Rundell's Why You Should Read Children's Books

WHY YOU SHOULD READ CHILDREN'S BOOKS, EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE SO OLD AND WISE by Katherine Rundell was not what I expected. Honestly, I thought there would be many more references to favorite children’s books, perhaps like Believe in the World or The Enchanted Hour or the classic Read-Aloud Handbook. Still, at only 80 pages Rundell (fellow at Oxford and writer) provides a series of essays about the value of reading in general and stresses the history and key role played by children’s books. It’s a bit on the academic side and would have been improved with more childhood anecdotes (think back to your favorite books as a child). I especially like the conclusion drawn by the Wall Street Journal reviewer: “head straight for the nearest library to see for yourself what all the fuss is about.”  

Age-specific state awards list numerous quality titles each year; an older wonderful resource – covering multiple states and ages and compiled by Cynthia Leitich Smith – is provided here. Reading Rockets also provided some fun links recently at the start of the new school year: Interviews with Children's authors and illustrators and Read Across America calendar and booklists.

Weeknight Winners, Family Dinners

WEEKNIGHT WINNERS, FAMILY DINNERS by Jack (a former chef) and Emmy (child development expert) Zhang offers “Kid-Approved, Adult-Loved Recipes” in an interactive, appealing format. Sample recipes include “Spinach Egg Drop Soup,” “Easy Peasy Chicken,” and “Chinese-Style Baked Fish.” The cookbook is divided into sections on Mains, Noodles, Soups & Stews, Salads & Sides, Snacks, and Sweets. Booklist comments, “The Zhang's family-friendly book is designed with recipes that are quick to get on the table… They aim to help readers tap into the curiosity of children and help their families connect.” The Zhangs do seem to put kids front and center, sharing conversation starters and often highlighting steps that younger family members can contribute (e.g., line the pan with foil) as a recipe is prepared. Aside from recipes, they also include very helpful sections on “Language and Curiosity in the Kitchen” and on “Ten Ways to Get Your Kids Excited about Food.” This seems like a wonderful resource for young families (especially those who enjoy Asian ingredients) although the photos in the preview are black and white and nutrition information is not included. More ideas are available on the Zhangs’ YouTube channel, Cooking with Levi.

Human Raised by Dana Suskind

HUMAN RAISED by Dana Suskind should be on your reading list. It is on several others, including an appearance as the notable non-fiction choice on the LibraryReads July 2026 selections and on the Next Big Idea Club’s summary of July 2026 Must Read Books. Suskind, an MD who writes extensively and is a professor of Surgery and Pediatrics at the University of Chicago, focuses this new book on “Nurturing Connection, Curiosity, & Lifelong Learning in the Age of AI.” In chapters with titles like “The Human Edge,” “How Parents Build a Child’s Brain,” or “Robots in the Classroom,” she makes several very compelling and interesting arguments. For example, Suskind writes, “I believe that the relationship between child development and artificial intelligence is one of the most critical and overlooked challenges of our time, one that has the potential to transform childhood, family structures, and ultimately nothing less than our future as a species. And it's up to us as parents and caregivers to decide how these intelligent tools will shape our children's lives.” I found her sharing of Hinton’s comments on embedding maternal instincts in AI models to be quite thought-provoking. And, like many of us, she expressed  concerns about the pervasiveness of AI, asking, “Will a primarily or entirely human-raised childhood be a luxury experience, like a farm-raised diet?” Parents, grandparents, caregivers and educators will find much to consider and discuss in HUMAN RAISED. This book is not anti-technology; rather Suskind is encouraging us to act and to shape the future; she eloquently points out, “In Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, … the birds that no longer sang weren't the tragedy. They were …. a warning that something essential was dying. I hear a similar warning now in a different kind of silence: the eerie, algorithm-induced quiet of children transfixed by technology.” Suskind stresses four guiding principles (HOPE) for raising children alongside AI:  Human connection is irreplaceable; Own your imperfections; Protect the early years; and Enhance—don’t replace—connection. Highly recommended.

