The Birds and Bees Talk – UPDATED4
Here’s a great book suggestion for the Sex Talk with your child plus some anecdotes.
Best Books for Kids: Classic Children’s Books Still Beloved Now
Maurice Sendak has left the house but it’s comforting to know that his work will live on forever, and thus, he will be beloved forever. There is a great piece in the New York Times:
Maurice Sendak, widely considered the most important children’s book artist of the 20th century, who wrenched the picture book out of the safe, sanitized world of the nursery and plunged it into the dark, terrifying and hauntingly beautiful recesses of the human psyche, died on Tuesday in Danbury, Conn. He was 83.
I personally love to share classic books of my childhood with my children. Nothing delights me more than when a book that I loved as a child becomes a favorite of my kids. It makes me wonder why some classic books don’t survive the test of time, while some do. And it’s also fun to see how new books become “classics-in-the-making.”
As I look over this list of my favorite old-fashioned books from my childhood — a stack of books that every grandchild, should I ever be lucky enough to have any will receive — I put in my 2 cents as to why these books continue to resonate with kids today. What books did I miss? And why do you think these books and others still endure?
And a farewell to Maurice Sendak, but we will always remember you and celebrate your work! Thank you for creating childhood memories!
10. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
In the forty years since Max first cried “Let the wild rumpus start,” Maurice Sendak’s classic picture book has become one of the most highly acclaimed and best-loved children’s books of all time. Now, in celebration of this special anniversary, introduce a new generation to Max’s imaginative journey to Where the Wild Things Are.
I think every child can relate to getting into trouble and being sent on a time out but not every child possesses the imagination to turn punishment into delight, and so Maurice Sendak gives every child the ability to see the cup as half full. My favorite part in the whole world is when Max returns to find his dinner waiting … and it was still hot.
9. Madeleine by Ludwig Bemelmans
A Caldecott Honor Book Nothing frightens Madeline–not tigers, not mice, not even getting sick. To Madeline, a trip to the hospital is a grand adventure. A true classic, Madeline continues to enchant readers more than sixty years after its first publication.
Being the smallest and the bravest is what my kids relate to as two of my children are small for their age. It took a long time for me to realize that Madeline is in an orphanage because hers seemed like a kind of exclusive school that took daily field trips.
8. Curious George by H. A. Rey
“This is George. He lived in Africa. he was a good little monkey, and always very curious.”
With these words, H.A. and Margret Rey introduced the world to Curious George, and the world has loved him ever since. The tales of this cheerful and resilient little hero have kept generations of readers enthralled and entertained. This lavish 70th Anniversary edition includes an introduction by Leonard S. Marcus, Publisher’s Perspective by Anita Silvey, retrospective essay by Dee Jones with photographic album of Margaret and H. A. Rey, and the seven original tales of Curious George: Curious George, Curious George Gets a Medal, Curious George Flies a Kite, Curious George Rides a Bike, Curious George Goes to the Hospital, Curious George Takes a Job, and Curious George Learns the Alphabet. This volume also includes two audio CDs with recordings of the seven stories–more than one hour of storytelling!
The Complete Adventures of Curious George will be treasured by George’s many fans, young and old.
When my son broke his arm and required surgery to place three pins near his growth plate, we spent the night at Mass General Hospital together. Even though Curious George Goes to the Hospital was written decades ago, and George had a different ailment, it was amazing how similar our experiences were! George’s indefatigable curiosity that gets him constantly in trouble is, I think, a safe way for kids to explore their own inner naughty child from the safety of an anthropomorphic monkey.
7. Frog and Toad series by Arnold Lobel
Frog and Toad are always there for each other — just as best friends should be. From sledding in winter to eating ice cream on hot summer days, these two friends have fun together the whole year round!
There is just something so comforting about Frog and Toad’s opposites attract friendship. No matter what happens to Toad, you know that it will come out alright in the end. I think the simplicity of their friendship mirrors friendships that kids have in preschool and early childhood, before things get complicated.
6. The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
“Unless someone like you…cares a whole awful lot…nothing is going to get better…It’s not.”
Long before saving the earth became a global concern, Dr. Seuss, speaking through his character the Lorax, warned against mindless progress and the danger it posed to the earth’s natural beauty.
