Pick Up Sticks by Yours Truly

Can we convince young people to enjoy failure as much as they enjoy play? Can we teach them that the two are inseparable travel-mates on the path to success? “Pick Up Sticks: How One Toy Became a Space-Exploration Robot”—my latest article appearing in the April 2018 issue of Muse—confronts these very questions. Like all scientists,… Continue reading Pick Up Sticks by Yours Truly

Spots in a Box by Helen Ward

I spotted this book a while back and have never forgotten its superb blend of crisp rhymes and powerful theme. Add this to your holiday shopping list as the perfect read-together book for little ones learning to embrace their own spots or not-so-spots. Ward, Helen. Spots in a Box. Somerville, MA: Templar Books, 2015. Print.… Continue reading Spots in a Box by Helen Ward

I Don’t Want to Be a Frog by Dev Petty

Is our identity—defining it and embracing it—an avenue to an enriching existence or is it merely an evolutionary survival strategy? Petty, Dev. I Don’t Want to Be a Frog. Illus Mike Boldt. New York: Doubleday for Young Readers, 2015. Print. Genre: picture book Summary: A young frog wants to be anything other than wet, slimy,… Continue reading I Don’t Want to Be a Frog by Dev Petty