Noticing by Richard Louv

NOTICING by Richard Louv (Last Child in the Woods, Vitamin N and more) is subtitled “Intimate Encounters with the Natural World” and once again Louv, a journalist and nature advocate, offers insight regarding our relationship with wildlife and the environment. He includes over two dozen chapters, loosely grouped into categories like the Neuroscience of Noticing or the Art and Music of Nature or Our Human-Nature Spirit. NOTICING is full of gentle observations, it feels almost cleansing, and frequently prompts images of one’s own childhood. There are many comments about children as when Louv writes, “Being new to the world and closer to the ground, children notice such details and create stories about them, or they paint or draw them.” He shares perspective from others, too, (like a soon to be forest therapy guide or a PhD student in marine biology) and intersperses some of his own photos of animals and trees. Several final pages list Suggested Readings and numerous Notes are also included. Overall, there is a sense of curiosity and awe.

The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout

THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY is the latest novel by award-winning author Elizabeth Strout (Olive Kitteridge, My Name is Lucy Barton, and more). Once again, Strout offers readers insight into the thoughts and feelings of a “regular” person: in this case, fifty-seven-year-old Artie Dam who is married to Evie with one son, Rob and teaches high school history classes where he impacts the lives of students like Danny Marino and Rhonda Lazarre. Strout writes, “all of us live with a huge blind spot before our eyes, meaning that no matter what we think we know we can never fully understand how we appear to others.” This is a bittersweet story which explores themes of loneliness, sadness, compassion, perspective, inter-connectedness, and, overall, the secrets we keep. There are several upheavals in Artie’s life and one in particular leaves him feeling “as though he had lived these many years looking at things from one angle, and now it was as though someone had turned him partly in a different direction and everything - everything - looked different.” Both melancholy and hopeful (“it was a private thing to be alive”), THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY received a starred review from Booklist.

You Can't Hurry Second Chances by Michelle Stimpson

YOU CAN'T HURRY SECOND CHANCES by Michelle Stimpson is about a new life in small town Texas. Joyce Hicks has finally decided to divorce her husband after thirty years of being unfulfilled in her marriage. She moves away from Austin and settles in her grandmother’s house, but finds that her funds cannot cover all of the needed renovations in a timely manner. Her tenant, Gabriella Santos, is a talented chef who also struggles to see her own self-worth. Together the two of them push and pull each other along until Joyce learns to make decisions (including saying No to her daughter and Yes to a date with an old friend) with more confidence and Gabriella becomes brave enough to showcase her talents in public, leading to a new opportunity. Aspects feel like a coming-of-age story involving adults – with a rather abrupt, but happy ending.

Does My Child Need Me to Lead or to Follow?

DOES MY CHILD NEED ME TO LEAD OR TO FOLLOW? by Claudia Schwarzlmüller is an international best-seller which covers “A Radically Simple Way to Parent Children from Infancy Through Age 6.” Schwarzlmüller is a child psychologist with over twenty years of experience. Her tone is wonderful – calm, compassionate, nonjudgmental, and definitely striving to represent the child’s viewpoint. For example, in the Your Toddler section, she describes behavior which is SO familiar (e.g., a toddler “loves taking things out and putting them away”… and “needs to repeat behaviors many times in order to learn … repetition is the name of the game”). She discusses thinking and playing (when a child “learns about objects by putting them in his mouth, banging them against something else, studying, turning, rubbing, or throwing them”), as well as feelings and relationships, movement, and speech. To me (a relatively new grandmother), the insights Schwarzlmüller offers are spot-on, valuable and actionable (e.g., she lists a series of play schemas and what your child learns from practice like Positioning (a sense of length, height, distance), Transforming, Connecting, Enveloping, Transporting, Dividing/Scattering (geometry/math, quantity, shapes, volume), Sorting, Filling, and Orientation). She writes about allowing your child to lead (“give them the freedom to try things out and as much free time to play as possible”), but also notes, “Children need to find their bearings and to feel safe. You are the missing partner in this social dance if you don't assume your role in moments of leading. Your child is searching for balance between moments of leading and moments of play, just like the rest of us.” Additional parts of the book deal with Your Baby, From Toddler to Preschooler, From Preschooler to Kindergartener to First Grader, plus introductory material, a list of references, and further reading suggestions. Publishers Weekly called this text “a valuable resource for parents of young children [in which] research-based insight meets practical guidance.” I heartily concur and I am highly recommending DOES MY CHILD NEED ME TO LEAD OR TO FOLLOW?

