Complaining? Bad attitude? Frustration? Whatever is causing the above in your house will be put into perspective after reading It Could Always Be Worse by Margot Zemach. Zemach retells a Yiddish folktale about a family of eight crammed into a one-room house. The father can no longer take the chaos, so he goes to the... Continue Reading →
The Ravenmaster’s Secret
Set in the Tower of London during the 1730's, The Ravenmaster's Secret by Elvira Woodruff tells of a daring escape from the Tower. But Forrest Harper isn't sure he has the courage to help with the escape. The older boys at the Tower bully him, his mother requires him to watch over his little sisters. ... Continue Reading →
Caddie Woodlawn
If you like Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder, you will love Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink. I read and reread Wilder's Little House books as a child, but hadn't read Caddie Woodlawn until a few years ago. I wish I had read it as a girl! Caddie is really Caroline... Continue Reading →
Chicken Soup with Rice
Chicken Soup with Rice by Maurice Sendak sounds like a book about food. But really, it's a book about months of the year. As it says on the front flap: Each month is gay, Each season nice, when eating chicken soup with rice. Sendak takes readers through each month of the year, espousing the wonders... Continue Reading →
Alligators All Around
You can find alphabet books galore at your local library or bookstore. Every popular cartoon character has one, every cultural icon for the under-five crowd. But hidden behind or between those books are gems worth reading again and again. Alligators All Around by Maurice Sendak is one of those jewels. Sendak works his way through... Continue Reading →
A Boy, A Dog and a Frog
A friend of mine reminded me of this little storybook series after she had read my review about Mercer Mayer, one of my favorite children's authors. Although I put it in the "Read-Aloud" category, these are picture books - literally. None of them have any words - which I love! Preschoolers can 'read' these books... Continue Reading →
Shakespeare’s Secret
When I first saw the cover for Shakespeare's Secret by Elise Broach (author of Masterpiece), I thought, "Oh, a Chasing Vermeer knock-off. I wonder how good it is?" I discovered it's very good. And in my opinion, much better than Chasing Vermeer. (I haven't reviewed Chasing Vermeer because while I like that the book, and... Continue Reading →
Mercy Watson
Kate DiCamillo, author of Because of Winn-Dixie and The Tale of Despereaux, brings her skill and humor to beginning readers in her Mercy Watson books. My first introduction to Mercy Watson was by CD - when my daughter checked out the first two books on CD and we listened to them together in the car. ... Continue Reading →
Faith, Hope and Ivy June
Ivy June Mosely cannot believe it. Her teacher pulled her name from the coffee can, so she is going to be her school's ambassador to a private school all the way in Lexington! She'll go live with a family in Lexington for two weeks, and attend the school with a girl her own age, name... Continue Reading →
Dark Life
In Dark Life, author Kat Falls introduces her readers to Ty, the first child to be born in Benthic Territory. He helps his parents & his sister on their subsea farm, and explores the rest of the continental shelf - and even parts of the open ocean, even though it's dangerous. Ty is more comfortable... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 