Harry Potter was just eleven years old when we met him in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” With the July 16th release of J.K. Rowling’s sixth Harry Potter book “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” Harry’s now sixteen and …[Continue]
Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen (1805 – 1875) was a Danish author whose enchanting fairy tales are among the most widely read stories in the world. “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” “The Ugly Duckling” and “The Princess and the Pea” are three of …[Continue]
If You Like Harry Potter
J.K. Rowling’s best selling Harry Potter books worked their magic on millions of kids by turning them on to reading. Hundreds of teachers and librarians from around the world, eager to encourage this exciting trend, have created online reading lists …[Continue]
Paula Danziger
Paula Danziger (1945 – 2004), author of thirty children’s books, passed away on July 8. She wrote me a lovely note in June, just one week before suffering the massive heart attack that killed her one month later. As a …[Continue]
Dr. Seuss
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1984, as well as three Academy Awards, Theodor Geisel (best known as Dr. Seuss) authored and illustrated forty-four children’s books. Since his first children’s book in 1936, Dr. Seuss has introduced several generations of …[Continue]
Winnie the Pooh
A children’s book character that endures seventy-seven years must be something special; and Winnie-the-Pooh certainly is. A.A. Milne actually only published two books based on Winnie and his beloved friends, but they have since been featured in dozens of movies, …[Continue]
Children’s Book Awards
My daughter is getting to that age where everyone else is more of an expert than dear old Mom and Dad. And books I was recommending were being summarily turned down. “Mom, that book is as OLD as I am!” …[Continue]
Portable Classics
The perennial question about e-books is whether or not they will replace printed books. I think the whole debate is ridiculous. Printed books are not going anywhere, and neither are electronic ones. They each have distinct advantages. I like electronic …[Continue]
E.B. White
In the world of children’s literature, E.B. White’s claims to fame are the three beloved classics “Stuart Little,” “Charlotte’s Web” and “The Trumpet of the Swan.” He also co-authored my favorite guide to the writer’s craft, “Elements of Style.”…[Continue]
Lemony Snicket
My daughter just loves saying his name: “Lemony Snicket.” It makes her laugh and before she even read the first page of the first book, she was intrigued. She’s now knee-deep in finishing the first eight “A Series of Unfortunate …[Continue]
