The Museum of Fine Arts Boston has an ingenious fundraiser. They sell sponsorships where florists paired with a fundraiser create a floral arrangement in the likeness of a work of art in the… Read More

We are so proud of our oldest for graduating from Rhode Island School of Design this past June with a degree in Industrial Design, and a minor in Nature Culture Sustainability Studies. She w… Read More

Lisa Rogers, Nancy Tupper Ling, Andrew Hackett, and I are doing a Story Time together at Newtonville Books! Please join us on Saturday, August 10th, from 11 am to noon! We will be reading o… Read More

My author visit coincided with the total solar eclipse in the New England area. I myself had viewed the partial solar eclipse in Newton before heading out to Stoughton. Despite competing aga… Read More

Read Your World (formerly Multicultural Children’s Book Day) annual Flash Sale ends in less than two weeks! Take advantage of the 30% savings by locking in your 2024 Platinum… Read More

It was so wonderful to meet Ruth Behar at Newtonville Books. She was on a book tour for her newest book, Across So Many Seas. Across So Many Seas by Ruth Behar This is Ruth’s story of… Read More

My husband discovered fishing off the Charles River as a pandemic activity that we enjoyed together. We took our dog for a walk. I would either paint in watercolor, walk around with my dog f… Read More

Please welcome my guest author, Gennifer Choldenko. Her latest book is The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman. The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman has garnered 4 starred reviews thus far… Read More

We are thrilled to be presenting a panel on Farm Children’s Books for nErD Camp PA on July 12th! Calling Educators & Librarians! Please join me, Maria Gianferrari, Nancy Castaldo… Read More

I met Schulyer Bailar at the Harvard Asian American Alumni Association event. We were both at the author signing event, but the bookstore providing the books did not come through. Despite h… Read More

School is out and July is a slow month for children’s book list-related events, but here is what I have. 4th of July 6 Favorite Diverse Picture Books for 4th of July Here’s a vid… Read More

I made a book trailer! We Sing from the Heart: How the Slants® Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Victor Bizar Gomez A compelling accoun… Read More

It was our first time attending Pratt’s Family Weekend this past fall where our son is a freshman. My husband and I got up very early and drove for the Saturday event. Our son was stil… Read More

Thank you to my husband for taping our NCTE panel: Food: The Universal Language that Connects Us All panel What’s a more universal experience than sharing a meal? Food brings people to… Read More

An idiom is a word or phrase where the meaning can’t be determined by individual words themselves. The meaning stems from an association with something else, such as a cultural referen… Read More

Through a variety of exercises, students will learn basic anatomy and movements of children and animals. They will apply their observational skills into developing unique, believable and app… Read More

I’ll be doing two book signings at the upcoming American Library Association (ALA) Conference in San Diego. On Saturday, June 29th, I’ll be signing Food for the Future: Sustain… Read More

The story of Japanese immigration is also true for my own family history.  Changes in Japan during the Meiji Restoration from 1868 to 1912 wrought great changes in Japan as the country… Read More

Please welcome my guest author Vicky Fang. We are both in the Soaring 20’s picture book together. She grew up in Newton, MA, where I live now, so we also have that in common! Her newes… Read More

The Chinese immigrant experience is one with a long history in America resulting in becoming the largest Asian population in America today.  There is a great one-page overview of Chines… Read More

Barbara Richardson, my 87-year-old neighbor loves orchids so when I knew that I had to take photos of the world’s largest orchid garden at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. My favorite sp… Read More

Thank you to everyone who came out to Andrew Hacket and my book launch Storytime at Newtonville Books. Andrew read his hilarious Curlilocks and the Three Hares and had a photo frame activit… Read More

In the Netflix series, Taco Chronicles, the episode on basket tacos features Marven, the “Lady Tacos de Canasta,” a transgender taco vendor who identifies as ‘muxe’… Read More

I’m thrilled that Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World has won the Silver Nautilus Book for Children’s Picture Books / Non-Fiction Ages 2- 6 Years (Preschool-G… Read More

My middle daughter is studying abroad at the National University of Singapore (NUS) for one semester. Her dormitory at the College of Alice and Peter Tan, to our surprise, is not air-conditi… Read More

