The book and card selection that Leah sent showed me a whole different side of Barefoot Books. What I loved about each item was that it combined an educational aspect with entertainment. The books have nuances that include multi-cultural themes (Little Leap Forward), magical realism (The Boy Who Grew Flowers), and math concepts (The Real Princess) that makes each book special, interesting, and engaging. As for the card decks, these are really well done and I know that we will be using them a lot!
Category: Best Books for Kids
Best picture books, chapter books, young adult books, graphic novels and non fiction for kids.
Picture Book On Rescue Dog after Loss of Pet
In The Blue House Dog by Deborah Blumenthal, Cody, a boy who is probably 8 to 10 years old, notices a stray dog in his neighborhood. As he watches the dog day after day, Cody starts to notice everything: where the dog sleeps and how it might feel, how the dog is scared of dog catchers and the police, how thin he is, his unusual eye coloring, and how no one else thinks this dog is special. Perfect for children who have lost their beloved pet. Advanced picture book, ages 6-10.
My Favorite Counting Picture Books
I remember how much I enjoyed a counting book with a twist. I do completely believe in the power of picture books to teach math concepts but I do need a little something extra as I am reading the book for the tenth time. My own counting picture book library was not too robust so I trolled through a 4 foot stack of counting books to find these treasures. I hope that you and your child enjoy them. What are your favorite counting books? Please leave a comment and I’ll keep adding to this list.
Top 10: Best Klutz Activity Books for Girls
My kids are obsessed with Klutz books. I pow wow’d with Capability:Mom whose two daughters are a little older and this is our all time Top 10 list. They make great gifts and also will keep your kids occupied for hours.
SAT Vocabulary Words from Picture Book A Little Bit of Winter
My Kindergartener gets these words sent home and we are supposed to make an educational game around it by using these words during our conversations. I’m afraid we not that together. Instead, I cut out the words and we ask him during dinner what he thinks each words means. If he gets it right, we move to the next one. If he gets it wrong, we read the sentence, ask him again, and then explain if he’s off. Then I throw the paper away — of course, this blog is my electronic filing system so it’s immortalized here. But we are not good at making it a game. Ideas for how you use these words as a fun game are much appreciated! The only thing that makes this a game is trying to get his older sisters NOT to chime in with the meaning. That’s very hard for them!
Top 10: Best Middle Grade Chapter Books by my 8yold Daughter (grades 3-7)
My middle daughter is so picky that she started her own blog on the things she likes. Getting her a book she likes for me is an education in getting reluctant readers to engage. Tonight at dinner she asked me to blog on her blog to drive traffic to it. Smart kid. I told her that she needs to put up 4 posts so that readers will know what her blog is about first. This is her second post but I changed the words to give you my opinion of why she likes the books since we have been reading partners all year.
Top 10: Caldecott Winners 2000-2010 & My Caldecott Collection
I am a little dismayed at how few Caldecott books I own so I am posting on the last decade in order to beef up my own collection which I shall purchase myself. So, for my birthday and mother’s day, I am going to ask for this collection of Caldecott books for our library. And all that talk in the New York Times about the diminishing sales of picture books? Well, I’ll help to turn that around! Which books are your favorites?