Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
Every time I read a book by Patricia MacLachlan, I am in awe of her gift of telling simple, yet heartfelt stories. White Fur Flying is no exception. Zoe's family rescues dogs. Not just any dogs, her mother rescues Great Pyrenees, "140 pounds of white fur." (To be honest, I'm not a dog lover, and... Continue Reading →
Unspoken, A Story from the Underground Railroad, a picture book by Henry Cole, is an unusual book. First, Cole illustrated it with graphite illustrations - no color on the page, except the ocher yellow of the paper itself. While a tad plain, Cole's drawings are striking - full of detail and emotion which draw the... Continue Reading →
Like every other 12-year-old, Jim Davis longs for thrills and adventures. And unwittingly, he finds it when he comes across a ring of pirates. These pirates aren't friendly, swash-buckling type. They are serious smugglers. At first, Jim finds them to be friendly and interesting. But his 'friend' Marah turns out to be more dangerous than... Continue Reading →
I'm not sure if Du Bose Heyward wrote The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes for children, or for their mothers. The Country Bunny is a sweet tale of a little girl bunny from the country who dreams of becoming one of the five Easter Bunnies. As a child, all the other bunnies laugh... Continue Reading →
Action. Adventure. And a female protagonist!? Yes! Bird McGill has always wanted to fly an airplane. Her current obsession is a P-40 Warhawk, the plane the US is flying when it first enters World War II. Born to Fly by Michael Ferrari tells Bird's story of not fitting in with the other girls, of finding... Continue Reading →
Jonathan Capewell is a farm boy who loves to read about big-city detectives. While milking the cows, he dreams of going to the big city and solving crimes. Then suddenly he's sent with his grandfather, a photographer, on his journeys around Maine. Jonathan isn't sure why, but he thinks it has something to do with... Continue Reading →
A panda walks into the library, eats a peanut butter sandwich, shoots off a couple of arrows and leaves. The librarian shouts after him, "Why did you do that?" "Because that's what the book says I do," the panda replies. The librarian opens the book and finds a misplaced comma. "PANDA: Large black-and-white bear-like mammal,... Continue Reading →
Some older elementary students will be too sensitve to read The Wreckers by Iain Lawrence. But those who love adventure stories will enjoy this action-packed book. John Spencer is fourteen-years-old and on his first voyage with his father, who is a merchant. They've been to Spain and are on their way back to London when... Continue Reading →
Even adults will appreciate Just the Way You Are by Max Lucado. Lucado tells a story about a family of five orphan children who long for a family. Soon they discover the king is going to adopt them. What news! To prepare, they each get busy working on a gift for the king. All, but... Continue Reading →
Train to Somewhere by Eve Bunting tells the story of Marianne, a young girl heading West on the Orphan Train. Her mother left her at the orphanage years earlier, promising to come for her after she had made a home for them out west. She never came back. Marianne is convinced her mother will meet... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 