Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
How many times have you heard the Christmas story, and the gifts of the wise men from the East? How many times have you wondered, "what exactly is myrrh?" The Third Gift by Linda Sue Park is beautifully illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline, and tells the story of a young boy who is learning his father's... Continue Reading →
Author and illustrator Patricia Polacco had a wonderfully interesting childhood, which makes for delightful pictures books (read more here) - and her holiday books are no exception. In The Trees of the Dancing Goats, Polacco describes one Hanukkah she celebrated with her mother, brother and grandparents in snowy Michigan. She tells about her family's traditions... Continue Reading →
Generally, I am not a fan of repackaging beloved stories for marketing purposes, but I make an exception for the Little House story books. (See my review of other Little House story books here.) For the holidays, HarperCollins Publishers pulled out all the Christmas's Laura Ingalls Wilder described in some of her Little House on... Continue Reading →
Stan & Jan Berenstain, creators of the beloved Berenstain Bears, didn't realize what a hit those bears would be when they wrote and illustrated their first book together. So Stan wrote Nothing Ever Happens at the South Pole as a follow up to that first Berenstain Bears book. But because they were so popular, Stan... Continue Reading →
Author Patricia Maclachlan wrote Your Moon, My Moon for her granddaughter, who lives in Africa. For grandparents who miss their grandchildren, Maclachlan distills the longings, the dreams and the heartache into simple sentiments children can understand. The grandmother wonders if her grandchild remembers her, remembers what they did together, if the grandchild thinks of her... Continue Reading →
In the midst of all the holiday preparations, I encourage you to sit down and enjoy The Peterkins' Thanksgiving, adapted by Elizabeth Spurr from Lucretia P. Hale's original story from 1880. The large Peterkin family is ready to sit down to eat their delicious Thanksgiving feast. They are looking forward to the food their cook... Continue Reading →
The 'trouble twins' have been nothing but trouble since the day they were born. That's what their guardians, Mr. & Mrs. Trepid, have been telling Dallas and Florida since they arrived on the doorstep of the Boxton Creek Home. But then, Tiller and Sairy cross paths with them, and decide to take them home to... Continue Reading →
Twelve-year-old Rob Horton cannot believe his eyes. He has discovered a real, live tiger! It's in the woods behind the hotel, locked in a cage. That very same day, he meets Sistine Bailey, a tough northern girl who strides onto the school bus in a pink dress. No one wears pink dresses to school, even... Continue Reading →
The Souls - an academic bowl team made up of sixth-graders. Not just any sixth-graders, though. These four sixth-graders are connected in some very unexpected ways - not the least of which is their Saturday afternoon teas at Julian's house. And their teacher is also unique. She's returned to teaching ten years after being paralyzed... Continue Reading →
Benjamin's historic seaside school is about to be torn down to make way for a huge amusement park. Benjamin is kind of excited about it, until an unusual encounter with the school janitor right before he dies. The janitor entrusts Benjamin with a heavy gold coin with a long history, and directions to 'save the... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 