India – The Land of Festivals: A Monthly Guidebook to Diverse Celebrations (Indian Festival Series 1)
Written by Anuja Mohla
Illustrated by Gowthami Maruthapandiyan
This book contains a wealth of information with colorful illustrations about the diversity of life in India. The author covers each of the six major religions practiced in India. This book is organized by month.
Many of these celebrations, however, are based on the lunar calendar. Each page describes which religion is celebrated in that month and discusses the foods, rituals, customs, and types of celebrations. The reader learns native vocabulary and the significance associated with each.
This book is an excellent choice for teachers who want to explain Indian customs and culture and share multicultural traditions. Indian families can use it as a springboard to explain the rich culture of their homeland.
As a teacher, I appreciated the section at the end of the book that includes matching and recalling information about the festivals.
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Summer is… A Summer Read Aloud Rhyming Book for Toddlers and Kids. Fun and Educational Rhymes with Vibrant Pictures (Rhyme in Time)
Written by Barbara Pinke
Illustrated by Alvin Adhi
This book can be purchased on its own or as part of a series about the seasons.
Each page contains a single sentence about the summer season. The author includes the sights, sounds, and experiences that commonly occur during the summer. The multicultural illustrations portray a variety of emotions expressed by the characters.
Because the language is simple and easy to remember, it is easy for the youngest reader to pick up and recollect. Not only do children learn about the summer season, but they also develop language skills.
A fun read-aloud for teachers or parents of toddlers and preschoolers.
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This book lays out a fun detective mystery for elementary-school-age readers. A pair of pigs goes missing. The town is full of gossip about what happened. Is there a monster involved? How is the mayor adding to the mystery?
Will the town be safe again? Frida teaches readers how to think critically and ask the proper questions to be a successful whodunit.
Fun illustrations, interactive questions, and Let’s Talk About It Questions provide bonus activities for smart readers.
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Mouse Visits Everglades National Park (Mouse Traveler)
Written by Tricia Gardella
Illustrated by Ginger Nielson
A delightful adventure for primary-grade readers. A mouse gives us a guided tour of Everglades National Park. This intrepid traveler is delighted to find his bird friend at the park.
The bird volunteers to guide his friend. First, they visit many of the birds that inhabit the swamp. Readers learn about egrets and spoonbills. But the mouse wants to see alligators and crocodiles, so he moves on to the mangrove swamp.
Tired from his daylong adventure, the mouse uses his magic acorn to get home.
At the end of the tale, the author includes facts about the Everglades and questions to measure comprehension.
A fun book that contains an adventure story with knowledge about the Everglades.
Recommended to teachers and parents of elementary-age readers.
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Paromita emigrated from India many years ago, but she is now entering third grade in a new school.
Her teacher has difficulty pronouncing her name. All her classmates laugh. Paromita runs off to the bathroom to hide. She is proud of her Indian culture and the name her grandma bestowed upon her.
Paromita dances the traditional kathak dance. She takes advantage of the school talent show to wear traditional Indian clothing and perform her dance. Then Paromita goes further when she takes the stage and delivers an important message to her classmates.
The author delivers the message that we need to respect different cultures and the traditions they represent.
Recommended for elementary and middle school readers.
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Publisher’s Book Summary: Tall as the Sun is a heartfelt story that takes readers on a lyrical journey through the eyes of a child as they discover the magic of perspective during a day at the beach with Dad. As our little hero rises higher and higher on Dad’s shoulders, the world transforms into a playground of endless possibilities. From soaring with seagulls to reaching the top of sandcastles, each page brings a new adventure.
Praise: “It’s easy to picture grandparents or parents reading this book to a child before bed as they drift off to dream of sunny beaches, lulled by the rhythmic sound of ocean waves.” —Readers’ Favorite (5 Stars)
Stephanie Henson lives with her family in West Chester, Pennsylvania, with roots in Central New Jersey. She holds a degree in Communications and a Publishing and Professional Writing Certificate from Rider University, and spends her summers in Ocean City, NJ. An active member of SCBWI (Eastern PA Chapter), Stephanie was a 2024 SCBWI Virtual Conference Scholarship winner, and her work has been featured in both print and online publications.
She is the author of the children’s poetry collection In the Right Lane (a #1 New Release in Children’s Poetry) and the picture book No School, My Rules! (a #1 New Release in Children’s School & Education Books and a Tielmour Press best-seller). Tall as the Sun is her newest picture book, releasing with Watchful Wizard Publishing in May 2026.
Beyond her literary pursuits, Stephanie is a passionate advocate for underrepresented creators living with chronic illness, drawing on her own experience with autoimmune conditions. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, catching a show, watching Netflix, admiring sunflowers, cheering on sports, or sipping coffee.
A young girl shares her adventure sitting atop her father’s shoulders on a summer day at the beach. The world of the seashore transforms into multiple adventures as she spies sandcastles, seagulls, and crashing waves. She observes children playing on the beach, boats in the distance, fluffy clouds, and lifeguards standing watch. As daylight dwindles and settles into nighttime, she fondly recalls all the adventures that she shared with the father she loves.
The story uses magical language, including alliteration and repetitive rhymes. Soft colors complement the mood. The author invites elementary school-age readers to imagine themselves sitting tall upon a loved one’s shoulders.
