About the blog
Despite the odd looks we get every time we drift into the children’s books section (too tall to pass as kids, too immature to raise them), good stories are worth the effort. We think children’s books are particularly great because they adhere to the purest form of the story: simple but not simplistic. Better yet, it’s impossible to outgrow a good children’s book; you can read it at every age and find something new each time.
About us
Lisa Song (left) & Jen Lu (right)
We are longtime friends who bonded over children’s books. Our reading material has evolved over the years, from Redwall in junior high and King Lear in high school to Chemical Principles: the Quest for Insight in college, yet we find ourselves returning again and again to the children’s section for a truly satisfying tale.
Today we work in science journalism (Lisa) and laboratory research (Jen), so this blog is a way to indulge in our hobby. We hope you enjoy your visit; if you have suggestions for books we should review, please let us know in the comment section below. You can also reach us at readsforkeeps AT gmail DOT com. Thanks!
Disclaimer: all review copies were borrowed from the library or purchased with our own funds unless otherwise noted.
Individual bios
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Jennifer Lu I wish I could take credit for my affection for children’s literature, but it’s really thanks to my mom, who checked out books off the Caldecott and Newbery lists for me when I was young, that I read at all. That, the lack of a gaming system or cable tv, and my knack for reading in the car without getting motion sickness. Off the top of my head, three children’s books that absorb my attention any time/just because are Number the Stars, The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm, and To Kill a Mockingbird. When I’m not at work, I like to travel (via literature or in the literal sense), dwaal (read The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm for reference), watch Doctor Who with Lisa, and once in a while, blog. |
Lisa Song I was one of those annoying kids who read ahead in English class and had to remind myself not to spoil the books for others. In college I studied environmental science before jumping to the Dark Side (journalism) after graduation. Now I work as a science writer, which means I get to tell stories about science without doing any of the hard work (ie laboratory research). For the most part I report on earth and environmental issues. I have the utmost admiration for novelists, who, unlike journalists, create everything from scratch instead of relying on facts for the bare bones of a tale. |
The header image
These stamps were issued in 2006 to commemorate favorite children’s book animals.
Images found here. Credit: United States Postal Service. © United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.
(With apologies to Maisy, Wilbur, Frederick and Fox in Socks…alas, we could not fit all 8 stamps into the header).
What a beautiful idea for a blog!
And launched just in time to answer a very pressing question: the NYT Book Review ran a rapturous review of A Tale Dark & Grimm recently (http://nyti.ms/grIWNn). What think you? Worth venturing into the kids’ section for this one?
Thanks!
A Tale Dark & Grimm is indeed fantastic. The narrator is great: funny but less condescending than Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events.
Beautiful blog. Good luck with it. I too love children’s books. One of my favorites is Dave at Night by Gail Carson Levine. Have you read it?