This sets Mila on a journey of introspection and survival: “Now I realized how close I had been to the truth. The enemy wasn’t outside us, but within. We were the enemy.”

Now is the time to follow “Marjory’s Tips for Protecting the Environment: 1. Join a local environmental group… 2. Study the issues… 3. Speak Up, learn to talk clearly and forcefully in public 4. Be a Nuisance… 5. Never Give Up.” 

Then, smallpox surges in Boston. A war. A pandemic. With all of these struggles, will Elsbeth ever find her father? 

How can the hummingbird think that a small drop of water will put out a massive fire? The hummingbird simply states, “I am doing what I can.”

 I was fascinated by this community science effort to protect amphibian wildlife from becoming roadkill. I wanted to share this fun conservation effort and story with my kids. But how?

At home, my second grader and I read this new graphic novel: Ellis Island: Immigration and the American Dream. This book sparked so many interesting conversations between us. 

Needless to say, there is a lot going on! This week I am simply sharing a list of books I am currently reading.

Something to think about in these times. What are each of us doing close to home to uphold equal justice and equal dignity for all?

He sends Little Bear back home and says, “Maybe, while you are growing into it, you can help others understand how to love the places of beauty we have left.” 

Fred and Norah’s persistent pursuit to figure out where the monarch butterflies migrate to in the winter is the epitome of how curiosity and wonder can lead to brilliant discoveries.

Just when Francisco finds a caring teacher or a thoughtful friend, the picking season is over and his family must pack up and move to the next migrant tent city.

Lydia Corry crafted such a beautiful graphic novel about Emily Dickinson.

If you have middle school students, I highly recommend reading both Stealing Home by J. Torres & David Namisato (2021) and Seen and Unseen: What Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams’s Photographs Reveal About The Japanese American Incarceration (2024).

Bao doesn’t want to lose her beloved forest, but she is more enraged at the hypocrisy of her school and community leaders.

My kids and I read this book before our recent trip to Costa Rica. Not only is this nonfiction picture book published by National Geographic (my favorite news source!), but it also received the 2025 Illinois Monarch Award from the Association of Illinois School Library Educators.

Book Deal Announcement!

I’ve been busy with some new writing deadlines in my future, so this week I am highlighting old posts and reflecting on a recent adult book.

Truth be told, I don’t have much to say this week.

With all of these life experiences in mind, I have curated a list of some of my favorite election books.Please e-mail me with some of your favorite election books! We will be reading a lot in the next few weeks.

The top three contributors to climate change are: China, the United States, and food waste. Want to take climate action? Compost!