My publisher, Valarie Budayr at Audrey Press, is also my co-creator of Multicultural Children’s Book Day. Together with Becky Flansburg, our project manager, we started a holiday six years ago that has blossomed into a celebration of diversity in children’s books that lasts well beyond a single day. If you don’t believe in coincidences like…
Author: Pragmatic Mom
#OwnVoices Half Filipino Character Face Off
I wanted to share a robust conversation that I had with two middle grade authors recently after posting this video that compared their two characters — both half-Filipino. One author is #OwnVoices and one is not. I have been tracking Filipino-American children’s books because I’m shocked and dismayed by how few there are. This is…
7 Baltimore the Snowy Owl & Owl Books for Kids
Today, we explore the mysteries of owls through science and children’s books. In this NPR video, a particular young male owl named Baltimore is tracked from a Maryland beach to his last known location up in Canada. This is in response to a strange phenomenon: “At the end of 2013, snowy owls started showing up…
Autographed Riordan Giveaway of 7 Books + Beach Tote!
Thank you to Disney-Hyperion for providing this giveaway! The third book in The Trials of Apollo series: The Burning Maze hits the shelves today, as does a new companion title to the recently re-designed Kane Chronicles trilogy: Brooklyn House Magician’s Manual! These are my son’s DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) books! I confess personally that the Apollo series is my least favorite….
Great New Early Chapter Books
Great New Early Chapter Books Charlie & Mouse & Grumpy by Laurel Snyder, illustrated by Emily Hughes This sequel to Geisel award-winning Charlie & Mouse is just as sweet and wonderful as the first one. In this book, Grumpy comes for a visit but he’s not grumpy at all. His love for his grandkids is…
Plant a Garden with Your Kids
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by BLOOM! to spread the word about its Educational Resource Toolkit. All opinions and stories are my own. I’m so happy I partnered with BLOOM! because I’m getting ready to plant my vegetable garden and it’s a great learning opportunity for my kids. Something as simple as planting a garden…
9 Great Graphic Novels for Ages 7 and Up
Graphic novels got my son reading independently. I can vouch that they are a great tool for literacy, especially for getting reluctant readers reading. According to Healthy Teen Network, graphic novels: helps students encode information more readily, improving their reading comprehension because they combine text with graphics help develop vocabulary, especially for those with learning disabilities…







