Author: Karon

Do you have a little one who sits nestled on your lap? It is never too early to start the practice of reading out loud. A great place to begin is with the following three board books by Margaret Wise Brown. These are classic bedtime stories showing the comfort of a bedtime ritual, the steadfast… Continue reading Three Board Books by Margaret Wise Brown

Are your children fascinated by powerful machines: construction equipment, planes, trains, ships, and the like? The invention of each of these brings exciting new possibilities into our world. Sometimes, though, progress has a downside. Progress moves forward leaving some past inventions behind. Such is the case in the story of Mike Mulligan and His Steam… Continue reading Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton

Do you have a child interested in finding out how things work from a mechanical perspective? Then Homer Price by Robert McCloskey is the perfect book to read. Robert McCloskey is a masterful story teller, and he will capture the attention of your children in short order. In the opening pages of the first chapter,… Continue reading Homer Price by Robert McCloskey

Does your family have a favorite book that you check out of the library over and over again? When our girls were little, Me Too! Me Too! by Harriet Ziefert was just such a book for us. We would check the book out and return it, only to look for it again on our next… Continue reading Me Too! Me Too! by Harriet Ziefert

Caleb’s Story by Patricia MacLachlan is the third book in the Sarah, Plain and Tall series. The Witting family has now expanded to include Cassie, the daughter born to Jacob and Sarah. Once again, Patricia MacLachlan does not shy away from difficult subjects. In Caleb’s Story, Jacob’s father returns to the family farm unexpectedly. John… Continue reading Caleb’s Story by Patricia MacLachlan

Do you ever wonder how things are made? The process, from start to finish, of an item coming into being can be particularly interesting in a bygone area. While A New Coat for Anna by Harriet Ziefert is about the process involved in making a wool coat, it is also about perseverance, resourcefulness, and sacrifice.… Continue reading A New Coat for Anna by Harriet Ziefert

Skylark, by Patricia MacLachlan, is the second story in the Sarah, Plain and Tall series. It continues the story of the Witting family that we previously met here. Patricia MacLachlan writes beautifully about the hardships of life and about the determination that is required to face the difficulties with grit and tenacity. Although the author… Continue reading Skylark by Patricia MacLachlan

There is a great deal of comfort in seeing the continuity of life across the generations. And, there is a lot to be gained listening to the stories of those who have gone before us. In Miss Rumphius, by Barbara Cooney, we are able to witness the influence of a grandfather on his granddaughter, Alice.… Continue reading Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney

Mr Jacob Witting, known as Papa to Anna and Caleb, did not sing anymore. Jacob is a widower raising his two small children alone while simultaneously managing the family farm. Although it has been some time since his wife died, Jacob is still struggling to get his footing back. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia… Continue reading Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

The Gardener by Sarah Stewart tells the story of one year in the life of a girl named Lydia Grace Finch. It takes place during the Great Depression when jobs were scarce and times were hard. The book is a series of letters that Lydia Grace writes. The first are to her Uncle Jim and… Continue reading The Gardener by Sarah Stewart