Who doesn't love a carnival? The exuberant celebrations, the music, the colors, the dancing in the streets! Your lucky kids can now join the festivities with this lively carnival coloring page. The carnival scene coloring page was designed for us by artist Melanie Hope Greenberg, who has been contributing unique, monthly coloring sheets for your...
Festive Carnival Coloring Page
Indoor Winter Activity for Kids: Play with Snow Inside
When there is snow on the ground outside, but something is preventing your kids from getting outdoors for one of these classic outdoor winter activities like building snowmen and sledding, that doesn't mean they can't play in the snow! They'll just need to do it indoors! Playing with snow indoors is a great indoor winter...
Book an Adventure! Middle Grade Books Set Around the World
When your kids want to take a trip around the world but need to do so from the comfort of the sofa, these middle grade books set in different countries offer amazing adventures. It's easy to find books for tweens set in the US or the UK, but what about Uganda, Chile, or Tibet? We've...
25 Marvelous Middle Grade Books by Black Authors
The most enjoyable aspect of reading is immersing your mind into a wide variety of experiences. Perhaps the characters live very different lives from yours, perhaps there are a lot of similarities. The best books are both mirrors and windows. It's with that in mind, that I've chosen some of my favorite middle grade books...
Play Ball! Sports Graphic Novels for Kids
Finding books about their favorite activity is a great way to hook a reader! If your kid loves sports, whether it's basketball, soccer or even cheerleading, this list of sports graphic novels is for them. These exciting books will keep even the most reluctant of readers laughing, "wow-ing," and most importantly of all, turning pages....
Essential Middle School Graphic Novels
Middle school kids love graphic novels. While some parents still think that "reading comics" doesn't count as reading, they couldn't be more wrong. These middle school graphic novels prove that! These good middle grade graphic novels are perfect for kids in 6th - 8th grade, roughly 10-12 year olds. The realistic stories contain familiar themes...
Fun Alphabet Activities to Learn the ABCs
Teaching kids their ABCs is fun with these simple alphabet activities that work at home and in the classroom. Learning to recognize letters and letter sounds is essential for building literacy and reading skills. Even if you are using a formal phonics program, these fun activities are great add-ons to reinforce skills such as: These...
Books about Censorship, Media Literacy and Fake News for Kids and Teens
Banning books may seem like an easy way to protect kids from subjects parents don't want them to know about, but as history shows, censorship is never the answer. Instead of banning books, teach kids about why censorship is harmful and how they can be discerning readers. These books about censorship, media literacy and disinformation...
Rabbit Coloring Page
Just in time to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit, we have this adorable rabbit coloring page featuring three rabbits on the go. Since this year is the water rabbit, you will notice the waves surrounding our three furry friends. Of course, you could also use it as a spring or Easter coloring page. As...
10 Best Books that Celebrate the Lunar New Year!
Celebrate East Asian holiday traditions by reading these Lunar New Year picture books to your children! The fifteen day holiday celebrates the arrival of the new year based on a lunisolar calendar. These children's books about Chinese New Year tell readers about customs like the Chinese zodiac (2023 is the Year of the Rabbit!), dancing...
Shape Activities for Preschoolers that Build Math Skills
Shape recognition is one of the earliest math concepts that preschoolers learn. In fact, learning to identify shapes supports not just future math skills, but visual perception, reading, science and logic! You can encourage preschoolers' development with these fun shape activities. When you are looking for some good activities and ideas for teaching shapes at...
Children's Books about Perseverance
Children's books about perseverance will share with children the value of following through, determination and the rewards of working hard on a task, even when things are difficult. Buzz words like "grit" and "growth mindset" are the companions of good old fashioned perseverance! Teach kids about perseverance with this wide range of picture books, both...
Books About Strong, Diverse Families, for 8-12 Year Olds
It is comforting to read books which have, at their heart, a family that loves each other, even when times are difficult. These middle grade books, whether they are funny, serious, fantastical or realistic, feature such families. Diverse here means blended, adoptive, single parent, families of color, mixed-culture families, while "strong" means the parents, children,...
