Welcome to my obsession with children’s books–especially the ones that deal with everyday challenges in a fun and compelling way. I’ll share old classics, new gems, and everything in between to help support you and your kids (or just your kids if they like to read solo). Sign up and you’ll get my top-pick resources, delivered to your inbox each month on the full and new moon.
Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell (G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 2001)
Molly Lou Melon has buck-teeth, a voice “like a bullfrog being squeezed by a boa constrictor” and she’s the shortest girl in first grade. Molly Lou’s grandma tells her to walk proudly, smile big, sing out clear and strong and believe in herself. When she moves to a new town,… Read More
A Busy Year by Leo Lionni (Scholastics Inc., 1993)
It’s a snowy January when two twin mice, Winnie and Willie, discover a tree that can talk! Of course his name is Woody. The curious mice befriend Woody and watch him change each month over a year. They see his buds grow and fruit blossom and his leaves fall—so much… Read More
Malala Activist for Girls’ Education by Raphaële Frier (Charlesbridge Publishing, 2017)
“They thought that the bullets would silence us, but they failed…Nothing changed in my life except this: weakness, fear, and hopelessness died. Strength, power, and courage was born.” -Malala This book review is for you if you: Care about making the world a better place Are curious about the youngest… Read More
A Handful of Quiet: Happiness in Four Pebbles by Thich Nhat Hanh (Plum Blossoms Books, 2012)
“Breathing in, I see myself as a mountain. Breathing out, I feel solid. Mountain, solid.” Could you or the children in your life benefit from some calming, relaxing, or grounding energy today? Introduce kids to meditation with a practical, hands-on activity that uses four pebbles to… Read More
The Rough Patch by Brian Lies (Green Willow Books, 2018)
Evan did everything with his best friend, until one day the unthinkable happens—his dog dies. Nothing will ever be the same. Death changes everything. This time of year always reminds me of death. As fall transitions to winter, we let go of the old decaying leaves on the trees and… Read More
The Most Love Ever! by Mary Hoy Schmidt (Infinity Times Eternity, 2018)
What if you could teach your child about big concepts like time, space, and quantum physics, and how there are no boundaries to love? What if you could do this in a simple, relatable way? Mary Hoy Schmidt lets us into her bedtime ritual with her granddaughter, and opens up… Read More
George by Alex Gino (Scholastic Inc., 2015)
George may look like a boy, but she knows she’s a girl. She’s been hiding this secret from everyone for a long time. My daughter picked this book to understand and learn what it really means to be transgendered—and it helped me too. Alex Gino introduces us to George’s life… Read More
The Word Collector by Peter Reynolds (Orchard Books, 2018)
Reach for your own words. Tell the world who you are and how you will make it better. -Peter Reynolds Learn new words in a playful way, and expand your child’s vocabulary! Peter Reynolds, author of The Dot, does it again in this magical story about… Read More
Doing the Animal Bop by Jan Ormerod and Lindsey Gardiner (Oxford University Press, 2005)
“If you like to dance and you sometimes sing, why don’t you do the animal thing?” Perfect for toddlers, this book gets everyone grooving. I used this book for years in my Parent and Tots yoga classes as a way to keep their attention and get our bodies moving. Move… Read More
Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery (Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1983)
Is your child sensitive, feisty and independent? If you thought Anne of Green Gables had spunk, L.M. Montgomery’s favorite character Emily Starr will knock your socks off. Emily Starr, the heroine of the Emily trilogy, is a quick witted, ambitious and independent child who is not afraid to say… Read More