This week I’m joined by children’s book author Hena Khan. Her latest middle grade novel, More to the Story, has been called a love letter to Little Women.
You can also listen on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.
In a starred review Publisher’s Weekly calls Like the Moon Loves the Sky “a peaceful incantation. a view of a childhood focused not just on well-being, but on hope-to ‘count all your blessings’ and ‘find wonder’-as well.”
If you’re enjoying the podcast, please take a moment to subscribe. If you could also take a moment to rate and review A Bookish Home on iTunes to help people find the show, I’d be so grateful.
Are you reading a book mentioned on the blog or podcast? I’d love to hear. Tag me wherever you hang out on social media @ABookishHome.
Affiliate links are used in this post. At no extra cost to you, we may receive a small commission if you purchase something through the links provided.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, please take a moment to subscribe. If you could also take a moment to rate and review A Bookish Home on iTunes to help people find the show, I’d be so grateful.
Are you reading a book mentioned on the blog or podcast? I’d love to hear. Tag me wherever you hang out on social media @ABookishHome.
Affiliate links are used in this post. At no extra cost to you, we may receive a small commission if you purchase something through the links provided.
Katrin Schumann in conversation with Whitney Scharer
From the bestselling author of The Forgotten Hours comes an unforgettable story of one woman’s journey to reclaim what she lost in a country torn apart by the devastating legacy of WWII.
“The Resisters is palpably loving, smart, funny, and desperately unsettling. The novel should be required reading for the country both as a cautionary tale and because it is a stone-cold masterpiece. This is Gish Jen’s moment. She has pitched a perfect game.” –Ann Patchett
A moving and important story of an America that seems ever more possible, The Resisters is also the story of one family struggling to maintain its humanity and normalcy in circumstances that threaten their every value–as well as their very existence.
From stories about time-traveling assassins, to Black Mirror-esque tales of cryptocurrency and Internet trolling, to heartbreaking narratives of parent-child relationships, THE HIDDEN GIRL AND OTHER STORIES is a far-reaching work that explores topical themes from the present and a speculative look at humanity’s future.
What will your life look like in five years? Rebecca Serle’s new book, IN FIVE YEARS, plays with this question when an ambitious young woman has a vision of her life five years in the future. Perfect for fans of ME BEFORE YOU, IN FIVE YEARS is a love story that brings heartbreak and joy in equal measure. At the event, Rebecca will be joined onstage by Robin Kall, of Reading with Robin, to talk about her new book, answer audience questions, and sign copies. Beer and wine will be available for purchase.
Called a “heroic narrative” and “compact and energetic” by The Wall Street Journal,Tina’s work tells the the inspiring and timely account of the complex relationship between leading suffragist Alice Paul and President Woodrow Wilson in her fight for women’s equality.
Doris Kearns Goodwin, Leadership In Turbulent Times
Ticketed Community Event: Doris Kearns Goodwin will be speaking at the Bull Run Restaurant and we’ll be there to sell her book! Doris Kearns Goodwin is a world-renowned presidential historian, public speaker and Pulitzer Prize-winning, New York Times #1 best-selling author. Her seventh book, Leadership in Turbulent Times, was published in September 2018 to critical acclaim and became an instant New York Times bestseller. A culmination of Goodwin’s five-decade career of studying the American presidents focusing on Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Baines Johnson, the book provides an accessible and essential road map for aspiring and established leaders in every field, and for all of us in our everyday lives.
Storytime with E.B. Goodale
In this lush and playful picture book from E. B. Goodale, illustrator of Windows, Kate feels ignored by her mother and sister and so decides to run away. In a neighboring yard, she builds a fort and enjoys a sense of independence—until she finds herself making room for her family in her new home … Under the Lilacs is the perfect celebration of striking out on your own—while still making room for everyone.
Ticketed Event: See Kitty as you’ve never seen her before: EXERCISING (reluctantly) in Bad Kitty Joins the Team, the latest installment of Nick Bruel’s phenomenally successful New York Times bestselling series.
