by Carolyn | Adventure, Animal books, Audiobooks, Chapter Books, Character Training, Fantasy, Imagination, Read Alouds
I think after the Wingfeather Saga (and for my son, The Hobbit), my kids would rate The Green Ember by S.D. Smith as one of their favorite read-alouds. The story is a great combination of action, mystery, and character development. In The Green Ember, rabbit...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Fantasy, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle School, Middle-grade, Scary Stories, Sci-fi
Have you ever wished you could have a do-over? That’s exactly what Sam Miracle in N.D. Wilson’s Outlaws of Time: The Legend of Sam Miracle gets, but with much higher stakes: life or death for himself, his sister, and possibly millions of other people. And...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Character Training, Fantasy, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle-grade
I’m breaking from my usual posting schedule because I just have to share something with you before it’s too late. If you haven’t heard, Andrew Peterson has teamed up with some talented people to create a short pilot episode for his The Wingfeather...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Boys, Fantasy, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle School, Middle-grade, Scary Stories
I just re-read one of my favorite juvenile fiction series so I could share it with you. It was just as good the second time around (maybe better). The 100 Cupboards Series by N.D. Wilson (100 Cupboards, Dandelion Fire, and The Chestnut King) is the story of Henry, an...
by Carolyn | Imagination, Nature, Picture Books
I have been reluctant to return this book for imaginative children to the library. I’ve simply fallen in love with it. So, since I’m out of renewals and must return it, I’ll first share it with you. This is Sadie by Sara O’Leary describes a day...
by Carolyn | Animal books, Book Lists, Imagination, Older Elementary, Picture Books, Read Alouds
A while ago I posted about my favorite soothing bedtime books for little ones. But sometimes our big kids like to have their own special bedtime books too! These books may be slightly longer, have rich vocabulary, and beautiful illustrations just brimming with...
by Carolyn | Cultural Diversity, Fantasy, Girls, Highschool, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle School, Newbery, Young Adult
I’ve been on a bit of a Shannon Hale kick recently. I listened to three of her books in a row this past month: Goose Girl, Princess Academy, and Book of 1,000 Days. I love reinvented fairy tales (so long as good versus evil isn’t turned on its head). And...
by Carolyn | Education, Fantasy, Imagination, Parenting, Recommendations, Resources
I’m so excited to share with you my appearance on the Read-Aloud Revival Podcast with Sarah Mackenzie. We talked all about Fantasy Books for Christian Kids. It’s episode #41, and you can find it right HERE. If you didn’t grow up reading fantasy, you...
by Carolyn | Book Lists, Craft books, Imagination
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ll know that I love inspiring creativity and imagination in my kids (though I don’t always love the mess that comes with it). So, I love these mess-free books that will get your kids’ creative...
by Carolyn | Fantasy, For fun, Imagination, Picture Books
The Whisper by Pamela Zagarenski beautifully illustrates the power of imagination. A girl borrows a book from her teacher, but the words all fall out on the way home. At first, she is disappointed, but then she imagines stories for each picture. The following day, fox...
