I love the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder and have treasured the experience of sharing them with my children. Little House on the Prairie was the first chapter book that interested Nicholas enough for me to read it to him. His sister Lydia's first chapter book was Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of … Continue reading Little House on the Prairie: Too racist for children?
books
Easy Costume for Dr. Seuss Day
It's Dr. Seuss's birthday! This is the day to enjoy reading a Dr. Seuss book, no matter how old you are. Stop by your local library and look for one you haven't read before! That's how we found Scrambled Eggs Super! (reviewed here). If you've never read I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew … Continue reading Easy Costume for Dr. Seuss Day
U is for Unlikely Uterus [book reviews]
It's hard to think of titles for book-review posts. I only read two books this month, and U-words in the titles is one thing they have in common. In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume Between December 1951 and February 1952, three commercial airliners crashed in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Judy Blume was a teenager in … Continue reading U is for Unlikely Uterus [book reviews]
What I Read First in 2018
I started the year by finishing my library book, then dived into the stack of books I got for Christmas! Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman, translated from Swedish by Henning KochThis novel featuring one of the background characters from My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry (reviewed here) isn't nearly as unusual … Continue reading What I Read First in 2018
Top 17 Articles of 2017
This isn’t really a blog. It’s a constantly expanding reference book. Most years, the most popular articles are more than a year old--they've had more time for other sites to link to them. I've made two Top 17 lists here: The articles written in 2017 that were most popular, and the articles that were overall … Continue reading Top 17 Articles of 2017
The Giver and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz [book reviews]
I've been rereading books lately (including The Geography of Nowhere, reviewed here) and reading magazines, but here are two books I read with my kids in the past month. The Giver by Lois Lowry My seventh-grade son Nicholas read this book in school and then, coincidentally, was given a copy by his sixth-grade cousin who'd … Continue reading The Giver and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz [book reviews]
Time Travel, Story Structure, and Unconvincing Women [book reviews]
It's been several months since I've posted book reviews. Here's what I've been reading.... Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal This novel has an extremely interesting structure, on which is hung a story that doesn't need to be told this way, if it needs to be told at all. Each chapter is … Continue reading Time Travel, Story Structure, and Unconvincing Women [book reviews]
Walkable City, Visible City, and 4 more book reviews
My brother got me two books about cities for my birthday--one fiction and one nonfiction, both great books with great covers! Here they are, along with reviews of the other books I've read recently. Walkable City by Jeff Speck I love living in a walkable urban neighborhood! This book by a city planner told me a … Continue reading Walkable City, Visible City, and 4 more book reviews
Every school needs a Jacob!
My three-year-old Lydia and I recently enjoyed a picture book from our local library, Jacob's New Dress by Sarah & Ian Hoffman, illustrated by Chris Case. Jacob is a preschool boy who enjoys wearing dresses from the costume box but is criticized by his classmate Christopher. His mom is kind about his hurt feelings, but when … Continue reading Every school needs a Jacob!
5 Book Reviews
Here's a sprightly introduction to my reviews of the books I've read in the past month. The God We Never Knew by Marcus Borg Marcus Borg is a theologian and Biblical scholar who admits that he got well into his adult life and graduate studies before he realized that his understanding of God was warped by … Continue reading 5 Book Reviews
Book Reviews: Old and New
I started a new job three weeks ago, so I've been rereading familiar books as a backdrop to all the new ideas! However, right before going back to work, I read a book published in 1999 that was new to me. Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger John is a teenager in the era of zines--that … Continue reading Book Reviews: Old and New
6 book reviews and Peyton Place GIVEAWAY!!!
I thought it was time to reread Peyton Place because I hadn't read it in years--I couldn't remember how long. But I found that I remembered it too well to thoroughly enjoy it again, and that's why I decided to give away this book, which I read 3 or 4 times years ago. This is … Continue reading 6 book reviews and Peyton Place GIVEAWAY!!!
Book Reviews: Good, Bad, and Coincidental
Imagine my surprise when one of the paperback mysteries I'd picked up at a used-book sale turned out to reference one of the others! In Harm Done, which I reviewed last month, a girl claims she was kidnapped by two women who forced her to do housework, and an irritated Inspector Wexford demands to know … Continue reading Book Reviews: Good, Bad, and Coincidental
Some Old and Some New: September Book Reviews
This month I read two books that were new to me and two I'd read before but didn't remember well. 36 Children by Herbert Kohl Mr. Kohl was a white, Jewish graduate of Harvard and Columbia who agreed to teach sixth grade in a public school in Harlem in 1962. The school was only 29 … Continue reading Some Old and Some New: September Book Reviews
Wallflowers and Oranges Unbound! (book reviews)
I've been catching up on my magazines this month, but I've also read three books... The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky Charlie is a friendless teenager beginning his freshman year at a high school in the affluent southern suburbs of Pittsburgh. The book is a series of "Dear friend," letters he's writing … Continue reading Wallflowers and Oranges Unbound! (book reviews)
What I’ve Been Reading Lately
Having finished all the books I got for Christmas, I acquired a bunch more for my birthday! Not only did I receive some books as gifts, but I found lots of low-priced books at the Regent Square Yard Sale, I bought a few books at Balticon, and after reading one of the titles below I … Continue reading What I’ve Been Reading Lately
4 Great Poetry Books for Young Children
Our two-year-old Lydia loves poetry! Most young children enjoy hearing rhyming, rhythmic words, but Lydia is particularly fascinated. We have many picture books with rhyming text--like the wonderful works of Dr. Seuss--but we've also found several longer poetry books that she enjoys and so do we. Poetry is very helpful in getting children interested in … Continue reading 4 Great Poetry Books for Young Children
Secrets to a Happy Road Trip with a Two-year-old
When our son Nicholas was 2 years old, we drove from Pennsylvania to Oklahoma, stayed a while, and drove back. In each direction, we spent 3 days in a row on the road for about 8 hours a day of actual driving time, plus rest stops. My cousin who has older children gave me two … Continue reading Secrets to a Happy Road Trip with a Two-year-old
What I’ve Learned By Reading Too Much (and 4 other books!)
In addition to finishing the books I got for Christmas in time for my birthday, I've read a few other new-to-me books recently, including one that actually has the alternate title What I've Learned By Reading Too Much! I learned something from each of these books. The Dance of Anger by Harriet G. Lerner This … Continue reading What I’ve Learned By Reading Too Much (and 4 other books!)
Books from Other Cultures: Japan, Sweden, Louisiana…
I didn't specifically plan to read about foreign cultures in 2016, but the books I got for Christmas happened to include three translated from Swedish, one translated from Japanese, one set in rural Louisiana, and one about houses around the world--so these are what I've been reading! I reviewed the other two Swedish books last … Continue reading Books from Other Cultures: Japan, Sweden, Louisiana…
The Earthling's Handbook 