New Teen Summer Reading Books!
New Plans After taking a second look at our teen Summer Reading Challenge books (Reading List #2), we have decided to take two of our books–The Story of Owen and Saving Juliet–and replace them with other books. If you have already bought the original books, we deeply apologize. Hopefully you’ll see the wisdom of this change…
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It’s Summertime! Let’s Learn Something!
While we’re gearing up for our summer reading challenge (still time to sign up!) the kids may be looking around for something to read. Fiction comes to mind—what a great time to catch up with Percy Jackson or Greg Heffley! Or not. Though lighthearted fantasy or humor seems right for summer, don’t neglect nonfiction. Kids…
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2014 Summer Reading Challenge…For the Whole Family
Other Summer Reading Challenge posts: Introduction, Week One: 1) Kids, 2) Teens, 3) Devotional. Week Two: 1) Kids, 2) Teens, 3) Devotional. Week Three: off Week Four: 1) Kids. 2) Teens, 3) Devotional. Week Five: 1) Kids, 2) Teens, 3) Devotional. Week Six: 1) Kids, 2) Teens, 3) Devotional. ***PLEASE NOTE: WE HAVE ADDED A…
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Raising “Wild” Readers
How do you teach the pleasure of reading to non-readers? Convinced by research studies and personal experience that worksheets and conventional methods of teaching literary appreciation weren’t working, sixth-grade language arts teacher Donalyn Miller took a different approach. Rather than insisting on award-winning classics or assuming that every child will like a prescribed canon, she had…
Read MoreBook Bits (May 12, 2014)
Brown v. Board of Education Did you know it’s the 60th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education? Our children might take for granted that their schools include a variety of cultures and ethnicities, but that was not always the case–particularly in the South. It’s important that we teach our children…
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Gifts for Grads, 3rd Edition
If you have a high school or college graduate, you’re thinking about how fast time flies and how bittersweet the occasion of this very special young adult stretching his or her wings and flying out into the world. We think of all the things we should have told them and all the time that might…
Read MoreBook Bits – May 5, 2014
It’s graduation month, so we’re going to get all serious this week. Watch for gift recommendations and college prep resources, and if college isn’t in the future for you or your high school grad, education goes on. Or how about learning a trade? Mike Rowe says there’s a career–and money–to be made in helping to…
Read MoreCongratulations to our Sonnet Contest Winners!
I know it’s usual to proclaim how great all the entries are for any given contest, but it really is true for our sonnet contest. We received some outstanding contributions–all the more outstanding because the sonnet form can be a tricky one. Thanks to everyone who took the time to write a sonnet and send it in!…
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*The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
*The Crossover by Kwame Alexander. Harcourt Mifflin Harcourt, 2014. 237 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grade, ages 10-12 Maturity Level: 4 (ages 10-12) and up Bottom line: The Crossover, a verse novel for middle grades, is an exuberant, touching, and funny tribute to basketball and family. Basketball Rule #1: In this game of life/ your family…
Read MoreBook Bits (April 21, 2014)
Happy Easter Monday! I spent a semester in the Czech Republic during college and vividly remember a quirky Czech tradition: on Easter Monday, boys “whipped” girls with little braided whips and the girls gave the boys decorated eggs in return. I was in a small town; I don’t know how much this tradition is still…
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