Ten Magical Children’s Books For Gift-Giving

Patch asked newly-published children's book author Jo Ann Kairys to tell us about the most magical children's book on the shelves this holiday season. Here is her list.

Kids say and do the darndest things, right? And so often, they provide tender or hilarious or wonder-filled inspiration for picture books. One day I heard my granddaughters complaining about the rain as they thumped on the window. Eager to get outdoors, they waited impatiently for the storm to end. Suddenly, they pretended they were the rain. “SWOOSH! SPLAT! SWISH!” Their sounds were innocently poetic, perfect ingredients for a rhyming picture book. Putting it all together in story form is when the magic happens—a sound in just the right place, a vibrant image that brings the story alive, and characters who draw you right into their world. There are so many wonderful children’s picture books. I’d like to share a few that I think have that …

• Photos (11)

Moms Talk Q&A

Summer Reading Incentives

How do you keep your child motivated to read when the pool and playground are calling?

Barnes & Noble is making it easier to get kids motivated to read this summer. The store is offering a free book to any child who reads eight books and keeps a reading journal.   But not all kids are that easily enticed, especially when their friends are calling to meet them at the pool. Therapist Jenn Berman suggests three ideas for keeping the word count up during June and July:   Sometimes all it takes is a little quiet time to get your child involved in reading. A special book about a place your family will be visiting over the summer is also a great idea.  So, moms, how do you keep your child motivated to read over the summer? My wish has always been that my daughters will one day say, "Mom taught us to love books." We even have a …

• Photos (1)

Reading Program Pairs Cherokee HS, Canton ES

High school students tutor and mentor younger children.

A new partnership between Canton Elementary and Cherokee High has fostered a love of reading. The program is called "Book Buddies". Every Friday, Cherokee High students walk next door to Canton Elementary to read to 16 classes. Cherokee teachers Brittany Walker and Elizabeth Spell supply all of the student readers. Walker teaches freshman literature and composition as well as British literature; Spell, freshman social studies. Spell’s classes created Thanksgiving books to read for the elementary students. Many of them personalized the characters in the book for their specific buddy.  “My high school students loved being part of an elementary schooler's day," said Spell, who is also the assistant girls’ varsity basketball coach at Cherokee…

• Photos (1)