by Carolyn | Animal books, Education, Nature, Older Elementary, Preschool, Read Alouds, Recommendations
Certain books just ask to be read aloud. Often, they possess a conversational quality or a certain voice you can “hear” in your mind. Beside the Pond by James Witmer, the newest in his Big Old Garden series, is one of those books. Witmer’s writing...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Boys, Education, For fun, Juvenile Fiction, Middle School, Middle-grade, Mystery, Recommendations
Readers have asked me for more adventurous books that boys would like, and I think the Lost Art Mysteries series by Deron R. Hicks fits the bill. Boys and girls alike will be pulled into these fast-paced novels that read like a spy thrillers. They’ll be so...
by Carolyn | Biography, Book Lists, Education, Nature, Nonfiction, Older Elementary, Picture Books, Read Alouds, Recommendations
My youngest daughter has been on a space kick recently, so I thought I’d bring you a round up of picture books about Pluto. Pluto has always been such an underdog, even before it was kicked off the planet roster, that it tends to be many people’s favorite....
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, 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 | 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 | Animal books, Chapter Books, Education, For fun, Girls, Juvenile Fiction, Nature, Older Elementary, Recommendations
As you may know, my first book, Noah Green Junior Zookeeper and the Garage Sale Pet, came out last month (March 2019). And, no, I’m not going to “review” my own book. But I would like to introduce you to it!( Let’s start with a pop quiz. Is...
by Carolyn | Audiobooks, Book Lists, Education, Imagination, Nonfiction, Older Elementary, Picture Books
If you ask my kids what sports they play, they’re likely to reply, “piano.” If music is important to your family too, you’ll want to nurture your child’s love of music with these picture books. Here are some of my favorites. Fiction...
by Carolyn | Biography, Biography, Book Lists, Education, Historical Fiction, Nonfiction, Older Elementary, Picture Books
Do you have a favorite author you’d love to introduce your kids to, but they aren’t old enough yet? Or maybe they’d love to learn more about the author of their favorite picture books books. Either way, you just might find some of your family’s...
