We all know the conundrum of deciding on Halloween costumes. I mean, with so many amazing book characters, how do you decide to dress up as just one. Lucky for you (or unlucky for you), some great characters are back for kids to consider dressing up as, and there’s even some new ones for kids […]

When I set out to write The Simple Art of Flying, a present-day book told largely from the perspective of a surly African grey, I’d feared it wouldn’t find a warm reception. But like with the following books, compelling characters and unusual voices, whether they come from persnickety parrots or wise old wolfhounds, have a […]

When I think of survival stories, the first two that come to mind are Hatchet by Gary Paulsen and Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell. Both are classics worth reading, but there’s a great big world of other terrific survivalist stories for middle grade readers. Here are just a few: What survivalist stories are you reading […]

If your kids have robots-on-the-brain (in other words, they can’t stop, won’t stop talking about and building robots) then these books are for you. They will buy you countless seconds until the next robot-related question comes at you, like, “What if I built a robot to clean my room?” But seriously, these robot-themed easy reader, […]

Help your kiddos fend off the lingering chill of winter and their burgeoning spring fever by making sure their bookshelves are stocked with stellar new books—perfect for holing up under a blanket or finding a warm, sunny spot to read. This month, we’ve got new additions to beloved series like James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts’ […]