Juneteenth Multicultural Children’s Book Club with Carole Boston Weatherford 9 Juneteenth Children’s Books Price Month Multicultural Children’s Book Club with Michael Gen… Read More

Today is Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime!‘s one-year birthday! To celebrate, Daria A. Marmaluk-Hajiioannou of World Music created a song and music video! I am giving away 5 copies of the… Read More

Inside: Korean-America authors have unique stories to share. Enjoy these 10 Korean American children’s books to read with your children. My husband is Korean and I joke that the Korean… Read More

It was the highlight of our trip to California for my husband to play on one of his all-time favorite golf courses, Riviera Country Club! This is a PGA golf tournament in conjunction with Ti… Read More

When my son was in preschool, I created this free Kindergarten readiness book for him. I printed it out, bound it into a 3 ring paper folder, and made a copy for each child in his class and… Read More

Today is my sophomore picture book’s first birthday, Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World, illustrated by Robert Sae-Heng and published by Barefoot Books. Food for… Read More

It’s always a warm hug to hear Rajani LaRocca present on her newest book. I always find it encouraging and motivating when she talks about her writing process. In this particular event… Read More

Boxing is currently the number one fitness trend in America! I can personally attest to the allure of boxing as a complete workout that is never boring. I also like the addition of learning… Read More

I am so glad that I found the courage within myself to submit three haiku to be part of The Writers Loft poetry anthology. I missed the first two even though I was a member of The Writers Lo… Read More

Thank you to Read Teach Write for reviewing Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime! “This is a review of the hardcover edition. From the opening pages, the book reminded me a little bit of Kate B… Read More

I am thrilled that Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World made the Massachusetts Book Award Long List! Mass Center for the Book is excited to recognize longlisted titles a… Read More

Looking for baseball chapter books that your child will love? Check out our top selection, perfect for kids who love baseball! It’s baseball season in Boston! That can only mean checki… Read More

I’m thrilled to be part of the Greater Roxbury Book Fair on Saturday, May 18th, from Noon to 5 pm! Greater Roxbury Book Fair  The Fair will take place on Saturday, May 18th, from… Read More

I am humbled and thrilled to announce that We Sing from the Heart: How the Slants®  Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court, illustrated by Victor Bizar Gomez, is a Ju… Read More

Please welcome my guest authors today Lydia Lukidis and Mélina Mangal with their list of children’s books featuring Black women in STEM. We are giving away a copy of Dancing Thr… Read More

Read Your World is celebrating LGBTQIA+ during Pride Month with a virtual event featuring Michael Genhart, Ph.D., Afsaneh Moradian, Federico Erebia, and C.K. Malone. Join us as we chat with… Read More

This is my third bilingual Spanish book list. Author Derek Taylor Kent wrote the first one. The second bilingual Spanish picture book list is from illustrator Wendy Martin. Today’s lis… Read More

I do have quite a few book lists and videos on my blog for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month so I wanted to put it all in one place: 80+ Asian American Children’s Book Lists Korean… Read More

My girls are I are a little obsessed with gift-giving right now. We wrack our brains to find the right gift for each person. If the present delights and amuses, we know we have a winner. It… Read More

In the last month, I have written a half-dozen letters to politicians and even made a few calls. That’s more than I’ve ever done in my life politically, with the exception of tha… Read More

I’m thrilled to share that the Explorer Academy series adds a new book series starring Sailor York in Vela Book The Sailor Cipher releasing on April 23, 2024. Sailor York and… Read More

Read Your World Celebrating Multicultural Children’s Book Day is hosting a jewelry fundraiser through Kendra Scott from May 3rd to 5th! Go to Kendra Scott’s Website Enter the co… Read More

Fall 2024 Children’s Sneak Previews Compiled by Shannon Maughan An Asian-American band takes the fight over its name all the way to the Supreme Court. This story is coming out as a pi… Read More

Inside: Homelessness can be a difficult topic to talk about with your kids. Read these children’s books about homelessness to open discussion. In creating this list, I noticed that mos… Read More

I’m thrilled to be part of the Barefoot Books Retreat this year. I’ll be on this panel on May 4th. 2 pm – Panel: Meet the Barefoot Authors Q&A Attending authors: Bunmi… Read More

