For as long as I can remember, books have been my love language. When I felt lonely as a
preteen, my uncle introduced me to my new bff’s – Laura Ingalls, Anne Shirley and Jo March.
As a college student, my mentor recommended the perfect biographies to urge me on in my
faith. My friends and family often receive a carefully selected book for their birthday and know I
will reference at least a few any time we meet over chips and salsa. Many of my most cherished
parenting moments have happened while reading aloud together.

In my opinion, the best books are those where the author works to share their greatest passion
with us through their writing. The messages in these “living books” are clear and contagious.
These books are so exciting to share with your children because you never know what will spark
their interest and enthusiasm. As parents, we can bring some light and life to subjects they
show an interest in simply by selecting better books, written by passionate experts in that field.
Add in great illustrations, humor and hands-on activities and you’re set.

As we celebrate love this month, I would like to show my appreciation for our new friendship by
sharing some of the authors whose passions have inspired my family over the years. Our
libraries will carry many of their titles if you want to try them before filling an Amazon cart. Enjoy!

David Adler: WIth a variety of titles to his credit, Adler’s collection of picture book biographies
shows a great love of American heroes. The illustrations truly bring these stories to life and will
help to give your kids a new appreciation for our founding fathers, inventors and astronauts. He
also penned the adorable Cam Jansen series.
Eric Carle: You may be familiar with The Very Hungry Caterpillar, but he has so many delightful
titles celebrating animals of all shapes and sizes. Each with his signature, colorful style will wet
your youngsters’ appetite to explore the world around them with joy.
Kenneth C. Davis: So many topics are covered in the well- loved Don’t Know Much book series,
including American history, mythology, geography and science. As you go through any of these
titles, you’ll have an incredible opportunity to model continued learning for your child because
you’ll undoubtedly encounter new facts and interesting stories you were unfamiliar with hidden
amongst the common material.
Virginia Haviland: Published in the 60’s, her fairy tale anthologies from around the globe bring
such an interesting spin on what your kids likely think of as Disney classics. There are over a
dozen titles, each with beautiful illustrations and fresh insight into cultures we may never visit.
Janice Van Cleave: Her books help us become familiar with and excited by various specialties in
science and mathematics. As STEM education continues to gain momentum, books like these
will broaden your child’s appreciation for new frontiers and help you find fun home experiments
and projects you could work on together.