A few years ago, I was looking for a creative challenge that would appeal to all my kids, ranging at the time from age six to fourteen. I wanted something that was age appropriate for all, required no prep, and could be done on a regular basis. The humble Squiggle – a simple idea I…
When I started reading The Balter of Ashton Harper, it struck me at first blush as a fun and fanciful Middle Grade imitation of a Jane Austen novel of manners. For the first few chapters, I assumed the plot would only be about the main character, Ashton Harper, and his angst-ridden drive toward perfection in…
If you are looking for great middle grade books and have not yet heard of The Elk King by Jenn Discher, it may be time you checked it out. The Elk King is a treasure that was published in 2021, and it has all the makings of a new classic. Chock full of all the…
When I visit a place, taste a food, or reread a story from my childhood, I often find the experience doesn’t hold up to the memory. Yes, there’s something nostalgic there, but Pizza Hut just doesn’t taste as good as street vendor pizza in Italy, Chuck-E-Cheese isn’t the gigantic wonderland it once seemed, and those…
Fragrance wafts across the air, Bids me on and leads me there, To the garden, dark as night… While everyone is sleeping. Many of our readers probably recognize the name Sarah Mackenzie from her faithful presence in the read-aloud world. Sarah is the host of the popular Read-Aloud Revival podcast, encouraging parents, teachers, and adults…
It is 6:04 a.m. I am sitting at our kitchen table, fortifying myself with green tea as I prepare to write this post, surrounded by a stack of picture books, each waiting their turn to be reviewed. And yet: Like Me is conspicuously absent from that pile, because my daughter drifted downstairs a few minutes ago, sleepily…
I have a conundrum. Perhaps you’re in a similar pickle. (I’ve talked to many of you out there about this issue, so I feel like I’m in good company.) I have a daughter that is a voracious reader. She’s 12 now, and she’s been through Narnia, Middle Earth, and Avonlea. She knows all the American…
Hispanic Heritage Month came to my attention only recently, but the annual commemoration originated in 1968. Initially a week in duration, it was extended to one month in 1988. The event begins mid-month because it was on September 15, 1821, that Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala declared their independence from Spain. I…
I remember when youngest daughter left some books out on the back porch one day. Sadly, I didn’t find them until after it had rained all night. Hey, it happens. No big deal. But when I gathered them up from the wet table, the ruinous state of one book in particular made my heart break…
Have you ever lost yourself in a painting? Perhaps when looking at Monet’s haystacks you’ve heard the wind whispering through the grass, or when gazing at one of Renoir’s party scenes you could almost hear the clink of the glasses and the din of laughter. Maybe, dizzy and awestruck, you’ve steadied yourself against a wall…
Last month we took a trip together, which gave me some extended time with our older kids. I asked them what they would say if I asked them about all-time classic picture books of their childhood. It was interesting to observe the difference between them and my younger kids; it almost appeared that they’d had…
George MacDonald has been my favorite author since I was eleven years old, and he’s been in my reading life almost as long as C. S. Lewis has. Unfortunately, a lot of his works are hard to find, and when I have found them they often have typos or errors. I was delighted when The…
