Books

2021 summer reading programs

Posted on May 28, 2021 by Lindsay Books

My kids officially finished first grade today, and many other schools have either just ended or will ending in the next few weeks. I put together a list of summer reading programs last year and thought you might find it helpful this year, too. Hopefully it is MUCH easier for you to get books this year now that most libraries and stores are fully open! Check out these 2021 summer reading programs to keep your kids on track.

Utah State Fair Read & Win program. You’ll love this program if you’re a Utah resident! Kids in first through sixth grade must read just 10 books between May 1 and July 16. Then parents either fill out the online form or mail the book list to the fair administration building. Prizes include:

One children’s admission ticket to the Utah State Fair
One free drink coupon to redeem at the State Fair Store
A free carnival ride
A ribbon bookmark
One free ride on the giant yellow slide

We go to the Utah State Fair every year, and the giant yellow slide is our favorite ride. This is a great incentive for kids who might be a bit more hesitant to read during the summer.

Salt Lake County Tails & Tales challenge. Again, Utah friends, this one is awesome. If you live in Salt Lake County, download a form or pick one up at your local branch. Then have your kids color in a shape each day whenever they complete one of the activities. This includes reading but also encourages kids to play, create, learn, and connect in the community. When your child turns in their form, they’ll receive a free book and also be entered in a drawing. As an added bonus, you’ll receive a one-time fine waiver of $5 per card for signing up.

Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Journal. We did this last year with my kids, and it is the easiest challenge ever. Have your kids read eight books, write down the title and author and their favorite part. Then return the journal to any Barnes & Noble store and your child can pick one of the books listed on the form. I love that this program rewards kids with age-appropriate books and that several are also available in Spanish! This is for kids in grades 1-6.

Camp Book-It. You may have participated in a Book-It challenge when you were a kid. I remember doing this and LOVING it because I got Pizza Hut pizza. While it’s available for pre-K thru grade 6, this program does have more hoops to jump through. Sign your kids up and then receive reading incentives for them through email!

Scholastic Summer Reading. I will admit that I have not yet signed my kids up for this one because I limit their time on tablets and still prefer paper books for them. I also know that I’ll forget to have them log on daily and record their reading activity. However, if you have older kids or have kids who prefer phones and tablets, this may be a great option! Kids can log onto Home Base and read books and articles and also connect with their favorite authors. There are a lot of virtual events, too.

Do you participate in a summer reading program you love? I want to hear about it!

10 books for Jewish-American Heritage Month

Posted on May 27, 2021 by Lindsay Books

Jewish-American Heritage Month picture books

May is Jewish-American Heritage Month. Saddened by the wave of anti-Semitism in part due to the conflict in Israel, I checked out a bunch of books featuring Jewish characters and traditions to read to my kids. I am a firm believer that the more open you are about current events, the more you can understand and empathize with many types of people. Here are 10 books for Jewish-American Heritage Month.

The Bagel King by Andrew Larsen and Sandy Nichols. This is the SWEETEST book about a boy and his grandfather who bring bagels to their friends every Sunday morning. Then when his grandfather falls and is ordered to rest for two weeks, the boy decides to carry on the tradition on his own. I guarantee this book will make you crave bagels (I am craving them just writing this). More importantly, though, it has Yiddish words sprinkled throughout and is a great way to talk to your kids about Jewish culture.

A Scarf for Keiko by Ann Malaspina and Merrilee Liddiard. I actually included this in my list of picture books featuring AAPI characters last month. However, what’s unique about this book is that the boy, Sam, is Jewish and realizes when his friend Keiko is forced to relocate to a Japanese internment camp, it’s similar to what people of his own faith are experiencing in Europe. I love the way this story helps kids connect to the world around them.

Just Like Rube Goldberg: The Incredible True Story of the Man Behind the Machines by Sarah Aronson and Robert Neubecker. You’ve probably heard the term Rube Goldberg used to describe a complex machine meant to perform a simple task (like buttering bread). You might not know that Rube Goldberg was actually a Jewish engineer-turned-cartoonist. I’ve shared this book before, but it’s an amazing story of perseverance.

A Hat for Mrs. Goldman: A Story about Knitting and Love by Michelle Edwards and G. Brian Karas. In this cute book, a Jewish woman, Mrs. Goldman, knits hats for everyone in the neighborhood. Sophie thinks knitting is too hard, so she makes pompoms for the hats instead. Once winter comes and Mrs. Goldman is still serving everyone else, Sophie decides to try to make a hat for Mrs. Goldman herself. I love the Yiddish words like mitzvah (kind deed) and keppie (head) in the story and how it also shows kids that knitting is for everyone.

It Could Always Be Worse by Margot Zemach. I first discovered this book last year at the height of the pandemic when I was feeling particularly sorry for myself. It’s a Yiddish folk tale about a man who comes to his rabbi complaining that he and his wife and their six children live in a one-room hut. The rabbi keeps giving him advice that makes the situation worse and worse (like adding animals to the mix), and he realizes that the cure for most ills is gratitude. It may have been the time in which I read this book, but it has stuck with me ever since. I even bought a copy of it for my family.

Here is the World: A Year of Jewish Holidays by Lesléa Newman and Susan Gal. If you’re unfamiliar with Jewish holidays and traditions (I was really only aware of Passover and Hanukkah), this is a great introduction to them. It has simple rhyming text and also includes more in-depth explanations of the holidays at the end.

I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark by Debbie Levy and Elizabeth Baddeley. There’s SO much I loved about this book: nontraditional gender roles (Marty Ginsburg cooked dinner for the family every night), perseverance in the face of anti-Semitism, and a dedication to equal rights. RGB is my hero. The book even explains Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s collars and why her Supreme Court decisions were so important.