Please welcome my guest today, Adriane Tsai. She is the illustrator of TugGoat, written by Kersten Hamilton. Publisher Weekly says, “My heart dreams tugboat dreams,’ declares the… Read More

We made it to summer which starts today! Every winter here in Boston, it seems like summer will never arrive. It’s not just the warmth we crave, but the relaxed schedule and the long d… Read More

As I read all these #OwnVoices books, I noticed that many revolved around the importance of family and food. In fact, they are intertwined together. Family recipes are passed down over gener… Read More

I am thrilled to learn that my blog, Pragmatic Mom, has been selected by the Feedspot as one of the Top 60 Book Review by Mom Bloggers on the web. Thank you for this honor, FeedSpot!… Read More

I was inspired to create this list after reading the Track series by Jason Reynolds followed by Lila Quintero Weaver’s excellent middle grade book, My Year in the Middle. I assumed tha… Read More

Read Your World has created merchandise as a fundraising campaign and it’s available to order now! To support Read Your World and purchase any of these items, please go here. The t-sh… Read More

I wanted to put all the featured Asian Pacific American Heroes from my book on one page. For those who want to learn more about each hero, I have added videos to each person. Meet Asian Pac… Read More

Our Read Your World Auction ends tomorrow! Check it out here. Thanks so much for helping us change the world one book at a time! To examine any book more closely at Amazon, please click o… Read More

My daughter and her friends have been working on this documentary/mockumentary for more than three years. The Nads are RISD’s ice hockey team. Her roommate, Caleb, is a member. Also, h… Read More

Please welcome authors Victoria J. Coe and Cheryl Lawton Malone with their Top 5 Books to Begin or Level Up Your Writing for Kids or Young Adults. As accomplished children’s book autho… Read More

Please welcome author Michelle Staub with her list of books about water, rivers, and conservation. We are giving away a signed copy of A Place for Rain (along with bookmarks and sticke… Read More

I am thrilled to announce a new picture book, Fortune Cookies for Everyone, illustrated by Collen Kong-Savage and published by Red Comet Press! It comes out Fall of 2025!! Angus Yuen-Killic… Read More

Meet Kai Gietzen, the illustrator for my newest picture book Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime! It comes out on May 26, 2024. Pre-order here. Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime! by Mia Wenjen, illustrat… Read More

Thank you to Charles River Creative Arts Program for sponsoring this post. I am offering a special 15% discount for any Charles River Creative Arts Summer program including CIT. See below fo… Read More

I will be presenting my “story behind the story” of Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World to the Massachusetts Association for the Education of Young Children (… Read More

I’m so thrilled to announce that Food for the Future is a finalist for the 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards! The award is organized by Foreword Reviews, a trade magazine dedicated… Read More

Here are my resources for April’s Earth Day and Autism Acceptance. Earth Day Book Lists and Resources 17 Picture Books for Earth Day 12 KidLit Books for Earth Day Top 10 Earth Day Pic… Read More

The Boston Authors Club is excited to host its spring “Authors After Hours” event on Thursday, March 28th, at Whitelam Books in Reading, MA, from 7-9 PM. Anyone wishing to learn… Read More

I am thrilled that Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World has made the Green Earth Book Award long list. Check out this amazing list perfect for Earth Day coming up on April… Read More

Please welcome author and illustrator Abi Cushman! Her newest picture book with Charlotte Offsay is called THE QUIET FOREST. It comes out in March, and it’s about a mischievous mo… Read More

My dear friend Jenny Brown is teaching another art collage class at Maud Morgan Arts Center in Cambridge, MA, and it’s not too late to sign up! I took her class last fall and it’… Read More

The Stone Age was a broad prehistoric period during which stone was widely used to make stone tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million… Read More

I am so excited to reveal the cover for my first picture book with Red Comet Press, We Sing From the Heart: How The Slants® Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court! Illustr… Read More

If you are looking for a book for Women’s History Month AND Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, my book works perfectly for that. It also fits for National Women and Girls in Sport… Read More

TheFire.org’s recent article by Ronald K. L. Collins featuring my upcoming picture book, We Sing from the Heart: How the Slants®  Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supre… Read More

