• WSJ Video:  Remedies for Getting Rid of Head Lice

    WSJ Video: Remedies for Getting Rid of Head Lice

    Thank you to Capability:Mom for sending me this video from The Wall Street Journal on Remedies for Getting Rid of Head Lice. I have my own take on lice after two stints and I have posted on it here.

  • Top 10 Starting School Books:  Kindergarten & Preschool

    Top 10 Starting School Books: Kindergarten & Preschool

    A transition to a new grade or school, not matter how small, is difficult for children. It’s helpful to visit the new school as often as possible. Play with kids that will be at the same school if you can. And read, read, read to your child books about starting school. The familiarity of routines and activities of the new school will take a lot of the anxiety away. So, while my youngest has been visiting his elementary school for 5 years so far, we’ll take it one step at a time and read these books over and over to ensure a smooth landing in September. And a few playdates with new friends is also on the books!

  • Getting Ready for Kindergarten Activities from Buxumusa & Mahoney

    Getting Ready for Kindergarten Activities from Buxumusa & Mahoney

    I found this great article from a mom on Twitter. I am getting my 5-year-old ready for kindergarten and I thought this is a great list of fun activities to work into the summer plans. The activities cover: fine motor, scissors, sensory, mid-line crossing, and developing handwriting skills. This article is by Loubina Buxamusa, an Occupational Therapist and Ann Mahoney, an Early Childhood Specialist.

  • How To: Detect & Get Rid of Lice

    How To: Detect & Get Rid of Lice

    How to detect and remove lice and nits. Two effective methods for killing lice: Robi Comb (an electronic zapper comb) and the Olive Oil Treatment. Pragmatic Mom does not recommend lice shampoo because it’s not 100% effective due to lice resistence, and has harmful chemicals.

  • Top 10:  Baseball Chapter Books (ages 7-16) UPDATED2

    Top 10: Baseball Chapter Books (ages 7-16) UPDATED2

    These books are from a Mom Blogger friend at CoffeeShopBloggers whose daughter is a sports fanatic and these were her favorite baseball books. These books are all appropriate for grades 3-5th. The “…and Me” novels, also known as, the Baseball Card Adventures are fun because the child in the story travels back in time to meet a baseball legend. I suspect that any little leaguer who might not love to read otherwise will enjoy these books!

  • Use My Library Summer Book List; It’s on Your Shelves!

    Use My Library Summer Book List; It’s on Your Shelves!

    If you don’t live in Newton, MA, use my list. It’s a great list. It also comes with great resources of websites to keep you learning, reading and having fun. Please see Capability Mom’s post on that! I have to hightail it to the library the next town over to get books for my kids!

  • Top 100:  Kids’ Favorite Books

    Top 100: Kids’ Favorite Books

    This list was compiled by kids and interesting because it’s not so different from the Teacher’s Choice list also compiled by the National Education Association. Great minds think alike! This list was tabulated from an online survey that the National Education Association ran from November 1, 1999 through February 1, 2000.

  • Top 10:  Things Autistic Children Wish You Knew (by Notbohm)

    Top 10: Things Autistic Children Wish You Knew (by Notbohm)

    I found this great summary by Autumn Rain Creations who summarized the 10 things by Ellen Notbohm called Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew and I just shortened it. But do go to her blog if you want more details. Or check out the book at the library.

  • 100 Best Children’s Books from Teachers First (ages 2-16)

    100 Best Children’s Books from Teachers First (ages 2-16)

    Here is a list of one hundred books selected by the National Education Association in 1999 as great reading for children and young people. To help make these books more useful, we have added book and author links to any TeachersFirst resources and lesson ideas.

  • Top 10: Ways to Teach Kids about Money

    Top 10: Ways to Teach Kids about Money

    This list (slightly paraphrased) is from Dr. Prakash Dheeriya, a professor of finance, who is the author of the Finance for Kidz series that teaches kids about money management, personal finance and planning for the future.

