Know any space lovers or perhaps you are looking for a fun and humorous book to read at story time? I have the book for you, and it has surprising heroes. It is the third book in The Mousetronaut Series. The new book is Mousetronaut Saves the World by Mark Kelly and illustrated by C.F. Payne. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
Do you or your middle schooler love books about magical schools and magical lands? Then I have the series for you!! Perhaps you are missing the release of new Harry Potter books. If so, this series is for you. Today I get to share with you a fantasy middle school series (trilogy) by Erika Lewis. It is The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts Series. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12. It has magic, mystery, friendships, new creatures, goddesses, and a never-ending war between summer and winter.
I haven't done a fairy tale post in quite a while. Today I get to share a modernized Cinderella story!! If you haven't checked out my Fairy Tales in Different Cultures Series please do. They are some of my most popular posts. And Cinderella stories are the most frequent ones I feature! The book is Sylvia Locke's Cinderella and the Evil Fairy Godmother by David Horn and illustrated by Judit Tondora. It is the second book in the Tairy Fails Series.
Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review to bring you this post.
With back to school there have been some great books coming out about differences. Let's face it when kids go back to school, they see people who are different from them in some way. It is important for kids to realizes that differences can be a good thing and that it is ok to be friends with people who are different. The book I'm sharing today is about just this. It is A New Friend for Dragon by Bianca Schulze and illustrated by Samara Hardy.
When does/did school start where you are? My school starts back today. On Friday we dropped Hazel off at her new boarding school for the arts. Steve and I have officially become empty nesters. A new school year can bring many different feelings for kids (and teachers). There is the excitement of what is to come and there is the fear of what is to come. Whether it is a new school or just a new class and teacher, most people experience some anxiety this time of year. And it isn't just the students and the teachers. I remember all too well the stress of leaving Hazel at school when she was younger. So, I thought in honor of my first day back with the students, I would share three picture books that have messages about controlling anxiety, overcoming fears, being true to oneself and also accepting differences. The first book I will share is How to Train Your Amygdala by Anna Housley Juster and illustrated by Cynthia Cliff. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8, although I know some high school students it might be good to share it with.
My Facebook newsfeed is full of back-to-school photos. Has school started where you live? We drop Hazel off at boarding school for the first time today! My classes begin on Tuesday though. It seems everyone is thinking back-to-school. Today I get to share with you a perfect book for this time of year. It is Willard DoGooder and the Trail of Friends by Jen Kirkley and illustrated by M. Brayer.
Did you know that National Dog Day was this week? In honor of that I get to share with you a fun book about a beagle and his adventures to the river with his human. The book is Webster the Beagle and His Adventures on the River by Frank Payne and illustrated by Romney Vasquez. There is a giveaway at the end of the post, and I am sharing a round-up of crafts of some of animals he sees at the river.
Are you looking for some books to share with your younger children? Today we are sharing two newly released books for ages 4 to 9. One is a wordless picture book and the other is an easy reader superhero book. The picture book is The Boy and the Elephant by Freya Blackwood. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8. Our years at a Waldorf School showed me the importance of wordless books with young children.
Schools are starting back which means September is almost here. Hispanic Heritage Month begins September 15th and today I am sharing two books that are perfect for it. One is for middle grades (10-14-year-olds) about the history of Mexican Americans (released last week), and the other is an autobiography for young adults. Obviously, both are nonfiction. We will start with the book for the middle grades. It is a book from the Race to the Truth Series. It is Borderlands and the Mexican American Story by David Dorado Romo.
Did you ever hear the story about the time milk spilled on the floor and instead of getting upset the mother sat with the child on the floor and they made pictures with the spilled milk? I believe the child becomes an artist, but I don't remember whose story it is. Our lives, homes, rooms, desks, etc. are filled with little messes, but with some creativity they can become a masterpiece just liked the spilled milk. Today I am sharing a book that is being released today. It is What Can a Mess Make? by Bee Johnson. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
I haven't done a Crafty Sundays review in a while but want to share this great paper flower book with you. I love making various paper flowers and finding different ways to make them. Today I am sharing Crafting Paper Flowers by Emily Paluska. This book uses quality crepe papers to make the flowers.
