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The Second Life of Abigail Walker
Bullying has become a huge issues in schools across America and it has clearly bled into children’s literature as well. The Second Life of Abigail Walker by Frances O’Roark Dowell is a book about rising above the bullies and believing in yourself, even when you’re not quite sure what that means. …
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Kids & Family Reading Report ~ 4th Ed.
The percent of children who have read an ebook has almost doubled since 2010 (25% vs. 46%).Scholastic published their Kids & Family Reading Report, 4th Edition today with results both expected and surprising. Check out Scholastic’s website for the full report. A few highlights: The percent of children who have…
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When Santa Fell to Earth
As many others out there do, I drove multiple hours to get to my parent’s house for the Christmas holiday and I have found that if I can find a really good book on CD that the trip goes that much more quickly. As I was perusing the shelves before…
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Twas the Night Before Christmas
Create a new tradition and read a few Christmas stories on your own or share some with you family today! One of my favorites is The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. Every time I read it, I can hear my mom’s voice reading this story to us when we…
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Family Place Library Training
I’m away from my library for most of this week at a 4-day training so that our library can become a Family Place Library which means more offering more services to our families and young children. I’m so excited to learn more about early childhood development and how our library…
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Dear Blue Sky
There are a number of middle grade stories about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but Dear Blue Sky written by Mary Sullivan, is one of the most realistic, heart wrenching, and real accounts of what life is like both for Americans and for people across the globe. The story begins…
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Liar & Spy
Written by Newbery Award Winning writer, Rebecca Stead, Liar & Spy is a tale of mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end. When Georges (the s is silent) moves into an apartment building in Brooklyn, he meets Safer a kid his own age and a self-appointed spy…
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One for the Murphys
When Carly Connors in placed in the foster care system at the age of twelve after an incident at home with her mother and step-father she is blindsided. The Murphy family with whom she is placed is drastically different from how she grew up and although it takes a little…
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See You At Harry’s
See You At Harry’s written by Jo Knowles is a beautiful story filled with the complexities of middle school. Fern feels invisible at the age of 12 when her older siblings are beginning to distance themselves from childish games and her younger brother will not stop bothering her. Fern feels that…
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The Philadelphia Zoo and Books
I’m going to brag a little about the Philadelphia Zoo. They offer a number of great programs for children of all ages. Many of the programs include not only a craft and information about different animals at the zoo, but they also include stories! Parents, you don’t necessarily need to…