading more magic and making more magic this year!!

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Note: I wrote the original post January 6, 2014 – which was also a Monday. (2014 and 2025 have twin calendars, so to speak, as the dates for each year fall on the same days).

The Magic of Memories and Books!

There is definitely magic in the air today: the magic of book memories! It lies in their ability to transport us across time. A single page can bring back the warmth of childhood bedtime stories, that long ago thrill of discovering a favorite author, or the comfort of re-reading an old classic.

Books hold more than just words; they cradle moments, emotions, and pieces of ourselves, turning every story into a memory worth cherishing.

That Magic of Memories and Books as a Mom: From that Long-ago Post

The four books below (in this section) are from the original post

The Cow in Patrick O’Shanahan’s Kitchen

This is a cute book that illustrates where food comes from and sure to endear kids to good food.  They might even want a farm of their own after going through the pages of this book.

A surprise awaits Patrick in his kitchen as he goes down to eat his breakfast. As he and his cat help his dad prepare breakfast, he learns the fun-way where the ingredients for his breakfast come from – be it milk, eggs, or syrup.

Diana brings her farm to life in this book with her delightful story accompanied by equally delightful illustrations by Heather Knopf.

This book will be a good addition to your shelves.

Rating: B+ / Reading Level: 4 to 8 years / Reread Level: 3.5/5

Boy Meets Dog

I loved playing word ladders (though not sure I used this name for the game) as a kid. I even love it now. The author tells a wonderful story while showing kids how word ladders can be played and we can use this book to encourage kids to make up their own word ladder stories, thus building creativity, vocabulary, spelling, and more!  

So many ways to have fun: most creative stories with a set of word ladder pairs, shortest word ladders win a prize, longest ones too(!), make varied word ladders with same word pairs, etc.

Rating: B+ / Reading Level: 4 to 8 years / Reread Level: 3.5/5

Mind Benders

Cool! I have loved puzzles forever and other than reading, this has been one of my favorite ways to spend my time (yes, not too many physically active ways to spend time for me other than dance!) This book definitely delivers mind bending puzzles of different kinds – word, logic, number puzzles. The whole family has spent time poring over the puzzles in this book and figuring out everything – we have brought out spoons, crayons, toothpicks, and more as we tried to solve the puzzles for fun family nights…

Definitely a book for everyone to enjoy.

Rating: A / Reading Level: 6+ / Reread Level: 4.5/5

Ten Birds Meet a Monster

Younger readers will enjoy how the birds come up with innovative ways to create monsters when they meet one that scares them and also how one bird finally overpowers their monster! And what they do when they discover who(what) their monster is. This will definitely encourage kids to, like the birds, use everyday items for play and fun, rather than needing more ‘toys’. I especially love the ink sketches here.  

Rating: B / Reading Level: upto 8 years old / Reread Level: 3/5

Disclaimer: Thanks to NetGalley for a eARC of the books – ‘Boy Meets Dog’ and ‘Ten Birds Meet a Monster’; and thanks to Edelweiss for eARCs of the books – ‘Mind Benders’ and ‘The Cow in Patrick Shanahan’s Kitchen’.These are my honest opinions of the books.

Linkinged these books to What are you Reading? From Picture Books to YA at Teach Mentor Texts and What are you reading? @Book Journey

These books above also go went towards a couple of challenges I signed up for thisthat year (though both are not active anymore): Picture Books Challenge @ Book Dragon’s Lair and NetGalley/Edelweiss Books Challenge @ Falling Into YA

Back to the Future

I added the books in this section today as thinking about and talking about the magic of book memories brought a couple recent reads and finds to mind, and they will help me make more memories for the future.

Faruq and the Wiri Wiri

When I read stories like this, it takes me back to my childhood and memories of family gatherings. And of the time my grandparents stayed with us, of my grandmother cooking for me and my brother when my mom had to stay with dad when he was working in Indonesia (this was when I was in college though, so almost adulthood!)

And I love seeing the parallels in cultures (like ajee is grandmother in the Kannada language as well, and my best friend from school called her grandmom ajee. I addressed her grandmom the same way as well).

Just One More Story

This book’s description fits my kids pretty well! And so I had to read it. It is a delight and so very sweet.

My Mom

With memories of my mom flooding me so often, and even in my dreams (where both my parents are well and loving and loved), and memories of my mom-life to my kids when they were littler jumping out at me randomly given both are at college this year, this book appealed to me in many ways.

It brought those memories to life and made me remember moments I had forgotten as well. So I am now making a note of those – the ones I always remember and the ones books like this help me recall – for the future!

Today My Brain is a Dinosaur

This book’s title reminded me of my kids, each in different ways.

My son (now 22) was dinosaur-crazy when he was all of three, and could recognize and name dinosaurs instantly. Umpteen dinosaur books and puzzles later, he moved on to other interests but the dino-fan still is within him – calm and collected him who loves rap – somewhere!

My daughter (almost 19) would announce randomly that she is a “butterfly princess fairy” or something quirky, like an “owl!” But to me, she was and always has been a sweetheart of a fierce and smart knightess!

As for the book itself, it is wonderful and eye-opening. It gives a clear look into the minds of neurodiverse kids as they move through moods they can’t seem to control and feel defeated with themselves. I love how the book shows those dark depths and then turns around with light in the form of what they can do to help themselves.

Other Bookish Memories

Truisms!: From that Long-ago Post

For Monday Musings, just some regular book musings and also mingling in at Monday Mingle.(both these not active anymore as of today in 2025).

Many magical books ago, I had decided I need to finish reading and reviewing the books already on my list of books to be read and reviewed before getting more books from all the wonderful places I get my books from. But that was millions of moments ago and many books have been got, borrowed, downloaded since then. Now, I need to check back on the books that got missed starting with today’s post of book reviews

Note: while this was written ages ago, I can simply rewrite it as truth today as well!!

To More Memories and Books from Memories!

I have written so many posts to do with books and memories, memories and books, bookish memories, and more that it almost is funny…. but here is bookish nostalgia galore for you!

• A Book From Your Childhood: Bookish Blog Hops
• The Magic of Bookish Haunts – Then, Now, Forever
• The Magic of Memories
• More Bookish Memories
• My Most Wonderful Bookish Memories
• She Reads…They Read…
• The Ultimate Joy of Reading Together, Always
• What Makes For a Memorable Bookish Experience?
• When Reading to Them Changes to Reading With Them: Magical

And Now, the End of This Post

Dear reader, have you read any of the listed books? Which ones? And which one would you pick first to read? What are some of your favorite book memories? Share the stories, characters, or moments that have left a lasting impression on you. Let’s celebrate the magic of books and the memories they create—drop your thoughts in the comments or start your next magical read today!