by Carolyn Leiloglou | Picture Books, Read Alouds, Recommendations
Just when I think every biblical story has been told, I discover a completely fresh and faithful retelling. The Story of Us by Mitali Perkins presents the story of creation, redemption, and restoration through the perspective of the four classical elements: earth,...
by Carolyn Leiloglou | Adventure, Boys, Fantasy, Juvenile Fiction, Middle School, Middle-grade, Recommendations
A magical world that intersects with ours. A nostalgic 1980’s setting. Engaging characters kids will love. All of this in a new series from a favorite author your kids probably already love. Jack Zulu and the Waylander’s Key is the first book in a new...
by Carolyn Leiloglou | Uncategorized
The Story That Cannot Be Told by J. Kasper Kramer tells of Ileana, a girl who loves stories, during the height of Romania’s Communist regime. Despite its historical setting, this book reads like a good story. Ileana will capture readers’ sympathies with...
by Carolyn Leiloglou | Book Lists, Picture Books, Read Alouds, Recommendations
Moves are never easy, even when they lead to good things. Thankfully, there are so many wonderful picture books about moving to help our kids process their world. Before I started researching these, I hadn’t considered that kids dealing with a move may need...
by Carolyn Leiloglou | Book Lists, Education, For fun, Imagination, Parenting, Read Alouds, Reading, Recommendations, Resources, Summer Reading
I used to do a yearly post rounding up all the summer reading contests. My older kids are huge readers. They would fly through books and collect the rewards (often another book). But when my younger two girls came along, I discovered that those same summer reading...
by Carolyn Leiloglou | Adventure, Fantasy, Imagination, Magical Realism, Middle School, Middle-grade, Recommendations
When your daughter hands you a book and tells you it’s the best book she’s read in a while, you read it! A Time of Green Magic by Hilary McKay is a fantastical story set in the real world with compelling characters and vivid writing. The Story Living in a...
by Carolyn Leiloglou | Book Lists, Picture Books, Read Alouds
It’s funny how a whole slew of similar books will publish around the same time. Within the last couple of years, I noticed picture books about pencils and erasers become a prominent theme. While these all take “the same” main characters, different...
by Carolyn Leiloglou | Juvenile Fiction, Middle School, Middle-grade, Recommendations
Roll With It by Jamie Sumner is a heartfelt book full of quirky characters. It touches on so many issues: living with a disability, dementia, complex friendships, standing out, and family. But if I were to pinpoint one theme it would be that accepting help and...
by Carolyn Leiloglou | Adventure, Fantasy, Older Elementary, Picture Books, Read Alouds, Recommendations
I read lots of picture books that retell or mash up fairy tale, but it’s wonderful to find a fairy tale that feels brand new. The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess by Tom Gauld combines a classic style with more modern sensibilities (read: no wolves or...
by Carolyn Leiloglou | Adventure, Fantasy, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle-grade, Older Elementary, Read Alouds, Recommendations
If you love fairytales, I have a wonderful book for you. Otto Tattercoat and the Forest of Lost Things by Matilda Woods is a beautiful fairytale about friendship that touches on complex moral themes. The Story When Otto’s mother disappears in their new, freezing...
