When your life feels like it is falling apart where do you turn? How do you pull it together? In today's book, our orphaned sixth grader turns to Greek philosophy. She tries to find wisdom to change so she can keep her dog and not get in trouble as much. The book is Calliope Callisto Clark and the Search for Wisdom by Claudia Mills. There is a giveaway after my review!
There have been so many amazing picture books released lately. Today we are sharing two new ones that focus on imagination and stepping out of one's comfort zone. The first book is Maya's World by Andrea Pippins. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
Name a magician. Most people tend to name Harry Houdini, even today. He is that well known. Over the years Hazel and I have explored Harry Houdini, but I don't know that much about his life. Today we are sharing a wonderful new picture book biography on him and his love of books. The book is Houdini's Library by Barb Rosenstock and illustrated by Mar Delmar. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8, but I would say it is on the older side of that maybe 6 to 10.
Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in order to provide my honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Sharique Zea to bring you this post.
Have you ever wondered if there are other realms out there? Today we are sharing a middle grade fantasy novel with different realms and a group of kids who travel between them to save the universe. The book is Lionborn by Sharique Zea. There is a giveaway after my review.
The Lunar New Year begins this week! 2026 will be the year of the horse. We have done quite a bit with the lunar new year in the past. Today we are looking at a Persian New Year Holiday that honors spring. It is Nowruz. This year it will be March 20, 2026. It begins at the precise time spring begins every year. To learn about it we are sharing a newly released book called Celebrate Nowruz! A Persian New Year Holiday to Honor Spring by Zohreh Ghahremani and illustrated by Susie Ghahremani. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
Family is important. Family is love. For most family is safety. Today we are sharing two beautiful picture books by Jacqueline Woodson about family with very different messages. The first book is Our Gracie Aunt by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by Monica Mikai. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
With the mounds of snow and below 0 temperatures, I have to say I am dreaming of springtime. Today we get to share three books released this week that bring a little spring to our winter freeze. Two are board books and one is a picture book with an Easter theme. All three books have to do with gardens! Both of the board books are from the Baby Botanicals series. The first one is Good Morning, Garden! by Jillian Miao and illustrated by Riley Samels. It is recommended for ages 0 to 3.
There were many books released this week. Today we are sharing four of them about animals, community, friendship and more. They are all picture books, and each has a lesson in it. We will start with one about a hummingbird's annual migration. It is Hummingbird's Big Trip by G. Brian Karas. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in order to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Carmen Hernández to bring you this post.
Are you or your child a person who lives a bit in his or her head? Perhaps you or your child have ADHD. Or perhaps you are just an overthinker. It can be hard to go someplace new when you are. Other people may not understand your hesitation or behavior. Today we are sharing a picture book that shares how a young boy is feeling about the first day of school and how his ADHD sometimes controls his behavior. The book is In My Mind by Carmen Hernández and illustrated by HV Helmut. There is a giveaway at the end of this post.
When I was in middle and high school, I loved baking bread. I made it almost every week. I tried to share this love with Hazel when she was growing up. When we did the parent child class at a Waldorf School, we were making bread there or at least kneading and shaping bread every class. Today we get to share a beautiful new book about a mom who shares her love of baking bread with her kids each week. The book is Bread Is Love by Pooja Makhijani and illustrated by Lavanya Naidu. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
It has been a while since I have had a Fairy Tale in Different Cultures post and this one is a great story!! Today I get to share a Korean version of the Princess and the Pea. Tina Cho looked for stories about princesses who were like herself and her daughter. They didn't seem to be in the stories nor the movies. She decided to change that by writing her own. She picked her favorite fairy tale and changed it by adding some Korean culture and history. The book is The Princess and the Grain of Rice by Tina Cho and illustrated by Honee Jang. The book is recommended for ages 4 to 8, but I would say older kids may enjoy it as well especially if doing a unit on fairy tales or other cultures.
In January we did two roundups of picture books for Valentine's Day. Young children are not the only ones who celebrate or need to read about love and relationships! Today we are sharing a roundup of novels for ages 10+. They include middle grade novels and young adult novels. These books I have either read completely or at least started but wanted to get them shared before Valentine's Day. We will be sharing them from youngest to oldest readers. The first book is Mountain Upside Down by Sara Ryan. It is recommended for older middle grade readers--ages 10 to 13.
