by Carolyn | Audiobooks, Character Training, Fantasy, Juvenile Fiction, Middle-grade
Let me just say, I’m so glad we “read” The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo on audiobook. It is a tear-jerker. But in the best way. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane is the story of a much-loved china rabbit. The only...
by Carolyn | Fantasy, For fun, Imagination, Picture Books
The Whisper by Pamela Zagarenski beautifully illustrates the power of imagination. A girl borrows a book from her teacher, but the words all fall out on the way home. At first, she is disappointed, but then she imagines stories for each picture. The following day, fox...
by Carolyn | Uncategorized
I don’t know about you, but I haven’t seen a lot of children’s books about contentment recently, have you? That focus on quiet contentment is what makes Waiting by Kevin Henkes stand out from the crowd. There is a beautiful simplicity about this...
by Carolyn | Uncategorized
I think one thing that has surprised me about the blogging community is how encouraging everyone is. From the bloggers I’ve met through Facebook to the ladies whose blogs I link up on every week, everyone has been super friendly. And maybe that’s because...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Audiobooks, Boys, Character Training, Fantasy, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle School, Middle-grade
Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes had my kids (and me) hooked from the first pages (or, rather, the first few minutes as we listened to the audiobook). Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes is the story of Peter, a blind orphan forced into a life of thievery by the...
by Carolyn | Book Lists, Education, Nature, Picture Books, Poetry, Read Alouds
In some ways, I’ve always thought books about seasons were a little funny. I live in south Texas, after all, and seasons down here don’t look much like the ones I see in picture books. Nevertheless, I like for my kids to see what seasons look like in much...
by Carolyn | Baby, Imagination, Parenting, Picture Books, Preschool, Read Alouds
Reading with a child is such a beautiful way to express love. The time spent, the cuddles: they show your child there is nothing more important in the world to you right now than they are. Even better is when that book is about the love between a parent and child....
by Carolyn | Craft books, For fun, Free, Imagination, Older Elementary, Preschool
(Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. I only recommend books that I personally enjoy and believe my readers will as well. This post contains affiliate links. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle-grade
Pioneer and fantasy are not two words I would normally put together. But Melissa Wiley does a charming job melding these two genres in The Prairie Thief. But the fantasy element still surprised me. I knew Wiley had written some of the extension books for the Little...
by Carolyn | Coloring Books, Imagination, Resources, Uncategorized
Ok, I know you are here for recommendations of coloring books for kids. But first I have a question. What do you think of allowing your kids to color or doodle while listening (say to a read aloud or audiobook)? Perhaps your kids could benefit from it more than you...
