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15 Children’s Titles About Grief
I’m processing a very difficult time, the only way I know how – by sharing books. Today I’m sharing both picture books and middle grade titles about grief. My library lost an amazing staff member this week. She was one of the kindest, strongest, most genuine people I’ve ever met…
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#blogbookaday: Big Cat, Little Cat
Summary: “There was a cat who lived alone. Until the day a new cat came . . . And so a story of friendship begins, following two cats through their days, months, and years until one day, the older cat has to go. And he doesn’t come back. This is a…
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Middle Grade Gets Real – 25 Titles About Tough Topics
There are arguments that kids shouldn’t read about tough topics – topics that include death, adoption/foster care, childhood illness, substance abuse, disability and more. But, how do kids learn about these topics if they don’t see them in their daily life? Or, how do kids feel less alone if they…
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Paper Covers Rock
Paper Covers Rock written by Jenny Hubbard reminded me of another book I read called The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth LeBan. It has a similar feel with a male main character at a boarding school where secrets are being kept about a horrible situation that has occurred. Without giving too…
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Summer of the Gypsy Moths
Sara Pennypacker’s Summer of the Gypsy Moths is a story of belonging, of finding a family in an unexpected place, and of dreams. Stella is living with her Great-Aunt Louise on the Cape Cod coast with another foster girl, named Angel. The two girls are complete opposites and have no…
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The Center of Everything
The Center of Everything by Linda Urban is a coming-of-age story for a young girl whose grandmother has recently passed away. Ruby Pepperdine lives in Bunning New Hampshire where it is said the inventor of the donut settled after spending years on the ocean in his sailing ship. Ruby’s grandmother…
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What Came From the Stars
What Came From the Stars by Gary Schmidt is a high-fantasy story about a young boy, Tommy, who finds a magical necklace from another planet in his lunchbox and what ensues can only be explained as chaos. I had a really hard time with this book – I’m not much of…
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A Monster Calls
A Monster Calls written by Patrick Ness is a dark tale of loss surrounded by the pen-and-ink illustrations of Jim Kay. Ness weaves a beautifully haunting story with illustrations that become part of the text. The idea behind this novel came from Siobhan Dowd, but due to her premature death from…
