Heather Has Two Mommies

FOR THE WEEKEND share this family-themed title with your child. 

Heather Has Two Mommies is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
Heather Has Two Mommies is a beautiful look into a nontraditional family model that will benefit all families. Heather's favorite number is two, she has two arms, two eyes, two pets and two mommies! Her mommies love her very much. When Heather shares at school that she doesn't have a daddy, her teacher instructs the class to draw pictures of their families. While all of the pictures are different, her teacher describes what they all have in common: they are filled with love. This wonderful book from Leslea Newman and Laura Cornell does a fantastic job reminding readers the most important part of every family is that all the people in it love each other.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Summarize:
Heather Has Two Mommies is a great book to practice summarizing. As you read, have discussions about what you're reading. This will deepen your reader's engagement in the story and their interest in the experience overall. After you've finished reading, ask your child to tell you what the story was about. Can your reader tell you the characters, where the story took place, and what events were happening? 

Do this with your child:
After you read Heather Has Two Mommies we encourage you and your reader to draw a picture of your own family, just like all of the students in Heather's class. Go back to look and discuss how your own family differs from those shared in the story. Then find a special spot to display your new family portrait!

If you're interested in sharing Heather Has Two Mommies with your child you can find it published by Penguin Random House here. 

Stay connected with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

You and Me Together: Moms, Dads and Kids Around the World

FOR THE WEEKEND share this family-themed title with your child. 

You and Me Together: Moms, Dads and Kids Around the World is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
You and Me Together: Moms, Dads and Kids Around the World is a fantastic glimpse into the diverse world from National Geographic and author Barbara Kerley. Simple rhyming text paired with striking photographs detail parent-child relationships across the globe. While we may look different from other families this book is a wonderful reminder that some things are universal. 

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Making Connections:
You and Me Together: Moms, Dads and Kids Around the World is a great book for your reader to practice making connections. Each page details a different aspect of family life. As you read through, ask your child if your own family does what these families are doing. Does your family have a pet, do you have nap time, etc.? Use this book to spark conversations about the world beyond your reader's own community, a window into the world around them. You can also use this book as a mirror, where your child can see their own family reflected back at them.

Do this with your child:
November is National Family Literacy Month! Family literacy is described as two generations or more being actively engaged in learning together. Taking the time to share a story can strengthen the bonds between parent and child, siblings, and grandparents. So after you read You and Me Together: Moms, Dads and Kids Around the World we encourage you to take a trip to your bookshelf or local library and pick out more titles to share together!

If you're interested in sharing You and Me Together: Moms, Dads and Kids Around the World with your child you can find it published by National Geographic available through Amazon here. 

Stay connected with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Dozens of Cousins

FOR THE WEEKEND, share this title Family themed title with your child! 

Dozens of Cousins is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
Dozens of Cousins from author Shutta Crum and illustrator David Catrow is a true celebration of family. It is time for the annual family reunion. Join along as aunt, uncles, sisters, brothers, grandparents and of course dozens of cousins gather. These cousins spend the day playing, exploring, eating, and laughing surrounded with the people they love most. This lyrical story is filled with lively illustrations that readers will enjoy exploring again and again.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Take A Picture Walk:
Before you read Dozens of Cousins flip through the pages with your child and talk about what you see in the pictures. When you take a picture walk before reading, your child will be furthering their involvement in the story, and this story has pictures filled with happy details. Ask questions about who is on the page, where they are, what it looks like they're doing. Then as you read, see if any of your child's answers match what is happening in the story.

Do this with your child:
After reading Dozens of Cousins talk with your child about your own family. Does your child have any cousins? Have you ever had a family reunion? Help your child write a letter about the fun things you'd like to do together and send to a family member you might not get to see too often. 

If you're interested in sharing Dozens of Cousins with your child you can find it from Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton and Mifflin Harcourt, here. You can like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter for more inspiration.

Have you heard about The Great Book Challenge?

Click here to donate!

Bear's Busy Family

FOR THE WEEKEND, share this title Family themed title with your child! 

Bear's Busy Family is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
Bear's Busy Family from author Stella Blackstone and illustrator Debbie Horter introduces readers to roles of extended family and household activities. Each family member has a special role that they bring to the family. A young bear narrator introduces her grandma, grandpa, uncle, auntie, mommy, daddy, sister, brother, and cousins, and describes all the special things they do.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Making Connections:
Bear's Busy Family highlights the roles that extended family can play. Talk with your child about all the different things that people in your own extended family do when you get together. Are any of the things the same? Are any different? When your child is able to make connections to the text, they will be furthering their engagement with the book and deepening their involvement with the story.

