Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
I love to read stories about family history, whether it is mine or someone else's. Lucky for me, Elaine Snyder tells the story of her grandparents who immigrated from Russia to New York City around the 1900's in Anna & Solomon. This is a sweet story - one with a sad beginning, but a happy... Continue Reading →
America the Beautiful: Together We Stand is a beautiful picture book celebrating the diversity of the United States of America. It includes the poem Katharine Lee Bates wrote, which later became a much-loved patriotic song. The publisher, Orchard Books, recruited ten different children's book artists to illustrated the poem - which includes a wide variety... Continue Reading →
How can you make a cherry pie when the Cook Shop is closed for July 4th? Fortunately, the young girl in Marjorie Priceman's How to Make a Cherry Pie and See the U.S.A. has some great ideas. As an added bonus, if you follow the directions, you'll get to see most of the United States. ... Continue Reading →
Recently, my children and I learned quite a bit about the work women did to help the war effort during the Civil War. Quite a few women dressed up as men, and joined the army. Other women were couriers or spies. Behind Rebel Lines: The Incredible Story of Emma Edmonds, Civil War Spy by Seymour... Continue Reading →
After reading A Strong Right Arm about Negro League player Mamie "Peanut" Johnson, I immediately picked up We are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson when I spotted it at the library. What a beautiful book! Nelson not only wrote the book, he also painted all the pictures. Even if... Continue Reading →
Dan and his friends live the ideal small-town life in Grand Island, Nebraska. They swim, ride bikes, hang out together. When a severe thunderstorm alert is issued for that evening, Dan doesn't think much of it. It's a common occurrence in Nebraska. But what happens next is not. Night of the Twisters by Ivy Ruckman... Continue Reading →
P.K. Pinkerton is in deep trouble... in more ways than one. He is at the bottom of a silver mine, trying to figure out a way to outwit Wittlin' Walt, the Very Bad Man after his inheritance. This is where we find P.K. at the beginning of The Case of the Deadly Desperados, by Caroline... Continue Reading →
Children dealing with deployed parents can gain comfort from Year of the Jungle by Suzanne Collins (yes, the author of The Hunger Games). Collin's father was deployed to Viet Nam when she was six. In this picture book, she remembers what life was like with her dad gone, and the questions she asked about his... Continue Reading →
Maggie Fortini listens to every game her beloved Brooklyn Dodgers play, usually at the firehouse with her father’s former co-workers. When Jim joins the firehouse, she is shocked to discover he is a huge fan of the Dodgers arch-rivals, the New York Giants. She determines to never be his friend. But slowly, he wins her... Continue Reading →
You haven’t heard of Peanut Johnson? That’s OK, not many have. If you love baseball, even if you don’t, you will enjoy A Strong Right Arm: The Story of Mamie “Peanut” Johnson by Michelle Y. Green. Written in first person, Green did an excellent job capturing the voice of Mamie Johnson, her expressions, interjections and... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 