Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
The 'trouble twins' have been nothing but trouble since the day they were born. That's what their guardians, Mr. & Mrs. Trepid, have been telling Dallas and Florida since they arrived on the doorstep of the Boxton Creek Home. But then, Tiller and Sairy cross paths with them, and decide to take them home to... Continue Reading →
Words are powerful, but the gift of reading can be taken for granted in a country with a high literacy rate. It wasn't always that way. Children who grew up in the South, as slaves, did not have the opportunity to learn to read. In Words Set Me Free by Lesa Cline-Ransome, the author tells... Continue Reading →
My girls grabbed Chloe and the Lion by Mac Barnett before I had a chance to read it. Every time I picked it up, they both told me, "Oh Mom, you'll love that book! It's really funny!" And it is! Barnett, and his illustrator Adam Rex, get quite involved in the story Barnett is writing.... Continue Reading →
In the 1930's, a lot of families had a lot of kids. And many of them were able to field their own baseball team. But none were as successful, and none played together as long as the Acerras in New Jersey. Brothers at Bat by Audrey Vernick tells their story. The Acerras had 12 boys... Continue Reading →
The saying goes, "The grass is always greener..." The main characters in The Castle Corona by Sharon Creech truly believe that saying. Pia and Enzio believe life has to be perfect for the princes and princess living in the Castle Corona. But the king, queen, princes and princess do not think their life is perfect... Continue Reading →
Princesses are supposed to be beautiful, aren't they? Drop-dead gorgeous, even. That's what the King and Queen of Phantasmorania expected of their seventh daughter. The other six girls were just what everyone expected princesses to be. But the Queen and the Ministers of State decided that all the fairies needed to be invited to the... Continue Reading →
Twelve-year-old Rob Horton cannot believe his eyes. He has discovered a real, live tiger! It's in the woods behind the hotel, locked in a cage. That very same day, he meets Sistine Bailey, a tough northern girl who strides onto the school bus in a pink dress. No one wears pink dresses to school, even... Continue Reading →
Have you ever tried to read a story to your children, but they kept interrupting you with questions? You know exactly how Papa Chicken feels in David Ezra Stein's delightful picture book Interrupting Chicken. The little red chicken is so excited about the storyline of the book he's listening to that she interrupts Papa Chicken... Continue Reading →
In 1948, London hosted the first Olympics held after World War II. Londoners, and the Olympic athletes, faced many problems. But none faced the challenges that Alice Coachman faced. Queen of the Track by Heather Lang tells Coachman's story - her journey from a poor black family in Georgia in the middle of segregation to... Continue Reading →
The Wednesday Surprise by Eve Bunting is a surprise - at least it surprised me. It tells the story of Anna and her Grandmother, who comes on Wednesdays to stay with her while her mother works late and her older brother goes to basketball practice. The two of them are working on a surprise for... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 