image from ALA website According to the ALA, “the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal is awarded annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished informational book published in the United States in English during the preceding year.” In an age that prizes and publishes “informational texts,” (thank you, Common Core), this is not an insignificant award. The Sibert Medal committee spends just as much time–perhaps more time–as the Caldecott and Newbery committees spend in determining their award winners. Not only is excellence in text/visuals considered; accuracy is essential. A book can lose if an illustration depicts something not quite accurate or if a quotation is deemed to be false. Thus,…

Astrid, the thunderbolt of Glimmerdal, charms readers as easily as she charms those around her in this delightful middle grades novel. *Astrid the Unstoppable by Maria Parr. Candlewick, 2018 (English language version). 320 pages. Reading Level: Middle grades, ages 8-10Recommended For: Family read aloud, ages 6 and up“Blistering badgers!” She’s managed to sled —with speed and self confidence— clear down from Gunnvald’s house on his new invention —a steerable sled, over another mountain, and onto the ferry! Astrid, with her lion curls, is unstoppable. Unstoppable, that is, until her godfather Gunnvald has an accident and the fierce, towering Heidi shows up. Who is that fierce woman and what gives her the right to stay in Gunnvald’s house? And how dare she plan to make changes to Glimmerdal? Astrid leaps off the pages as energetically as her Scandinavian predecessor Pippi Longstocking. Astrid’s 9-year-old heart is in the…

ul.body { margin: 0; text-align: center; } ul.body li { list-style: none !important; display: inline-block; } @media screen and (min-width:768px) { ul.body img { width: 15%; margin: 0 2.5% 35px; } } @media screen and (max-width:767px) { ul.body img { width: 45%; margin: 0 2.5% 25px; } } //If it’s code-free, leave true — if not, set false var codeFree = false; var serial = []; serial.push(“B011H5G334”); //1 serial.push(“B006LPQW3W”); serial.push(“B07N8H6D1Q”); serial.push(“B004VG5EWI”); serial.push(“B07F93RQW4”); serial.push(“B07F92BZX3”); serial.push(“B003I8VBL8”); serial.push(“B0031QHH8S”); //8 serial.push(“B00PCJVWRY”); serial.push(“B00BW293BC”); serial.push(“B0087GZA6I”); serial.push(“B003BFEASY”); serial.push(“B00MBTYF5E”); serial.push(“B00C5QA6H4”); serial.push(“B004UN6OOE”); serial.push(“B00B85681Q”); //16 serial.push(“B01I5IYK9U”); serial.push(“B00A0VPE28”); serial.push(“B00B5JKLKO”); serial.push(“B00LPQOJVY”); serial.push(“B0015DTURA”); serial.push(“B002DYMBKS”); serial.push(“B00L1IP4ME”); serial.push(“B00E68O01W”); serial.push(“B077CX1HT8”); serial.push(“B006IEFN6S”); serial.push(“B00K6KFC98”); serial.push(“B00QMSCJ1C”); serial.push(“B004SBVKYW”); serial.push(“B00A68WKFO”); var imageLinkPart1 = “https://images.weserv.nl/?url=images.amazon.com/images/P/”; var imageLinkPart2 = “.02._SCLZZZZZZZ_jpg”; var buttonLinkPart1 =…

As we head into 2019, we’re going to take some time and give you a behind-the-scenes look at the Redeemed Reader team. So, with Hayley (our executive assistant) as interviewer, we’re starting off with our Managing Editor and Staff writer, Betsy Farquhar. What is your first reading memory? What are some books you remember your mom reading aloud to you?I remember —vividly— the first page I ever read on my own. I can remember lying on the couch in our den, and I must have been about 5, but it was before kindergarten. It’s the page in Danny and the Dinosaur with the gorillas. Suddenly, I was actually reading the words. It…

Happy Friday! We’ve made it through another work week, it’s beautiful here in Nebraska today (currently 57°!!!), and the thought of sleeping in tomorrow makes me smile.Before I get into today’s book, I have to ask: are any of you watching The Masked Singer? I’m not entirely sure why I started watching, but I’m completely addicted! Addicted to the point where I’m Googling every little thing while I watch. A glimpse at Wednesday night’s search history:Joey Fatone basketballJoey Fatone BrooklynJoey Fatone magicMasked Singer Muncie IndianaBasically, if Joey Fatone isn’t the Rabbit, I’ll be floored. I know he’s denying it, but of course he’s not going to admit it! It has…

ul.body { margin: 0; text-align: center; } ul.body li { list-style: none !important; display: inline-block; } @media screen and (min-width:768px) { ul.body img { width: 15%; margin: 0 2.5% 35px; } } @media screen and (max-width:767px) { ul.body img { width: 45%; margin: 0 2.5% 25px; } } //If it’s code-free, leave true — if not, set false var codeFree = false; var serial = []; serial.push(“B01N4SEV0A”); //1 serial.push(“B002LUYTYK”); serial.push(“B002WIG3SQ”); serial.push(“B000YXTIHO”); serial.push(“B01864DU6M”); serial.push(“B009SRRU4K”); serial.push(“B06XFKKFLQ”); serial.push(“B073RSS1MG”); //8 serial.push(“B005LIZP7E”); serial.push(“B004PYDM4I”); serial.push(“B00QMSCMWI”); serial.push(“B005ENBAOS”); serial.push(“B0073UN96W”); var imageLinkPart1 = “https://images.weserv.nl/?url=images.amazon.com/images/P/”; var imageLinkPart2 = “.02._SCLZZZZZZZ_jpg”; var buttonLinkPart1 = “https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/”; var linkPart2 = “/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=”; var linkPart3 = “&tag=tholstwa-20”; //This is finding the right blog posts ‘body’ tag.…