An Author’s Tips for Hooking Reluctant Readers (from Marcia Scheel)

This wonderful list of books is from author Maria Scheel. You can find her blog by clicking here.  Her full post can be found here.

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“I believe that all it takes to create a reader is the right book. Finding that tale is the trick.

So how do you pick books that will hook reluctant readers? Each child is different, with very particular tastes. Nevertheless, here are some key elements that engage child readers, along with some suggested titles:

HUMOR

Whether you hate or love Captain Underpants, you can’t deny that his humor captures readers – especially boys. Kids love to laugh, and if you can put funny books in their hands, they’ll keep gobbling ‘em up.

Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey

Time Warp Trio seriesby Jon Scieszka

Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery series by Deborah and James Howe

The Chet Gecko Mysteries by Bruce Hale

Mr. Chickee’s Funny Money by Christopher Paul Curtis

SYMPATHETIC CHARACTERS, ACCESSIBLE WRITING

Whatever genre the story falls into, it must have a main character that the reader claims as a friend. And just as important, the tale must be told in concise, vigorous writing. Reluctant readers don’t have the patience to slog through lengthy or convoluted prose.

Amber Brown series by Paula Danziger

Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee

The Hank Zipzer series by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver

Superfudge by Judy Blume

FANTASY

Kids love books that take a compelling “what if” (what if a treehouse was a time machine? what if a boy went to wizard school?) and spin out a story. Alternate worlds, magical happenings, extraterrestrials – all of these can capture the unmotivated reader’s imagination.

Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

The Bartimeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud

My Teacher Is an Alien by Bruce Coville

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

ACTION

With so much competition from movies, TV and videogames, books must move if they want to entice. Slow-paced stories are fine for more experienced readers, but reluctant readers need books that hit the ground running.

Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz

Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer

The Redwall books by Brian Jacques

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

THE PROMISE THAT SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN

This is why we all read, to see what happens next in the story. A book that builds suspense early on and maintains it will keep kids reading.

Animorphs series by K.A. Applegate

Holes by Louis Sachar

Matt Christopher Sports Series by Matt Christopher

Goosebumps by R.L. Stine

SERIES

Series are training-wheel books. They provide familiar characters in a familiar world that’s easier to lose yourself in with each new title. Series books build literacy skills and create new readers.

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

Judy Moody by Megan McDonald

Percy Jackson & The Olympians by Rick Riordan

The Magic Schoolbus series by Joanna Cole

STRONG VISUALS

Graphic novels, manga, and comic books, with their strong visual content, will hook plenty of reluctant readers – especially boys and ESL readers. These books can serve as a stepping-stone to longer fiction.

Usagi Yojimbo by Stan Sakai

Bone by Jeff Smith

Groo the Wanderer by Sergio Aragones

Babymouse by Jennifer and Matthew Holm

SEEING THEMSELVES

Some reluctant readers don’t want fantasy; they want the real world. If we take the time to give them books with multicultural characters they can identify with, those readers will respond.

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

Bucking the Sarge by Christopher Paul Curtis

Who Am I Without Him? Sharon Flake (YA)”

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To get a sense for age recommendations, please click on image of book to view at Amazon.  Age recommendations are usually below the book reviews.

Meets the NERDS: A new series Reluctant Readers (from FunKidsLive)

NERDS_43247_HiResThis is from FunKidsLive.  It looked like a great book series for reluctant boy readers.  NERDS (which stands for National Espionage, Rescue and Defense Society) is a new book series by Michael Buckley.

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Combining the excitement of international espionage and the awkwardness of primary school, NERDS, is a terrific new series from best-selling author Michael Buckley.

The series features five unpopular students who run a spy network from inside their school. And, with the help of cutting-edge science, these characters are pretty unique! There is the paste-eater who can stick to walls, the asthmatic who can blow up like a puffer fish and loads more characters that you will absolutely love!

.NERDS_43247_HiRes
NERDS:  National Espionage, Rescue and Defense Society

Working as a team, these geeky yet special students become the latest members of an elite organization whose origins are shrouded in mystery and have included such members as Benjamin Franklin, Harriet Tubman and Bill Gates.

