The Virtual Nightstand
In lieu of our former “Book Bits” and “Web Newbery” posts, we’re going to share a bit more of our personal reading lives with you, dear reader. Please note: these are books an individual is currently reading, not a “review” or “recommendation.” Today’s author: Betsy. The Virtual Nightstand: “Telling My Story: the Limits of Personal…
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Our 9/11 Book List
If you’ve been with us for the last few months you doubtless saw Betsy’s reviews of two recent, highly-regarded middle-grade novels about the worst foreign attack on American soil ever. But if you’re looking for good books to introduce children of all ages to what happened on September 11, 2001, we’ve been reviewing them all along.…
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Back-to-School Backpack List (2016)
Just in time for the start of a new school year with new pencils, new protractors, new textbooks: our Back-to-School Backpack Booklist! As is our custom, the Back-to-School Backpack list features a few additions to the usual fiction lineup. This year, we have a short section on science books that covers a wide variety of…
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Talking about Books That Talk about Race
Not a “Newbery Buzz” post because these titles were published before 2016 and are already award winners! But, for similar posts in which Janie and Betsy discuss books, check out our Newbery Buzz series. Janie: Earlier this week, we reviewed two novels about what might be called “the black experience.” One of them, When I Was…
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Cooking Up Fun: ‘Roald Dahl’s Revolting Recipes’
Roald Dahl’s Revolting Recipes by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake. Puffin, 1997. 32 pages. Reading Level: Ages 8-10 Recommended For: all ages Bottom Line: Illustrated by Quentin Blake, this extraordinary cookbook includes outlandish food from Dahl’s books, fleshed out into real recipes you can be revolted by in your own kitchen! Roald Dahl…
Read MoreBook Bits (Friday, July 1, 2016)
Book Bits is a monthly feature in which we share assorted book-related links and links to news pieces that reflect Redeemed Reader’s purpose. Books on Bikes! Instead of a Bookmobile, these librarians take books on bikes (plus freezy pops) to kids in their community in the summer. Nabeel Qureshi We’ve included Qureshi’s book Seeking Allah, Finding…
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Ask a Librarian: Peter Pan
We love hearing from our readers! Ask-a-Librarian is an occasional feature in which we answer a reader’s email query. There are plenty of books we have read but not managed to review here, so I’m glad Tamra submitted this question: “I am looking for your review on J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan book. We’ve started it…
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Shakespeare Summer: Some General Principles (applied to a difficult play)
Last year we covered A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which is readily available in numerous retellings, picture books, and even coloring pages. We chose this play because there was a local performance available, so we had plenty of resources to try to understand the story ahead of time. This summer, our best option was Henry V.…
Read MoreBook Bits (June 3, 2016)
Read on for interesting book-related news from around the web…. Boston Globe-Hornbook Award Announced Yesterday! We’ve reviewed a few of them here and for World Magazine: Goodbye, Stranger, Most Dangerous, The Voice of Fannie Lou Hamer (World link), Symphony for the City of the Dead (World link). Summer Reading: In case you missed it, it’s the Summer of Great Family…
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The Summer of Great Family Reads
For Everything, There is a Season There are patterns in Scripture of both the Lord and his people resting from their labors. Summer is such a time for contemporary students and teachers. After working hard during the school year, minds and bodies need a break whether they were in a traditional classroom all winter or…
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