Classic Books to Share with Your Children for Valentine's Day

From 'Charlotte's Web' to 'Where the Wild Things Are,' share these classic books with your children and encourage their love for reading.

By Anita Silvey Courtesy of James Patterson's Read Kiddo Read Foundation The opening line of E. B. White’s Charlotte’s Web— “Where’s Pa going with that axe?”—has now been read by adults to eager young listeners for more than 60 years. Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time and Ezra Jack Keats’s The Snowy Day have been picked up with enthusiasm for more than 50 years. For 75 years, parents have shared The Hobbit, and this year Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are turns 50. These books and others like them (Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Virginia Lee Burton’s Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, and L. M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables) bring generations together, allowing a parent or grandparent to return to a book that he…

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Cartersville Library's Adult Winter Reading Program Launches

The Bartow County Library System's "Between the Covers" is open to all adults and includes prizes and special events.

"Between the Covers," this year’s winter reading program for adults at Bartow County libraries, including the Cartersville Public Library, includes special events and prizes, according to the news release. The library is set to host more than 35 individual programs for patrons' enjoyment and learning opportunities, including trivia nights, a murder mystery theater, a genealogy class and an ebook classes. Bingo and Mexican Train Domino games are especially for seniors, but anyone can enjoy the book discussions, movies and many other interesting programs, including the Author's Festival in March, including more than 20 authors.  To register for the Adult Winter Reading program, visit the library in person or go to www.bartowlibraryonline.org…

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The 12 Best Children's Books of 2012

A list of the best children's books of 2012, from James Patterson's ReadKiddoRead Foundation.

Courtesy of the ReadKiddoRead Foundation Maurice Sendak once said that one of the best things about being a maker of children’s books was that his audience kept being born. It’s true, of course: The great books from years past are brand new to today’s children and teens. But let’s take a moment at year’s end to recognize the books being published now for our young people. Here’s a quick roundup of a dozen highlights of 2012. (For more, visit ReadKiddoRead.com and check out our reviews.) Great Illustrated Books (Ages 2-5) Llama Llama Time to Share By Anna Dewdney For ages 2-5 When the doorbell rings, Mama Llama welcomes the neighbors – the Gnus. While Mama and Nelly have tea, their two toddlers are left with a boxful of toys to play with …

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Meet Local Author, Arnold Heflin, Saturday

Spring Place Pottery and Artists' Gallery and Northwest Georgia Women's Expo present "An Afternoon with Arnold," on Dec. 1, from 2 to 4 p.m., at Spring Place Pottery and Artists' Gallery in Cartersville.

The 2012 Holiday Book List

Books make great holiday gifts. Give your loved ones these books as stocking stuffers this holiday season.

When you give a child or a teen a book, you are creating a memory that will last a lifetime. What’s more, reading offers so many options. Are you trying to find a book for an early reader? Choose a picture book or a Great Beginner Read from the list below. Does your grandchild love nonfiction? Take a look at the Great Family Reads section. Has your niece read every book known to man? There are some brand new books on this list that she may not have seen yet. Do you struggle to find just the right book to entice your child to read? These selections are sure kid-pleasers that will meet any interest. The ReadKiddoRead holiday gift list has something for everyone: realistic fiction, science fiction, and nonfiction; animal stories, mythology …

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Presenting the Tailgate Book Club

Make the most of pre-game time and halftime by reading and talking about these great books!

Are you enjoying the football and basketball seasons? Kids across the country are for sure! You can be an ALL-STAR parent without missing even one of the season’s big games! And we don’t just mean you’ll be playing and watching and cheering, but you’ll be reading the best books about sports out there. PatchReads and ReadKiddoRead want to get you and your kids talking about some great sports books with the Tailgate Book Club. Follow these steps to make the most of pre-game time, halftime, and all the days in between. Step 1: Pick a book each week based on the ReadKiddoRead Tailgate Book Club List, and have all your friends and their kids read it before game day. Step 2: Gather everyone together for the game. During half-time, put the TV on …

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Scare Your Kids Into Reading with These Books for Halloween

Check out ReadKiddoRead's list of the best Halloween books for kids.

All of us—adults, teens and children—enjoy a scary chill.  What better time of year than Halloween to indulge in stories that make our spines tingle?  It's the perfect time for your family to share some spooky stories each evening. To get you started, here are some Halloween books filled with ghosts and ghouls, wizards and witches, haunted houses and black magic that everyone can enjoy together.  The youngest children love the fun of Halloween: costumes, trick-or-treating and gentle tales of ghosts and goblins. Here are some books for this age group: GHOSTS IN THE HOUSE By Kazuno Kohara For ages 1-6 There are fuzzy pumpkin costumes in sizes as small as 6 months, so why not a Halloween board book for toddlers? This one tells the tale of a …

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Kids Not Reading Enough? Patch Has Tips from Author James Patterson

Bestselling author James Patterson gives tips on making your child an avid reader. Plus, here's a great reading list for the fall to get you started.

At Patch we're always trying to pull together into one place all of the best local resources on every topic, including books and reading. We have the good fortune to be working with a best-selling author James Patterson in this endeavor, and we'll be continually sharing his reading list selections for every age here on Patch. Plus, we'll showcase reading lists from our local librarians, bookstores, and you—our readers. But here, an open letter to moms and dads of reluctant readers from James Patterson. Dear Moms and Dads, I’ve had the good fortune to meet hundreds of teachers and librarians around the country. They always wow me with their tips and tricks to get kids into reading. I thought it was time to get these great ideas out in the …

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