The latest incarnation of NERDS must battle an array of James Bond–style villains, each with an evil plan more diabolical than the last.

NERDS 2_89863

This September, NERDS is back with the second book, NERDS:  M is for Mama’s Boy,  in the series  with more sinister villains, crazier schemes and the nerdiest group of superheroes around!

In this second outing for the junior school super spies, Duncan Dewey, codename “Gluestick”, leads the adventures. This time the group must fight a very unlikely villain – he still lives with his Mum. In other words, it’s the NERDS against a nerd!

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Click on image of book to view at Amazon.

Are Boys Behind Girls in Reading? Harvard School of Ed’s Perspective

Is our education system failing boys?  The Harvard School of Education’s take on this raging debate.  Putting the “Boy Crisis” in Context:  Finding solutions to boys’ reading problems may require looking beyond gender By MICHAEL SADOWSKI.

Click here for link.

The TakeAways for Me:

  • Hook reluctant readers by finding books that appeal to them!  Graphic novels, sports themed books or whatever!
  • Advocates for more “boy-friendly” education have been arguing for some time that schools should include more reading materials that boys tend to like, such as action-oriented stories and graphic novels, in an effort to motivate boys to read.
  • Nontraditional materials such as comic books and sports-themed materials can provide an important “hook” to get boys more involved in reading.

Some key paragraphs:

“Moreover, the state tests showed gaps between different racial and ethnic groups that were much wider than those by gender. The same state-level CEP reports that show gaps ranging from one to 16 percentage points between boys and girls reveal gaps in the 20-, 30-, even 40-point range between white and Asian American students on the one hand and African American, Latino, and Native American students on the other, says Naomi Chudowsky, coauthor of the CEP report: “Just to put this in perspective, a 10-point gap is still pretty significant, but we’re seeing much wider gaps between racial and ethnic groups.”

In addition, disparities in gender may play out differently in wealthy, middle-class, and lower-income communities. Kenneth Hilton studied the relationship between community wealth and boy-girl reading gaps while executive director of research and evaluation for the Rush-Henrietta (N.Y.) Central School District. Hilton, now superintendent of the Sullivan West Central (N.Y.) School District, found that on fourth-grade state reading tests, girls in both wealthy and middle-income or working-class school districts in New York State scored eight to nine percentage points higher in reading than boys. However, when these same cohorts of students reached eighth grade, the gap grew to 17 percentage points in the middle- and working-class districts, but stayed at nine points for the wealthiest districts.”

Most researchers agree that on average, boys develop the skills associated with reading and writing 12 to 24 months later than girls. Attending to the possible difficulties some boys (and girls) may have with reading early on is crucial, Snow says, to avoid what psychologist Keith Stanovich has called the “Matthew Effect,” in which strong readers move further and further ahead, while early deficits accumulate and lead to greater and greater difficulties later on.

Advocates for more “boy-friendly” education have been arguing for some time that schools should include more reading materials that boys tend to like, such as action-oriented stories and graphic novels, in an effort to motivate boys to read. William Pollack, author of the book Real Boys and clinical professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School, says action-oriented stories were removed from school curricula several decades ago in well-intended initiatives to remove violence from children’s reading. “Most of the books that were written for elementary school-aged children yoked action with violence,” Pollack says. “But in removing violence, we removed action.”

Nontraditional materials such as comic books and sports-themed materials can provide an important “hook” to get boys more involved in reading, Pollack says, and serve as a helpful bridge to more advanced types of reading later on. Snow, whose research focuses on language and literacy development, suggests that helping boys build this bridge is crucial for their learning trajectories, since the ability to read and interact with high-level materials is central to just about every subject children encounter in the upper grades and beyond.

Top 10: Apps to Make You Awesome in College (from BosInnovation.com)

From BostInnovation.com.  The post says:

“College kids, here are ten apps to help you be smarter and more efficient with your studies so there’s more time for dollar drafts, creating the next Facebook, three dollar tequila shots or whatever it is you do for fun.”