“The big, colorful pictures and the fun images, word plays and rhymes make this an amusing exposition of the ecology crisis.”—School Library Journal.
My youngest really took to this book which we read as an iPad ebook. I’m glad because his message is more important than ever.
5. All of a Kind Family by Sydney Taylor
Meet the All-of-a-Kind Family — Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte, and Gertie — who live with their parents in New York City at the turn of the century.
Together they share adventures that find them searching for hidden buttons while dusting Mama’s front parlor and visiting with the peddlers in Papa’s shop on rainy days. The girls enjoy doing everything together, especially when it involves holidays and surprises.
But no one could have prepared them for the biggest surprise of all!
No one really writes chapter books like this series anymore. It’s practically plotless with short stories that depict the day in the life of a Jewish family living in the lower Eastside of New York City at the turn of the century. The stories are short and non sequential which makes it a perfect bedtime story book. My girls loved learning how much a penny buys back then! The American Girl doll Rebecca Rubin is based on this chapter book series.
4. Swimmy by Leo Lionni
Deep in the sea there lives a happy school of little fish. Their watery world is full of wonders, but there is also danger, and the little fish are afraid to come out of hiding . . . until Swimmy comes along. Swimmy shows his friends how—with ingenuity and team work—they can overcome any danger. With its graceful text and stunning artwork, this Caldecott Honor Book deserves a place on every child’s shelf.
Lionni isn’t afraid to stand out and his stories all have a quirky unpredictability that I really like. In the opening pages of Swimmy, we learn that he’s different from his brothers and sisters because he’s dark when they are red. He’s a fast swimmer too. Good thing, because a big fish comes and eats everyone. Only Swimmy escapes. Despite his traumatized condition, he is able to appreciate the wonders of the ocean world. When he meets another school similar to his own, he join them. Being different never seems to be an issue which is so different from most picture books which go on and on and really belabor that point. Instead, it’s brain versus brawn. Swimmy hatches a plan to keep them all safe.
3. Be Nice to Spiders! by Margaret Bloy Graham
When Billy left his pet spider, Helen, at the Zoo, the animals suddenly became happy and contented. The lions snoozed all day long, the elephants enjoyed their baths, and the zebras ate their hay in peace — all because Helen was spinning webs and catching flies.
But one day Helen’s webs were swept away. The Keeper had the cages cleaned for the Mayor’s inspection tour. Soon the flies were back again and the animals were miserable once more. But not for long…
Children will be fascinated and amused by the way Helen solved the problem and won a permanent place of honor for herself in the Zoo.
Margaret Bloy Graham’s pictures match the wit and charm of her delightful story.
We catch the spiders in our house and set them outside despite my oldest, Music Lovers, fear of creepy crawlies. I just think it’s good karma not to kill unnecessarily and this story helps to illustrate my point in a way a child can relate to. Spiders are good!
2. Frances books by Russel and Lillian Hoban
In honor of Frances’s 50th anniversary, this box includes three of the most beloved Frances titles—Bread and Jam for Frances, Best Friends for Frances, and A Bargain for Frances—now in I Can Read editions!
I don’t think there are many other picture book authors that depict sibling and frenemy relationships so accurately and humorously. Husband and wife team Russel and Lillian Hoban have a knack for making the ups and downs of childhood into scenarios that still ring true whether it’s ten years or ten thousand years from when they first wrote these books.
1. Little Bear series by Else Homelund Minarik , illustrated by Maurice Sendak
To celebrate Little Bear’s thirty-fifth anniversary, three paperback editions in the series—Little Bear, Father Bear Comes Home, and Little Bear’s Visit—have been slip cased in a boxed gift set for a whole new generation of children.
There is a sweetness and innocence of a bygone era that I think makes this series endure. It helps too, that Maurice Sendak is the illustrator.
To view any book more closely at Amazon, please click on image of book.
May 17, 2012 | 0 comments
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Who Me? Sleepless Over Sleep Away Camp?
