Katherine Peterson’s Bridge to Terebithia is a touching story about friendship and bringing out the best in one another. Iron sharpens iron in this unlikely friendship between Jess and Leslie. Have the Kleenex ready. This one tugs at your heart. Boys, don’t be tempted to bypass this one. Check it out and see what you…

This week, Zuno has chosen Stanley and Rhoda by Rosemary Wells. If you have more than one child in your litter, your older ones will appreciate Stanley’s predicaments. We firstborns know what a challenge our younger siblings can be.

We have friends and family who own land out in the country. When we visit, we pile into the pickup truck and drive around; usually, we feed cattle or go out to an old farmhouse. When you are driving out in the country, there are gates leading from one pasture or property to the next.…

This week, I’d like to introduce you to one of my favorite authors, France Hodgson Burnett. She authored The Secret Garden, A Little Princess, and Little Lord Fauntleroy. These beautiful stories highlight the best in people in the worst of circumstances. Moms, A Little Princess is a must read for your princess and sets a…

Zuno is seeing spots this week with Robert Lopshire’s Put Me in the Zoo. This is a great early reader book. Non-readers will enjoy rhymes, colors, and silliness.

My family loves games and one we like to play is Sardines. In Sardines, one person hides, and the others try to find them. Once you find them, you hide with them until you are packed in the hiding place like sardines. Oh, and one other thing. It’s played in the dark. No lights allowed.…

Half Magic by Edward Eager puts a new twist on wishing. Siblings Jane, Mark, Katherine, and Martha find a coin that grants wishes—kind of. The coin grants only half of the wish. Do the math and you’ll find twice the fun you wished for.

If Zuno and I run early in the morning, we sometimes see a bunny. Zuno must have been thinking of bunnies today, because he’s chosen Beatrix Potter’s A Child’s Treasury of Beatrix Potter. The beloved story of Peter Rabbit is recounted here as well as eight others like Jemima Puddle-Duck and Benjamin Bunny. Parents, if…

Do you like hot, fresh-from–the-oven bread? Our family enjoys cooking together and when a school holiday grants us some extra time, we make cinnamon rolls. Our kitchen feels warm and cozy and the fragrance of cinnamon and baking bread snake through the house. Powdered sugar dusts the countertops as we stir up sweet icing that…

The format of Gayle’s Gable changes from that of a reading club to one similar to Zuno’s Pick. Gayle’s Gable spotlights my family’s favorite novels for older readers. Please share your favorites. My youngest son enjoys The Redwall Chronicles by Brian Jacques. Redwall is the first book in the series and many follow. These stories…