Their Top 10 (but click here for details):

  1. GoodReader – for viewing documents in an iPhone, iPad, iPod
  2. Evernote - for taking notes using an  iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, BlackBerry, Palm OS, Win Mobile
  3. DrinkingGamesFree – speaks for itself (hide from your parents) for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
  4. RememberTheMilk – to do lists for iPhone, iPod Touch, Android, BlackBerry, Win Mobile
  5. RateMyProfessors - to get the good classes using your iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
  6. TheElements.   A visual version of the periodic table.  Yes, you liberal arts majors  still have science requirements!  For iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad.
  7. Skype.  Phone home.  Works on iPhone, iPod Touch, Android, Symbian.
  8. iStudiezPro.  The secret to success is organization.  Learn it now.  Benefit forever.  For iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad.
  9. UniversityMaps.  For visiting friends at other colleges or for you Freshman.  Don’t get lost on campus.  For iPhone, iPod Touch
  10. EZRead.  Spark Notes on Phone, iPod Touch

RECALL: Magnetic Maze Boards from Lakeshore Learning

Name of Product: Magnetic maze boards

Units: About 18,500

Manufacturer: Lakeshore Learning Materials, of Carson, Calif.

Hazard: The magnetic maze board’s plastic wand can separate and expose a magnet that can be a choking hazard to children. Also, if a child has more than one of these toys and the magnets detach and are swallowed, the magnets can attract each other and cause intestinal perforations or blockages, which can be fatal.

Incidents/Injuries: Lakeshore has received ten reports of wands separating and magnets detaching. No injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall involves wooden magnetic maze boards. The wooden boards have a clear plastic sheet that covers small wooden or plastic pieces located inside a maze. A plastic wand containing a magnet in its tip is attached to the board by a cord. The wand is used to move items inside the maze. The top of the board reads: “Who’s Hiding in the Garden?,” “Who’s Hiding in the Ocean?,” “Magnetic Counting Maze,” “Magnetic Alphabet Board” or “My Community Magnetic Board.”

Sold by: Lakeshore Learning Materials stores nationwide, its catalogs and online at www.lakeshorelearning.com from January 2009 through May 2010 singly or in sets for between $30 and $40.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately take this toy away from children and contact Lakeshore to receive a free replacement product.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Lakeshore Learning Materials at (800) 428-4414 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the company’s website at www.lakeshorelearning.com

