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Today’s book recommendation: DRAWN TOGETHER by Minh Le – Fiction Picture Book

This picture book is one of my absolute favorites. The illustrations by Dan Santat are stunning, and the story has so much heart. I love the wordplay of the title, as well. In the book, a grandson struggles to connect with his grandson because they don’t speak the same language. After several tries, the grandfather realizes they both love to draw, and so they go on a magical adventure together with their drawings. Basically, their drawings literally draw them together.

The words are sparse because the characters’ expressions really do a lot of the talking in a simple, graphic novel style with multiple images on a page. It makes for a fun, interactive experience when reading it with young children as you ask them about the pictures and discuss what each character is feeling.

I think this book is so effective because it depicts a language barrier that both the author and illustrator related to personally–Vietnamese American for Le and Thai American for Santat.

My grandparents spoke English like me, but even then, we can all relate to trying to find a way to relate to another person, which can be especially tricky across generational gaps.

Depending on if you borrow this book from the library or buy your own copy, you might not be able to take off the dust jacket. If you can get a peek, the casewrap is a fun surprise as it is designed to look like the grandfather’s sketch book from the story!

Grab a copy of your own today and enjoy!

Happy reading!

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Today’s book recommendations: An Improbable Season by Rosalyn Eves – YA Regency Romance and A Captain for Caroline Gray by Julie Wright – Adult/YA Regency Romance

When AN IMPROBABLE SEASON came out last year, I had the opportunity to go to my local bookstore and get a signed copy from Rosalyn Eves!

Julie Wright was there as well, leading a a fun book discussion and Q&A with Rosalyn. These women are such extraordinary authors! I admire them so much! I ended coming away with 2 signed books to add to my TBR, plus a couple of door prizes! 🎉

Regency romance is a genre I only dip my toes in occasionally, but I truly enjoyed both books. I especially loved how Rosalyn kept me guessing till the very end who the main love interest was!

Thanks to Tanya’s Book Bungalow for hosting such a great event!

Happy Reading!

P.S. There’s now a stand-alone companion to AN IMPROBABLY SEASON that is called AN UNLIKELY PROPOSITION! If you or your teenagers like Bridgerton, this may be just the thing!

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Today’s book recommendation: LINCOLN’S GRAVE ROBBERS by Steve Sheinkin – Middle Grade Nonfiction

This true crime thriller is the perfect book to hook kids on nonfiction. Did you know that in 1865 over 50% of America’s paper money was counterfeit? It was a HUGE problem for the country, and so it became the one and only task of the nation’s new Secret Service organization to put a stop to it.

Steve Sheinkin is one of my all-time favorite authors, and this book was my first introduction to his work. It’s a real page-turner, filled with daring escapes and unbelievable plots, and the best part is that it all really happened! Sheinkin pulls actual dialogue and fantastic details from the audio transcripts and reports that are available because one secret service officer was able to infiltrate the counterfeiting gang that was trying steal Abraham Lincoln’s dead body!

My boys loved this book as much as I did, and I’m sure you will, too!

Happy Reading!

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Today’s book recommendation: 13 WAYS TO EAT A FLY by Sue Heavenrich – Nonfiction Picture Book

Lots of giggles with this fun counting down picture book! You start the book with 13 flies, and each then gets caught and eaten in a different way–whether they’re wrapped up like a burrito by a garden spider or stuffed in a hole to feed the larvae of a wasp.

The animal world is weird and wonderful, and there is plenty of gross factor here to go along with it! David Clark’s illustrations, with the delightful animal expressions, are the perfect complement to Sue Heavenrich’s prose.

Check out the hilarious nutritional facts for eating a serving of flies at the end!

Happy Reading!

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Today’s book recommendation: THE THRIFTY GUIDE: A HANDBOOK FOR TIME TRAVELERS series by Jonathon W. Stokes – Middle Grade Nonfiction

As a mother and a writer, I find great satisfaction from what I call “sneaky teaching.” When I can read something to my kids that gets them laughing out loud while teaching them about our world, it is just so rewarding! They don’t even know they’re learning!

