Fostering a Family Culture of Reading

Our monthly book picks will get your kids excited about camping, even if it's just in the backyard! These picture books will make them want to pitch a tent and enjoy making (and eating!) s'mores.

Marshfield Dreams is a personal favorite memoir that will inspire children to play outside and create their own adventures. The Tech Exit is an incredible resource for parents- it takes so many of the ideas and strategies I've had as a teacher and mom and puts them in an easy-to-use guide. 

Spend a day in the outdoors camping with Curious George as he pitches a tent, roasts marshmallows, and tries to stay out of trouble! 

George and the man with the yellow hat are going camping! George tries to be helpful, but after he upsets a neighboring camper, he ends up exploring the woods on his own. Before long, an encounter with a cute forest creature throws George into a chain of outrageous events that allows him to find a way to be helpful after all. 

 In their new adventure, Mr. Magee and his dog, Dee, are enjoying a peaceful camping trip when along comes a lumbering, marshmallow-loving bear and the excitement begins. The next thing the two campers know, they are plunging down a mountain, racing down a river, and teetering on the edge of a waterfall! How will Mr. Magee and Dee find their way out of this slippery situation?

For Ralph, the oldest of nine, being part of a large family means more kids to join in the fun―from making tripods in the woods and "snicking" up the rug to raising chicks and even discovering a meteor (well, maybe). It doesn't feel like there's life beyond Marshfield, Massachusetts.  Then one day Dad's new job moves the family to Chicago, and there's so much Ralph has to leave behind. In this humorous and captivating memoir, Ralph Fletcher traces the roots of his storytelling. 

The Tech Exit maps a doable pathway to freedom from digital technology for families, local communities, and society. Drawing on dozens of interviews with experts and with families who have gone tech-free, as well as Morell’s own work as a policy expert, The Tech Exit shows how digital technology is anything but necessary for children to live happy, healthy, and socially full lives. 

This month’s picture books are filled with beautiful illustrations that will inspire your child to step outside and experience the magic of nature. Perfect for sparking imaginative outdoor play during these summer days! The Wild Robot is a must-read and now a movie! The film version is quite different from the book, making this a perfect read-then-watch activity for a family movie night. Even better? It’s the first in a series, so if your child loves it, there’s more where that came from.

When a young child reminds her dad about the hike they planned, her father is hesitant —To the tippy top? It’s a great day to watch futbol (soccer). But as the two climb on, her enthusiasm is contagious. Filled with setbacks, surprises, and stunning views, this warm and humorous story highlights in vivid colors the bonding power of a shared experience. A list of creatures at the end prompts a second look for keen-eyed readers to make discoveries of their own.

Outside is waiting, the most patient playmate of all. The most generous friend. The most miraculous inventor. This thought-provoking picture book poetically underscores our powerful and enduring connection with nature, not so easily obscured by lives spent indoors.

When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is all alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is--but she knows she needs to survive. After battling a violent storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realizes that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island's unwelcoming animal inhabitants.

A Scandinavian Mom's Secrets for Raising Healthy, Resilient, and Confident Kids

Step outdoors with this book and wave goodbye to boredom! Open a bug hotel, read the night sky and go bird spotting, then learn to draw animals, write a nature poem, and do an outdoor quiz. 

Help kids understand the benefits of stepping away from screens & engaging with the world around them. These titles are excellent conversation starters for all ages. Middle-grade readers will enjoy Unplugged by Gordon Korman, a fast-paced & entertaining novel that gets kids thinking about digital life. Reset Your Child’s Brain offers an eye-opening look at the science behind screen use & its effects on developing brains, along with practical tools for creating positive change. 

A delightful picture book about the fun you can have when you unplug yourself and get outside! From the author of the much-loved Mr Panda series. Blip spends all day plugged into her computer, playing games and having fun. But when there's a power cut, Blip goes down the stairs and out the front door, where she discovers playing games and having fun... outside! Isn't it wonderful to be unplugged? 

It’s pouring rain, and the power’s gone out at Dot’s house. Should they take it as a challenge to honor the National Day of Unplugging? Playing outside is out of the question, and so is using the many devices Dot is accustomed to. But what might the basement hold? Dot, her friend Hal, Mom, Dad, and Scratch find lots of exciting stuff, including an old spinner game. 

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Unteachables, Gordon Korman, comes a hilarious middle grade novel about a group of kids forced to “unplug” at a wellness camp—where they instead find intrigue, adventure, and a whole lot of chaos. Perfect for fans of Korman’s Ungifted and the Masterminds series, as well as Carl Hiaasen’s eco mysteries. 

A Four-Week Plan to End Meltdowns, Raise Grades, and Boost Social Skills by Reversing the Effects of Electronic Screen-Time

How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. A MUST read!

