Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
So many people have recommended that I read The Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan, I've quite forgotten who first mentioned it to me. But it wasn't until after reading book recommendations from my writing classes - almost a third of whom chose to write about The Ranger's Apprentice - that I finally picked up... Continue Reading →
Children can have a hard time thinking of history in personal terms. It happened so long ago, to strangers - it's hard to imagine they are real people. That's why I like Pearl by Debby Atwell so much. Pearl traces the history of America from it's roots to the 1960's through the story of one... Continue Reading →
If you have seen Schindler's List, you will know the basic story of The Boy on the Wooden Box by Leon Leyson. Leyson was the youngest boy Schindler was able to save from the Nazi killing machine. He relates his story of growing up in rural Poland, moving to the big city after his father... Continue Reading →
I will admit, when I first read The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown, I wondered, "what is the point of this book?" (Honestly, I thought the same thing about her more famous book, Goodnight Moon. But I grew to love it as I read it to my babies before bed.) However, after reading The... Continue Reading →
Little Panda does not believe the story his grandfather is about to tell him. "Tigers can't fly! That's silly," he interrupts his grandfather. His grandfather shushes him, and gently scolds him for interrupting - and continues his story. And in the end, a tiger does fly! How? You will have to read the book to... Continue Reading →
How much is infinity? What does that mean? Infinity is an abstract concept, difficult for young children to understand. Which is why Infinity and Me by Kate Hosford is a great book to share with young children, even elementary school children. In Infinity and Me, Hosford explores the idea of infinity as her narrator asks... 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 →
Who could write a picture book about a giant meatball? What on earth could it be about? And can it be any good? Robert Weinstock wrote Giant Meatball, and at first I wondered if it was any good. But the further along I read, the more I enjoyed the story. Young listeners will enjoy the... Continue Reading →
It's hard to imagine a time when books were expensive and not readily available, especially for children. Clara and the Bookwagon by Nancy Smiler Levinson tells the story of Clara, who badly wants to learn to read, but does not have anyone to teach her. Clara lives on a small farm, where there are no... Continue Reading →
This delightful picture book follows a girl, her little brother and her grandmother as they tour the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. Little do they know that the girl's balloon, left in the care of the photographer outside the Gallery, is leading the photographer, and a growing group of people on a chase around the... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 