“Thimble Summer” by Elizabeth Enright
Sweet old-fashioned book about a little girl living on a Wisconsin farm who finds a thimble she’s convinced is lucky, and all the summer adventures that follow.
1940 Newbery Medal winner.
May15
May11
“The House on Walenska Street”
“The House on Walenska Street” by Charlotte Herman
About a newly fatherless Jewish family with three young girls in Russia around the turn of the century. Highlights the girls’ adventures, as well as the letters they receive from family members in America.
May9
“The Bronze Bow”
“The Bronze Bow” by Elizabeth George Speare
Set in Galilee at the time of Christ, it’s the story of a young Jewish man named Daniel. He hates Romans, and is working desperately to get them out of his home region. Suddenly, he encounters this new teacher everyone’s talking about- Jesus. Is Jesus the answer to the Roman problem in Galilee? It was really cool to read a perspective of the time of Christ from a fictional bystander’s perspective.
Winner of the 1962 Newbery Medal.
May9
“Around the World in Eighty Days”
“Around the World in Eighty Days” by Jules Verne
Classic story of an Englishman who bets some friends he can go around the world in 80 days. These are the days of travel by ship and train only, and lots of adventures in all different countries occur. The author is a great storyteller, and there’s plenty of action and adventure for all ages.
May9
“Carry On, Mr. Bowditch”
“Carry On, Mr. Bowditch” by Jean Lee Latham
Based on the life of Nathaniel Bowditch, who lived in the early days of America. Though he’s forced to be an indentured servant, he studies hard and perseveres, becoming a famous navigator. Great lesson about persevering despite your circumstances!
Winner of the 1956 Newbery Medal.
May9
“Toliver’s Secret”
“Toliver’s Secret” by Esther Wood Brady
My daughter LOVED this book. It’s about a ten-year-old girl who has to disguise herself in order to smuggle an important message to George Washington during the time of the American Revolution.
May9
“A Letter to Mrs. Roosevelt”
“A Letter to Mrs. Roosevelt” by C. Coco DeYoung
An 11-year-old girl from an Italian-American family reaches out to Eleanor Roosevelt for help during the Great Depression.
Jun18
“A Child’s Introduction to Poetry”
“A Child’s Introduction to Poetry” by Michael Driscoll
This book looks so cool! It gives kids an overview of poetry genres (like haiku, free verse, limericks); it introduces them to famous poets (like Maya Angelou and Shakespeare); and it exposes them to classic poems. Not only that, but the watercolor drawings are great and it comes with an audio CD. What a great introduction to poetry for little ones!
Jun18
“101 Favorite Stories From the Bible”
“101 Favorite Stories From the Bible” by Ura Miller
A great Bible to use with preschool and early-elementary kids especially read aloud. Stories are condensed from the Biblical version, but still with plenty of detail. The pictures are colorful, traditional styling, non-animated. Each story has comprehension questions for the kids to answer, as well as a Scripture verse that could be used as a memory verse.
Mar23
“Cezanne and the Apple Boy”
“Cezanne and the Apple Boy” by Laurence Anholt
Part of a great series of books for children about famous artists. All of the stories are based on real-life interactions the artists had with children. The illustrations are sweet, and the books also feature reproductions of famous art by the artist in question. I think this series makes “fancy” famous artwork and artists so approachable to kids.