Top 100 YA Novels: From Persnickety Snark

  1. The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
  2. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, J.K. Rowling
  3. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
  4. Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson
  5. Northern Lights, Philip Pullman
  6. The Truth About Forever, Sarah Dessen
  7. The Book Thief, Markus Zusak
  8. The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton
  9. Twilight, Stephenie Meyer
  10. This Lullaby, Sarah Dessen
  11. Looking for Alaska, John Green
  12. Just Listen, Sarah Dessen
  13. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling
  14. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
  15. City of Bones, Cassandra Clare
  16. On the Jellicoe Road, Melina Marchetta
  17. The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger
  18. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, J.K. Rowling
  19. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky
  20. Along for the Ride, Sarah Dessen
  21. Shiver, Maggie Stiefvater
  22. Vampire Academy, Richelle Mead
  23. Graceling, Kristin Cashore
  24. Thirteen Reasons Why, Jay Asher
  25. Sloppy Firsts, Megan McCafferty
  26. The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien
  27. Alanna: The First Adventure, Tamora Pierce
  28. Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card
  29. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling
  30. Uglies, Scott Westerfeld
  31. A Great and Terrible Beauty, Libba Bray
  32. Tomorrow, When the War Began, John Marsden
  33. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, E. Lockhart
  34. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
  35. The Westing Game, Ellen Raskin
  36. Paper Towns, John Green
  37. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling
  38. Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins
  39. A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, Betty Smith
  40. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Sherman Alexie
  41. Lock and Key, Sarah Dessen
  42. The Amber Spyglass, Philip Pullman
  43. Evernight, Claudia Gray
  44. Sabriel, Garth Nix
  45. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K. Rowling
  46. Beautiful Creatures, Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl
  47. Forever, Judy Blume
  48. I Capture the Castle, Dodie Smith
  49. Ella Enchanted, Gail Carson Levine
  50. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot
  51. Stargirl, Jerry Spinelli
  52. Howl’s Moving Castle, Diana Wynne Jones
  53. The Dark is Rising, Susan Cooper
  54. Hush, Hush, Becca Fitzpatrick
  55. Saving Francesca, Melina Marchetta
  56. Second Helpings, Megan McCafferty
  57. Dreamland, Sarah Dessen
  58. Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer
  59. Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, Rachel Cohn, David Levithan
  60. Fire, Kristin Cashore
  61. The Chocolate War, Robert Cormier
  62. Weetzie Bat, Francesca Lia Block
  63. The Diary of a Young Girl, Anne Frank
  64. Looking for Alibrandi, Melina Marchetta
  65. How I Live Now, Meg Rosoff
  66. City of Glass, Cassandra Clare
  67. Keeping the Moon, Sarah Dessen
  68. Breaking Dawn, Stephenie Meyer
  69. Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging, Louise Rennison
  70. If I Stay, Gayle Forman
  71. The King of Attolia, Megan Whalen Turner
  72. Wintergirls, Laurie Halse Anderson
  73. Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast, Robin McKinley
  74. The Blue Sword, Robin McKinley
  75. Feed, M.T. Anderson
  76. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, Ann Brashares
  77. Go Ask Alice, Anonymous
  78. Wicked Lovely, Melissa Marr
  79. Lord of the Flies, William Golding
  80. Someone Like You, Sarah Dessen
  81. The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Carrie Ryan
  82. Jacob Have I Loved, Katherine Paterson
  83. The Knife of Never Letting Go, Patrick Ness
  84. Poison Study, Maria V. Snyder
  85. Shadow Kiss, Richelle Mead
  86. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Avi
  87. An Abundance of Katherines, John Green
  88. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Mark Haddon
  89. A Ring of Endless Light, Madeleine L’Engle
  90. Glass Houses, Rachel Caine
  91. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party, M.T. Anderson
  92. Walk Two Moons, Sharon Creech
  93. Whale Talk, Chris Crutcher
  94. Perfect Chemistry, Simone Elkeles
  95. Going Too Far, Jennifer Echols
  96. The Last Song, Nicholas Sparks
  97. Before I Fall, Lauren Oliver
  98. Hatchet, Gary Paulsen
  99. The Pigman, Paul Zindel
  100. The Hero and the Crown, Robin McKinley

At the conclusion of the Top 100 YA Novels poll for this year, I would like to share some information gathered from your votes.

  • Voting took place over five weeks at the end of April and throughout May.
  • 735 people shared their top ten choices of the best YA titles. The participants come from across the globe and many different careers. Students, librarians, teachers, editors and a myriad of other professions took the time to volunteer their thoughts on YA.
  • At least 80% of participants were female.
  • An overwhelming majority of voters identified themselves solely as readers.
  • Sarah Dessen accumalated the most points which is amazing considering she has not written a series. The only title of hers not to make the top 100 was That Summer, her first publication.
  • The top five authors represented on the list in terms of title rankings order were – Sarah Dessen, JK Rowling, Melina Marchetta, Stephenie Meyer and Cassandra Clare. Three represent the strong representation of paranormal series on the list while the other two represent contemporary works with strong female protagonists.
  • Despite having only a single title (The Princess Diaries), Meg Cabot was the author with the most titles voted for – 20.
  • The top five authors in terms of titles voted for were – Meg Cabot, Tamora Pierce, DianaWynne Jones, LJ Smith and Judy Blume.
  • The top five authors represented in terms of point accumalation were – Sarah Dessen, JK Rowling, Suzanne Collins, Stephenie Meyer and Philip Pullman.
  • As I am an Australian it is with pride that I point out that five titles were from my homeland.

