February is Black History Month. I'm not always great at putting together lists, but this is a topic that always feel like it deserves one. As picture book biographies continue to amaze me, here is a list of 10 books that told wonderful stories that all kids should read. Two years ago I also put... Continue Reading →
Poverty and Homelessness in children's literature #ReadYourWorld
It's Wednesday which means that it is time for the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy. But it is also January, the month of Multicultural Children's Book Day. So today you get two for the price of one! There is something immensely powerful when the people realize who the true winner is... Continue Reading →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
I just finished the third book in Jason Reynolds's amazing Track Series and now I am waiting with baited breath for the fourth, and final, book to come out in October. If you haven't already read these books, I highly recommend that you go out and try them. Understandably, I read a lot of middle... Continue Reading →