Anyone reading this blog would support the value of strengthening a child’s core reading skills. Now along with all of the obvious academic benefits that a child can derive from reading great stories, there is evidence of a strong correlation between reading literary fiction and an individual’s mental health and happiness. So we have to ask, could great stories also help young children grow their Emotional-Intelligence Quotient, or EQ, along with improving their IQ? Although

Barbara Bietz is a name in the world of children’s literature that you may not recognize... but you will. From having served as chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award to pioneering a revitalization of diversity in children’s picture books with a focus on Jewish literature, this emerging writer has not stopped in her advocacy for building a more connected community. With the release of her second title, The Sundown Kid: A Southwestern Shabbat, we sat down with her to get a bett

August House is delighted to announce the release of The Sundown Kid: A Southwestern Shabbat, a 32-page LittleFolk picture book by noted children’s author, Barbara Bietz. The story is told from the perspective of a young boy whose family moves across the country to a small desert town in the Southwest, where they are the only Jewish family in the area. This unique, eye-opening adventure portrays the value of perseverance, hospitality, and kindness in building a sense of commu