Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
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 →
Lucy and Glory are orphans living in a workhouse in London. Lucy remembers having a family, and a home, but Glory was only a baby when the fever took their parents. In order to survive deplorable conditions, Lucy whispers stories in Glory's ear after lights out - stories of their mother, their father, their home... Continue Reading →
The whole town of San Lorenzo is preparing for the annual Christmas parade. Eleven-year-old Maria Gonzaga listens longingly to her friends' plans for their floats. Their families are hiring designers to create breath-taking floats - and Maria longs to participate. But San Lorenzo's parade has long been for the wealthy Anglo ranchers, not the Mexican-Americans.... Continue Reading →
If you're a fan of Mary Engelbreit's artwork, you'll really enjoy her book Mary Engelbreit's Nutcracker. Engelbreit summarizes the story line of the famous ballet into a book format, lavishly illustrated in Engelbreit's signature style. If you plan to take a child to see The Nutcracker ballet this holiday season, this is a great way... Continue Reading →
It does seem odd putting "Lemony Snicket" and "Christmas Books" together in a title. Snicket is best known for his children's book series A Series of Unfortunate Events - books which I tried reading. However, I could not enjoy them because they were so depressing. So what inspired me to pick up Lemony Snicket's Christmas... Continue Reading →
Do you remember when Ramona Quimby (from author Beverly Cleary) suggested to her father that he turn on the "dawnzer light"? Her family laughed so hard because she misunderstood the words to the national anthem - "by the dawn's early light." Olive, the dog, has a similar problem. As she walks through town during the... Continue Reading →
Children may think that Americans have celebrated Thanksgiving since the very first Thanksgiving the Pilgrims celebrated with Squanto and his friends. While in one sense this is true, Thanksgiving wasn't established as a national holiday until much later in history. Thank You, Sarah by Laurie Halse Anderson explains the history of Thanksgiving as a holiday,... Continue Reading →
If turkey's thought, they'd run away A week before Thanksgiving Day, but turkeys can't anticipate, And so there's turkey on my plate. My children and I always enjoy a good rhyme from author Jack Prelutsky. In It's Thanksgiving, Prelutsky entertains readers with short and long poems about Thanksgiving. Written for beginning readers, this book has... Continue Reading →
Tom Hawkins does not remember his parents. He feels compelled to climb around the buildings at his boarding school in England - especially on stormy nights. One night, as he climbs to the school's bell tower, he runs into trouble. He's not sure what kind of trouble, exactly, which makes it worse. Men in black... Continue Reading →
Retold from the tale found in Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queene, Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges is a classic for the modern ear. Saint George wears hand-me-down armor to face his first foe - an unspeakably huge dragon. The princess Una rides next to him, leading the knight to her home, where the... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 