Highly recommended as a bedtime story or fun read-aloud for eager young imaginations.
Readers who join us on this virtual book tour will have the chance to win one of four prizes. One grand prize winner will take home a special bundle featuring signed copies of No School, My Rules!, In the Right Lane, and Tall as the Sun, plus a curated book basket filled with fun, bookish goodies. Three additional readers will each win a signed copy of Tall as the Sun.
Quincy, a young quail, is a bit clumsy. He cannot seem to go very far without getting into trouble. His family is patient and kind. Together, they adventure through the Sonoran Desert in Arizona. All the while, a silent guardian is watching their progress.
The author includes a wealth of information about quail and the environment of the Sonoran Desert. At the end of the family adventure, she includes a piece about life in the desert and also a detailed glossary of vocabulary terms from the book.
The book contains a fun adventure, information about quail, and a resource about the animals and life in the region.
Highly recommended for primary-grade children who enjoy reading about animals, but also enjoy nonfiction.
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This is a beautifully written book that describes how nature reacts during a solar eclipse.
When this rare event occurs, the nocturnal and diurnal animals come together to celebrate the event. They raise their diverse voices in celebration. Through lovely illustrations and lyrical language, the reader is invited to partake of the beauty of this short moment in time.
The author uses alliteration and vocabulary that suit the magical mood. This book combines a sweet tale of nature with science to describe and present a vivid picture of the eclipse.
An excellent choice for teachers and parents to discuss a solar eclipse for children in elementary school.
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The Covid crisis led to an awakening of parents to the curriculum being taught in our public schools. Many parents became dissatisfied with the content and presentation of online lessons. That led them to an examination of alternatives.
Of course in America there are many options to educating our children. There are public schools, private schools, charter schools, Montessori schools and, of course, the option of home schooling. There are advocates of both home schooling and public schooling. Those of us who don’t home school, which is still the majority of Americans, need to fully understand the reasons why people choose to home school their children.
Religious or Philosophical Convictions: Religion is not permitted in the public schools. Many families feel that religion needs to be a larger part of their child’s education than that which the public schools allow. People who have deep religious beliefs show great passion. These are the individuals who are passionate about their children’s education and feel that only they are able to teach them to the best of their ability and the content that they feel they should be learning. The home schooling parent is in charge, they call the shots and they like it that way.
Socialization: Some people that don’t understand home schooling believe that it is confining rather than socializing. But those individuals that believe that are stuck in thinking about the stereotypical socialization of an age-based classroom. Children that are home schooled are exposed to social situations in a mixed age range. They have “age-mates” instead of “class-mates”. Many home schoolers feel that their children need to be exposed to the appropriate ways to behave not inappropriate. They feel that their child should be exposed to the model behavior of people who have learned to make decisions and handle themselves in various social settings. By being exposed to appropriate modeling of social behavior, home-schooled children will learn how to act appropriately. Parents of home schooled children can also see when their child “gets-it” when they model for a younger child appropriate behavior. Home-schooled children get a reality based social lesson. On a daily basis they see adults they know, love and trust manage and balance life day to day. Modeled for them is academics balanced with real life chores; caring for a sick friend or neighbor, shoveling the driveway and walkway, doing the grocery shopping and dropping of the dry cleaning, cooking dinner while folding laundry, putting laundry away and talking on the phone with Aunt Sara. These are real life situations that home schoolers are exposed to and public school children are often sheltered from or are privy to a controlled school environment.
Academics: Home schoolers have several advantages over publicly schooled children. The curriculum is designed specifically for them – not for children their age and what children at a particular age are expected to know and learn. Public schools differentiate instruction the best they can. However, a home-schooled child has a curriculum tailored to their needs. They may read at a 4th grade level, spell at a 3rd grade level and complete math at a 6th grade level. A home-schooled child is neither rushed nor not given enough time. There are no other children to “keep busy” so they are free to work at their pace and move as quickly or as slowly as need be. Much research has been done on how children learn best. A home-schooled child is not only taught by the person who knows them best in the entire world but also since they are the only student, the learning style never has to be varied. If a student learns best through music, then the curriculum of a home-schooled child can be tailored to meet their needs so they will be more successful.
Home-schooled children get to spend more quality time as a family. They are not trapped in a traditional school setting for 6 hours a day but are free to spend quality time as a family every day. It is said that parents are a child’s first teacher. Families that home school want to continue to be their child’s teacher because they feel that their children need the guidance of their family and God and not the guidance of someone hired to do a job that is naturally theirs from the day their child was born.
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Mouse Visits Everglades National Park (Mouse Traveler)
Written by Tricia Gardella
Illustrated by Ginger Nielson
A delightful adventure for primary-grade readers. A mouse gives us a guided tour of Everglades National Park. This intrepid traveler is delighted to find his bird friend at the park.
The bird volunteers to guide his friend. First, they visit many of the birds that inhabit the swamp. Readers learn about egrets and spoonbills. But the mouse wants to see alligators and crocodiles, so he moves on to the mangrove swamp.
Tired from his daylong adventure, the mouse uses his magic acorn to get home.
At the end of the tale, the author includes facts about the Everglades and questions to measure comprehension.
A fun book that contains an adventure story with knowledge about the Everglades.
Recommended to teachers and parents of elementary-age readers.
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June 7, 2026
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