• Lists

    9 Crafty Characters in Middle Grade Books

    kids crafting

    At our library, we’ve found that our middle school students (grades 5-8) really enjoy the opportunity to craft for fun. It’s not tied to a school project or even a specific product. We pull out a bunch of the craft supplies we have lying around and let the kids craft,…

  • Activities

    Storytime Theme: Manners

    kids

    Learn all about the important manners in this perfect storytime that serves as a little reminder for kids that manners are very important! Whether your kiddos have great manners or need a little more practice, these books, songs, rhymes, and crafts are a perfect storytime theme for kids of all…

  • Lists

    Cats & Dogs Picture Books

    cat and dog snuggling

    It’s the age-old question,”What do you like more cats or dogs?” Well, with today’s book lists (that’s right two!), you don’t have to choose! Whether you love those sweet, but saucy little cats or the lovable and energetic dogs, you’ll find everything you’re looking for right here with these cats…

  • Lists

    Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Defied My Expectations

    Top Ten Tuesday

    All of these middle grade books surprised me in the best way possible! They are all books that defied my expectations when I read them, in that I liked them more than I expected to. Many on the list lean toward the fantasy and science fiction genres. Both genres, which…

  • Activities

    Storytime Theme: Trucks

    Tractor Trailer

    Transportation books are some of the most popular picture books in our library! And that goes for our storytime themes as well which you can check out here – 2021, 2020, and sensory-friendly. I also have a cars, construction, boats, and rocket ships storytime theme. This post may contain affiliate…

  • Lists

    12 Best Books for Teacher Gifts

    teacher header

    Celebrate the special people who make a huge impact on their students with these 12 best books for teacher gifts. As a child of two educators myself, I know the hard work and dedication it takes to be a good teacher and it’s not for the faint of heart, that’s…

  • Lists

    Top Ten Tuesday: Water

    Top Ten Tuesday

    I’ve been doing Top Ten Tuesday for years and this is probably one of my most favorite topics ever! I love being around water – I’m not even picky, a creek, river, pond, lake, ocean, I’ll take whatever I can get! Water really grounds me and destresses me in a…

  • Lists

    12 Best Books for Graduation

    graduation header

    Yes, this post should have gone live way back in May or even April, but since I didn’t get anything together at that point, I thought I’d still try and post something that can be a helpful gift guide for the next graduation season. It’s probably not surprising that books…

  • Activities

    Storytime Theme: Boxes

    boxes

    A boring, old, brown cardboard box holds endless possibilities! This storytime theme is one near and dear to my heart because I love when play allows kids to explore, learn, grow, and use their imagination and a cardboard box does all of those things. This would be a perfect storytime…