I've been trying School of Monsters with my 4 year olds. It's a series by Sally Rippin who was already a successful children's book author when she discovered her own child had reading difficulties and felt the existing options weren't great and set out to write something better for learning readers.
So far we've done three of them and they've been reasonably popular.
We're on our 7th cold/snow day in KS - a lot for us in one winter! Kids haven't gone to school this week! So we're headed to the library this morning. There are more expensive options for sure, but all I want right now are my friends, book. :-)
The spaghetti book looks so cute and I love your chat about the gender-neutral name Corey. My sister is a girl Corey and has always detested the spelling. I might have to gift her the book to read my kids. Muahaha.
Sarah, your work here is so important!! I worked in an MA in Children's Lit program for ages, and loved everything about it. From that, and my own experience with reading o my boys, I know that books not only teach and learn but they create the real wonder and respect for life (Steig's words in his Caldecott acceptance speech!) SO NEEDED to make life good and to care about all around us.
On a very practical note, writing my newsletter more than once a week was doing me in. After several years of that, I moved to once a week. Checking in with my readers, they were rather relieved :) ... as it turned out. Though at this point, with so much archive material, you could do one new piece/week, and one archive. I do enjoy your older pieces, too.
Growth-wise, my newsletter has plateaued in the last two years. Just what it is, it seems.
LOVE this review of Kareen Between!
With all the shouting going on in the world and the bullying of immense degree, please continue with your quiet work. Know that it is sustaining. I hope it can be for you, too. Strength and peace!!
Thanks, Alison. I cut back to posting once a week last fall, and I have been using my archive more than ever. My growth has never plateaued and I'm very grateful -- I don't take that for granted for even a second -- and I just hope that I continue to be of service here.
"My good, full life is good and full because I’m surrounded by abundance, much of which I have wished for and chosen and created, and I will not denigrate that by complaining." I've been thinking a lot about my good full life against the back drop of... the horrors.. and I just really appreciate your writing this week. You often say exactly what I have been thinking and feeling. I just wanted to put that out there. Also, we love Taro Gomi- Little Truck is such a sleeper hit with both of my kids when they were around 2, I can't explain it but they LOVE it.
My Friends remains one of my favorite books that I read to C as a child. I often think about it to this day. Along with Yummy Yucky and I Am a Bunny, they are treasured, storied memories.
Sarah, I was just sorting our latest library haul, primarily inspired by your recommendations (and a recent love of the InvestiGators). We are here reading and are so appreciative of your work -- AND -- whatever you can do is okay and more than enough. Thinking of you.
Oh, and requesting all of these books because they are all new to us! I love a depiction of a mother who works outside the home. I, too, have looked for these books and they ARE rare.
Sarah--this really spoke to me. "Maybe I can just do whatever I can do and let that be okay." Yesterday, I was talking with my best friend about feeling a little burnt out at work, and this was the exact message we settled on. Thank you always for your lovely substack. I appreciate it deeply.
Maybe I can just do whatever I can do and let that be okay is something I really needed to hear today. It’s going in my daily notebook for sure. Thank you, Sarah!
There is not a single thing that someone could tell me that means more to me than "you are the reason my 3-year-old requests poems during breakfast," Jessica -- this made my day. Thank you so much 🩷
Just a note to say that I always read your newsletters and your work matters to me and more importantly, my kids! I've found such wonderful gems through your newsletters. Sometimes you remind me of authors I read as a kid and loved - I had Doctor De Soto when I was young, but you reminded me about William Steig and now my 4-year old loves reading Shrek and so many other stories with his wild and wonderful language!
There are also books you've recommended that I personally do not LOVE, but are a total hit with my kids (looking at you, Each Peach Pear Plum)!! You totally have a beat on what will be valuable and enjoyable reading for them and I'm super thankful for what you do.
Thank you so much for this. I'm not sure I've ever had a beat on anything that will be valuable and enjoyable outside of this topic, so that's extra special to me 🩷
Just a little note of encouragement that your newsletter is absolutely one of my favorites--I'm excited every time I see it in my inbox. Reading aloud to my kids is the main way I feel connection with them, especially when they're going through tough developmental times + your recommendations have been fantastically helpful. ❤️
I love the idea of doing what you can and letting that be enough. I discovered your newsletter only fairly recently but love it so much and look forward to seeing it in my inbox every week. In fact, you were one of the inspirations for getting up the nerve to start my own newsletter. Please know your work and your voice have an impact!
Kareem Between sounds like a great read, can't wait to check it out :)
Thank you for these kind words. And please know that writing a newsletter is a long game, not a sprint — but you’re not alone here on Substack. There are some absolutely wonderful people here writing about children’s books and supporting one another.
I've been trying School of Monsters with my 4 year olds. It's a series by Sally Rippin who was already a successful children's book author when she discovered her own child had reading difficulties and felt the existing options weren't great and set out to write something better for learning readers.
So far we've done three of them and they've been reasonably popular.
Well, that’s cool!
We’ve been reading “My friends” to my now 9 year old since he was a baby! So good.
It really holds up over time!
