This week’s review is filled with books that help transition readers from leveled books to chapter books. These books have stories kids enjoy reading, which helps instill in them the love of reading.  I’ll begin with the earliest chapter books and progress to books with more pages, smaller font, less pictures and more complex story-lines.  [...]

The Newbery and Caldecott awards were recently announced and some winners were surprising and some were books I guessed would be on the lists.  Several of these books I have already reviewed and those which I haven’t, I plan on reviewing at a later date. The Newbery Medal went to “The One and Only Ivan” [...]

What better time to read about long dark nights than at bedtime?  Here are some new and entertaining picture books on the subject.  Each book is good for ages four through eight.

Nightsong, by Ari Berk, and richly illustrated with images of the night by Loren Long, is an exhilarating tale of overcoming one’s fears. [...]

Long dark cold nights are a great time to get comfortable by a fire and read a great fiction book. Most of these newly published page-turners are best suited for ages nine and up and many of these would be perfect to read aloud to family members.  The last three books are geared for ages [...]

Winter is definitely here and so is all the outside fun ready to be enjoyed by young and old. Here are some outstanding books on the subject.

The Impossible Rescue:  The True Story of an Amazing Arctic Adventure, by Martin W. Sandler, reads like an exciting story that you can’t put down!  But the truly [...]

Now that 2012 is over, it’s time for my favorite picks for kids ages nine and older. I am sure that several of these books will be a potential Newbery winner.
Wonder, by R. J. Palacio, is a beautifully written story that ultimately teaches acceptance, friendship and kindness. Ten-year-old August leaves homeschooling and enters public school [...]

The next few reviews will be dedicated to outstanding new books that will surely encourage kids, ages nine and up, to capture the love and joy of reading. The last book is best suited for teens and adults.
The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate, should be a definite candidate for the next Newbery award [...]

It’s a continual problem to find books for kids that are so good that it keeps them reading clear to the end. Here are more outstanding books for ages nine and older that will likely keep them reading deep into the night!  Only the last book is better suited for ages seven to ten. This [...]

If you are looking for fiction books to excite and instill a life long love of reading, here is a nice variety of genre that are all page-turners and that even reluctant readers will enjoy.  All are geared for ages nine and older, unless otherwise stated. This is the second of three planned reviews in [...]

I’ve been saving some great picture books for this annual occasion, so get ready for fun, funny and entertaining Halloween books good for all ages. Also, the last four books are geared primarily for ages seven to ten.

The Monsters’ Monster, by Patrick McDonnell, is a sweet story that centers around a giant of a [...]