RAR Bonus Episode: Some of the Best Books by Living Authors
If you are unsure which books being published today are worth your time (or if they’re worth your time at all)… then this brand new episode of the Read-Aloud Revival podcast–all about some of the best books by living authors–is for you.
We’re launching season 10 of the Read-Aloud Revival podcast with an episode dedicated to books that I’m confident can stand up with the classics, and that are every bit as good as your old favorites.
Over the last few years, I’ve noticed something rather curious: I hear quite often from those who feel that old books are pretty much always better than new ones.
They talk about the literary giants like C.S. Lewis, E. Nesbit, Elizabeth Enright, and J.R.R. Tolkien as though we will never see another literary genius like them again.
As though one had to be born in a certain era in order to write books as profound and beautiful as theirs.
I’ve got an Opinion with a capital “O” about this, because friends–tomorrow’s classics are being written today.
If you’re ignoring the best modern children’s books (and their authors), then you’re missing out on a lot of wonderful stories.
You’re also missing the opportunity to support and cheer on writers and illustrators who are making beautiful books for our kids right now--who are putting wonderful work into a world that desperately needs it.
Have a seat, sister. I’ve got some books to tell you about!
Click that play button below to hear the podcast:
Books (both old and new) that are mentioned on this episode:
(All links are affiliate links.)
Links from the show:
- Get our picture book recommendations.
- RAR #21: Finding Allies in Imagination, with S.D. Smith
- RAR #56: What’s at Stake and Why Stories Matter, with Jonathan Auxier
- Tuck Everlasting movie
- RAR #44: Magic and Fear in Children’s Books, with N.D. Wilson
Love your lists!!!! Is there a printable version of this list in particular? The email link is for “books boys love”
Thank you!!
I am so glad that I have found this group. For some time now I have been looking for a way to get reviews on books.My children and I like to read together, but they also read on there own and my daughter is getting older and asking about some that I am just not so sure. Now I think it will be easier for me to see if the ones she would like to read are appropriate or not.. Have you read the books by Brian Selznick? My daughter has read the first one Hugo and it is a good one and the movie is also. She has also read Wonder Struck, it is very neat how he tells the story in words and pictures as well. Now he has a third one that she is asking about and I was not so sure it is The Marvels. Do you have any thoughts on this one?
Sorry the title of the first book by Brian Selznick that she read
is The Invention of Hugo Cabret.
We love Hugo–both the book and the movie! Have you looked at Commonsense Media for book reviews? They don’t review everything, but I find the kind of information they offer very helpful in helping us decide what to read and watch next. Here’s their review of The Marvels: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/the-marvels
I’m working on a project that is due Thursday and your podcasts have been keeping me company on this long day. So excited about books that have been on my to read list for a while and some new ones to make that list even longer!
Just wanted to say thanks for your great work. One tiny suggestion: a list of the titles along with the beautiful book covers. This would be nice as it would be easy to copy and paste to my Evernote list of books to read that I keep handy for when it’s time to pick a new Read-Aloud.
Oh! I just saw if I were a member, that printable list would be available. OK, maybe next time around! :-)
I just finished listening to Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke, narrated by Brendan Fraser…excellent story and phenomenal narrator!
Thanks for the recommendation!
Is there a book list just for this podcast? I can’t find the show notes!
Carrie :)
Is there a book list just for this podcast? I can’t find the show notes!
While we offer printable booklists for our monthly picture book selections,printable book lists are available for RAR Members for every podcast episode!
Would like to add JK Rowling to this list. Her Harry Potter series will definitely continue to be read–one of tomorrow’s classics for sure!
You have a lot of our modern favorites (we LOVE the Wingfeather Saga!! So glad I stumbled upon them when there were only two books out….but waiting for the final two was hard!). I would love to add in Jonathon Rogers Wilderking Series – Bark of the Bog Owl, Secret of the Swamp King, & The Way of the Wilderking. It is a fantastic retelling about David.
Wonderful! 😊
Thank you for this bonus podcast. As a teacher of Children’s Literature, one of my biggest concerns with “best of” lists is that they feature only the classics. You did an excellent job of addressing the valid point that some of the future classics are being written today.
My 14 year old daughter is loving these book suggestions! She read Tucker Everlasting, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, A Single Shard, and is currently reading Moon Over Manifest. She has loved all of them!! Thank you for this list!! She wants to read all day!! Which makes me so happy!!
