Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
The Souls - an academic bowl team made up of sixth-graders. Not just any sixth-graders, though. These four sixth-graders are connected in some very unexpected ways - not the least of which is their Saturday afternoon teas at Julian's house. And their teacher is also unique. She's returned to teaching ten years after being paralyzed... Continue Reading →
About a year ago, I was writing an article of book recommendations for families to read aloud together. I asked my friend if she had any ideas of great family books. "Oh yes," she said. "You should write about that book you read last year to your kids. The one about the young driver." "Which... Continue Reading →
Three little Swedish sisters with blond hair and blue eyes have many adventures together - in the kitchen, at the neighbor's house, on the farm, and even in town. They dress alike, love to help people and animals. The Flicka, Ricka, Dicka books by Maj Lindman were first published in the United States in the... Continue Reading →
Benjamin's historic seaside school is about to be torn down to make way for a huge amusement park. Benjamin is kind of excited about it, until an unusual encounter with the school janitor right before he dies. The janitor entrusts Benjamin with a heavy gold coin with a long history, and directions to 'save the... Continue Reading →
As a sports star, Jimmy is confident in himself and his abilities. That all changes one day, when his friend messes around with a firecracker, accidentally setting it off. The resulting explosion blinds Jimmy, and now he has to relearn everything he used to do without thinking - getting dressed, finding his way around his... Continue Reading →
Margo Bandini has always felt secure. She had Papa, Mama, and her little brother Charlie - although he had given the family quite a scare several years earlier. But it is now 1933, and Margo's world seems to be falling apart. The sheriff sale sign in on the front door of her home. Her best... Continue Reading →
"This is the best book EVER!" cried my 10-year-old, lifting Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor high in the air. We had just finished listening to the audio version of the book, read by Lynne Thigpen. I had tried reading it aloud to my children, but being a white woman from... Continue Reading →
Author John Winter remembers his father's stories of growing up during the Great Depression in Born and Bred in the Great Depression. He recounts how his father grew up in a small house outside a small town in Texas. He describes the hardships, and the joys, of being a child during those difficult years. The... Continue Reading →
Not surprisingly, animals are the focus of Lois Ehlert’s book Oodles of Animals. Each page features one, or several, animals portrayed in Ehlert’s colorful collage artwork, accompanied by short, rhyming poems describing each animal. Ehlert features a wide variety of animals, from mammals like bears and foxes, to reptiles like crocodiles and snakes, to birds... Continue Reading →
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin may seem an intimidating book to some readers. It's quite thick, with 278 pages. However, the words are large, the chapters are short and the illustrations are beautiful. Lin tells the story of Minli, a girl growing up in the shadow of the Fruitless Mountain. Life... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 