Hi Reader, This Friday is Juneteenth, the holiday that commemorates the actual end to slavery, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. Historian Jemar Tisby recently referred to Juneteenth as "the counter-narrative to America 250" because it focuses on truth-telling rather than myth-making. My newest blog post has 9 children's books, plus videos, activities, and resources for Juneteenth. Here's what's inside: 🖤a brand new picture book that reads like a love letter...
11 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, I've never met Dr. Debbie Reese, a children's literature scholar who is a member of the Nambé Pueblo nation, but I consider her a mentor. It's been years since I first heard her talk about what happens when you do an internet image search for Native Americans, but I still think about what she shared regularly. Typically, the top images are all of Native people of the past, not the present. This isn't true when you do searches for other racial and ethnic groups. When kids do realize...
18 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, Now that I've finished my work on the 2026 Summer Reading Guide, I've had time to create and update book lists for LGBTQIAP+ Pride Month, which starts in just a few days. I've read so many wonderful books for all ages, from laugh-out-loud picture books about rainbow families to thoughtful novels about tweens figuring out who they are. Before I share the book lists, I want to give you a gentle reminder of just how important it is to supports books like these and their authors in our...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, If you've got a reluctant reader, you might wonder how you'll be able to get them to do any reading this summer without tears or grumbling. Believe me, I get it. My kiddo (though now that he's 14 I should probably stop calling him a kiddo ðŸ¤) has always been a reluctant reader. He does however, love being read aloud to. I think a lot of his hesitancy stems from his ADHD and a learning disability. I'm sharing what's worked for our family in case in can help yours: Remember that...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, If you missed my last email, my 2026 Summer Reading Guide is now available for pre-order! If you pre-order now, you'll save 15%, and the guide will land in your inbox on May 20th. Since this is the first time I've offered a summer reading guide, you may be wondering what's inside. That's why I created a blog post with 7 of my favorite reviews from the 40+ titles you'll find in the full guide. Check out the sneak peek into the Summer Reading Guide âš½ Would your soccer fan love to...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, The last week and a half has given me all the feelings, and I do mean ALL of them. You've probably heard that the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act, perhaps the most important piece of civil rights legislation in the past hundred years. Just days later, the Tennessee State Legislature called a special legislative session to carve up Memphis' majority Black Congressional district. It was a three day clown show where legislators disrespected hundreds of protestors who showed...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, This July will mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Now is a great time to start exploring U.S. history during the Revolutionary Era with kids in an honest and inclusive way. Truthfully, I'm on high alert for the propaganda-laced "resources" that kids may be exposed to, with the backing of the White House (I'm looking at you and your AI generated videos, Prager U Kids!) That's why I created a list of great children's books about the founding...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, I have so many great resources to share with you today! Updated: Social Justice Songs for Kids (with a new freebie!) When checking out my website stats recently, I saw one of the posts that people have really been flocking to lately is about social justice and protest songs for kids. It was definitely time to update this post with some more fantastic songs, and I realized there are so many great children's books that could be paired with most of the songs on the list. Read the...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Do you, your child, or someone they love have a disability? Approximately 1 in 4 Americans has a disabilty, but it's not something most of us talk with children about very often. I've been busy the last 2 weeks creating new resources and updating an old one to help you have conversations with kids of all ages so that all of us can better understand - and dismantle - ableism. (If you're new to the term, I'd sum up ableism as all the beliefs, behaviors, patterns, and laws in our...
3 months ago • 2 min read