So good to hear!
My kids, 11 & 9 (girl and boy) absolutely love the Lost Years of Merlin series by T.A. Barron. We’re on the 4th book and they always beg for one more chapter! It’s been one of our favorite read alouds…up there with Chronicles of Narnia :)
This is so great! We’ve read and loved a lot of these books. We have listened to and read the series of unfortunate events by Lemony Snicket many times.
Would love to listen to this, but I can’t get it to play here or on iTunes… is there a glitch with this one?
Love this episode! It is so depressing to go to chain bookstores. Several of these we know and love but glad to find some new ones. We just discovered Mistmantle Chronicles by Margaret McAllister. The kids and I all loved it and are fighting over who gets to read book 2 first! It reminds me a lot of The Green Ember but with squirrels and otters.
The Incorrigibles – so delightful. We have just finished read-aloud-ing another nanny series – Nanny Piggins by R.A. Spratt, an Australian writer. Delicious fun.
100 cupboards is very very almost impossibly scary at one point. I mean even for me. Just a warning. I had to put the book in the freezer before I could go to sleep.
It’s also unclear what the underlying morality/theological implications of the world are — it’s only the first in a series. You really have to be careful with fantasy that they don’t set up a competing/confusing theological or moral view, even by accident.
The theme of recovering bravery in this risk adverse childhood society is great, but not sure where it’s going.
We loved and were terrified by 100 cupboards and are waiting until our kids are a bit older for the sequel. I think it bothered me more than say Narnia or Wingfeathers because the main setting was in our world so it seemed more like it could happen. maybe. But I will say as far as worldview, ND Wilson is solid and his RAR podcast is in my top 3 of favorites probably. He explains well his view of fantasy and the world. I highly recommend listening if you haven’t.
Amanda, I would totally push through to the second book. Dandelion Fire becomes much more fantastical and puts the horror element of the first book in context and makes it easier to deal with mentally.
Elizabeth, have you listened to Episode 44 with N.D. Wilson, the author of 100 Cupboards? Might help clear up lingering questions about the worldview: https://readaloudrevival.com/44-2/
I just finished the second book, totally cleared it all up. It’s a wonderful series, I listened to the first in the car with the kids and my one really sensitive child was not as scared by the scary part as I thought he would be.
I haven’t heard the podcast with Wilson, but I’ll put it next on my queue. Thanks!
Elizabethe
I think I missed something! I see a link for a booklist…but it doesn’t have these “modern classics” grouped. I was particularly looking for a list of these newer books (as well as the “if you liked these classics” recommendations that went along with them).
We don’t have a printable available for the podcasts. Sorry!
I have a house full of little ones so I don’t have time to tell you all the reasons this was my favorite episode, but I did want to tell you…this is my favorite episode! Thank you for this wonderful podcast that helps me build our family culture around books! ;)
I’m having trouble finding the printable book list from this Podcast:
RAR Bonus Episode: Some of the Best Books by Living Authors
Printable book lists for podcast episodes are only available inside RAR Membership. Sorry for the confusion.
I agree with what someone said about the classics being a trusted place to find a stellar read. It is very hard for me to keep ahead of my voracious readers! That being said, I love to offer them a variety of great books (old and new; fantasy and historical fiction), so I am thrilled when I find a reliable place to get great recommends of new books. We have read some of the things on your list (LOVE the Penderwicks!!), and we’re excited to try out some of the others.
A book I immediately thought of when you introduced this list is A Snicker of Magic by: Natalie Lloyd. The kids loved it, and my husband and I were blown away by the depth, the heart, and the writing.
Thank you!
Thanks for the podcast and accompanying list. I’m loving all the new inspiration to pick up a new book. I’m sad to not see May B on the list. That book stopsmy heart!
We love May B here too! Have you listened to Episode 15 of the podcast? It features Caroline Starr Rose! She’s so, so good!
https://readaloudrevival.com/15/
Thank you so much for this amazing list! You mentioned that a lot of these were geared for the middle grades, but are there any that would be great read-alouds for younger kiddos (aside from The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic that you mentioned…already added that one to my cart!)? Mine are 6, 5 and 3. If I need to just be patient for a few years I can accept that – I’ll just read them to myself. :)
Sara, I also have some younger children and they really enjoyed “The Growly Books” by Phillip and Erin Ulrich and “The Willow Valley” series by Tracey Corderoy (quite a girly read)
Yes, I would second the Growly Books for a crowd that young!
