“I’m only eating toast today. Toast with a great deal of butter on it,” declared my daughter. She was six years old at the time and a Mercy Watson superfan. I humored her at breakfast, and she snacked on buttered toast for the next couple of days. Need I tell you how that turned out? […]
Category Archives: Reading Lives
September
11
I’m Raising Fearless Readers Who Will Try Anything by Dena McMurdie
posted by CBethM
When my girls were small, I decided that I wanted them to grow up without any limits. I wanted them to dream big and not let society’s boundaries define who they are or what they can do. I knew that if I introduced my kids to lots of ideas and subjects, it would help […]
September
04
An Ode to the Books of My Childhood . . . And to the Ones I Missed by Maggie Bokelman
posted by CBethM
In the box of things my mother saved from my childhood is an “about me” book written and illustrated by my third-grade self. On one page, a stick figure with a creepy grin and no nose is stretched out on a couch holding a book; nearby is an enthusiastically polka-dotted window. The text reads, “I […]
August
28
The Thrill of the Ride by Bill Lingle
posted by CBethM
It’s a yearly rite of passage in the school year, the assembly to get students excited for our magazine subscription fundraiser. In front of the gymnasium is a large screen displaying a video of BMX Professionals performing 180 nose pivots, 360 tail whips, and double barspins. The children are stirred into a frenzied state […]
August
21
Donald and Carol Carrick: Sepia Toned Understanding by Jake Nuckolls
posted by CBethM
I have a list in my head of currently touring bands that I don’t want to miss. Some that I admit that I probably won’t see thanks to ticket pricing. Josh Ritter, Wilco, Arcade Fire, James Taylor. I have a similar list for authors. It isn’t nearly as easy to see authors if you don’t […]
July
31
Endless Blessings by Kim Hole
posted by CBethM
As I sat in my children’s bedroom one evening this past fall trying to tackle the mountain of clean clothes still in the laundry basket, get pajamas onto my two year old who seemed entirely unable to stand still and reassure my 8 month old that he was not in jail as he whined from […]
July
17
The Power of Poetry by Sarah FitzHenry
posted by CBethM
In my career, I’ve come to realize that the rumors about print and reading going out of style are just that – rumors. If you are lucky enough to work with children and books, you know that young people’s passion for stories is as strong as ever. But even I wasn’t completely confident about the […]
July
10
Other Duties As Assigned by Emily Visness
posted by CBethM
Summer is here, and as the weeks of shuttling my kids to swim team practice, swim meets, and for-fun swimming consumes many of my waking hours, I also spend time chipping away at my enormous “To Be Read” list. Like many readers, my TBR list is an ever-growing mountain, and each time I read one […]
June
17
Where’s My Book? by Arika Dickens
posted by CBethM
“Mom, where’s my book?” A couple of years ago, my then-kindergarten son asked this question. No amount of searching could unearth the missing book from his school library, so we took $4.00 from his bank and paid the lost item cost. He was, naturally, frustrated – both that the book was missing and that […]
June
11
The Key to Summer Reading? Invest in Children’s Reading Lives All Year
posted by donalynm
It’s easier to maintain my reading life in the summer. Scorching Texas days provide excuses to lie under the ceiling fan and read all afternoon. Occasionally, I stay up all night binge reading—burning through epic historicals or fantasies in one sitting. I travel quite a bit during the summer, and books keep me company. […]
