Being told what to read

We’re experiencing a strange phenomenon in our house this summer. Molly, who turns 11 in August, has two books she’s required to read before she starts 5th grade this fall. The two books are Little Women and The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book 1: The Mysterious Howling. This required reading list marks the first time Molly has ever been told what to read outside of school. The result? No...

Free online children’s books

I recently came across a very long (600+!) list of free children’s books online, compiled by Gizmo’s Freeware. I’m frequently asked about resources like this, so I decided to take a closer look at a few of the offerings. Aaron Shephard’s World of Stories caught my attention first; I’ve used his Reader’s Theater (RT) resources for years, and recommend the site frequently to...

Moo Baa La La La

See larger image Moo Baa La La La (Board book) By (author) Sandra Boynton Serious silliness for all ages. Artist Sandra Boynton is back and better than ever with completely redrawn versions of her multi-million selling board books. These whimsical and hilarious books, featuring nontraditional texts and her famous animal characters, have...

Cosmic

See larger image Cosmic (Hardcover) By (author) Frank Cottrell Boyce Liam is a big lad. So big that strangers mistake the 12-year-old for an adult. Even his teachers seem to conflate tall with old. So heaven forbid he should ever make a mistake. Then it’s all, “You should know better, big lad like you.” Life sure is hard for poor,...

Scumble

See larger image Scumble (Hardcover) By (author) Ingrid Law This companion to Newbery Honor Book Savvy (2008) provides the same high level of satisfying plot, delightful characters, alliterative language, and rich imagery. In this story, Ledger Kale’s thirteenth birthday arrives with the traditional family inheritance of a particular...

Spanish-Language Books Woo Untapped U.S. Market

This spring, the growing industry organized the nation’s first major Spanish-language book fair, called LeaLA, or Feria del Libro en Español de Los Angeles. No one expected 36,000 people to show up for the event at L.A.’s downtown convention center. But while the number was higher than anyone anticipated, it was still a tiny fraction of the millions of Latinos living in L.A. ...