Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
Eastern legends tell the story of Princess Shahrazad, who told the sultan a story every night for a 1,000 nights to prevent the Sultan from killing a new wife every night. What stories did she tell? Where did she find her stories? These questions are explored in Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher. Marjan catches Shahrazad's... Continue Reading →
Even adults will appreciate Just the Way You Are by Max Lucado. Lucado tells a story about a family of five orphan children who long for a family. Soon they discover the king is going to adopt them. What news! To prepare, they each get busy working on a gift for the king. All, but... Continue Reading →
The saying goes, "The grass is always greener..." The main characters in The Castle Corona by Sharon Creech truly believe that saying. Pia and Enzio believe life has to be perfect for the princes and princess living in the Castle Corona. But the king, queen, princes and princess do not think their life is perfect... Continue Reading →
Princesses are supposed to be beautiful, aren't they? Drop-dead gorgeous, even. That's what the King and Queen of Phantasmorania expected of their seventh daughter. The other six girls were just what everyone expected princesses to be. But the Queen and the Ministers of State decided that all the fairies needed to be invited to the... Continue Reading →
Robin McKinley does a masterful job of retelling the classic "Beauty and the Beast" fairytale in her classic book, Beauty. Beauty hates her nickname. She feel thin and awkward compared to her beautiful sisters. After her father's business failures forces them to move to the country, she and her sisters make the best of their... Continue Reading →
Many years ago, my sister told me I needed to read The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith. I looked at her a bit strangely, because it is a picture book, and I didn't have any children at the time. "Really, Michelle, read it." I conceded. And... Continue Reading →
My 12-year-old told me over and over again, "Mom, you need to read Once Upon a Marigold!" When she checked it out, for the third time, I decided to see what she was so excited about. And I'm glad I did. Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris is a delightful read - a funny,... Continue Reading →
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin may seem an intimidating book to some readers. It's quite thick, with 278 pages. However, the words are large, the chapters are short and the illustrations are beautiful. Lin tells the story of Minli, a girl growing up in the shadow of the Fruitless Mountain. Life... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 