The Gingerbread Girl by Lisa Campbell Ernst Dutton Children's books, 2006 32 pages Retellings of classic nursery stories are as plentiful (and sometimes as grating) as the sand on the seashore, but every now and then an author manages to turn out a clever, engaging version of a familiar tale. My favorites tend to be … Continue reading The Gingerbread Girl
Betsy-Tacy
Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace; ill. by Lois Lenski Thomas Y. Crowell, 1940 113 pages As the parent of a school-age child, I'm all too aware that bullying is a hot topic. My daughter's school handbook has a section on bullying (they call it "harassment" or "assault," depending on circumstances). The parenting blogs I read … Continue reading Betsy-Tacy
Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee by Nikki Giovanni; ill. by Larry Johnson Scholastic, 1994 38 pages Just a few weeks ago, I watched Thomas Balmes's documentary Babies with my husband and daughter. The film follows four babies “from first breath to first steps,” offering a mostly unadorned view into their daily lives. The babies are from very different … Continue reading Knoxville, Tennessee
Read Like a Girl 