Currently Coveting {July}

July is here! 

This is one of my favorite months of the year. Why, you ask? The list is long, but includes watermelon for every meal, wearing full-out red white and blue to celebrate the birth of our country, and lots of beach days. My bestie and I have a new tradition where she comes to visit me for the Fourth because I absolutely refuse to leave my (historic) hometown for the most important holiday of the year. I am so excited because not only is Allie coming again this year, she's also bringing along her twin sister! There is nothing better than when the three of us get together. We have so much fun planned for their trip this year!

At last year's fireworks display!

I know that I've already established my summer reading list, but that can't stop me from wanting to put these on my library list! Below you'll find some of my picks for this month.

Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet by Charlie N. Holmberg // This is a new release from the author of one of my favorite fantasy trilogies (you can read my review of the first one here). This one's about a woman with a talent for magical baking. I'm looking forward to revisiting Holmberg's sweet and simple writing style.

The Gallery by Laura Marx Fitzgerald // Historical fiction is my favorite genre, so I was immediately intrigued when I came across this historical fiction novel for middle grade readers. It's told from the perspective of a young girl who works as a maid in a grand house in the roaring '20's. There's a little bit of mystery and of course, I'm in love with the cover.

A Green and Ancient Light by Frederic S. Durbin // This fantasy novel was recently released, and what caught my eye was its allusion to Cinderella. You know I'm always up for a fairytale, so I'll be adding this to my library list.

The Ice Twins by S.K. Tremayne // Since I've been on a bit of a thriller kick lately, this one caught my eye. I'm really fascinated by the research on the link between twin siblings (may or may not have to do with the fact that my besties are twins), and this plays up that link to a whole new level. Definitely not one to read in the dark.

***

Sometimes, these currently coveting lists are not helpful in that they actually cause my reading list to grow when really it already contains more books than I could possibly read in my lifetime. The ultimate plight of bookworms, no?

Happy Reading!

-Madeleine-

Happy Fourth of July!

The Fourth of July is the biggest community-wide celebration in my little coastal town every year. Marblehead was founded way back in 1629, and is well known for its role in the American Revolution. As such, this town loves to celebrate its history with colonial reenactments, a three-day long arts festival, live music performances, and of course, fireworks. Not just any fireworks, though, the best fireworks. 

The show begins with the harbor illumination:

{via}

And then, this:

{via}

 Our town really shines when it comes to its history, and I love that children here get to have such a personal learning experience. I wanted to find some literature that can help explain the details, so that young readers realize how truly inspiring the American Revolution can be.

I've come up with a short booklist of informational texts that help give children the full picture. What were people like back then? What did they wear? Why was the idea of a revolution so important to them? When they rallied together and cried, "Liberty or death!", what did they really mean? 

{on Goodreads}
Liberty or Death: The American Revolution, 1763-1783 by Betsy Maestro

{on Goodreads}
If You Lived at the Time of the American Revolution by Kay Moore

{on Goodreads}

If You Were There in 1776 by Barbara Brenner

These texts will give children an introduction to reading non-fiction and historical books, and will hopefully help to spark their interest in the history of our country since 1776.

Enjoy the long weekend!



P.S. You may remember my bestie Allie from our Memorial Day collaboration back in May. Allie's blog, The Little Prince Project, inspires me to bring more American history and civics into my reading and I'm sure will be a great resource for me when I curate lesson plans for my future classes. Today she's featuring a lovely list of things to do on Independence Day to make the holiday a more educational and more mindful experience. She even managed to sneak in a book recommendation for adults! I encourage everyone to check out her post and explore her blog a bit!