Raina Telgemeier is one of the most popular graphic novel author-illustrators. Readers love her books and the librarians tell me they get requests for books like Smile all the time! Whether you want more graphic novels like Smile, Guts, and Drama or want to inspire your kids to read non-graphic middle grade novels, this book...
Books Like Smile: Read These Next if You Love Raina Telgemeier
DIY Christmas Tree: A Creative Holiday Solution
Imagine a way to break out of your holiday funk and make family memories at the same time. Now, imagine that the solution will produce something to make you smile every day for the rest of the Christmas season. That's right! You are about to learn how to make a Christmas tree! For real! It's...
Books to Read Aloud to 7-Year-Olds
Are you looking for good books to read aloud to 7-year-olds? At this age kids still love picture books, but also are ready to sit and listen to chapter books. 7-year-olds enjoy long picture books and although they can listen to novels well above their reading level, they may not be ready for many middle...
Star Tessellation Math Art Project
Add a little sparkle to your math art projects and STEAM education with star tessellation patterns using a six pointed star! Tessellations are an easy to learn art idea with enough variation possibilities to keep kids interested. Not to mention, repeating and rotating mathematical patterns is surprisingly relaxing. As I did with our heart tessellations...
King Arthur Books for Kids: Adventure and Magic!
Do you kids dream of splendor, magic and adventure? Do they love stories about King Arthur and the Round Table? If so, these children's books for kids who love King Arthur, knights, sorcery and chivalry will transport them back to the days of Camelot and its legendary heroes. This list of King Arthur books includes...
Going to Boston Dice Game: High Stakes Family Fun
The Going to Boston dice game is so fun and easy to learn, your family will be delighted to add it onto your list of favorite dice games. Going to Boston is traditionally played for stakes, but it is not strictly necessary. Of course, we simply play with chips or tokens–high stakes indeed! Keep reading...
Best Books to Read Aloud to 10-Year-Olds
As I mentioned in my post on read aloud books for 9-year-olds, it is a real joy to read aloud to older kids. Not only can you begin choosing more sophisticated reading material, like the titles on this list of read aloud books for 10-year-olds, but you can have in-depth conversations about mature topics. Books...
Female Superhero Books for Kids: Old Favorites and New Friends
Do you kids love superheroes? With these stellar books starring female superheroes they can imagine themselves flying through the air, fighting crime and generally being awesome. Obviously, as with all books, these are female superhero books for girls AND boys! My boys loved these stories, and your kids will too. (Note: this post contains affiliate...
Christmas Poems for Kids: Make the Holidays Extra Special
Tis the season for... poetry? Give your holiday celebrations that extra special something by including Christmas poems for kids in your family traditions. Sharing fun and meaningful Christmas poetry fosters the bond between children, parents, grandparents and other extended family members. How to Start a Holiday Poetry Tradition Incorporating Christmas poems into your holiday traditions...
Game of the Month: Trash Pandas
Trash Pandas might rival last month's game of the month for the craziest game name. But that is where the similarities end! I purchased Trash Pandas by Gamewright when I was stocking up for screen-free activities for a recent airplane trip. (Note: this post contains Amazon affiliate links that earn commission) My 10 year old...
More Books Like Dog Man, Please! Kids Will Love These!
Kids love Dav Pilkey's over the top and silly humor in books like Dog Man and Captain Underpants. Pilkey empathizes with kids' struggles in school, their frustration with being told what to do all the time by adults and he understands their humor. Some parents and educator's don't "get" books like Dog Man and Captain...
Sledding Coloring Page with Snowflake Puppets
The holidays are drawing nigh and it's time to break out the winter themed boredom busters and arts & crafts projects like this adorable sledding coloring page from our collaborator, Melanie Hope Greenberg. Melanie, an accomplished children's picture book author and illustrator, designed this coloring page featuring three bears sledding among the evergreen trees just...
Middle Grade Books with Jewish Protagonists
Young readers will be able to relate to something in the experience of the characters on this list of great middle great books with Jewish protagonists Need picture books? Contemporary Jewish Realistic Fiction Many of the action of the books in this section play out against the backdrop of getting ready for a bat or...
