Best picture books, chapter books, young adult books, graphic novels and non fiction for kids.
Alien Writing Prompts for Kids A reader asked me for summer writing ideas and I sent her all the links I could find. It made me think about what a challenge it is to get my own kids writing when they don’t have to so I came up with the idea of Write First Read…
When a country is at war, it’s easy to get a distorted view of the “enemy”. The media also plays a role in showing a certain point of view meant to stir the populace into supporting their government to back the war. But this kind of distortion trickles down to oversimplifying things to a black-and-white…
Can you believe it’s the 10th Anniversary of the Percy Jackson series? I’m thrilled to be part of this celebration and I’ll be posting all year and doing giveaways as part of the #ReadRiordan fan club. CELEBRATE PERCY’S 10TH ANNIVERSARY with The Lightning Thief, the book that started the internationally best-selling Percy Jackson and the…
It’s amazing how a single piece of art can have a ripple effect, inspiring others all around the world and for many generations. Hokusai’s iconic blockprint The Great Wave is one of the best-recognized works of Japanese art in the world. Here are some of the spin-offs from Hokusai’s The Great Wave … Counchabunga by…
When I read an action-adventure fantasy that has time travel, it’s easy to believe that it’s just a made-up story. Sure, Hatshepsut is a real person but she’s from so long ago that she seems like a mythical person. Until I ran into her at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts… And so I have a…
Please welcome author Jim Westcott who is a literacy specialist as well. Today, he shares his favorite young adult books for teen struggling readers. These books are of high interest with a lower reader level to draw in reluctant teen readers, both boys and girls. We’d love your suggestions as well! Please share! Top…
Today I have two beautiful ABC books that feature photographic images. It was hard to choose one for the Picture Book of the Day but in the spirit of summer exploration, I had to go with The Alphabet of Bugs. Here’s hoping that your kids will discover some insect gems from this book in your…