• Activities,  Reviews

    Vote for Me!

    I don’t pretend to be a political person, I’m not even a fan of discussing politics due to the way most people seem to forget how to have a civilized conversation when discussing politics.  But due to the fact that election day just happened, I figured I should at least…

  • Reviews

    What To Do If an Elephant Stands On Your Foot

    What To Do If an Elephant Stands On Your Foot written by Michelle Robinson and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds is an adorable and hysterical book about safari animals.  Similar in style to If You Give a Mouse a Cookie this story is laugh out loud funny and perfect for…

  • Lifestyle

    What Comes After Easy Readers?

    Transitional Books!  Transitional books are (usually) a series of books that you may be familiar with that are around 100 pages or less with short chapters and often some pictures throughout the book.  The Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne is a perfect example of a transitional book. …

  • Reviews

    The Adventures of Sir Gawain the True

    The Adventures of Sir Gawain the True written by Gerald Morris was such a fun read and something that I think both boys and girls in elementary school would enjoy!  Morris combines humor and Arthurian legend seamlessly in a way that is easily accessible to children – especially those who want…

  • Reviews

    The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

    I absolutely loved this story!  The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane was written by Kate DiCamillo, the same author who wrote Because of Winn-Dixie and The Tale of Desperaux, among many others.   You take the journey of a china rabbit named Edward Tulane, from his quiet existence with his little girl Abilene,…

  • Lifestyle

    Childhood Favorites

      My brother and sister-in-law came out to visit me for a long weekend and as we were catching up with each other’s lives, my brother turns to me and asks if I remember a certain book from our childhood that my mom read aloud to us.   Let me…

  • Reviews

    Step Gently Out

    Step Gently Out written by Helen Frost with photography by Rick Lieder is a beautifully written poem about being outside and noticing the small things in nature.  The brief, descriptive language is paired beautifully with close-up photography of insects in nature.  At the end of the poem there is a section…

  • Reviews

    Book Review: Promise the Night

    Over the weekend I read Promise the Night written by Michaela MacColl.  It’s a historical fiction novel about Beryl Markham, the first pilot to fly solo from England to North America.  I’ll be honest, before I read this book, I had never heard of her but, after reading about her life –…

  • Reviews

    Robot Zombie Frankenstein

    I have found the cutest, most fun book to share with boys (and girls!) in preschool through first and even second grade.  The book’s title is Robot Zombie Frankenstein and it is written by Annette Simon. This book uses a child’s imagination and sense of play as two robots who…

  • Lifestyle

    It’s Never Too Early to Think About the Newbery Award

    In recent years, I’ve begun following the Newbery Award more closely.  It’s extremely interesting because the Newbery Committee does not provide the public with a short list of books that they are looking at for receiving the award, but there are plenty of blogs circling the blogosphere that offer their own opinions…