Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
I'm so excited to tell you about the newest books in a couple of my favorite series! The Interrupted Tale is the latest installment in Maryrose Wood's series The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place. Our favorite governess, Penelope Lumley, takes the children back to her school, the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females. The headmistress... Continue Reading →
Author and illustrator Chris Van Allsburg specializes in the dreamy, the spectacular, and the wondrous. His picture book, The Garden of Abdul Gasazi, is no exception. Alan is all set to care for Miss Hester's dog while she visits her sister. He plays with Fritz until he's completely worn out, then takes him for an... Continue Reading →
Children and teens sometimes wrestle with the question of courage - what does it mean to be courageous? How can I have courage when I'm so scared? Hobie Hansen constantly asks himself those questions, especially since his dad is courageously fighting in World War II. He finds great comfort in his dog Duke, who accompanies... Continue Reading →
If you're looking for a delightful picture book to read to a preschooler, you cannot go wrong with Mo Willems. He has a whole library of picture books which delight both parents and children. (You can read about some here, and here.) In Hooray for Amanda and Her Alligator, Amanda loves her alligator, even if... Continue Reading →
Patricia MacLachlan has done it again. "Done what?" I hear you asking. She's written a beautiful book about difficult relationships and finding your way through them. In The Truth of Me, Robbie's parents send him to his grandmother's house for the summer. They are touring with their woodwind quartet for the summer. Robbie is fine... Continue Reading →
The newspapers today are full of stories of soldiers struggling to re-adapt to civilian life, living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among other things. It made me ask the question - what about the soldiers of the past? Did veterans of World War I or II suffer from similar issues? What about those who fought... Continue Reading →
Linda Sue Park is one of my favorite authors (see reviews of other books here, here and here), so when I saw she had written a picture book, I snatched it up. I was hoping it was as good as her chapter books, and I was not disappointed! Xander is a panda, and a panda... Continue Reading →
I am continually in awe of author Patricia Polacco's childhood. She must have grown up in a family rich in storytellers, because many of her picture books come from her own experiences, or family history. Uncle Vova's Tree is one such book. Some of her ancestors came from Russia, and celebrated the Russian Orthodox Christmas... Continue Reading →
If your library does not include the Little House books, the semi-autobiographical novels by Laura Ingalls Wilder, put them on your Christmas list! Every home should have a set of these. The series start with Little House in the Big Wood, where Laura and her sisters live with their parents. She includes all sorts of interesting... Continue Reading →
Technically, JRR Tolkien wrote The Lord of the Rings as a sequel to The Hobbit. However, while The Hobbit is a great story for upper-elementary-aged children, The Lord of the Rings is a darker story, much more intense and scary. And like The Hobbit, learning how to read The Lord of the Rings will greatly increase... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 