Growing Senses & Imagination with Books About Nature and the Seasons

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

This week I spent three days in the woods in Vermont with some of my students. Every year our school goes on a field trip to an outdoor center in Vermont. The high school students can choose to go for two nights and the middle school and 5th and 6th grade are required to go for four nights. The time there is tech free for the kids. The goals are team building, bonding with one another and getting them out of their comfort zones. For many it is the first time they are away from their parents for this length of time. As much as I hate being away from home, it is a great experience, and I always enjoy it a bit more than I think I will. It is important for everyone to get into nature and enjoy it. Today I am going to share two new picture books about nature and uses your senses and imagination. The first is Tree Spirits Around the World words and photographs by Louise Wannier and illustrated by April Tatiana Jackson. It is recommended for ages four to nine but could work with any age.

The Cobbler's Bridge -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

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 and Marin to bring you this post.

In times of trouble, it is important to keep hope. Hope is my word for 2025. As the political climate was changing and charging up with fighting and more, I felt hope was what I would need to keep myself calm and balanced. It has worked for the most part. Today I get to share a Christmas book (I know it is only October) that shares a story of hope, strength and generosity. It does involve a cross as well. The book is The Cobbler's Bridge by Marin. At the end of this post is a giveaway with a grand prize that includes $100!!

The Last Apple Tree -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

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 and Claudia Mills to bring you this post.

It is apple season. Everyone is so into pumpkin spice, but the truth is I love apples more! An apple tree can be so many things to different people. Today I get to share a middle grade novel with you about a family, friends, growing up, and memories and it all revolves around an old apple tree. The book is The Last Apple Tree by Claudia Mills. At the end of this post there is a giveaway!

Outside In and the Inside Out: A Story About Arnold Lobel

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Every generation had its own beloved children's authors. For Hazel it was Mo Willems, Kevin Henkes, and Shannon Hale. For me I remember loving Beatrix Potter, Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume. I remember loving Arnold Lobel's Frog and Toad as well. I also loved the Paddington series. Of course there are also the other classics like Dr. Seuss. Today we are sharing a fun new book about Arnold Lobel and his amazing books. The book is Outside In and the Inside Out: A Story about Arnold Lobel by Emmy Kastner.  It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Ginger's Courage -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

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 and Lynsey Patterson to bring you this post. 

Today autumn begins in the Northern Hemisphere. The temperature is slowly getting colder especially at night. Leaves are beginning to change color and football season is in full swing. Today we are sharing a sweet picture book with a theme around football but about overcoming disabilities. The book is Ginger's Courage by Lynsey Patterson and illustrated by Angela Perrini. There is a giveaway at the end of this post!

New Sticker Books Perfect for Crafting

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

When you were young did you love stickers? I did. Growing up stickers were such a big deal. We were just discovering Lisa Frank. She became even more popular and well known in the 90's. I always wanted a sticker book but also didn't want to waste my stickers by putting them in a book. Sticker books in the 80s were really just notebooks or journals where you kept your stickers forever. Stickers are not just for kids though!! Nor are sticker books. Today we are sharing three new sticker books (two released last week and one being released this week) that are not children's sticker books. Along with my reviews I am going to share some ways to use these stickers in crafts. The first book is A Book Lover's Sticker Book illustrated by Christina Chun. 

Al's Journey -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

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 and Marin to bring you this post.

Growing up is hard. It is even harder when you have to do it quickly and take on an adult job. Today we are sharing a magical book about an orphaned boy who grows up in a night. It takes a look at what growing up means and about becoming more self-aware. The book is Al's Journey by Marin. At the end of the post there is a giveaway.

All the Stars in the Sky -- New Indigenous Picture Book Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Does your school or your children's school have a star of the day/week/month, etc. award? Many of Hazel's classes when she was younger had star of the day and our lower school has a student of the month. These are often put in place to help motivate students to behave and work hard. Today we are sharing a picture book being released tomorrow that is created by Indigenous People sharing about being part of a community versus being the shining star. It touches on school, family, community and more. The book is All the Stars in the Sky by Art Coulson and illustrated by Winona Nelson. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8. 

The Five Sides of Marjorie Rice: How to discover a shape -- Math Biography Review with Math Projects

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The school year has started. I have read Ish to my classes and talked about math-ish numbers. It was a huge hit. Some of the kids recognized the book and some did not know it. It was the perfect introduction to needing number sense and math-ish numbers. I love incorporating story books into middle and high school math classes. Today I have another one to share with you. It tells the real-life tale of a woman with no mathematical background who solved a very old mathematical problem and not just once! The book is The Five Sides of Marjorie Rice: How to Discover a Shape by Amy Alznauer and illustrated by Anna Bron. It is recommended for ages 7 to 9. I am going to share some related math activities to go with the book for different ages!

Back to School Season Books for Different Ages

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

School officially starts this week! Have your kids started yet? Each new school year brings different ideas, fears and excitement. There seem to be many books for the younger readers. There are the books like The Kissing Hand, Milk Goes to School, and Miss Mingo and the First Day of School and many more for younger kids starting school. Today we are going to share one picture book and two middle grade books. We will start with the picture book which is Proper Badger Would Never Trash the Classroom! by Lauren Glattly and illustrated by Rob Sayegh Jr. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Squash & Pumpkin #SquashGoals -- Fun New Picture Book for Fall

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Autumn is almost here. That means football games, sweater weather, apples, and pumpkin spice. What is your favorite part of fall? I think mine is the beautiful leaves changing color. Living in New England my entire life has let me enjoy the change every year! Today I am going to share a fun new picture book about a squash and pumpkin and what happens in fall. It is fun for all the fans of pumpkin spice and fans of squash. The book is Squash and Pumpkin #SquashGoals by G.G. McQueen and illustrated by Michael Slack. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7 and at the end I am sharing a roundup of squash recipes, crafts and other books. 