My mom friend Penny joked that people spend thousands of dollars on summer sleepaway camp consultants who find the perfect match for your child. Besides this large expenditure, there should be visits to prospective camps while in session and perhaps even a follow up visit to the winner of the bake off competition. Actually, it’s true. Most moms in our town do hire consultants and visit camps a year ahead of time. It’s like a warm up for the college application process.
And yet, I am sending her daughter with my daughter to a YMCA sleepaway camp that none of us have ever set foot on. PickyKidPix, it turns out, convinced her daughter that this is the perfect camp for them to go together, and then got her to swear a blood oath not to back out. My Mom Friend Penny was fine with camp assuming that I did extensive research as I am prone to doing. So I complete shocked her with my lax attitude. That is so uncharacteristic of me, she chides me.
In my defense, as the mother of PickyKidPix, I realized a long time ago that you really don’t make life decisions for this kind of child, rather you facilitate the process once you get your marching orders. PickyKidPix did her own sleepaway camp research by interrogating her friends. Once she found the camp she liked, she told me that she intended to go there next summer and to please sign her up. She even dictated which session she wanted.
She did the same thing with choosing her orthodontist. I made three appointments. The first one wanted to pull permanent teeth. The second one was giving 50-50 odds about pulling the teeth. The third one was convinced he could straighten her teeth without any extractions. She’s just like Goldilocks and she wants to keep her teeth. All of them. She chose door number 3 despite the fact he is past retirement age and we are still waiting for said permanent teeth to come in.
I did do some undercover work about PickyKidPix‘s summer camp by asking around but things checked out. Everyone’s friend’s cousin twice removed seemed to be deliriously happy from their camp experience there. It’s a YMCA camp but not the cult-like YMCA camp on the other side of the state that my other daughter, Music Lovers, is going to; again, sight unseen. The mom friends at this camp rave so much that I am already suspicious of the Kool Aid that I will be forced to drink while sleeping in a tent for a torturous Moms’ Weekend. (More on that later. I believe Mom’s weekend is in August.)
Don’t get me wrong. It’s not like I didn’t spend hours researching creative arts sleep away camps. And I do, in fact, have a six inch pile of camp brochures with CDs in my kitchen. And I am still getting phone calls and a barrage of emails from camps. It’s just that I researched sleepaway camps on the Eastern Seaboard for creative arts, specifically for fine art, for Music Lovers.
“Glass art, you say? Would that be stained glass or hot glass? Do you have a studio for blowing hot glass?” Yep, I was thorough.
All this camp research was for naught because Music Lovers decided that she just wanted to go to camp with her friends. Again, she told me which camp and which session to sign her up for. It was really unfortunate that her friends ended up not being able to go but she seems resolute to go alone. She told me she was not worried and that she will just make new friends. And she will. She is good like that.
In truth, had my children not had such strong convictions of where they wanted to attend camp, I might have gone the route of the camp advisor. And I would have visited camps near and far. But I am learning to take a gift horse in the mouth. And I know that these two camps will both be a fine experience.
And so my girls go off to YMCA sleepaway camp this summer with nary a visit nor a dime spent on advisory services. And I am good with it. I hope the college selection process will be as easy.
p.s. Here are some great resources to research summer sleepaway camp. See? I did my homework after all!
p.p.s. I also talked to a mom friend who attended the Cult Like YMCA camp as a child and whose three children have had the same magical experience that she did. Also, my neighbor’s son who will be a counselor-in-training tells me it’s the best experience of his life.
p.p.p.s. And, as it turns out, getting to be a counselor-in-training at these particular camps is more difficult that getting into most Ivy League colleges from an applicant to acceptance ratio. So, it’s not such a bad warm up for college after all!
May 16, 2012 | 6 comments
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Meet Author Trudy Ludwig for Advice on Bullying
Pull up a chair, click on a book, and read why more educators, parents, librarians, organizations and experts are recommending My Secret Bully, Just Kidding, Sorry!, Trouble Talk®, Too Perfect, Confessions of a Former Bully, and Better Than You as invaluable tools to supplement their life skills/character education/anti-bullying curricula.
Please join me on a Live Chat with author Trudy Ludwig, Thursday, May 17, 9 pm EST.
