Reading Ahead
No Pigs in Space?
Some of my readers know that the very first story I wrote (in second grade) was Pigs in Space. I still have it. I still wonder whatever prompted me to write it. This was before the Muppets launched their pigs into space. And it was definitely before Kim T. Griswell and Valeri Gorbachev launched their pig into space
Proof
If you ever doubt that kids are affected by books, read any one of these letters. They will touch your heart deeply. You’ll remember each two- or three-page missive and the ardent connection to the book. If you haven’t already done so, you’ll more than likely be moved to read (or re-read!) the book that
Imaginary Selves
Each of us knows well the person we imagine ourselves to be. I’m guessing that this imaginary person has changed shape and identity throughout your life. As a child, do you remember your secret identity? Mine was a fearless superhero version of myself, because fearless I was not. If Richard Torrey had known that, he surely would have
August Shorts
Picture books you’ll want to add to your repertoire! Touch the Brightest Star written and illustrated by Christie Matheson Greenwillow Books, 2017. A night-time book, settling down for bed, quietly looking at the pages, hearing the story. An interactive book? Yes, because the author/illustrator wisely invites the reader and listener to touch the pages, to help
Me, All Alone, Reading This Book
Sometimes, the illustrations are wonderful but the language is captivating. You know how you read a picture book and you can’t decide which part to focus on? Should you look at the picture first? Should you read the story because it’s the thread that’s pulling you through? Well, when you read “He was a long-leggedy man with
The Best Wish of All
Once in awhile I find a book on my reading pile that I’ve passed by a few times. It might be that the cover doesn’t make sense to me and I shuffle through to choose another title. Or the title might be silly (in my mind) and I don’t open the book because something else catches my interest. And then
Summer Travel
Here are three words that may be looming large in your mind: Long. Car. Trip. You’re packing games, snacks, an audio book or two, several books to take turns reading out loud, and … The Kids’ Book of Questions. I don’t know about you, but when I was a kid and we went on long car trips
Superheroes and Bad Days
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been wishing for an honest-to-goodness superhero to save the day. If adults are feeling that way, kids, who pick up all of our emotions, are wishing for the same thing. Batman and Wonder Woman led the list of most popular Halloween costumes in 2016. The proliferation of superhero movies is
Chef Roy Choi’s Story
Every time I re-read this book, it makes me happier. I’ve grown quite fond of the books being published by Readers to Eaters and I eagerly anticipate each new book. Chef Roy Choi and the Street Food Remix is another food artisan biography from Jacqueline Briggs Martin, this time co-written with June Jo Lee. Jackie writes the flavorful
March Shorts
Oooo! Here in Minnesota, shorts in March mean chills. These books will give you chills – in a good way! Cat Goes Fiddle-I-Fee Adapted and illustrated by Paul Galdone Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1985 (reissued in April 2017) I recognized the title immediately as I song I know well, sung as “I Had a Rooster” by Pete Seeger on Birds, Beasts, Bugs & Little Fishes in
I’ve Been Enchanted
This is a rare admission from me because it’s about a book whose main characters are animals. I’ve stated before in this column that animal books have never been a favorite of mine, even as a child. Surely there are others of you out there who are too shy to admit the same thing? In my determination to read older
Those Kennedys
America has a fine tradition of elected officials who care deeply about the people, places, and policies of the United States of America. Two recent books highlight the good works of, and respect for, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis and John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the First Lady and President from 1961 to 1963. Although President Kennedy was assassinated
Graphic Storytelling
A good graphic novel should pose a mystery. As it opens (last possible minute), the reader often has no clue what’s going on. It’s often an unknown world, even if it looks like our world. This isn’t that different than the opening of a conventional print book but, for some reason, people often react to graphic novels by telling
The Delight of Reading Older Books
One of my favorite types of reading is to go back and read books I’ve missed from years ago. I once spent an entire summer reading books that were published in the 1950s. I had such a strong feeling of the decade after reading those books that I felt more connected to people who lived then. That feeling of
Irresistible Reading: How Things Work
Now, if that Science Encyclopedia wasn’t cool enough, here’s another sure-fire hit for kids who love to read facts, true stories, and know how things work. In fact, the book is called How Things Work and it’s another powerhouse from National Geographic. As the book admonishes, “PUT THIS BOOK DOWN NOW. It’s dangerous. It might