by Carolyn | Audiobooks, Autobiography, Cultural Diversity, Historical Fiction, Juvenile Fiction, Middle-grade, Older Elementary, Read Alouds, Recommendations
When my 13-year-old daughter read Front Desk by Kelly Yang twice in a row and told me I had to read it, I should have picked it up right away. But I forgot about it. Thankfully I remembered again when it won the Asian Pacific American Award for Children’s...
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...
by Carolyn | Book Lists, Books about Books, Picture Books, Read Alouds
Picture books about books may be a little meta, but they’re also a whole lot of fun. Hopefully these books will inspire your kids to pull a few more books off the self for reading time. Books About Books The Good Little Book by Kyo Maclear and illustrated by...
by Carolyn | Character Training, Imagination, Parenting, Picture Books, Preschool, Read Alouds, Recommendations
I’ve been looking forward to this new picture book for a while, and it did not disappoint! Reading Unplugged by Steve Antony will gently encourage your kids to turn off their screens and head outside. Most kids, given the choice, will choose screen time over...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Classics, Fantasy, Girls, Imagination, Read Alouds
I was enchanted by this lovely fairy tale. Snow and Rose by Emily Winfield Martin is a retelling of the story of Snow White and Rose Red. (Which, apparently, isn’t at all the same story as Snow White and the Seven Dwarves). The Story Snow and Rose grow up in a...
by Carolyn | Animal books, Book Lists, Picture Books, Preschool, Read Alouds
It’s been a little over a year since we got our dog, Nugget. (Yes, we got his name from The Wingfeather Saga). So, I thought it only fitting to give you a list of some of our favorite picture books about dogs. (Not to mention that it’s the Year of the...
by Carolyn | Animal books, Character Training, For fun, Imagination, Parenting, Picture Books, Read Alouds, Recommendations
Have you ever made a mistake that causes you want to curl up in a ball and hide from the world? I have! But when you’re a kid, those feelings are compounded. That’s exactly what Andrea Tsurumi’s fantastic new picture book, Accident!, is all about....
by Carolyn | Adventure, Bible, Boys, Character Training, Fantasy, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle-grade, Read Alouds, Recommendations
The Wilderking Trilogy by Jonathan Rogers is a delightful middle-grade fantasy series. It’s based loosely on the life of King David from his shepherd days to his coronation. I had previously read the first book, The Bark of the Bog Owl, and recommended it on the...
by Carolyn | Character Training, Imagination, Picture Books, Preschool, Read Alouds, Recommendations
After the Fall: How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again… We all know the nursery rhyme: Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, and all the king’s horses and all the king’s men couln’t put Humpty together again. But what if...
by Carolyn | Autobiography, Chapter Books, Cultural Diversity, Girls, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Older Elementary, Read Alouds
Let me introduce you to a modern-day Ramona. I have totally fallen for the quirky, honest, ambitious Cilla Lee-Jenkins: Future Author Extraordinaire by Susan Tan. The Story Cilla Lee-Jenkins is certain that she is destined for literary greatness. What she’s not...
