by Carolyn | Animal books, Picture Books, Read Alouds, Recommendations
I don’t review many picture books any more, but every now and then I find one that’s so fantastic, I just have to tell y’all about it! That’s how I felt when I read my friend Robyn Wall’s new picture book, I Worked Hard On That!...
by Carolyn | Biography, Biography, Education, Fantasy, Middle-grade, Nonfiction, Recommendations
When I set this book down, I told my husband, “Mythmakers is a masterpiece!” I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like it. Mythmakers by John Hendrix is a non-fiction graphic novel about the friendship of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, a...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Fantasy, Middle-grade
It’s time to celebrate because Between Flowers and Bones, the second book in The Restorationists series, is finally here! It’s been a wild ride, and I can hardly believe that Beneath the Swirling Sky came out just last year. I’ve been amazed by how...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Character Training, Middle School, Middle-grade, Recommendations
My favorite line from the Tony Parker Spiderman movies was always, “with great power comes great responsibility.” That idea is echoed in the new middle grade superhero novel The Minor Miracle by Meredith Davis. Because having super powers isn’t what...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Fantasy, Imagination, Middle-grade, Recommendations
What feeds our creativity and what makes art truly our own and not just a copy? Inkling by Kenneth Oppel is a fantastic middle grade novel that explores these questions and more through a magical story about a kid who finds living ink. This book will encourage your...
by Carolyn | Education, For fun, Gifts, Older Elementary, Parenting, Reading, Recommendations, Resources
How do you interact with the books you read? Maybe you log them on Goodreads or a similar site. Perhaps you love posting reviews on Amazon. Maybe you post on social or tell a friend. Most of those activities aren’t available or appropriate ways for our kids to...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Juvenile Fiction, Middle-grade, Recommendations
It isn’t often that I begin reading a novel and think, “This is absolutely delightful.” But that’s exactly what happened when I picked up The Ink of Elspet, the first book in The Inkwell Chronicles by J.D. Peabody. Even better, I think readers...
by Carolyn | Character Training, For fun, Parenting, Picture Books, Preschool
The perfect Valentine is a book! That’s because February 14 also happens to be Book Giving Day… and I’ve got a Valentines Day picture book recommendation for you! Be My Valenslime by Kris Tarantino has just the right amount of sweet and silly. And it...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Animal books, Chapter Books, Early Readers
I have not one, but several dachshund-obsessed friends. I have to admit, they’ve never appealed to me too much, UNTIL I read A Nose for Trouble by James D. Witmer. Kevin Maximus, the little dachshund with a big imagination, absolutely stole my heart! This brave...
by Carolyn | Book Lists, Recommendations, Resources
Gift Guide 2023--Something to Read Something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read! I’m here to help you out with that last bit. These are some of the best new books I’ve encountered this year, and I don’t think you...