Christmas Audiobooks for Everyone!
You've got the Christmas tree decorated, a fire crackling, a hot mug of cocoa with marshmallows. Is there anything that could make this scene more perfect? A Christmas audiobook, of course! Snuggling up with a good holiday read aloud book is one of my favorite ways to spend time with my kids during the festive...
Best Gifts for Preschoolers to Boost Their Brains! (Ages 3-5)
Need some ideas for good gifts for preschoolers? You probably want to avoid toys that will get discarded or broken within a few days. Perhaps you also want to avoid flashing lights and annoying sounds. The best toys for 3-5 year olds are ones that will open up the floodgates of their imagination and boost...
Conversation-Starting Read Aloud Books for 9 Year Olds
So your 9-year-olds are now reading longer middle grade novels on their own and that must mean you don't need to read aloud to your9-year-old anymore, right? WRONG. Nine-year-olds still crave special read aloud time with their parents and other treasured adults. The great news is that as kids get older, the conversations about books...
Game of the Month: Dragonwood
Our latest game of the month, Dragonwood from Gamewright, is a winning selection for kids who love fantasy and myth! Dragonwood has been a favorite in our house since we got it as a gift last holiday season. Dragons, goblins, unicorns, elves and gooey globs all feature in this fun game which dares players to...
Halloween Thaumatropes: STEAM Project with Printable Template
What better way to celebrate Halloween than with thaumatropes, mesmerizingly spooky Halloween STEAM project! Kids can make their own Halloween thaumatropes to play tricks of perception in order to get some yummy treats! Making thaumatropes teaches kids about the science of "persistence of vision" and now we have a fun Halloween holiday version to share...
14 Castle Books for Kids: Picture, Middle Grade and Nonfiction
Is there anything more enticing than hanging out in a castle? I think not, and I bet your kids daydream about castles, too! Inspire their creative daydreams about magical adventures with these castle books for kids! This curated book list contains children's picture books, middle grade books and a selection of informative nonfiction castle books...
50 Upper Middle Grade Books for Ages 11-15
Are you looking for great upper middle grade books for your 11-15 year-olds? Having a hard time? Kids ages 11-15 are at that in-between age. While 11-year-olds may still be content with most middle grade books, and some 15-year-olds are happy to read YA books, a strong collection of quality upper middle grade books will...
STEM Projects Teens Will Love
As a mom of a 14 year old, I know that teens are hard to buy gifts for, and even harder to surprise! What if you could find a great gift for teens that also wowed them every time they opened it? Sure, your teens might think all they want is a gift of cash...
Children's Books about Adoption
This list of picture books about adoption don't just illustrate how much love can go into the process of adopting a child, but also address the complex and intense emotions about being adopted. This list is a companion to the list of books about families of all types. While making this list I noticed that...
14 Children's Books About Families of All Kinds!
Do your children see their family reflected in the pages of a favorite picture book? I hope they do, but if not, maybe one of these children's books about families will help! The titles below depict a wide variety of diverse families in all shapes and sizes, from multiracial, to divorced, single parent, foster families...
Game of the Month: Invasion of the Cow Snatchers
Ready for a game with the most intriguing name ever? How about "The Invasion of the Cow Snatchers?" Makes you wonder what the game is actually about, doesn't it? I'll start out by telling you it's a single player logic game, and in case you're new here, I've already mentioned one billion gazillion times how...
Native American Folktales for Kids - Written By Indigenous Authors
November is Native American Heritage Month in the United States, but the perfect time to share these folktales with your kids is all year round. Although I titled this list "Native American folktales," I believe it would be more correct to say "traditional stories"; I have also limited this list to North America (excluding Mexico,...
DIY Magnetic Bookmarks: Easy Craft for Kids Who Love to Read!
If you are a reader, you know it's impossible to have too many bookmarks! In those rare moments when you and your kids are not reading, these diy magnetic bookmarks make a great craft! The possibilities for personalization are endless, and kid-made magnetic bookmarks make great additions to these literacy-promoting gifts, either on their own...
