by Carolyn | Adventure, Girls, Historical Fiction, Middle-grade, Mystery, Recommendations, Steampunk
Let me just say, if you have girls, go get this book! When I first heard the premise for The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency, I was intrigued. Jordan Stratford has taken two historical figures (plus a few others), squashed their timeline and given them a fictional...
by Carolyn | Animal books, Book Lists, Education, Nonfiction, Older Elementary, Picture Books
A while ago I posted a review of King of the Birds (which I loved). It got me to wondering what other great books about birds I could find. I found some great picture books about birds! My kids and I loved each of these picture books about birds! Read them for fun or...
by Carolyn | Free, Reading, Resources
I love summer reading programs! Maybe I’m just competitive, but I get excited when my kids finish their reading logs and are ready for their reward! My oldest is a voracious reader and will finish our library’s reading contest in the first week! If you...
by Carolyn | Biography, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Movies, Older Elementary, Read Alouds
Several years ago, when my older kids were four and six, I decided to read The Invention of Hugo Cabret to them. My husband and I had just seen the movie, so I was pretty excited about the book. I put it on hold at the library and waited patiently. I was expecting a...
by Carolyn | Audiobooks, Bible, Character Training, Free, Older Elementary, Preschool
*When my older kids were probably 3 and 5, I came across these extraordinary audio Bible stories. They are told by a lady named Joelee Chamberlain. She speaks with a gentle, grandmotherly voice. She talks right to her listeners, and I found my kids responding out loud...
by Carolyn | Animal books, Board Books, Book Lists
We love the zoo. In fact, my husband and I had a zoo pass before we even had kids. I remember going to look at the animals and noticing that we were the only non-parents present. Now I can use my kids as an excuse to go look at the animals. 😉 Not only do we love...
by Carolyn | Adventure, For fun, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle School, Older Elementary, Steampunk
Is All the Wrong Questions by Lemony Snicket a good series? Yes. But that’s the wrong question. What you should be asking is, “Does my child like mysterious books that don’t take themselves too seriously?” I’ve read the first two books in...
by Carolyn | Audiobooks, Book Deals, Book Lists
I’m a huge fan of sites like Librivox, because, let’s face it, audio books are expensive, right? Wrong! I recently heard about deals on kid’s audio books within Amazon’s Audible bookstore, and I was amazed at what I found. I think you will be...
by Carolyn | Book Lists, Boys, Girls, Imagination, Older Elementary, Poetry, Read Alouds
It’s easy to neglect reading our kids poetry. But poetry can give our children an appreciation for words, rhythms, sounds and meaning like nothing else. Poems show you the world with a new view. They can be endearing, funny, or breathtaking; the best poems...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Character Training, Imagination, Older Elementary
I was recently asked this question: “What one book most inspired you as a child?” I thought back to all my favorite childhood books. The Trumpet of the Swan was the first book I remember falling in love with. It was the first book to make me realize I...