THE MIXED + MULTIRACIAL GUIDE TO WELLBEING by Namalee Bolle is subtitled “Navigating Family, Identity + Healing.” Bolle divides the text into three parts: Unpack, Discover and Thrive. She describes her own history (British born of Sri-Lankan and Dutch-Jewish heritage) and that of other multi-racial people as she encourages readers to reflect on their unique situations. It felt at points as though this text was more about therapy-type exercises and less about actual research findings (of which there may not be many). However, I did gain insights from reading about children who are multiracial – as she says, they are racially different to both parents. That may seem obvious, but it is worth pausing and contemplating that idea along with how difficult it is for all of us to find our identities as adolescents and how these children must learn to recognize/accept that “I am this and this and that.” I plan to look into the children’s books that she recommended (e.g., The Truth about Dragons) and also to watch 1000% Me, an HBO/Max documentary. Overall, an interesting starting point for more discussion and research.

Parenting Anxiety by Meredith Elkins

PARENTING ANXIETY by Meredith Elkins is about “Breaking the Cycle of Worry and Raising Resilient Kids.” Elkins, a clinical psychologist, a faculty member at Harvard Medical School and the co-program director at the McLean Anxiety Mastery Program (MAMP) at McLean Hospital, is well-regarded in her field. She draws on her work and education as well as her personal experience as a parent. Elkins appeared recently at a FAN (Family Action Network) session where she was interviewed for an hour by a local school superintendent. There, she repeatedly pointed to the idea that well-intentioned attempts to “protect” children can instead foster an environment where anxiety is allowed to thrive. As in her book, she encouraged parents and educators to approach, rather that avoid, uncomfortableness. Other chapters explore concepts such as Overparenting, Exposure Therapy, and “Finding Your Way.” At the end of each chapter is a helpful set of bullet points “to take home with you.” Over the years, we have commented on numerous books dealing with anxiety, particularly as relates to teens, although Elkins’ work applies to children of all ages. A glossary, list of resources, and notes make up over ten percent of PARENTING ANXIETY and there is also a lengthy appendix which covers “Decoding Diagnoses.”

Wreck by Catherine Newman

WRECK by Catherine Newman continues the story of the wonderful characters readers met in Newman’s bestseller Sandwich. Once again, middle-aged Rocky is dealing with all that life imparts for her family, including husband Nicky, grown children Willa and Jaime, and her newly widowed father who is temporarily living in the in-law apartment in her backyard. As Newman says in her author notes, it is that father who gets “all the funniest lines,” but every character, especially Rocky, contributes to the humor and wisdom that Newman’s story conveys. I love, for example, how Rocky contrasts herself with her husband: “His personality is very cross that bridge when you come to it. Mine is very apply to engineering school in case there's a bridge that might need crossing but it hasn't been designed yet.” By including daily events and an underlying sense of anxiety about mental and physical health as well as some ethical employment issues, Rocky and her family touch all of us in a memorable, relatable way. WRECK is a LibraryReads selection for October and received starred reviews from Kirkus (‘’Newman excels at showing how sorrow and joy coexist in everyday life.”) and Library Journal (“A welcome return …. Here’s hoping for more …”). Highly recommended.