Confessions of a Former Bully by Trudy Ludwig
After Katie gets caught teasing a schoolmate, she’s told to meet with Mrs. Petrowski, the school counselor, so she can make right her wrong and learn to be a better friend. Bothered at first, it doesn’t take long before Katie realizes that bullying has hurt not only the people around her, but her, too. Told from the unusual point of view of the bullier rather than the bullied, Confessions of a Former Bully provides kids with real life tools they can use to identify and stop relational aggression.
Ten-year-old Katie finds herself where no child wants to be, in the principal’s office with both her parents. Caught bullying a friend on the school playground, she must meet with the school counselor once a week and figure out how to atone for her actions. As Katie learns more about herself and her options, she keeps a diary-like notebook of reflections and advice as well as facts about physical, emotional, and cyberbullying; why people bully others; and what tools kids can use when they experience or witness bullying. In a style similar to Marissa Moss’ Amelia’s Notebook series, Katie’s notebook features childlike drawings, and cartoons with digital-collage elements combine with boxed facts and quotes to brighten the pages. Although the story may be a vehicle for information, the many children looking for advice on bullying will find this journal more thought-provoking, practical, and readable than many nonfiction books on the subject. Grades 3-5. –Carolyn Phelan from Booklist
To view any book at Amazon, please click on image of book.
May 15, 2012 | 2 comments
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Best Summer Math Supplementation Work Books and More
Yes I am that kind of mom that believes in summer math. Math is a learned skill not a gift of genetics. It’s like a shark; either you are moving forwards or you die. Ok, you don’t actually die but you start to forget and when September rolls around, you’ve gone backwards from where you were in June.
Is it a terrible thing to need review in September? My argument for summer math is that you want your child to feel confident in math so starting the year with sharpened skills that perhaps are ahead of the curve is good place to be.
I am especially passionate about girls believing that they excel at math. Even if they hate math. I tell my daughters frequently, “You can say that you hate math, but you can’t say that you are bad at math. Because if you think you are bad at math, guess what? We’re doing more math.”
So my kids will work on one work book each summer because I am a work book kind of person. I like clear goals and covering a complete curriculum. I bribe heavily to get my kids to comply. What seems to work best for us is small frequent rewards with a final large kicker, usually a consumer electronic.
Our weekly reward is $5 to spend on anything in exchange for 3 weeks of math problems. For Daily Word Problems, this is 15 problems. My kids can do 3 weeks in one sitting which is nice for the summer because we do one sitting every three weeks.
Timing is everything. I don’t try to compete during the day. I strike at bedtime, preferably on a Friday or Saturday night when they can sleep in.
“Do you want to go to bed, or work on math?” I ask my kids. “You can stay up an extra half hour if you want to do math.” What do you know? They all want to pile in my bed to work on math! Funny how that works! But it does work!
For completing their book, I give a big prize. Usually a consumer electronic. Yeah, I know. Pricey. I justify it by calculating the money I save by not hiring a math tutor or paying for math classes. We do the math work book for the grade they will be entering in the fall.
Do your kids do summer math? What do you do and how do you get your kids to work on academics during the summer?
p.s. I have math app reviews here, here, and here. These are also great to slip in some math during the summer.
Heavy Duty Summer Math
My 4th grader will be doing the 5th grade book and my 1st grader has already started on the 2nd grade math book from last summer. Word problems are great for logical reasoning and for translating math concepts from words. There isn’t enough word problem practice in the early elementary school Everyday Math Curriculum when the number operations are just adding and subtracting so these books help give an intuitive feel for math and words.
By 3rd grade, word problems are on the standardized tests with many more math operations and it gets more difficult with kids having to “memorize” terms to translate rather than have an intuitive feel for what the problem is asking.
My oldest has done one practice book each summer and while she hates math, she finds 4 step word problems in 5th and 6th grade to be easy, and even sort of fun.
Daily Word Problems: Student Practice Books.
Singapore Math
I think this is the best math curriculum around. We use this during the school year to clarify a concept if my kids are confused. I don’t use it for the summer because I like the challenge of word problems which this curriculum is not as strong in though there are a separate word problem workbooks.
For preschool, 1 year before kindergarten. Earlybird Kindergarten1A and 1B.
