As a child in Iowa, there were no racial minorities in my neighborhood and the values and family practices discussed in the school books were utterly White American. That didn’t mean that I was the middle of anything.

As a child in Iowa, there were no racial minorities in my neighborhood and the values and family practices discussed in the school books were utterly White American. That didn’t mean that I was the middle of anything.
The need for connection with book ideas and the relief and thrill they can bring, is powerful these days, more than ever.
It’s never too early to begin reading to and talking with a child. Language and communication skills are acquired from birth. Read on.
Self-selected reading offers children an opportunity to discover their passions.
Stories delight and entertain. Factual books can add enhance stories’ topics. There’s a place for both fiction and nonfiction books on every bookshelf.
Factual information helps people feel empowered and safe. A new COVID-19 collection of books written in English and Spanish, and narrated in many languages helps high-risk, underserved children and families navigate this stressful pandemic.
The U.S. tradition of long summer school breaks hails from times when children lived on family farms and needed to be available during the growing season to help tend them. While beneficial for farming, long breaks from structured learning can take its toll on academic progress. The sometimes negative impact of up to 12 weeks away […]
Are your kids home for spring break or an extended break due to COVID-19? Are you working from home or perhaps not working, but quarantining at home? If you’re finding yourself with a lot of time in close quarters with your kids, you’re not alone. Experts recommend that to keep everybody from getting antsy and feeling […]
Once again, we are past the big commercial holidays in the U.S. and heading toward more relaxed ones that offer us less glaring contrasts between the lives of children from homes with comfortable incomes and those who are living closer to or below the edge of poverty level. Yet all year long, it’s critical to remember that […]
Carrying home from the library a tote full of books for children is a singularly powerful demonstration for small ones how this reading thing is really important. It also can be just another pile of unrelated books about random topics for bedtime wind-down. Given the vast range of book topics for small children that invite […]