Imagination Soup shares curated book reviews, book lists, and learning resources for parents, teachers, and librarians. As a former teacher, former literacy trainer, and a mother of two, you can trust my expertise in children's books, reading levels, developmental appropriateness, and education. Join my community of 35,000 subscribers by signing up for my weekly newsletter!
Graduation Gift Books, Mental Health Books, & Jewish American Heritage Books
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Happy May! In business news, I relaunched my kidlit consulting business as Imagination Soup Consulting to provide personalized school visit coaching, book publicity, and website, newsletter, and social media consults. My newsletter for the consulting business gives pro tips on all of those things for free, and you can subscribe to that here. In case you missed it in the last newsletter, let's start with the summer reading lists again. Summer Reading Lists (All Ages)Remember that kids don't just need choice and access to books, but they also need chunks of time for reading. So, make sure your summer includes large blocks of time for curling up with a good book. Thanks to Camille, a teacher librarian reader, I've added QR codes to the printable lists for sharing them with library patrons or students. (Thanks for the suggestion, Camille!) Pre-Reader Summer Reading Book List 1st Grade Reading List (age 6 – 7) 2nd Grade Reading List (age 7 – 8) 3rd Grade Reading List (age 8 – 9) 4th Grade Reading List (age 9 – 10) 5th Grade Reading List (age 10 – 11) 6th Grade Reading List (age 11 – 12) 7th Grade Reading List (age 12 – 13) 8th Grade Reading List (age 13 and up / teen) Mental Health Awareness Month Books (Ages 4 - 12+)If you're facing mental health illness in your family or you know someone who is, help your children understand by reading children's books about mental health with characters who have depression, OCD, bipolar disorder, PTSD, schizophrenia, or other mental illnesses. Jewish American Heritage Month Books (Ages 2 - 12)May is Jewish American Heritage Month! Read good books with Jewish main characters, from board books to middle grade. Children's Books to Give as Graduation Gifts (All Ages)If you have an 8th grader, a 12th grader, or a senior in college, soon they will be graduating. (I'm already crying.) Gift one of these inspiring children's books for graduation to celebrate your child's accomplishment and upcoming life transition. Magical Unicorn Books (Ages 4 - 12)Does your child love unicorns? Of all the magical creatures in the world, unicorns are probably the most beloved by children. Celebrate these fantastical creatures with memorable unicorn books. Happy reading! Love, Melissa Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | LinkedIn | Amazon | Blue Sky –> If you know someone who would like this newsletter, they can subscribe here. |
Hi! I'm a Melissa Taylor of Imagination Soup.
Imagination Soup shares curated book reviews, book lists, and learning resources for parents, teachers, and librarians. As a former teacher, former literacy trainer, and a mother of two, you can trust my expertise in children's books, reading levels, developmental appropriateness, and education. Join my community of 35,000 subscribers by signing up for my weekly newsletter!
This summer, I started volunteering at a horse therapy (hippotherapy) barn. When I walk into the barn, the sounds and smells immediately make me feel more relaxed, joyful, and energized.Yes, I’m volunteering to give to others, but really, the experience is giving so much more to me. Do you have any experiences like this in your life? Melissa with Blondie at The Right Step New Nonfiction Books, August 2025 (Ages 4 - 12) Are you ready to see what’s new and wonderful in nonfiction kidlit that...
If your kids or students need a little bibliotherapy for back-to-school, today I'm sharing new and classic picture book recommendations about big feelings, making friends, the first day, and being themselves. Also, I want to thank you for choosing to read my reviews and not the AI snippets stolen from my blog and others. Unlike AI, I am real and taught elementary grades, trained teachers in literacy best practices, have a Master's in Education, and am the parent of two children. (One of my...
One of my daughter's nannying charges has been "fake reading" and lying about what she's read. So what can you do with a reader like this? (After you've determined there is not a reading disability interfering-- which often is why a child is more reading avoidant.) Reading helps readers improve. Therefore, our goal for kids is reading. Here are some ideas for positive motivation to encourage any or more reading: MONEY FOR NEW BOOKSMoney to spend at yard sales or bookstores. STICKER BOOKS (OR...