Reading Ahead
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
Feeding the Naturally Curious Brain
“You’ll discover mouthless worms and walking ferns … ” (pg. 13) And with those words, I’m charged up for the hunt. Along the way, I can’t help being distracted by a satisfying amount of irresistible information in National Geographic’s Science Encyclopedia. If you learn best visually, there is a surfeit of images to stimulate a curious mind. If you
Essential Holiday Giving: Books
Hands down, there is no better gift for holidays or birthdays than a book. You can find a book to suit every interest, every taste, and your budget. You can always feel good about giving a book (unless you’re giving a gift to someone who lives in a Tiny House … ask first). Here’s my list of suggestions for the holidays.
Orbiting Kindergarten
That lively, quirky-thinking duo from Planet Kindergarten have teamed up once again for Planet Kindergarten: 100 Days in Orbit. Many schools use the 100-day marker to reflect on how far they’ve come since the first day of kindergarten. Social graces, etiquette, mindfulness, assignments, singing, pledges … they’re all included in this new book. But the extra-fun
Tucked In for the Winter
Every detail in this book is heartwarming. You know that the author and the illustrator and the book’s publishing team put a lot of love and respect into bringing this story to readers. From the moment you see the opening end papers, a forest and pasture ablaze with fall color, until you discover the closing end papers, that
Women Can Be Magicians, Too!
In a sumptuous picture book biography, author Mara Rockliff and illustrator Iacopo Bruno give us the life of Adelaide Scarcez Herrmann, a real person who lived from 1853 to 1932. During her 79 years, she was an actress, a dancer, a vaudevillian, and she was shot out of a cannon. As the title says, she was Anything but Ordinary Addie. In
Everything You Need to Ace Five Subjects
I’ve had this TBR pile of five very attractive, come-hither-looking books begging to be recommended for weeks now. The spines are bright primary colors so I know that even when I shelve them they will be calling to me. And I think they’ll be calling to your students as well. I open what are for me the two scariest
Those Alluring Comics Storytellers
When I began working as, and thinking of myself as, a graphic designer, I assumed that all of my ideas would have to spring out of my mind … and that was terrifying. (Think of the oft-asked question, “Where do your ideas come from?”) I didn’t think I was creative enough or widely traveled enough or even educated enough as
Apples, Well-Being, and Family
Bring Me Some Apples and I’ll Make You a Pie: A Story about Edna Lewis is a memorable book about growing food throughout the seasons and living off the land in Virginia. Wild strawberry, purslane, dandelions, sassafras, honey. As spring rides the breeze into summer, this extended family tends to their larder, taking full advantage of the fruits,
Welcome to Roy’s House
What better way to familiarize one’s self with the work of pop culture artist Roy Lichtenstein than to walk through his house from living room to snack bar, from bathroom to bedroom, and finally into his studio, where we can try our hand at painting? Susan Goldman Rubin and her team at Chronicle have created
August Shorts
Warning: There’s a lot of enthusiasm ahead for these books! Where Do Pants Go? Written by Rebecca Van Slyke, illustrated by Chris Robertson Sterling Children’s Books, 2016 Well, this is just adorable … and I can already hear households throughout the English-speaking world chanting: “Where do pants go? On your arms? No. On your neck? No. No, no, no. Pants go on your