Hilary Mantel, The Mirror & The Light with Harvard Bookstore
Ticketed Event: Harvard Book Store is honored to welcome acclaimed writer HILARY MANTEL—two-time winner of the Booker Prize for her bestselling novels, Wolf Hall, and its sequel, Bring Up the Bodies—for a discussion of the highly anticipated, final book in the Cromwell trilogy, The Mirror & the Light.
Porter Square Books is pleased to welcome Pura Belpré Medal-winning illustrator Raúl the Third for ¡Vamos! Let’s Go Eat! Little Lobo returns to share his love of food and wrestling in this delicious follow-up to Vamos! Let’sGo to the Market, a Porter Square Books staff favorite!
Today I’m reposting 10 great book trailers to watch with the kids in your life. Happy watching and reading!
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Looking to create some bookish enthusiasm in your home? Grab the popcorn and watch some book trailers!
Book trailers are similar to movie trailers. They offer a short snippet of the book’s plot and get you excited to read it for yourself. I loved using book trailers in my school library and I think they are great for elementary school age kids.
Because book trailers are usually very short, often less than a minute, you could watch 10 or 15 together to preview a range of books. You could look at them on your computer, pull them up with something like Apple TV and watch them on the big screen.
Have your kids sit with a notebook and pen so that they can write down the books they are interested in reading. That way, afterwards, you could request some of them from the local library or use the list to buy the books.
You can search for book trailers online. Here are 10 to get you started:
Picture Books:
1. The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors by Adam Rex
2. The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
3. A Different Pond by Bay Phi
4. A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin
Chapter Books/Middle Grade:
5. Ivy and Bean series by Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall
6. Notebook of Doom series by Troy Cummings
7. Front Desk by Kelly Yang
8. The School for Good and Evil by Woman Chainini
9. Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
10. Last Kids on Earth series by Max Brallier
If you try showing book trailers to your kids, I’d love to hear about it! Leave me a note in the comments or let me know on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook @ABookishHome.
Affiliate links are used in this post. At no extra cost to you, we may receive a small commission if you purchase something through the links provided. Thanks for supporting A Bookish Home!
This week, I’m chatting with Thomas Taylor, author of Malamander, the first book in the new middle-grade series, Legends of Eerie-On-Sea.
School Library Journal calls Malamander a “A crowd-pleasing fantasy.’ and notes “Colorful characters, palpable atmosphere, close calls and some deliberately unanswered questions…will hook readers on this new British series and leave them eager for more.” Hand this book to the Harry Potter and Mysterious Benedict Society fans in your life and watch them devour it!
You can also listen on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, please take a moment to subscribe. If you could also take a moment to rate and review A Bookish Home on iTunes to help people find the show, I’d be so grateful.
Are you reading a book mentioned on the blog or podcast? I’d love to hear. Tag me wherever you hang out on social media @ABookishHome.
Affiliate links are used in this post. At no extra cost to you, we may receive a small commission if you purchase something through the links provided. Thanks for supporting A Bookish Home!
“It’s Valentine’s Day and on the farm – that means a Valentine’s party! Little Duck is wildly excited. She hangs balloons, streamers, sparkling lights, and hearts everywhere, and hand-makes a valentine for everyone. On top of a hill, a little fox hears the music from the party and follows Little Duck’s many decorations to the barn…but foxes are not at all welcome on farms. The chickens stop dancing. The sheep stop dancing. The pigs stop dancing. The mice hustle off to hide. Will Little Fox ruin the dance? Or, perhaps, she’s just what the party needs!”
“Horace and Hattie are hedgehogs, and the very best of friends. Together, they make daisy chains, splash in puddles, and have tea parties. But there is one thing they can’t do—hug! They are just too spiky. Throughout the seasons, these two hedgehogs will try many different ways of hugging. But will Horace and Hattie find a hug that feels just right?”
“Cat does NOT like Valentine’s Day. It’s much too mushy, and no way is he making anyone a valentine—especially not his new neighbor, Dog. Dog refuses to respect the fence. He keeps tossing over old bones and hitting Cat in the head! But just as Cat’s about to send Dog an angry “valentine” telling him exactly what he can do with his bones, Dog throws a ball over the fence. What is Dog playing at?”