Thank you for all your wonderful recommendations and wisdom. You have already helped to enrich the lives of my children(5&7).
With love, Natasha
Hello Sarah!
Loved this episode so much and I’m wondering if there’s a printable list of the books listed in the shownotes, like the ones you do each month for picture books? I’d like to take the list to the library with me but printing out all the book cover pictures takes a lot of ink. :)
Thanks,
Erin
Sorry we don’t have a printable available for the podcast shownotes.
After listening to the podcast, I came her to suggest two books. I see that someone else mentioned “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon,” which is among my most favorites. Someone also mentioned “Echo,” which I have not read yet, but “Esperanza Rising” by the same author was a wonderful and beautiful book.
Thank you, Sarah! This is such an encouraging episode. I totally agree with you about the Jonathan Auxier episode!!! I had not heard of him before, but by the end of the episode I was reserving a copy of Peter Nimble from the library! It did not disappoint!
Thanks for this podcast! I’ve been stuck in the classics mode, which of course is not bad, but nice to break out and find wholesome, wonderful books today. I haven’t read this one aloud yet, but I loved The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic. It’s simple, fun and has a great lesson. I personally read through all the Penderwicks books in December and loved them. Boo Hoo’ing all the way through the last. :) The first though is the absolute best and will be a summer read aloud at our house. Thanks again!
Some of these really are truly in my personal favorites of all time and plan to read them multiple times as a family–Green Ember, Wingfeather, and Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic! SO, so good.
I just finished Peter Nimble. My kids aren’t ready for it yet, but I very much enjoyed it. Really quirky but delightful.
I’m looking forward to reading more of these!
Thank you for this! I can’t wait to check some of them out. I would love to know if you have read The Inquisitor’s Tale, and if so, what you thought. I began it with some trepidation but really ended up liking it more than I thought I would.
Thank you so much for introducing us the “The Green Ember!” We love the book and the sequel!!
Sarah! I love this podcast and I love you! Thank you for your dedication to reading and to sharing your insights with the world!
This was an awesome podcast! My 10 year old daughter and I thank you, Sarah!
Is there a printable list for these recommendations? After discussing this podcast with my daughter she want to alternate between a classic and this list. We’ve printed out the Read-Aloud Book List as a subscriber. So excited to check those boxes off as we read aloud!
We didn’t put together a printable list for this episode. So sorry about that!
Have you read “Echo” by Pam Munoz Ryan? It’s probably aimed at 11-14 year olds but I LOVED IT. I couldn’t put it down – it was such a beautiful story!! It might be one of my top 5 books of ALL TIME!!
Wow- that’s quite the praise! I just put it in my Amazon cart. ;)
Hi Sarah,
Thank you for this great podcast!
I want to mention a series called
BELL MOUNTAIN SERIES by Lee Duigon.
Thanks for the recommendation!
Thank you for this. I’m about to head over to Amazon and fill up my wish list. Your lists are so helpful when I look for recommendations for my home education book club as well as for reading to my own children.
A UK book that we enjoyed recently was Listen to the Moon by Michael Morpurgo, who is probably more famous for War Horse. Listen to the Moon is a story about the First World War involving the remote Scilly Isles and the sinking of Lusitania. A sensitive book touching on prejudice and community.
What book did you mention as your favorite read aloud of 2016??
The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic by Jennifer Trafton
Dearest sarah,
I just LOVE what you do and your work gives me so much inspiration and grit to keep up my read alouds! I am an elemenatary school teacher in Sweden and also a Mother of three boys (11, 9 years old and 9 months old (we couldn’t let go of the idea of another baby!) I have seen with my own eyes how books have helped my students become great students and I also believe very strongly in the correlation between the habit of read aloud in a family and kid’s imagination and engagement and results in school. When we interviewed our students age 8-9 we were thrilled to let the parents know that the same students who told us about multiple read aloud experiences both at home and at school were the same students with the highest points on word tests, reading comprehension and so on! But the best thing of all it was the “read aloud students” whom told us about their love to read and how great books are!
THANK YOU for everything you do!! You must work your schedule really well with all your kids, homeschooling and also beeing able to give us so much to your work with READ ALOUD REVIVAL! GO, SARAH; GO!!!
Thank you so much for this kind encouragement!
