*Concept book on counting and the beach/ocean life *Little boy as the main character *Rating: 1, 2, 3, By the Sea (Kane Miller books) is a cute picture book with a lot going on–there’s counting, there’s the ocean/beach habitat, and there’s a rhyme/text pattern too. This will be a favorite with children AND parents/teachers. Cute [...]

Before I get to today’s clever book, I want to announce the winner of my book, Finding My Place: One Girl’s Strength at Vicksburg from Juanita Noble’s blog. Drumroll. . . and the winner is Elizabeth Pagel-Hogan of Pittsburgh, PA! Thanks for entering, Elizabeth. I hope you enjoy the book! If you haven’t checked out [...]

*Nonfiction picture book about the U.S. presidents’ mothers for upper elementary *Mothers as main topics in the book *Rating: I adore this book, First Mothers written by Beverly Gherman. The language is perfect for kids–she took a difficult subject & did a wonderful job with it! The illustrations by Julie Downing are even better–there’s even [...]

*Nonfiction picture book, preschool through second graders *Being thankful is the main topic. *Rating: Alice McGinty, who is a lovely person that I got to meet when I lived in the Champaign, IL area, has written beautiful text, and Wendy Halperin has provided unbelievable illustrations. This is one beautiful book! Short, short summary: Thank you, [...]

*Picture book, preschool through first grade *Squirrels as the main subject matter *Rating: This is a really cute and neat book with amazing photographs of squirrels in Central Park by Murray Head. Since my 22-month-old daughter loves animals and not many words on the page, this is a perfect book for her! Short, short, summary: [...]

Frederick Douglass For Kids: His Life and Times with 21 Activities (Chicago Review Press) Written by Nancy I. Sanders I’m so happy to have this book on my blog today! Frederick Douglass For Kids: His Life and Times with 21 Activities is a beautiful, comprehensive book for kids about this amazing historical figure. The photos [...]

*Picture book for ages 4 to 8, nonfiction (but told in rhyme) *Health and safety are the topics *Rating: ABC’s of Health and Safety takes a look at some unusual, but important, safety tips that are not usually mentioned in books. They are covered in an interesting and unique way with cute illustrations! Short, short [...]

I am excited to welcome Glen Downey, author of Into the Fire, a middle-grade book. Here’s a synopsis from Amazon: “It’s been a year since Alice Booker disappeared — a year since she went to work one morning at the Byron County Library and never came back. Her son, Max, is still trying to come [...]

*Picture book, non-fiction, humorous, rhyme for preschoolers through 3rd graders *Topic is Poop! *Rating: Poopendous! is a hysterical look at a bodily function everyone can relate to from the smallest bird to the largest human. It’s a clever way to show children that pooping is no big deal and can actually be quite helpful. Short, [...]

*Non-fiction chapter book for kids 7 to 10 years old *8-year-old girl is the focus of the book *Rating: What an inspirational book! Kids will love Katrina and Winter: Partners in Courage. It’s one of those stories that teachers/parents can use to help children who are struggling with almost any self-esteem issue. Besides, who doesn’t [...]