Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
A panda walks into the library, eats a peanut butter sandwich, shoots off a couple of arrows and leaves. The librarian shouts after him, "Why did you do that?" "Because that's what the book says I do," the panda replies. The librarian opens the book and finds a misplaced comma. "PANDA: Large black-and-white bear-like mammal,... Continue Reading →
Set in ancient Mongolia, I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade by Diane Lee Wilson follows the story of Oyuna, a young girl who brought bad luck to her family. How? When she was a baby, a horse crushed her foot. Now that she's nearly grown, she's determined to bring good luck to her... Continue Reading →
Have you ever wondered why? When studying the American Revolution, I often wondered, Why did Benedict Arnold betray his country? If you have shared my curiosity, one of my favorite authors, Jean Fritz, has written a fascinating biography of him: Traitor: The Case of Benedict Arnold. From Fritz's research, it seems Arnold has a forceful... Continue Reading →
It's difficult to find an alphabet book that stands out from the shelves crowded with such books. Each time I find one, I'm thrilled. I remember the tedium of reading the same book over and over to a toddler, so to find a book we both enjoyed reading over and over was quite the treasure.... Continue Reading →
Jonah has always knows he's adopted. It's never been that big of a deal, until now. Jonah discovers that he and his new friend Chip have both been getting strange messages, the first of which says "You are one of the missing." The quest to decipher the meaning of these messages involve Jonah, Chip 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 →
Emmy loves her life in Illinois. She lives close by her grandparents, she helps her mother with the quilting bees, tying off the women's threads (which she doesn't enjoy as much), and she lives in a comfortable farmhouse. But Emmy's pa isn't so happy. He's just home from a trip west to the booming state... Continue Reading →
In The True Gift by Patricia MacLachlan, Lily and Liam are glad to be at their grandparents' farm, preparing for Christmas. They are looking forward to reading lots of books, visiting the "lilac library" in town, and baking Christmas cookies. But then Liam spots the White Cow in the meadow at Gran and Grandpa's farm. ... Continue Reading →
In the modern age of consumerism and materialism at Christmas, Patricia Polacco's An Orange for Frankie tells a beautiful story of gratefulness and generosity. Based upon Polacco's own family history, the picture book tells the story of Frankie, the youngest boy in a large family. It's close to Christmas during the Great Depression, and the... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 