by Carolyn | Animal books, Baby, Board Books, For fun, Parenting, Picture Books, Preschool, Toddler, Wordless Books
Here it is, all shiny and new, the book I’m going to try to destroy. Just typing that makes me cringe. And why do I want to destroy this book? Well, the name is an inherent challenge: “Indestructibles: Chew Proof, Rip Proof, Nontoxic, 100% Washable.”...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Character Training, Fantasy, For fun, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle School, Middle-grade, Mystery, Older Elementary, Read Alouds, Recommendations, Scary Stories
I have three words for you: Mysterious Benedict Society. If I made a list of my top ten read-alouds, this would be on it. We listened to the audio book recently, and although we’d read the book to my older kids before, it was fun to see my six-year-old...
by Carolyn | Book Lists, Education, Parenting, Read Alouds, Reading, Recommendations, Resources
I was recently challenged by my librarian to participate in the adult summer reading contest. And that got me thinking. What books can I recommend to parents who want to instill a love of reading in their children? After all, summer is a great time to do a little...
by Carolyn | Baby, Book Lists, Education, Imagination, Nonfiction, Picture Books, Preschool, Toddler
A few weeks ago, I introduced you to my favorite board books that teach shapes in creative ways. And those are a great place to start, especially for toddlers. But sometimes your preschoolers need more shape practice as well, and they want real picture books, not...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Cultural Diversity, Fantasy, For fun, Girls, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle School, Middle-grade
I love the way Anne Ursu weaves fantasy and real life together in her coming of age story, Breadcrumbs. Friendship, feelings of exclusion, adoption, and issues with parents are all primary themes in this retelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Snow...
by Carolyn | Biography, Book Lists, Education, Nonfiction, Older Elementary, Picture Books, Recommendations
When I was a kid, I was pretty certain history was the most boring subject ever. All those names and dates to memorize. Who cared. I’m pretty sure today’s historical picture books could have changed my mind and made history interesting. The Right Word:...
by Carolyn | Animal books, Baby, Bible, Board Books, Picture Books, Poetry, Toddler
Counting Blessings by Eileen Spinelli is a sweet, rhyming counting book of blessings for young children. It’s a sturdy board book with a soft, padded cover (less likely to be chewed up by book-hungry babies). The illustrations of bunnies and other animals by Lee...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Animal books, Audiobooks, Chapter Books, Character Training, Fantasy, Imagination, Read Alouds
I think after the Wingfeather Saga (and for my son, The Hobbit), my kids would rate The Green Ember by S.D. Smith as one of their favorite read-alouds. The story is a great combination of action, mystery, and character development. In The Green Ember, rabbit...
by Carolyn | Boys, Discussion Guide, For fun, Juvenile Fiction, Middle-grade, Older Elementary
So, I tend to be a bit of a word-nerd. I was an English major, took multiple linguistics classes (for fun), and can’t wait to hear the latest Grammar Girl podcast every week. Needless to say, I love the word-related concepts Andrew Clements so cleverly...
by Carolyn | Reading, Resources
Do your kids get in reading ruts? I know mine do. They might get stuck on a certain series. Or perhaps they won’t read anything other than graphic novels. Fantasy, biography, fact books. All of these can be great choices, but, if you’re like me,...