The Library of Unruly Treasures by Jeanne Birdsall

THE LIBRARY OF UNRULY TREASURES by Jeanne Birdsall (The Penderwicks) transported me back to the summer when I was around 10 years old. This is a book geared to 4th through 6th graders and I loved it. So did the professional reviewers at Booklist, Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal (“an essential purchase”), all of whom gave it a starred review. The novel tells the story of Gwen MacKinnon; she’s only eleven years old and is sent to live with a distant uncle. Thankfully, he’s a kind man who indulges her fascination with the Lahdukan, tiny, winged creatures who have their own language and live in the local library. Of course, readers need to turn up the imagination factor and accept the rather fanciful adventures – perfect for middle-grade readers. This book is described as a whimsical, heartwarming story with memorable characters and a blend of real and magical worlds. It contains beautiful drawings by Matt Phelan. I especially loved thinking about many of the titles on this list of Penderwicks readalikes. A truly feel good, although totally implausible, story. Birdsall’s devotion to her characters and the story is evident – she says that she wrote this book over eight years. Let’s hope she gives us another funny, brave hero soon! 

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

THE CORRESPONDENT by Virginia Evans is a truly wonderful debut novel, one of the best books of the year so far. The main character, named Sybil Van Antwerp, is in her 70s and readers meet her as well as friends and family members through a series of letters, Sybil’s preferred way of communicating. A former lawyer and clerk for a well-known judge, Sybil writes to and receives letter from her dear friend Rosalie, her ex-husband, her brother Felix, her two grown children (another died at age 8), those involved in her law work, the young son of a former work colleague, her neighbor, and inspirational writers like Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Secrets and traumas gradually peel back and Sybil increasingly sets herself new challenges while also joining others in reflecting on the past: “You are right about what you said - we are thirty in our hearts, before all the disappointment, all the ways it turned out to be so much more painful than we thought it would be, but then again, it has also been magic.” Kirkus describes this intriguing novel brilliantly: “Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life.”  Highly recommended for all, including book groups.

Another favorite quote: it seems you're the only person on this earth who knows me and knowing you are there is a comfort. Has been a comfort, a great comfort, and I will miss that. The things only you knew -- who else will keep my memories … when you are gone?

The Essential Guide to Children's Sleep

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO CHILDREN'S SLEEP by Andrea C. Roth, Shelby F. Harris, and Allison Shale is published by The American Psychological Association and promises “A Tired Caregiver's Workbook for Every Age and Stage.” I especially liked the calm, matter-of-fact tone and the provision of strategies relevant for different ages. These authors are authorities, based on their educational and professional experience (cognitive–behavioral therapists and a clinical psychologist/sleep specialist) and personal experience as parents; they readily acknowledge “the reality of how difficult childhood sleep issues can be.” After beginning with a review of general principles and guidelines, they structure the book so as to “discuss the importance of caregiver teamwork (Chapter 2), provide guidance for age groups from infancy through adolescence (Chapters 3-7), and offer troubleshooting tips (Chapter 8).” Promising to “present our recommendations along with data to support them,” these authors offer general suggestions and helpful commentary, such as “[at 4 to 6 months] they are also possibly waking a bit more often in the night as they cycle in and out of sleep. Again, all of these changes are to be expected.” The workbook format provides useful questions and an opportunity for reflection and planning. THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO CHILDREN'S SLEEP is aptly titled and will be a valuable resource for parents across several years. 

Hello, Cruel World! by Melinda Wenner Moyer

HELLO, CRUEL WORLD! by Melinda Wenner Moyer offers “Science-Based Strategies for Raising Terrific Kids in Terrifying Times.” In ten chapters Wenner Moyer, a contributing editor at Scientific American and a regular contributor to The New York Times, looks at Coping, Connecting, and Cultivating, all presented in a conversational, non-judgmental and helpful way. Adam Grant writes, “[Moyer’s] book is packed with evidence-based, nonobvious practical advice for nurturing resilience, kindness, critical thinking, and well-being.” I certainly saw the critical thinking aspect in the entire chapter devoted to Information Literacy which is full of ideas (including discussion prompts), plus some organizations (Thinking is Power, Reboot Foundation, etc.) that I did not know as well as skills (e.g., lateral reading) school librarians have been talking about for years. Other chapters cover self-compassion, resilience, self-control, relaxing, empathy, friendships, curiosity/inclusion, plus financial and information literacy and managing social media. HELLO, CRUEL WORLD! is a text which parents – and educators – should consult and discuss. At the end of each chapter there is a summary of key points, and the author also includes 300+ citations in a separate section. As Wenner Moyer says, much of her writing is about “being intentional about our choices and the kinds of conversations we have with our kids. … I implore you to take the advice that feels like it will be a good fit and leave the rest.”  

