Classics, Nonfiction, and Children's Literature
Friends of Liberty by Beatrice Gormley is a chapter book about two girls living in Boston during the early years of the American Revolution. One of the girls (Kitty) is from a wealthy Tory family, and the other girl (Sally) is from a more modest family that supports the revolutionary leaders. Although the girls are
Five Children and It by E. Nesbit is an Edwardian children’s adventure originally published in 1902. There are no parents or guardians to stop the fun, and the children know where to find fun! In this adventure, four children and their baby brother come across a sand-fairy, who is able to grant them wishes that
Raisin enjoyed reading the early chapter books about a word-loving girl named Daisy. In Daisy’s Defining Day by Sandra Feder, Daisy discovers the joy of alliteration and finds herself as she seeks out the perfect alliterative title for herself. As she searches for some fun phrases to enjoy, she also learns a few lessons about friendship
My older child (age 5) finally has an interest in some of my favorite picture books, ones that I’ve been hoping he’d like for years. One is Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey (1941). He finally appreciates it! I think the story of Make Way for Ducklings is fantastic. The personalities assigned to the
Falcon by Tim Jessell (Random House, 2012) brings to life a dream many share: what would it be like to fly. In Tim Jessell’s lavishly illustrated paintings, the reader sees a falcon soaring over the waves, the mountains, and then the tall buildings of a city. In his story, a young boy dreams that he
Mr. King’s Castle by Genevieve Cote (Kids Can Press, 2013) is apparently a second book about a smiley lion named Mr. King. I must now go find the first book! In this book, Mr. King is living in a house on top of a hill, and he decides to make his home larger and more
My daughter has developed a love for reading. It’s not surprising, given the number of books by which she is surrounded. What I’m finding somewhat amusing and annoying is that right now she has a very definite preference for what books we read together: she wants the ones she has read before, and if I
Martin and Mahalia: His Words, Her Song by Andrea Davis Pinkney and illustrated by Brian Pinkney (Little, Brown, August 2013) is a poetic biography of the two influential civil rights individuals who together shared a message during the March on Washington in 1963. Brian Pinkney’s illustrations are sweeping and colorful, bringing the reader in to
Many years ago, I read and reviewed Foster’s guide to reading literature. When I saw How to Read Literature like a Professor for Kids also by Thomas Foster (HarperCollins Children’s, 2013), I decided to read it to get a little idea of how he adapts his ideas for kids. Once again, Foster’s conversational tone takes the
When I was a child, I loved Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan, but I could not, now, recall just why. When my baby girl was overtired and needed to calm down the other day, I saw this book on the shelf, pulled it off, and started reading it to her out loud. After
All Kinds of Kisses by Nancy Tafuri (Little, Brown and Company 2011) is a sweet and simple farm animal bedtime book emphasizing the fact that “Little ones love kisses.” Each two-page spread tells the kinds of kisses the little animal loves, and it ends, of course, with the little child being kissed goodnight as well.
Step Gently Out by Helen Frost and illustrated by Rick Lieder (Candlewick, 2012) is a lovely poem illustrated by photographs of the smallest creatures outside. Bees on a flower, an ant, a cricket singing, a spider on a silken thread. The poem is lovely, and the pictures invite the reader in to the natural world.
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