Hey Reader, I wonder if you ever get to mid-summer, look around, and think… Wait. What is even happening here? For me, this looks like the kids being on screens too much. 🫣 There’s also just more bickering and less reading than I want to be happening. We’re all glad for the reprieve from schoolwork, but long summer days have a way of devolving into a kind of...contained chaos. When it comes to giving you just enough structure to keep things from going off the rails, and just enough fun to...
3 days ago • 1 min read
Do you have a TBR, Reader? By TBR, I mean "to be read"— a list (or pile) (or teetering stack) (or imaginary shelf overly crammed with more books than you could ever remember) of books you want to read. There's that expression I'm sure you've heard: So many books, so little time. I simultaneously don't like that quote and also FEEL IT in my bones. I don't like it because the idea of "so many books, so little time" doesn't make me feel more delighted by my reading life. It makes me feel like...
7 days ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, What would happen if you decided to be your child's mentor rather than their teacher? What if you awakened their wonder and curiosity so that they became the kind of people who thirst for knowledge and understanding? Today, I’m revisiting a conversation about those very questions that I had a few years ago with Sally Clarkson. I’m lucky to count Sally as a dear friend and I know that her work has been transformational for me and for so many of you. In this episode, you’ll hear:...
14 days ago • 1 min read
Welcome to RAR Round-Up, our monthly email featuring our team’s favorite things happening around here—all in one place for you. Be sure to scroll through the entirety of this week's email for some exciting team news! 🥳 A Booklist for Your Budding Reader Learning to read can be hard. And when our kids are still learning to read fluently and well, helping them fall in love with books can feel impossible. But it doesn't have to be this way! We've created this booklist to hook your developing...
21 days ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, We have *quite* the treat for you today on the Read-Aloud Revival Podcast. Poet, songwriter, and academic Malcolm Guite joins us to share his new retelling of the classic King Arthur stories, Galahad and the Grail, which he's published with our friends over at the Rabbit Room Press. We chat all about the adventures that went into the making this book as well as Malcolm's own path to becoming a poet in his fifties. This episode is one you won't want to miss. In this episode,...
28 days ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, Right about now, the end of the school year is within sight. And it can’t come too early, right? But then also: it definitely can, because we’re usually never as far along in the curriculum as we wanted to be by this point. 😅 So here’s the deal: if you're homeschooling your kids, and you're planning to end the school year when you finish whatever curriculum you’re using, please lean in a little closer… ...I would like to tell you why that is a terrible idea. 😆 I’ve been...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, Learning to read can be really hard. And when our kids are still learning to read fluently and well, helping them fall in love with books can feel impossible. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In today’s episode, I’m going to show you how to help your kids fall in love with stories, and tell you why it will help them more to keep reading aloud than to cram in another long phonics lesson. In this episode, you'll hear: a reminder that learning to read is a little like climbing a...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Welcome to RAR Round-Up, our monthly email featuring our team’s favorite things happening around here—all in one place for you. How to Talk with Your Kids About Books Here at RAR we're always talking about connecting with our kids through books. In this guide, you’ll learn how simply asking open-ended questions can lead to great conversations with your kids about what you’re reading together. Download it Now The Latest Podcast We all want to build those meaningful and lasting connections with...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Just a quick note in case you missed it earlier this week. Right now we’re running a Waxwing Spring Sale in the RAR Shop — and it’s only happening through the weekend. If you’ve been meaning to add a few Waxwing books to your home library, now is the time. ⭐ The Complete Waxwing Library ⭐ All 7 books for $100 (save $33) Or choose your own collection: Individual books – $16 each Any 3 for $45 The sale ends Sunday, 3/22, so if you’ve been thinking about it, don’t wait! Shop the...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read