Chik Chak Shabbat by Mara Rockliff and Kyrsten Brooker. This story reminds me a lot of Thank You, Omu! (another favorite) but with a Jewish twist. Goldie cooks cholent, a type of stew, every Friday for shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath day), and all the neighbors in her apartment building join her despite not sharing her faith. One Friday, Goldie gets sick and doesn’t have time to make the cholent in time for shabbat. Luckily, her neighbors help her feel better by bringing their own specialties to her home to eat on shabbat. Note: Several Amazon reviews point out that Goldie does not observe the Torah because the neighbors bring non-kosher food. If you are Jewish or want to teach your kids more about shabbat, this might not be the best book for your family.

Something from Nothing by Phoebe Gilman. If you’ve read Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree, this story will seem familiar. Joseph’s grandfather makes him a beautiful blanket when he’s a baby. As Joseph gets older, the blanket is worn, so his grandfather makes it into a jacket for him. Then it becomes a vest, a tie, a kerchief, and a button. The illustrations are endearing, with a little family of mice making clothes, tablecloths, and blankets from the scraps of Joseph’s blanket each time Grandfather cuts it down. I like the moral of using what you have until it’s gone, and the message that you help others when you reuse things, too.

The Polio Pioneer: Dr. Jonas Salk and the Polio Vaccine by Linda Elovitz. While this book focuses much more on Dr. Salk’s work creating vaccines, it does touch on Salk’s heritage. He was born to Jewish immigrants who had nothing, and he determined to spend his life helping others. I also had no idea that Dr. Salk helped to create a flu vaccine in response to the 1918 flu pandemic. This book is especially timely given our current pandemic. It also helps kids understand why vaccinations are important.

I would love more recommendations to teach my kids about Jewish culture! Please share your favorite books for Jewish-American Heritage Month with me.

Picture books featuring AAPI characters

Posted on April 9, 2021 by Lindsay Books

I’m so sad about the hate crimes and racism against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) over the past year. While we need far more than books to heal our country, I firmly believe that learning about a culture and people helps you to be more understanding. You can’t hate someone once you’ve walked in their shoes.

If you’re like me and want to help your children learn more about Asian-American and Pacific Islander culture, this list will help you start. Read on for my favorite picture books featuring AAPI characters. Asian authors and artists wrote and illustrated almost all of them, too!

Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho. I saw this new release on Amazon as a preorder months before it was published and should have bought it then. It nearly brought tears to my eyes the first time I read it. This beautiful story is about a little girl who notices she and the other women in her family all have “eyes that kiss in the corners.” She learns to love and accept herself even though she looks different from her friends. I adore the empowering messages of this book, and the illustrations are stunning, too. Every time I see this book on our shelf, I smile.

Ohana Means Family by Ilima Loomis. The lyrical text and illustrations in this picture book will blow you away. It’s written in a “House That Jack Built” style and explains how a Hawaiian family harvests taro to make poi for the village luau. I seriously wanted to go back to Hawaii when I read this. I also better understood the culture of family there. This book also reminds me a bit of the film Moana (and that is one of my favorites).

A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin. All of Grace Lin’s books are great (I also love the Ling and Ting series), but this one is so magical. It tells the story of Little Star, who can’t resist taking nibbles of the giant mooncake she made with her mother. As she nibbles a little bit more every night, the pictures also clearly show the mooncake in different phases of the moon. I love that this is a simple, cute story that also helps kids explain how the moon changes.

The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee by Julie Leung. I was so inspired by this book and can’t stop gushing about it! Hazel Ying Lee was the first Chinese-American woman to fly for the U.S. military. She got her chance to be a pilot after years of discrimination when the military hired Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) during WWII. We loved reading her story, and my son, who wants to be a pilot himself, was SO impressed. I’ll probably be buying this one.

Ocean Meets Sky by The Fan Brothers. I loved this so much when I first read it with my kids that I immediately bought it. The illustrations are steampunk-inspired and very different from the art you normally see in children’s books. In the story, which the authors say nods to their Asian heritage, a boy named Finn is devastated to lose his grandfather. Fortunately, he can imagine their world together (in ships in the sky) and find comfort in that.

Bee-Bim Bop by Linda Sue Park. This is SUCH a fun book to read out loud. It’s all about a Korean-American girl who’s making bee-bim bop (a traditional Korean dish with rice, meat, and vegetables) with her family. The text rhymes and has a great rhythm to it, and it’ll make you want to cook with your kids. It has a recipe, too!

A Scarf for Keiko by Ann Malaspina. We first read this about a year ago, and when I talked to my kids about the racism currently happening to Asian-Americans, they both remembered the book. That says volumes about its impact on them. In this story, a Japanese-American girl is forced to move to a camp during WWII and leave her school behind. I especially love that the book includes facts about the mistreatment of Japanese people during the 1940s. In fact, because of this book, I learned about Japanese-American camps in both Idaho (where I grew up) and Utah (where I live now). It’s a sad but important part of American history kids should learn about..

It Began With a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way by Kyo Maclear. I have read several of Kyo Maclear’s picture book biographies and loved all of them. This one is about Japanese-American illustrator Gyo Fujikawa, who broke racial barriers by drawing children of all races in her children’s books. The illustrator paid homage to Fujikawa with her depictions of diverse kids, and it’s really cool to read more about Fujikawa’s life at the end and see a timeline.

Our Favorite Day by Joowon Oh. Books about grandparents’ relationships with their grandchildren always warm my heart, and this one is adorable. The grandfather follows a specific routine every day (which is reminiscent of Mr. Rogers’ routines). On the day his granddaughter comes to visit each week, everything changes. The illustrations are adorable, and I love the simple text and the love you can feel through the pages. Such a cute book!

Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao by Kat Zhang. We all loved this cute story about a girl who keeps trying to make bao with her family but gets frustrated when it doesn’t turn out perfectly. My son is also frustrated when he can’t draw something the first time. This was a good message for him (and all of us) about perseverance. As an added bonus, it includes a recipe (and it will make you crave bao).

