The Royal Diary Series

This eighteen volume series, published by Scholastic, chronicles specific time periods of royal women in history.



Being slightly obsessed with British history of late, I've focused on the monarchies of England.



The books are written diary style from the perspective of the subject. All of the books I've read include a note from the author discussing which parts are history and which parts are fiction. Also included at the end are images related to each subject.

I'd recommend these books to any 3rd-6th grader interested in the subject.

Titles I've read so far:
Isabel: Jewel of Castilla by Carolyn Meyer
Elizabeth: Red Rose of the House of Tudor by Kathryn Lasky
Victoria: May Blossom of Britannia by Anna Kirwan

The Demigod Files by Rick Riordan

This book is an in-between read. It was released just prior to the fifth (and final?) Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, The Last Olympian.

This little tome is lighter-hearted, but still full of serious adventure. I get the feeling that I will enjoy The Last Olympian more for having read it.






The other books in the Percy Jackson series have been a source of great entertainment and a fun trip through Greek Mythology. I've read the first four (all five titles are listed below), and recommend them to any reader that enjoys adventure. To read them independently, the reader needs to have about a fourth grade reading level.


The Lightening Thief
The Sea of Monsters
The Titan's Curse
The Battle of the Labyrinth
The Last Olympian

The Great Brain Series by John D. Fitzgerald

I love this series. They were a childhood favorite of my husband's; he introduced me to them.

So far I've read the first four.

Neil Gaiman awarded Newbery

The 2008 Newbery Medal was awarded to Neil Gaiman for his book
The Graveyard Book.

I read this book and found it to be lyrical, deeply engaging, and a stunning picture created with words. Gaiman is very talented at putting your mind exactly where he wants it.
I recommend this book to children in Middle School and older. The reason is that the first chapter has a scene both necessary and terrible - of the suspenseful, scary, horrific sort. Without it, the story could not flow; with it, the story has greater meaning.

Newbery Honor Books

"The Underneath" by Kathi Appelt, illustrated by David Small

"The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom"

by Margarita Engle

"After Tupac and D Foster" by Jacqueline Woodson

Caldecott Winners are in!

The American Library Association's children's services division, ALSC (Association for Library Services to Children) has announced the winners of the prestigious Caldecott Award.

The Caldecott Medal goes to The House in the Night, illustrated by Beth Krommes and written by Susan Marie Swanson.

Caldecott Honor Books

A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever, by Marla Frazee

How I Learned Geography, by Uri Shulevitz

A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams, illustrated by Melissa Sweet and written by Jen Bryant