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.
Genesis Begins Again Alicia D. Williams (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2019)
We all have things we don’t like about ourselves. Our nose, hair, bodies, voices—if you’re like me, your list is longer than you’d like. 13-year old Genesis keeps a list of all the things she hates about herself. Her list has grown to 96 things—and one of them is the… Read More
In A Jar Deborah Marcero (G.P. Putnam’s Son, 2020)
What if you could capture the beautiful moments of a sunset, a meteor shower or falling leaves in a jar? Collecting the wonders of winter, the newness of spring and the long days and shadows of summer, in a jar, may seem impossible to you and I. To Llewellyn and… Read More
The Starlight Claim Tim Wynne-Jones (Candlewick Press, 2019)
Set in the woods of Northern Ontario in the middle of a snowstorm, this mystery, wilderness survival story, will hold your interest until you turn the final page! Nate’s best friend’s body was never recovered after a tragic boat accident on Ghost Lake months before. Nate’s grief and guilt over… Read More
Four Valentines in a Rainstorm Felicia Bond (HarperCollins Publisher, 1990)
Cornelia Augusta decides that it must be getting close to Valentine’s Day when it starts raining hearts. She examines all the hearts she’s collected in the rainstorm and notices their differences. Cornelia decides which hearts would be perfect for her friends. She creates a card for each of her four… Read More
The Peace Book Todd Parr (Little Brown and Company, 2004)
How do you teach little ones to understand what peace means? Peace is giving shoes to someone who needs them Peace is taking a nap Peace is saying you’re sorry when you hurt someone Peace is growing a garden Todd Parr’s books are fun, silly and filled… Read More
Treasury of Picture Book Classics: A Child’s First Collection (HarperCollins Publishers, 2002)
A friend handed me this book when my kids were little. She said, “This is it, every story you need to read your children. All the classics in one book!” It was the BEST gift ever. We’d read a few of the stories Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and… Read More
The Stars Will Still Shine Cynthia Rylant (HarperCollins Publisher, 2005)
If you’re feeling challenged or uncertain as the New Year approaches, this book will instantly bring you back to your heart. Written in lyrical rhyming prose, this simple picture book provides a reminder of the constants of life. The sky will still be there and the stars will still shine—no… Read More
Any Questions? by Marie-Louise Gay (Groundwood Books, 2014)
Have you ever wanted to ask an author where their ideas come from? Or how you can write your own story? In this book Marie-Louise Gay has brought the questions her young readers have asked to life. Amazing questions about drawing, writing, the beginning of ideas and many surprising questions… Read More
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen (Scholastic Inc., 1987)
Have you ever seen an owl in the woods? I saw one on a cold winter day, and I’ll never forget it. Would you like to learn how to go owling? This Caldecott medal award-winning book is a poetic and peaceful read. Owl Moon will take you on a journey… Read More
How to Become An Accidental Genius by Elizabeth McLeod and Frieda Wishinsky (Orca Book Publishers, 2019)
“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” –Albert Einstein What if we could see our failures as opportunities? What if we could recognize that accidents can lead to innovation, invention and scientific breakthrough? In this non-fiction book, we learn how to become… Read More