Dogs try to win your heart much more so than a cat, and these dogs in children’s books have won untold hearts the world over. Even if you are not a dog person, these dogs will convert you! These dogs are either rescuing someone or being rescued, getting kidnapped or preventing robberies, or just a dog-about-town. Please meet some dogs to fall in love with!
Tag: Because of Winn Dixie
Life-Changing Librarians in Children’s Books
Librarians are amazing people and it’s time they are recognized for their super hero qualities: an encyclopedic knowledge of everything, ability to open doors to new worlds, cultures and civilizations, and finally the keeper of a safe and inclusive sanctuary. In this way, librarians change lives and make the world a better place. Hooray for librarians… the unsung heroes of our communities!
Best Books for Boy Readers, Reluctant or Otherwise (ages 7-14)
Reading list for boys, grades 1-6. I love to find books that excite reluctant readers. The key is to find that magic intersection that marries your child’s just-right level with content that matches their interest and a layout that is visually appealing (small chunks of text broken by pictures, larger font size, etc.). Alas, this is a moving target. I have an actual person that I select these books for, my youngest son’s best friend’s older brother who is a 4th grader with my oldest. My mom friends have had success with these books for their reluctant boy readers and suggests you try them. If you want to purchase a book, click on the image of the book to buy at Amazon.com.
Top 10: Best Timeless Newbery-ish Chapter Books Set in Florida
There’s a glamour to Florida set back back in time that rivals Hollywood in California and maybe that is why these talented children’s book authors firmly set their books here. To be sure, some are from Florida and/or from the South and seem to know every nook and cranny of their small towns. But even more interesting are the characters they create; characters who have lived hard and stoic lives but never really told their stories to anyone, except now, in these books.
There must be something in the waters of Florida that makes almost all these books award winning, from Newbery to National Book Awards. And I feel strongly that the books on this list that don’t have a special sticker on the cover are all deserving of one!!
Top 10: Best Summer Coming-of-Age Books with Girl Characters
This is what I was thinking when I came up with this kooky list:
-Summer read, preferably on the beach or on vacation
-Has to be a good read but not too strenuous
-The book is about the summer and/or beach and/or beachy vacation vibe
-A great lead GIRL character
-Counts towards summer homework book assignment but was thoroughly enjoyable
For incoming grades 4-6
Top 10: Best Chapter Books for Summer Reading (Incoming Grades 3-5)
If your elementary school is like my elementary school, kids entering grades 3-5 need to read 5 or so books during the summer (and do a book project on one of the books). It’s not normally a struggle to get my kids to read 5 books during the summer except for the selection of the books because the summertime reading has to be especially engaging to compete for their time! These 10 books should do the trick. And if your child reads 5 books and fills out a form from Borders Bookstore, she or he can get one of ten selected books for free.
3rd Grade Book Club with Science Activity
My favorite KidLit book in the whole world, Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, was a very successful and fun 3rd grade girls’ book club. The activity was to make lollipops which was a sneaky education in the science of cooking and to bake dog biscuits.