Book recommendations & reviews

3rd Grade Summer Reading List (Ages 8 – 9)

What kind of books does your 3rd grader enjoy reading? Here are my recommendations for ages 8 and 9 (third grade) summer reading. Find funny books, fantasy books, friendship stories, adventure stories, and books about animals. These books will get your kids engaged and reading all summer long! SHOP this list. Don’t forget that a summer reading program can be […]

New in Picture Books, Summer 2018

What are you reading this summer? Here are some newly published picture books that I think you’ll enjoy. (I put the latest funny picture books in a separate post here.) New in Picture Books, Summer 2018 Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang, illustrated by Max Lang FEELINGS This is one of the best, most healthy […]

If You Like to Laugh, Read These 5 New Funny Picture Books

Kids love all sorts of books, especially ones with funny stories. Here are five newly published picture books that will get your kids laughing with delight. ENJOY! If You Like to Laugh, Read These New Funny Picture Books Walrus in the Bathtub by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Matt Hunt FUNNY Things I love […]

8 New Middle-Grade Books, July 2018

If you’re looking for new middle-grade books for your kids or students, these eight won’t disappoint. I particularly want to highlight The Rhino in Right Field, The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle and The Jigsaw Jungle. But all the books on this list are great! 8 New Middle-Grade Books, July 2018 The Rhino […]

7 New Middle Grade Books You Should Know About

I’m excited to share these 7 titles with you — for your kids, students, and you. Ghost Boys and Captain Superlative both are incredibly thought-provoking. Bob, The Endling, and The Lost Books are well-written, can’t-put-em-down fantasy stories. Hardscrabble is a fascinating historical slice-of-life look at life in sod houses around the turn of the century. […]

Spring 2018 Picture Books About Identity, Inclusion, & Diverse Cultures

I’m so happy to see books about different cultures and stories with non-white faces! Little by little, children’s picture books are starting to more accurately represent the world we live in! The books I’m sharing today are all spring 2018 titles about the themes of identity and inclusion or from a specific culture. Spring 2018 […]

Your Studying Strategies Aren’t Working (& What To Do Instead)

Let’s talk studying strategies. Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Reedier III and Mark A. McDaniel takes the latest research in cognitive psychology and other disciplines and synthesizes it into practical learning and studying strategies. And it’s not what you think. In fact, how you studied in your […]

(Even More) Must Read Picture Books from 2017

2017 wraps up with even more great picture books and a few I missed earlier in the year. You’re going to love these… Even More Must Read Picture Books from 2017 This Is Not a Normal Animal Book by Julie Segal-Walters, illustrated by Brian Biggs HILARIOUS. Wacky humor (“if a cat laid an egg […]