I love this episode. Thank you. I’d love to add Laurie Halse Anderson’s The Seeds of America Trilogy: Chains, Forge and Ashes. Her writing is beautiful and stirring. She recounts the American Revolution from a slave’s perspective. My kids request daily that I not stop reading these even when it encroaches on their precious lunch/recess hour. Oh, the conversations these books have spurred about the meaning and definition of freedom and liberty from various perspectives…
Peter and the Starcatchers: the first in a backstory series to Peter Pan that is complete (to my mind) with the poignancy that is the hallmark of the original. Wonderful and funny and well written. I loved it.
My 13 year old loved that one! I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, but it’s on my list. :)
Squeeee for Incorrigibles! We love them, so funny and clever. I let audio books do the reading because the sentences are so long and intricate. We have all just finished memorizing “Tyger, Tyger” for poetry memory work thanks to this series. Also cute is the “homeschool”, Charlotte Mason feel of the days of the children. So excited Mary Rose Wood will be on!
When I first found The Incorrigibles in 2016, I felt like I had stumbled on a treasure. Just *wait* till Maryrose’s episode. She does a reading that is so completely delightful!
Yes, Incorrigibles on audio was the way to go for us too!
This is an important topic and one that I am glad that you brought to light. There are SO many spectacular children’s and young adult books being published today, and as a homeschool mom and a literature teacher, I hear too often that nothing is worth reading unless it was written 50 years ago- and this is just not true. I especially love your comment that books published 50 years ago, although many were wonderful and certainly deserve to be read, do not deal with issues that are pertinent to our issues today. Like it or not, our children will have to learn to navigate the world they live in TODAY, not 50 years ago. And there is no better way to do that than with books. Thank you Sarah!
I loved listening to this podcast! My “To Read” pile just increased significantly. My only problem is finding enough time in the day to squeeze so much reading in.
My kids and I are currently enjoying the first book in The Wilderking Trilogy by Jonathan Rogers. It’s a hard one to put down when we sit down to read.
This is a great list and many to add to our “to read” list. I would also add “Wonder” and “When the Mountain Meets the Moon” – don’t know if they are at the level of classics, but they have invoked a lot of discussion in our house and, especially “Wonder”, has provided us with ways to talk about life today with our kids.
And those rich conversations are what it’s alll about!
I was so excited to see your new podcast come up on my phone today!! Thank you for all the new recommendations….we can’t WAIT to dive in! My son saw all the pictures of the books on my computer screen, was immediately intrigued and asked when we could read all those books. ;) Thank you for inspiring and encouraging all of us!!!
Oh man, that makes my heart sing! :) Thank you.
Loved this list and podcast–thank you so much for putting it together! I will say that The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle was the stand-out book of my childhood. I LOVED it, and I’m so excited to now be reading Avi’s other books as we are currently enjoyed Poppy as our read-aloud together. SO good! And he was so endearing on the author access :)
Also, episode 44 with N.D. Wilson was so thought provoking for me. It’s one of my favorite episodes. My husband and I had some great conversations stemming from things said in that one. I loved it and am grateful for that really wonderful perspective on magic and fantasy in children’s books.
As a librarian– thank you for this! While most libraries I know provide collections that are not just recently published books, there is the real fact that newer items are just much easier for us to obtain in hardcover or library-bound editions that will survive circulation much longer than paperback. We also can’t control what will happen to books when people take them home, and our budgets aren’t unlimited. It is not always possible for us to replace copies of items that become worn or accidentally go for a swim at the lake. Libraries are also building collections for the entire community they serve. We’re looking for windows, mirrors, and doors for a variety of situations. It’s a lot to juggle! And admittedly, we don’t always get it right.
The ideas you cite from Grace Lin’s TED talk come from a 1990 paper by Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop. Dr. Bishop was honored yesterday at the American Library Association Youth Media Awards with the Coretta Scott King- Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. The selection committee wrote, “Her globally cited work, “Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors,” has inspired movements for increased diversity in books for young people, and provides the basis for the best multicultural practice and inquiry for students, teachers, writers and publishing houses.”
The idea from Bishop’s work you didn’t specifically name (though I heard you say many things I would say fit this concept), is “sliding glass doors.” Dr. Kathy Roemer, executive director of Twin Parks Montessori Schools describes the idea like this: “Books that open doors often invite children to challenge their imagination. Books that focus on fantasy, science fiction, ethic and moral issues awaken the thought processes that children use to question reality, figure things out, and determine their particular tastes in reading material.”