“One wintry day, a postman delivers a mysterious package with a big pink bow to a lonely man named Mr. Hatch. “Somebody loves you” the note says. “Somebody loves me!” Mr. Hatch sings as he dusts his living room. “Somebody loves me!” Mr. Hatch whistles as he does his errands in town. “But who, ” Mr. Hatch wonders, “could that somebody be?” After some time, Mr. Hatch discovers just who his secret admirer is and, in doing so, enjoys the biggest surprise of his life!”
“It’s Valentine’s Day and Splat has a special valentine for a certain someone in his class. Her name is Kitten, and Splat likes her even more than fish sticks and ice cream. But Kitten doesn’t seem to like him at all—she always ties his tail and pokes his belly when she sees him. And then there’s Splat’s rival, Spike, who also likes Kitten. Will Splat’s heartfelt valentine win Kitten’s paw in the end?”
“Everyone in her class is assigned to make an extra-special Valentine’s Day card for one person in the class. Pinkalicious creates a magnificently pinkerrific card. Will the valentine that she gets in return measure up?”
“With short and simple rhyming text, the Llama Llama board books introduce Llama Llama to babies and toddlers before they’re ready for longer full-length stories. And their small size and durable pages are perfect for little hands.
In Llama Llama I Love You, little llama shows his friends and family how much he loves them with heart-shaped cards and lots of hugs. What could be sweeter than Llama Llama on Valentine’s Day?”
“With colorful artwork and especially sturdy lift-a-flaps, this chunky board book introduces classic Valentine’s Day traditions like giving cards and candies. Simple sentences reinforce future language structure. Grasping and lifting the flaps helps develop fine motor skills.”
“When you’re an adorable bald baby, your family finds lots of ways to show you how much they love you: Mommy lifts you uppy, Daddy kisses you on the tummy, and everyone wants to snuggle. What’s not to love? With comedy and warmth, Leslie Patricelli offers a universal tribute to love and affection in a board book full of instant appeal for little valentines everywhere.”
Join Mouse from If You Give a Mouse a Cookie as he celebrates Valentine’s Day with all the friends he loves. This board book with sturdy pages is perfect for preschoolers, who will enjoy the simple introduction to the fun of Valentine’s Day.
“Baby made a valentine for Mommy. Where could it be? Is it behind the lamp? No, those are pretty, sparkly flowers! It’s a shiny, glittering delight as you lift the sturdy flaps to help Baby find her very special valentine.”
What are you favorite Valentine’s Day reads? Leave a note in the comments or let me know on Twitter or Instagram @ABookishHome.
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Affiliate links are used in this post. At no extra cost to you, we may receive a small commission if you purchase a book through the links provided. Thanks for supporting A Bookish Home!
As the seasons change, I try to think about activities we can do indoors on the weekend as a family. This winter, I’m planning to get out of the house with our toddler and new baby and head to some local bookstores.
We can browse the books, read together, and treat our little ones to some new books to bring home. Many bookstores also have cozy reading areas for kids you can hang out in for a bit.
Going to bookstores as a family is a way to create some bookish excitement. It’s also great for kids to see their parents choose books that they are looking forward to reading.
Not sure where your closest independent bookstores are? Indiebound.org has a wonderful online tool called the Indie Bookstore Finder. You can type in your zip code or address and they will list all of your local bookstores.
A fun book to read aloud before you family bookstore date would be Maisy Goes to the Local Bookstore:
“Today Maisy is going to the bookstore to buy a new book, but there are so many to choose from! There’s a big brown book about bears, a long blue book about fish, a noisy book about trucks, and a book about things to draw and paint. Just as Maisy finds a beautiful book of rhymes that her friend Tallulah will love, out pops Charley from behind the shelves. “Ahoy, Maisy!” he says, holding a book about pirates. Now what kind of books will Cyril and Eddie choose?”
Affiliate links are used in this post. At no extra cost to you, we may receive a small commission if you purchase something through the links provided. Thanks for supporting A Bookish Home!
This week I’m sharing a post from last holiday season about taking a re-reading vacation.
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The rush and bustle of this time of year can leave us all a bit harried. There are parties to attend, shopping to finish, presents to wrap. Soon we’re rushing to catch flights to visit relatives or whipping the house into shape, preparing to host.