We're on our 7th cold/snow day in KS - a lot for us in one winter! Kids haven't gone to school this week! So we're headed to the library this morning. There are more expensive options for sure, but all I want right now are my friends, book. :-)
Checked out Orangutan Tongs and Spaghetti at the library today and we were all cracking up reading Orangutan tongue twisters at lunch.
Yay! I love to hear this!
The spaghetti book looks so cute and I love your chat about the gender-neutral name Corey. My sister is a girl Corey and has always detested the spelling. I might have to gift her the book to read my kids. Muahaha.
Love love love. We do what we can and that's enough.
And oh my gosh, I need that Orangutan poem book NOW.
You do, Sarah. You really do 😉
Sarah, your work here is so important!! I worked in an MA in Children's Lit program for ages, and loved everything about it. From that, and my own experience with reading o my boys, I know that books not only teach and learn but they create the real wonder and respect for life (Steig's words in his Caldecott acceptance speech!) SO NEEDED to make life good and to care about all around us.
On a very practical note, writing my newsletter more than once a week was doing me in. After several years of that, I moved to once a week. Checking in with my readers, they were rather relieved :) ... as it turned out. Though at this point, with so much archive material, you could do one new piece/week, and one archive. I do enjoy your older pieces, too.
Growth-wise, my newsletter has plateaued in the last two years. Just what it is, it seems.
LOVE this review of Kareen Between!
With all the shouting going on in the world and the bullying of immense degree, please continue with your quiet work. Know that it is sustaining. I hope it can be for you, too. Strength and peace!!
Thanks, Alison. I cut back to posting once a week last fall, and I have been using my archive more than ever. My growth has never plateaued and I'm very grateful -- I don't take that for granted for even a second -- and I just hope that I continue to be of service here.
"My good, full life is good and full because I’m surrounded by abundance, much of which I have wished for and chosen and created, and I will not denigrate that by complaining." I've been thinking a lot about my good full life against the back drop of... the horrors.. and I just really appreciate your writing this week. You often say exactly what I have been thinking and feeling. I just wanted to put that out there. Also, we love Taro Gomi- Little Truck is such a sleeper hit with both of my kids when they were around 2, I can't explain it but they LOVE it.
Thank you, Zoe -- I'm glad whenever my words land 🙏🩷
My Friends remains one of my favorite books that I read to C as a child. I often think about it to this day. Along with Yummy Yucky and I Am a Bunny, they are treasured, storied memories.
I know this about you 😉
Sarah, I was just sorting our latest library haul, primarily inspired by your recommendations (and a recent love of the InvestiGators). We are here reading and are so appreciative of your work -- AND -- whatever you can do is okay and more than enough. Thinking of you.
Oh, and requesting all of these books because they are all new to us! I love a depiction of a mother who works outside the home. I, too, have looked for these books and they ARE rare.
Thanks for always being so supportive, Darcy. You are still the person I write to, and for, when I am stuck 🩷🩷
Glad you loved KAREEM. It’s so well done!
I really, REALLY loved it. It hit me hard.
Sarah--this really spoke to me. "Maybe I can just do whatever I can do and let that be okay." Yesterday, I was talking with my best friend about feeling a little burnt out at work, and this was the exact message we settled on. Thank you always for your lovely substack. I appreciate it deeply.
Maybe I can just do whatever I can do and let that be okay is something I really needed to hear today. It’s going in my daily notebook for sure. Thank you, Sarah!
I'm so glad, Patricia 🩷
Sarah, most of my library holds are because of you AND you are the reason my 3-year-old requests poems during breakfast. Thank you for what you do 💕
There is not a single thing that someone could tell me that means more to me than "you are the reason my 3-year-old requests poems during breakfast," Jessica -- this made my day. Thank you so much 🩷
Just a note to say that I always read your newsletters and your work matters to me and more importantly, my kids! I've found such wonderful gems through your newsletters. Sometimes you remind me of authors I read as a kid and loved - I had Doctor De Soto when I was young, but you reminded me about William Steig and now my 4-year old loves reading Shrek and so many other stories with his wild and wonderful language!
There are also books you've recommended that I personally do not LOVE, but are a total hit with my kids (looking at you, Each Peach Pear Plum)!! You totally have a beat on what will be valuable and enjoyable reading for them and I'm super thankful for what you do.
Thank you so much for this. I'm not sure I've ever had a beat on anything that will be valuable and enjoyable outside of this topic, so that's extra special to me 🩷
Just a little note of encouragement that your newsletter is absolutely one of my favorites--I'm excited every time I see it in my inbox. Reading aloud to my kids is the main way I feel connection with them, especially when they're going through tough developmental times + your recommendations have been fantastically helpful. ❤️
Thank you, Claire 🩷 I consider my work here worthwhile if I'm able to help even one family in any small way, so that means a lot.
I love the idea of doing what you can and letting that be enough. I discovered your newsletter only fairly recently but love it so much and look forward to seeing it in my inbox every week. In fact, you were one of the inspirations for getting up the nerve to start my own newsletter. Please know your work and your voice have an impact!
Kareem Between sounds like a great read, can't wait to check it out :)
Thank you for these kind words. And please know that writing a newsletter is a long game, not a sprint — but you’re not alone here on Substack. There are some absolutely wonderful people here writing about children’s books and supporting one another.