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 | 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 | 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, Character Training, Girls, Historical Fiction, Imagination, Middle School, Middle-grade, Mystery, Read Alouds, Scary Stories
How do you feel about scary stories for kids? When I was a kid, Goosebumps was a popular series, but, honestly, Nancy Drew was too suspenseful for me! On the other hand, my daughter loves “scary” books (at the same age that I couldn’t handle them)....
by Carolyn | Adventure, Character Training, Cultural Diversity, Girls, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle School, Middle-grade, Newbery, Older Elementary, Read Alouds
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin features a young girl, Minli, who lives in a poor village with her parents. Her father tells her stories each night, but her discontented mother says the stories are a waste. In an effort to make her family happy, Minli...
by Carolyn | Adventure, For fun, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle School, Older Elementary, Steampunk
Is All the Wrong Questions by Lemony Snicket a good series? Yes. But that’s the wrong question. What you should be asking is, “Does my child like mysterious books that don’t take themselves too seriously?” I’ve read the first two books in...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Dystopian Future, Juvenile Fiction, Middle School, Older Elementary, Read Alouds, Sci-fi
Dystopian future novels have been very popular the last several years with the Hunger Games and Divergent among the front runners (read my review of Divergent). These types of novels hold an immense appeal. They feel more realistic than straight out fantasy. They also...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Book Lists, Highschool, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle School, Older Elementary, Picture Books, Reading, Recommendations, Wordless Books, Young Adult
Ok, let’s be honest, almost any book can (and should) inspire the imagination. But some are just better at it than others. In my opinion, there are three basic kinds of books that inspire imagination: 1) Books in which the main character(s) are playing...