The pace is fast, and I know if I’m not careful, this bookish introvert will wind up curled into a ball in her fleece pajamas by New Year’s, totally depleted.
For the bibliophiles out there, maybe we can try at least slowing down when it comes to our reading lives. Not reading less, but retreating to a familiar, bookish happy place. Let’s take a re-reading vacation.
I know for me, I sometimes feel guilty ignoring my library checkouts and long TBR list to re-read old favorites. Gretchen Rubin always says, something that can be done at any time, is often done at no time. I find that when it comes to re-reading.
“Few have failed to be charmed by the witty and independent spirit of Elizabeth Bennet in Austen’s beloved classic Pride and Prejudice. When Elizabeth Bennet first meets eligible bachelor Fitzwilliam Darcy, she thinks him arrogant and conceited; he is indifferent to her good looks and lively mind. When she later discovers that Darcy has involved himself in the troubled relationship between his friend Bingley and her beloved sister Jane, she is determined to dislike him more than ever. In the sparkling comedy of manners that follows, Jane Austen shows us the folly of judging by first impressions and superbly evokes the friendships, gossip and snobberies of provincial middle-class life.”
“L. M. Montgomery’s novel Anne of Green Gables recounts the adventures of Anne Shirley, an 11-year-old orphan mistakenly sent to a pair of siblings who intended to adopt a boy to help work on their farm in Prince Edward Island. Yet Anne’s quirky personality and good-natured spirit causes the siblings to grow to love her anyway, and soon the entire town falls for the precocious little girl with bright red hair.”
“It is no surprise that Little Women, the adored classic of four devoted sisters, was loosely based on Louisa May Alcott’s own life. In fact, Alcott drew from her own personality to create a heroine unlike any seen before: Jo, willful, headstrong, and undoubtedly the backbone of the March family. Follow the sisters from innocent adolescence to sage adulthood, with all the joy and sorrow of life in between, and fall in love with them and this endearing story. Praised by Madeleine Stern as “a book on the American home, and hence universal in its appeal,” Little Women has been an avidly read tale for generations.”
Turning to Pride and Prejudice,Anne of Green Gablesand Little Women sounds just right for the next few weeks. It’s impossible for me not to feel cozy and at peace when I curl up with the Marches, visit Avonlea, or root for Elizabeth Bennett. For you, it might be turning to Harry Potter, The Hobbit, or Middlemarchthat calms you down and fills your bookish heart with joy.
I want to show up as my best self for my family and friends and enjoy the magic of the holidays. Fitting in little bits of rereading quiet time when my daughter naps or while I wait in line at a store, will hopefully recharge this introvert.
What will you be reading during this season? Leave a note in the comments or tag me on Instagram or Twitter @ABookishHome.
Affiliate links for Amazon are used in this post. At no extra cost to you, we may receive a small commission if you purchase a book through the links provided. Thanks for supporting A Bookish Home!
This week I’m sharing an interview with Susan Bailey, creator of the blog,Louisa May Alcott Is My Passion. We’re chatting about Louisa May Alcott’s Christmas stories, the new Little Women movie, and all things Alcott.
You can also listen on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.
To dive into all things Alcott, visit Susan’s site Louisa May Alcott Is My Passion. There you will also find links to follow her on social media. You can also read Susan’s article “Spending the Holidays with Louisa May Alcott” in the current issue of Discover Concord Magazine.
You may also be interested other Little Women related A Bookish Home blog posts and podcasts episodes:
If you’re enjoying the podcast, please share it with a friend and be sure to subscribe. If you could also take a moment to rate and review A Bookish Home on iTunes to help people find the show, I’d be so grateful.
Are you reading a book mentioned on the blog or podcast? I’d love to hear. Tag me on your favorite social media @ABookishHome.
Affiliate links are used in this post. At no extra cost to you, we may receive a small commission if you purchase something through the links provided. Thanks for supporting A Bookish Home!
This week I’m sharing a post from last year about helping our kids find diverse books that reflect a wide variety of perspectives and experiences.
