• Reviews

    Step Gently Out

    Step Gently Out written by Helen Frost with photography by Rick Lieder is a beautifully written poem about being outside and noticing the small things in nature.  The brief, descriptive language is paired beautifully with close-up photography of insects in nature.  At the end of the poem there is a section…

  • Reviews

    Book Review: Promise the Night

    Over the weekend I read Promise the Night written by Michaela MacColl.  It’s a historical fiction novel about Beryl Markham, the first pilot to fly solo from England to North America.  I’ll be honest, before I read this book, I had never heard of her but, after reading about her life –…

  • Reviews

    Robot Zombie Frankenstein

    I have found the cutest, most fun book to share with boys (and girls!) in preschool through first and even second grade.  The book’s title is Robot Zombie Frankenstein and it is written by Annette Simon. This book uses a child’s imagination and sense of play as two robots who…

  • Lifestyle

    It’s Never Too Early to Think About the Newbery Award

    In recent years, I’ve begun following the Newbery Award more closely.  It’s extremely interesting because the Newbery Committee does not provide the public with a short list of books that they are looking at for receiving the award, but there are plenty of blogs circling the blogosphere that offer their own opinions…

  • Reviews

    The False Prince

    The False Prince written by Jennifer A. Neilsen is an exciting new book, the first in a trilogy ( The Ascendance Trilogy), that stars characters so well written, it feels like you know them in real-life.  The book is described by Booklist as a action-oriented fantasy, but it’s less fantasy and…

  • Reviews

    The One and Only Ivan

    The One and OnlyIvan written by Katherine Applegate is a “first-gorilla” narrative about Ivan’s life as he lives and works at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade.  When he makes a promise to an old friend, it is up to Ivan to help a new baby elephant find…

  • Activities

    Lively Listening (read aloud) Program

    This post is actually a cheat, because I’ve posted on this topic before.  I think reading aloud to kids of all ages is just as important as it is to babies and toddlers.  This week for our Lively Listening program I focused on informational texts, biographies, and historical fiction.  These…

  • Reviews

    Skippyjon Jones Party

    If you have never heard of Skippyjon Jones, I beg you, please run to your nearest bookstore or library and pick up a copy.  Skippyjon Jones is a rambunctious Siamese kitten who, with the help of his closet and his imagination becomes El Skippito, the great Mexican sword fighter and…

  • Activities

    Read-Aloud Program for Elementary Age Kids

    Probably, my fondest memory of school was being read-aloud to by any number of teachers that I was lucky enough to have from elementary school all the way through high school.  Not only my teachers, but my parents also read aloud to all of my siblings and me.  Now, that in…