I have little memory of what I read as a child. The children’s classics never much appealed to me, either then or now. My lasting memories of literature begin with what I read as a teenager. It was only when I discovered contemporary literature—contemporary, for me, being of the 1980s and 1990s—that my reading life … Continue reading Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie
Tag: reading
Make Believe: On Telling Stories to Children by Mac Barnett (Little, Brown, and Co, 2026)
A book I have read this summer, read slowly and then re-read, has been Mac Barnett’s Make Believe. A book not for children, but for adults about children’s literature. Barnett is an author and the US equivalent of the Children's Laureate. The core of his argument, as I understand it, has three strands. First, that … Continue reading Make Believe: On Telling Stories to Children by Mac Barnett (Little, Brown, and Co, 2026)
Reflections on a Summer of Reading
The kids are finally back at school after a very long summer (New England has incomprehensibly-long summer breaks). And as we settle into routines again, I can get back to writing this blog which took a planned, but rather longer than planned, summer break too this year. Books are always a big part of any … Continue reading Reflections on a Summer of Reading
Reading the (Children’s) Classics aloud: batch 1
As I explained in an earlier post, I have been reading some classic children’s literature to my two children, now aged 8 and 12 years. They can, of course, and both do read independently, but there’s a particular joy in reading aloud and being read to. Some stories were designed to be enjoyed that way … Continue reading Reading the (Children’s) Classics aloud: batch 1
Book Review: The Mona Lisa Vanishes by Nicholas Day with art by Brett Helquist
My 12 year old son is a non-bookworm reader and a keen artist, and although he enjoys fiction, he’s recently been gravitating towards non-fiction. This book – The Mona Lisa Vanishes: A Legendary Painter, A Shocking Heist, and the Birth of a Global Celebrity (Random House, 2023) – is narrative non-fiction for kids, and had … Continue reading Book Review: The Mona Lisa Vanishes by Nicholas Day with art by Brett Helquist
BookSwap!
Once a year, the PTC at my kids’ school organises a Book Swap and it is absolutely my favourite thing ever to volunteer to help with. There must be many ways of doing something similar. This one has the huge benefit of being absolutely cashless, and having (virtually) no book go to waste. (I love … Continue reading BookSwap!
A long-term fascination with Ancient Egypt and what to read next: Chris Naunton’s Searching for the Lost Tombs of Egypt – and many others
My son has had a fascination with ancient civilizations and with Ancient Egypt in particular for many years now. As well as reading the myths, he’s spent time learning hieroglyphs, can name and discuss many pharaohs, and enjoys few things more than sketching statutes and mummies in museums. (I have also iced hieroglyphs onto at … Continue reading A long-term fascination with Ancient Egypt and what to read next: Chris Naunton’s Searching for the Lost Tombs of Egypt – and many others
Books to the Rescue
Fortunately, the days are gone when we needed Teeth Are Not For Biting (by Elizabeth Verdick, illus. by Marieka Heinlen, Free Spirit, 2003) and No More Biting for Billy Goat! (by Bernette Ford and Sam Williams, Boxer Books, 2013) – the two books that got us through a rough patch that I’m sure the parents … Continue reading Books to the Rescue
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
Teaching my children to read (and my on-going love for Usborne books
Happy New Year to all! At the time of year when so many of us try to 're-set', have a fresh start, try again, I've decided to share some information that quite a few friends have asked me about over the years - what material did I use when I taught my kids to read? … Continue reading Teaching my children to read (and my on-going love for Usborne books
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