written by Christa Jimenez of Pura Vida Moms Hi, I'm Christa- writer, photographer, world traveler, foodie, voracious reader and bilingual mom. I love all things Costa Rica- including my soccer-loving husband and two bicultural daughters. You can find me at www.puravidamoms.com. Summer is here and many of us have a bit more time to read-- especially on vacation. There is nothing that I love … [Read more...]
10 New Middle-Grade Books, June 2018
I absolutely loved Front Desk -- it's my favorite book on this list -- don't miss it. The others are mostly a mix of adventure and coming-of-age. 10 New Middle-Grade Books, June 2018 Front Desk by Kelly Yang COMING-OF-AGE / INCLUSION This is a must-read 2018 middle-grade book!! Mia and her parents have struggled ever since moving to America from China. When her parents take a new live-in job … [Read more...]
Bibliotherapy! 12 Picture Books About Facing Fears and Having Courage
I'm a big believer in bibliotherapy. Why? Because books can show kids possibilities. They show characters facing fears. Picture books give young readers a glimpse into how others feel, react, and behave. These life lessons can be translated to our kids' lives. This includes facing fears and having courage even though you feel afraid... As you read aloud the stories, discuss what you and … [Read more...]
Warm-Hearted Picture Books About Siblings
From bickering to sharing to cuddling and compromise, these sibling stories are all warm-hearted and playful picture books about the many facets that happen in these relationships. Read with your kids. See what they recognize in themselves. See if any stories inspire something more... Warm-Hearted Picture Books About Siblings Sleep Well Siba and Saba Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl and Sandra van … [Read more...]
10 Favorite Cumulative Stories for Kids
Cumulative stories are rhythmic stories with a narration that builds upon itself, adding on and repeating previous information. This repetition makes this story predictable, something that is invaluable to growing readers. As the plot builds, readers will be able to accurately predict and read (even fake read) the repetitive text because they'll know it's coming. Even for younger children who … [Read more...]
BLOOM! Lesson Plans & Activities for Middle School Students About Plants
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by BLOOM! to spread the word about its Educational Resource Toolkit. All opinions and stories are my own. Want to get your middle school students inspired about the world of plants? BLOOM! Educational Resource Toolkit in partnership with Scholastic makes it easy. Teachers and homeschoolers, now you can download free lesson plans, worksheets, a student magazine, … [Read more...]
Amazing Pop Up Books (Your Kids Won’t Want to Put Down)
With the new release of Robert Sabuda's new pop-up book, Ten Horse Farm, I wanted to share all my favorite pop-up books that kids won't want to put down. You'll notice that Matthew Reinhart and Robert Sabuda both dominate this list --both creators have contributed many, many books to this style of art. Amazing Pop Up Books (Your Kids Won't Want to Put Down) Ten Horse Farm by Robert … [Read more...]
Children’s Chapter Books Set in South and Southeast Asia
Are you looking for chapter books for kids that take place in south and southeast Asia? Specifically Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Vietnam? Or you might be looking for stories in Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist countries. Find more about these countries and religions in this list of novels. Isn't it wonderful that we can connect to the larger world through stories? … [Read more...]
22 Magical Children’s Books About Unicorns (Picture Books & Chapter Books)
Does your child love unicorns? Of all the magical creatures in the world, unicorns are probably the most beloved by children. Celebrate these fantastical creatures with memorable stories -- in picture books for younger readers and chapter books for older readers. And, if you find out that unicorns are real, will you let me know? Because I'm almost positive they're out there … [Read more...]
More Must-Read Spring 2018 Picture Books
I have so many new picture books to tell you about today. You'll find picture books about adventure, courage, coding, bedtime, a parent in prison, and more. My preference is to organize my book lists into something a bit more cohesive but this is a little bit of everything -- wonderful stories new for spring 2018. Other Spring 2018 picture book lists you won't want to miss: Spring … [Read more...]
What Learning Benefits Happens When Kids Listen to Lunii Storyteller?
Disclosure: I worked in partnership with Lunii to bring you this information. Lunii, My Fabulous Storyteller, is SO much fun for kids -- it's an interactive, screenless storytelling toy that narrates audio stories which kids have created themselves. Not only does this develop a child's imagination, it builds their vocabulary and builds important pre-reading strategies as well. Use this … [Read more...]
4 New Emotional Intelligence Picture Books
If you're like me, you're searching for great ways to build your child's emotional intelligence. Of course, we're our children's first role models but picture books can also be helpful as you intentionally build your kids' EQ. The conversations that occur before, during, and after reading these books will be rich. 4 New Emotional Intelligence Picture Books The Rabbit Listened by Cory … [Read more...]