There are many books that talk about women from the late 1800s and early 1900s who were forerunners of the study of nature, I wrote about a few of them once before. One of the newer additions to this collection is Out of School and Into Nature: The Anna Comstock Story, written by Suzanne Slade... Continue Reading →
We live in a time where, unfortunately, our way of life has hurt the world around us. It often feels like the problems are bigger than us, but the reality is that each and every one of us can make a difference. Just as the Lorax once said, "until someone like you cares a whole... Continue Reading →
Every year, during the month of June, the LGBTQ community celebrates in a number of different ways. Since I no longer live in a large city with parades and festivities, I'm going to celebrate Pride Month here with a selection of amazing non-fiction picture books. I'm so impressed that this is becoming a topic that... Continue Reading →
Air pollution. It is everywhere. As a child in Los Angeles, I remember having smog alerts and days where they didn't want you to play outside because the air quality was not great. Some have made great strides to reduce the pollution that we produce, but it continues to be a problem. In the US,... Continue Reading →
God Bless America. White Christmas. The Easter Parade. Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better). Alexander's Ragtime Band. What do all of these songs have in common? Irving Berlin, a Jewish immigrant who came to America in 1893 to escape religious persecution and wound up writing songs that are embedded into our national fiber.... Continue Reading →
We have long been fascinated by Ancient Egypt. The pyramids, in particular, are an architectural wonder and part of Jewish history. So when I came across the relatively new book, If You Were a Kid Building a Pyramid, I had to check it out. Turns out that this is a series of pretty cool books... Continue Reading →
Music is something that can touch you very deeply. Many religions use music in prayer. Workers have long used singing to keep the drudgery of their jobs at bay. It can pick us up when we are down and soothe us when we are out of sorts. For the nonfiction picture book challenge, I give... Continue Reading →
It's nonfiction Wednesday so I'm presenting What is Hip-Hop by Eric Morse with amazing art and claymation by Anny Yi. Thank you to #KidLitExchange for a review copy of this book, I'm not sure I ever would have heard about it without them. In What is Hip-Hop, Morse gives a history lesson, in rhyme, about... Continue Reading →
Encouraging kids to travel and be aware of the larger world around them is a really important thing. Natalie Diaz and Melissa Owens did a fabulous job introducing kids to 12 different countries plus the United States in their book A Ticket Around the World. We've had this book sitting on our shelves for a... Continue Reading →