My first finished book of 2019 is You Don’t Know Everything, Jilly P.! and it is one that I would highly recommend. Alex Gino created something really special with this book and it deserves to be in all middle school libraries. Why? Because it deals with privilege and racism, important yet challenging topics that need … Continue reading You Don’t Know Everything, Jillly P!
The Unstoppable Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team
Football. No one would ever claim that I was a big football fan. But the story of Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football team is one that I would recommend to anyone and now I know of not one, but two marvelous books on the topic! I first heard of Jim Thorpe when … Continue reading The Unstoppable Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team
11 Birthdays and other Wish Books
My younger daughter has recently gotten into the Wendy Mass series “Willow Falls” which starts with the book 11 Birthdays. She listens to audiobooks at night and picked this one and was quickly sucked in. I listened to snippets with her when she was going to sleep, and was intrigued enough myself that I figured … Continue reading 11 Birthdays and other Wish Books
How Nature Works – Two Cool Books about Natural Selection
One thing that stays pretty standard when you see kids go through a school library is that they love books about animals, especially dangerous ones. It can be challenging to find books that are a good mix of bold photography as well as information that a younger child can understand. For that reason, I was … Continue reading How Nature Works – Two Cool Books about Natural Selection
Thank You Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King is a name that I remember hearing over and over as a child. She changed the face of sports as we know it and helped usher in more respect for female athletes. Granted, Title IX had happened one year prior to her historic match with Bobby Riggs, but she was like the … Continue reading Thank You Billie Jean King
Multicultural Children’s Book Day Needs YOU
Hello all! I know the blog has been a bit silent in the past few weeks. Between running 3 book fairs and the holidays, it has been a bit crazy. But I have been reading. Actually, we just got back from a trip to Florida and I got a TON of reading done. But I'm … Continue reading Multicultural Children’s Book Day Needs YOU
The Poetry of US
As a child, poetry was an integral part of my reading life simply because it was wrapped up in the things available to kids. I was fascinated by Shel Silverstein and of course read a lot of Mother Goose. I don’t remember focusing on poetry until junior high where we learned all of the different … Continue reading The Poetry of US
Grenade by Alan Gratz
War. This is not a topic that I tend to read about. The human condition that goes along with wars, okay, maybe (I've been known to read way too many books about the Holocaust), but not usually books about the actual fighting. But I know a lot of young readers who are completely fascinated by … Continue reading Grenade by Alan Gratz
The Boy and the Giant
Why would a kind giant who helps out a village not want to be seen? "Because people are scared of things that are different. And sometimes, they're not so nice." That's what Billy's grandad tells him when he doesn't believe that the "Giant of Gableview" is real. It is a lesson that all of us … Continue reading The Boy and the Giant
Acadia Files – Encouraging a Love of Science and Critical Thinking
STEAM continues to be a big buzz word. There is the thought that it is the future. But it isn't necessarily the engineering, science, or computer world that STEAM is so important for. Regardless of whether your child wants to be a game developer, marine biologist, or an English teacher, they have to be able … Continue reading Acadia Files – Encouraging a Love of Science and Critical Thinking