Maya-Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines by Jeanne Walker Harvey. Did you know that a Chinese-American architect designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 1981? I did not know anything about Maya-Lin until I read this book with my kids, and it’s quite the story. Despite racism and sexism, Maya-Lin achieved her dreams, and her beautiful monument is now an icon in Washington, D.C.

The Empty Pot by Demi. This is a classic fairytale that lots of kids hear in elementary school, but somehow I never did. The emperor of China is growing old and has to choose an heir. He decides to give each child in the kingdom a flower seed and see who can grow the prettiest flowers. A little boy named Ping tries his best but can never get the flowers to grow — and he learns that everything is not as it seems. I love fables, and this one has a great message about honesty.

My First Day by Phung Nguyen Quang. I just read this brand-new release to my kids a few days ago, and it is stunning. It begins with a Vietnamese boy embarking on a journey alone in a wooden boat. He encounters huge waves, a creepy forest, and lots of rain but finally reaches the destination: his school. This book is absolutely beautiful and definitely fun to page through. It also helped me start a conversation with my kids about what it would be like to ride a boat to school every day.

Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuko Ando by Andrea Wang. I asked my husband to walk to 7-11 (it’s around the corner from our house) to get me some ramen noodles after reading this book last year because we did not have any and I desperately wanted some. Even if you don’t like ramen, you will love this true story about the man who invented the instant noodles.

Danbi Leads the School Parade by Anna Kim. When Danbi starts at a brand-new school in America, she is understandably nervous. She feels even worse when she doesn’t know the language and can’t seem to get anyone to play with her. Fortunately, she comes up with a new game that brings everyone together. This is such an important and sweet story about acceptance and love. Everyone has been the new kid at one point, and this one just warms your heart.

Do you have favorite books featuring Asian-American and Pacific Islander characters? Please share!

10 picture books for Easter

Posted on March 21, 2021 by Lindsay Books

Easter is one of my favorite times of year. I adore the pastels, the tulips poking up through the ground, the warmer weather, the newborn animals and, of course, the time to reflect on my Savior, Jesus Christ. I have also begun collecting a few spring- and Easter-themed books to read with my kids each year. They look forward to seeing them on our shelf each spring. Here are nine picture books for Easter you’ll love.

Rechenka’s Eggs by Patricia Polacco. I absolutely love this story about a Russian woman everyone calls Babushka, who is known for the eggs she paints each year for the Easter festival. She rescues an injured goose she calls Rechenka, and unfortunately Rechenka accidentally breaks the eggs Babushka painted for the festival. Luckily, Rechenka has a surprise in store. This is a sweet folk story about kindness, but it really stands out because of the gorgeous illustrations. I always want to paint eggs after reading this.

Hush, Little Bunny by David Ezra Stein. I always smile when I see books from this author-illustrator because of the muted colors he uses and the cute creatures he draws. This one is a play on the classic lullaby “Hush, Little Baby” and focuses on a little bunny and his papa. Though the little bunny is sad that winter is over, the papa tells him all the reasons why spring is wonderful. Such an adorable book, especially if you have toddlers.

The Runaway Egg by Katy Hudson. We bought this book several years ago because my kids thought it was SO funny. They still love this story about a mama hen who asks Chick to keep an eye on his baby brother for a few minutes until she gets back. The twist is that his baby brother still hasn’t hatched yet — but of course he pokes his legs through soon after Mama leaves and runs off, making Chick chase him all over the farm.

The Little Rabbit by Nicola Killen. All of Nicola Killen’s books are adorable and have the most beautiful foil-printed pages. In this gentle story, a little girl sets off to explore with her toy bunny after the rain stops. As they’re walking outside, her bunny comes to life and takes off to follow some other bunnies. Ollie has to catch her bunny and somehow get back home. If you’ve read Nicola Killen’s other creature books (like The Little Reindeer) you’ll love this one.

The Bunny Book by Richard Scarry. This is one of those classics you’ll probably remember from your childhood. When a little bunny is born, all of his family members ponder what he’ll be when he grows up. One family member believes he’ll be a firefighter. Another suggests the bunny will be a policeman, and someone else thinks he’ll be a pilot. As each family member gives ideas about what the bunny will be, he thinks about what he wants to do.

Egg by Kevin Henkes. I say this every time I share a Kevin Henkes book, but I seriously love everything he writes and illustrates. This one is a graphic novel, with the pictures showing how four eggs (pink, blue, yellow, and green) start to crack and hatch. The twist at the end will surprise and delight you. Even though we’ve read this book many times, it always makes me smile.

The Golden Egg Book by Margaret Wise Brown. My mom could tell you that this was one of my favorite books as a kid, and I read it over and over. I’m really not sure why I found it so interesting, but Leonard Weisgard’s illustrations are enchanting. It’s a simple story about a bunny who wants an egg to crack open, so he pushes and rolls it and tries to get it to crack. Eventually, the bunny falls asleep and a baby duck pops out of the egg and starts pushing and prodding the bunny. It’s really simple, but I absolutely loved this when I was about four years old.

The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes by Du Bose Heyward. I never read this one as a kid, and I actually think it means more to me as an adult. A mama bunny who has 21 children (!) spends all of her time cooking and cleaning for her family but yearns to be picked as the Easter bunny. When Grandfather Bunny is seeking a replacement, he picks her for the job. She and her family then work together to make sure she can deliver the eggs. This book was published in the 1930s and was seriously ahead of its time.

The Good Egg by Jory John. Who can resist a book full of egg puns that also teaches kids about the dangers of perfectionism? My kids LOVE all of the books in the Jory John/Pete Oswald series (The Bad Seed is my favorite). This one about an egg that starts to crack from the pressure he puts on himself has a great message and really endearing illustrations.

