Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
I think James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl is almost as well-known as his Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (which I'm embarrassed to say, I've not read - yet!) - especially since it has been made into a movie. If you've only watched the movie, I urge you to read the book -... Continue Reading →
The friendship between General George Washington & the Marquis de Lafayette is legendary. Author Selene Castrovilla tells the story of their first meeting in Revolutionary Friends: General George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette. She starts at the moment Lafayette is in City Tavern in Philadelphia, ready to meet his hero, George Washington. She then... Continue Reading →
I so thoroughly enjoyed The Cay by Theodore Taylor that when I discovered Timothy of the Cay, I pounced on it. "Kids, look!" I cried. "Remember The Cay? Here's a prequel-sequel." "What does that mean?" they asked. Good question, I thought. What is a prequel-sequel? It's a masterfully-written story, telling Timothy's story before he ended... Continue Reading →
Lucas Bell lives a rather dreary life, even though he lives in the largest house in town. His guardian is a stingy old man, not much interested in his existence at all. His tutor is nice enough, but quite distracted. He's stuck in a bedroom or schoolroom most every day, and the town he lives... Continue Reading →
Ellsworth Duncan has an interesting family history. He's heard all about it, even though he lives across the country from the square where his father grew up. Then comes the invitation to return to the square to hunt down the last treasure of his great-great-great... grandfather John Matthew Smith. The family is in trouble, and... Continue Reading →
We first met Rosalind in Small Acts of Amazing Courage, also by Gloria Whelan. In All My Noble Dreams and Then What Happens, we are back in India with Rosalind, her parents and her aunts during the turbulent times of the 1920's. Rosalind's 'adopted' baby is doing well in the orphanage, where her Aunt Louise... Continue Reading →
Solveig, her older sister and younger brother, the crown prince, are trapped in a hidden fortress tucked between a narrow fjord and towering mountains. Their father sent them there, along with a band of fierce and restless warriors, to protect them during battle with his sworn enemy. But mysterious things are happening - food missing,... Continue Reading →
Imagine growing up in the wilderness, with no adults to care for you, feed you or clothe you. Imagine sleeping outside all the time - winter and summer - not knowing any other human being or knowing how to talk. In 1797 in southern France, mountain villagers returned home with what sounded like a crazy... Continue Reading →
One of the great things about books is that they take readers to another time and place, and help us to see the world from a different perspective, whether historical, geographical, or ... I have read some great books which focus on children living with a disability - Follow My Leader, The Cay, The Door in... Continue Reading →
When we first started reading A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park, my children and I were rather confused. Throughout the book, Park weaves together the stories of two children who grew up in Sudan. One story starts in 2008, the other starts in 1985. In 2008, Nya walks to the pond twice... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 