I think modern books are especially great places to find doors. Rather than observing a different time or place, or the affirmation from finding pieces of your story reflected back to you, walking through a door challenges kids (and ourselves!) to truly live in and explore the world of the characters and the story. This practice not only develops empathy and compassion, but critical thinking and problem solving as we encounter ideas or events that challenge our own experiences or values. I can’t imagine a better place for that kind of discussion and development to happen than within the context of a family read aloud or shared reading experience.
In good librarian fashion, here are links to the items I referenced in the comment:
https://www.psdschools.org/webfm/8559
http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2017/01/american-library-association-announces-2017-youth-media-award-winners
http://www.twinparks.org/blog/2016/03/21/doors-windows-and-mirrors-in-childrens-literature/
Thanks so much for including the links, Amy! Here at RAR, we LOVE librarians!!
Thanks, Kortney. I was introduced to the podcast just this fall and I am so sad that I’m caught up now! :)
Amy- thank you! This is so incredibly helpful. I’ve got all your links open in my tabs now. I appreciate it!
Hmmm… I’ve been wanting to do a podcast episode on how parents can best use and best support their local libraries. You wouldn’t want to chat with me for a podcast episode on that topic, would you? :) Pretty please?
Well gosh, I’d be honored. I have wondered if you’d ever have a librarian on the show!
Several of these authors are on our family’s favorites list- Kate DiCamillo, Linda Sue Park, S.D. Smith, N.D. Wilson, Jeanne Birdsall (LOVE the Penderwicks- and I have all boys!). Also, Clare Vanderpool’s writing is sophisticated and gorgeous.
I would like to add Margi Preus to the list. The amount of research she brings to her works is phenomenal. She writes historically based novels and some fiction with strong foundations in mythology. My favorites of hers are The Heart of a Samurai and Shadow on the Mountain.
Thanks for the recommendations!
Thank you- I’m off to add her to my Amazon cart. ;)
Your comments in the beginning about how our kids need great examples and stories that are not just in history, but in the present was such a revelation of sorts!! I have never really thought about that!! Thank you so much. This could really help one of my girls who sort of longs to live in the olden days! Lol
I’ve got one of those too. :) She always prefers to read historical fiction, so I love it when I see her reading something modern.
Thank you, Sarah! Honored to make the list. I’m so grateful for what you do, and look forward to meeting you at the GHC!
Looking forward to meeting you, as well! I’ve got a 13-year-old who is downright BESIDE HERSELF to meet you (she’s coming with me to Fort Worth next month).
Thank you for your work, Andrew!
You are preaching to the choir here Sarah! I just do not understand the devotion to the classics that I often see at the expense of delving into today’s works of art. While there are many classics I have enjoyed as a child and enjoyed reading again with my children, most do not have the depth of many of the books I read with my children today. Furthermore, upon reading some of those classics that I loved as a child, they just do not have the impact or come close to being on my top 10 list anymore. I attribute much of this to the wonderful books we have devoured from authors of today! I truly feel that the authors of today give children more credit than author’s of the past. They understand that children can handle bigger issues, dive into them and learn from them. The writing in most of the children’s books we have read over the past 12 years is just smarter, more creative and more emotionally charged. Our local parent child book club chooses monthly selections from both the classics and modern day authors and hands down the favorites among the children AND parents have been the selections from current day authors. There are so many wonderful authors out there, that it is quite sad to hear you say that people are not giving them a chance and exposing their children to all of the great books out there. Some of our favorite books are The Night Gardener (Jonathan Auxier), The War that Saved My Life (Kimberly Brubaker Bradley), Pax ( Sarah PennyPacker) The Fourteenth Goldfish ( Jennifer Holm) Lincoln’s Grave Robbers (Steve Scheinkin) Wolf Hollow (Lauren Wolk), Wild Robot (Peter Brown)Ruby Lee & Me (Shannon Hitchcock)the Hank the Cow Dog series and of course anything by Kate DiCamillo, Oliver Jeffers, Grace Lin and Matthew Cody. I honestly could go on and on. There are just so many fantastic books out there we often feel overwhelmed trying to read them all!
An embarrassment of riches!
“I truly feel that the authors of today give children more credit than author’s of the past. They understand that children can handle bigger issues, dive into them and learn from them. The writing in most of the children’s books we have read over the past 12 years is just smarter, more creative and more emotionally charged.”
I quite agree!