Pick a Perfect Egg by Patricia Toht and Jarvis. We LOVE all of the books from this author and illustrator, and this brand-new book about Easter traditions would be a great addition to your collection.

These books focus on springtime and the secular parts of Easter because I feel the Bible does the best job teaching kids about Christ. However, I’m interested in religious books if you share those with your kids.

Do you have favorite picture books for Easter? I’d love to know what you’re reading!

Picture books for Women’s History Month

Posted on March 20, 2021 by Lindsay Books

I have been reading so many books with my kids for Women’s History Month over the past few weeks and am loving the conversations we’re having. Both my son and my daughter are very interested in women’s achievements and keep asking which book I got from the library that day. Whether you have daughters or sons (or both), taking time to celebrate this month helps everyone understand more about equality. Here are several picture books for Women’s History Month to help you kick off the dialogue.

Dear Girl, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Paris Rosenthal. I’ve raved about this book before and bought it for my kids several years ago, but it’s worth including again. The book focuses on empowering girls and talks about all the things girls can do, including being brave, being kind, being adventurous, and even being emotional. I adore AKR’s books and was so sad when she died (the boy version of this book written after she passed away is not as good).

Bertha Takes a Drive: How the Benz Automobile Changed the World by Jan Adkins. A few weeks ago, I was reading a book about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake that referenced people driving cars and discovered that a German woman, Bertha Benz, was instrumental in helping her husband create one of the first cars. I immediately looked for a picture book about her, intending to write one if it didn’t exist, and found this great one about a 60-mile drive she took with her sons. It was really cool to read this with my kids and talk about how her inventiveness and courage made it possible for cars to continue evolving.

Shirley Chisholm is a Verb by Veronica Chambers and Rachelle Baker. I was completely blown away by this book a few weeks ago when we read it as part of Black History Month. It’s a new release and definitely would have made my list of top 2020 books had I read it earlier. This bio gives tons of details on Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American congresswoman and the first African-American to seek the nomination for president. She was amazing and I loved learning more about her, but the reason this book stood out so much is because it highlights different verbs throughout that describe what Shirley Chisholm accomplished (like learn, negotiate, and accomplish). I have this in my cart to buy. It was so great.

A Girl Like You by Frank Murphy and Carla Murphy. I bought this one for my kids right after we read it, and I also included it in my top 2020 picture books. It’s such an empowering book about not giving up and being yourself, and I think everyone should own this. The illustrations are also gorgeous and so inclusive. You’ll find girls of all abilities, shapes, sizes, and colors in this book, and I love that.

The World Is Not a Rectangle: A Portrait of Architect Zaha Hadid by Jeanette Winter. My kids and I read this a few years ago and loved Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid’s unique style. Did you know she designed the London Olympic Aquatic Centre to look like a huge seashell? If you google her work, you’ll be absolutely amazed by the many buildings she brought to life and her love of curved lines. The book has illustrations of many of her most famous works, too.

The Only Woman in the Photo: Frances Perkins and her New Deal by Kathleen Krull and Alexandra Bye. I love discovering books about women that changed American history, and I had never heard of Frances Perkins until a week ago when I read this book. She was the first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet and also the mastermind behind President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal! She also created many of the factory and safety regulations we still have in place today. We all learned so much from reading this book.

Code Breaker, Spy Hunter: How Elizebeth Friedman Changed the Course of Two World Wars by Laurie Wallmark and Brooke Smart. You’ve probably heard of Alan Turing, cryptanalyst who helped to break the Nazis’ Enigma codes during WWII. However, you probably haven’t heard of Elizebeth Friedman, an American cryptanalyst who also broke the Enigma codes and deciphered hundreds of coded messages during both WWI and WWII. This book made me want to read more about the women who were part of this effort now that we know about them (the government classified this information until 2015).

Anything But Ordinary Addie: The True Story of Adelaide Herrmann, Queen of Magic by Mara Rockliff and Iacopo Bruno. I will read anything Mara Rockliff writes, and this one about Adelaide Herrmann, one of the first women magicians, is so fun. If you’re interested in performing magic yourself, the book also includes the steps to do one of Herrmann’s famous tricks at the end.

Parker Looks Up: An Extraordinary Moment by Parker Curry and Jessica Curry. I considered including this in my Black History Month list, but I think it also fits well with Women’s History Month books. It’s the true story of a little girl, Parker, who went with her family to the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., and stood mesmerized at a portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama. This is such a gorgeous story about how important representation is.

Anybody’s Game: Kathryn Johnston, the First Girl to Play Little League Baseball by Heather Lang and Cecilia Puglesi. This book both infuriated me and inspired me. I had no idea that until 1974, girls were not allowed to play baseball in the United States. Kathryn Johnston joined a team in the ’50s pretending to be a boy, and when they discovered her true identity at the end of the season, organizers wrote a rule blocking girls from the game. I’m so glad that Kathryn paved the way for girls to play, because 50 years ago, that wasn’t an option.

She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger. Normally I am not a huge fan of picture books that have biographies about several people because they don’t go into enough detail or are TOO long and my kids lose interest. This one is a great length and highlights some important women I hadn’t heard of previously. We own it (I’ve found several copies at thrift stores!), and I love that it features Senator Margaret Chase Smith, who stood up to Senator Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s when few people did.

Malala’s Magic Pencil by Malala Youszafai and Kerascoët. I was so inspired by Malala’s biography a few years ago, and I love this picture book that makes her story more accessible to kids. It doesn’t shy away from the fact that she was shot by the Taliban for encouraging girls to get an education, but it doesn’t go into detail about the violence and instead focuses on what kids can do to be activists in their own communities.

