HighShelfEsteem

Category: Reviews and Recommendations

  • Wonderful Winter-Break Reads for Kids!

    Winter break is finally here! For me, that means lots of reading, reading, reading. And for those of you with kids, Librarian-Kristen hopes they spend a good chunk of their time off doing the same. With thousands of children’s books published each year, it’s hard to choose which ones to read next. So, I’ve pulled together…

  • The Best Of the Best Books of 2016

    Usually I love learning about great books to add to my TBR list. Some days, though, I can’t help but feel overwhelmed by the never-ending publication of amazing new titles each year. It makes me shake my fists at the sky and shout, “There are too many books! I’ll never read them all!” This feeling…

  • Bookish Holiday Gift Guide 2016

    Ask book lovers what they want for Christmas, and most likely their answer will be BOOKS! But unless, they’ve given specific titles, it’s pretty risky to go to the bookstore and pick something off the shelves. My recommendation: forget trying to find a book they haven’t read or already own and go for a bookish gift…

  • 20 Uplifting & Edifying Picture Books To Read Post-Election

    Last week was quite a doozy for a lot of folks. I rarely talk politics, but let’s just say I needed A LOT of comfort reading (aka Harry Potter) following the election results. Now that some time has passed, I am ready to make strong moves to work towards a better future. The best way…

  • I’m Sick of the Election!: 10 Books Set in D.C. NOT About Politics

    Election day is quickly approaching and I, for one, am more than ready to leave this campaign season behind. As someone who works in Washington, D.C., I am accustomed to a constant hum of political talk, but the presidential race has crescendoed the hum into a rather unbearable din. Yes, I realize this is to…

  • Literary Happy Hour: Beer and Picture Book Edition!

    When I get home from a long day at work (I’m a children’s librarian, so that means eight plus hours of kids, books and overall awesomeness), there’s nothing better than cracking open a nice cold brew. While I’m sipping, I might chat with my husband or watch a little TV to unwind. I’ll often want…

  • Back To School: Not Just for Kids!

    It’s back-to-school time and I’m sure many kids across the country have the same pre-return jitters that I did when I was in elementary school. Questions like: “Will the cafeteria lady force me to finish my fish sticks, even if they make me feel sick?” and “Is Sister Christine really teaching fifth-grade sex-ed this year?”…

  • Review: The Woman in Cabin 10

    Title: The Woman in Cabin 10 Author: Ruth Ware Genre: Thriller/Suspense Grade: B+   Plot: Lo Blacklock, a journalist working her way up the ladder at a British travel mag, has been given the chance to prove herself on an assignment covering the maiden voyage of a fabulous boutique cruise ship. It seems like a…

  • Let’s Hear It for the Ladies: 8 Books that Empower Girls and Women

    With Hillary Clinton’s nomination for the U.S. presidency and Obama’s recent essay on feminism today, I’ve been in a girl power kind of mood. I am an elementary and middle-school educator, and I see first-hand how deeply entrenched gender stereotypes are in our society, and it is something I actively try to fight. It would…

  • 5 Books You Still Have Time To Enjoy This Summer

    With the arrival of Halloween candy at the grocery store, you know it’s that time of year again… August! I felt a twinge of melancholy when I saw pumpkin- and ghost-shaped Peeps on Safeway’s shelves the other day. Not just because they’ll undoubtedly be stale by the time October 31st rolls around, but because they…