Book: “The Grasshopper Trap” by Patrick McManus
The girls love it when we have a few extra minutes in the evening to read to them. This past year we started reading more “chapter” books to them, however, sometimes Jake reads to them and other nights I am the one reading to them. We each picked out the book that we are currently reading to the girls. I am reading a horse book but Jake picked out The Grasshopper Trap by Patrick McManus. The nice part about Patrick McManus’s books is each chapter is a short story and they are hilarious. Many times all four of us are laughing at the silliness. It is a great way to wind down, laugh a little, and relax together after a busy day.
This book is also perfect to read on camping trips. A few of the stories the girls really enjoyed were “The Skunk Ladder”, “The Grasshopper Trap”, “The Human Fuel Pump”, and “Mean Tents”. The book we have is the older version with the red cover but the contents are still the same. If you like outdoor adventures and funny short stories this is a great book to check out.
Book: “Never Sniff A Gift Fish” by Patrick McManus
I was thinking about the books I have read over the past few years and decided to chose one that is a little more “unique” from some of my other recommendations but nevertheless I have really enjoyed reading Patrick McManus books. Never Sniff A Gift Fish by Patrick McManus is one that we have at our house. The author has a way of making you laugh sometimes until your sides hurt. He is funny and his short stories are great to read. We have had his books in our magazine racks for years and I cannot count the number of times people have borrowed or taken the books for a short period of time to read them. I am looking forward to reading them to the girls soon too. A lot of his stories have to do with outdoor adventures, kid mischief, and fun. Each chapter is another short story. Some are more hilarious then others but there have been times I have had tears streaming down my face from laughing so hard. Life is short so why not have fun. If you haven’t read one of his books you really should, you’ll enjoy some extra chuckles reading the adventures in his books. As the warmer season comes upon us it makes me think of camping and reading his books around a camp fire, great memories! Patrick McManus actually has several books if you prefer one of the other ones instead:
