Love in the Library offers a tender picture of humanity and the miracle of love, and hope in the midst of a Japanese internment camp. Love in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, illustrated by Yas Imamura. Candlewick, 2022. 32 pages. Reading Level: Picture Books, ages 4-8 Recommended For: Ages 4-8 Tama is one of many Japanese Americans who is incarcerated in an internment camp. Because she loves books, she tends the library where she finds escape through stories–but not enough to relieve the constant fear and anxiety. Thankfully, there is another constant. George brings back a stack of books every day, along with his broad smile. Eventually Tama realizes that…

The British Are Coming recounts the first 4 years of the American Revolution in an engaging style, capturing substance and detail. The British Are Coming (Young Reader Edition) by Rick Atkinson. Godwin Books (Henry Holt), 2022, 189 pages plus appendices Reading Level: Teen, ages 12-15 Recommended for: ages 12-up “I am very much hurt,” wrote King George III in response to a report of his American subjects dumping a shipment of tea into Boston Harbor. The king’s displeasure resulting inclosing the harbor, whereupon all the colonies from Massachusetts to Georgia rose in solidarity to support their Boston brethren. Events moved swiftly from there: a military governor appointed for Massachusetts, a…

Mr. Lincoln Sits for His Portrait is an unusual and touching look at our nation’s 16th president through the then-new medium of photography. Mr. Lincoln Sits for His Portrait: The Story of a Photograph That Became an American Icon by Leonard S. Marcus. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2023, 95 pages plus notes, bibliography, and index. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 10-up “If I had another face, would I be wearing this one?” That was Abraham Lincoln’s famous rejoinder to his opponent suggesting he was two-faced. But for a man universally regarded as homely, Lincoln understood the power of photography better than most of his generation. He sat…

“Too Small Tola” returns in a second volume of this warm-hearted series of Nigerian family life. Too Small Tola and the Three Fine Girls by Atinuke, illustrated by Onyinye Iwu. Candlewick, 2022, 96 pages. Reading Level: Chapter Book, ages 7-9 Recommended for: ages 4-8 as a read-aloud, 7-10 for independent readers. Tola is the youngest (and smallest) of three siblings, but like her little grandmommy she has a tall will and spirit. She is growing up in “a run-down block of apartments in the megacity of Lagos,” Nigeria. Sister Moji is studying to become a doctor and brother Dapo is working on his soccer-star moves, so Tola is often overlooked…

A Valentine’s Day list of books that celebrate family love and wholesome romance. It’s the season of hearts and flowers and chocolate. Valentine’s Day is a shameless commercial opportunity, but a holiday that celebrates love (the original meaning of St. Valentine) is a pretty neat idea, actually.  And it’s nice that it takes place in the middle of February, which is typically a gloomy month.  Commercially, the holiday has come to focus almost exclusively on L’amour! to the exclusion of familial, fraternal, and friendship love, so this month’s book list celebrates love, starting with the place most of us experience it first—in the family. Love and Laughter Book List Book…

Enjoy this unapologetic list of romantic reads for teens: great love stories and high romance without LGBTQ elements. For the genre-junkies out there, it’s worth noting that the Blink Imprint books consistently deliver clean romance. Members: we’ve got this as a free printable for you! Check out the Members Printable Page for the link. Please note: a 13-year-old may not be ready for the same sort of a book a 19-year-old will enjoy. It’s safe to say that older teens can (and will) enjoy every book on this list, but not every book is appropriate for a younger teen. Please read reviews if you are unfamiliar with a given title.…

Editor’s Note: It’s a new month–meaning a new chapter in our Honey for a Child’s Heart Read-along. Or actually, two chapters: #5: “Poetry” and #22: “Poetry Is for Pleasure.” What better way to introduce a child to the delights of rhyme and rhythm than reading aloud from a beautifully-illustrated collection of Mother Goose rhymes? Betsy and Janie talked about their best-beloved editions in an earlier post, and here Gladys Hunt shares some of her favorites. Choosing Mother Goose Originally published on the Tumblon website July 12, 2009 Every child should have an early friendship with Mother Goose! Those who know agree that nothing boosts language development better than the catchy…