I have been focusing my reading the past few months on middle-grade literature addressing the crisis of refugees and asylum seekers. It has been tough, frankly. Emotionally tough. My goal in doing so was to offer you an array of …
six for starting school
Short and sweet today. Six reads for a variety of school start-ups! global schools… Adventures to School: Real-Life Journeys of Students from Around the World, by Miranda Paul and Baptiste Paul, illustrated by Isabel Muñoz published in 2018 by Little …
barraged by blaster rifles!
Today I’ve got a different sort of post. From time to time I am asked by young moms or homeschoolers for particular book suggestions or lists. The other day, a young friend wrote to ask for some ideas for her …
the world is so full of a number of things!
Today, I’ve got a stack of fabulous books that open our eyes, minds, and hearts to the extraordinary wonders gracing Planet Earth. Out of dozens and dozens of titles I’ve read this summer, these all felt outstanding to me. The …
fiction favorites…Breakout
Breakout, by Kate Messner published in 2018 by Bloomsbury Children’s Books 448 pages I flew through Kate Messner’s most recent middle-grade novel last week, and loved it for so many reasons. It’s an excellent story starring a believable, flawed, likeable …
you oughta meet Ottoline
I finally read through Chris Riddell’s Ottoline series, four deliciously-illustrated tales plum full of panache! Such a treat awaits you and your sturdy new readers if you’ve not yet made Ottoline’s acquaintance! Just look at the covers. Flamboyant colors. Stylish …
warm as toast…five to bring a smile
I’ve read a boatload of books this summer. Today’s list of five rose to the top of my stacks for their sheer, sunny, good will. Need a dose of smiling? Settle in with these: A Dog with Nice Ears, written …
preschool perfection
Today, five books just begging to be read with the little shavers in your households. All peachy keen for ages 2 and up. I Really Want to See You, Grandma, written and illustrated by Taro Gomi originally published in Japan …
wishes, wartime, and music as real as jam
The Orphan Band of Springdale, written by Anne Nesbet published in 2018 by Candlewick Press 435 pages Gusta Neubronner, age 11, has just had the rug pulled out from under her slightly-blurry feet. It’s 1941. For some reason Gusta …
another splash of summer…a list of five
Don’t let those back-to-school sales fool you. It’s still full-on summer, with sunny days plum perfect for outdoor fun. Here are five happy books to keep you in summer-mode! Run Wild, written and illustrated by David Covell published in 2018 …
an elephant race in Scotland
Adventure, subterfuge, arson, exotic creatures! All on tap today… Elephant Thief, by Jane Kerr first published in the UK in 2017; first US edition 2018 by Scholastic 308 pages With elements ranging from a Fagin-esque band of child thieves to …
