Book Recommendations

Children’s Books to Open Hearts & Minds

I am writing this from my lovely little bubble of Bear Pond Books. I think we can all agree it’s been a busy, distracting fall. I know that my book reading time has taken a precipitous fall because of it. Time to dip back into the well of imagination, inspiration and contemplation. For our kids, reading … Continued

Book Recommendations

Celebrating Remarkable Women

This summer we’ve been basking in the glory of so many female heroes, in politics and in sports especially. I didn’t get to watch much of the summer Olympics, but I sure did read about many of the extraordinary feats of athleticism and personal, political and historic victory. Many of the young female athletes from … Continued

General / Book Recommendations

The Next Great Book: Summer Reading 2016

by Jane Knight – Bear Pond Books As I write this, there are four middle school kids hanging out in our play space in the Children’s Room at Bear Pond– ‘The Chicken Coop’—they are reading picture books to one another, laughing and reminiscing about their ‘childhood favorites’. I love that for these kids, there is … Continued

General / Book Recommendations

The Next Great Book: Holiday List

Our good friend Jane Knight at Bear Pond Books in Montpelier has done it again! Here is her list of recommended children’s and young adult books for this holiday season. Gift Ideas You’ve all asked for more Harry Potter “stuff” and this is the year for that! British artist Jim Kay has been commissioned to illustrate … Continued

General / Book Recommendations

The Next Great Book: Summer Reading, Part Two

Last week I shared with you my new favorite indulgence – historical fiction! I gave you my top six recommendations, but they are far from the only good ones out there. On my bedside table, more historical fiction eagerly awaits: The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly (a companion novel to The Evolution … Continued

Book Recommendations

The Next Great Book: Summer Reading, Part One

We recently held a book review event for our children’s librarians. We had a panel of four reviewers and talked about new fiction for middle grades through high school. As I was creating the list of books I wanted to review I realized with no small amount of shock that I had a long list … Continued

Once Upon An Alphabet by Oliver Jeffers

General / Book Recommendations

The Next Great Book: Holidays 2014, Part Two

This is the second half of Jane’s holiday recommendations. For Part One, click here. And now a handful of outstanding picture books, because I cannot choose just one (ever!). Sidle on up, pardner, for a hilarious Wild West caper by the outlaw author/illustrator duo  Bob Shea and Lane Smith. Kid Sheriff and the Terrible Toads … Continued

Nuts to You - Lynne Rae Perkins

General / Book Recommendations

The Next Great Book: Holidays 2014, Part One

I’ve got lots on my mind as I think and write about books and giving this holiday season. But I think Kyle Zimmer, President of First Book in Washington DC says it best for me when she spoke at the National Book Awards ceremony this past month:   “In this country that we are so … Continued

Boys with books

Book Recommendations

The Next Great Book: How to Get Boys to Read Books

The last time I was volunteering at a book giveaway, where we let each child in the school pick out a new, free book to take home, I had several middle school aged boys say to me “There’s nothing here I want.” Or “I don’t see anything I like.” It’s times like that I try not to … Continued

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General / Book Recommendations

The Next Great Book: 2014 Preview, Fiction

If you missed yesterday’s post on 2014 nonfiction books Jane’s excited about… click here.   Moving on to fiction, it won’t take serious convincing to get any child to read Mo Willems’ latest Pigeon picture book, The Pigeon Needs a Bath. (“No. I do not.” says Pigeon.)   However, it sounds like Pigeon is going … Continued

From Looking at Lincoln by Maira Kalman

Book Recommendations

The Next Great Book: 2014 Preview, Nonfiction

For many of us in the book world, January is a strange mix. We’re looking forward to new spring titles. And we’re pondering our favorite books from the previous year with delicious hand-wringing in anticipation of the American Library Association’s award ceremonies, announced at the end of this month. There are several bookstores, libraries, and … Continued

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General / Book Recommendations

Finding “The Next Great Book” – Part 2

  This is part 2 of a 2-part blog post. For part 1, click here.   Trust me. As the Children’s Book Buyer at Bear Pond Books I’m right there with kids in the search for the “next great book.” Lucky for me, poring over publisher sales catalogs and getting advanced reader’s copies of books … Continued

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General / Book Recommendations

Finding “The Next Great Book” – Part 1

Staff note: We are thrilled to welcome Jane Knight, Children’s Book Buyer for Bear Pond Books in Montpelier, VT and CLiF Advisor, as an occasional guest blogger. Jane’s focus is on finding the best kids’ books on the shelves via resources and reviews. This is part 1 of a 2-part blog post.   I’m hoping … Continued

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