Story Tags

The Carrying by Ada Limon

Year End Reads

As the official winter season gets closer, the weather slows things down and instills a heaviness that really makes us feel ourselves in our bodies. When we are not as frenetic, books are a great companion to the new (but cyclical) rhythm. It’s a vista from which to take stock, particularly with a new year on the horizon line. The books below offer characters or writers who are speaking to a centeredness, steadiness, or timeliness.

How to Say Goodbye

Navigating Emotions

Exploring Emotional Topics Through Picture Books

Discussing emotions with children can be a difficult task to navigate. Children might not know exactly what’s causing these new feelings, or how to process and cope with them. Convincing them to open up can be challenging, but these books will alleviate some of that pressure and will help guide conversations about difficult emotional topics like death, family separation and anger.

Shit No One Tells You

Laugh it Off

Surviving Parenting with Humor

Sometimes as a parent you are overwhelmed, lonely and just want to cry or scream. You are not alone. These authors look at the challenge of being a parent (mostly a mother) and laugh about it. They are honest to the point of absurdity and help the reader see the humor in the fact that your 2-year-old has a mental breakdown when you put his toast in the toaster because he really wanted just bread with jelly on it despite the fact that he continues to call it "toast." All of these authors have very different experiences and points of view, but they are all great reads.

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Ready to Learn

Tuesday, July 11 at 7 p.m.

You are cordially invited to attend the Ready to Learn Building Reading Skills workshop. What skills must a young child have to learn to read? This workshop uses Super Why to introduce participants to skills such as letter recognition and word families - the balanced literacy approach shown to help young children learn to read.

1, 2, 3 The Toddler Years

Tame Your Terrible Toddler

Toddlerhood is hard, on both the child and the parent. Your sweet infant - who you just figured out - has now become a mobile, talking tornado of tantrums and demands. The world for your child is suddenly a big, scary place in which they don't know the rules and often have very little control over themselves or others. Parents try to help, but whatever we do often seems ineffective. Thankfully lots of people have been there before and lots of experts have written books promising to help you through this.

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My Country 'Tis of Thee

Children's Books about Becoming President

As we embark on a journey with a new president, it is great to revisit all the hard work it takes to become president. Many of these books tell inspiring stories of children who dream of being president one day. Whether they dream of becoming the president of their class, school, or country, the consensus is that it is not a job that should be taken lightly.

The Gift of Nothing

Priceless Gifts

Picture Books That Counter Consumer Culture

Parenting amidst a commercial culture can be stressful, especially if you value imaginative play, frugality, ecological awareness, and the development of empathy.

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The Beauty In Me

Picture Books that Celebrate Children of Color

Growing up my parents made it a point to provide me with books and toys that were a reflection of me. Although there was not a ton of options they found them. Mainstream media has come a long way when it comes to showing diverse imagery but there is still work to do. These featured titles celebrate black children and give them a chance to see themselves represented beautifully through literature. Suggested for ages 3-8. 

All Joy and No Fun

I Think, Therefore I Parent

Reflections on Parenting

While parenting seems to often sap your brain of any ability to think deeply, it is the kind of work that it is often good to reflect on. What does it mean to be a parent? What are society's expectations of us? How can I do best by my kids? Am I imparting my most important values to my children? These are all things that float through parents' minds, but we rarely find answers to. The books in this list are a hodgepodge of people reflecting on raising kids and suggesting some general philosophies of parenting. Some are more academic and research based, while others are more memoirs.

Mama Says

Magnificent Mothers

Stories to share for Mother's Day and beyond

Here's a diverse list of great picture books just in time to celebrate Mother's Day.  (Of course, these are good all year round for reading with little ones!)  Below are some favorites ranging from bedtime stories to more active tales.  

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