Do this with your child:
After reading Bear's Busy Family talk with your child about all the types of families there are. Talk with your child about your own family and ask questions about which parts of the book relate to your own family and which are different. Make a list using the pages in the book to see what type of family you have!

If you're interested in sharing Bear's Busy Family with your child you can find it from Barefoot Books here. You can like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter for more inspiration.

Have you heard about The Great Book Challenge?

Click here to donate!

Flores Family Cafe/La lonchería

FOR THE WEEKEND, share this title Family themed title with your child! 

Flores Family Café/ La lonchería is appropriate for school age children.

Summary:
Flores Family Café/ La lonchería from author Ann Stalcup is a beautiful bilingual book that highlights the strength of family bonds in the face of an obstacle. In this story an unexpected letter changes the lives of a family in Baja, California. Read along to find out how they worked together in this story of family loyalty and ingenuity. In Flores Family Café/ La lonchería, we all learn that when you mix flowers, determination and inspiration you get a beautiful slice of life.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Take a Picture Walk:
Flores Family Café/ La lonchería is a wonderful book for taking a picture walk. Before you read the story with your child, flip through the pages and look at the pictures. Ask your child what they see in the pictures. Do they see people, where are they, what is around them. After gathering that information you can take it one step further and ask what they think is happening in the pictures, how do the people look like they are feeling, where might they be going, what are they doing. Then as you read, you can learn if their predictions came true.

Do this with your child:
After reading Flores Family Café/ La lonchería talk with your child about the things you do together as a family. The Flores family worked together to overcome their circumstances and improve their situation. Is there anything you work on as a family, no matter how big or small? Take some extra time to do something special together, do a puzzle, make a special dinner together, etc. 

If you're interested in sharing Flores Family Café/ La lonchería with your child you can find it from Lectura Books here. Please like on Facebook and follow them on Twitter for more.

Have you heard about The Great Book Challenge?

Click here to donate!

The Family Book

FOR THE WEEKEND, share this title Family themed title with your child! 

The Family Book is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
Readers young and old will delight in the bright and bold The Family Book from Todd Parr. This books touches on the many diverse types of families that fill our world. Some families are big, some are small; some families like in a house by themselves, some live in a house with other families. But the text also describes what makes all families the same. All families like to celebrate special days and all families are sad when they lose someone. Todd Parr does an amazing job reminding us all that despite our differences, we are more alike than we sometimes think!

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Making Predictions:
The Family Book is a great book to use to make predictions about what's to come. Each page depicts a different type of family, large or small, messy or clean. As you read the first type, ask your child what they think the next family might be. By giving them a role to play in sharing the story, they will be further engaged in the text. 

Do this with your child:
After reading The Family Book talk with your child about all the types of families there are. Talk with your child about your own family and ask questions about which parts of the book relate to your own family and which are different. Make a list using the pages in the book to see what type of family you have!

If you're interested in sharing The Family Book with your child you can find it from Little Brown Books for Young Readers here. You can like Todd Parr on Facebook and follow him on Twitter for more inspiration.

Have you heard about The Great Book Challenge?

Click here to donate!

Who's in a Family

FOR THE WEEKEND, share this title with your child! 

Who's in a Family? is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
Who's in a Family? from author Robert Skutch and illustrator Laura Nienhaus is a beautiful book illustrating the many packages a family can come in. Parents, grandparent, aunts, uncles, siblings, pets, cousins - no matter what color, shape or size - every family is different. What this book ultimately details is that a family is made up of the people who love you most! 

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Making Connections:
Who's in a Family? is a perfect book for you and your child to make connections with. Are there any families in the story like your own? How are the families in the book the same as your own family? How are they different? Does your child have any classmates or friends with a different kind of family portrayed in the book? By furthering their involvement with the book, your child will become more engaged with the text and make deeper connections with the story.

Do this with your child:
After reading Who's in a Family? talk with your child about all the types of families there are. Talk with your child about your own family and who makes your family up. Draw a picture with your child of all the wonderful people in your family.

If you're interested in sharing Who's in a Family with your child you can find it from Random House here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter for more inspiring tales.

Have you heard about The Great Book Challenge?

Click here to donate!

Start Saving Henry

FOR THE WEEKEND, share this fun title with your child! 