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If you have not seen this Ted Talk by author Grace Lin, “Windows and Mirrors on Your Child’s Bookshelf”, it would be so worth your while to take a few minutes and watch it. This is a powerful look at the importance of children seeing themselves in the books they read (mirrors) and also having books that show them other children’s experiences (windows):
In my school librarian role, I try to purchase and promote a wide variety of books so that all students have windows and mirrors in the library in terms of race and culture as Grace Lin talks about, but also in terms of family makeup, experiences, religion, special needs, learning differences, and more.
As a mom, I want to make sure that my daughter’s bookshelf is filled with a variety of books as well–some that reflect her experiences and others that help her walk in someone else’s shoes, build empathy, and expand her worldview.
Here is a place to start if you are seeking out windows and mirrors for the little ones in your life:
Stella by Starlight and Out of My Mind are two stellar middle grade chapter books (that’s upper elementary/early middle school) by the incredible Sharon Draper. This author is so skilled at putting you in a particular character’s shoes and her books are impossible to put down.
Out of My Mind is a book I recommend all the time in the library for fans of Wonder by R.J. Palacio and students love it. In this novel, we see the world through the eyes of Melanie, a brilliant eleven-year-old with a photographic memory who also has cerebral palsy and is unable to walk, talk, or write. After being dismissed and underestimated by classmates and teachers her whole life, everything changes when Melanie is finally able to make her voice heard. This is such a powerful story.
Though set in 1930s North Carolina, Stella byStarlight, also by Sharon Draper, is so relevant to our lives today. Stella must find courage and strength in order to stand up to the forces of hate and racism in her town, where the Ku Klux Klan has become very powerful. I often show book trailers to my students (like a movie trailer, but for books) and there is an excellent one for Stella by Starlight where Sharon Draper shares how her grandmother’s journal helped inspire the story:
I love these two books so much and they both feature family makeups and cultures that might offers windows or mirrors for the children in your life.
In Just Like Me, three girls with a unique connection are sent to summer camp together. Julia, Avery, and Becca were adopted from the same orphanage in China as babies and their families have stayed in touch, referring to the girls as one another’s “Chinese sisters”. Everyone expect the girls to be close, but the last thing Julia wants is to go to Camp Little Big Woods together and she certainly doesn’t want anything to do with her Chinese heritage. This is a heartfelt story about growing up and figuring out where you belong, set amidst the adventures of a summer camp readers will long to attend.
The Misadventures of Family Fletcher has a classic, old fashioned family story feel that reminds me of another favorite series, The Penderwicks.The book opens at the start of a new school year and follows the everyday ups, downs, and adventures of “Family Fletcher”–navigating friendships, trying out for the school play, adjusting to a new school, camping trips, and holidays. This tale of Papa, Dad and adopted brothers Sam, Jax, Eli and Frog will make children wish they were one of the neighborhood kids that can just pop in and join the fun at the Fletchers’ house.
Don’t Throw It To Mo! by David Adler and Ling and Ting by Grace Lin are engaging, funny early readers with a diverse cast of characters.
In Don’t Throw It To Mo,Mo is seen as a “butterfingers” on the football field (which is literally true since his creative coach has had him practice catching a slippery football coated with butter!). Can he make the winning play for his team? Get a Hit Mo! is also available now and I hope we’ll see more to come in this series!
Ling and Ting Twice as Silly is one of the many fantastic books by Grace Lin you can add to your child’s bookshelf. This is the fourth book in this series and it’s my favorite. Each chapter is laugh out loud funny and their silly adventures make a great read aloud.
Radiant Child by Javaka Steptoe tells the story of artist Jean Michel Basquiat who was famous for his collage style paintings. The illustrations in the book are incredible, Javaka Steptoe actually used wood and materials he found on the streets of New York to create the beautiful collages in the book. This book also won the highest picture book honor in the US, the Caldecott Medal.
What seems like a simple bus ride with a boy and his nana, becomes a rich experience of shared wisdom and lessons about appreciating our everyday lives in Last Stop on Market Street. This book won some of the highest honors in children’s literature: a Newbery Medal, Caldecott Honor Medal, and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor. Check out the book trailer which features the creative team behind the book: author Matt de la Peña and illustrator Christian Robinson.
More about those exciting children’s book honors to come. It’s almost time for the Oscars of children’s books!
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