Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
One of my favorite stories from childhood is Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. John. This is a sweet, difficult story of families living on a mountain in French-speaking Switzerland. Hard feelings and frustrations lead to an unforgettable and unforgivable accident. How the two families, especially the children, work through the ramifications of the... Continue Reading →
These Rabbit Ears productions are amazing, combining celebrity readers with great musicians. When I first listened to them, I was confused because the story was interrupted by music. However, the music adds so much to each story. This particular volume has two stories, The White Cat (read by Emma Thompson) and The Fool and the... Continue Reading →
If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period by Gennifer Choldenko Timely. Sensitive. Amazing. All describe If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period by Gennifer Choldenko. I love this author (of Al Capone Does My Homework, etc.) and how she handles the subject of race, bullying and family in this book. The chapters are short, which... Continue Reading →
Gone-Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright is a lovely read / listen for all ages. Portia and her younger brother, Foster, visit their cousin Julian every summer. This summer Julian has moved to the country. Portia and Julian explore and find a row of Victorian houses bordering on a swamp. It's a former resort, occupied by... Continue Reading →
My daughter has been telling me to read The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates series by Caroline Carlson since she first found it several years ago. I finally listened to Magic Marks the Spot and loved it! It’s a fun story about a girl who wants to become a pirate, her governess and best... Continue Reading →
As I was scrolling through my new-to-me library's Overdrive collection, I found The Magic World by E. Nesbit. I have heard the author's name before, but couldn't place where (& still can't, tho Google tells me she wrote over 60 books - all children's literature). This book is perfect for shorter drives with children. Each... Continue Reading →
Karen Cushman is an author I will always read, although I wouldn't put her in my top 10 list. Her books are enjoyable yet definitely for 4th-grade or older. I enjoyed Alchemy and Meggy Swan - a realistic look at the down and out in Elizabethan England. Meggy's parents both reject her. Her village hates... Continue Reading →
Finally coming up for air after several busy weeks moving to a new state. (This was written in 2017.) While busy packing and unpacking, I enjoyed listening to one of my favorite middle grade authors, Andrew Clements. He writes fun, and funny, books which are great for light reading - and for starting discussions, if... Continue Reading →
Other than Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia, I'm not a huge fantasy fan. I did, however, really enjoy this story. Bonus for middle-schoolers (& high schoolers) who love fantasy, this is the first of many in this series - seven, if I counted right. This story had everything. Fight between good and... Continue Reading →
I was rather shocked by the plot twist at the beginning of Summer of Gypsy Moths. At the same time, I thought author Sara Pennypacker did a good job of revealing the thought processes of the two main characters in the midst of it. The result is a beautiful story of finding a place and... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 