As a sports star, Jimmy is confident in himself and his abilities. That all changes one day, when his friend messes around with a firecracker, accidentally setting it off. The resulting explosion blinds Jimmy, and now he has to relearn everything he used to do without thinking - getting dressed, finding his way around his... Continue Reading →
A Child’s Introduction to Poetry
I am not a fan of poetry. I admit it, loud and clear! In fact, I probably would never read my children poetry, except that it's scheduled into Sonlight, the home school curriculum we use. And thankfully it is. A Child's Introduction to Poetry by Michael Driscoll is a relatively new offering by Sonlight. I... Continue Reading →
A Letter to Mrs. Roosevelt
Margo Bandini has always felt secure. She had Papa, Mama, and her little brother Charlie - although he had given the family quite a scare several years earlier. But it is now 1933, and Margo's world seems to be falling apart. The sheriff sale sign in on the front door of her home. Her best... Continue Reading →
Born and Bred in the Great Depression
Author John Winter remembers his father's stories of growing up during the Great Depression in Born and Bred in the Great Depression. He recounts how his father grew up in a small house outside a small town in Texas. He describes the hardships, and the joys, of being a child during those difficult years. The... Continue Reading →
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin may seem an intimidating book to some readers. It's quite thick, with 278 pages. However, the words are large, the chapters are short and the illustrations are beautiful. Lin tells the story of Minli, a girl growing up in the shadow of the Fruitless Mountain. Life... Continue Reading →
Things People Do
I have read this book to my children over and over and over - and we enjoyed it every time. Now my children are enjoying reading it themselves, even though they are elementary school age, and a bit past the information in it. Things People Do is an oversize hardcover book from Usborne Publishing Company. ... Continue Reading →
Virginia Lee Burton
There are some authors that no matter what book you pick up, you will be sure to enjoy it. Virginia Lee Burton is one of those authors. Virginia Lee Burton (1909 - 1968) wrote and illustrated several classic picture books - including The Little House, Katy and the Big Snow, Maybelle the Cable Car, Mike... Continue Reading →
Pasteur’s Fight Against Microbes
Pasteur's Fight Against Microbes is the story of Louis Pasteur and how he discovered microbes. I am not a scientist (by any stretch of the imagination), so I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book - not to mention my children. It's a short little story, one that starts with the request of... Continue Reading →
Eleanor Estes
I have read several of Eleanor Estes' books to my children, and they have loved every single one. So, instead of reviewing each of her books, I'm recommending all her books! Estes (1906-1988) was a children's librarian for many years before starting to write children's books. She grew up in West Haven, Connecticut, which she... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 