children's books

I’m still raving about yet another delightful tale from Kate DiCamillo!

The Magician’s Elephant is the story of ten-year-old Peter Augustus Duchene and his search for his long lost sister, Adele. Peter, an orphan being raised by a cantankerous old soldier with ailing health, chances his luck with a fortune teller one day, who tells him that his baby sister, whom his caretaker told him had died in childbirth, is still alive—and that an elephant will take him to her. Read more

My daughter’s occupational therapist introduced us to the world of Karen Katz, and we have enjoyed every moment of reading this author’s incredible, memorable works. All of her books share her trademark roly-poly, joyous children exploring the wonders of the world. They encompass many different cultures, activities, and holidays, but one thing they all have in common is their fantastic bright pictures of babies.

Katz cites traditional folk art for her inspiration in much of her art and writing. After a long career in various arts, it was adopting a daughter from Guatemala that inspired Katz to start writing children’s books. Her first book, Over the Moon, was written for her daughter and many more soon followed. Katz says that her teen daughter remains her biggest inspiration, even twenty-two books later. Read more

It’s no wonder Gail Carson Levine’s charming adaptation of Cinderella won the Newberry Award. Ella Enchanted is a truly enchanting read for both children as well as any lover of fairy tales, magic and fantasy.

As a child, I always wondered why Cinderella didn’t just leave her wicked stepmother and stepsisters; after all, she had free will, and she was resourceful enough to make it on her own. That must have been what Levine was thinking as she penned this amazing novel.

Ella in this version is strong-willed, but cursed to follow the orders that anyone gives her through the “gift” of a well-meaning but ditzy fairy. Because of this “gift” of obedience, Ella must do as she is told by everyone. She is protected by her loving mother until she is fifteen, when her mother dies. Read more

Like any intangible concept, peace can be a difficult lesson to teach to children. We can start with basic lessons—be nice to your friends, don’t hit your sister, don’t throw the cat—but even teaching what peace is can seem a bit tough to do. It’s very easy to complicate—even a simple explanation, like “Peace means not hurting each other,” can get mixed up with questions like, “But what about when we argue/ Jennifer takes my toys/ I get a time-out?” on the table.

Even if your child is likely to come up with his own eloquent and beautiful idea of what peace is—and he probably will—it may not encompass all of the ideas that you wish to share with your own values. Does peace include the environment? A universal brotherhood among all countries? Being a good neighbor? Is it simply the absence of violence, or also the continual goodwill and helping of people by all of humankind? Read more