Who says being a princess is so great? Not Cora, the heroine of the silly, delightful book PRINCESS CORA AND THE CROCODILE (Candlewick Press), written by Laura Amy Schlitz and illustrated by Brian Floca. Cora’s tired of being good. Her nanny makes her take three baths a day and her mother makes her read… Read more »
Stephanie Greene
“Everybody, sing it!”
Pete Seeger was born with music in his bones. So begins this inspirational picture book biography about one of America’s most famous, beloved folk singers, Pete Seeger, Stand Up and Sing! Folk Music, and the Path to Justice, (Bloomsbury 2017), written by Susannah Reich and illustrated by Adam Gustavson. Seeger came of age during… Read more »
Juana is pronounced WHO-AH-NAH
I wonder if young readers have ever considered how hard it might be for a child from another country to learn English. Very hard, if you believe Juana, the young, feisty heroine of this charming chapter book. Written and illustrated by Colombian-born Juana Medina, Juana & Lucas (Candlewick Press 2016) is chock full of the… Read more »
A book that celebrates true believers.
Children are natural activists. They care passionately about issues like the environment and what they see as injustices in their world. It would be hard to find a more inspirational figure for them to read about than Pete Seeger in Anita Silvey’s comprehensive middle grade book LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD, (Clarion, 2016). Many… Read more »
Back to school time!
Summer is nearly over. Sure, it’s kind of sad to see those lazy, crazy days end, but Fall and a new school year bring the promise of crisp weather, new friends, and exciting new subjects to learn. And new books, too! Book groups and book clubs and discussions about plot and character and plain, old… Read more »
Seriously. A summer must-read.
As school winds down and thousands of children are about to be sent out into the world to make the most of their summer breaks, they need to know about good books! Books will not help fill those lazy hours, but enhance them! Turn them into dreams! Adventure! Suspense! Romance! Humor! ALL RISE FOR THE… Read more »
Villainous villains and other dark thoughts
With a name like Dylan Snivels, who wouldn’t be a villain? A super-villain, at that. Seems baby Dylan comes from a long line of villains, but in Dylan the Villain, written and illustrated by K. G. Campbell (Viking 2016), it’s Dylan’s fight to remain on top in the villainous world of kindergarten that we care… Read more »