If Animals Loved Books -- Book Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Has your child ever read to an animal? Or maybe to a stuffed toy? What would the world be like if animals could read and loved books as much as we do? Today I get to share the newest (released this week) book in the If Animals Loved Series. It is If Animals Loved Books by Ann Whitford Paul and illustrated by David Walker. It is recommended for ages 3 to 6. We reviewed one of the other books in this series previously. 

Abigail and the Waterfall -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I 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 and Sandra L. Richter to bring you this post.

I feel like as a society we have moved indoors and are not enjoying the outdoors or teaching our children to enjoy it. Whether it is the bugs or the temperature, I find Hazel always has an excuse not to want to be outside. I grew up without air conditioning, so it often was cooler outside than inside during the day in the summer. We spent most of our days outside. Hazel and her friends usually do not. It saddens me. There is so much beauty outside. God has created this masterpiece of a world for us, and we do not always take the time to enjoy it or care for it. Today we are sharing a beautiful book about loving God's good Earth. It is called Abigail and the Waterfall by Sandra L. Richter and illustrated by Michael Corsini. There is a giveaway at the end of this post as well!

Being Middle -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

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 and Lori Orlinsky to bring you this post.

Where do you fall in the sibling chain? I am the youngest. There are four years between me and my middle sister (and two years between her and the oldest). I was told she was immediately jealous of me. She would jump into my mother's lap while my mom was breastfeeding me. There has been a pretty large sibling rivalry there but of course things are better now. Middle children often develop a strong sense of independence and can be rebellious due to feeling like they are overlooked. They can struggle with self-identity and often look for validation with peers and have strong friendships. (Source) This very much describes my middle sister. She is still very close to friends from high school. She was definitely the most rebellious out of us all. She gave my parents plenty of problems, but she is also the one who jumped in to care for them whenever they needed it as an adult. As the youngest I was always trying to keep up with her. Today I am sharing a fun book about being the middle child and some of the positives of that role. It is Being Middle (is a great place to be) by Lori Orlinsky and illustrated by Vanessa Alexandre. At the end of the post there is a giveaway too!!

Newly Released Young Children's Books

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Today we are sharing three new books (released today) for our younger kids. One book is a board book and the other two are picture books. We will start with the board book. It is My Animal Sounds by Xavier Deneux. It is recommended for ages 0 to 3. 

Bob the Vampire Snail -- Book Review with Snail Craft Roundup

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

How do you like your stories? Andrea Zuill let's readers know that she likes them a little spooky in today's book dedication. The book is perfect for this season because it involves fresh tomatoes!! It is also a great book for the Halloween season. The book is Bob the Vampire Snail by Andrea Zuill. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8 and at the end of this post is a snail craft roundup to go with the book! (You'll have to add fangs if you want vampire snails!)

Cody's Whisper -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

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 and Malia Grace to bring you this post.

Are you getting ready for back to school? When does school start for you? Teachers go back in a couple of weeks for me. It is hard to believe my summer is almost over. I haven't done half the things I hoped to but have had an amazing summer! I'm also looking forward to the new school year, but I know this can be hard on kids especially the first time they go to school or go to a new school. Today we are sharing an amazing book about a young coyote finding his place at school even after a difficult beginning. The book is Cody's Whisper by Malia Grace and illustrated by Lauren Elise Reeves. There is a giveaway at the end of this post and I created a free printable with lessons from the book!

A Bus Can't Drive Empty -- Book Review & Giveaway

 Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book so I could provide an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Davon Miller to bring you this post.

When kids are young, we tend to read alphabet books. Some have themes and others are funny, but most don't get read too many times. Today I am going to share a fun one with you that I can see quickly becoming a favorite book to be read over and over! The book is A Bus Can't Drive Empty: An Alphaballiteration Adventure by Davon Miller. And since the post is part of The Children's Book Review Virtual Book Tour there is a giveaway at the end!!

Two Books for 8-18 Sharing About Life with Disabilities

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

When you hear disability what do you think of? Many of us have been programmed to go to someone in a wheelchair and with mental issues. While this is a true disabled person there are many of other types of disabilities and some cannot be seen. July is Disability Awareness Month or officially National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Some places even call it Disability Pride Month and have parades. This year we are celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, so it is extra special! Today I am two books that share what life is like with different disabilities and a bit about loving someone with a disability. One book is a middle grade graphic novel, and the other is a young adult nonfiction book sharing real stories from couples of different abilities. We will start with the graphic novel. It is Mixed-Up by Kami Garcia with art by Brittney Williams and lettering by Tyler Smith. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12.

Summer Theme: Colors with Book Review & Resource Roundup

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

We are sharing our final summer theme for this year!! And it is one of my favorites. I remember doing this theme when Hazel was much younger and the truth is we often explore this theme in different ways at different ages. We will be reviewing a book for ages 9 and up but there are so many resources in our roundup for younger children as well as teenagers! It is such a versatile theme. The theme is exploring color!! To begin this theme, we are going to share Fun with Colors! Easy Painting Activities for Kids by Azabu Atelier. Again it is recommended for ages 9 and up.