Do you have a middle grade reader who loves historical fiction? World War II? Or perhaps horses? Today we are sharing a historical fiction middle grade novel set during World War II in occupied France. The main characters are two brave kids from very different backgrounds who work together to do what is right. The book is The Lion's Run by Sara Pennypacker. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12.
Are you doing a solar system or space unit and want to add some fun? Stacy McAnulty has an amazing series of picture books that are humorous and full of information. Today we get to share the newest one: Venus! Fierce and Fabulous written by Stacy McAnulty and illustrated by Stevie Lewis. It is the ninth book in Our Universe series. We have reviewed several of the books in the series and can say these books are amazing resources for studying space but also just fun books to read for story time! The series is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
Growing up and parenting can both be hard. There are times where neither child nor parent are at their best. There can be tantrums, screaming, yelling and fighting cleaning up. We have all been there. Today we are sharing a board book and a picture book that deals with the issues of cleaning up and tantrums. The board book is The Clean-Up Monster by Eleni Tassopoulos Wehner and illustrated by Danamarie Hosler. It is recommended for ages 2 to 4.
I love sharing books that teach us about different cultures and languages. Today I have four books to share with you and two of them are being released this week! The first book is about a Korean word that means so much and doesn't have an English equivalent. The book is Jeong Is Jeong by Jessica Yoon and illustrated by Michelle Lee. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
Do you have a pet? Is it a dog? How does your dog see the world? One of my friends has a golden lab and he is afraid of everything! The only things he hurts are the wild bunnies in her yard. It is so funny to see a rather large dog who is so scared. He also loves just about every person. We joke that if someone broke into her house, he would go over to them and lick them or try to get them to play. Even well-trained dogs have their own personalities and ways of seeing the world. Today we are sharing a beautiful picture book about a dog who definitely lives her life her own way. The book is How to Be Best in Class by Lorena M. Proia. There is a giveaway after my review!
Today is the BIG DAY!! It is Read Your World Day! To celebrate we get to share our last Read Your World review for 2026! The book is Raven's Gift: A Feathered Flight of Faith by Claire Annette Noland and illustrated by Desiree Cordon. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8 and is a Christmas book. But before I tell you about this fun book, let's tell you about Read Your World Day!
I love books that share what life is like in different cultures. Today I get to share one that allows us to learn about the Nomad life in Somalia. The book is Suuban's First Day: A First Day of Herding Story by Shugri Salh and illustrated by Àlàbá Ònájìn. It is recommended for ages 3 to 6.
I love books that just make me happy and make me think. Today I am sharing two newly released picture books that do just that. Each is creative and gives a different point of view. They are both recommended for ages 4 to 8. The first book is Crouton: One Cat's Adoption Story by Kristine A. Lombardi.
Can you believe it? Read Your World Day is almost here!! The celebration is this Thursday!! Have you signed up for the virtual party yet? Today we are sharing a diverse young adult book as part of the special day! The book is the first in a series of two books. The book is Standard Models: Ordinary Gods: a Comedy About a K-Pop Group and Their Fans by Diana Huang. It is recommended for ages 12 to 18.
Valentine's Day is less than a month away. One of the things I love about Valentine's Day is the love! It is a day about love of different types. Last week we shared a roundup of books about family love. Today we have books about different kinds of love and Valentines. Our first book is Llama Llama Loves His Teacher by Ana Dewdney and illustrated by JT Morrow. It is recommended for ages 3 to 6.
We have been back to school for a couple of weeks now and Hazel has been back for one week. Even college students seem to be heading back now. Today we have two books for young readers that are educational or school themed. They are both humorous! We will start with the educational one. It is Our Solar System! A Stellar Neighborhood by Stacy McAnulty and illustrated by Stevie Lewis. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
When Hazel was young, we discovered beautiful books by and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. I remember the year Hazel received The Lion & the Mouse by him for her birthday. She was so excited as it was one of her favorite books ever! He also illustrated The Talking Eggs which is a Black American Cinderella story. Today I get to share a new picture book released this week by his granddaughter! She shares a bit of her own story growing up with her famous grandfather. The book is Two Artists, Grandad and Me by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7.
How is life different in New York City and Alexandria, Egypt? There are different languages, customs, foods and so much more. Today's book shares how one boy's life is different in both countries where he lives when visiting his grandparents. This review is for Read Your World Day! The book is Zamzam by Karen Leggett Abouraya and illustrated by Susan L. Roth. It is recommended for ages 5 to 9.
Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in order to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Today is the holiday to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is a time to reflect on his words and work as well as a time to volunteer and help others. For me I am taking time to reflect on our country and where we are. I am also sharing an amazing picture book that is being released this week that honestly made me think of Dr. King's words. As we see in the news and on our social media that American citizens are being arrested by ICE for not having proof of their citizenship on them, I feel it is an important time to think about the work and words of Dr. King. Our president has created a country of fear and racism with his ICE officers and is spending more money on ICE than most things. This scares me. I am scared for people of color. I am scared for women. I am scared for the LGBTQ+ community. I am scared for America. The hostility that is just growing more and more is getting to a breaking point. This is very scary and it makes me wonder if the United States will survive. I have decided not to focus on the news and awful stories around me but to look for hope and joy this year. Joy is my word for 2026. So with that thought I am going to share with you a beautiful picture book called Let It Shine! A Celebration of You by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Tequitia Andrews. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
Winter is in full swing. There is even talk of a storm hitting here this weekend. My mind is thinking spring already!! Spring when there are new baby animals. Many lower elementary classes hatch some type of eggs in the spring. Have you ever wondered about how a bird hatches from an egg? Most kids wonder this at some point. Today we are sharing a new non-fiction picture book that shares how a gosling gets out of the egg. The book is How to Hatch: A Gosling's Guide to Breaking Free by Sara Holly Ackerman and illustrated by Galia Bernstein. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7.
Can you believe Valentine's Day is only a month away? It seems time to start spreading some love and I think our society needs it. Today we are sharing three new picture books that share about family love. One was even released this week! We will start with that one which is Apapacho Love by Cynthia Harmony and illustrated by Erika Meza. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
Lunar New Year is in February this year. In Chinese astrology 2026 will be the year of the fire horse. Many countries celebrate the lunar new year, but we often hear about the Chinese culture. Today we are sharing three new picture books that share a bit of Chinese culture celebrating different holidays: Lunar New Year and Ghost Festival Month. Lunar New Year begins February 17 and ends March 3 with the Lantern Festival. Our first book is about a young girl traveling with her mother back to her mother's childhood home for the lunar new year. It is We Always Had Wings by Jess X. Snow. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
It is January and that means #ReadYourWorld Day is coming!! This year I am one of the book reviewers once again. I believe I may have missed one year but have been reviewing books for almost every one of the fourteen years! Today we are sharing our first book for the 2026 day. It is Lorena and the Magic Mocha Mirror by Valerie Williams-Sanchez. It is recommended for ages 6 to 8 and the second edition is Dyslexia-friendly! Before we get to our review, we will share a bit about Read Your World.
Being back at school this week has been trying. I have been exhausted most nights and haven't been able to share books and more much with you. Today I am going to share a newly released book that is perfect for the winter and animal lovers! It is Arctic Adventure: A Tundra Tale by Jyoti Rajan Gopal and illustrated Alexandra Cook. It is recommended for ages 3 to 6. After the review there is a roundup of arctic animal crafts to go with the book.
Have you ever noticed that the majority of picture books about hair are about Black people? Have you ever wondered why? My guess is the discrimination that happens to Black people around their hair. According to the CROWN (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural hair) Coalition's 2023 Workplace Research Study, over 20% of Black women, aged 25-34, have been sent home from work over their hair. And according to the 2021 Dove and CROWN Study for Girls, 45% of all Black girls say they have experienced hair discrimination. When you think about commercials for hair products what race do you see? Hair products are different for different races because hair between races is very different.
As I mentioned previously, my word for 2026 is JOY. I decided to make a Joy Journal. Well actually it is a journal for my words of the year. I picked up a journal with blank pages at Dollar Tree. I also got a bigger sketchbook at Five Below to use for my explorations in joy. When I was reviewing my posts from the past, I found this one sharing the book Joy in Every Moment by Tzvia Gover. I pulled it off my shelf and have started reading it daily and trying some of the mindful exercises in it. I use my journal for this as well as ones I think of. On the first page of the journal, I wrote down all my words of the year with the date. One of the mindfulness exercises was to take time to define what joy means to me. I did this in my journal. It is not a formal definition but words I think of when I think about what joy means.
