Book-A-Day Almanac
Discover the stories behind the children’s book classics and the new books on their way to becoming classics.
Half A Chance
Elementary School, FictionOne of my most cherished summer memories centers on reading. In it, I’m nine years old, and I have just returned from the Marietta, Ohio, public library with my grandmother and a pile of books. As I settle into a favorite chair to read, I know I will have days of uninterrupted time to go […]
Family, Friendship, Seasons, SummerFeatured on July 14
On My Honor
Elementary School, FictionToday marks the seventy-fifth birthday of one of the loveliest ladies in the children’s book field, Marion Dane Bauer. I first met Marion, who has lived in Minneapolis most of her life, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, at Hattiesburg’s fabulous book festival. I already knew I loved her work; but after meeting Marion, I realized that the […]
Award Winning, Feelings, Friendship, NewberyFeatured on November 20
Boy + Bot
Elementary School, Picture Books, Preschool The 20th Singapore Robotic Games is taking place today at the Science Center in Singapore. Does this sound like fun or what? Since I can’t be there, I am doing the next best thing: picking up Ame Dyckman’s Boy + Bot, one of the funniest and most original picture books of 2012. In a very […]
Friendship, Science, Technology, ToysFeatured on January 23
George and Martha
Elementary School, Picture Book, PreschoolWere he still living, I’d be sending birthday greetings to Jim Marshall today. He died at the age of fifty, much too young and with too many great books still to come. And I have missed him, personally and professionally, for twenty years. A highly sophisticated human being, Jim grew up in San Antonio, Texas, […]
Animals, FriendshipFeatured on October 10
Breadcrumbs
Elementary School, Fantasy, Middle School December is Read a New Book Month; many are hunting for new books not only to read but to buy for the holidays. Because of the robust young adult market, those authors who write books for fourth through sixth graders have been a bit overlooked. Fortunately, this is not true of our book of the […]
Adventure, Family, Friendship, Multicultural, SchoolFeatured on December 21
Arthur’s Nose
Elementary School, Picture Book, PreschoolToday for Great Books Week (October 6-12) , I’d like to look at a modest picture book that launched an empire: Marc Brown’s Arthur’s Nose. In 1976 a failed television weatherman, Marc Brown, published his first picture book under the astute guidance of Emilie McLeod of Atlantic Monthly Press. Emilie, one of those most respected […]
Animals, Friendship, HumorFeatured on October 7
Hidden
Elementary School, Middle School, Poetic NovelAround this time of year families and children start wrapping up summer activities and begin to prepare for a new school year. All those summer camps, weeklong or month-long, come to an end. In 2011 Helen Frost published Hidden, a novel that will make me look at those summer camps in a slightly different way. […]
Adventure, Friendship, Seasons, Summer, SurvivalFeatured on August 10
Dog and Bear
Elementary School, Picture BookSince 1935, the first Sunday in August has been celebrated as Friendship Day. The organizers of the event often quote Albert Camus on the subject: “Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me, I may not lead. Walk beside me and be my friend.” Some of our most long-lasting […]
Animals, Dogs, Friendship, ToysFeatured on August 7
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Elementary School, Fantasy, Middle SchoolToday marks the birthday of the world’s best-known literary character. He has taken his place along with Sherlock Holmes and Winnie the Pooh as a household name. And he’s only been around since 1998. If you guessed that his name is Harry Potter, you are correct. Harry emerged in the mind of his creator J. […]
Adventure, Friendship, MagicFeatured on July 31
Frog and Toad
Beginning Readers, Elementary SchoolIn June of 1970, one of the best children’s books about friendship was published, Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad Are Friends, a Caldecott Honor book. Lobel, who studied at Pratt to become an illustrator, made the most important connection of his creative career when he walked into Harper & Row one day to show his portfolio. […]
Animals, Friendship, FrogsFeatured on June 20
Anne of Green Gables
Classic, Elementary School, Middle SchoolIn June of 1908, Anne of Green Gables appeared on the list of a small Boston firm, L.C. Page and Company. Then-unknown Canadian author L.M. Montgomery had found it difficult to find a publisher in the United States—and so she did what so many new authors do today. She submitted to the Page brothers because […]
Family, Friendship, History, HumorFeatured on June 14
Daily children’s book recommendations and events from Anita Silvey.
Discover the stories behind the children’s book classics . . .
The new books on their way to becoming classics . . .
And events from the world of children’s books—and the world at large.
-
Tools
SUBSCRIBE
SEARCHFind A Book!
Search the archives for recommendations by age group, book type, subject, date, and more.
-
