I spent a few months reading about the Native Americans last fall, so Native Americans: A Visual Exploration by S.N. Paleja (Annick Press, 2013) caught my eye on Netgalley. As a brief visual overview to the subject, it was a nice book for young readers. In general, however, it provided too little to be an
My son’s favorite phrase this month is “That’s not fair!” I’ve made an extra effort to try to help him understand why we have certain rules. And after reading the young adult nonfiction account, People Who Said No, of some people who said “No! This is not fair!”, I felt like I have some solid
How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough (Houghton Mifflin, 2012) is a volume exploring why certain children succeed, despite the odds. He focuses on the children who are most struggling. Some of them succeed, by going to college and becoming successful, contributing members of society. What in their
When No One is Watching by Eileen Spinelli and illustrated by David A. Johnson (Eeerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2013) is about a girl who loves to be crazy (dancing, singing, grunting disapproval, and so forth) but only when no one is watching. If she’s around others, she is quite and sullen. She’s withdrawn and
Night Knight by Owen Davey (Templar Books, 2011) begins and ends with a boy with a colander as a hat, holding a play horse, but the rest of the illustrations show a different story: a knight coming to the end of his day. The illustrations are playful and fun as the “knight” bathes with the
Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet and Allan Ahlberg (Viking, 1978) is a wonderful take on both Nursery Rhymes and the fun game “I Spy.” On each page is a simple rhyming phrase, with a picture opposite with someone for us to look for. For example, the first page says “Each Peach Pear Plum /
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,
William Shakespeare’s plays have abundant evidence of the influences on the man behind the words. Shakespeare obviously was familiar with the world and especially human nature. I’ve read that he did not get some geographic facts correct, but in general, he seems to have been pretty well rounded. Just read a play and you can
My daughter is 13 months old now, and she is entering a fun age of reading. She loves books, she loves reading, and she loves eating, ripping, and tearing apart any book-like item that comes near her! The combination means there are lots of reading times with the book just out of her reach. But
My first Thomas Hardy novel was simply fantastic. Emotionally poignant but also socially resonant, Tess of the D’Ubervilles (1891) provides an intriguing story about Victorian social and sexual hypocrisy through characters with clear flaws to recognize and appreciate. And yet, although it was clearly a commentary on the social structures and sexual morality in Victorian
Why are Orangutans Orange? edited by Mick O’Hare (Pegasus Books, 2012) is subtitled “Science questions in pictures.” I am not a science person, but I was intrigued by the premise that this would be a simple and quick collection of answers to common science questions. In the end, I was a bit disappointed. Although it
In early nineteenth century Russia, one’s status is decided based on how many enslaved workers (serfs) under your name. Likewise, property owners do not pay taxes on the land own but rather on the number of serfs assigned to them at the last census. Even if a serf dies, a property owner must pay taxes
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