A road map to free your kids from the harms of digital technology and to recover the beauty, wonder, and true purpose of childhood—by a leading tech policy expert

Add a Free Range Kids: Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts with Worry.
FREE RANGE KIDS has become a national movement, sparked by the incredible response to Lenore Skenazy's piece about allowing her 9-year-old ride the subway alone in NYC. Parent groups argued about it, bloggers, blogged, spouses became uncivil with each other, and the media jumped all over it. 

#1 New York Times Bestseller

A 2025 best book of the year so far by The New York Times, The Economist, NPR, and more

“Careless People is darkly funny and genuinely shocking...Not only does [Sarah Wynn-Williams] have the storytelling chops to unspool a gripping narrative; she also delivers the goods."–Jennifer Szalai, The New York Times

I Wish I Knew This Before - A Journey towards Miracles, Healing, and Growth.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by emotions, trapped in negative thoughts, or stuck in unhealthy patterns?

Unresolved anger from childhood wounds can manifest as physical and emotional pain, triggers, ailments, and even disease.

IMAGINE IF YOUR CHILD begged you for an extra hour in the backyard before bed instead of an extra hour of video games or if they preferred family movie nights over mindless social media scrolling. What would that moment be worth to you?

A cute, creative story about children and their texts, tweets, posts and pics. Don’t be mean and irresponsible! That’s the straight-to-the-point advice “Screen” has for young readers who are active on social media.

Having a pet dragon is always fun!

He can sit, roll over, and play… He can candle a birthday cake, lit a campfire, or so many other cool things…

But what if your dragon is addicted to his smart phone, tablet and computer?

What if he is always looking at a screen?

What if he always took his phone to bed with him, put in on the dinner table, took it on the bus, to the park, to the mall, and even right in the bathroom stall?

Young children deserve to be armed early against internet dangers. Good Pictures Bad Pictures Jr. makes it easy for parents to protect their young kids ages 3 to 6. Using gentle, age-appropriate messages, children will learn to Turn, Run & Tell when they are accidentally exposed to inappropriate content.

Want a comfortable way to talk with your kids about pornography? This newly revised edition of the original bestseller from Defend Young Minds makes that daunting discussion easy! Good Pictures Bad Pictures is a read-aloud story about a mom and dad who explain what pornography is, why it’s dangerous, and how to reject it.

Stay Grounded, Set Boundaries, and Keep Safe Online (A Be Smart About Book, 3)

The perfect gift for parents everywhere, from the New York Times bestselling author of Goodnight iPad. 

The parody of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie that every parent will relate to.

Modern life is abuzz. There are huge LCD WiFi HD TVs and Facebook requests and thumbs tapping texts and new viral clips of cats doing flips. Wouldn't it be nice to say goodnight to all that? Like the rest of us who cannot resist just a few more scrolls and clicks, you may find yourself ready for bed while still clinging to your electronics long after dark. This book, which is made of paper, is a reminder for the child in all of us to power down at the end of the day. 

Everyone loves Goldilocks' hilarious online videos, but in her quest to get more likes, more laughs and more hits, she tries something a little more daring: stealing porridge #pipinghot, breaking chairs #fun, and using someone else's bed #sleep. What will Daddy Bear do when he sees that online? A hilarious cautionary tale for a new generation of internet-users from the prize-winning partnership of Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross.

One night Chick hops onto the farmer's house and has a browse on his computer—CLICK—soon she's shopping online for the whole farm! But when she arranges to meet up with a friend she's made online, she discovers all is not as it seems. . . Little Red Riding Hood for the iPad generation, this is the perfect book for teaching children how to stay safe online.

 A STEAM-centered, adorably illustrated picture book about Meg, a brilliant and creative boxitect who creates extraordinary things out of ordinary cardboard boxes. 

Imagine learning from a nosy classmate that your mother is having yet another baby. To Ralph's classmates, news of one more Fletcher baby is just "scuttlebutt." But for Ralph, the oldest of nine, being part of a large family means more kids to join in the fun―from making tripods in the woods and "snicking" up the rug to raising chicks and even discovering a meteor (well, maybe). It doesn't feel like there's life beyond Marshfield, Massachusetts. Then one day Dad's new job moves the family...

August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s face. Beginning from Auggie’s point of view and expanding to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others, the perspectives converge to form a portrait of one community’s struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance. 

This is the story of one brilliant idea and the child who helps to bring it into the world. As the child's confidence grows, so does the idea itself. And then, one day, something amazing happens. This is a story for anyone, at any age, who's ever had an idea that seemed a little too big, too odd, too difficult. It's a story to inspire you to welcome that idea, to give it some space to grow, and to see what happens next. Because your idea isn't going anywhere. In fact, it's just getting started.

From the best-selling team that brought you The Periodic Table, Physics, Biology, and Astronomy comes a topic that's close to our hearts-literally! Meet the characters and processes that that keep the human body chugging along. From the basic building blocks like Cell, DNA, and Protein, to Bones, Muscles, and all of the fun-loving Organs, readers will cozy up with the guys on the inside. Trust us-Liver has never looked better!