Top Five Kids Books You (and Your Kids) Can’t Live Without

Sierra Black, 2009

Childhood, as it survives in my memory, was one long golden afternoon spent lost in the stacks of my local library. I’m blessed with kids of my own now, one of whom just discovered the magic of libraries for herself.

Between the library and our own large book collection, the kids don’t lack for reading material. Here’s my short list of books I’d want handy if I were trapped on a desert island with a preschooler. Continue reading »

The City Kid/Country Kid Reading List

Today on Babble:

“The City Kid/Country Kid Reading List”

By Emily Frost

12 favorite books to make your child feel at home.

Read it here.

Are Children’s Book Authors All Vegetarians?

Perhaps it’s just our tendency to anthropomorphize every animal we draw in a picture book. Or perhaps the theory that early humans really evolved as prey species more than predators holds water and we have some innate loyalty for the home team despite our actual omnivorous ways.

But I’ve got to say that the number of stories in which a carnivorous animal that is just filling its ecological niche is made into a evil (or somehow, even worse, greedy) villain of the story is starting to bug me.

Continue reading »

Babble Talk: Your Kid Can’t Read But Mine Can

Some people may have felt relief reading “All in the Timing,” today’s top story on Babble. Writer and children’s story book author Dashka Slater sets out to remind us that picture books aren’t just for babies; they’re for big kids, too. She also wants you to know that reading level doesn’t always jibe with readiness level — some kids’ lit is lost on the young-yet-advanced readers.

Great insight! Parents of advanced readers, go over to Slater’s piece and then unbox those “babyish” picture books for a few more years.

But for the rest of you who read the article and are now crapping your pants — 4-year-olds reading? 6-year-olds and Shakespeare? 10-year-olds and Eragon?– come to Mama Madeline. Continue reading »