The girls’ book club met this week, and it was all about Christmas as we talked about Andrew Clements’ The Last Holiday Concert. It’s a great story about a boy who ends up in charge of his middle school’s holiday concert just as the music teacher is laid off. We had a great discussion about… Continue reading Girls’ Book Club: “The Last Holiday Concert”
Tag: children’s book
Cast Your Vote for A Kid President!
This month’s the boy’s book club read Dan Gutman’s The Kid Who Ran for President. It’s a hilarious take on what might happen if a kid ran for president. Throughout the story, the main character, Judson Moon, learns the ins and outs of being a part of a national election. His campaign manager, a fellow… Continue reading Cast Your Vote for A Kid President!
Book Clubbing in the Wild West: Climbing Mountains
I love being able to make hands-on plans for book club. I love that we’re not only about books and discussion but about really getting into the books with all of our senses. That’s why I was so excited for the kids to read Missing on Superstition Mountain by Elise Broach this month, and just… Continue reading Book Clubbing in the Wild West: Climbing Mountains
“Cold Case Christianity for Kids” by J. Warner Wallace & Susie Wallace
Summary: Between the ages of 8 and 12, kids often start to wonder if Christianity is true. In Cold-Case Christianity for Kids, detective J. Warner Wallace draws readers into the thrill of high-stakes investigation by showing them how to think rather than telling them what to think. In this children’s companion to the bestselling Cold-Case… Continue reading “Cold Case Christianity for Kids” by J. Warner Wallace & Susie Wallace
Book Clubbing on the Orphan Train: “A Family Apart”
This month’s girls’ book club selection was one I’ve had for years: about twenty years, in fact. We read A Family Apart by Joan Lowry Nixon, the first in the Orphan Train Adventure series. The story opens in New York City with an Irish family whose father has died. Ma is trying hard to keep everyone… Continue reading Book Clubbing on the Orphan Train: “A Family Apart”
Meeting “Lemoncello” Author Chris Grabenstein
Recently My Little Man and I traveled to a nearby city to meet New York Times’ Best-selling author Chris Grabenstein. It was everything I ever thought meeting a famous author could be. When I was a little girl I wanted to be a writer. I used to sit at my desk with stacks of paper… Continue reading Meeting “Lemoncello” Author Chris Grabenstein
Writing History at Epic Patriot Camp
Last week my kids experienced the most amazing camp ever. It was Epic Patriot Camp, sponsored by the National Park Service, held at the Abingdon Muster Grounds, and taught, in part, by the wonderful author Jenny L. Cote. For six hours each day, the lived the Revolutionary Battle of King’s Mountain. Over the course of… Continue reading Writing History at Epic Patriot Camp
Book Club, Girls’ Edition: “Love, Ruby Lavender”
When I first read Love, Ruby Lavender by Deborah Wiles, I knew it would make a great book club pick. About a young girl dealing with the loss of her father, a busy mother, and her best-friend Grandma who’s away for the summer, it’s full of chickens, zucchini, and adventures with the new girl next… Continue reading Book Club, Girls’ Edition: “Love, Ruby Lavender”
NEW! “Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics” Linked Novel Study
You might remember that we love Chris Grabenstein’s Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library. We loved it so much that we made it a book club pick for both the boys and the girls and we’ve read it over and over. That’s why we were over the moon excited to find out that Grabenstein wrote a sequel… Continue reading NEW! “Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics” Linked Novel Study
Book Club, Survival Edition: “The Secret Island”
I first heard about The Secret Island by Enid Blyton while eavesdropping in the library. Awful, right? I didn’t mean to – but some kids were super excited about a book that they’d read and were happily discussing it with the librarian. They all seemed so in love with it that I knew we… Continue reading Book Club, Survival Edition: “The Secret Island”