There Goes Patti McGee!: The Story of the First Women’s National Skateboard Champion by Tootie Nienow and Erika Medina. Skateboarding legend Patti McGee passed away in 2024. I had never heard of her and was excited to find this excellent picture book about her life and how she persevered even when people didn’t believe women should skateboard.

Abzuglutely! Battling, Bellowing Bella Abzug by Sarah Aronson and Andrea D’Aquino. This book has just the right amount of cheek and tells the story of outspoken Jewish activist and politician who fought fiercely for women’s rights. It’s a perfect complement to the book about Shirley Chisholm, as they were contemporaries, and so inspiring. My whole family loved it.

Trudy’s Big Swim: How Gertrude Ederle Swam the English Channel and Took the World by Storm by Sue Macy and Matt Collins. WOW. Gertrude Ederle was an impressive person, and this book details the years it took for her to be able to swim the English Channel back in 1926. I don’t even like to get my face wet when I’m swimming, so I’m always in awe of women who are powerful swimmers.

Princess Diana: A Little Golden Book Biography by Sonali Fry and Hollie Hibbert. One of my good friends from high school illustrated this book and did an amazing job! Beyond the illustrations, though, this is an excellent biography of Princess Diana that details her humanitarian efforts and her personality.

The Queen of Chess: How Judit Polgár Changed the Game by Laurie Wallmark and Stevie Lewis. I admittedly know nothing about chess, and yet I was captivated by this story of the youngest chess grandmaster in history, Judit Polgár. Laurie Wallmark is also one of my favorite authors and often writes about women in STEM, so any books by her are a great addition to your library.

I could keep going with picture books for Women’s History Month. We’ve read so many awesome books that celebrate amazing women over the past few years. Tell me your favorites!

11 picture books for Black History Month

Posted on February 2, 2021 by Lindsay Books

I recently shared 10 favorite picture books for Martin Luther King Day, and many could also work for Black History Month. However, I think this is such an important month and worth highlighting with even MORE books. My kids love learning about these amazing men and women from history.

Don’t have kids? I promise they’re interesting even for adults, and this is a great way to learn about black history when you’re short on time. Check out these 11 picture books for Black History Month.

Young, Gifted and Black: Meet 52 Black Heroes by Jamia Wilson and Andrea Pippins. I got this from the library for my kids last week, and we are still making our way through it and absolutely loving it. The amazing people spotlighted in this book include legends like Harriet Tubman and current heroes like Serena and Venus Williams. It’s really colorful and easy to digest, even for 6-year-olds.

Ready to Fly: How Sylvia Townsend Became the Bookmobile Ballerina by Lea Lyon, Alexandria LaFaye, and Jessica Gibson. This was one of my all-time favorites from 2019. It’s the true story of a girl who taught herself ballet by reading books from the bookmobile since she wasn’t allowed to take dance classes. My own ballerina daughter adored this one, and so did I.

All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom by Angela Johnson and E.B. Lewis. I didn’t know what Juneteenth was until 2020. Not sure what it is either? The holiday, celebrated June 19, commemorates the day slaves in Texas were finally freed from slavery. Even though the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect more than two years earlier, many slaves weren’t free because there weren’t enough Union soldiers to enforce the law. This lyrical picture books shows a family learning they are no longer slaves.

Starstruck: The Cosmic Journey of Neil deGrasse Tyson by Kathleen Krull, Paul Brewer, and Frank Morrison. Everyone has heard of Neil deGrasse Tyson. However, most of what I knew about him came from Big Bang Theory episodes and hearing people gushing about his books. This beautifully illustrated story was SO well-done and really captured deGrasse Tyson’s passion for science and his amazing life.

The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist by Cynthia Levinson and Vanessa Brantley-Newton. Want to wow your kids? This one will do it. My kids were fascinated to learn that a nine-year-old marched to protest segregation and was held in jail for several days. This would be a great one to read in a classroom and inspire other kids to help where they can.

Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions by Chris Barton and Don Tate. This is a really fun story about the man who invented the Super Soaker water gun by accident when trying to cool fridges and air conditioners. The illustrations really make this one shine, and it’s a lighter story among many that focus on segregation and racism.

The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita Lorraine Hubbard and Oge Mora. I have shared this book several times before, but I still think about it often. Born into slavery, Mary Walker worked many jobs throughout her life, raised a family, and didn’t learn to read until she was 116. Keep a box of tissues close for this one. It’s an amazing story.

Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad by Ellen Levine and Kadir Nelson. What a ride! This boy literally mailed himself in a crate to the north so he could escape slavery. It’s both heartbreaking and inspiring. I especially love Kadir Nelson’s illustrations (he often graces the cover of the New Yorker).

When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson by Pam Muñoz Ryan and Brian Selznick. Maybe it’s because I’m a singer myself, but this book absolutely blew me away. It’s about famed opera singer Marian Anderson’s 1939 performance at the Lincoln Memorial, where an integrated crowd gathered to hear her sing. Keep in mind that this was a BIG deal, since it was years before the civil rights movement.

Hammering for Freedom by Rita Lorraine Hubbard and John Holyfield. Yes, I’m including two books by the same author because I LOVE her work. This one is about a blacksmith who saved enough money through his work to save not only himself but his entire family from slavery. I still can’t fathom earning money to buy freedom that should have been yours all along. Such an inspiring story.

Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly and Laura Freeman. Read this rather than watching the film. Seriously. The part where Kevin Costner rips down the bathroom sign is completely fabricated and makes me mad. This tells the same story but focuses more on the four female mathematicians who worked at NASA and helped make space travel possible.

There are so many great books out there about amazing black people in history, and I’ve loved reading these with my kids. Did I miss one of your favorites? Any new releases I should know about?

The 10 best picture books of 2020

Posted on January 26, 2021 by Lindsay Books

I recently shared my list of the best 2020 books, including young adult, fiction, and nonfiction. Now I have to share my 10 favorite picture books from last year!

