Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, founders of the United States of America, were best friends. They were quite opposite, in size, shape and temperament, but they really liked each other. They worked together to create the United States of America. They worked together to find a solution to paying the bills of their new country. ... Continue Reading →
Ethel, Kermit and Archie are under strict orders to be good. Their dad, President Teddy Roosevelt, is hosting the Russian ambassador that evening, trying to negotiate the end to the Russian-Japanese War. (Whatever THAT is, thinks Archie.) They decide to settle down to an interesting book, Treasure Island, when they find a mysterious paper inside... Continue Reading →
If You Lived Here: Houses of the World by Giles Laroche is a beautiful picture book which tells the stories of houses around the world. I love this book for so many reasons. First, Laroche created beautiful bas-relief cut-paper collages for each of the pages, which are fun to examine. Second, Laroche provides several levels... Continue Reading →
Boys and girls alike will enjoy except if by Jim Averbeck. It starts with an egg, which is not a baby bird. The egg will become a baby bird Except if... it becomes a baby snake. The rest of the book follows the same format: the snake will slither on its belly, except if... it... Continue Reading →
Ling and Ting are twins, and many people say they look exactly alike. But they are not exactly the same - as the stories in Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same by Grace Lin show. In each story, Ling & Ting discover something different about themselves: haircuts, ease of using chopsticks, making dumplings, etc.... Continue Reading →
The people were mourning their king, who was dying. They were also fearful of the future, because the king's son & heir, Prince Raphael, was not a pleasant person. As the king lay dying, he blessed his son, saying, "You cannot wear my crown until the day you marry a woman who is your equal... Continue Reading →
Anyone who has a child, or knows a child, or was a child, can remember the cajoling of finding an animal and wanting to keep it as a pet. "Please? Can I take it home and keep it? I'll take care of it, I promise!" Author Peter Brown turns those experiences around in Children Make... Continue Reading →
The mosquito is causing problems in the jungle - no surprise, right? But this mosquito is not causing problems for people. Not quite yet. This mosquito is causing problems between the animals. In Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears by Verna Aardema, readers learn the mosquito buzzed in the ear of an iguana, telling a... Continue Reading →
For most people, the thought of dandelions brings thoughts of desperate efforts to eradicate them from their yards. But for Zoe, dandelions are a symbol of hope. Hope that her mother will feel at home on the prairies of Nebraska. Hope that their sod house will soon feel like home. Hope that the family will... Continue Reading →
The little ghost Georgie takes great comfort in his evening routine. He makes the stair creak, the parlor door squeak, and the inhabitants of his house know what they need to do next. It's the same routine every evening. Until Mr. Whittaker decides to fix the creak in the stair, and oil the parlor door's... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 