On this brand new website, Shepherd.com, I review five of my favorite books on animal adaptations for young readers. All except the last one are currently in print and are one of many books in a series. The idea of this new website is to guide you to five of the best books curated by an author who has done extensive research on the subject. Check it out and see what you think!
Olivier Tallec’s picture book is a perfect blend of captivating illustrations and brief compelling lines of text. It’s a fitting parable for the Trump era even though it was published before 2016. To be honest, I was going to post this book review in Nov. 2016, but I didn’t want to jinx the election… So four years and one month later, here it is!
Stories to Solve is a book for family fun around the campfire or on the couch in quarantine. It’s a collection of 15 folktales from around the world which George Shannon has rewritten as puzzles for the readers to solve. It’s fascinating to see where different people’s minds go, and to notice that sometimes the youngest family members have the most innovative solutions. If your family likes this collaborative experience, you’ll be happy to hear there are two other books in the series.
from a very old edition of Ladybug magazine
My heart goes out to the parents of pre-readers as they embark on this home-schooling adventure. So I’m going live with some ideas for the young’uns.
Based on real-life events, The Hero Two Doors Down is the story of the friendship between Jackie Robinson and a Jewish boy who lived on his block in Brooklyn.
A Sweet Smell of Roses follows two African-American sisters as they sneak out of their house to join the March on Washington in the summer of 1963.
Paper Wishes follows a young Japanese-American girl, Manami, as she is uprooted from her life on Bainbridge Island to be interned with her family in Manzanar during World War II.
By all means, go to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in DC. But Kadir Nelson’s book must be installed on your coffee table as well. Heart and Soul is a tour de force.
Use the scenes from In My Family to spark students to tell their own family stories. The intricate illustrations provide a model to emulate when describing a scene in words.
In 1888, William Hoy became the first deaf outfielder to play major league baseball. Silent Star is an engaging account of the obstacles he encountered and the achievements he garnered in his career.
Laura Hulbert 