It was hard to get new releases for most of 2020, since every library but our tiny local one shut down for months. I’m hoping this list will help you find books you missed that are worth checking out!

Digging for Words: José Alberto Gutiérrez and the Library He Built by Angela Burke Kunkel and Paola Escobar. I gushed about this on Instagram a few weeks ago when I finally got a copy of it from our library. Then I immediately bought it. It’s the true story of a trash collector in Colombia who rescued books from the curb and started a library for kids. I get chills even thinking about it. SUCH a great book about the importance of learning.

The Next President: The Unexpected Beginnings and Unwritten Future of America’s Presidents by Kate Messner and Adam Rex. Since 2020 was an election year, I was looking for books I could read with my kids to help them understand our government. This one was SO good and packed full of facts. It tells lots of facts about former presidents and then connects them to future presidents. For example, it explains how many future presidents were alive when George Washington was president and connects all the presidents who were related to each other. The illustrations are great and help make this book even more interesting. I would actually recommend this to adults who want to brush up on history and don’t want a dry presidential biography. I learned so much.

A Girl Like You by Frank Murphy, Carla Murphy, and Kayla Harren. Remember when I cried reading the same author’s A Boy Like You when it came out in 2019? This one geared for girls is just as good. It’s empowering and teaches them to be brave and smart and not to apologize for everything (something I still do). I think what I love best about this, though, is the illustrations. They’re so inclusive and diverse, and one of the girls even has vitiligo. I have never seen that in a children’s book before. Go buy this one.

Sugar in Milk by Thrity Umrigar and Khoa Le. I love folk tales because of the culture and the lessons woven in, and this Persian story is just beautiful. It’s the story of a young immigrant girl feeling alone in America. Her aunt tells the tale of a king who refused to allow immigrants into his kingdom, holding a glass of milk to signify that the country was full. The immigrant leader then dissolved sugar in milk to show that new people add sweetness. I’m making the story sound trite, but the illustrations are stunning, and the overall message about diversity and kindness is wonderful.

The Little Mermaid by Jerry Pinkney. This retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s original not only has gorgeous illustrations but a girl-power message about never giving up your voice. I love the African characters and the lack of romance (there’s no prince to fall in love with in this story). This is a fairy tale I’d be proud to have on my shelf. As I’m writing this, I’m realizing I probably need to buy a copy of this, too.

No Reading Aloud: The WORST Read-Aloud Book Ever by Raj Haldar and Chris Carpenter. If you love wordplay and puns, this is the book for you. It’s called “the worst read-aloud book ever” for a reason. Each page has sentences that sound the same when read aloud but have different meanings. “The hero had super vision” and “The hero had supervision” is just one example (in the second sentence, the “hero” is a sandwich). The illustrations make the differences clear. I laughed so hard reading this one with my kids and also learned several new words I’d never even heard before. Younger kids will not appreciate it, but I think it’s perfect for the 6-and-older crowd.

Goodnight, Veggies by Diana Murray and Zachariah OHora. This is the strangest concept for a bedtime book, and yet I loved it so much. It has a perfect rhyme scheme, and you learn about vegetables as they get tucked into the soil for the night. Zachariah OHora’s illustrations are colorful and cute, and the whole effect is soothing. My son just saw a picture of this book and asked if we could get it again from the library. Clearly they loved it as much as I did.

If You Come to Earth by Sophie Blackall. One of my very favorite illustrators, Sophie Blackall always turns out gorgeous books. This one is both beautifully illustrated and written. She explains what happens if you come to earth, how you’ll meet lots of different people and may not get along with everyone. The book is full of diversity and lots of life lessons. It’s similar to Oliver Jeffers’ book Here We Are (though I liked this one better). This would be a great baby gift or really a good gift for any child (or teacher or grown-up).

Why Do We Cry? by Fran Pintadera and Ana Sender. I’ve mentioned probably a hundred times how much I adore picture books that teach kids to express feelings. I love how this one literally explains the different reasons people cry. It’s written in such a poetic way that helps you understand and empathize, and the lush illustrations complement the text so well. Teachers, this would be especially good to read in your classrooms.

Your Name is a Song by Jamilah Bigelow-Thompkins and Luisa Uribe. I don’t know what it’s like to have a unique name people always mispronounce. I do know how frustrating it is to have people misspell it. This book is a great reminder about how important and meaningful names are and a gentle way to help people try harder to pronounce them. The illustrations are joyful, and there’s even a pronunciation guide to ensure you can say the names in the book correctly.

I seriously love putting these lists together because I remember all the wonderful books we read over the year! Did I miss any of your favorites?

10 picture books for Martin Luther King Day

Posted on January 13, 2021 by Lindsay Books

Martin Luther King Day picture books, including "Be A King," "Sit-In," "I Have a Dream," and "Choosing Brave"

Martin Luther King Day is a chance to teach your children about the civil rights movement and America’s continued battles with racism. Have the day off? Pick up one of these books from your library (or buy it from a local shop) and take a few minutes to read it. Here are 10 of my favorite picture books for Martin Luther King Day.

Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by Doreen Rappaport and Bryan Collier. It can be really hard to get kids to pay attention with picture book biographies, especially for a larger-than-life person like Martin Luther King. I like this book because the text is simple and clear. The illustrations are heartfelt but don’t distract from the message. Even little kids will listen to this and understand Martin Luther King’s life and passion and why we should continue to learn about him.

Pies from Nowhere: How Georgia Gilmore Sustained the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Dee Romito and Laura Freeman. A restaurant cook in Alabama organized a group of women to cook and bake and raise money to help those participating in the bus boycott. Martin Luther King later trusted her enough to hold civil rights meetings at her home. We hear many stories about Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King (and rightly so). However, this focuses on other people who made a big difference in their communities.

A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Speech That Inspired a Nation by Barry Wittenstein and Jerry Pinkney. My family and I really enjoyed this book about how Martin Luther King worked with other advisors and speechwriters to craft the “dream” speech he is known for. Interestingly, he did not originally intend to give the speech he did.

Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down by Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney. WOW. I cannot say enough good things about this book. It tells the true story of the college students who sat peacefully at a “whites only” section of a North Carolina Woolworth’s and waited to be served lunch. Their courage continued the civil rights movement and spurred many other people across the country to sit in restaurants and protest. This is a great book for teaching your kids about doing the right thing even if it seems small.

Rosa by Nikki Giovanni and Bryan Collier. I have read my kids several books about Rosa Parks, but I like this one best. It explains what happened when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus, but it also gives more of a biography and explains what led up to her decision. Bryan Collier’s illustrations are also stunning.

Unstoppable: How Bayard Rustin Organized the 1963 March on Washington by Michael G. Long and Bea Jackson. Like me, you may not have heard of Bayard Rustin until now. This book tells the story of the openly gay civil rights activist and how he organized the largest protest in civil rights history despite facing immense prejudice himself.

Be a King: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream and You by Carole Boston Weatherford and James E. Ransome. As the title suggests, this book encourages readers to be like Martin Luther King Jr. and continue to stamp out hatred and fight for equality. I appreciate that it offers specific ways to help others and can spark some great conversations.

We March by Shane W. Evans. All about the 1963 march in Washington, D.C., where Martin Luther King delivered his famous “I have a dream” speech, this book is about a family’s experience during that time. I love the diversity in the illustrations and the simple text that makes you wish you could have been at the march yourself.

Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement by Angela Joy and Janelle Washington. I was in COLLEGE when I first heard about Emmett Till and read the phenomenal book Getting Away With Murder. This story focuses on Till’s mother, Mamie, and her courage after her son was brutally murdered. BUY THIS ONE.

I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King Jr. and Kadir Nelson. Introduce your family to King’s well-known speech in this book that includes an abridged version and beautiful illustrations. Kadir Nelson’s artwork is so powerful and complements the text well—and the book also comes with an audio CD of King’s speech so you can listen to it.

Share your favorite picture books for Martin Luther King Day with me! I’d love more ideas, including civil rights and Black History month picks.

Want more? Check out 10 books about white privilege and racism.

10 best books published in 2020

Posted on December 1, 2020 by Lindsay Books

Normally I like to cram as many books as possible into the year and end up sharing this list at the end of December. However, my lovely friend Emma pointed out that she finally has time to read during winter break and could use suggestions earlier.

So! I’m still in the middle of three new books (President Obama’s 700-page A Promised Land is one of them), and one of these may have topped the list. But as of right now, these are my favorite books published in 2020.

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent by Isabel Wilkerson. This is one of those books that’s hard to read but SO incredibly important. I already included it in my list of books about white privilege and racism, but it’s worth listing again. I can’t stop thinking about this book. It offers a history of how America’s unspoken caste system has shaped the country. I was shocked to learn that the Nazis actually used the United States as a template for their own segregation during the 1930s and 1940s. Read this book.

Three Keys by Kelly Yang. I loved Yang’s original book Front Desk, about a family of Chinese immigrants who manage a motel in California. This follow-up novel continues the story but is about a real-life California proposition in the 1990s that tried to restrict undocumented immigrant children from schools. It was very timely with our current immigration policies and controversy and so well-written. This will break your heart, but it also has a satisfying ending.

Untamed by Glennon Doyle. I will say right now that this book is not for everyone. The author shares her heartbreaking story of finding love again with soccer player Abby Wambach after her husband’s infidelity. It has quite a bit of language, and her candor may make some people uncomfortable. However, so much of this book resonated with me, especially her ideas about being true to yourself and teaching your kids to live up to their potential. I wrote down so many little “sound bites” from this book that I loved. This is one you can read in pieces and come back to later. There’s so much wisdom and so much to think about.

The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power by Deirdre Mask. I guarantee you will appreciate your address more after reading this book. It’s packed full of facts I’d never considered, like how you can’t get certain benefits without an address and how street names affect home values. One huge takeaway for me was that we’ve got to stop requiring addresses on job applications, since it unfairly marginalizes homeless people trying to get off the streets. This was such a fascinating book.

Hold On, But Don’t Hold Still by Kristina Kuzmic. Even if you haven’t seen her funny and poignant videos on social media, you will love Kristina Kuzmic’s beautiful memoir. She shares her story of divorce, finding love again, struggling with depression as a single mom, building her business through helping other women, and parenting her children. I actually went to her book event right before COVID-19 hit, and she is just as genuine in person as she is in her videos and in her book. I want to give all my friends a copy.

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. I also included this in my list of books about racism and white privilege, but it topped my list of 2020 books, too. It’s about identical twin sisters raised in a small town with only light-skinned African-American people. After the sisters run away together, one decides to pass for white and not tell anyone about her heritage. The other sister marries a dark-skinned man and returns to her hometown. This has so many different ideas to consider, and it’s also the first novel I’ve read with a transgender character.

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins. Maybe don’t start reading this one at night. It’ll make your heart pound. When a mother and her son are the only survivors after a drug cartel kills their family at a party, they embark on a dangerous journey to leave Mexico and seek asylum in the United States. My husband actually served as a missionary in Cuernavaca, where the book starts, so it hit close to home.

What We Carry: A Memoir by Maya Shanbhag Lang. I was completely blown away by this memoir and have recommended it to so many people. It may be my favorite book of 2020. The author idolized her mother, a physician who’d emigrated from India, as a child. When Lang became a mother herself, however, she realized she didn’t know her mother at all. She also ends up caring for her mother as she worsens due to Alzheimer’s. I still look at this book and feel all the feelings I felt when reading it. It’s all about relationships between family members and how they change over time.

