Trending Post: Books Made Into Movies
 My Favorite Graphic Novel of 2017 So Far Is 5 Worlds You’re going to LOVE 5 Worlds: The Sand Warrior by Mark Siegel, Alexis Siegel, Xanthe Bouma, Matt Rockefeller, and Boya Sun. Gorgeous artwork sets the tone for an epic otherworldly story in this first mesmerizing book in the series. The Five World’s are…
If your kids like to read graphic novels, they’ll want to check out this selection of spring 2017 titles. Of course, if you want even book ideas more, visit my best graphic novels for kids page. Check Out These Spring 2017 Graphic Novels Real Friends by Shannon Hale (ages 8 – 12) Kids will relate to…
If your kids like to read fantasy books, you’ll want to check out these new titles from the first part of 2017! They’re filled with magic, adventure, and characters to love. Discover New Fantasy Books for Your Kids Third Grade Mermaid by Peter Raymundo (ages 7 – 9) Even mermaids have spelling tests and swim…
Do you have a vehicle loving kid who is obsessed with trucks, cars, motorcycles, and construction vehicles? If so, these transportation books are must-reads, maybe even must-owns. Board Books About Vehicles Vehicles (The Pop-Up Guide) by Maud Poulain, illustrated by Charline Picard As you turn the pages, enjoy the pop-ups of vehicles that fit each…
You’re going to LOVE this charming STEM beginning chapter book series called Zoey and Sassasfras! Seriously. Love it. It’s written by former science teacher, Asia Citro, and illustrated by Marion Lindsay with a total of three books so far. It’s entertaining and well-written with the coolest mix of science and magic, a diverse main character, and fantastic…
Fans of the Beauty and the Beast movies, look no further to find Beauty and the Beast (La Belle et la Bête) books — retellings and adaptations for kids and Young Adults (YA)! This originally French fairy tale became popular in the 1700s written by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve. When her father is imprisoned by…
My favorite genres are fantasy and science fiction so it’s with great delight that I get to tell you about a few new (and old) middle grade chapter book favorites. I love how these two genres deal with good versus evil and imaginative worlds. It’s so fun to read! Favorite Sci-Fi and Fantasy Chapter Books The Trials of…
Don’t you love watching babies and toddlers delight when reading with you? It’s the best thing EVER to read, point, and converse together, all the while knowing that they’re building new brain pathways. Would these new board book releases would be good additions to your growing libraries? They’re pretty darn adorable. Looking for more board books? Go here…
written by homeschooler, writer, and mother, Patricia Zaballos Writing Idea for Kids: Ultimate Guides Ultimate guides are well-loved around here. Currently Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Ultimate Guide has been found sprawled in various settings around the house, attesting to its popularity–with my ten-year-old son, Theo, anyway. An ultimate guide is simply a rather cockily…
We LOVE puzzles — so we feel that we’ve researched all types of puzzles for children of all ages.  And for the toddler / preschooler set, the P’Kolino puzzles are our hands-down favorite. Puzzles, as you probably know, are fantastic learning toys. They help children develop hand-eye coordination, spatial skills, and fine motor skills. Plus, these double sided options allow children room…
I had to split up the list of book recommendations for 11 year olds since it was getting so long. The first list of books is here, this is the second list. Hope this gives you lots of great ideas for what your 11 year old can read next and after that and after that ….
Here you’re find more book reviews and suggestions for your 12 year olds (7th graders) in a variety of genres. The first list of book recommendations for 12 year olds is here. Or, for more challenging books, check out my Best Book for Teens list. For a bit easier books, read the Best Books for 11-Year Olds. More Recommended…
Ready for more good books for your 10 year olds? (In the U.S. this is fifth grade.) Go to the previous list of recommended books. Good Books for 10 Year Olds Cont. . . Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley MAGICAL REALISM You’ll fall in love with this magical story about a lonely boy whose beloved grandfather…
Get your 8-year-olds reading nonfiction books for 3rd graders! It’s SO important to have a balance of fiction and nonfiction in their reading diet. Why? Because it’s extremely important for readers’ future success when they’ll be required to read for information in the upper grades, middle school, and high school. Since reading nonfiction is a…
Homeschoolers and teachers use YouTube to supplement lessons because it’s a treasure trove of amazing content. But it’s a lot of work to sift through the not-so-treasury channels. Which is why I’ve created this post — here are some wonderful gems for you, excellent YouTube channels for language arts, foreign language and art. Language Arts YouTube…
It’s a snowy day here in Colorado. My girls are home from school, an early gift for us all. And we have books stacked everywhere — books I want to tell you about. (I wonder if this is a decor aesthetic?) Here are the middle grade and YA book I’ve been reading and think you’ll enjoy, too. Middle…
This year’s selection of nonfiction children’s books (2015) was so good it took me a while to select my favorites. But I did. I hope your kids enjoy reading them! Best Children’s Nonfiction Books 2015 1. Hippos Are Huge! by Jonathan  London, illustrated by Matthew Trueman Excellent writing and illustrations make this one of the best nonfiction…
