Moms Inspire Learning

The Tortoise, the Hare, and Literacy

When I thought about how to start my commentary relating to The Read-Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease, I sat for a long time not knowing where to start. There's so much I need to say, and breaking it down into pieces would not be easy.

So, I decided to start with the following excerpt from the introduction of the book:

Connecting the Dots of Chinese New Year

It takes a village of bloggers to really bring a subject to life, especially one as vast as Chinese New Year. That's why today, I'd like to share a couple of related posts from two of my favorite bloggers.

More Books to Add to Your Chinese New Year List, Part 2

Here are some additional picture books relating to Chinese New Year, which will provide you and your child with plenty of opportunities to make comparisons with other children's books and connect the dots with so many other subjects:

More Books to Add to Your Chinese New Year List

I'm still in the process of sorting through some of the many picture books relating to Chinese New Year. I can't possibly look at them all because there are so many, so I thought I'd just give you the heads-up about a few of the ones I love the most (so far).

Passion at the Book Store

Jim Trelease was right. Librarians can learn a lot from book store employees. But, as I learned this weekend, the lesson is not only about how to display books in an appealing way.

After Monday's post, I didn't want people to get the idea that I had a bone to pick with Barnes & Noble. It's really the SYSTEM that I have a problem with.

The Case for Not "Judging a Book by its Cover"

I was in the Barnes & Noble on Broadway and 82nd Street in Manhattan on Sunday, and I was happy to find it bustling with activity! People of all ages were there enjoying books, either by themselves or with family members. I love it! Long live books-in-print....

While I was there, I decided to buy my very own copy of The Read-Aloud Handbook. Funny thing, though. I couldn't find it anywhere!!!! So, I asked an employee. He looked it up, and guided me to the homeschooling section. And there it was - at the very bottom of a very tall bookshelf!

Houston? We have a problem.

Nonfiction Monday: Celebrating Chinese New Year

It's once again Nonfiction Monday, and today I'm kicking off a series about Chinese New Year!

Here at Moms Inspire Learning, we love to celebrate and learn about other cultures through picture books. Since the Chinese New Year starts on February 14th this year, now's the time to start thinking about how you can interest your child in this topic.

The One Book We All Should Read

When I read the first few pages of this book, I got excited. REALLY excited.

With every passing word, it seemed as if this author was reading my mind! It was like my thoughts were there for all to see, only with solid research to back them up.

The 12 Questions I Would Ask Myself if I Was a Librarian

There's been a significant amount of controversy these days about the future of books and libraries. Seth Godin even wrote a post called the future of the library, which brought some heated reactions.

So, Who Really Invented the TV?

What does plowing a potato field have to do with the invention of a television? For Philo Farnsworth, it was the vision of parallel lines of earth which gave birth to his idea to create a television using "parallel lines of light."

You can read all about this extraordinary inventor in Kathleen Krull's picture book, The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth.