"The End" Challenge

We've asked for Opening Lines, Memorable Lines,and we offered a way to test a book with First and Last Lines together,and now it's time for books that go out with a bang. Share your favorite last lines.

Need a little help? Why not try a search to look up some last lines --we know it can be hard to remember ALL those books you've read!! And there have been loads of interesting publications on famous and memorable last lines... even top 100 lists!

Tell us the line, the title, the author and any thoughts.
And please, feel free to write a LIST!!

**We decided to take the month of October off --The Sisters focused on the new school year, The Mom and The Dad did what parents do, The Dog napped, The Cat napped, and now we are ready to get back to BFWP with all sorts of new challenges. We sure hope you will join us! We are very happy to be back!

Best of BFWP: The Big and Little Sister Share Books for 5 Year Olds

Sunday we posted a lovely quote by Anna Quindlen which was from an almost 20 year old article in the NY Times (click here to read.)  Some things are timeless, like good books and reading them to a child.   

Today's post is prompted by a comment on the quote from zanekathryne: 

"What a lovely article for Sunday afternoon. Thank you for sharing. I keep meaning to ask if the Big Sister and the Little Sister would be willing to share some of their favorite books that might appeal to a little girl who is almost 5. We are looking for a wonderful new chapter book. Thank you!"

Thank you for the request, we had a ball looking over the shelves and talking about the books over a dinner.  Here are 10 we came up with --there are MANY more!

• Brambly Hedge Collection by Jill Barklem  The mice of Brambly Hedge know how to have a good time and how to take care of each other.  The books are precious and the illustrations, well, even I get lost in the whimsy.  The Complete Collection is hard to get but the single editions are available.  Find at a Library.  Visit the Brambly Hedge Website.
• The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden  For any child having even the mildest issue with bugs, start here.  If you like to read with voices --there is a great opportunity in this book.  Find at a Library.  More about the book.
• Stuart Little by E.B. White Both of the Sisters found Stuart everywhere after reading this book --he would follow us on our walks, show up at the dentist, he even has a house in Leland, Michigan. The imagination this book inspired has blossomed.  Find at a Library.  More about the book.
• The Beejum Book by Alice O. Howell In the original days of Harry Potter I read the first bunch of books --and while liked reading them, a lot-- decided right then, that I wanted to find something different for the Big Sister (she was about one then.)  The Beejum Book is one of the books that I found --a girl, magic, adventures, but unfortunately not a series!  Find at a Library.  To watch a 3 minute interview with the author, click here.
• Magic Tree House Series by Mary Pope Osborne  Both Sisters like these and I like the places and people the girls are introduced to through the series.  I enjoy that I can read a full book to the Little Sister in one sitting, then at the end talk about the facts of the story and off we go to find more!  Find at a library.  More about the book.
• A trio by Kate DiCamillo


• The Tale of Despereaux  In the first pages of the book, just after the contents there is a quote: "The world is dark, and light is precious.  Come close, dear reader.  You must trust me.  I am telling you a story."  That was all we needed to get started!  The book is WAY better than the movie!  Find at a Library.  More about the book.
• The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane  This book is heavy, the Big Sister explains, "he loses so many people he loves... it ends good!"  We read it in one sitting --even the Little Sister who barely 2 1/2.  It is a tear jerker --the reader will need tissues-- but it is an absolute favorite.  We've loaned it our to adult friends and they like it just the same.  Find it at a Library.  Visit the Edward Tulane website.
• The Mercy Watson Series  A pig that subtly saves the day and eats lots and lots of toast (we LOVE toast.)  Short books, great transition for an early reader (the text is huge.)  I began reading these aloud and the Big Sister finished reading them to herself!  Find at a Library.  More about the book.
• The Little House in the Prairie Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder  I am guessing you all know about these books.  The Sisters have listen to the Mom read them all twice, listened to via audio books over and over.  Then the Sisters found more books about Laura's Daughter, Mother and Grandmother --still, the original series is the best.  And my parents (the Bean and the Poet) read them when I was little.  Learn more about the Series.  See where Laura lived.
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S Lewis The true test of a good book: How many times can you listen to a book?  How many times can you read it?  These books I have easily read a dozen times, it passes the test with flying colors.  The Big Sister listened to the Chronicles for the first time when she was barely three (I had to do some editing then) and both Sister's listened to it again last year.  Just this week the Big Sister found the complete collection on audio (31 hours!)  And they are listening again.  Although to my delight, the narrator doesn't do the voices like the Mom.  Find at a Library. More about the Series.

Add your suggestions for chapter books for children -that are just about 5- in the comments below.  

Please help us with the Project and tell us where you are from, click here.  

Best of BFWP: The Literary BFF Challenge

The Sister's are lucky, they have the best kind of BFF* the live-in kind. They stand firm on their connection, as sisters, and as BFF's. When I was young I(The Mom) never had a bona fide BFF, never wore a half heart necklace, the other half worn faithfully by my BFF. No, back in the late 70's, early 80's, did the term "BFF" exist? While I may not have had a BFF I think had some idea of who my BFF might be like...

The Mom's Imaginary Childhood BFF:

2 parts Meg Murray (A Wrinkle in Time --Meg's brilliant and normal)

1 part Nancy Drew (Wouldn't it be cool to have a sleuth for a best friend?)

1 part Laura Ingalls Wilder (I didn't think of her as cool, but I liked the way she let her bonnet fly even when Ma chided her for it.)

1 part Jo (Little Women --do I have to explain?)

1 part Fairy Godmother (Again, need I explain?)

As an adult I am lucky to have The Dad as my BFF, but do I admit to fantasizing about what it might be like to have the Bennett Sisters as friends (Pride and Prejudice) or to have coffee with Vianne (Chocolat) or tea with Margaret Mead (I have really dreamed of tea party.)

This week we challenge you to dive into 

your imagination and 

come up with a Literary BFF*.

But before you take the Challenge, here are some tips on keeping in touch with BFWP and taking advantage of all the wonderful bookish fun that happens here:

• Follow up with readers comments --first click on "comments, click here to read and post your own!", then go down to the bottom and click on "Subscribe by email" --then anytime someone comments on the post you will know (you can unsubscribe at any time.)
• Sign up for an email subscription to all of our posts, click here and follow the prompt.
• Sign up for our RSS feed: --we have a feed for our posts and a feed for your comments --sign up for both and you'll know anytime something happens here!
• Help us continue to get out in the world, tap into our social media stream and share us with friends --send a bibliophile friend our link, share us on Facebook or Twitter, why not tell the whole world?

*BFF: Best Friend Forever.

Please take The Literary BFF Challenge, tell us all about your imaginary BFF in the comments below: