*Picture book, realistic fiction for preschoolers through second graders *First grade girl as main character *Rating: Miss Brooks Loves Books! (and I don’t) is such a cute picture book and perfect for teachers and parents to share during National Book Week or any time reading needs to be celebrated. (Well, that’s all the time, right?) [...]

*Picture book, humorous fantasy (tall tale), for preschoolers through second graders *A rancher and his wife are the main characters. *Rating: Meanwhile Back at the Ranch is one of my favorite books to share with children. (It’s by the same author as The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash. Short, short summary: Rancher Hicks is [...]

Guest post by Irene Roth! Finding Lincoln By: Ann Malaspina Illustrated by: Colin Bootman (Paintings by Coretta Scott King Honor artist) Albert Whitman and Company, 2009. This book is based on a true story. It is about an African-American boy who wants to get a book out of the main library in Alabama about young [...]

Nasreen’s Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan by Jeanette Winter is one of those special books that we should all share with children at home and in our classrooms. It is the true story of a girl in Afghanistan, Nasreen, who did not speak to anybody after the Taliban took over, and she lived [...]

*Picture book for preschoolers through second graders, fantasy, farm life *A special cow as the main character *Rating: The Cow That Laid an Egg is a cute and clever picture book! I think kids will love it. Short, short summary: Marjorie was in the dumps–she didn’t think she was special. The chickens asked what was [...]

Why War is Never a Good Idea by Alice Walker and illustrated by Stefano Vitale is a poem put to life in a picture book with beautiful, rich illustrations. This powerful text shows children the affects of war and the innocent bystanders from frogs to children to mothers to villagers who are the victims of [...]

I’m happy to have Irene Roth back as my guest blogger today! She finds the greatest books for kids. I love it! Please check out her blog. She has included the address at the end of her review. Always My Brother By Jean Reagan Illustrated by Phyllis Pollema-Cahill Gardiner, Maine: Tilbury House, 2009 Reagan’s book [...]

What some children go through in our world is unbelievable, scary, tragic. It is hard for some of us, especially in the United States and Canada, to imagine how life can be like this–how people can kill one another over religion and race, how people can be so greedy to kill for land or cash [...]

*Picture book about volcanoes–found in non-fiction section–told in poem form *Subject matter: A volcano erupting and how it affects life around it *Rating: Volcano Wakes Up! is a wonderful book to teach kids about volcanoes and the life around them. Love it! Short, short summary: In Volcano Wakes Up!, Lisa Westburg Peters uses poetry to [...]

Yesterday, I discussed the book Three Cups of Tea. When I posted the link on my Facebook page, people praised the book, and some people had actually heard Greg Mortenson speak on college campuses. So, if you haven’t read it yet, put it on your to-do list. If you want to share his message with [...]