Children's Books about Trying New Things
These children's books about trying new things will get kids talking about the possibilities of spreading their wings. After reading these books, perhaps they will be willing to try something out of their comfort zone, like a new food, or attempting new skill like swimming or riding a bike. Or, perhaps they will be encouraged...
Adorable Reindeer Pattern Coloring Page
You know Dasher and Dancer, and Prancer and Vixen. You know where I'm going with this don't you? It's a reindeer coloring page! Children's book author and illustrator, Melanie Hope Greenberg, designed this sweet reindeer pattern of ten prancing reindeer on a background of trees and turned it into a coloring page for your kids....
The Easiest Holiday Crafts for Kids
Even those of us who don't spend most the year pursuing crafty endeavors enjoy taking time during the holiday and Christmas season to make little something special with the kiddos. For the craft novice, these super easy holiday crafts for kids are perfect for beginners and the last minute! The best part about many of...
My Favorite Caldecott Books
How do you pick a favorite book? Do you choose a sentimental favorite, the one that is considered "good literature" by professionals, or some other criteria? For this list of my favorite Caldecott books, I stuck to the latter criteria: books considered so good they have a shiny round sticker on the cover. Last year,...
Our Best Graphic Novels of 2022
Kids who love to read graphic novels tend to go through stacks of them faster than you can ask, "What are some great graphic novels for kids?" Fortunately, this list of the best graphic novels of 2022 will help fill those bookshelves and fuel late night reading sessions. Graphic novels are often touted as good...
Best Read Aloud Children's Novels of 2022
Of all the great children's novels and chapter books published this year, I've selected ten stellar choices to be my best read aloud children's novels of 2022 Whenever I read a new children's books I always ask myself if it would be an especially good choice for read aloud time. It's hard for me to...
My Best Middle Grade Books of 2022
As I said to an acquaintance the other day, "We are living in a golden age of children's literature." That's why it was so hard to narrow down the titles and put together this list of the 10 best middle grade books of 2022! Ultimately, I curated the books on this list to reflect a...
Easy Hanukkah Crafts for Kids
When it's time to celebrate the Festival of Lights, these easy Hanukkah crafts will help you get through eight days of festivities! Sitting down with kids to make dreidels or menorahs is a nice opportunity to slow down during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Kids will love to see their homemade Star...
Nutcracker Books: Best Versions for Children
You'd never know today that when it was originally performed, Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker was not a success. Now, of course, it is a beloved ballet and countless children and their families crowd into theaters during the Christmas season to watch toy soldiers and mice battle it out under a gigantic Christmas tree. Before you...
Children's Books about the Northern Lights
If you're like most people, you dream about one day seeing the phenomenon known as the northern lights. Even if you can't get to a northern latitude anytime soon, these gorgeous picture books about the northern lights will set you and your family dreaming of the colorful spectacle. These children's books are all fiction picture...
Fill in the Banner: Airplane Coloring Page
Do your kids love to watch airplanes take off and land? Do they think it's fun to try and read the messages of airplanes that travel with banners flapping behind them? Then this airplane coloring page is for them! Designed by children's book author and illustrator, Melanie Hope Greenberg, and based on one of her...
18 Festive Holiday Read Aloud Novels
With shorter days and chillier weather, the year-end holiday season is a great time to snuggle up on the couch and read. Whether it's Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas or even Winter Solstice that you are celebrating, these holiday themed children's novels and chapter books will put you in the spirit of the season. Note: this list...
Strong and Gentle Boys: 42 Children's Books that Teach Healthy Masculinity
As a mom of two boys, I want them to grow up to be men who are intelligent, compassionate, responsible and comfortable expressing their emotions. If you have sons, those are your goals, too. As with most things in life, good books can help! This list of books featuring boys from all walks of life...
Celebratory Books about New Year for Kids!
