by Carolyn | Education, For fun, Gifts, Older Elementary, Parenting, Reading, Recommendations, Resources
How do you interact with the books you read? Maybe you log them on Goodreads or a similar site. Perhaps you love posting reviews on Amazon. Maybe you post on social or tell a friend. Most of those activities aren’t available or appropriate ways for our kids to...
by Carolyn | Character Training, For fun, Parenting, Picture Books, Preschool
The perfect Valentine is a book! That’s because February 14 also happens to be Book Giving Day… and I’ve got a Valentines Day picture book recommendation for you! Be My Valenslime by Kris Tarantino has just the right amount of sweet and silly. And it...
by Carolyn | Book Lists, Character Training, Cultural Diversity, Education, Middle-grade, Older Elementary, Parenting, Recommendations
I haven’t encountered too many middle grade novels about homelessness for kids, but two good ones happened across my path recently. If you haven’t encountered it personally, child homelessness isn’t something you and your kids have thought about....
by Carolyn | Book Lists, Education, For fun, Imagination, Parenting, Read Alouds, Reading, Recommendations, Resources, Summer Reading
I used to do a yearly post rounding up all the summer reading contests. My older kids are huge readers. They would fly through books and collect the rewards (often another book). But when my younger two girls came along, I discovered that those same summer reading...
by Carolyn | Character Training, Fantasy, Imagination, Older Elementary, Parenting, Picture Books, Preschool, Read Alouds, Recommendations
Julia’s House Moves On by Ben Hatke is a beautiful picture book about not having it all together. Because none of us do, really. And sometimes it takes a book like this to help us, and our kids, take a deep breath and remember that our plans may not work out,...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Biography, Book Lists, Fantasy, For fun, Imagination, Nonfiction, Parenting, Picture Books, Preschool, Read Alouds, Recommendations
Balloons are happy, right? They just make you smile, especially if you are a kid. So you might be surprised to learn that many of these picture books about balloons deal with hard topics like negative thoughts, Alzheimer’s, or depression. But don’t worry....
by Carolyn | Book Lists, Character Training, For fun, Imagination, Older Elementary, Parenting, Picture Books, Preschool, Read Alouds, Recommendations, Resources
Sometimes you just need to laugh. When you and your kids are having a bad day, pick up a humous book, and pretty soon, everyone is giggling, even you. And if we’re talking about funny picture books with a message that doesn’t detract from the story, even...
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 | Parenting, Reading, Recommendations, Summer Reading
I love summer reading programs, especially those that reward a child with a new book! I still have most of the books that belonged to me as a child, and they’ll always hold a special place in my heart. These are some of the best summer reading programs 2019 has...
by Carolyn | Book Lists, Character Training, Education, Parenting, Picture Books, Preschool, Read Alouds, Recommendations, Resources
My husband is a pediatrician, so it’s no surprise that he asked me to come up with a list of picture books to help little kids deal with big emotions. I found some great ones that may help your kids learn how to process their feelings better. (And thanks to...
