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The rowboat rocked gently in the calm ripples of the harbor. Davi, Martin, and Adam dropped their lines into the water and surveyed the nearby battleships. The USS Nevada was anchored closest to the boys, but Adam’s father, a naval lieutenant, worked on the next ship, the USS Arizona. The December morning was calm and clear.…

Illustrator Susan Jeffers introduces a new generation of readers to Robert Frost’s Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. Jeffers gives Frost’s poem her unique perspective as fur and feathers spring from the pages. Fluffy snowflakes float  down the paper in silent snowfall. Woodland creatures peek from behind bare branches. How many you can find…

Burn Notice Fire fascinates. It flickers and flares. Sparks shoot and singe. Candles, fireplaces, campfires—we are drawn to it. Colors dance and flames flirt with us. How close can you get without burning yourself (or your marshmallow)? Sin holds much of the same fascination. It, too, flirts with us, cajoling us to come a little…

I’ve also been reading through The Shadow Children series by Margaret Peterson Haddix. While I found Book 1 a little slow, the following novels have left me out of breath and with stubby fingernails. Haddix picks up the pace with each one. Plot twists keep readers and characters alike off balance. I’ve currently reading Book…

Officer Buckle’s crime is putting his listeners to sleep with his safety speech—until he buddies up with police dog, Gloria. Suddenly, Officer Buckle is receiving rave reviews, but unknown to the officer, his partner, Gloria, is stealing the show. What will happen when he discovers her antics? Take Peggy Rathman’s Officer Buckle and Gloria on…

Gold Rings and Pigpens “Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.”   Proverbs 11: 22 (NIV) Gold rings. Pig noses. Not something you would ordinarily put together. Gold rings belong on hands. Pig noses belong in the slop bucket of the pigpen. So why does God, through…

Twelve-year-old Michael Arroyo and his father dreamed of the Little League World Series. As the playoffs near, Michael’s chances of pitching there just may become reality. Besides having a great arm, however, Michael also has secrets—secrets that could sabotage his Little League World Series debut. Author Mike Lupica serves up  a great baseball story to…

Squeal with the pigs, bray with the donkeys, and low with the cows in the big red barn where the only quiet things at the farm are the eggs. From dawn to dark, follow the animals until the day finally winds down in Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown. Which animal is your favorite? I…

Be Flakey Snow rarely falls in our part of Texas. The sight of even a few wispy flakes sparks currents of excitement through children and adults alike. Eyes widen. Smiles appear. Ooos and aahs echo from classrooms to conference rooms. After summers of triple digit heat and the normal winter fare of rain and sleet, snow…

In previous posts, I spotlighted several premiere books of their respective series. Today, I encourage you to follow through on one: Suzanne Collins’s Underland Chronicles. Join Gregor as, one by one, each of his family members find themselves entangled in the conflicts of the Underland. Collins deftly weaves her ever-present themes of war and peace…