Pictures Books that Teach Women's History

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I cannot let March pass without sharing some books that teach women's history. In this time where our current administration is trying to erase all history besides white man's history these types of books are even more important as are the various history/heritage months. March is Women's History Month, but I truly feel women's history should be taught all year round. It is part of the history of the world and let's face it there cannot be humans without women. Today's books are going to introduce you to two American women who I honestly never heard of prior to reading these books. There are so many women who did things for the world but that we never hear about because of how our history is taught. The first book is A Line Can Go Anywhere: The Brilliant, Resilient Life of Artist Ruth Asawa by Caroline McAlister and illustrated by Jamie Green. It is recommended for ages 5 to 8.

Unraveled -- Keeper of the Lost Cities Book 9.5

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Have you heard of the Keeper of the Lost Cities Series by Shannon Messenger? It is a young adult fantasy series. I hadn't read any of them although Hazel did a long time ago. Today however I get to share with you the newest book in the series. Shannon Messenger calls it book 9.5 because it gives some back story to the overall story. The book is called Unraveled. The suggested ages by customers is 11 and up.

Whales in the City -- Picture Book Review with Whale Craft Roundup

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Earth Day is next month. I believe we all need to focus on our planet every day, however so many celebrate Earth Day. I always like to share books that help promote taking care of the planet and our natural resources and other life on our planet. Today I get to share a book that shares the story of whales in the water near New York City. The book is Whales in the City by Nancy F. Castaldo and illustrated by Chuck Groenink. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8. 

Why Wolves Matter: A Conservation Success Story -- Book Review & Giveaway with Craft Roundup

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Karen B. Winnick to bring you this post.

How much have you thought about wolves? They make appearances in fairy tales (the Big Bad Wolf is in several) as well as Native American folktales. We know our pet dogs evolved from wolves. You may have even seen a wolf or two. Or perhaps heard one howling or tried to howl like one. But do you know the importance of wolves to some ecosystems? People at Yellowstone Park do. When the wolf population went down it really affected the entire park. Today I get to share a book with you that tells the tale of the success story of bringing back the wolf population at Yellowstone National Park. The book is Why Wolves Matter: A Conservation Success Story by Karen B. Winnick. 

Claudette Colvin: I Want Freedom Now! -- Civil Rights Movement Hero Book Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Happy MLK Day!! Do you have the day off? Your kids probably do. Do you do anything special to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.? It is a day of service for many. I admit I don't usually do a day of service but I do like to review the work so many participated in for the Civil Rights Movement. And today I think we need to remember it more than ever and perhaps what it was like before the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Today I am sharing a picture book that was coauthored by the subject of the book--a mostly unknown hero of the Civil Rights Movement. The book is Claudette Colvin: I Want Freedom Now! by Claudette Colvin and Phillip Hoose and illustrated by Bea Jackson. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

The Tales of Charlie Wags: New York City -- Book Review & Giveaway with a NYC Craft Round-Up

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am working with The Children's Book Review, Sofie Wells and Ali Barclay to bring you this post and giveaway.

Are you ready for a sweet, magical book? I get to share one with you today and guess what? There is a giveaway at the end of this post! In this magical book a sweet dog visits New York City, so I am also sharing a small New York City craft round-up. Let's get into the book--it is The Tales of Charlie Wags: New York City by Sofie Wells and Ali Barclay with pictures by Sanna Sjöström.

Lily's Dream -- a Diverse Fairy Picture Book Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

When Hazel was young, she loved fairies. She had a fairy tea party birthday party. It had diverse friends at it. I discovered that fairies seemed to only come in one race, white. I was sent some wool roving that had diverse skin tones, and I made some needle felted fairies in different races so the girls at the party would see their own race as fairies. This is part of why I am so excited to share this book today. It is Lily's Dream: A Fairy Friendship by Bea Jackson. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Roundup of Middle Grade and Young Adult Novels

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I am on my final roundup for the holiday season! Now I am going to start with some honesty. My life has been so crazy this fall. Between teaching and having Hazel at boarding school (I'm almost always driving there on the weekends), I have not had a lot of time or energy to read, so all of these books I have not completed and really just started. I am sharing them today because I want to share them before the holidays, so you are aware of them! Today's books range from ages 8 - 18. We will go in order of the ages. The first book is Sylvia Doe and the 100-Year Flood by Robert Beatty. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12.

Upcoming Holiday Book Round-Up with Easy Christmas Ornaments

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

How was your Thanksgiving? Ours was quiet and relaxing, but the day before we spent at least five hours in the emergency department of Boston Children's Hospital. It has been a long two weeks. First Covid and then pneumonia and an asthma flare up (both caused by Covid). Luckily, she seems to be on the mend, and I can focus again on my blog and life. That means getting ready for Christmas and the other upcoming holidays. Today I am sharing a collection of holiday books that I have been waiting to share as well as some easy Christmas ornaments made from things like cupcake liners and pipe cleaners. My round-up of books include three board books and three picture books. The first book we will share is the board book about Kwanzaa. It is called Kwanzaa and is by Hannah Eliot and illustrated by Andrea Pippins. It is part of the Celebrate the World Series and is recommended for ages 2 to 4.