The “Thrifty Traveler” series of books are perfect examples of sneaky teaching. They have a cleverly-designed fictional framework, in that they are set up as guidebooks that are produced by a fictional time travel company. It is a fantastic hook for all the fascinating and fun nonfiction material about what it was really like during these times in history.

Every morning before school, when my youngest boys were about 8 and 10 years old, they begged me to read them these while they ate breakfast. The first one we devoured was American Revolution where we learned how to fire a musket, what to do under cannon fire, and all about the Sons of Liberty, Henry Knox and his cannons, Bunker Hill, the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and much more!

How do you get in “sneaky teaching” with your kids?

Click on these images to zoom in.

Happy reading!

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Today’s double whammy book recommendations: SHIELDED and UNTETHERED by KayLynn Flanders – Young Adult Fantasy

One of my favorite people and one of my favorite book series, all wrapped in one! KayLynn is the loveliest of lovely and her stories have the coolest vibe!! I had to wrestle these books away from my teenagers (both boys and girls!), so I could read them, too–in their final form, that is. I had the distinct privilege of being one of KayLynn’s critique partners for a time, so I got to read a number of different versions!

These books are full of swordplay, villains, clean, fun romance, and daring, magical adventures. Watch out for ulterior motives and a wilderness with its own agenda. I highly recommend!

Happy Reading!

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Today’s book recommendation: NOW & BEN: THE MODERN INVENTIONS OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN by Gene Berretta – Nonfiction Picture Book

This little picture book is the perfect example of how much fun nonfiction books for kids are nowadays. The talented Gene Barretta, who used to animate for Sesame Street, is the author and illustrator of Now & Ben. Barretta uses a compare & contrast structure to highlight Ben Franklin’s original inventions and how those inventions are still used today, and it is absolutely delightful!

It’s history and science, and it gives little ones the perfect way to see how one person can change the world.

Happy reading!

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Today’s book recommendation: THE FALSE PRINCE by Jennifer A. Nielsen – Middle Grade Fantasy (ages 9-12)

Sebastian was ten when he first devoured The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen. The moment he finished it, he was ready to jump into the next one in the series, The Runaway King. Nielsen’s entire Ascendance series is an exciting, high-stakes ride with lots of twists and turns, court intrigue, spies, wars, friendship, betrayal, and fun, witty characters. 

What started as a trilogy is now a series of 5, with the final volume called The Shattered Castle. These were published through Scholastic and at one time, there were rumors of The False Prince being made into a movie. We’re still hoping for that around here!

Happy Reading!

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Today’s book recommendation: THIS IS NOT MY HAT by Jon Klassen – Fiction Picture Book

I first read This Is Not My Hat during Covid after an online SCBWI summer conference where I was able to learn from many exceptional children’s authors, including Jon Klassen. He gave a presentation, alongside Mac Barnett, on their successful collaborations on picture books. They emphasized that with picture books, it adds so much to the story when the pictures tell a whole different narrative than the words. At the time, I had never thought about it that way! So simple and brilliant!

This Caldecott-winning book by Klassen is the perfect example. He is the author and illustrator for this story where a little fish tells the reader how he stole a big fish’s hat and has a plan to get away with it! Through tiny details in the illustrations, like the big fish narrowing his eyes, you deduce that things are not quite the way that the little fish thinks they are.

I laughed out loud at the twist at the end, and I hope you do, too! Happy reading!

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Today’s book recommendation: BENEATH THE WIDE SILK SKY by Emily Inouye Huey – Young Adult Historical Fiction

I’ve always been fascinated with the idea of time travel and until scientists figure that out, historical fiction is as close as it gets! This genre is an awesome way for adults and curious kids alike to not only learn about real events in history, but to fully immerse themselves in the experiences and emotions of the time.

The moment I started reading Beneath the Wide Silk Sky by Emily Inouye Huey, my newly minted goal to get more sleep flew right out the window! I absolutely could not put it down! This book immediately transports you back in time to WWII America and into the lives of the future victims of the Japanese internment camps.

Huey’s evocative prose is stunning, and she handles the delicate topics of race, prejudice, and aggression with care and sensitivity. Her characters and their relationships are complex and fully-developed.

This book is a definite must-read for teenagers and adults. When my daughter read it, it instantly became her very favorite book!