Start Saving Henry is appropriate for children ages 5 and up.

Summary:
Now that Henry has turned seven, he is able to earn a weekly allowance by doing all of his chores. Every week he runs out and spends his money right away until he sees something he really wants, the Super Robot Dude. The Super Robot Dude is too expensive so Henry has to start saving his allowance. But in Start Saving Henry he learns how hard it can be to save. Continue to read and find out if Henry ever gets his new toy.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Retelling:
As you read Start Saving Henry ask your child questions about what is happening in the story. This will further their engagement in the story and allow them to make deeper connections. After you finish the story, have your child take a turn to read it to you. Let them lead the way, turning the pages and telling the story as they recall. It may be a different story than the one that you told, but that is okay!

Do this with your child:
Start Saving Henry provides an excellent opportunity to practice your child's financial literacy skills. Henry earns five dollars every week. You can use this story and it's pictures to practice counting by fives. 

If you're interested in sharing Start Saving Henry with your child you can find it from Viking, a division of Scholastic here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

For more from author and illustrator Nancy Carlson check out her website.

Kite Flying

FOR THE WEEKEND, share this fun title with your child! 

Kite Flying is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
It is a windy day, perfect for flying a kite. Join this family as they cut, paint, glue and create their own kite in Kite Flying by Grace Lin.The bright pictures and simple text will delight readers of all ages.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Making Connections:
After you read Kite Flying, talk with your child about how they can relate to the story. Have you ever flown a kite as a family? Have you watched kites being flown? If so, do you remember where or when or even what the kites looked like? Have you read any other stories that have kites in them? Your child will be using their own experiences to further engage with the story, creating a stronger understanding of the text.

Do this with your child:
The family in Kite Flying works together to create and fly their own kite. Each member of the family has a different job to do in order to make the kite as perfect as possible. You can do something similar with your own family, be it making your own kite, or a different fun project like baking cookies, or making a box car or building a fort. Let each person have a part in the process and then enjoy the end result together!

If you're interested in sharing Kite Flying with your child you can find it from Dragonfly Books here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

For more from author Grace Lin visit her blog.

The Giant Hug

FOR THE WEEKEND, share this fun title with your child! 

The Giant Hug is appropriate for children age 2-8.

Summary:
In The Giant Hug, written by Sandra Horning and illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev, Owen wants to send his Granny the perfect birthday gift in the mail, a GIANT hug. A drawing of a hug just won't do. You and your child will delight in the journey that this giant hug takes as each different postal worker opens their arms as wide as they possibly can to pass along Owen's hug for Granny.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Retelling/Chronological Order:
As you read The Giant Hug help your child pay attention to the order that the hug travels. Make a mental note of who or where the hug goes to after Owen passes it along at the post office. After reading, ask your child to retell you the story, trying their best to have the hug pass along the same order.

Do this with your child:
Owen is sending his Grandma a giant hug for her birthday. Since February is a month to promote friendship and love, make a list with your child of all the nice things we can do for our friends and loved ones. You can pick flowers for your teacher, or draw a picture for a sibling or classmate, you can bring a yummy snack to your grandparents, or give someone your own GIANT hug! Pick a few items on the list to complete together.

If you're interested in sharing The Giant Hug with your child you can find it from Dragonfly Books here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

For more on author Sandra Horning visit her website here. Like illustrator Valeri Gorbachev on Facebook.

Gilberto and the Wind

FOR THE WEEK, share this fun title with your child! 

Gilberto and the Wind is appropriate for children 2-8 and is a perfect book to curl up on the couch under a blanket with this fall.

Summary:
The wind is whispering at the door, ready to play with Gilberto. Sometimes they are happy and silly together, but other times they are sad and scared. Follow their adventures and see the different ways Gilberto and the wind can play in the sweet story written and illustrated by Marie Hall Ets. 

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Retelling and Recalling:
From time to time as you're reading through Gilberto and the Wind, help your child reflect on what's happening. Once you reach the end, ask them to retell the story to you. How many things can they remember or recall that Gilberto and the wind played with? Which games made Gilberto happy, sad, or scared?

Do this with your child:
Ask your child what things they have seen the wind playing with. Have they ever lost a balloon to the wind, flown a kite, or watched the leaves being blown from the trees? Go outside with your child and blow bubbles together, then watch where the wind takes them.

If you're interested in sharing Gilberto and the Wind with your child you can find it from Penguin Publishing here.