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman. I never really know what to expect with Fredrik Backman’s books. They are reliably quirky, and this latest book is definitely that. In this story, someone tries to rob a bank and ends up taking a group of people checking out an apartment as hostages. You then get perspectives from everyone involved, including the real estate agent showing the apartment, the cops trying to rescue the hostages, and even people who knew the failed bank robber. I don’t want to give anything away, but just know that nothing is as it seems.

You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why It Matters by Kate Murphy. I read this way back in January, but I still think about it. I even wrote a review (and I never do that). It’s a nonfiction book about the mechanics of hearing and listening and the myriad reasons why we all have to listen better to each other. I just made it sound really boring, but this is such an important read. It would be great for an office setting or a book club. There’s a lot to discuss (and I think it’s time for me to reread it).

What was your favorite new book from 2020? You can also see my favorites from 2019 for more recommendations.

10 Thanksgiving picture books to read with family

Posted on November 20, 2020 by Lindsay Books

I shared a few Thanksgiving picture books last year, and I’ve plowed through even more with my kids trying to find good options. It’s not easy to find books that represent Native Americans fairly or aren’t focused solely on turkeys. When my kids are a bit older, I’d love to read this History Smashers book about The Mayflower with them. Right now, though, we focus on gratitude, family traditions, and Native American culture.

Ready to tuck into some pumpkin pie and turkey next week? Here are some books to ring in the season with your family.

Peyton Picks the Perfect Pie by Jack Bishop. This brand-new America’s Test Kitchen picture book is darling! Peyton is a “particular” eater (not “picky”) and sticks to a limited selection of foods. Anything lumpy, sticky, gooey, or flaky is out — which means she has never tried pie. Peyton decides to be more adventurous at Thanksgiving, and her family and friends bring lots of pies to sample. What really makes this stand out is all the cultures and ethnicities. Peyton herself is part of a mixed-race family, and they have friends from France, India, and all different parts of the United States. I love that each person describes why their pie is special, too.

Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora. I never really thought of this as a Thanksgiving book until my mom (an elementary school librarian) suggested it, but it’s a wonderful story about generosity. Omu (“queen” in the Igbo language) makes a big pot of stew, and everyone in the neighborhood keeps knocking and asking for a bowl. She happily serves everyone and never gets to eat a bowl of stew herself. Luckily, the people come back with food and surprises of their own. I adore everything Oge Mora does, and this is so heartwarming.

One Family by George Shannon. Maybe it’s because COVID-19 makes it really hard to be with families right now, but this book had me a bit teary. As it counts from one to 10, the beautiful illustrations show how different families look. Some kids live with their grandparents. Others live with one parent or with lots of siblings. It’s very inclusive and features characters of many skin colors. One page shows an old woman holding a basket full of puppies, and my kids LOVED that. This is a great book for showcasing all the different families who celebrate together.

Duck for Turkey Day by Jacqueline Jules. Anybody else think turkey can be dry and unappetizing? My husband has begun smoking ours instead of roasting it in the oven, and I much prefer it. But who says you have to have turkey for Thanksgiving anyway? In this cute story, Tuyet learns about the holiday and school and tries to convince her family they need to have a turkey for Thanksgiving. Her mom and other Vietnamese-American family members help her realize that their tradition is eating duck. When Tuyet returns to school, she learns that other classmates eat different foods for Thanksgiving, too.

Sharing the Bread: An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving Story by Pat Zietlow Miller. Sometimes it’s comforting to look back at American traditions from 150 years ago. This story shows a 19-century family working together to make dinner. The brother and sister make bread together, the father adds wood to the fire, and other family members hold different tasks. I really like the illustrations in this book, and it would be beautiful displayed on a shelf for the holiday.

Thanksgiving in the Woods by Phyllis Alsdurf. I couldn’t find this in any of my libraries, so I bought it last year and really like it. The pictures are stunning and tell the true story of a family in New York that hosts an outdoor Thanksgiving gathering every year. Even though it’s a modern story, I always think of Laura Ingalls Wilder when I read this book. The author makes me want a little cabin in the woods where I can host parties.

Not This Turkey! by Jessica Steinberg. I’m always interested in how people celebrate Thanksgiving if the holiday isn’t part of their culture. When the father of a Jewish family wins a live turkey for Thanksgiving from his work raffle, he has no idea how to get it home (he normally rides the train) or whether to cook it. His son grows to love the turkey, but they discover it’s too old and tough to eat anyway. They also discover that the kugel they normally have for Thanksgiving is just fine.

Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard. This is a fantastic story about how fry bread has an impact on Native American culture and brings people together. It also illustrates many Native American tribes and gives a lot of historical context about the food. Juana Martinez-Neal (who wrote and illustrated Alma and How She Got Her Name) does an amazing job on the pictures in this book. I can guarantee you will want a Navajo taco by the end (I want one just writing about the book).

Around the Table That Grandad Built by Melanie Heuiser Hill. There are many iterations of The House That Jack Built, and most of them do not keep the rhythm. This one does and beautifully builds to a family gathering around the table to eat. It also focuses on how everyone plays a part. The cousins pick the sunflowers, the mother makes the napkins, and of course the grandad built the table. I realized this is one I need to buy for our collection.

We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell. My family and I took a trip to Mount Rushmore this summer, and the Crazy Horse monument was a highlight. I’m so grateful my kids got to experience Native American culture and watch the beautiful dancers and see exhibits of their artwork. This book captures some of that magic with Cherokee words (including a glossary that explains pronunciation) and traditions. It also has colorful and engaging illustrations that complement the text.

I would love to hear how you’re celebrating Thanksgiving during this weird year. Any new traditions you’re implementing? Any pies I have to try?

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Lindsay

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