Has it ever rained hearts in your neighborhood? It did in Cornelia Augusta’s neighborhood in Day It Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond, the illustrator of the popular Mouse Cookie books. Cornelia did the obvious thing, and gathered up as many as she could carry. Realizing that each heart looked different after she got them home, she […]
Early Learning
The Little Fir Tree
I have a special section on my bookcase of holiday books to pull out at different times of the year, and my favorites are the Christmas ones. My boys all loved Goodnight Moon when they were little, and it led to our discovery of more books by Margaret Wise Brown. I was happy to find […]
Night Tree
A family sets out on Christmas Eve to find their tree; it is a familiar tradition they keep every year. Bundled up in warm clothes, they drive through town, “to where the dark and quiet begin.” Eve Bunting’s lyrical prose, along with captivating illustrations by Ted Rand, pulls readers into the story from the first […]
Teaching Historical Literacy
My kids and I tried out a historical literacy course one summer. This blog uses affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. BrimWood Press has a Western Civilization course, designed to teach the fundamentals of history–almost like phonics is to language arts. The publisher lists the fundamentals of history as: Building a mental framework within the child’s mind containing […]
Imagine Childhood
Exploring the World Through Nature, Imagination, and Play Sarah Olmsted’s book will inspire you to embrace your inner child and get outside to explore and play. Imagine Childhood will give you many ideas to “spark curiosity and adventure” in both yourself and your children. With a focus on nature study, the crafts and activities in the book use […]
Giveaway: Excavate! Dinosaurs
Have you heard the latest? Dinosaurs are back! Well, at least according to the movies they are. If you have a kid who loves dinosaurs as much as my little boy does, enter for a chance to win a copy of the fun, “paper paleontology” book Excavate! Dinosaurs from Storey Publishing. Fun With Dinosaurs Excavate! Dinosaurs […]
The Day is Waiting
My son’s favorite picture book when he was little was Corduroy by Don Freeman. The combination of a wonderful, loving story, and beautifully engaging illustrations drew him in and made him fall in love with the book we read over and over again. We went on to collect and read other Don Freeman classics, […]
Taking the Day Outside
Some days are just meant for spending outside, putting away the books for awhile and exploring the world. The learning that takes place is a bonus, but the point is to refresh and wonder. Here’s a list of ideas to get you started: Things To Do Outside At the creek build a beaver dam look […]
Kali’s Story: An Orphaned Polar Bear Rescue
Kali’s Story: An Orphaned Polar Bear Rescue by Jennifer Keats Curtis and John Gomes is one of the newest spring titles from Arbordale Publishing (formerly Sylvan Dell). This cute photo journal style book follows the rescue of an orphaned polar bear named Kali from the Inupiat village of Kali to the Alaska Zoo in […]
Polar Bears and Penguins
Polar Bears and Penguins by Katharine Hall is one of the newest spring titles from Arbordale Publishing (formerly Sylvan Dell). This book teaches comparison and contrast by looking at facts about polar bears and penguins. The photo journal style picture book covers language arts, science, math, and geography skills in a fun and visually appealing […]
Holiday Book Tour: Night Tree
Night Tree by Eve Bunting has become one of our favorite holiday books because it expresses the true spirit of Christmas. If you have a nature-loving family like I do, you will enjoy the theme of this book. With beautiful illustrations of a woodland setting, Eve Bunting’s lyrical prose captures this magical family moment as a […]
Preschool: Early Education at Home
If you are just starting out with homeschooling, keeping things simple and easing into a new routine will ensure that your journey will be rewarding and successful. It’s easy to catch the curriculum bug, but I have learned that “the grass isn’t always greener” somewhere else, and you don’t have to purchase hundreds of dollars […]