As my children grow older, I admit I am more and more frequently reading ahead in our school books. It's hard to resist - the books are so great! My new favorite author is Joanne Williamson. She writes historical fiction that's just superb. The God King is one of those books. The main character is... Continue Reading →
The Boy Who Dared
I haven't read The Boy Who Dared: A Novel Based on the True Story of a Hitler Youth to my children. They aren't ready for it yet. I will keep this title in mind, though, when my older two study World War II again. By then, they will be old enough for this book. And... Continue Reading →
Walk the World’s Rim
My younger two children and I just finished reading Walk the World's Rim by Betty Baker this morning. This is my second time through the book, their first. We really enjoy this book, which is a fictional account of a real-life event. A Spanish expedition sailed from Cuba to explore Florida in 1527. Of the... Continue Reading →
Dolphin Adventure
If you have a child in your life who loves animals, especially dolphins, she will love this book! I read Dolphin Adventure aloud to my children several times, and they have read it on their own many more times. Wayne Grover, a deep-sea diver based in Florida, tells the story of how he met a... Continue Reading →
The Mysterious Howling
When I picked up this book at the library, a part of me wondered what I was doing. In fact, the first time I picked it up, I put it back down again and didn't check it out. Several weeks later, I spotted it again and couldn't help picking it up again. That time I... Continue Reading →
Twenty and Ten
The subject of Twenty and Ten by Claire Huchet Bishop has scared many a parent from reading this book aloud to their children. Quite honestly, some children may be too sensitive to listen to or read this book until they are older. You know your child best, do what's best for him or her. Twenty... Continue Reading →
Peter and the Starcatchers
If you are familiar with the original Peter Pan by JM Barrie, or watched the Disney movie, you probably have a myriad of unanswered questions, including: What is Neverland, and how did Peter get to there? Who is Captain Hook and how did he end up in Neverland? Why can Peter fly, but not the... Continue Reading →
Andrew Clements
I have tried to find a book by Andrew Clements I do not like, and I have had no success. Every book of his my children and I read we enjoy immensely. The first one we read was The School Story - a book about a girl, Natalie, who writes a book, and her and... Continue Reading →
Pasteur’s Fight Against Microbes
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 →
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
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 →
Cultivating Readers 