Picture book biographies are a growing trend in publishing. They are narrative nonfiction books which are written like a story making them appealing to children. They tend to be beautifully illustrated and easy to read, and offer young learners an excellent introduction to some of the most important people in our history. Some examples of… View more
I fell in love with the wonders of Mythology in college. It was the similarities between mythologies that grabbed me at first, like the reoccurring stories of younger gods defeating older gods. But as I delved deeper into it, I became equally fascinated with how different cultures in different landscapes view the world with fascinating originality. There… View more
Families come in all shapes and sizes and can experience so many changes from divorce to a new baby. This fall even the Library welcomed a new addition – the Family section – in the Downtown children’s library. This section is full of picture books featuring predominately human characters with different family structures. These families… View more
Since my daughter was a very little girl we’ve read books together. In the early days this was easily accomplished. Bedtime stories and cuddling on the couch with picture books brought smiles all around. As she has gotten older this has become more of a challenge. We compete with schoolwork, screen time, and activities of… View more
“Go and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here.” I rarely review just one book for Children’s books- not because there are few that are singularly amazing and stand alone. Rather there are so many books that it seems… View more
Inspired by the infamous rebuking of Senator Elizabeth Warren while reading the words of Coretta Scott King during the confirmation hearings of then-Senator Jeff Sessions, author Chelsea Clinton introduces 13 women in “She Persisted” who have shown persistence throughout American history. The women she chose to include this book are varied in race and career… View more
Last year I recommended Crossing the Sea: With Syrians on the Exodus to Europe by Wolfgang Bauer. As there, unfortunately, has been little positive change in the refugee crisis, it is still extremely topical, and I am suggesting two further titles to delve into this subject. The first one is called Stepping Stones: A Refugee… View more
Finding an engaging and interesting story to read to younger children isn’t necessarily difficult. Finding an engaging and interesting story that can help with word recognition can be. By using repetition and rhyme to describe a colorful cast of characters build a robot, children will have the opportunity to repeat phrases and make predictions with… View more
The unicorn is the official national animal of Scotland and this Sunday the tiny country will celebrate this mythical creature on National Unicorn Day! While you may think this is an odd choice of national animal, if you delve into Scottish and Medieval folklore a little, you will discover that the unicorn is synonymous with… View more
Since the dawn of civilization humans have understood the importance of rivers. They are integral parts of our communities; the veins pumping life into our towns and cities. Marc Martin in his book, A River depicts a young girl looking out of her window at a river below. Her bedroom is adorned with beautiful and… View more