Personally, I have turned to the classics more as a parent not because I have a specific dislike of current authors or books, but because I have limited resources of time and money. Sorting the great writing from the mediocre is time-consuming. Then there are the moral elements and maturity levels to assess. Thankfully there are reliable industry experts like Sarah and her team who share my family’s values and make the process of finding great modern literature easy. Having too many books to sort is a great problem, I have to say. We’ve come so far from Wanda Gag’s rather disturbing book about cats who eat eachother…lol.
This is exactly my issue. I tend to choose classics over modern books (unless they are specifically recommended by a trusted source) because of MY limitations, not because I have something against modern literature. I have voracious readers. My ten year old is easily reading at a post-high school level, and she is FAST. There is no way, with all the constraints on my time as a homeschooler and mom of five young children, that I can pre-read enough books to keep her in reading material. So of course, I tend to rely on classics that I know are appropriate and worthy of her time. Lists like this one are great, because I can feel comfortable getting her books that I wouldn’t normally without a recommendation.
Thank you so much for this post!! the classics are great. My family has enjoyed quite a few. But I think we do ourselves and our children a great disservice to not expose them to the great authors of today. We have enjoyed several of the books on your list (The Green Ember is a family favorite), and I’m going to add the other titles to our wish list. Thank you for all your hard work!
Hmmm…these books haven’t stood the test of time yet. My girls love the Green Ember books and are eagerly waiting the arrival of the fourth. We have read all of them and enjoyed lively discussion around them. They are good, but in my opinion they don’t have the quality of writing seen in classics. For instance, some synonyms for the word “said” might be in order! We enjoy reading them, but for dictation/copywork selections to enhance our own writing skills, they are not what we would turn to. And Jonathan Auxier is a very skillful writer, but you have to have a quality story to tell. Horror content will win awards in our society, but not at my house.
Now Mercy Watson…oh my. Read these books to your kids for a great time! My favorite is the spin off title “Leroy Ninker Rides Again”. So cute! And Patricia MacLachlan has an absolutely beautiful quality to her writing. Look for her picture book “All the Places to Love” as well.
I have heard this criticism of the Green Ember series (“the word said is used too much”) in a few places- now, some people just have different tastes, but when I first read this criticism it was before I read The green Ember to my kids and I was waiting for every next word to be ‘said.’ Instead, I was very happy with the rich language of the book. Yes, Smith might use ‘said’ a lot- but maybe he choose to focus on a lot of adjectival description instead of using synonyms for ‘said.’
Our read aloud after the Green Ember was Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe- most certainly a classic. I was amused with how much Lewis uses ‘said’! Take a look- if the speaker isn’t ‘questioning’ or literally screaming or sobbing- Lewis uses ‘said’ 90% of the time.
and this is why I could never be a writer ;) I couldn’t take the criticism!
Somehow, I’ve already come to think of many of these titles as “modern classics”. Most, if not all of them, will definitely withstand the test of time. Thanks for giving us more delicious titles to broaden our horizons.
I just wanted to add Marissa Burt to this great list of contemporary authors. Her Storybound duology is terrific, and A Sliver of Stardust, the follow-up, promises to be another well-written series. I think she’s definitely one to watch. I also always recommend the Jinx series by Sage Blackwood. It’s an excellent fantasy trilogy with deep themes to explore.
Thank you! I’ll check her out.
Book lists make my heart quiver!! Thank you!
Also, what am I missing with Poppy? It’s on so many lists of top read alouds. We got this one on audiobook and listened to quite a bit of it. I was not captured by it, and neither were my kids (ages 3-9), so we never finished. Maybe that one just isn’t for us!
I can’t imagine that every book will be a win in every home. If that one doesn’t capture the imagination of your crew, I’d skip it and not think twice about it! Just read something else that does. :)
Yes! I haven’t listened yet since my internet is down and I’m strictly on phone data for now, but I’m very excited about this. It’s always fun for me as an adult to find a new favorite author that’s still living, and therefore able to give me new books to look forward to, and I want my boys to have the same experience! (We’re still in the Sandra Boynton stage of read alouds, but I’ve at least read Green Ember/Black Star of Kingston for myself, and loved them. So I’m hoping they’ll enjoy it too, when old enough.
Reeeeeaalllyy excited to see a new podcast up and for season 10! Thank you so much for these wonderful gifts! Your podcasts are much anticipated, inspiring and so much fun….even the Littles enjoy listening in! ♡