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...
15 days 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...
29 days 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...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, The right of every child to attend school seems pretty straight forward, right? It's easy to forget how many generations of people had to fight racism, ableism, and anti-immigrant prejudice in order to enroll their children in public school. It's important to honor all the many different groups of people who've fought for their right to education. We shouldn't consider this a fight that's been won once and for all, either. Under the Trump administration, the Education Department...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, How is your March going? Mine feels like it's moving at lightening speed. If you keep losing track of time like I do, you might not realize that Passover begins in just a few weeks on April 1, and Easter is April 5. (In the Eastern Orthodox church, Easter will be celebrated on April 12.) If you want to learn about or celebrate either of these sacred times with the kids in your life, I've just updated my children's book lists for both holidays. Children's books about Passover: This...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, My friends and family know that I love crafting almost as much as I love reading. If there's not a book in my hand, it might be because I'm holding knitting needles. (I also find knitting is great for soothing my ADHD, especially when I have to sit still and listen for long periods of time.) So, why has it taken me so long to create a children's book list of stories that feature knitting, sewing, quilting, and weaving? I had so much fun pulling together this list of picture books...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, This month, I've written to you a lot about supporting and speaking up with our immigrant neighbors. In addition to sharing children's book recommendations and conversation tips, I'm also donating 25% of the sales of From the Margins to the Center children's book guide to Vecindarios 901, a rapid response immigrant support network. (FYI, this special donation campaign will wrap up on Saturday.) None of our neighbors should be trapped in their homes, fearful of what will happen if...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, I'll make today's email quick. I've updated 2 popular children's book lists on the blog: Children's books about immigrants and refugees Last week I shared a list of books with you to help you talk with kids and teens about ICE and immigration detention. (If you missed that list you can find it here.) The updated list of books about immigrants and refugees is different. Many of the books focus on experiences like feeling pulled between two cultures or places life in refugee camps...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, For the past two weeks, in between watching terrible news reports of what ICE is doing in Minneapolis and hearing from friends on social media about how they're tearing families apart here in Memphis, I've been researching, reading, and writing for a brand-new book list: Books for kids and teens about ICE, immigration detention, and speaking up When you head to the book list, you'll see that I've divided it up into four categories of books, because it's important to lay a basic...
3 months ago • 2 min read