Reviews and Blog Posts: families

Molly's dad lives a plane ride away. When the other kids at school talk about their dads, Molly tells fabulous stories about hers. Finally, Molly's dad comes to visit and he isn't everything Molly had remembered or imagined. He calls her funny nicknames, he's loud, and he cooks pizzas that...

Addie and her Mommers have just moved to a new part of town - to a busy corner in a little trailer. Addie likes small spaces and new places so she thinks it will be okay. She can still play flute in school and makes friends with the people over...

Martha is the middle child. Clara is so big and sensible. Ben is the cutesy-wootsey baby. What about Martha? Isn't she big and sensible AND cutesy-wootsey? When Martha decides to run away from home, a wise frog shows her that the middle can be the best. This story is sweet...

Bobby is Chloë's favorite uncle. They do all kinds of fun things together. She's afraid that when he gets married to Jamie, he'll forget about her. But having two uncles just means twice the fun, and getting to be a flower girl at the wedding! Chloë learns that being in...

Eleven-year-old Brendan Buckley is a lot of things: an aspiring scientist, a tae kwon do warrior, and the child of a biracial marriage. He had a great relationship with his father's dad, but he's never even met his mother's father, and he's not sure why. When they accidentally meet up...

The Willoughby family has four children: there is Tim, the eldest; Barnaby A and Barnaby B, the twins; and Jane, the girl. There are also some disagreeable parents. The Willoughbys are a very old-fashioned family that reads lots of old-fashioned books. One day the children decide that if they were...

In Grace Lin's bright and simple picture book, the whole family gets involved to prepare for Chinese New Year. On each two-page spread, a member of the family demonstrates New Year duties. Jie-Jie sweeps the old year out, Ma-Ma makes the dumplings, Auntie wakes the dragon. Is it time for...

Every Friday, dad and son walk through the city to the corner diner. They say hello to the people they pass, they window shop, they watch the building going up on the corner. They are not rushing; they take time to notice details of the city. They are regulars at...

More than anything, Zoe wants to play the piano. She daydreams about herself in a flowing gown, sitting at a grand piano, playing on the stage at Carnegie Hall. In reality, Zoe's dad buys her a Perfectone D-60, an electric organ. Not the same thing at all! Other things are...

A sprawling, weathered summer estate on Cape Cod takes center stage in this beautifully written, bittersweet memoir. Part biography, part social history, The Big House relives the glory days of privileged Boston Brahmins and boyhood summers spent by the sea. A great read for the landlocked.