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Give Your Child the World: How You Can Read Your Way Around the Globe this Summer
I remember the day I headed out on my own. No classmates. No chaperones. No host family. I got on a bus and went into the city center.
Books Plus! Literacy Inspired Gifts for Kids of All Ages
A book is my favorite thing to give as a gift, especially to a child! And one of my favorite ways to package that gift is with another connected item that will extend the experience and the meaning. I put a few of my favorite books together in this format last year (find that list here). Between the positive feedback on that first list, and my own delirious love of books, the list has really grown this year, spanning from board books to activity resource books. There’s really something for every age!
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Puppy Love: Dog Books for Kids
The dog days of summer may be behind us, but there’s no better time for a good book! Dog stories are frequently requested at our house, so I thought I’d share some of our favorites with you!
Bibliomaniacs Beware!
I feel I need to confess my addiction. I am a bibliomaniac. In spite of the fact that I have a library card, which gives me access to plenty of wonderful books, and which I enjoy using regularly, I still find the need to OWN them. I just love books! It doesn’t help that my husband feels the same way. Who’s going to put on the brakes?
The Best Books are Ageless
About seven years ago, as a first grade teacher, I attended a workshop featuring Dr. Jean Feldman. There were many things she shared that influenced me as a teacher, but there was one thing she said that I have thought back on many times: [Read more…]
Have You Met My Friend Stinky Face?
I have a friend who has made a tradition of giving books to her children on Valentine’s Day. (No, she’s not the one named Stinky Face.) She tries to find some kind of love themed book to give to each of her children. I love this idea, and as I thought about my favorite love themed children’s book, particularly from the perspective of a mom, my hands-down favorite is “I Love You Stinky Face” by Lisa McCourt.
This is a great story about a child who keeps asking his mother “what if” questions to test how much she really loves him. Questions like, “What if I were an alligator with big, sharp teeth?” or “What if I were a green alien from Mars and I ate bugs instead of peanut butter?” Of course the mother answers in perfect, funny, unconditionally loving fashion
Wonderful Winter Books!
I love picture books! In our family library, my husband’s beautiful leather-bound tomes line one section of shelves, while my continually growing collection of children’s literature fills another section. I’d say our respective collections take up about the same amount of real estate, but since I can fit about 20 picture books in the same amount of space as one “War and Peace”, I’d say my collection is larger. There just never seems to be a bad time to read a good children’s book. Start of an activity – great! Rowdy transition time – perfect! Bedtime – ideal! It reminds me of the iPhone commercials (“There’s an app for that”). Any situation, there’s a book for that. New puppy in the family? There’s a book for that. Having a really bad day? There’s a book for that. Want to become a pirate? There’s a book for that too. Ate too many cupcakes and now you’ve turned pink, which you were really excited about at first, until the birds and bees thought you were a flower and swarmed you, and after one more cupcake you’re actually red, which isn’t nearly as neat as pink and now you need to know how to get back to your normal self? Wouldn’t you know, there’s a book for that too! (If you think I’m totally off my rocker with that last reference, you need to read Pinkalicious!)
During a winter themed preschool unit, there are plenty of opportunities for a great book. You might use one to start off outside time, an art project, a game, or a discussion. Or you might just read one to enjoy it together with your little ones. For any occasion, here’s a quick list of some of my favorite winter-themed books. Instead of summarizing them myself, I’ve linked each picture to Amazon, which also gives a story summary.
The Best Books for Dinosaur Lovers!
I usually start out my lit list with some classic suggestions for incorporating nursery rhymes, fables, fairy tales, and the like, but I can’t think of any old standards involving dinosaurs. If I’m overlooking something, please let me know. I can’t think of a single one!
Here are some great books I like to use in a dinosaur unit, or to share with a dinosaur aficionado and watch his eyes brighten with delight! It is in no way an exhaustive list, so please comment with your favorites as well! As always, each picture in this list is linked to Amazon if you’re interested in purchasing information, or just more views of the books.