Welcome to Through the Looking Glass
Welcome to the March and April 2017 issue of Through the Looking Glass Children’s Book Reviews. I have put together a wonderful collection of reviews for you for this issue, and I hope you enjoy reading the reviews as much as I have enjoyed writing them.
As always, the books reviewed on TTLG are carefully chosen by the editor. We only review books that suit the scope of TTLG, and that we feel have something to offer readers. Therefore, all our reviews are positive ones. We hope this will help you to find excellent books for the young people in your lives. If you are looking for books for yourself, we hope you will find books that you will enjoy reading. Please consider buying books through this website. Your purchases help to support our work, and give us the means to improve this online resource.
For this month’s special feature I am looking at books that are about music and musicians. The books in this collection include both fiction and nonfiction titles that explore the world of music, and that tell us stories about musicians of all kinds. You will find tales that will inspire you and amuse you, and who knows, you may even decide to try making some music of your own.
Here in Oregon, spring is making itself felt already, and for many people March and April are the months when they start getting busy in the garden. Spending time in the garden gives children and young people a wonderful opportunity to connect with nature, watch things grow, and – of course – get dirty!
In March, schools and libraries all over the United States observe Women’s History Month. This event celebrates the achievements of women over the years, and I have quite a large collection of books in the TTLG Women’s History Month feature. In this feature readers will finds fiction and non-fiction titles that look at the lives and achievements of many great women from around the world.
April is the month when many Americans celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day. For Earth Day you can look at the Earth Day feature and the Saving the Environment feature. For Arbor Day I have put together a delightful collection of books that are about trees. Some of the books in these features are informative nonfiction titles, while others are stories that will amuse, touch, and delight readers of all ages.
For this month’s Editor’s Choice title, I have selected Waiting for Magic by Patricia MacLachlan. This is a remarkable story that explores how a family copes with change, and I believe that it will resonate with readers of all ages.
In every issue I spotlight a series that I am really enjoying or have enjoyed in the past. For this issue I chose the wonderful Books Of Bayern. To tie into this Series Spotlight, my Author Spotlight looks at the life and accomplishments of Shannon Hale, who created the stories about Bayern.
Finally, take a look at the new Bookish Calendar. Here you will find reviews about Michelangelo, St. Patrick’s Day, Harry Houdini, the sinking of the Titanic, and much more. This calendar is a great tool to use at home and in the classroom to help children incorporate books more fully into their lives.
-:Bookish Events for March and April:-
March is Women’s History Month (USA)
March 2nd is Read Across America Day (USA)
National March into Literacy Month (USA)
April is National Poetry Month (USA)
April 2nd is International Children’s Book Day
National Library Week April 9th – 15th (USA)
I hope you find a way to celebrate some, if not all, of these bookish events. If I have missed an important bookish event, please drop me a line to tell me about it.
In September of 2012 I launched a project that I would like to tell you about. It is a story blog called Talon Diaries, and it was written by a colorful and very unusual character called Gryf. I hope you will come and read Gryf”s blog posts.
For those of you don’t know already, I also publish a blog about children’s books and the children’s book world. On the blog I post reviews, interviews with great authors and illustrators, I offer book giveaways, and I tell you about interesting contests and bookish events. Do visit the blog and sign up for the feed. In the coming year, I will be posting new picture book reviews on Mondays and poetry book reviews on Fridays. I will also be posting articles and award notices on the TTLG Facebook page throughout the year. Do come and Like the page.
Some of the titles I reviewed several years ago are now out of print. Though you cannot buy these books in every bookshop, many of them are still available for purchase on websites like Amazon.com.
I hope you enjoy this new issue, and I look forward to hearing from you.
All the best,