Young Quills, best historical fiction for kids, chapter books,

18 Award-Winning Historical Fiction Children’s Books

Posted on by Pragmatic Mom

One of my favorite blogs, The Fourth Musketeer, just covers KidLit Historical Fiction. I pretty much file every book review of hers into an email folder labeled “Books I Want to Read.” She posted on the Historical Association Awards Young Quills from Great Britain here. I have listed the winners as well as the short lists for this year and last year. Historical fiction is a great way to get kids excited about history! If you want to find more great books, be sure to subscribe to The Fourth Musketeer’s blog. She’s a librarian and the go to person on that!

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Be Safe Free Poster Pragmatic Mom

Stranger Danger Picture Book

Posted on by Pragmatic Mom

Rana DiOrio’s book tackles all the safety issues that kids face in suburbia. She does it in a calm and gentle way, raising the right points but without any scariness. I like how she touches on listening to your inner voice and standing up to bullies. This is the kind of book that reinforces the messages that we parents give. It allows for dialogue should an issue come up, but it can also just be an easy reminder of how to stay safe. And that’s exactly the message that I want to impart to my kids.

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Advanced Picture Books That Teach Compassion

Top 10: Picture Books for 5th Grade

Posted on by Pragmatic Mom

I’m starting a new little boy book club for my son and his best friend from when he was 15 months. The issue is that his best friend is a grade older. And his second best friend is two grades older. The moms are game to do a book club but I wanted to make sure the book selections appeal to boys in grades 1 through 3 without going into chapter book territory. I decided to delve into the world of advanced chapter books which I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE for rich vocabulary and the ability to transport into another culture, time or place.

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