Are you ready for some fun stories that could be any day stories? Today we are sharing two books that are full of fun stories. One is a creative picture book, and the other is a collection of short stories featuring the beloved character, Maisy. We will start with the picture book. It is A Day Off School by Oliver Jeffers and illustrated by Kevin Waldron. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
It is after Labor Day, so that means fall is about to begin. I can feel it in the air even though the leaves haven't really started to change yet. We have three new fall/Halloween/thriller mysteries for different ages perfect for the upcoming season! Two are for the younger to middle grades and the third is a young adult book. We will start with the second book in the Squirrel Lock Holmes series. It is a graphic novel style book for early readers. We reviewed the first one here. The second one is Squirrel Lock Holmes: Mystery at the Corn-y Maze by Ashley Belote. It is recommended for ages 6 to 9.
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| Photo by Julien DI MAJO on Unsplash |
Happy Labor Day!! Labor Day is meant to give workers a day off that isn't a holy holiday or holiday celebrating anything special. I decided today to reflect a bit about working. I have resigned my position as a high school teacher and have decided to focus my energy and life on my family and myself. I found I was too tired to cook good meals or see my parents and with my father's passing it was eye opening to realize I need to see my mom more. However, I have to say Labor Day should be a day for teachers, nurses, police, firemen, and all essential workers. We should reflect on what others do for us and appreciate them!! Today Steve and I decided to commune with nature! We went to a local farm and did the You Pick Flowers. I now have a beautiful bouquet of zinnias, snapdragons and sunflowers. Plus, we spent half an hour or so in the sunshine with flowers, butterflies, bees and each other.
Have you discovered the How to Catch Series? Sourcebooks has been publishing the series for 10 years and have announced a How to Catch Challenge! It is for classrooms and families to enter!! There are many prizes including a child being a character in a future book in the series to the entire series for a school library. Be sure to check how to enter and all the details and prizes! Now to be honest, I had not read any of the series, so they sent me some books to check out and share with you. Two of them are perfect for Halloween. We will start with the Halloween themed books. The first one is called How to Catch a Witch by Alice Walstead and illustrated by Megan Joyce. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7.
Family matters. In this day and age, our society sometimes forgets that. Relationships with grandparents can make huge differences in children's lives. Today we are sharing two new picture books that celebrate relationships with grandfathers. Each book has different lessons--one teaches Spanish words and the other is about cooking. We will start with the Spanish one. It is Hola, Lola! To the Bodega: A Bilingual First Words Book/¡Hola, Lola! A la bodega: Un libro bilingüe de primeras palabras by Sandra Equihua. It is recommended for ages 4 to 7.
August has begun and that means people start to think about back to school. Whether it is back to school shopping or getting back on a school schedule including bedtime, August is when it all begins. Kids begin to feel various emotions around the start of school and into the school year. Almost everyone feels nervous about a new school year. And I mean everyone--teachers and students. The Sunday scaries may begin again. A child also may be excited for the new year with hopes of doing new things and perhaps doing things on his or her own. Today we are sharing two new picture books that are about some of these emotions. The first book is Sunday Scaries by Debra Kempf Shumaker and illustrated by Lavanya Naidu. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7.
Summerween is upon us!! I know I just got invited to a Summerween Celebration. We have been sharing all sorts of fun Summerween/Halloween books to celebrate. Last week we focused on ghosts and this week it is more about witches. Since we live near Salem, Massachusetts witches are a year-round thing. Today's books include a beautiful board book about getting ready for Halloween and a picture book about a witch. We will start with the board book. It is Wonderful Halloween by Emily Winfield Martin. It is recommended for ages 0 to 3.
Do you know someone who helps everyone? Whatever is needed they are there. What happens when they need help? Today we are sharing two picture books about such "people". The first book is Big Rig Pig written by Claire Tattersfield and illustrated by Rob Sayegh, Jr. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7.
Are you a fan of Halloween? Do you like the spookiness or just the fun? This year consider celebrating Summerween! Today we are going to share three books recently released (or re-released) that have a Halloween theme. One however introduces Summerween. Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing more Halloween themed books so get ready for Summerween or in our case Halloween in July! The first book is actually a Summerween story. It is But I'm a Pumpkin!: A Summerween Story by Kat Choppy and illustrated by Heidi Moreno. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7.
