by Carolyn | Audiobooks, Boys, Chapter Books, For fun, Middle-grade, Older Elementary, Read Alouds
Sometimes, you just need something that will make you laugh. In this crazy world, there are so many things we can stress about. And there are certainly times for serious subjects but don’t miss out on the healing power of sharing funny stories, like Sideways...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Character Training, Fantasy, For fun, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle School, Middle-grade, Mystery, Older Elementary, Read Alouds, Recommendations, Scary Stories
I have three words for you: Mysterious Benedict Society. If I made a list of my top ten read-alouds, this would be on it. We listened to the audio book recently, and although we’d read the book to my older kids before, it was fun to see my six-year-old...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Cultural Diversity, Fantasy, For fun, Girls, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle School, Middle-grade
I love the way Anne Ursu weaves fantasy and real life together in her coming of age story, Breadcrumbs. Friendship, feelings of exclusion, adoption, and issues with parents are all primary themes in this retelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Snow...
by Carolyn | Boys, Discussion Guide, For fun, Juvenile Fiction, Middle-grade, Older Elementary
So, I tend to be a bit of a word-nerd. I was an English major, took multiple linguistics classes (for fun), and can’t wait to hear the latest Grammar Girl podcast every week. Needless to say, I love the word-related concepts Andrew Clements so cleverly...
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 | Audiobooks, Character Training, Fantasy, Juvenile Fiction, Middle-grade
Let me just say, I’m so glad we “read” The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo on audiobook. It is a tear-jerker. But in the best way. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane is the story of a much-loved china rabbit. The only...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Audiobooks, Boys, Character Training, Fantasy, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle School, Middle-grade
Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes had my kids (and me) hooked from the first pages (or, rather, the first few minutes as we listened to the audiobook). Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes is the story of Peter, a blind orphan forced into a life of thievery by the...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle-grade
Pioneer and fantasy are not two words I would normally put together. But Melissa Wiley does a charming job melding these two genres in The Prairie Thief. But the fantasy element still surprised me. I knew Wiley had written some of the extension books for the Little...
