A sweet story about a mother duck whose unusual nesting spot provided a welcome diversion from from the war, both in local news and beyond. Gertie: The Darling Duck of WWII by Shari Swanson, illustrated by Renee Graef. Sleeping Bear Press, 2023, 32 pages. Reading Level: Picture book, ages 4-8 Recommended For: Ages 4-8 In 1945, just a few years after another duck family was immortalized in literature by Robert McCloskey, a mother duck built her nest in the center of a wide post in the Milwaukee River. People noticed and admired her, wondering if the babies would be safe when her eggs hatched. A newspaper reporter started running articles…

Impossible Escape tells the story of one determined teenager who survived Auschwitz and became one of the first to reveal details of the Holocaust. Impossible Escape: The True Story of Survival and Heroism in Nazi Europe by Steve Sheinkin. Roaring Brook, 2023, 219 pages plus Author Note, bibliography, and index. Reading Level: Teen, ages 12-15 Recommended for: ages 15-up When war reached Slovakia in 1942, 17-year-old Rudi Vrba knew he was certain to be rounded up with other Jewish boys and sent to Germany as slave labor. With his mother’s blessing, he said good-bye to his friends (including pretty Gerta Sidonová) and headed to safer territory. He made a good…

The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall series imagines the mysterious education of a classic mystery writer. The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall by Ali Standish. Harper, 2023, 310 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 10-15 A poor boy makes good–or will he? Young Arthur didn’t think it through on that street in Edinburgh, when he picked up that rock and hit the old gentleman on the head. It was just the quickest way to raise an alarm so the man would notice the baby’s pram rolling toward the galloping horses and avert a near-certain tragedy. In his brief conversation with Arthur’s afterward, the gentleman showed an…

Maps is an oversize and endlessly browseable collection of hand-drawn maps of most of the world. Maps by Eleksandra Mizielinska and Daniel Mizielinski. Candlewick, 2013, 107 pages. Reading Level: Middle grades, ages 8-10 Recommended For: Ages 4 and up You like maps?  We’ve got maps!  After a view of the whole world, followed by a political map of Europe, the fun begins: big, double-page spreads of each country, lavishly illustrated with folk-arty, idiosyncratic icons of flora, fauna, geographical features, local customs and historical figures, food and native dress.  The drawings are the most distinctive feature, as most atlases are illustrated largely with photos.  Here, everything is hand-drawn, even the maps…

God, You Are introduces young children to God’s character and attributes in a warm devotional setting. God, You Are: 20 Promises from the Psalms for Kids by William R. Osborne, illustrated by Brad Woodard. Crossway, 2023, 48 pages. Reading Level: Picture Book, ages 4-8 Recommended for: ages 4-8 as a read-aloud God is too big for even adult minds to comprehend, so it’s no wonder parents struggle to introduce Him to their kids. The details of a busy life often leave little room for deeper thoughts, making it doubly important to set aside quiet times of reflection, such as the half-hour before bed when moms and dads tuck in their…

God, You Are introduces young children to God’s character and attributes in a warm devotional setting. God, You Are: 20 Promises from the Psalms for Kids by William R. Osborne, illustrated by Brad Woodard. Crossway, 2023, 48 pages. Reading Level: Picture Book, ages 4-8 Recommended for: ages 4-8 as a read-aloud God is too big for even adult minds to comprehend, so it’s no wonder parents struggle to introduce Him to their kids. The details of a busy life often leave little room for deeper thoughts, making it doubly important to set aside quiet times of reflection, such as the half-hour before bed when moms and dads tuck in their…

An adventurous fairy tale set in Imperial Russia, perfect for teens who enjoy books like The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis. *The Carver and the Queen by Emma Fox. Owl’s Nest Publishers, 2023. 304 pages. Reading Level: Teen/YA, Ages 12 and up Recommended For: Ages 12 and up Petr is doomed to serfdom. All he wants to do is learn to carve malachite, the striking green mineral found in the Ural Mountains. Lena appears doomed to a terrible marriage, arranged on her behalf because her family is too poor to secure something better for her. She’d rather continue doing chores for old Yermolay, the stone cutter, especially when Petr…

An adventurous fairy tale set in Imperial Russia, perfect for teens who enjoy books like The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis. *The Carver and the Queen by Emma Fox. Owl’s Nest Publishers, 2023. 304 pages. Reading Level: Teen/YA, Ages 12 and up Recommended For: Ages 12 and up Petr is doomed to serfdom. All he wants to do is learn to carve malachite, the striking green mineral found in the Ural Mountains. Lena appears doomed to a terrible marriage, arranged on her behalf because her family is too poor to secure something better for her. She’d rather continue doing chores for old Yermolay, the stone cutter, especially when Petr…

When are children old enough to begin appreciating quality art? As soon as they start looking at picture books. Note: even though this post references “picture books,” the tips below work for all ages (toddler to grown-up). Art Appreciation: Picture Books and Paintings Do you want to encourage your children to appreciate visual art, whether “high” or “low”? Ever wonder why a certain picture book is a Caldecott winner or honor? Art appreciation includes an awareness of the various artistic elements in a given work, the ways in which the artist is using those elements, the manner in which the work relates to its contemporaries, and the way in which a particular…

When are children old enough to begin appreciating quality art? As soon as they start looking at picture books. Note: even though this post references “picture books,” the tips below work for all ages (toddler to grown-up). Art Appreciation: Picture Books and Paintings Do you want to encourage your children to appreciate visual art, whether “high” or “low”? Ever wonder why a certain picture book is a Caldecott winner or honor? Art appreciation includes an awareness of the various artistic elements in a given work, the ways in which the artist is using those elements, the manner in which the work relates to its contemporaries, and the way in which a particular…