Deep Plunge is a definitive commentary on key aspects of children’s and adolescent literature. Offered freely by Vernon the Reading Primate for the betterment of all reading primates everywhere, it reveals invaluable insights into how books work and why you should read them. The experience of fear is familiar to everyone, but for young people…
Check out these excellent fall-themed texts you can use with your little readers! How many seeds in a pumpkin? by Margaret McNamara and G. Brian Karas What’s it about? The students in Mr. Tiffin’s class have to guess how many seeds are inside the pumpkins, but Charlie, the smallest student in class, is frustrated when…
Arnold leaves the reservation and hopes of a better life at a small white school. The novel illustrates situations of alcohol and physical abuse, which although portraying real life, is mature content calling for a target audience of teens. This book can be placed in the contemporary realistic fiction genre since it allows readers to…
In the author’s own words: Eleanor & Park is set in 1986. It’s about to 16 year old to fall in love on a school bus. The story is told from both of their points of view. Eleanor, a chubby redhead, is the new kid at school, and she’s facing some pretty intense bullying. Also,…
Nana in the City, written and illustrated by Lauren Castillo is a 2015 Caldecott honor book. It tells the story of a little boy who goes to visit his grandmother in the big city. He is afraid of the noise and crowds and scary things in the city tell his grandmother makes him a special…
Children's Literature at UMN 