Four Mothers by Abigail Leonard

FOUR MOTHERS by Abigail Leonard is subtitled “An Intimate Journey through the First Year of Parenthood in Four Countries.” And Leonard, an award-winning journalist, contrasts giving birth and raising a young child in Japan, Kenya, Finland, and the United States. Leonard cleverly shares events and policies, often providing important political background for each country. The personal stories, particularly conflicts with parents and partners, are compelling, although I did question how representative they were (especially the polyamory relationship in the US). Taken together, they point to the advantages for children in a nuclear family with two involved parents (and maybe other relatives as well), showing the impact of societal expectations and gender roles. This research should give other scholars and policy makers much to consider in terms of paid maternity and paternity leave, daycare availability and cost, other incentives (tax, etc.) for families, and both physical and mental healthcare. In its starred review for FOUR MOTHERS Publishers Weekly says, “This is an enthralling and kaleidoscopic view of modern motherhood.” Here is a recent interview with Abigail Leonard from PBS NewsHour:

Ordinary Time by Annie B. Jones

ORDINARY TIME by Annie B. Jones is subtitled “Lessons Learned While Staying Put.” Reading this collection of story essays made me feel as though Annie Sue Butterworth Jones was a dear friend sharing her wise observations on life. Readers will learn that she is a talented writer and the owner of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in Thomasville, Georgia. One of my book group members also says she “meets with her weekly” since Jones hosts From the Front Porch, a regular podcast about books, small business, and life in the South. In ORDINARY TIME, she writes about family, her dreams, marriage, best friends and so much else (the only section which seems to be oversharing is about religion and her crisis of faith). She offers numerous self-reflective insights: “playing was silencing the perfectionist inside me” or “I am a finisher. But life requires a lot of opening. And I am not so good with the opening, the starting of something new.” Jones herself describes ORDINARY TIME as “a collection of stories about a life rooted in place, the blooming of possibility that can happen there, but also the hardship, the loneliness, the longing for more.” I especially liked her comments on childhood, “our childhood obsessions like basketball or The Baby-Sitters Club can save us. They can remind us of who we were before anything mattered, … before everything felt heavy and hard. When life is overwhelming and challenging and our joy is stolen or hard to find, I think the things we once loved can bring us back, center us, make us whole.”

Her sections on books and reading are well worth re-reading and I wanted to note a couple of other quotes: “I wonder if this is why I love books. I can dip my toe into other lives without entirely changing my own.” and “I read books because, at their best, they make me better, more empathetic, more socially aware, more in tune to the stranger beside me. They help me imagine a better future, provide answers to my insatiable questions, take me to places I'll never get to go. I read books because they are an easy point of entry to relationship.” and “A love of books is the through line of my life, a hobby I can trace back to my earliest childhood memories and immediately weave through my middle school and high school selves ...” 

Links to explore ...

With the holiday weekend here, I wanted to share a couple of "reading related," fun ideas:

Video:  https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/free-for-all/ streaming online through July 27th is a PBS documentary which explores the American Public Library system from the “Free Library movement” in the 19th century to the present, “when many libraries find themselves caught in the crosshairs of the culture wars.”  30 second preview available. 

Summer Reading Guide for children … https://www.readingrockets.org/books-and-authors/booklists/summer-reading-booklists/summer-reading-guide-2025  from Reading Rockets which is such a FABULOUS resource. 