Diverse New Picture Books Sharing Fun and Lessons

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Once again life and school have gotten in the way of my posts. As a result, I am going to share three new picture books with you today. Each is unique and has its own purpose. The first is I Want to Read All the Books by Debbie Ridpath Ohi. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Mousetronaut Saves the World

 Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Know any space lovers or perhaps you are looking for a fun and humorous book to read at story time? I have the book for you, and it has surprising heroes. It is the third book in The Mousetronaut Series. The new book is Mousetronaut Saves the World by Mark Kelly and illustrated by C.F. Payne. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

New Books for Young Readers

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Are you looking for some books to share with your younger children? Today we are sharing two newly released books for ages 4 to 9. One is a wordless picture book and the other is an easy reader superhero book. The picture book is The Boy and the Elephant by Freya Blackwood. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8. Our years at a Waldorf School showed me the importance of wordless books with young children.

Books About or By Female US Gold Medal Olympians

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Have you been watching the Olympics? Hazel and I have been watching the Women's Gymnastics. We are loving seeing these beautiful women make their dreams come true. What is your favorite sport to watch? I always feel like the Olympics brings positivity to the world. It gives us a sense of pride and love for our country, and I am guessing it does for other people around the world. It is a piece of history that is made every four years but doesn't often make it into the history books. However, did you know there are books written by former Gold Medal Olympians and even some about amazing Olympians and teams? Today I am going to share three such books. The ages of recommendations for these books range from 4 to 14. Only one of the books is really a history book about the gold medal Olympian team and the other two are books written by them sharing a piece of their advice off the field. The first book is From My Head to My Toes by Aly Raisman and illustrated by Bea Jackson. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8. 

The Math Inspectors Series Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a set of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

As a high school math teacher, I love finding fun ways to share math with kids. Recently I have been reading Learning to Love Math by Judy Willis, M.D. In it she mentions how math is the one school subject that conjures up a series of emotions for most people and usually they are negative. I cannot tell you how many times people tell me they can't do math or hated math when they find out I'm a math teacher. One of the things Dr. Willis mentions is we need to change this in society. We need to stop telling kids that adults didn't do well or hate math. Parents, teachers, coaches, etc. are giving kids permission to not do well in math and to not really try. So please if you are one of the people who does not like math or didn't do well, please keep it to yourself. Don't give kids the permission to be like you. It is something we are working on at our school this year. With that said I get to share a great series of middle grades mystery novels about a bunch of math loving students who use their math to solve mysteries!! The series is The Math Inspectors by Daniel Kenney and Emily Boever.  This series is recommended for ages 9 to 12.

Poppy's Family Patterns

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Today I get to share another new picture book (released this week). It is a multicultural book and is near and dear to my heart for the memories it invokes. The book is Poppy's Family Patterns by Lauren Semmer. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8. At the end of the post there will be free printable activities to go with the book!

Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All -- Book Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Today I'm sharing a middle school novel that brings to light some of the Asian hate going around as well as some typical middle school things. It shares life in the big city and messages that everyone's life looks better from the outside. The book is Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller. It is recommended for ages 7 to 11.

Timely New Picture Books Released This Week

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Every Tuesday new books get released. Today I am sharing three new picture books released today. These books timely for current events and Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month as well as one about inclusion with information about lifeboats too. The first book is Daniel and Ismail by Juan Pablo Iglesias Yacher and illustrated by Alex Peris. It was translated into English by Ilan Stavans; translated into Hebrew by Eliezer Nowodworski and Frieda Press-Danieli; and into Arabic by Randa Sayegh. It is being released into paperback today and is recommended for ages 3 to 6.

Else B. in the Sea -- Book Review & Giveaway with Under the Sea Craft Round-Up

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Jeanne Walker Harvey to bring you this post and giveaway. All opinions are my own.

I love books that share about people you may not have heard of. Today I get to share a nonfiction picture book about a woman who explored colors and paints of under water to share what a scientist saw on his underwater exploration. The woman is Else Bostelmann. The book is Else B. in the Sea The Woman Who Painted the Wonders of the Deep by Jeanne Walker Harvey and illustrated by Melodie Stacey.

Roar-Choo! -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Charlotte Cheng to bring you this review and giveaway.

Have you ever felt like you were getting sick but needed to keep getting things done? Or perhaps you have a child who doesn't slow down even though he/she is obviously getting sick? Today's book is perfect for this situation. It is a fun picture book about a dragon who is getting sick but doesn't want to quit. The book is Roar-Choo! by Charlotte Cheng and illustrated by Dan Santat.

New Board Books for the Spring

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Spring is basically upon us and as everything awakens, I am noticing I know several people who just had babies or about to have babies. It is the perfect time to look at board books to read to little ones or gift!! Today I have four new board books (one being released tomorrow) to share with you. The first is Hey, Little Night Owl by Jeffrey Burton and illustrated by Joy Hwang Ruiz.