Please welcome my guest author, Ronni Diamondstein. I met her at the Chappaqua Book Festival this past year through my agent. We have the same agent! Jackie and the Books She Loved by R… Read More

As parents, we’re always on the lookout for things that can make our lives simpler and keep our kids happy. The baby bouncer is one of many options, but it’s helpful because it c… Read More

Please join Andrew Hacket and Me Newtonville Books 10 Langley Rd Newton, MA 02459 Storytime Book Launch Sunday, May 19th 11:00 am Save the Date! Here’s an interesting twist! Newto… Read More

As a wise saying says, you should not be afraid of the person who practices hundreds of kicks, but a person who practices one kick a hundred times. This saying fits the Dissertation Team web… Read More

Please welcome my guest author, Barbara Dee. She may have never experienced serious writer’s block as this is her fourteenth middle grade novel! Her newest book is about writer’s… Read More

Thank you to Cindy and Beth for reviewing Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime! Here are their reviews on Twitter/X: Cindy G. | she/her @cindygreene314 @pragmaticm… Read More

The United States was founded on principles of equality, justice, and the pursuit of happiness, but not everyone was allowed to vote when the country was founded. In fact, it would be centur… Read More

Our 2nd Annual Auction is fast approaching, and we’re seeking your support to raise funds to continue the work we do including: Themed Classroom Kits such as our Climate Chan… Read More

Choosing a hospice provider for yourself or a loved one can be a delicate issue. Allowing a stranger to care for you in your most vulnerable state requires a great deal of trust. We were for… Read More

I always enjoy going to Lisa Rogers’ book events. I didn’t realize that I was slightly familiar with John Cage, the subject of her most recent picture book, Beautiful Noise: The… Read More

Please welcome my guest author, Erin Dealey! Her list includes diverse picture books about gardens, community, and kindness, all wonderful things to consider this winter. Her newest book is… Read More

I have a mushroom farm set in Mexico in my picture book, Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World. The location was deliberate. The illustrator, Robert Sae-Heng grew up in Mex… Read More

I’m excited to be judging first-round Cybils this year in the categories of Easy Readers and Early Chapter Books. There were over 50 entrants for Early Chapter Books this year and we j… Read More

I made a video of my watercolor paintings for my company’s virtual show. This is the long version. I submitted a shorter version that is half the length. I started watercolor painting… Read More

Graphic novels are my secret weapon to get any kid reading. My recent discovery is that there are also multicultural, diverse, and inclusive graphic novels that bring kids into different per… Read More

Congratulations to Elissa Brent Weissman and Omer Hoffmann, the author and illustrator of Hanukkah Upside Down, for being a Sidney Taylor Book Award Honoree in the picture book category! L… Read More

I used to take my mom to afternoon tea all over Southern California as a way of spending quality time with her. When my kids were very little, I brought them along as well and they were surp… Read More

The topic of online learning may have been an unfamiliar one a few short years ago. However, the closure of schools across the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic, meant that the nation&rsq… Read More

I took a foraging class with David Craft. He’s a cancer researcher in Cambridge, MA in his free time when he’s not foraging. He also wrote the book Urban Foraging: Finding and ea… Read More

My second reader review from Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime! has come in! Dr. Cara Byrne @cararosebyrne Z loved reading @pragmaticmom’s silly and fun Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime, which we… Read More

I don’t know a lot about South Asian American children’s literature so this was a fun list to research and it was fun to hunt down books I had heard about but haven’t read… Read More

Space… the final frontier. I’ll admit that Star Trek got me really into space travel and thinking about what lies beyond our own solar system. These days when we think of earlie… Read More

Thank you to Heidi Rabinowitz of The Book of Life Podcast for creating this book list for me to cover. She noticed that my Best #OwnVoices Children’s Books had Jewish books about… Read More

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. My mother is a breast cancer survivor so this is a topic dear to my heart. I’ve gathered up books for kids and teens about cancer. What am I m… Read More

You might recognize Furqan from our Multicultural Children’s Book Day poster! Robert Liu-Trujillo created the artwork for our event. When Rob gave us sketches for the poster, we didn&r… Read More