Stuff We Like :: 1.6.17

Happy New Year! I hope your family has enjoyed this little slice of winter break as much as we have.

around the web

• Love, love, love this essay from The New Yorker: “Now is the time to frame the questions differently.”
• Suzanne and I have had so many conversations about this: Is it time for J.K. Rowling to step away from Harry Potter?
• The Little Broomstick is becoming a movie!

at home/school/life

• Some people missed our readaloud of the week from the old Monday Pep Talks, so we’ve brought it back. You’ll find it every week in the right-hand column of the blog page. (This week’s pick is Gertie’s Leap to Greatness, which is charming.)
• It’s January, which means group subscriptions are open! 
• I know I always say this, but I think the winter issue may be my favorite. (It’ll be officially out very soon.)
• There have been a lot of great Kindle book deals over the past few weeks. If you don’t already follow our Kindle deals page, you might want to start.

reading list

• My son got a big stack of Geronimo Stilton books for Hanukkah, and we’ve been reading our way through them together. Thanks to everyone who recommended these for reluctant readers — my son has totally loved them.
• I read Jacqueline Wilson’s Another Brooklyn over the break, which I’ve been looking forward to reading. I thought the writing was gorgeous, but the story left me flat. Maybe I expected too much? 
• Have you read Ada Twist, Scientist? I think it might be my favorite picture book of the year.

at home

• You will be completely unsurprised to know that Jason and I rang in the New Year watching The Great British Baking Show. (And I did cast on for Whistler, as promised.)
• We’ve been busy buying books and getting classrooms set up for Jason’s school, which is so much fun. I even got to buy the Hamilton soundtrack for the library. And a date stamp! Have I mentioned my date stamp? Because I kind of love it.
• The kids and I have been playing lots of Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle (so much fun!), MarioKart, and Kirby’s Epic Yarn over the break.

---