Neurodiversity in Middle Grade Books
In the past few years there has been an increase in the number of middle grade books that feature neurodiverse characters, which is wonderful. All children deserve to read about others like themselves, and reading about a variety of different experiences opens up the world for everyone. On this list, you will find books about...
10 Books for Readers Who Love The Baby-Sitters Club
Reading The Baby-Sitters Club series by Ann M. Martin is like a rite of passage for any growing reader, especially (and I hate to be gender specific, but...) girls. And now that there is a graphic novel version of The Baby-Sitters Club, voracious readers have even more to love. For those kids looking to expand...
Historical Bookmobile Template and Coloring Page
I'm so excited about this month's coloring page! What could be more fun that this printable paper bookmobile template. Kids can make both a 3-D bookmobile and three historical bookmobile stick puppets for pretend play. The best part is that these bookmobiles fit right in with our other pretend play coloring page templates. You can...
Children's Graphic Novels with No Violence
Some parents and educators avoid graphic novels because they believe them to be "lesser literature," others are under the mistaken impression that graphic novels and comic books tend to rely heavily on battles and violent action to forward the plot. For those of you looking for "tamer" graphic novels, whether because your child is sensitive...
Seed Collecting and Nature Learning Activities for Kids
Fall is a great time for getting outside and learning about nature. Seed collecting is a fun and simple activity for kids, especially toddlers, preschoolers and kindergarteners! Acorns, chestnuts, maple nuts, and all those mystery tree pods are fun to collect and compare. Below you will find a variety of seed collecting ideas for your...
64 Preschool Books You Didn't Know You Needed
Everyone knows you "should" stock your preschooler's bookshelf with Goodnight Moon, Where the Wild Things Are and Brown Bear, Brown Bear. But what if you want something beyond the usual, but that your preschool aged kids will still love? Well, you've come to the right place! This is the list of the preschool books you...
Unicorn and Rainbow Coloring Page
What is better than a unicorn? A unicorn and a rainbow. Duh. Which is why, of course, our newest exclusive coloring page from Melanie Hope Greenberg is of a unicorn dancing across a rainbow in a starry sky. Yes, a rainbow in a starry sky may not be exactly according to the laws of nature,...
Fall Leaf Art Project with Liquid Watercolors
I'll let you in on a little secret. "Process art" may sound like a fancy pants term but if you are a parent, it translates into "less work for you." No more searching for 10 step crafts projects and setting up specialized materials just so your kids can get bored after 15 minutes! When it...
Wonderful Books Like Charlotte's Web
It's no wonder parents and kids love Charlotte's Web. It's a classic tale of friendship, love, wisdom and perseverance. I had some trouble making this list of Charlotte's Web read alikes. I didn't want it to just be a list of books with talking animals and animal friendships, (or a duplicate of my top 10 animal novels book...
Skip Counting Activities: Hands-On Math Learning
When my child was younger, he loved playing around with numbers and anytime he could explore systems and patterns he jumped at it. I loved showing him counting games and activities because they kept him occupied for a pretty good chunk of time. Skip counting turned out to be one of his favorite math activities....
Easy Math Game: Tens Go Fish
When your kids are learning basic addition skills, you look for all kinds of ways to make learning math fun. We've found math card games to be a great way to practice addition and have fun at the same time. Tens Go Fish is a mathematical version of the classic card game–you guessed it–Go Fish!...
August Read Alouds to Beat the Heat
Beaches, sunshine, heat, laziness, outdoors. These are the things that come to mind when we think about August (in the northern hemisphere, anyway). To me, August always seems like a month for waiting. Waiting for the heat to let up, waiting for kids to return from camp, waiting for school to start... And what do we...
Toddler Drawing from a New Perspective
When a toddler puts a marker to paper for the first time he is entranced by cause and effect. Now, when he moves that marker around even more glorious things happen. And you, the parent and caregiver have a ring side seat to your child's first efforts at self-expression through art. You definitely want to...
10 Materials for DIY Math Games and Activities
Technology is a useful tool for academics but nothing can compare to the brain building power of hands-on math learning. You can encourage your children to create their own math activities and math games just by having a few choice manipulates at their disposal. Developing math skills is not just an in-school exercise, use these...
