Kids' Summer Reading Challenge

Back again with a new summer reading challenge, and this time it's for the littles in your life! I made this challenge with only four categories because I wanted children to feel successful with it -- no matter what level they're reading at! It should be fun and easy to rise to this challenge. In addition to my grown-up summer reading challenge, I'll be reading children's literature to fulfill these categories too, so I've included some suggestions for middle grade novels (my biggest area of expertise) in each category below, however, this challenge could easily be met with picture books or with early chapter books as well.

You can download the PDF version here.

#1: Read a book that takes place in a far-off land (real or imaginary)
This is a category that my always growing to-read stack could easily fulfill. I love fantasy books, so I'm going to take it in that direction with Alistair Grimm's Odditorium, which I was given last summer and still haven't read. I also just purchased Gail Carson Levine's Fairest, so that's a contender for this category too.

My recommendations: 
Hunt for the Pyxis by Zoë Ferraris
Island of the Aunts by Eva Ibbotson
House of Secrets by Chris Columbus

#2: Read a non-fiction book about something or someone that you find interesting
For this one, I'd like to read the Young Reader's Edition of I am Malala, a young woman whom I find both inspiring and interesting. I really haven't read too many memoirs or biographies for kids, but I'm thinking Roald Dahl's autobiography might be a good pick too.

#3 Read the first book in a new series
I'm hoping to read The Ability for this, which is a highly rated fantasy series that I've had my eye on for a while. I have a ton of middle grade series listed on my middle grade shelf on Goodreads, if you're looking for a selection to choose from. I highly recommend The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series. They are two of my absolute favorites.

#4 Read a book about a book
This is always a favorite category of mine. (I even wrote a whole list of books about books for adults!) I recommend The Forbidden Library, but Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library is a favorite among my students so I think I'll be reading that one this summer, along with Book Scavenger. (All three of these books could work for the first book in a series category too!)


I'm in the camp of teachers who believe that it doesn't really matter what your child is reading this summer, as long as they are reading a lot!! Reading is such a great way for kids to relax (screen-free) during the summer time, and buddy-reading with your kids can be a catalyst for great conversations. If you're looking for other ways to make reading fun this summer, you can read my post from a few years ago here.


I'm realizing I have a whole lot of books on my to-read list for this summer, so you can bet that I'm officially starting on that list this weekend! If you're looking for picks tailored to the little in your life (or for yourself), feel free to shoot me an e-mail at topshelftext@gmail.com!

Happy Reading!
-Madeleine-

Inspired: The Lives of Extraordinary Women

It's FriYAY! Around here we are celebrating not only the weekend, but also the fact that we are one week closer to spring break! I am super excited to head home next weekend for snuggles with my kitty, late mornings in bed with a good book, and a week to hit up all my favorite spots at home for coffee, lunch, and maybe a bit of shopping. I'm also crossing my fingers for warm, sunny days and long walks around town!

This Sunday also marks International Women's Day! You can find out more about it here, but I thought I'd celebrate by highlighting my all-time favorite book about inspirational women in history.

Lives of Extraordinary Women: Rulers, Rebels (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull

My mother gave me this book when I was younger and it has long been one of my favorites to browse through for stories on truly incredible women throughout history. From Cleopatra, to Joan of Arc, to Harriet Tubman and Eleanor Roosevelt, this book has a great round up of women who were bold, intelligent, and eager to leave their mark on the world.

Each entry features one woman, with beautiful illustrations that lend extra context to the descriptions of their lives and also includes a section on how they impacted their immediate societies and any lasting impacts on history. The content is appropriate for older elementary students (because let's be real, though we admire these women, some of them made questionable moral choices that could lead to awkward conversations with your child). I love that each entry is short enough to read in one sitting, so you can browse a few at a time and skip around to different time periods (it is organized chronologically). The book provides an excellent introduction to so many influential women, and a sparked interest in any one of them could be a great opportunity to look for further reading material.

P.S. I also stumbled upon this great booklist of 15 picture books featuring women in history. This list features another childhood favorite of mine, You Forgot Your Skirt, Amelia Bloomer! If you're looking for more books to read with your littles, this list is a great place to start!

Happy weekend, and happy reading!

Biographical Picture Books

I write about a variety of genres here on Top Shelf Text, but one thing that's fairly consistent is my choice of fiction over nonfiction when it comes to my bedtime reading material. The same goes for children's literature- I'll pick up anything that resembles a fairytale before I'm drawn to a nonfiction book. I've been changing that tendency bit by bit this year as I learn more about teaching and about development, so I'm making an effort to track down children's books that cover a wider range of topics. Today, I'm jumpstarting that effort with three biographical picture books that recently caught my attention. Not only are these all recently published (so it'll be easy to track them down in bookstores), but they're also about three men who got out what they put in- each one of them had to fight to make their specific dream a reality, and years later we get to learn from their example and be inspired by their dedication!

With Books and Bricks: How Booker T. Washington Built a School by Suzanne Slade // Booker T. Washington had an incredibly determined spirit and ambitions to match. He was one of the last generations born into slavery, and though he was freed before age ten, he had to work extremely hard to secure an education for himself. Washington fell in love with learning and went on to build the Tuskegee Institute. This is a great biography for introducing children to a leader in education and in the African American community. Washington could also serve as a role model for working hard to achieve big dreams. 

The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus by Jen Bryant // I had never given a thought to the origin of the most famous thesaurus (though I use one often) but stumbled upon this book shortly after its publication and decided to find out more. Not only is the story interesting- Roget organized his thesaurus not in alphabetical order but by meaning- but the illustrations are unlike any other picture book I've read this year. It's an eccentrically illustrated book for sure, but so creative and one that I can see becoming a quick favorite for young fans of reading. It also confirms the fact that biographies need not be boring. Definitely a must-have for your children's bookshelf.

Mr. Ferris and His Wheel by Kathryn Gibbs Davis // This is my favorite of the bunch, simply because I found the story to be so enchanting. When I was little, I always wanted to visit Chicago because it was home to the magical (and at the time, only) American Girl Doll Store. I visited the city for the first time last winter (to see my bestie Allie) and absolutely loved it. It's a unique place and has history around every corner, but the history feels different from the kind that we're used to here in Boston. This book tells the story of one particularly important tidbit from the city's history- the invention of the Ferris Wheel. I had no knowledge whatsoever of the origin of this landmark from the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, but it's a remarkable story of perseverance and creativity, and one that would be great to share with young aspiring inventors. 

I'm on the hunt for more books that can introduce children to nonfiction stories and serve as sources of inspiration! Do you or your child have a favorite famous figure that you think would inspire others too?

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!