Middle Grade

For ages 8-12

Finn’s Favorites — Suggestions From a First Grader

I spent the Easter weekend at my brother’s house in Massachusetts. My nephew, Finn, is wise beyond his years and I was excited to see him happy to go to bed with his latest read, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. As a 7 year old first grader, he is a remarkable reader and his […]

Happy Birthday! Celebrating Authors/Illustrators Born in April

Celebrate spring and the birthdays of these great authors and illustrators April 2 Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales By: H.C. Andersen A collection of Andersen’s tales including The Fir Tree, The Little Match Girl, The Emperor’s New Clothes, Thumbelina, The Tinderbox, and The Ugly Duckling. Ages 6 and up April […]

Love for Libraries — Celebrating National Library Week

I have a love hate relationship with libraries. Of course, having worked in a public library, academic library, school library, and medical library, I love libraries! Still, having worked in a public library, academic library, school library, and medical library, I hate libraries. Let me explain. I have often said I could write a book […]

The E.B. White Read-Aloud Award — Middle Reader Finalists

The E.B. White Read-Aloud Award is given annually by the American Booksellers Association. Below are the Middle Reader finalists for 2017 which “reflect the playful, well-paced language, the engaging themes, and the universal appeal to a wide range of ages embodied by E.B. White’s collection of beloved books”. Click here for the Picture Book finalists. A winner […]

The Chocolate Lily Book Award — British Columbia’s Reader’s Choice Children’s Book Award — Novel Category

A Year in the Life of a Total and Complete Genius By: Stacey Matson Arthur Bean, soon-to-be a rich and famous author, has set two goals for himself: to win the school writing contest and to win the heart of his secret crush, Kennedy. But his life has had some major twists and turns lately, […]

Lucky Leprechaun Reads

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated each year for the patron saint of Ireland. What began as a religious feast has now morphed into a celebration of all things Irish and in turn the Leprechaun has become the day’s mascot. In Irish folklore the Leprechaun is a type of fairy who we all know grants wishes […]

The 2017 Mildred L. Batchelder Award

The Mildred L. Batchelder Award The Batchelder Award is given to the most outstanding children’s book originally published in a language other than English in a country other than the United States, and subsequently translated into English for publication in the United States. The award is given to the book’s publisher. Mildred L. Batchelder was […]

Happy Birthday! Celebrating Authors/Illustrators Born in March

March is a big birthday month for children’s authors and illustrators. In March we celebrate Rob Dillon (3/2), Patricia Maclachlan (3/3), Dav Pilkey (3/4), Mem Fox (3/5), Kenneth Grahame (3/8), Ezra Jack Keats (3/11), Virginia Hamilton (3/12), Carl Hiaasen (3/12), Diane Dillon (3/13), Sid Fleischman (3/16), Louis Sachar (3/20), Lois Lowry (3/20), David Wisniewski (3/21), […]

Presidential Picks

President’s Day is a day to was traditionally celebrated each year on February 22nd, George Washington’s birthday but has was changed to always be a Monday in order provide workers with a 3 day weekend. From George Washington to Donald Trump, America’s 240 year history has seen 45 presidents, some more popular than others. Celebrate presidents, past […]

Happy Birthday Bev!

What better way to celebrate National Library Week than with the 100th birthday of the author with some of the most library shelf-worthy books published in the second half of the 20th century. One of my favorites, Beverly Cleary turns 100 today. Ramona was ever present in my childhood and I remember reading every Beverly Cleary […]

The Great Depression Revisited

October 29, 2015 marked the 86th anniversary of the lethal plunge of the American stock market that threw the nation into a state of brutal economic turmoil. As the years past so do the primary source narratives of parents then grandparents and great grandparents who lived through difficult time in history. How then do we […]

13 Books about MLK and the Selma Marches

Earlier this month, Paramount Pictures released Selma, a major motion picture about the 1965 civil rights marches led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The release of the film, followed by the annual celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday on Monday, January 19th, 2015 and Black History Month in February will leave many children and young adults wanting to […]

From the Editor: The Unstoppable Power of Children’s Literature

Dear Reader, A few weeks ago, I had an epiphany about the power of children’s literature. After reading Chugga-Chugga Choo-Choo to my son for what must have been the 10,000th time (and still enjoying it), it occurred to me that by age two

Cookbooks for Kids

Fall means food. When the weather turns cold, cooking together is a great way for kids to have fun, learn, and bond with family members.These award-winning cookbooks are written especially for kids, with recipes that are simple, reliable, and with a little luck, delicious. Contributed: by Andy Spinks The Kids’ Multicultural Cookbook : Food & […]

Diwali: Celebrating Light

Diwali is the “festival of lights,” the most important holiday of the Hindu year. It is a national holiday in India and a number of other countries, and is also celebrated adherents of other faiths. Oil lamps, fireworks, and strings of electric lights are lit to celebrate the triumph of light over darkness, which symbolizes […]

Thematic Reading List: Books Really Are Magical

As an educator, I have always known that books can have a profound impact on a child’s life. There are a few favorites that stand out for me personally. Recently, that impact was studied by a group of social psychologists, and what they found is incredibly encouraging. They specifically looked at the impact the Harry […]

Dot Day

September 15th, 2014 marks the fifth anniversary of “a global celebration of creativity, courage and collaboration,” Today, Dot Day has nearly one and a half million registered participants from over seventy-one countries. Its beginnings were humble. Dot Day began with one teacher, one class full of students and one book, The Dot by author/illustrator, Peter […]

Hispanic Heritage Books for Elementary Grades

Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15 through October 15. The following is a collection of books that highlight the experiences of Latinos in the United States for students in the elementary grade levels. The list includes biography, history, and cultural books, as well as poetry and fiction books that give insight into the everyday life […]

Canada

“O Canada . . .The True North Strong and Proud.” Canada Day, the country’s national holiday, is July 1 and commemorates the 1867 unification of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Upper and Lower Canada (Québec and Ontario), hence known as the Dominion of Canada. Today there are ten provinces with an area of 3,855,103 sq. […]

Ramadan

Ramadan is celebrated during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar when Muslims believe first verses of the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam were revealed by Allah. It is a “month of blessing” during which Muslims focus on prayer, fasting, and charity, culminating in the celebration of Eid al-Fitr on July 28, 2014.. Web […]