• Lists

    12 Books About Chess for Kids

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    We’ve been lucky enough to have an amazing volunteer willing to help us at my library by offering chess classes for our kids! Thankfully, we have a volunteer because my staff and I know a little bit about chess, but not enough to offer a series of classes for beginner…

  • Lists

    9 White Bird Read Alikes

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    R. J. Palacio’s White Bird is being adapted for the big screen, but with several delays, I hope that it becomes available later this year. Based in the same world as her hit book, Wonder, White Bird is the story of Julian’s grandmother. As a young Jewish girl, she was…

  • Lists

    Top Ten Tuesday: Forgotten Backlist Titles

    Top Ten Tuesday

    With so many books being published each year and sometimes each month, it can be hard to remember all the amazing forgotten backlist titles that also exist. Browsing a used bookstore or public library is a great way to discover some of these older titles that amazing stories you don’t…

  • Lists

    15 Books for Reluctant Readers (Grades 3-5)

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    As kids transition into longer chapter books with fewer illustrations and more emphasis put on the text, it can be difficult to encourage already reluctant readers to try something new. Below, I’ve pulled together a rather wide range of titles from early chapter books to a handful of middle grade…

  • Lists

    12 Journal-Style Middle Grade Reads

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    If you’re looking for something a little different and oftentimes more accessible, check out these 12 journal-style middle grade reads. All of these are written in a journal/diary format which makes reading them a lot of fun and gives a unique perspective to the story. This post may contain affiliate…

  • Lists

    Top Ten Tuesday: One Word Titles

    Top Ten Tuesday

    I’ve mentioned in the past that I love Top Ten Tuesday topics merely because it pulls together titles you wouldn’t typically see on the same list of books. Today’s theme of one word titles was an easy list to pull together with a focus on middle grade novels perfect for…