For incoming Kindergarten. Earlybird Kindergarten 2A and 2B.
For incoming 1st grade, Primary Mathematics 1A and 1B.
For incoming 2nd grade, Primary Mathematics Textbook 2A and 2B.
For incoming grade 3.
For incoming grade 4. (It says on the book that this is for grade 5, but it correlates to grade 4 at my school).
For incoming grade 5.
For my 6th grader, we are using Life of Fred, a home schooling series of textbooks that weave a story around math concepts. I like how it’s very visual and easy to understand.
My daughter chose this book, Decimals and Percents,to complete this summer which is like a semester’s worth of material. It’s a thin textbook. It pairs with Fractions.
I noticed that there is a new elementary book as well.
Online programs like IXL Math or Ten Marks provide tutoring as well as math practice.
There are also math classes like Russian Math, Mathnasium or Kumon that might be in your town. I decribe on the ones in my town here.
Math Lite
Math and Science Apps are a great way to focus on one concept. I have math, science, and literacy apps here.
2nd/3rd Grade Math Apps from My Mom Friend Liz
Best Really Fun or Like a Tutor Math Apps
Math Picture Books
I really love using picture books to teach math concepts. Our latest favorite is the Sir Cumference series.
Assisted by his knight, Sir Cumference, and using ideas offered by his wife and son, King Arthur finds the perfect shape for his table.
When Sir Cumference drinks a potion which turns him into a dragon, his son Radius searches for the magic number known as pi, which will restore him to his former shape.
Sir Cumference and Lady Di planned a surprise birthday party for King Arthur, but they didnt expect so many guests to show up. How many lunches will they need? And with more guests arriving by the minute, what about dinner? Sir Cumference and Lady Di have to figure out a quick way to count the guests to bring order to the party. Sir Cumference and his friends have been entertaining young and old alike for years as they introduce important math concepts with clarity and humor.
Radius is on a quest to earn his knighthood! With only a circular medallion, a mysterious poem, and his own wits to guide him, he must find and rescue a missing king.
Xaxon Yellowbearyd was the fiercest Viking warrior of his time. Now a map to his hidden treasure lies in Radius’s and Per’s hands. Together the cousins must decode the strange numbered grid on the map-and figure out the secret of the Viking’s X and Y axes. As bungling bandits pursue them, Radius and Per use coordinate geometry in their quest for “treasure of the greatest measure”.
In an adventurous title that teaches math skills, such as finding the area and perimeter of a rectangle and a circle, young Per must figure out how to unlock the secrets of the mysterious island of Immeter.
King Arthur has issued a challenge. The first knight to find the sword Edgecalibur will be the next king. Sir Cumference, Lady Di of Ameter, and their son, Radius, race to help their friend, Vertex, find the sword.
Math That Is Pure Fun
Admittedly, this is not my strength, but I have been collecting great fun math ideas on my Pinterest board, Math Made Fun for Kids. I also have fun and free web math games on the footer of my home page.
To view any book or math textbook at Amazon, please click on image of book.
May 15, 2012 | 10 comments
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What Do You Call a Cottonelle Clean? Clean Tushies!
Have you ever stayed at a really nice 5 star hotel only to be disappointed by your bathroom? Usually the bathrooms are really plush, right? Gorgeous with marble or granite. Deep, comfortable tub. Phone in the toilet room. Perhaps even a bidet?
And in the pubic bathroom at the same hotel, there are even those cloth-like paper towels that are disposable but seem too nice to throw away.
But, have you ever noticed the toilet paper? Invariably, the toilet paper is either so thin that you can barely unroll the roll without having it break on you and you do need more than usual because it’s so thin OR the toilet paper feels as rough as sandpaper.
Why is that? Why do really nice hotels skimp on toilet paper? It drives me nuts.
At our home, we are really into soft and cushiony toilet paper. It might have started from the hemorrhoids that I suffered from my first pregnancy. 15 hours of labor did not help either! My bottom was so sore that I spent the first few weeks lying down; sitting upright was just too painful. I was only able to wipe with moistened wipes soaked in witch hazel. My bottom hurts just thinking about it!
