“She likes to read fantasy,” said the reader’s parent. Exciting! Someone has come looking for more books to read. A wise educator or librarian knows that they do not have enough information to make a real recommendation at this point. Fantasy is a broad genre. The reader could mean they like many things. In the […]
For three years, I have been monitoring awards announcements, checking in on Jennifer LaGarde and Donalyn Miller’s starred-reviews tracking, and reading book review journals. Two years ago, I spent some time at the GAP School library organizing their collection and seeing what flew off the shelf and what didn’t. I began checking best seller lists, […]
Croco by Azul López Translated from the Spanish by Kit Maude Winner of the 2026 Mildred A. Batchelder Award Poor Croco. This crocodile is going about his business when he stumbles into a large hole. Although many jungle animals offer Croco advice, none of it is quite right for him. This simple story is elevated to the […]
Some months ago, my children did not know Bluebeard. I told them the tale, making it as spooky as possible. Dinner-time talk is a struggle. None of my children can reliably respond to “how was your day?” in a convivial manner. Before our heroine opened the forbidden door, I paused dramatically. Around the table, six […]
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