Getting kids to love reading including reluctant readers as well as competent readers who just don’t like to read.
It was an honor and a privilege to be invited to Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival. The line up of authors was staggering! I was placed in between Carol Weston and Nikki Grimes. They were a study in opposites in handling the crowds. Carol Weston warned me that she aggressively draws in the kids. She, in…
Today, please welcome Kate Nafz with a Hi-Lo book list for middle readers. Hi-Lo is a term used to describe high-interest, low-readability books perfect for enticing reluctant readers to read. We are both excited about Greenhorn, a book on this list by Anna Olswanger because it is also a film! Greenhorn, both the book and…
10th annual World Read Aloud Day (WRAD) is on Friday, February 1! Created by the nonprofit LitWorld, World Read Aloud Day highlights the profound power of reading aloud and sharing stories. Help spread the word and encourage reading aloud at any age by sharing WRAD celebration tips (below), letting your readers know how you will celebrate, and/or publishing a round-up…
If you’ve been reading my blog, you might remember a long-time reader, Dee, whose son was (operative word!) a reluctant reader. She wrote me in 2012: Hi, Mia! Over the summer, I’m trying to spark an interest in history and social studies with Dylan. He’s going into fifth and finds the subject so boring. I’ll…
I thought I’d combine activities and books for some summer activity ideas. Today’s activity is about flying as in: aviation, female pilots, and pioneering aviators! First some aviation book ideas for both boys and girls … Fabulous Flying Females: Women Aviator Books for Kids 10 Books for Kids Who Dream of Flying And now the…
You wouldn’t guess that it’s spring here in Boston, given the snow we’ve been getting in April! Still, I am dreaming of spring and getting my little garden going. These are my favorite picture books for garden inspiration. These books demonstrate that gardens can transform an environment, bring neighbors closer, and even become a political…
National Poetry Month is a celebration of poetry introduced in 1996 and organized by the Academy of American Poets as a way to increase awareness and appreciation of poetry in the United States. I’m not great about exposing my kids to poetry so this is my easy way for April’s National Poetry Month. I’m just going to have…