Over the last few months I've received a stack of advance review novels that's now literally taller than I am. But from the pile of books, three great middle-grade novels in particular have caught my attention. Each explores themes of ju…
I'm not going to pull punches here; like a lot of parents, I'm concerned about so many American kids growing up in an age where the normalization of a lot of really awful stuff -- hatred, bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia, mass shootings -- …
Let's be honest, middle school sucks in more ways than we can count. Which is probably why so many of us relate to the plight of outsider-turned-insider-turned-outsider-again heroines like Cady Haron of Mean Girls , Heathers ' Veronica S…
I'm lucky to have a job that allows me to the opportunity to preview countless kids' books each year. But admittedly, it often feels like a neverending stream of the same-old. However recently, I've noticed a trend of well-designed, beau…
The 2017 National Book Awards have just been announced, in time for those crisp autumn nights cuddling up with a good book. And while you should check out all the finalists in the fiction and nonfiction categories, we're sharing the Youn…
Plenty of comic fans and geeks of all kinds are counting down the days until November 8. That's they day you can get your hands on the much buzzed-about Blessing in Disguise by award-winning Nigerian-American writer Nnedi Okorafor. It's …
We're always on the lookout for children's books that feature diverse characters , depict positive gender-neutral roles, and inspire. So I was pretty excited to discover this Kickstarter project for Seeing is Believing , a personalized p…
Earlier this week, I was introduced to the story of Cambridge, MA librarian Liz Phipps Soeiro, who graciously and thoughtfully declined to accept a box of Dr. Seuss books sent to her by Melania Trump as they were to a number of other hig…
Issues concerning civil rights and racial justice in America have never stopped being news. At least if you're paying attention. However over the past few years, they've really become front and center in a more widespread way, thanks to …
The moment The Force Awakens movie introduced me to Rey , I wanted to know more. Who was this young brave scavenger? Where was her family? What is in that green portion bread she's eating? Luckily for fans like me, there's a new Star War…
Back when I first discovered Dave Eggers, I never would have thought that he'd turn out to be one of the beloved children's authors on my kids' bookshelves . But he's certainly cemented that honor with the new Her Right Foot , an equally…
One of my kids' favorite go-to activities for road trips on holiday weekends are sticker activity books . Because it's hard to argue with good old-fashioned fun. They're simple and affordable -- and they keep my kids busy for a good hour…
Coming across the Modern HERstory book fundraising effort from Equality for HER founder Blair Imani's Twitter feed this week, I was immediately like YES YES YES! Related: Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls is back, more inspiring than eve…
There's no denying that the massive success of The Woman's March on January 21, 2017, marked it as an historic day in our country, the world and the continuation of a long history of boss ladies making our voices heard. So I was so excit…
Fans of the interactive children's books from Hervé Tulle , Press Here and Mix it Up , now have another wonderfully charming, engaging book to add to their kids' bookshelves in Say Zoop! Once again, children are asked to perform a series…
Lately, as my kids are getting older and the world has gotten (ahem) a little crazier, my 10- and 12-year-old have been questioning what's going on. I chat with them about my own observations and beliefs...and ask them about theirs. But …
Graphic artists Tupera Tupera are known for pushing boundaries with their cheeky, irreverent books. I mean, have you seen their Japanese-language book about poop for kids? Well, their newest board book is a winner too, though it might be…
We discovered the cool parent-run company that creates personalized Lost My Name books for kids nearly four years ago, and became instant fans. From the gorgeous art to the compelling story, and the clever customization that makes every …
We've shared so many children's books over the years that bring history's most wonderful real-life heroes to life for kids. From specific heroes like Frederick Douglas (whom a few adults need to read more about too, ahem) and Josephine B…
It's hard to overstate how excited I was about the first volume of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls . A whole book full of the biographies of stereotype-busting sheroes? Illustrated with gorgeous portraits from female artists around th…
If there's one thing we know for certain, it's that all families should be celebrated, all the time. Because, love is love. So we pulled together these 6 excellent children's books that celebrate LGBT families . The way it's important fo…
My kids are officially on summer break (I know, already!) so we're hitting up the library ASAP to get started on our summer reading lists . My Kindergartner has made amazing strides this year with his reading, and these early reader book…
As much as we're looking forward to summer and all of the many kids' activities that come with it, we have to say that it's those long days of no activities that can be most stressful. That's why we made this list of awesome summer activ…
Once in awhile, a children's book comes along that's equal parts timely and and classic, and that's just how I'd describe the We are Shining , penned by the late poet laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner, Gwendolyn Brooks. It's filled with…