Our family's new favorite books are about the Penderwick family, written by Jeanne Birdsall. We love each of the four girls, who don't have a mother, but do have a doting and somewhat distracted father. The first book The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits and a Very Interesting Boy introduces readers... Continue Reading →
Angus and Sadie
Angus and Sadie by Cynthia Voigt is a sweet story of Mister and Missus and their new dogs, Angus and Sadie. Mister and Missus intended to get only one dog, but at the animal shelter they each found the perfect dog. Neither can imagine giving up a dog, so they go home with two. The... Continue Reading →
Shel Silverstein
I have never been a person who adores poetry. In fact, I spent most of my childhood avoiding it - except for one author. Shel Silverstein. Now that I'm older, perhaps wiser, I have read more poetry to my children than I have read in my entire life. Poetry is beginning to grow on me.... Continue Reading →
Winnie-the-Pooh
Winnie-the-Pooh is a beloved character, but I'm afraid most children these days only know the Disney-fied Pooh Bear. If that's the only Pooh your children know, please, please please! pick up A.A. Milne's original books and read them with your children. Milne first published the original books in 1928, and the fact they are still... Continue Reading →
The Velvet Room
One book I picked up over and over again over the course of my childhood was The Velvet Room by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. It's not as well-known as Anne of Green Gables, but I loved it nearly as much. The Velvet Room tells the story of Robin, the middle child of five. She and her... Continue Reading →
Calico Bush
I imagine Calico Bush by Rachel Field is not at the top of many people's reading lists. But it should be! This is the second time I've read through Calico Bush, but it will certainly not be my last. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed this story. Marguerite is an orphaned French girl who... Continue Reading →
Misty of Chincoteague
If the children in your life love horses, they will love Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry. (By the way, it's pronounced chink-o-teeg) The story follows Paul and Maureen, two children on Chincoteague Island in Virginia who desperately want to buy a wild horse from Assateaugue (ass-a-teeg) Island. They work very hard, finding odd jobs... Continue Reading →
Anne of Green Gables
An orphan delighted to find a new home on Prince Edward Island - then crushed to discover that her new guardians had wanted a boy. Her bright spirit and delightful chatter wins Matthew over, and he decided they must keep her. Thus began Anne's life with Marilla and Matthew on their farm, Green Gables. Anne... Continue Reading →
The Story of Doctor Dolittle
If you have never read the original The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting, you are in for a treat. I think the title tells it all: The Story of Doctor Dolittle: Being the History of His Peculiar Life at Home and Astonishing Adventures in Foreign Parts. Never Before Printed. John Dolittle, M.D. -... Continue Reading →
Usborne Book of World History
The book my seven-year-old is most likely to pick out for read-aloud time (even outside of school time) is The Usborne Book of World History from Usborne Publishers. Obviously, my seven-year-old loves history. He loves it so much that our copy of World History is about to fall apart. Do not be afraid to start... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 