November 2015

Why Read Aloud?

Reading aloud is one of those things that seems to fall by the wayside these days.  It’s a shame.  Kids, parents, teachers, librarians. We’re all over-scheduled, over-worked, over-tired.  And yet, for those of us who love to read and who believe in the power of story,  those 15 or 20 minutes we spend sharing a… Read more »

GIVING THANKS

We are here because of the friendship of the first people. This month of November has been appropriately designated as American Indian Heritage Month. I give thanks for excellent, authentic and accurate books written for children by authors and artists who are American Indian. Here are several I am pleased to share with you. For… Read more »

A new favorite bedtime story

There’s much to admire about Patrick McDonnell’s work. In fact, two of his picture books have found their way into ReaderKidZ’ reviews over the last several years – Me, Jane (Little, Brown & Co., 2011), a Caldecott Honor winner, tells the story of a young Jane Goodall’s dream of “a life living with and helping all animals” and A Perfectly Messed-Up Story… Read more »

A Tiny Piece of Sky, an Important Piece of History

World War II is a conflict that has been the subject of many books in recent years. Many of these books – both adult and children’s – are about life in Europe during that conflict. Fewer paint a picture of what life was like here in the United States. Although the fighting was far away,… Read more »

An Interview with Pat Zietlow Miller

It’s a pleasure to welcome back Pat Zietlow Miller to ReaderKidZ to talk about her newest book, SHARING THE BREAD. Dianne: SHARING THE BREAD is your third book, and what a beauty! The subtitle, “An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving Story” hints at the traditional and timeless nature of the text. The illustrations – gouache on watercolor paper – beautifully… Read more »

Sharing the Bread

November has finally arrived. The stores are filled to overflowing with turkeys, pumpkins, spices, and all manner of signs to remind us that the holidays are just around the corner. One especially sweet addition lining bookstore and library shelves this season is Pat Zietlow Miller‘s newest – SHARING THE BREAD , illustrated by Jill McElmurry. Subtitled, “An Old-fashioned Thanksgiving… Read more »

An interview with Mary Atkinson

It’s a pleasure to welcome Mary Atkinson back to ReaderKidZ to talk about her new book, OWL GIRL . Dianne: Learning to deal with change and managing the sometimes-rocky transitions of childhood are important themes in children’s literature. I love the world you’ve created in OWL GIRL. Gram and Gramps’s house on Padgett Lake feels safe and yet things… Read more »