This book took my breath away. It is a heartbreaking but inspiring novel in verse. It was a 2025 Schneider Family Book Award Honor, and I think it is a great read that leads to better understanding and compassion for kids who are having mental health struggles. I will read it with my children and… Continue reading Book Recommendation: Louder Than Hunger by John Schu
Category: Book Recommendation
2025 Newbery Award Winner: The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly
The 2025 Newbery Award winner was announced in January, and the incredible honor went to The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly. I had read this novel the previous year, and gave it a re-read once it received the Newbery Award. I enjoyed it even more on the second read. I highly recommend… Continue reading 2025 Newbery Award Winner: The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly
5th Grader Book Recommendation: A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass
My 5th grade son's favorite book continues to be A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass. He read it in the 2nd grade, and it continues to persist as his favorite. Winner of the ALA Schneider Family Book Award - which honors books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent… Continue reading 5th Grader Book Recommendation: A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass
3rd Grader Book Recommendation: Nugly by M.C. Ross
My 3rd grade daughter wanted in on the book recommendations, so she has put together this recommendation for Nugly by M.C. Ross. I haven't had a chance to read this one myself, but I think kids looking for a gentle and heartwarming chapter book with the great message of loving yourself for what's on the… Continue reading 3rd Grader Book Recommendation: Nugly by M.C. Ross
6th Grader Book Recommendation: The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt
The Labors of Hercules Beal was recently recommended to me by my 6th grade son after he read it in school. I knew it was a popular title in 2023, and many people were hoping it would win Gary Schmidt another Newbery Award, but I hadn't yet read it. Well, I'm so happy that my… Continue reading 6th Grader Book Recommendation: The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt
Mid-Winter Break 2025: Book Recommendations For Ages 8 – 13
It's hard to believe that mid-winter break is almost upon us. My kiddos were home from school almost all of last week due to snow and ice, so the thought of everyone back home for another week so soon is a little, well, daunting. So I'm pulling together a few reading recommendations for them to… Continue reading Mid-Winter Break 2025: Book Recommendations For Ages 8 – 13
Book Recommendation: The Eyes & The Impossible by Dave Eggers
Ha ha hoooo! I highly recommend this hilariously beautiful novel by Dave Eggers. The Eyes & The Impossible is the 2024 Newbery Award winner, and I can see why! Students, teachers, and families will all love this gentle, funny, and endearing tale of a wild dog and his animal friends. OVERVIEW: Johannes is a wild… Continue reading Book Recommendation: The Eyes & The Impossible by Dave Eggers
Book Recommendation: Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson
Freewater is the 2023 John Newbery Award and Coretta Scott King Book Award winning novel that I wholeheartedly recommend to upper elementary and middle grade readers. It is a beautifully written and inspiring story about two young runaway slaves who escape deep into the swamp and find a hidden community of formerly enslaved people called… Continue reading Book Recommendation: Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson
Birdie's Bookshelf 