Klem-Mari Cajigas

In a former life, Klem-Marí was a Religious Studies scholar. She much prefers being the Family Literacy Coordinator for Bringing Books to Life! She wants you to read and share books with the children in your life, and for those children to see you to read as well. Originally from Puerto Rico, Klem-Marí also enjoys her cat, baking, yoga, and the works of Octavia Butler.

Latest Blog Posts

Children reading books that partially obscure their faces.

Writing books for adults and writing books for children are two very different things.  Yet some writers for adults have also written for kids! Learn about picture book titles written by some of the titans of literature. 

 

 

Cover of picture book "The Ferris Wheel." Image has large goldfish floating in foreground above a ferris wheel set off in a rectangular stone arch. There are queues of people flanking each side of stone arch framing the ferris wheel. On the left hand side, there is boy with his mother. He is wearing a yellow raincoat. On the right hand side a girl is accompanied by her father. She wears red, and he carries a blue suitcase.

In the Turkish import The Ferris Wheel, the stories of a boy and a girl living in different parts of the world intertwine in an exceedingly moving and timely picture book. 

Image contains a Santa in a red suit, white beard, and cap waving

In the now 200 years since it was first published, "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" has become a beloved staple of many a holiday celebration. You and your family can experience this classic poem in picture books, in oh so many ways! 

Book Cover of "Let's Play Gonggi." Image contains two children, a boy and a girl, playing with plastic game pieces; boy uses game pieces to simulate goggles.

Many of us adults now look back on our decidedly low-tech childhood pastimes with fondness. Tap into this nostalgia with  Let's Play Gonggi, a picture book from Korea! 

 

 

The Fourth of July is a fitting day to reflect upon our country's history. These picture books help tell a honest, nuanced, and sensitive story of what the Fourth of July means to different people. 

Cover image of Just a Girl: A True Story of World War II. Contains a girl dressed in red coat and hat, carrying a small brown suitcase. She is holding the hand of an unseen adult. The girl is reflected in the water puddle on the cobblestone streets. There are also three war planes reflected in the puddle.

This year's Mildred L. Batchelder Award, given to an outstanding children's book translated into English, is the wonderful Italian middle grades memoir Just a Girl: A True Story of World War II. Sensitive and age appropriate, this standout book is an ideal shared read aloud for older children.

Book cover of When Dad Was Away by Liz Weir. Cover includes redheaded girl reading a book with a green cover against a yellow background.

December is a time of holiday celebrations for many families. For families with a parent currently incarcerated, however, the reality is very different. Picture books about incarceration can help children and parents talk about a complex topic that affects millions of children and families in the United States.

Book cover illustration which includes three Wampanoag figures and a fox

Many of us are gearing up to celebrate Thanksgiving at the end of the month. But how do teach what is actually a complicated story of conflict and colonization? Learn about books from our collection and online resources that can help us teach a more accurate history.