So many books, so little time! What I hope to capture here - through my posts and your comments - are the true gems. Not always gems in terms of content to be sure - but in terms of their ability to captivate, and to get more kids of all ages to turn to books as a reliable source of entertainment and eventually, enrichment. Join the conversation!
“Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.” Maya Angelou
As you may recall, I published a post some months ago about how my boys refused to read Harry Potter.
Hope sprung anew when I discovered the unabridged, illustrated series. Well, I am here to give you an update on my experiment. Read more…The Harry Potter Experiment Update
Title: In the Shadow of the Sun
Author: Anne Sibley O’Brien
Format: Single book or audiobook
Audiobook narrator: Jackie Chung
Length: 8hrs 56min
Age group: 10+
North Korea has been in the news almost constantly. But other than alarming headlines, snippets of grim reports from defectors, and images of a strangely-coiffed dictator, what do we or our kids really know about this country, its history, its people?
In the Shadow of the Sun is a gripping adventure that lifts the curtain’s edge on one of the world’s most secretive nations. Read more…Lost in North Korea
The world of children’s literature has recently started responding in a more authentic way to the desperate need for diversity in children’s books.
Here are two great resources for finding diverse books as a teacher, librarian, or parent. Read more…2 great ways you can find diverse books for kids
“How do I get my child to read nonfiction?” This is a common (often despairing) question I get when mentioning the blog. If you face a similar tussle, here’s one idea for ending the friction: Try a magazine subscription. Take a break from force-feeding dry tomes for now, and attempt a more digestible format. And as we get into gift-giving season, keep in mind: Subscriptions are the some of the best “gifts-that-keep-on-giving.” For the top recommendations from Read, Kids, Read!, Read more…Nonfiction friction
I’ve been tardy in recommending gift ideas for the holidays. But here’s a superb list of science-related books from Team Educate at Science Friday for the 0-12 set. They’ve even included STEM activities to accompany the books. Read more…Saved by Science Friday
Who knew? I hadn’t counted before. But once I had to put 13 candles on a birthday cake, it came to me! Well now, we are officially a family with a teenager on board.
Here are the books, among some other presents, our teenager got this year. Read more…There are 13 letters in “Happy Birthday”
A few days ago I attended “Guys Read: How to Get and Keep Boys Reading,” a wonderful event hosted at “An Unlikely Story,” Jeff Kinney’s gorgeous bookstore in Plainville, Massachusetts.
The evening was a chance to hear from a great line-up of authors beloved by most boys. Read more…Funny guys, great advice
My boys refused to read Harry Potter.
But here’s how we broke the Potter-Boycotter spell. Read more…The boys who wouldn’t read Harry Potter
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