by Carolyn | Adventure, Bible, Boys, Character Training, Fantasy, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle-grade, Read Alouds, Recommendations
The Wilderking Trilogy by Jonathan Rogers is a delightful middle-grade fantasy series. It’s based loosely on the life of King David from his shepherd days to his coronation. I had previously read the first book, The Bark of the Bog Owl, and recommended it on the...
by Carolyn | Character Training, Imagination, Picture Books, Preschool, Read Alouds, Recommendations
After the Fall: How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again… We all know the nursery rhyme: Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, and all the king’s horses and all the king’s men couln’t put Humpty together again. But what if...
by Carolyn | Character Training, Cultural Diversity, Girls, Giveaway, Parenting, Picture Books
This past Christmas, I found a picture book I just couldn’t pass up for my daughters or my nieces. Every little girl longs to know they are beautiful, but what exactly does that mean? Beautiful by Stacy McAnulty provides a great answer to that question. (And for...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Boys, Character Training, Fantasy, Girls, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Magical Realism, Middle School, Middle-grade, Scary Stories
Sometimes, when you have been anticipating a new book in a series, it won’t measure up. Well, I’m happy to say that’s not the case with The Door Before. It was stunning. The Door Before surprised me in multiple ways. First of all, it’s not just...
by Carolyn | Boys, Character Training, Cultural Diversity, Older Elementary, Parenting, Picture Books, Recommendations
A Bike Like Sergio’s by Maribeth Boelts is a rare book. It takes the reader through both the thoughts and feelings of doing something wrong and then making it right. It allows kids to vicariously experience a tempting situation and shows them a path for doing...
by Carolyn | Character Training, Imagination, Older Elementary, Parenting, Picture Books, Preschool, Recommendations
I adore picture books, but it’s rare for me to run across one and think, I have to dedicate a whole post to this book. But Big Friends by Linda Sarah is one of those rare books. It’s a book about friendship. Big Friends asks the question, can a twosome...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Character Training, Fantasy, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle School, Middle-grade, Mystery, Older Elementary, Steampunk
I love The Mysterious Benedict Society Series! We’d recently revisited the first book, and I’d been wishing for something new from Trenton Lee Stewart. So I was thrilled to find out about his newest book The Secret Keepers. The Story Reuben and his mom...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Character Training, Fantasy, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle School, Middle-grade, Older Elementary, Read Alouds, Recommendations, Spiritual Allegory
I’ve been wanting to write a post about my favorite middle-grade series for a while, but it’s so hard to write. I guess I’m afraid I won’t get it right. Because I really do want you to love The Wingfeather Saga as much as I do. And now that...
by Carolyn | Book Lists, Chapter Books, Character Training, Cultural Diversity, Early Readers, Education, Historical Fiction, Juvenile Fiction, Middle-grade, Newbery, Parenting, Read Alouds
This isn’t what I had planned on posting this month. But my heart has been heavy reading responses from friends on both sides of the aisle to the recent presidential election. There is fear of racism and persecution (and now actual occurrences of such). There...
by Carolyn | Character Training, Imagination, Picture Books, Preschool, Wordless Books
My kids know that sometimes their mama cries while reading. Ok, so it happens fairly often. But I’m not sure I’ve ever cried reading a wordless book before. Until today. The Girl and the Bicycle by Mark Pett is a beautiful story of longing and friendship...