What makes a story great? What makes one the greatest? Some answers are probably the same like good characters and a good storyline, but others will depend on who you ask. Some people like a love story and others like a humorous story or action filled. Today we are sharing a book called The Greatest Bedtime Story Ever and is by Jessie Sima. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8. It is about the greatest bedtime story ever but does not claim to be the greatest.
It is hard to believe that the United States is celebrating 250 years this week! We have been sharing a bunch of different books for different ages that are perfect for celebrating and learning more about the United States. Topics include Independence Day, individual states, historical figures and events and so much more! Today we are sharing a second book from the Who HQ Graphic Novel series. (You can read about the first one here.) Today is our final book in this collection but we are sure there will be many more books about the United States over time! The book today is Who Was Accused in the Salem Witch Trials? Tituba by Insha Fitzpatrick and illustrated by Rowan MacColl. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12 and is a graphic novel.
Summer is officially here! Summer is a time many people find time to just relax. It usually means more outdoor activities and more time with family and friends. Who is ready for those hot days where you do something outside and then find a way to cool off? Join the animals of Acorn Village as they enjoy a beautiful summer day!! We are sharing A Cozy Summer Day by Eliza Wheeler today. It is recommended for ages 2 to 5. I would guess some older kids would enjoy it as well.
This year the United States is celebrating its 250th anniversary/birthday! To get ready for the BIG celebration, we are sharing various books about the United States and some famous Americans. Today we are sharing a new book from the Ordinary People Change the World Series that was one of Hazel's favorites when she was younger. The book is I Am Teddy Roosevelt by Brad Meltzer and illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos. It is recommended for ages 5 to 9. After our review of this book, we will be sharing links to our past reviews of these books about some amazing Americans!
Independence Day is quickly approaching! It is a special year for the BIG celebration of 250 years!! We have been sharing nonfiction books for different ages to help celebrate the big anniversary. Today we are sharing another group of books to help celebrate and learn more about the country and states. Several were released last week! The first book is 250 Facts About America by J. D. Forester and illustrated by Risa Rodil. This book is recommended for ages 8 to 12.
June 14th is Flag Day in the United States. It is a day to remember the adoption of the red, white, and blue flag on June 14, 1777 by the Second Continental Congress. I liked to celebrate Flag Day with Hazel by reading books about the flag and doing flag crafts. Today we are going to share two picture books themed around the flag. One relates the flag to our country with colors and words. The book is Blue Sky White Stars by Sarvinder Naberhaus and illustrated by Kadir Nelson. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
With the United States celebrating its 250th anniversary on July 4th this year, I was sent a roundup of books about the United States. As I read them, I realized I didn't want to do just one huge roundup. The books are for different ages and teach about specific Americans, country history, states as well as about why we celebrate 4th of July. They are for different ages and a variety of types of books - from board books to middle grade books and even a graphic novel. Today we are sharing two books by the same team that give information about people. places and more. The first book is America's Dreaming by Ben McKinnon and illustrated by Thai My Phuong. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
Happy Memorial Day!! To honor our fallen soldiers, we thought we would share a book about them. We are focusing on the Civil War and the middle grade graphic novel we are sharing is more about how the Civil War was reported to the citizens of the United States and in particular by Alfred Waud. The book is What Was the Turning Point in the Civil War? Alfred Waud Goes to Gettysburg by Ellen T. Crenshaw. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12. It is not only great for Memorial Day but also helps teach some of the history of the USA just in time for the big 250th celebration in July!
Can you believe Father's Day is just a month away? Are you ready for it? I expect this year to be difficult for me, but my goal is to celebrate Steve. My Dad's Celebration of Life will be just over a week before Father's Day. I know he is in a better place and in many ways, we said goodbye to him years ago as his memory and brain went away, but I still miss him. Today we are sharing four picture books that are perfect for Father's Day and just for showing father figures in the life of kids. So many picture books share the mother-child relationship, but these share a father-child or male adult-child relationship. We will start with Dear Dad by Flamingo Books and illustrated by Natalie Lundeen. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7.
At bedtime, I always loved reading a book about going to bed or with characters going to sleep at the end of it when Hazel was little. I always felt like it was the perfect way to lead to turning off the lights. Today we get to share three very different books of this type. One is about noise. One is a Korean folktale, and the final one is about a sleepover! We will start with The Very Noisy House by Sally Nicholls and illustrated by Gosia Herba. It is recommended for ages 2 to 5.
