Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
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 →
Laura Numeroff created a delightful book with If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. It all starts when the little boy in the book gives a mouse a cookie. A nice gesture - which leads to some interesting consequences which include mirrors, scissors, drawing a picture... and some how it all leads back to where... Continue Reading →
My Father's Dragon is a delightful story about a boy, Elmer Elevator, and his adventures on Wild Island. Elmer (the 'my father' in the story) befriends an alley cat, who tells him of a dragon caught on an island, used by the animals on that island. Elmer decides to go on an adventure and find... Continue Reading →
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 →
When we first meet George in Stoneheart, he is not a very likable guy. He's rather wimpy, trying to avoid conflict, mad at his mom, feeling guilty about his dad's death, in trouble with his teacher. Then, he breaks off the head of a stone dragon outside a London museum. And his world changes. The... Continue Reading →
Momo is a little girl who lives high in the mountains of Tibet. One day, at a festival at the Buddhist monastery, she spots a beautiful Lhasa terrier the head monk owns. That Lhasa terrier is the most beautiful dog she has ever seen and she wants one oh-so-badly. She prays to the Blessed One,... Continue Reading →
Nhuong grew up in the highlands of Vietnam, before the Vietnam War. The Land I Lost is a collection of his memories from his youth, growing up in a small Vietnamese village. He has many adventures with his bull and cows, fishing for eels in the canals, and hunting in the jungles. My children were... Continue Reading →
Jean Fritz grew up in China, the daughter of a couple who worked for the YMCA. She grew up during the time of conflict between the Nationalist Army and the Communists, right before World War II. Homesick is the story of her last year or so in China, as a 10-year-old girl. She hates her... Continue Reading →
The Twenty-One Balloons is the story of Professor William Waterman Sherman, who in his retirement, decides to go hot-air ballooning around the world. His adventure is quite mysterious, as the book opens with him being found in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean in the midst of the most interesting wreckage. After a long journey,... Continue Reading →
Rascal is the name Sterling North gives his tiny new pet raccoon he found one afternoon when out in the woods with his friend. The book, Rascal, is North's recollection of a few years of his childhood when Rascal was his constant companion. North is a delightful author, remembering funny stories of how Rascal would... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 