Disclosure: Partner post with Cubelets I’m so jazzed about Cubelets — they’re a playful way to introduce robotics for kids as well as develop computational thinking (programming skills). Each little robotic block or cube is a mini-program. When magnetically snapped together with another cube or cubes, it creates a robot that can perform more complex functions. Think…
I’ve found tons of cool new STEM apps for your brainiac children ages 2 to 13! STEM means these apps are about science, engineering, technology, and math. STEM normally means that one or more of those subjects are in the content — but for this post, I’m including all apps that have any STEM skills, even if they’re…
I’ve been reading like crazy to find the best chapter books of 2015. (Don’t tell but I’ve even abandoned books in the middle if I knew they weren’t that great!) After much time reading and deliberation, here’s my final list of the best chapter books for children ages 5 to 12 — from easy chapter…
Ready for some tasty board books for those little hands to grab, hold, mouth, look at, explore, and enjoy? Because board books start babies and toddlers on the road to literacy! Here are the best children’s board books of 2015. Happy reading! Best Children’s Board Books of 2015 Hi! by Ethan Long Perfect for babies and toddlers, you’ll read…
Celebrate Thanksgiving with a fun STEM (science, tech, engineering, and math) activity for kids – making a catapult! Thanksgiving STEM Activity In this project, you will build a catapult using materials you have at home. Then, you’ll see how far you can catapult Thanksgiving-themed items like pumpkins and gourds. Background Knowledge: The catapult maximizes a…
Recently, I shared the best STEM / STEAM YouTube channels.  Now let’s look at the best geography and history YouTube channels for elementary kids, ages 5 – 11. Geography YouTube Channels Global Wonders DVD Series This channel only has a few movies but it’s worth mentioning since you can buy the DVDs if you enjoy the content. Are…
Sponsored Post Mind mapping STEM concepts using the Post-it® Super Sticky Notes, Flags, and Tabs from the Post-it® Brand World of Color Rio de Janeiro collection allows students to visually see the connections between ideas or information. In a mind map, each fact or idea is written down with lines connecting to other ideas or facts….
My 10-year old daughter loves Minecraft. Now she’s learning how to program her own Minecraft server in Java thanks to Youth Digital‘s excellent Server Design Java Minecraft programming class online. I’m so so so blown away by how amazing this online class is, you guys!! And I’m not a newbie with this, either. I’ve taken online classes and taught online classes….
My favorite section in the library is the new books. They’re so crisp with untapped potential. Then I can discover exciting new chapter books for our kids. Today I’m sharing with you books in the middle-grade range which is third grade, fourth grade, fifth grade, and sixth grade, or ages 8 – 11. To find more…
I’m thrilled with Google’s release of a free YouTube Kids app, it’s been too long in coming quite frankly. This app will finally make YouTube watching safer for kids since the channels are pre-screened and kid-friendly. So far I’m impressed with the functionality as well as the selection of YouTube channels and parental controls. (And so grateful there…
These building toys make great STEM / STEAM gifts for your kids because they are tons of fun and improve fine motor skills, visual perception, hand-eye coordination, concentration, and problem-solving. Building Gifts for Kids 1. Jumperrobot (ages 8+) Build seven bouncing robots that use an electric motor and a spring-loaded mechanism to jump forward in a continuous motion. Learn about…
When your kids transitioning from easy readers to early or beginning chapter books, look for books with an engaging story, relatable characters, and helpful illustrations that support comprehension. I’m so excited to tell you I’ve found even more recently published early chapter book gems for your beginning readers. The more a child reads, the better he’ll…
I read tons of middle grade (meaning elementary school books and middle school books) chapter books for kids so you don’t have to. 🙂 Because we all hear our kids say, “I don’t have anything good to read,” right? That’s why it helps to have a list of good books to recommend to those silly kids. (Do they think they…
Need a gift idea for your kids, mom or dad? My daughter loves her personalized book, My Quotable Kid from Chronicle Books. It’s a huge step up from the jumbled journal of notes I used before. It looks so fancy! My Quotable Kid lets you record every fun, silly, and clever little quote your kid has said….
Do your kids need new book book recommendations to keep them reading? That’s why I review the newly published books so that you can get your kids reading with new books that will interest them. There are so many great books in this list but I especially love The Lost Kingdom and Salem Hyde. See…
Ready for the best STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) apps for kids? Just remember that most ipad apps, with a few exceptions, won’t instruct your child. They will however, give him or her practice, repetition, and reinforcement. After you read this, visit: STEM / STEAM YouTube Channels for Elementary Kids and STEM / STEAM Gifts for…