Author: Lisa Maucione

I am always on the lookout for great chapter books to share with children who have progressed beyond early readers, but are not yet ready for the sophistication and length of middle grade novels. Too Small Tola is a chapter book divided into three stories that tell about Tola and her life living in Lagos,… Continue reading Too Small Tola by Atinuke and illustrated by Onyinye Iwu

As a reading teacher, I hold picture books that affirm the benefits of reading close to my heart. Reading such books aloud to my students provides opportunities to discuss why reading is important and the ways in which it can be transformative. How to Catch a Clover Thief is one of my new favorite books… Continue reading How to Catch a Clover Thief by Elise Parsley

The morning after a blizzard, Lina walks through her neighborhood to her grandmother’s and takes delight in the many ways she can experience the new fallen snow through sound.  Lina wakes to the muffled quiet of a world blanketed in snow. On her walk, she listens carefully and hears snow-related sounds such as the “ploompf”… Continue reading Ten Ways to Hear Snow by Cathy Camper and Kenard Pak

I have a collection of books that I often place into a basket labeled “Monsters, Ghouls, and Ghosts,” for readers who enjoy supernatural tales with a bit of spookiness. With a ghost as the protagonist, Gustavo, the Shy Ghost is a picture book that could certainly be put into such a book basket. But, from… Continue reading Gustavo, the Shy Ghost by Flavia Z. Drago