How To: Cope after the Unbearable Loss of a Child

This sensitive post is from The Children’s Book Writer.  She has a great blog and I’m always finding interesting posts on a variety of topics.  I was talking to Capability:Mom the other day who has a friend whose two children both have had cancer.  One child’s cancer is in remission but the other child’s cancer is the bad kind.  The thought of a child dying brings overwhelming emotion to any parent.  But for those who have actually experience the unbearable loss of a child, Randy Gilbert, the guest author of her post,  suggests two helpful ideas:

  • Don’t try to rush the grief journey. Let it be in your own time. Everyone is different and grieves in his or her own way.
  • Find what works for you.

And when the family is ready to move forward, he gives these ideas:

Do something special to honor your lost child. Make it a monthly or yearly project. Get the other members of your family together and coordinate it. It can be anything that makes you feel closer to your child: scholarships, memory gardens, scrapbooks, gift baskets to your child’s friends. There are a number of things parents can do to keep their child’s memory alive.

You need to move forward. Find ways for you and your family to adjust to the loss.

  • Rearrange the seating at your dinner table so that the empty chair will not always be a reminder that a family member is missing. Do the same thing with the family car. Sit in a different place than you normally do.
  • Physical activity helps. Whether it is walking, biking, swimming, or just walking the mall, the activity helps you cope as each day passes.
  • Helping others is the best way to heal yourself. Get involved in a selfless project. The satisfaction and gratitude you receive from helping others will soothe you.
  • Attend a grieving organization meeting. They are located in almost every state. They lend support and walk beside you in grief because they have lost children also.

Dr. Proactive, Randy Gilbert enjoys producing the “Inside Parenting Success” show hosted by Jodie Lynn. She presents her insightful interview with Frank and Cathy James (TheJourneyIsMore.com) based upon the techniques from their book. You can hear the entire inspirational interview for free by going to: http://www.insidesuccessradio.com/Guests/Cathy-James

For the entire post, please click here.

Best Picture Books: Booktrust Early Years Award Shortlist

Are you thinking what I’m thinking, “Who knew that there were so many obscure children’s book awards?!”  I know, huh?  But, if you are the type of person who likes to bypass the duds, then these book awards help to weed out the bad and the mediocre.  This might be a good list for holiday presents for nieces, nephews, cousins and grandkids … not that well known so that it will already be in the family library but a quality book that the parents will appreciate.

The Booktrust Early Years award shortlist was announced late last week. For full details, check out the Booktrust site.  Which book gets your vote?

The Best Book for babies under one-year-old

Goodnight Buster by Rod Campbell


Happy Snappy (Mr Croc) by Jo Lodge


Hop a Little, Jump a Little by Annie Kubler


I Love My Mummy by Giles Andreae


That’s Not My Tiger by Fiona Watt


Who’s in the Garden? by Phillis Gershator

The Best Picture Book for children up to five-years-old

Ernest by Catherine Rayner


The Fox in the Dark by Alison Green


Jeremiah Jellyfish Flies High by John Fardell


The Night Iceberg by Helen Stephens


One Smart Fish by Chris Wormell


Sing a Song of Bottoms by Jeanne Willis



Best Emerging Illustrator for children up to five-years-old

Birdsong by Ellie Sandall


The Django by Levi Pinfold


Dogs Don’t Do Ballet by Anna Kemp


Jack Frost by Kazuno Kohara


Jeremiah Jellyfish Flies High by John Fardell


The Talent Show by Jo Hodgkinson

To take a closer look at any book through Amazon, please click on the image of the book.

Top 7: Habits of Highly Effective Special Needs Parents (that we can all learn from)

From NewsDX Blog.  Click here for full post.  Author Joan Celebi originally founded SpecialNeedsParentCoach.com in her capacity as a certified life coach for parents of children with special needs. Her goal is to give you the practical strategies you need for successfully navigating life as a parent of a child with special needs and helps you create a manageable, balanced, and joyful life, for both you and your family. Visit Joan at http://www.specialneedsparentcoach.com.

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I’ve seen it time and again: the more you practice these 7 Habits, the more productive and efficient you become, the more you’re able to handle whatever comes your way, and the more things fall into place in your life.  Many of these habits are about taking excellent care of yourself, so you can continue to take excellent care of your children and family.

It’s well known that when parents lead low-stress, balanced lives, children do better socially, emotionally, and academically.  Try some of these 7 Habits, starting today – you’ll be amazed at what a huge difference they’ll make – for you, your children, and your family.

1. They make rest a priority.
Highly effective special needs parents are in bed by 10 pm or even earlier most nights, even if it means leaving something unfinished. Parents whose children have irregular sleep patterns take naps whenever possible to make up for the late nights and pre-dawn awakenings.

2. They make time for eating well.
Highly effective special needs parents don’t skip meals – and they eat delicious, nutritious food. They get the whole family involved in weekly or monthly meal planning. They also tend to stay hydrated by sipping water throughout the day.

3. They find support.
Highly effective special needs parents get help with even the smallest things, as often as they can, from anyone and anywhere they can: family, friends, neighbors, agencies, organizations, and their community.  They hire help when necessary, and find creative solutions for bartering help with family and friends.  They belong to support groups for their children’s special needs and disabilities, and they’re in close contact with other special needs families in their area.

4. They guard their time carefully.
Highly effective special needs parents know they have to be careful about how many activities they sign up for, and the activities they do choose to participate in are only those that are nearest and dearest to their hearts.  They save most of their free time for whatever truly matters to them most.

5. They schedule social time on the calendar.
Highly effective special needs parents regularly go out with friends, and also with their spouse or partner.  They take the time and effort to train sitters, relatives, or friends on how to care for their children, so their social time can be as fun and worry-free as possible.  They take advantage of respite services in their area when they need a break.  They schedule social time weeks or months in advance, and then do whatever’s necessary to make it happen.

6. They nurture their own needs and interests.
Highly effective special needs parents reserve time for exercise – walking, biking, hiking, stretching, exercise videos, even gym workouts.  Many exercise with friends.  They engage in creative pursuits and hobbies that can be fit into small moments here and there throughout the week.  And they make time for intellectual activities too, like reading or taking a class for personal growth and enrichment.

7. They intentionally practice stress-reducing techniques.
While all of the above habits are excellent for reducing stress, highly effective special needs parents take stress reduction a step further by practicing deep breathing, meditation, or anything that helps them build up their inner reserves and cultivate inner calm.  Highly effective special needs parents also reserve time each day to put aside the therapy goals and the discipline issues, and relax with their children, enjoying them just the way they are.

Jennifer Aniston Gets Rid of Lice with RobiComb

I’m impressed that Jennifer Aniston knows about the RobiComb, an electronic lice comb that zaps lice dead.  My Mom Friend that runs a preschool told me about it and it’s great to have in your arsenal against lice.  For more on How To:  Detect and Get Rid of Lice, please click here.  For the Wall Street Journal video on lice, please click here.

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From Boston.com.  For the full article, please click here.

“Aniston’s costar in “The Switch” is Jason Bateman, and at one point in the movie, Bateman’s character is shown choosing LiceGuard SAFE Lice Egg Remover Shampoo to treat his child. That’s good news for ARR Health Technologies, the Needham company that owns the LiceGuard Brands. (Bateman and Aniston are shown above in a publicity photo for the movie.)

LiceGuard has a nontoxic line of lice treatment products, including the RobiComb electronic lice comb, a company press release noted.

“Jennifer Aniston is very aware of current children’s health issues and expressed her desire to feature a healthy and safe lice treatment product for this particular segment of the film to the production staff,” the ARR Health Technologies release said.”

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