When I was a kid, I participated in my local library’s summer reading program. Starting in June, I would fill out reading logs, each of which had room to list five books. Then I would read. For every completed log that I turned in, I earned “Book Bucks” that I could redeem for various prizes… Continue reading Kids Who Read May Not Be Millionaires, But They Can Still Party Like Ones
Fox Day is finally here! “You may not know it, but there is one day every spring that is known as Fox Day. And I think we should all celebrate it. Fox Day began in 1934 when Rollins College acquired two statues. One was of a cat, and the other was a fox. Cat and… Continue reading Happy Fox Day! Here Are Some Books to Help You Celebrate
Periodically I like to share the strange, fascinating, and often rare books that live in library archives. Today I’ve found one that will make you absolutely purr with pleasure. Tales from Catland: Written for Kittens by an Old Tabby was produced by Tabitha Grimalkin and was, as far as I can tell, originally published in 1852. The cover… Continue reading Archive Adventure: ‘Tales from Catland’
In honor of the recent release of Disney’s live action Beauty and the Beast, I want to highlight a few of the children’s books based on that fairy tale. Though dozens of interpretations of the story exist, these are a few of my favorites. They feature amazing artwork and manage to capture the spirit of the… Continue reading 5 Beautiful Versions of ‘Beauty and the Beast’
I’m thrilled to add another interview to my series of discussions with editors, writers, and other folks in books publishing. I had the opportunity to speak with the marvelous and ever brilliant Ree Kimberley who is the author of Rat City, a young adult science fiction novel, as well as a brilliant scholar. She offers… Continue reading Science Fiction and Young Adult Lit: An Interview with Author Ree Kimberley
I want to share a contest that I recently stumbled across. Brightly, a division of Penguin Random House that focuses on books for kids and young adults, is giving away a collection of 50 books. The sweepstakes is open to parents, librarians, and teachers who live in the United States and runs from now until March… Continue reading Win 50 Books for a School or Library
Book lovers in Texas may end up going to battle against book lovers in New York about which books truly ruled 2016. Quartz’s survey of 14 metropolitan U.S. libraries determined what books patrons checked out the most the most in different regions. Some of the results won’t surprise you – everyone wanted to get their… Continue reading Discover the Most Popular Library Books of 2016
Most people probably don’t associate the creepy-crawly things of the world with Christmas, but I certainly do. For that, I blame author Shirley Climo and her book, Cobweb Christmas. The book tells the story of Tante, an elderly Bavarian woman who wants to make Christmas wonderful for the friends and animals that live near her. Secretly, she… Continue reading When All You Need Is a Spider for the Holidays
When we think of authors, people who make a career out of writing often come to mind, but sometimes a dark horse can pop up from behind and surprise us. It seems that even people famous for their political acumen or their stage presence can still dream of being authors because many of them end… Continue reading Presidents, Actors, and Royalty: Children’s Books Written by Famous People
Though writers paint pictures with words, actual images can enhance books in surprising and poignant ways. As a collector of children’s books and as someone who is very ready for the US election to be over, I thought it would be a good time to enjoy some beautiful things. With that in mind, here are… Continue reading Illustrations for Book Lovers
Kristen Twardowski 