"This is the best book EVER!" cried my 10-year-old, lifting Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor high in the air. We had just finished listening to the audio version of the book, read by Lynne Thigpen. I had tried reading it aloud to my children, but being a white woman from... Continue Reading →
Kindred Souls
If the child in your life has lost a beloved grandparent or other loved one, Kindred Souls by Patricia MacLachlan will help them process that loss. MacLachlan has a gift for expressing emotion in strong simple words, and actions of her characters. Sarah, Plain and Tall is an award-winning example of her gift. I think... Continue Reading →
Heart of a Samurai
Japan in the 1800's was a mystery to the rest of the world. The country was truly isolationists - no Japanese person who left its shores was allowed to return. Not for any reason. Japanese rulers told their people the world outside Japan was dangerous - full of demons, barbarians and monsters. And soon, fourteen-year-old... Continue Reading →
The Willoughbys
Oh my goodness. Our family just finished listening to The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry - and we LOVED it! Lowry writes a parody of old-fashioned stories like Anne of Green Gables and James and the Giant Peach - except the children decide they want to be orphans and plot to get rid of their parents. ... Continue Reading →
Hattie Big Sky
Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson is a coming-of-age story set in Montana during World War I. Hattie is an orphan, shuffled from one unwilling relative to another for most of her life. Then a letter arrives in the mail. Hattie's uncle has died, leaving her his homestead claim in Montana. Although she is only... Continue Reading →
Surviving the Applewhites
After several of the librarians at my local library asked me if I had read Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie Tolan, I decided I had better read it. They know I teach my children at home, and wanted me to read this hilarious book about a homeschooling family. The Applewhites are like few homeschooling families... Continue Reading →
The Fourth Wise Man
Most know the Biblical Christmas story about Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and the wise men (unnumbered in the Bible, but traditionally three) who traveled from the East. Many years ago, Henry Van Dyke created a story about a fourth wise man, who had planned to travel to visit the newborn King of the Jews. ... Continue Reading →
The Family Under the Bridge
Old Armand is perfectly content with his life as a hobo, living under one of Paris' bridges. He worked odd jobs, or begged, to keep himself warm and fed - and he had no responsibilities, especially children. Children mean homes, responsibility and work. Armand does not like children. Then cold day in December, he found... Continue Reading →
The Real Santa Claus
Whether or not you celebrate Santa in your house, once your children are old enough to wonder, they will probably have questions about him. My children asked plenty. "Was he a real person? How did he get to be Santa Claus? Why does everyone talk about him?" If you're not sure of the answers, The... Continue Reading →
It Could Always Be Worse
Complaining? Bad attitude? Frustration? Whatever is causing the above in your house will be put into perspective after reading It Could Always Be Worse by Margot Zemach. Zemach retells a Yiddish folktale about a family of eight crammed into a one-room house. The father can no longer take the chaos, so he goes to the... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 