Classics, Nonfiction, and Children's Literature
Ariel Bradley: Spy for General Washington by Lynda Durrant (Vanita Books, 2013) is a historical fiction early chapter book based on a real experience. Since my son and I are learning about American history this year, I decided it would be a perfect choice for reading aloud together during our school time. In many ways,
Raisin Reads is a column with thoughts on children’s literature straight from the mind of a kid! About the author: Raisin is five years old. He likes to read, and he wants to be a construction worker when he grows up. I like Mercy Watson to the Rescue because when the fire department comes, Mr.
Cynthia Rylant is one talented writer! Her early readers have kept my son (almost 5) busy for months. The Henry and Mudge stories feature a young boy and his best friend, his dog. I think these were my son’s favorites, and since there are probably about 30 (or more?) different books of Henry’s adventures, it’s been a
Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad books are simply classic creations. There are plays on words, there are clever conundrums, and there is plenty of humor. My (almost) five-year-old enjoys reading all the books in the series. The series includes these books: Frog and Toad Are Friends, Frog and Toad Together (award a Caldecott Honor), Frog and Toad
My son (almost 5) is well into early chapter books now. With my baby girl’s arrival and my subsequent absence from the blogosphere (as compared to my posting habits before her birth), I haven’t posted on his reading as frequently as it deserves. I feel like his reading skills improve from week to week! Back
One of the first posts I have on this blog centered around one of my then-favorite authors, Alexander McCall Smith. Although I have since refocused my personal reading around classics (and Dickens, Eliot, and Wilkie Collins now vie for the favorite author designation), McCall Smith is still an author I have a special place for,
The first quarter of 2012 has been spare on the blogging front, but it’s been busy and delightful on the home front from my perspective! My daughter is now five weeks old, and my son (age 4) and I are starting to settle into a routine again of reading picture books. I’m reading my baby
Here’s a wonderful birthday book! A Birthday for Bear by Bonnie Becker and illustrated by Katie MacDonald Denton (Candlewick, September 2009) tells the story of Bear, who is not a fan of birthdays and is determined to be grouchy and clean his house all day. It’s a very busy day. His friend Mouse keeps trying
My 4-year-old son and I discovered Jan Thomas’s illustrated picture books this summer. Two that we read were Can You Make a Scary Face? (2009, Beach Lane Books) and What Will Fat Cat Sit On? (2007, Harcourt Children’s Books). My son was able to read many of the words in these books, and he loved the silliness of both
Babymouse: Queen of the World by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm is another graphic novel about a preteen searching for her place in the world. Babymouse is an awkward mouse wanting to fit in with the popular (animal) crowd (particularly, the popular Felicia Furrypaws) of middle school. It takes place in a typical middle
In Chapter 6 of my history of children’s literature textbook, Children’s Literature, Seth Lerer indicates: Almost from its original publication in 1719, Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe had an immense impact on literature for children and adults. It has been widely seen as one of the first major novels in English; as the stimulus for a
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