Book-A-Day Almanac
Discover the stories behind the children’s book classics and the new books on their way to becoming classics.
The Pilot and the Little Prince
Elementary School, Picture BookAntoine de Saint-Exupery was born in Lyon, France, on June 29, 1900. Called the Sun King by his family because of his golden hair, the young boy truly had his eyes on the sky. At the age of twelve he made his first flying machine from a bicycle. In The Pilot and the Little Prince, […]
History, Planes, True Story, World War I, World War IIFeatured on June 29
Locomotive
Elementary School, Nonfiction, Picture BookOctober has been designated National Reading Group Month. Usually, reading groups select novels. But today I recommend an unusual and brilliant work of narrative nonfiction published last month: Brian Floca’s Locomotive. With a career that began when Brian illustrated books for Avi in the early 1990s, the artist has continued to grow and get better […]
History, Science, Technology, Trains, TransportationFeatured on October 21
The Fire Cat
Beginning Readers, Elementary School, FictionOctober happens to be Fire Pup Month. But even old dogs can learn new tricks—and today I will be writing about a cat, not a dog! This year I’ve been meeting with a group of children’s book experts and enthusiasts to choose a small library of the best children’s books. Through this project I have […]
Animals, Cars, Cats, TransportationFeatured on October 1
Backseat A-B-See
Picture Book, PreschoolThis week we celebrate Children’s Book Week. Our book of the day is one that Carol Rasco from Reading Is Fundamental—who should be given sainthood for her tireless efforts on behalf of children and reading—recommended to me. Although we know that children want reading to be fun, our preschool books for children often tend to inform […]
TransportationFeatured on May 14
Wheels on the Bus
Novelty, Picture Book, PreschoolToday marks the birthday of one of the most versatile and accomplished illustrators working today, Paul O. Zelinsky. My major problem in writing about Paul was deciding which of his many superb books to feature. Born in 1953 in Evanston, Illinois, Paul lived in several locations because his father was a college professor. He discovered […]
Cars, TransportationFeatured on February 14
The Sailor Dog
Elementary School, Picture Book On October 1, 1942, a brave new experiment in publishing was launched as collaboration between Simon & Schuster and Western Printing and Lithograph Company. The project was described as “a new series of 25 cent books for children,” with an initial print run of 600,000 copies each. Carried in independent bookstores, these volumes also made […]
Animals, Dogs, Sailing, SportsFeatured on October 1
The Phantom Tollbooth
Elementary School, Fantasy, Middle School Today marks the birthday of Norton Juster, a man who should be named the patron saint of all who put pen to paper. One of the things that all writers do, on almost a daily basis, is avoid writing. If most of us put as much energy into writing as we put into not writing, […]
Adventure, Cars, Games, Humor, Imagination, TransportationFeatured on June 2
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Elementary School, FantasyToday marks the 103rd birthday of British writer, journalist, and Naval Intelligence Officer, Ian Fleming. If his name sounds unfamiliar, you’re sure to know the character he created “Bond. James Bond,” who has become part of our cultural landscape, just like Sherlock Holmes. Like other authors who first distinguished themselves writing for adults – E. B. […]
Adventure, Cars, Family, TransportationFeatured on May 28
Mr. Gumpy’s Outing
Babies and Toddlers, PreschoolToday, I want to talk about two of our classic books for babies and toddlers. As Julie Roach, Manager of Youth Services of the Cambridge (MA) Public Library, has told me on many occasions, the best titles for this age group include a text with few words that encourages participation and simple images and plots […]
Animals, Award Winning, Caldecott, Trains, TransportationFeatured on April 11
Wendell Minor
Elementary School, Nonfiction, PreschoolToday illustrator Wendell Minor celebrates his birthday. Both Wendell and his wonderful wife Florence, one of the great teams in children’s books, happen to be good friends of mine. Normally, that would stop me from writing this post because it is hard for me to be objective. But I think Wendell has worked so hard […]
Animals, History, Nature, Penguins, Revolutionary War, Trains, TransportationFeatured on March 17
The Daring Nellie Bly
Biography, Elementary School, Picture BookOn January 25, 1890, stunt newspaper reporter Nellie Bly arrived in New Jersey, after managing to travel around the world in 72 days. She had set out to beat the record of Jules Verne’s imaginary hero, Phineas Fogg in Around the World in Eighty Days. This feat was only one of Bly’s accomplishments. In Nellie […]
Adventure, History, Transportation, WomenFeatured on January 25
The Polar Express
Elementary School, Picture BookIn 1985 a book appeared by Caldecott-winning artist Chris Van Allsburg that would immediately become a bestseller and over the years establish itself as a picture book ritually read and enjoyed by families during the Christmas season: The Polar Express. Chris came to his career as a children’s book writer through his work as a […]
Adventure, Christmas, Holidays, Magic, Trains, TransportationFeatured on December 25
The Wright Brothers
Biography, Elementary School, Middle SchoolDecember 17 was declared Wright Brothers Day in 1963 by Presidential Proclamation. Certainly these two Buckeyes, who lived their lives in Dayton, Ohio, have inspired numerous books for children. But the best remains Russell Freedman’s The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane, a Newbery Honor book published two decades ago. Few in the history […]
Award Winning, Flight, History, Newbery, Planes, Technology, TransportationFeatured on December 17
To Fly
Biography, Elementary School, Picture Book In November we recognize National Aviation History Month. Flight and flyers have always appealed to children, and this month we’ll look at four superb books that chronicle the Age of Aviation. Let’s begin with the Wright Brothers because they made National Aviation Month possible. There have been endless treatments and biographies of the Wrights Brothers […]
Flight, History, Planes, TransportationFeatured on November 7
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.
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