A short time before Halloween, my niece, Kelly’s friend asked if I had a list of Halloween titles appropriate for preschoolers. I created one, and both she and my niece were delighted. In fact, Whitney liked it so much she asked if I had a list of preschool Christmas titles! My reply was “no”, but […]
Recently, a friend of mine, Melissa @mllittleauthor asked me for help. A young girl she nannies had always been a VERY reluctant reader until Melissa introduced her to the graphic novel series, Bad Kitty. Her young charge had almost finished every book in the series! Now Melissa was looking for some new series to keep […]
I feel like we’ve only had a few weeks of summer – how could it be time for a new school year? However, it’s been a lovely summer, even though it’s been a short one. We’ve had lots of family and friends visit our Michigan house, which is a big reason we have this special […]
We all know reading aloud to children is important. Many studies have proven this time and time again. One of my reading heroes, Jennie Fitzkee, preschool teacher and the author of the blog Teacher’s Reflections: 30 Years of Wonder, has written post after post about the importance of read alouds. Many of those posts have given […]
When a family leaves their home to immigrate to a new country or to seek asylum, they very seldom want to leave. Don’t we all find comfort in the familiar; whether it be the familiar sights, familiar foods, friends or family? Immigrants and refugees have the same feelings, just as we do. However, those who […]
I love wordless picture books, but that hasn’t always been true. When I first picked up a wordless picture book, I immediately dismissed it. At the time, I was searching for read alouds for kindergarten and first grade classes, so of course that genre wouldn’t be appropriate, because how in the world would I share […]
I’ve always thought that The Invisible Boy by Trudi Ludwig and llustrated by Patrice Barton is an important book to share with our children. I read it during many story times and recommended it to countless teachers. However, it had slipped my mind until I read this post by Lauren on her delightful site, Happily […]
When I published my post Picture Book Gift Guide 2018 last week, I promised a middle grade version and here it is! These aren’t necessarily the best books of 2018, but these are the books that touched my heart, and even though I may have read them months ago, their stories are still there. Some […]
Here it is, December and the holidays are beginning. Lights are up and the stores are bustling. If you’re like me, you’re looking for some books to add to your shopping list. My plan (I hope it’s not too ambitions!) is to share a book gift guide for picture books, early chapter books and middle […]
It’s November and in two weeks it is Thanksgiving! How did this happen? The year is passing by so quickly, but I have to admit, autumn is my favorite time of year. I love shuffling through the leaves on my daily walks, seeing all of the pumpkins and gourds at Trader Joe’s, making lots of […]