Tag Archives: must-read kids’ books

The Cat At The Wall

Posted on December 11, 2014 by AnEducationInBooks

Through the eyes of a cat, we see the story of two Israeli soldiers in Bethlehem who take over a home in order to watch for terrorists. While at first the home seems empty, Clare, the cat, shows them that … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian author/illustrator, Children's novels, social issues | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Birchbark House

Posted on November 13, 2014 by AnEducationInBooks

When I was a child, I read The Little House books, mostly because many raved about how good they were. My sister’s read them. I got through them all. Louise Erdrich has outdone them, though, with The Birchbark House, the story of Omakayas, an Ojibwa girl, as … Continue reading →

Posted in Books with social studies links, Children's novels, historical, strong characters | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Slog’s Dad

Posted on August 22, 2014 by AnEducationInBooks

Slog’s Dad, written by David Almond and illustrated by Dave McKean, is a fascinating story about a boy, Slog, who believes the man on the bench is his dad. Nevermind that his dad died. Or that the man looks nothing … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's novels, Conventions, strong characters | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Jane, The Fox & Me

Posted on August 21, 2014 by AnEducationInBooks

Jane, The Fox & Me, a beautiful graphic novel looks much like a picture book, both with its size and its style of illustrations. Hélène, a middle schooler in Montreal, Quebec, is suddenly outcast by her friends, and she believes the graffiti … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian author/illustrator, Graphic novels, Tween book | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I, Too, Am America

Posted on August 19, 2014 by AnEducationInBooks

Bryan Collier has an amazing collection of picture books and this one, which illustrates Langston Hughe’s poem, I, Too, Sing America, is another mixed media beauty.  It begins on a train, a Pullman porter serving wealthy white passengers and relegated to the kitchen to … Continue reading →

Posted in historical, Love that art, Love that prose, Picture books, Poetry | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Home of the Brave

Posted on July 23, 2014 by AnEducationInBooks

Home of the Brave, a novel-in-verse by Katherine Applegate, is a moving story about Kek, who as a refugee from Sudan who as seen atrocities never loses hope of seeing his mother again. This story has an authentic and perceptive voice, beautiful language and … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's novels, Poetry, social issues, strong characters, Teen/Young Adult, Voice, Word choice | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Walk Together Children

Posted on August 29, 2013 by AnEducationInBooks

Selected and illustrated by world-renowned artist Ashley Bryan, Walk Together Children:  Black American Spirituals, is complete with music for each song. The linoleum print artwork, stunning in black and white if you can get your hands on a 1974 edition, has … Continue reading →

Posted in Books with social studies links, Love that art, Nonfiction, Picture books | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I Have A Dream

Posted on January 21, 2013 by AnEducationInBooks

Kadir Nelson illustrates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.‘s dream using the words of that well-known speech. Nelson creates a balance between history and a vision for the future:  We see both Dr. King on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial … Continue reading →

Posted in Biography, Books with social studies links, Love that art, Nonfiction, Picture books | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Growing Patterns: Fibonacci Numbers in Nature

Posted on June 28, 2012 by AnEducationInBooks

Stunning photographs of flowers and seeds demonstrate Fibonacci numbers: “the sequence of numbers–1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21…–in which each successive number is equal to the sum of the two preceding numbers.” Growing Patterns starts off simply, explaining the concept … Continue reading →

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The Cruisers

Posted on February 15, 2012 by AnEducationInBooks

While set in the present day, Walter Dean Myers‘ The Cruisers takes us back to the mindset of the Civil War era through eighth grade students. Zander and his friends, the Cruisers, have to prove their potential at Da Vinci Academy, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Character-driven, Children's novels, Series, social issues, strong characters, Voice | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments