Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
Train to Somewhere by Eve Bunting tells the story of Marianne, a young girl heading West on the Orphan Train. Her mother left her at the orphanage years earlier, promising to come for her after she had made a home for them out west. She never came back. Marianne is convinced her mother will meet... Continue Reading →
We have often teased our children about boxing them up and sending them to visit their grandparents via the post office. These conversations usually happen when they are missing their grandparents and we have no immediate plans to visit them. In Mailing May by Michael O. Tunnell, that is exactly what happened! Little May wanted... Continue Reading →
The small fish in This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen is very proud of the fact he has a hat. But, as you can surmise from the title, the hat is not his. He took it from a much larger fish. This tiny fish is confident that he can outwit the larger fish,... Continue Reading →
In Dog Loves Books, author Louise Yates gives an eloquent argument in favor of real books - no e-readers or audio books here. Dog loves books so much, he decides to open a bookstore. But when no customers come, what will dog do? Read, of course! Sweet, colorful drawings illustrate this picture book, one children... Continue Reading →
Personally, I'm not a huge fan of holiday books - except a few select Thanksgiving & Christmas books. But at my local library I found a Valentine's Day book I really enjoyed. I have always enjoyed Nate the Great, the star of short mysteries for children learning to read. Nate the Great and the Mushy... Continue Reading →
Children just beginning to read will greatly enjoy reading any Elephant and Piggie book by Mo Willems - and better yet, their parents will enjoy listening to them! Mo Willems has a great sense of humor, which comes out in all his books. I reviews his Pigeon books earlier, but felt that the Elephant and... Continue Reading →
Kids who love superheroes will love Question Boy Meets Little Miss Know-It-All by Peter Catalanotto. Question Boy wanders his neighborhood, asking questions of all the superheroes he meets, including Garbage Man, Wonder Waitress and Mailman. He scares all of them off with his questions, until he meets... Little Miss Know-It-All! He asks her questions, and... Continue Reading →
My family first discovered The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop as an audio book. We listened to it in the van, as we drove to church, on errands or trips. We all loved it. William does not want Mrs. Phillips to leave. His British housekeeper is going home to England after living with... Continue Reading →
I've never enjoyed ice skating - too cold of a sport for me. But reading Twelve Kinds of Ice by Ellen Bryan Obed almost makes me want to skate. A cross between a picture book, a novella and a memoir, Twelve Kinds of Ice builds the anticipation for all the different kinds of ice for... Continue Reading →
Mitali Perkins takes readers to Bangladesh in her novella Rickshaw Girl. Naima is an artist. She loves to create the traditional designs the girls in her country create for special celebrations. But one day her artistry is thwarted when she sees how hard her father works, and feels sad she can do nothing to help... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 