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Tag: reading

Best Books for Kids by Teachers

Top 100: Best Books for Kids by Teachers (for ages 2-18)

Posted on June 9, 2011June 9, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

In 1999, the National Education Association created this list of 100 books selected by teachers for children and teens. It’s a great list for summer reading!

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Best Chapter Books for Summer Reading

11 Great Books for Tween Summer Reading

Posted on May 23, 2011June 9, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

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.

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Caught in the Act … of READING

Posted on May 2, 2011June 9, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

Thank you to everyone who sent in a photo! There are such great photos this week!!! I always need more so please keep them coming to pragmaticmom.com(at)gmail(dot)com. Thank you!!! It is always fun for me to see what old friends are up to and meet new folks. This week, I have a old work colleague who left to pursue other endeavors. She took the gorgeous black and white photo and even her snapshots are amazing as she is a portrait photographer! I met another mom friend, author Melissa Wiley, at KidLitCon 2010 last fall and we both vowed to get All of a Kind Family books back in print. She was responsible for single handedly getting the Betsy-Tacy-Tib series back in print so I have recruited a heavy hitter to my cause! Thank you again to everyone and hope you all have a marvelous Monday!!!

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Using Electronic Devices to Get Kids Reading

Top 5: Using Electronic Devices to Get Kids Reading

Posted on April 28, 2011June 9, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

As a parent whose youngest (and only 6-years-old!) is already attempting to spend every waking hour in front of a screen, I thought I’d suggest some ideas for getting reluctant readers excited about reading in the vein of “if you can’t beat them, join them.” Or a corollary: “Let’s be sneaky and use electronics as a Trojan horse to present reading in a different light.” I’ve been blogging about these ideas that I’ve discovered over the past year and I’m pretty excited about them. Let me know what you think and if they work for you.

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How to Get Kids Ready for Kindergarten

Preparing for Kindergarten: Activities to Do with Your Child

Posted on April 22, 2011June 9, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

I found this great article from a mom on Twitter. I am getting my 5-year-old ready for kindergarten and I thought this is a great list of fun activities to work into the summer plans. The activities cover: fine motor, scissors, sensory, mid-line crossing, and developing handwriting skills. This article is by Loubina Buxamusa, an Occupational Therapist and Ann Mahoney, an Early Childhood Specialist.

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Kids Caught in the Act … of READING

Posted on February 28, 2011June 10, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

I’m back from school vacation week and ready to resume my weekly features with a twist. They are now going to be weekly-ish. Yes, like the Ish! book by Peter Reynolds, a facsimile of the real thing because it turns out to be a frantic pace to be posting weekly. I’m assuming overwhelming for you, my readers too! 🙂 In the meantime, I am cooking up another idea for a blog children’s literature so please stay tuned…

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Kids Caught in the Act … of READING

Posted on February 14, 2011June 11, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

Thank you to everyone who sent in pictures! PLEASE keep them coming!!! You can email me at pragmaticmom.com (at) gmail (dot) com. This week I found some of these pictures on literacy sites that I read but my favorite one is from mom Sierra! This is just precious!

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I’m Mia Wenjen!

Mia Wenjen High Res Headshot Jerry Russo

Hi, I’m Mia Wenjen. Nice to meet you!

I blog about diverse children’s books, co-founded Read Your World on Jan 29, 2026, and write children’s books.

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Barbed Wire Between Us (click to purchase)

Barbed Wire Between Us by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Violeta Encarnación

Barbed Wire Between Us original song by Daria Music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wZieLAYEXA

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Postcards from Malcolm X by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Keith Henry Brown

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Fortune Cookies for Everyone (click to purchase)

FORTUNE COOKIES FOR EVERYONE! by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Colleen Kong-Savage, Published by Red Comet Press

Makoto Hagiwara| Inventor of Fortune Cookie | Dorktales Storytime Stories for Kids

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1TaM7HjuzY

Fortune Cookies for Everyone book trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9k6aOlMgCc

The Traveling Taco (click to purchase)

Cover Reveal for THE TRAVELING TACO by Mia Wenjen

The Traveling Taco Song created by Daria – World Music for Children

https://youtu.be/KWTuCwbWLXs

We Sing From the Heart (click to purchase)

We Sing From the Heart picture book cover reveal of The Slants Simon Tam

Dorktales Storytime Podcast: Simon Tam featured in We Sing From the Heart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlDdwUZpcNI

FOOD FOR THE FUTURE (click to purchase)

Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Robert Sae-Heng

Food for the Future Song created by Daria – World Music for Children

https://youtu.be/uTw6y3EjeOA

SUMO JOE (click to purchase)

Sumo Joe cover reveal

CHANGING THE GAME (click to purchase)

Changing the Game: Asian Pacific American Female Athletes by Mia Wenjen

Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime! (click to purchase)

Cover Reveal: Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime!

3rd Newton Children’s Book Festival 2026//NEW Venue!!

Save the Date for the 3rd Annual Newton Children's Book Festival 2026!

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How to Get Kids Reading

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HOW TO COACH GIRLS book trailer by Mia Wenjen & Alison Foley

https://youtu.be/j74M0bBxrGg

HOW TO COACH GIRLS (click to purchase)

How To Coach Girls by Mia Wenjen and Alison Foley

ebook Version has 3 bonus chapters (click to purchase)

How To Coach Girls ebook

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The Traveling Taco Book Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf4tp9lffG0

We Sing From the Heart book trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJNcJd8dEPU

Recent Posts

  • Kung Fu Crane Girl picture book announcement! June 22, 2026
  • Simon Tam from The Slants and how a reader found him June 19, 2026
  • Summer Children’s Book Series at Tower Hill Botanical Garden June 17, 2026
  • 10 Picture Books About the Art and Skill of Sharing + GIVEAWAY! June 15, 2026
  • Beam Presents Tidelands 2100 at New Inc, an immersive climate change game June 12, 2026
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