Three Minutes for Mom and Growing Together

It is Mothering Sunday in the UK this weekend and our own Mother’s Day (May 11) is fast approaching so I thought I would comment on a couple of newly published books having to do with parenting. THREE MINUTES FOR MOM by Erin Morrison showcases “365 Days of Empowerment, Encouragement, and Growth for a More Connected Motherhood.” Morrison has a background in psychological counseling and is the creator of The Conscious Mom. In this new text she encourages readers to actively “make three minutes of your day centered in strengthening, loving, and supporting you.” The entry for each numbered day offers a short saying (e.g., It’s Ok to Not Know OR Prepared, Not Perfect), a brief explanation which is a paragraph or two in length, and a quick recap (e.g., “when you run into a parenting moment that feels less than perfect, pause and ask yourself which prepared mother quality will help you best in this situation: open mindedness, compassion, or humility?”). Morrison is correct in that it may only take three minutes a day to read and reflect on an entry, but that regular activity may also help parents to pause and redirect their own energy. Whether it is day five (“add a little magic – if you don’t show your child that life can be magical, who will?”), day six (“the ‘why’ behind whining”) or day one hundred and ninety-three (“love and care for yourself”), Morrison’s writing is very supportive.  She provides an opportunity for quiet reflection and practical results.

GROWING TOGETHER by Carson Meyer contains “Doula Wisdom & Holistic Practices for Pregnancy, Birth & Early Motherhood.”  Meyer is a Los Angeles based childbirth educator and photographer who has created this text in order to share material from her online and virtual classes.  She splits the text into four primary sections, one for each trimester of pregnancy and then one for the first 100 days after birth. Her tone is quite conversational and she offers homeopathic remedies and common sense advice to numerous questions (e.g., How long should each feed be? Do I need to switch breasts each feed? Help! My breasts hurt!). Meyer includes weekly activities such as writing “a love letter to yourself” at week three after birth to help with “treating yourself with the same compassion and patience you would [for] your baby.” While new parents might be too overwhelmed to reach for this text, having read earlier sections might cause them to continue to seek out Meyer’s calm advice (“have a code word with your partner so that you can politely send away any visitor who is overstaying their welcome” or her discussion of elimination communication with their baby). Throughout, she provides charts (e.g., innate knowing vs. modern knowing), introspective questions, and frank discussion (e.g., “those first trimester feels” or “tending to the family nervous system”). GROWING TOGETHER contains recipes, endnotes, and a list of additional resources.

At Home in a Faraway Place by Lynne Rae Perkins

I asked for a preview copy of AT HOME IN A FARAWAY PLACE by Lynne Rae Perkins because I had SO enjoyed her very creative (and award-winning) book for children titled Criss Cross. This time, she is telling the story of Lissie who travels with her father and grandmother to Guatemala to visit her father’s friends. Perkins charmingly presents tales of their adventures while introducing roughly 100 Spanish words and phrases often illustrated, spelled phonetically, and listed together in a five-page glossary. Lissie experiences a new environment (living in sight of volcanos - los volcáns), new foods (like las empanadas), and familiar games (Simon says … Simón dice), even spending part of a tarde (afternoon) playing with a pelota (ball). I have been learning Spanish for about eighteen months and enjoyed reading as I came across both familiar and new vocabulary. This is a very sweet friendship tale filled with playful black and white drawings and Perkins says, “I love hearing stories about a life in some ways quite unlike my own, but in other ways, important ways, very much the same.” I concur; AT HOME IN A FARAWAY PLACE is a wonderful introduction to a language and the concept of how we are different and yet so similar, a truly significant idea to share with children.

Similar authors to Lynne Rae Perkins that students may have already discovered include Rebecca Stead (Goodbye Stranger) or Jordan Sonnenblick (Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie) or Wendy Mass (A Mango-Shaped Space) or Jerry Spinelli (Stargirl) or even some works by Carl Hiaasen (Hoot or Flush). Age-specific state awards (like Rebecca Caudill in Illinois) list numerous quality titles each year; another wonderful resource – covering multiple states and ages and compiled by Cynthia Leitich Smith – is provided here.