I’m very happy to host Bonnie Hearn Hill’s blog tour today on Read These Books and Use Them. Bonnie is part of WOW! Women On Writing’s blog tour, and she is doing 31 blogs in 31 days. She’s a busy woman. She’s also giving away a copy of the first book, Aries Rising, from [...]

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Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!
*Picture book for preschoolers through second graders, fantasy
*Young boy as main character
*Rating: Dr. Seuss is at his best in If I Ran the Zoo–from made-up creatures to fantastical places to those ever-clever rhymes.
Short, short summary: Gerald McGrew says that his local zoo is a “pretty good [...]

It’s time for another book giveaway contest! Please leave a comment below for the author or about the book or simply, “Pick me!” And tune in tomorrow, author Ronica Stromberg is here to talk about her book and her writing career. You can leave a comment there, too, for another chance to win a [...]

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*Picture book for preschoolers through second graders
*A skateboarding cow and other critters as main characters
*Rating: A Crazy Day at the Critter Cafe is a fun, crazy read that will leave kids laughing and wanting more. Cute ending!
Short, short summary: In rhyme and with super illustrations, Barbara Odanaka and [...]

photo by tibchris www.flickr.com
I am so happy to hold this contest on my blog today for Hate List by Jennifer Brown. I am IN LOVE with this book. It is perfect for tweens and teens, and I think all parents and teens should HAVE to read it. It’s great for a mother-daughter book club. [...]

My Basset Hound, Hush Puppy, under the Christmas tree
*Picture book for preschoolers through 2nd graders
*Young girl and cute dog as main characters
*Rating: Anyone, child or adult, who has ever been searching for the perfect pet will love You? by Vladimir Radunsky.
Short, short summary: In the park, a poor, little lonely dog is searching for [...]

Last week, I featured historical fiction author, Clara Gillow Clark, on my blog on Tuesday and Wednesday. We had a great discussion about historical fiction, and we both appreciate all your comments. This week, I am featuring YA fantasy writer, Ellen Jensen Abbott, and her book, Watersmeet. Please leave a comment below about [...]

photo by Stepheye www.flickr.com
*Picture book for preschoolers through second graders
*Young (and tiny) boy as the main character
*Rating: You might be more familiar with Laurie Halse Anderson’s novels, but this picture book is funny with a terrific voice! A modern-day take on the old-David-and-Goliath theme.
Short, short summary: The Antonellis of Third Street are BIG. [...]

Melanie Watt (who is supposed to have a mark over the first e in Melanie, but I don’t know how to do that on Wordpress. Help?) is the author of the ever popular Scaredy Squirrel series. This book is just as wonderful!
*Picture book for preschoolers through second graders (although you could use this [...]

photo by jimbowen0306 www.flickr.com
*Picture book for kindergarten students through third graders
*Groundhog teacher as main character
*Rating: A perfect picture book to celebrate Groundhog’s Day or to supplement a weather unit in science!
Short, short summary: Rabbit (and a few other animals) write to Professor W. Groundhog about his weather forecast on Feb. 2. [...]