by Carolyn | Adventure, Biography, Book Lists, Fantasy, For fun, Imagination, Nonfiction, Parenting, Picture Books, Preschool, Read Alouds, Recommendations
Balloons are happy, right? They just make you smile, especially if you are a kid. So you might be surprised to learn that many of these picture books about balloons deal with hard topics like negative thoughts, Alzheimer’s, or depression. But don’t worry....
by Carolyn | Classics, Cultural Diversity, Education, Fantasy, For fun, Girls, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Magical Realism, Middle School, Middle-grade, Mystery, Nature, Older Elementary, Recommendations
A real-world middle-grade fantasy built around the plot of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream? Yes please! Midsummer’s Mayhem by Rajani LaRocca is a magical story about a young baker and her family. The Story Eleven-year-old Mimi Mackson is the...
by Carolyn | Book Lists, Character Training, For fun, Imagination, Older Elementary, Parenting, Picture Books, Preschool, Read Alouds, Recommendations, Resources
Sometimes you just need to laugh. When you and your kids are having a bad day, pick up a humous book, and pretty soon, everyone is giggling, even you. And if we’re talking about funny picture books with a message that doesn’t detract from the story, even...
by Carolyn | Classics, Cultural Diversity, Girls, Historical Fiction, Juvenile Fiction, Middle School, Middle-grade, Recommendations
Books and authors speak to each other across the centuries. This is the Great Conversation. Author Linda Sue Park enters into the conversation with Laura Ingalls Wilder in her new book Prairie Lotus. In the author’s note at the end of Prairie Lotus, Park writes...
by Carolyn | Book Lists, Character Training, Education, Older Elementary, Parenting, Picture Books, Preschool, Read Alouds, Reading, Recommendations, Resources
I’ve got a great list of picture books about kindness and respect for others for you this week. I love when picture books can convey a message, especially when they can do so in a non-preachy and kid-relatable way. In a world increasingly polarized, where cancel...
by Carolyn | Book Lists, Education, Picture Books, Read Alouds, Recommendations
I thought National Library Week would be the perfect time to share this list of wonderful picture books about libraries with y’all. Unfortunately, we are also in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis. So, libraries are closed. On National Library Week. Boohoo! But...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Fantasy, Highschool, Magical Realism, Mystery, Young Adult
When I found out a friend I had met at Hutchmoot–a conference about faith in the arts–had written a book, I was curious to read it. I didn’t expect to get swept away in a compelling, beautiful written story. But that’s exactly what happened...
by Carolyn | Animal books, Baby, Board Books, Book Lists, Character Training, Classics, Education, Newbery, Older Elementary, Picture Books, Toddler
I usually review newer picture books, but sometimes it’s good to take a look back in time. Classic picture books have a lot to offer our fast-paced society with their simple, slower pace. They can remind us to slow down, take notice, embrace imagination. These...
by Carolyn | Uncategorized
I rarely review sequels. But sometimes, when that sequel is especially wonderful, and I don’t think enough people have read the first book, I make exceptions. The Bootlace Magician by Cassie Beasley, followup to Circus Mirandus, is one of those exceptions. The...
by Carolyn | Animal books, Book Lists, Chapter Books, Cultural Diversity, Early Readers, Fantasy, For fun, Girls, Highschool, Juvenile Fiction, Middle-grade, Older Elementary, Picture Books, Read Alouds, Recommendations
It’s always fun for me to make this list, because I get to look back on all the great books I’ve read this past year. Some of these I’ve reviewed, and some I haven’t. But I think any one of these would make a great gift for your loved ones....
