Sometimes, you just need a new voice in your life. For months or maybe years at this point, I have been trying to find new books for Caroline to read. She has become an enormous fan of one genre and one genre only. Realistic fiction. About tween girls. Only series books need apply. I have […]

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Every weekend, the first section that I read in the New York Times is the Book Review. No surprise here, I suppose. Some weeks, though, are even better than others. Those, of course, are the weeks that include the children’s books reviews. Gosh. I guess this is not a post full of surprises. But then, […]

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This weekend, we were lucky to spend the day at Katherine’s camp, Deerkill Day Camp. On our way, Katherine began talking about many of her favorite times at camp. Of course, there was swimming and arts and crafts, woodworking and gaga ball. But there was also the bus. Yes. The bus. Katherine had the most […]

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I’m so glad that my wonderful friend Jules posted this article on Facebook over the weekend. Sometimes, it’s good to talk and write about all your beliefs surrounding the power of children’s literature and the standardized testing crisis in our schools today and sometimes it’s good to sit back and let someone else write eloquently […]

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A long time ago, the amazingly wonderful Jim Trelease wrote about rain gutter book shelves. The concept was simple. Forward facing book shelves are more appealing to children. They are able to truly see the books they are choosing and are, in fact, more apt to chose a book at all if they can see […]

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Every day, Rob brings the newspapers with him to work and reads them on the bus as he rides in to the city. If he finds an article that he thinks I would appreciate, he’ll bring it home. Today, Rob brought me the sports section of the Wall Street Journal. I thought he was kidding […]

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I just love it when people send amazing literacy finds my way. A few weeks ago, I opened my e-mail to find a message from a friend. She was writing to make sure that I had seen the sign outside of a school in a neighboring town. This friend also happens to the grandmother of […]

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As a mother, many sentences begin with “Stop!” Stop whining. Stop crying. Stop being mean to your sister. But this weekend, I actually found myself thinking the impossible. Stop reading. Gulp. I did not actually utter this terrible phrase out loud but I must admit to thinking it. More than once. We returned from a […]

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It’s been a long time since I stumbled upon a new Read Together book so I was super excited to discover Eli, no! Katherine and I were browsing the library shelves when the simple cover of Eli, no! caught my attention. Turns out, it is no coincidence that I was drawn first to the art […]

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“Oh Mommy. I really want to hear a chapter book. No picture books tonight.” What happened to the baby I snuggled as we read Time for Bed again and again? Where is the toddler who nibbled on the board book version of Brown Bear Brown Bear as I pointed out the words and pictures? When […]

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