Do you love Kwame Alexander’s books? His latest book, Becoming Muhammad Ali, is written with James Patterson, and one of his BEST EVER. After I read an early review copy, I had a chance to interview Alexander via Zoom. In our chat, we talk about the book, figurative language, collaborating with James Patterson, and more! […]
Continue ReadingBooks, Activities, and Games for Elementary Age Kids
Teachers, parents, librarians, and grandparents, find the best book reviews and recommendations, activities, lesson plans, writing ideas, fun educational ideas, games, and toy ideas for elementary age children who are ages 5 to 12.
In the U.S., elementary school is usually kindergarten to fifth or sixth grade.
Here are some quick links to get you started finding good children's chapter books, picture books, and nonfiction books.
5- and 6-Year-Olds:
Best Easy Reader Books for 5 and 6 Year Olds
Best NONFICTION Books for 5 and 6 Year Olds
6- and 7-Year-Olds:
Best Easy / Beginning Chapter Books for 6- and 7- Year- Olds
Best Book Series for 1st Graders
7-Year-Olds:
Best Books for 7 Year Olds (2nd Grade)
18 Fantastic Chapter Book Series for 2nd Graders (7-Years-Old)
Best NONFICTION Books for 7-Year-Olds
8-Year-Olds:
Best Books for 8-Year-Olds (3rd Grade)
24 Book Series for 3rd Graders (8-Years-Old)
Best NONFICTION Books for 8-Year-Olds
9-Year-Olds:
Best Books for 9 Year Olds (4th Grade)
32 Book Series for 4th Graders (9-Years-Old)
Best NONFICTION Books for 9-Year-Olds
10-Year-Olds:
Best Books for 10-Year Olds (5th Grade)
27 Book Series for 5th Graders (10-Years-Old)
Best NONFICTION Books for 10-Year-Olds
Sherlock Holmes Books for Kids
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle invented the world’s greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes. Since Doyle’s writing is too difficult for most kids, I’ve good, easier-to-comprehend books for kids and teens related to Sherlock Holmes plus a few other fun goodies as well… Don’t miss the brilliant middle-grade chapter book series about Sherlock’s younger sister, Enola. (Which is […]
Continue Reading2020 Top Pretend Play Toys and Gifts
Kids who regularly use their imaginations to pretend play develop better social skills and vocabulary than kids that do not. Discover the best toys to encourage imaginative role-play; toys that are open-ended and battery-free. 2020 Top Pretend Play Toys & Gifts Prextex Plush Farm House ages 1+ What an adorable soft farm playset. Includes a handle for […]
Continue ReadingNew Books for Growing Readers Ages 5 to 8
If you have a child or student who is learning to read, you’ll be on the lookout for the BEST books to keep them interested, excited, and growing. There are several new Acorn books from Scholastic that will transition children from early readers into the easiest “chapter books” which are illustrated stories with easy […]
Continue ReadingChildren’s Books about Elections and Voting
I firmly believe it’s our responsibility as citizens to educate kids about the democratic process of elections and voting. (Even though you might dislike election time and the drama that comes with it!) Election season gives us an opportunity to teach children about elections by reading kid-appropriate children’s books like these… Try incorporating at-home activities […]
Continue ReadingStorytelling Games That Will Get Your Kids Thinking Out of the Box
Engage kids with storytelling games. Once kids start telling fictional narrative stories out loud, it will improve their written stories. When I teach kids how to write stories, we generally start out loud. In other words, we think, plan, and share orally before writing silently. Of course, not all kids are oral processers but sharing out loud helps organize our thoughts and gives […]
Continue ReadingNew Chapter Books! (September 2020)
Wow, I have SO MANY incredible books to share with you! If you like adventure, don’t miss The Hacker’s Key and The Canyon’s Edge. If you love animals, you’ll want to read A Whale in the Wild and The Endangereds. If you like amazing, real-life books, you’ll want to read Tune It Out, Fighting Words, and The Brave. Full disclosure, I […]
Continue ReadingShort Story Books for Middle-Grade Readers (Ages 9 – 12)
A reader wrote to ask me for a list of books with short stories for middle-grade readers, ages 9 – 12. Interestingly, short story anthologies are not in abundance for tweens but even still, there are some good options to keep kids reading. Short stories offer students an alternative to a long chapter book and […]
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