Book Review: Holes by Louis Sachar. A book that hooked my non-bookworm middle grader

My son, now 12 and a middle grader, agrees that he likes to read but is not a bookworm. He likes to read, he likes to be read to, and he likes to read together, but it’s rare for reading to be his first activity of choice (he’d usually prefer to draw). Note my surprise … Continue reading Book Review: Holes by Louis Sachar. A book that hooked my non-bookworm middle grader

Book Review: Freedom Soup – how can such a wrenching, important story be so joyful?

by Tami Charles, illustrated by Jacqueline Alcantara, Candlewick Press, 2019 My three-year-old daughter loves this book. I can feel her engagement from the beginning as Ti Gran and Belle start their cooking and the rhythm of the book begins. This book shifts its moods without ever losing its joy as Belle’s grandmother teaches her to … Continue reading Book Review: Freedom Soup – how can such a wrenching, important story be so joyful?

Book Review: We’re Riding on a Caravan

We’re Riding On A Caravan: An Adventure on the Silk Road by Laurie Krebs, illustrated by Helen Cann, published by Barefoot Books, Cambridge, MA, 2005. This book comes from one of my favourite publishers, Barefoot Books. It’s a gorgeously illustrated narrative poem about a family’s year-long journey on the old Silk Road. There’s a strong … Continue reading Book Review: We’re Riding on a Caravan