For someone who didn’t care much for pencils, books and teachers’ dirty looks growing up, I’m not exactly sure how I birthed a school-loving bookworm. Not only does my second grader enjoy attending school, she also loves reading books about kids and their adventures in the halls of higher learning. That said, I suppose I shouldn’t be the least bit surprised that my 7-year-old is addicted to Dan Gutman’s silly series, My Weirder School. The collection of creative craziness features characters that will crack you up and leave you wanting more. In this case, you’re in luck because Gutman shows … Continue reading →

My 7-year-old loves following the tales of flighty Amelia Bedelia (the young version), as much as she does making new friends. It’s true; my daughter has the uncanny ability to morph from bookworm to social butterfly instantly, which is why I knew she would be transformed after reading Amelia Bedelia Makes a Friend. The I Can Read Level 1 book is perfect for beginners. Author Herman Parish’s choice of words is age appropriate and they’re printed in a way that is easy for young readers to consume. In addition, illustrator Lynne Avril’s colorful and playful pictures practically pop out of … Continue reading →

A few weeks ago our washing machine died after suffering a long and agonizing battle with a litany of ailments. As luck would have it, dealing with the death of the washer paled in comparison to coordinating the delivery of a new machine with a well-known big-box appliance retailer. “I’m about to pull out all my hair,” I exclaimed after hanging up the phone with what had to be the most unprofessional customer representative outside of the commercial aviation industry. “Oh Mommy,” my 7-year-old daughter responded a bit sheepishly. “I don’t think you will look good bald.” She’s right. Actually, … Continue reading →

If you give a dog a donut… you might end up with a nasty stain on your carpet. But in the wonderful world of children’s books, if you give a pooch a pastry with a hole in the middle, you get hours of reading fun. If You Give a Dog a Donut is lucky 13 for the famed writing/illustrating team of Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond. The duo is the mastermind behind the uber-popular and irresistibly delicious If You Give… series, which my 7-year-old daughter devours every chance she gets. In fact, we own the entire collection of If You … Continue reading →

We love them in pies, bread, muffins, and Starbucks has found a way to pair them with spice in a latte that is heaven in a cup. They are the great gourds of the season: pumpkins, pumpkins—-everywhere. Even in children’s books. Or, especially in children’s books. Fall is prime time for the giant orange orbs and there is no better way to get your kids excited about the versatile fruit than by digging into a plethora of eye-popping pumpkin-themed picture books. One of my daughter’s favorites is Pumpkin Cat by famed author/illustrator Anne Mortimer. The delightful seasonal tale details the … Continue reading →

Forget about drummers drumming, pipers piping, maids a milking and turtle doves. It’s Halloween, so bring on the marching mutants, dancing demons and singing skulls. All the dastardly icons of the candy-collecting holiday are on display for your viewing pleasure in debut author-illustrator Guy Vasilovich’s vibrant picture book, The 13 Nights of Halloween. The entire tale is can be sung to the tune of “The 12 Days of Christmas,” but that’s where the similarities end. There is no true love gifting foreign birds and golden rings in this book. Rather, Vasilovich counts down to Halloween by having a mummy present … Continue reading →

Knock, knock! Who’s there? Goblin! Goblin who? Goblin too much candy can give you a tummy ache. Knock, knock! Who’s there? Zombie! Zombie who? Zombie afraid, it’s just a costume. Knock, knock! Who’s there? Tomb! Tomb who? Tomb many hilarious Halloween jokes to miss out on! “Thank you. I’ll be here all week.” Or so says my 7-year-old, who has finally learned how to tell a knock-knock joke so it works. The milestones keep coming. No more: Her: Knock, knock! Me: Who’s there? Her: Telephone! Me: Telephone who? Her: Telephone… um… telephone in the closet. I’ll get it! Thanks to … Continue reading →

If your child is starting school there are some great books that will help him to prepare for this big event in his life. You may have a child who is excited or you may have a child who is a little fearful. This may be your child’s first year of school or it could be their third year. For some children every year is difficult for them until they get the hang of the routine. After all, they have had the summer off with a completely different schedule. They have not had homework either. Bedtime did not come with … Continue reading →

Missy Chase Lapine has given parents 272 pages of good advice in her book, The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids’ Favorite Meals. We all want our children to eat healthier and cringe when they balk that they do not like their vegetables. We cannot force our kids to eat what they should. We cannot bribe or punish them either. It just does not work like that. They either have to want to eat what we make or make what they want to eat with a few extra ingredients added to it. Ms. Lapine shows us … Continue reading →