Can we read?

Hi. Last week I shared how much I am struggling right now, how I need breathing space from this newsletter but haven’t quite figured out what that means, or looks like. I have written here for six years, through more upheaval and crisis and change that I can fully comprehend, even with lots of time, perspective, and therapy.

Hello, hello 👋 Thank you to those of you who left such lovely and supportive comments on my post last week about divorce, including my own. Many of you have been subscribers long enough to know how difficult, sometimes even brutal, the past few years of my life have been — it’s always a little strange to be on the receiving end of that kind of silent witness, but I continue to be amazed by what a sweet community this is. And I’m grateful.

Over the years, children’s books about divorce have been the booklist I’ve received the most private requests for — so many people need these titles. And now, I need these titles. I’m getting a divorce, and that’s all I’m ever going to say publicly about it, out of respect for my husband and our 21 years together, to protect my children, and to preserve my privacy, which does still exist, even in ye olde 2026, where nothing feels too personal to share, and nothing really is sacred.

I originally published this post on June 11, 2024. I have lightly edited it, but not much. For those of us who care deeply about fostering a love of books and reading in our children, it’s easy to fall into a trap of convincing ourselves that our efforts are inadequate in some way or another, at various ages and stages and during different seasons of life.

Can we read? 2026 special edition on summer Here is your permission slip for summer: Permission to read one more chapter, eat dinner late (or with your hands, or in the grass, or not at all), to let routines fall apart (they’re going to anyway), to stay outside longer. Permission to sink slowly when you sit in the sun into the warmth and life the light brings. Permission to rest and recover and recuperate, without guilt or explanation and certainly not apology.

Have you ever noticed there are six strawberries on the birthday cake emoji? Can we read? is six
 
and I don’t really know how, except that I have shown up to this screen for the last 312 weeks, and of course, not just the times you can see, when I’ve published posts, which I used to do twice (!), but all the times you cannot, when I am planning and researching and writing, and taking photos and editing and writing, and responding to comments and emails and writing and writing and writing.

I originally published this post on April 18, 2024. I have lightly edited it, but not much. I’m not an educator. I’m not a teacher or a reading specialist or a librarian, and I’m definitely not an expert on summer slide. Do I believe it’s real? Yes — children, especially those from lower-income households, do lose some academic knowledge and skills over the summer or at other times when they take lengthy breaks from formal education or school.

This is a gentle reminder that reading aloud doesn’t have to be perfect to matter. You raise readers through repetition, delight, connection, and the steady presence of books that draw them in, pique their curiosity, help them feel seen and loved. It costs zero dollars and the return is priceless — but nowhere does it say there is one way to do it, or that any of it requires perfection. So here is your permission slip to make it your own.

I originally published this post on August 2, 2022. I am hanging off a cliff by the edge of my fingernails re: this newsletter right now, and the only way I can keep publishing it is to republish my old stuff. Which is my way of saying, you may see more republished posts as I try to survive this season of my life. Of course, I’ve edited and updated it as needed. Full disclosure: this wasn’t a question I received as a comment or reply to a post. It isn’t even about children’s books.

I can’t remember how I came up with the idea for this Spotlight On issue — specific topics I dive deeply into, just one time — but the minute I did, I was in. I hope you enjoy these books about many different types of transportation.