When you want to celebrate ringing in the New Year with children, there's no better way than reading a good picture book about New Year's Eve and New Year's Day and its diverse traditions around the world. The New Year books on this book list will inspire kids to look forward to a fresh start,...
Multicultural Winter Holiday Picture Books
No matter what holiday you are celebrating this year, it's always fun to learn about other traditions, which is where these multicultural winter holiday picture books come in handy! It's likely your children have friends from a variety of religious and cultural backgrounds and they are curious about the different holidays. These books will introduce...
Picture Books for Every Child's Interest (Gift Guide)
Do you find it tricky to pick out just the right picture book to give a child? There are so many great selections out there, it can be overwhelming to choose! One sure-fire way to find a book a child will love is to pick a book that matches their interests. What is the child...
Best Picture Books to Give as Gifts That Kids Don't Already Have
This book list is my secret weapon. And I'm handing it over to you. Free of charge. Because every child should be see their home filled with books. You're here because you agree not just with me, but with the experts who say that growing up surrounded by books has a powerful effect on the mind....
Book and Toy Gift Sets for 5-7 Year Olds
It's my humble opinion that the best gift a child can receive is a book. But let's face it, kids also want to get toys! Pairing a children's book with a coordinating toy is a fun and unexpected way to surprise a child. Choose a theme that appeals to your children's interests. Do they like...
Top Book and Toy Gifts for Preschoolers to Spark Their Imaginations
Gifts for preschoolers should nurture their innate creativity, play and innovation. And what better way to get your little one moving and grooving to the beat of their imagination with a special book and a matching toy. After listening to a grownup read the book, your child can springboard off the storytelling into pretend play...
Bookish Gifts for Kids that Encourage Reading (Especially Reluctant Readers!)
We all know a book is the best gift you can give a child, and I encourage everyone to give a child at least one book this holiday season. If you want to go even further, you can give extra gifts that encourage lifelong reading habits. This holiday gift guide includes a variety of items—some traditional...
Children's Books About Cubans and Cuban-Americans
If you ask the average American what they know about Cuba, the first thing they will probably say is, "It's communist!" They will also know that Cuba is an island south of Florida and may have heard about the events surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis. But what do they know of Cuba's people, the Cuban...
STEM Gifts for Kids that Foster Creative Thinking and Innovation
Kids love to build stuff and take stuff apart. You may not realize it, but that activity is nurturing their inner engineer and scientist! You'll want to choose STEM gifts and toys that challenge a child's natural curiosity and innovative spirit, as well as find toys that they can play with over and over. STEM...
Thankful Tree Alternative: A Wall of Leaves
Thankful Trees are a popular Thanksgiving tradition. During November, in the run up to the Thanksgiving holiday, family members write gratitudes and blessings on paper leaves and hang them on branches. We've participated in the thankful tree tradition in the past, but sometimes you want to switch things up! So this year we came up...
Books Like The School for Good and Evil
Readers who are looking for books like The School for Good and Evil will love these novels that incorporate magical themes, battles between light and dark, and fairy tale elements. The Netflix movie The School for Good and Evil is based on the book by the same name by Soman Chainani. Chainani's five book series...
How to Stop Preschoolers From Fighting
Picture the scene. You've finally gotten the energy to organize a play date for your preschooler and a friend. You've planned it all out. You'll take them to the park, you'll pack a snack and a ball. They'll play and eat while you relax on the picnic blanket, preferably with a cold beverage. But when...
21 Thrilling Books Like Percy Jackson
So your young readers loved Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and they are wondering what to read next. When looking for books like Percy Jackson, readers want fast-paced, exciting adventures with magical or supernatural elements just like in The Lightening Thief! Note: this post contains Amazon and Bookshop affiliate links. Purchases made...
The Array Game: Fun Dice Game to Teach Multiplication
The array game helps kids learn multiplication skills for numbers 1-6 by focusing on the use of arrays on a grid to visually represent calculations. When I was in school we learned multiplication through sheer willpower of memorization. Fortunately, today's pedagogy offers students a more comprehensive approach to understanding how multiplication works. Arrays are a...
