Category: Ages 8–11
The Christmas that J.R.R. Tolkien’s son was three, he found a letter addressed from the North Pole. In a shaky, spidery hand, the letter’s writer introduced himself as Father Christmas; he enclosed a self-portrait for […]
We had talked to our daughters off and on about racism—here and there as we came across it in books, mostly—but we could discuss it only to a certain depth, being white parents in a […]
Remember The Mistmantle Chronicles—the beloved but out-of-print series whose last book is nigh impossible to find? Well—oh joy! A reader informed me last week that, yes, a new publisher has picked it up and will […]
“A few months into quarantine, I started keeping a list. This is nothing new—I keep dozens of lists. Hundreds! But this particular list didn’t contain a single task or idea. I wasn’t planning for or […]
We stand on the brink of a new Parenting Era—the one strangers were always warning me about in the grocery store, back when strangers made small talk while shopping: Teenagers. But I’m not scared. These […]
As much as I enjoyed this book, I debated about whether or not to share it here. Though I do occasionally review books I know will be controversial, I tend to pass over titles on […]
When we celebrated my birthday last month, I opened one daughter’s gift and found a book tucked in it alongside her present. I couldn’t keep the book, she explained, but I had to read it. […]
After a good rain, we traipse through the backyard, my youngest daughters and I. We are hunting for snails. We find one! A massive snail, the length of my six-year-old’s hand, glides across the path, […]
Fern and Dale and their parents move to the tiny town of Cream City to live with their grandfather. Right away, the kids discover that something is different about the town, and the fun of […]
In 100 short readings, Best News Ever guides young readers through the book of Mark. This Bible study for kids features the elements I look for in studies for adults: it spends more time in […]
