Here are my favorite children’s books published in 2022. “Best” is always subjective with books, especially when no one can read them all, but these are the books that thrilled, delighted, and touched us this year – the ones that fully engaged us, or made us laugh, or taught us something wonderful and new. I … More Some of the Best Children’s Books of 2022
Let’s face it: a lot of children’s books tend to blend together, and sometimes you want a jolt of electricity, something very different to wake you up, to surprise and delight you. I love when a children’s book comes out of left field, and I find that these deeply unusual, one-of-a-kind children’s books tend to … More Some of the Best Wonderfully Weird and Unusual Books for Kids
If you’d like to read your way around the world with your children, try these marvelous books in translation. Chile Book of Questions, Pablo Neruda and Paloma Valdivia [Amazon | Bookshop] For kids of all ages and adults, too, a truly special book of poetry filled with masterful illustrations Featuring selections in both English and … More Some of the Best Children’s Books in Translation
This set of lessons is a little different. While I usually link to free instructions for my activities, to do Witch School you really do need to get your hands on a couple of books: The Science Spell Book: Magical Experiments for Kids by Cara Florance [Amazon | Bookshop] and The Little Witch’s Book of … More Witch School: Magical Fun With Science, Social Studies, Nature, and Art
My kids and I absolutely love books about witches, and we’re always looking for good new titles to add to our collection. Here are some of our favorite witch-themed picture books, graphic novels, middle-grade novels, and non-fiction and activity books. Picture Books Meg and Mog (series), Helen Nicoll and Jan Pieńkowski [Amazon | Bookshop] An … More Some of the Best Books About Witches for Kids
For summertime, I’m taking some of my favorite activities and combining them in new ways. This collection is filled only with activities that require materials you can get at a grocery or big box store. Or you might already have all the materials you need. I’ve organized them into four categories: science, music, art and … More Summertime Activities You Can Do With Just a Trip to the Grocery Store
I’ve been let down by many lists of funny picture books for kids. Often they’re filled with books that are zany or wacky but not especially funny. Although those books might be enjoyable for lots of other reasons, they haven’t made me or my children laugh very much. So I wanted to make a list of … More Some of the Best Funny Books for Kids: A Big Round-Up
For summertime, I’m taking some of my favorite activities and combining them in new ways. This collection is filled only with activities that require no special purchases. You might need cardboard, ice, a printer, or a pencil, but you won’t need a trip to the store. For activities you can do with just a few … More Summertime Choose-Your-Own-Adventure: The Buy-Nothing Edition
I’ve been searching for chapter books with diverse characters and humor, books that kids love and that I’ve enjoyed, too. Here are some of my favorites. These heavily illustrated chapter books are perfect for elementary school-aged children who are reading well on their own but may not yet want novels without illustrations. Great for Beginners … More Some of the Best Chapter Books for Kids: A Big Round-Up
These lessons focus on the joys of listening to music and of creating your own instruments. Instead of exploring how to read music or how to play a specific instrument, I wanted to concentrate instead on learning a bit about musical genres and on making instruments with household objects. This, I think, is a terrific … More Teach Kids About Music and Instruments
Right On, Kids! Teaching 