This summer has been an interesting one for me. I have tried to focus on myself since self-care is my "word" for 2024. However, as life always does there have been twists and turns. In the beginning of July Hazel decided she did want to apply to an arts school where she would be boarding. It is a major life change and also means Steve and I have to figure out the financial side of it. As we went through this process, I noticed Hazel had two modes. She either wanted to be left alone to work or think or she wanted to watch television with me. She got into the boarding school and will be leaving home the end of August. I'm excited for the chance for her as well as the change as my family enters the next stage on our journey. One thing she did want to watch was the women's gymnastics in the Olympics. She loves all of the women on the United States team. The Olympics also was an uplifting experience this summer. Whether it was seeing Snoop Dogg at the various events with his supportive t-shirts and outfits or watching the athletes supporting one another. It was the change I know I needed in our world. There was a sense of togetherness, support and patriotism. I felt like it brought our torn country back together at least a bit. While I shared a round-up of books about and by former Olympics gold medalists a couple of weeks ago I wanted to share one about a current one. Simone Biles seemed like the perfect choice. So today I get to share with you All About Simone Biles by Color Craft. This book is recommended for ages 8 to 16. It is definitely written for the younger side of the range. You can also purchase at Amazon.
The Summer Olympics are still going on this week, so my focus is on sports! Today I get to share a new picture book (released this week) about Toni Stone. She was the first female to play big-league baseball! The book is Swinging into History by Karen L. Swanson and illustrated by Laura Freeman. It is recommended for ages 7 to 10.
Have you been watching the Olympics? Hazel and I have been watching the Women's Gymnastics. We are loving seeing these beautiful women make their dreams come true. What is your favorite sport to watch? I always feel like the Olympics brings positivity to the world. It gives us a sense of pride and love for our country, and I am guessing it does for other people around the world. It is a piece of history that is made every four years but doesn't often make it into the history books. However, did you know there are books written by former Gold Medal Olympians and even some about amazing Olympians and teams? Today I am going to share three such books. The ages of recommendations for these books range from 4 to 14. Only one of the books is really a history book about the gold medal Olympian team and the other two are books written by them sharing a piece of their advice off the field. The first book is From My Head to My Toes by Aly Raisman and illustrated by Bea Jackson. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
Do your kids go to summer camp? How long do they go for? Summer camp is like a rite of passage. Although Hazel never went to overnight camp, she is now ready to go to boarding school. It has been an exciting July in our house. But back to summer camp. Kids often feel homesick but once they relax, they make new friends and have exciting adventures. Today I get to share a middle grades series with you about a girl's adventure at summer camp for the first and second time. The books are from the Camp Hillside Series by Steph Katzovi. There are two books in the series (so far): Hurricamp! and Miscommunicamp!. They are recommended for ages 7 to 12.
Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
We all know the expression, "When pigs fly," meaning never, but how about when beavers fly? We know beavers don't naturally fly. However back in 1948, 76 of them did fly. Today I get to share a newly released picture book that shares this piece of history. The book is When Beavers Flew by Kristen Tracy and illustrated by Luisa Uribe. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
As a high school math teacher, I love finding fun ways to share math with kids. Recently I have been reading Learning to Love Math by Judy Willis, M.D. In it she mentions how math is the one school subject that conjures up a series of emotions for most people and usually they are negative. I cannot tell you how many times people tell me they can't do math or hated math when they find out I'm a math teacher. One of the things Dr. Willis mentions is we need to change this in society. We need to stop telling kids that adults didn't do well or hate math. Parents, teachers, coaches, etc. are giving kids permission to not do well in math and to not really try. So please if you are one of the people who does not like math or didn't do well, please keep it to yourself. Don't give kids the permission to be like you. It is something we are working on at our school this year. With that said I get to share a great series of middle grades mystery novels about a bunch of math loving students who use their math to solve mysteries!! The series is The Math Inspectors by Daniel Kenney and Emily Boever. This series is recommended for ages 9 to 12.
Young children can find compromising very hard. They are at an age where empathy isn't really developed. They only see things their way. Today I get to share a picture book released this week about finding middle ground. It is Somewhere In Between by Laan Cham. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
Do you know a child who struggles to fit in? They have their own styles and perhaps are smarter than other kids. It can be very hard for them at school. I know, I have one. She often struggled to feel like she fit in or really had friends. There were times where she was bullied at almost every school she has attended. Today I get to share a book for this type of kid. It is all about accepting one's own individuality and I am sharing a craft activity to go with it. Plus, there is a giveaway at the end!! The book is Jane Escapes to the Jungle of Individuality by Jennifer Nestor and illustrated by Victoria Mikki. It is being released on July 29, 2024.