Thankfully, the hemorrhoids passed after a few weeks, but there was something very nice about a flushable wipe for getting a clean and fresh feeling. We always kept flushable wipes handy in our bathrooms, careful to stock the same brand so that the refills would fit the old plastic container.
When our kids were potty training, flushable wipes were again a necessity. I think toilet paper was too abrasive for them since their bottoms were used to wipes. It was also easier for them to wipe with a flushable wipe to actually get clean.
That fresh feeling from a wipe is an easy addiction. My husband started reminding me to replenish when we ran low because he liked them too.
We tried a number of brands in a Goldilocks like of way. Some were too wet such that they were almost slippery in feel. Some were too thin causing the user to require multiple wipes which seemed wasteful. We thought Cottonelle Fresh Care Flushable Wipes were just right. Not too thin or too wet. And just the right thickness and size.
It’s a small indulgence but it makes our bathroom experience feel like a luxurious one. It’s too bad that 5 star hotels and fancy restaurants don’t adopt this in their bathrooms. It’s the little things that matter. And a clean tushie is a happy tushie.
Win a Year’s Supply of Cottonelle Ultra Comfort Care Toilet Paper AND Cottonelle Fresh Care Flushable Wipes!
It’s Easy, Just Name It to Win!
One Winner A Week!
Cottonelle is asking people to rethink their bathroom routines by inviting you to try both products together to experience a clean so fresh that you will be inspired to name it. We call this the Cottonelle Care Routine. What will you name it?
Cottonelle Ultra Comfort Care Toilet Paper and Fresh Care Flushable Wipes users can join the conversation to Name It on Facebook.com/Cottonelle. The Name Generator on Cottonelle Brand’s Facebook Page will allow users to get a name in three fun ways:
- The Randomizer: Simply click to get a name instantly
- The Personalizer: Answer a few questions for a personalized name
- The Customizer: Create a name to add to our Book of Names and enter for a chance to win a year’s supply of Cottonelle products.
To qualify for the year’s supply of Cottonelle Ultra Comfort Care and Cottonelle Fresh Care, entrants must create a name through The Customizer on Cottonelle Brand’s Facebook Page between June 12, 2012, and February 28, 2013. Winners will be selected in a random drawing on a weekly basis. There is a limit of one prize per person. See full terms and conditions on Cottonelle Brand’s Facebook Page or Cottonelle.com.
People can also participate by following @Cottonelle on Twitter for exclusive opportunities to win #NameIt prizes and check out the Book of Names on Cottonelle.com to see what others have named their routine and get fun bathroom trivia.
I was compensated for this post. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own.
May 14, 2012 | 4 comments
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Why Google Hates Mommy Bloggers plus SEO Tips
My SEO Consultant is trying to keep up with the rapid changes from Google while translating them into changes for her blog and mine. It’s not easy as the rules seem to have change tremendously and continue to evolve as noted by the fact that they have even changed the name from Google Panda to now Google Penguin. What the heck?! Stop using cute animal names when you are doing something dastardly.
Here’s what I can decipher to get SEO from Google:
- You need to post daily. As in 7 days a week. There is no day of rest.
- Posts need to be a decent chunk of words. Think paragraphs not just a handful of sentences.
- You are limited to 12 key word tags; 10 is better. (Don’t get rid of tags on older posts as that will cause a whole new can of worms. Just do this going forward).
- Above the fold content is critical, hence you need a “landing page” in the upper left hand corner of your blog that is static. 700 words or more, of course.
- You need to interlink to previous posts too. Try to find a couple of older posts that relate back to your new one.
- No duplicate content. Good luck getting Organized Wisdom to stop reposting your stuff.
- Update old posts as frequently as possible. ‘Cause you have so much time on your hands.
What does this mean to the 3.9 million of us moms who blog?
1) We need access to this new SEO information via videos, consultants, or hours online researching if we want to keep our traffic, let alone grow it.
2) We probably need a new template design or costly modifications to the one we have. Note that there aren’t templates out yet, for love or money, that fit these new SEO requirements.
3) We will need to blog daily and with substantially longer posts (for me least) that we already do.
The vast majority of us Mommy Bloggers are blogging for for love NOT money. If we mommy bloggers used our talents and pre-kid work experience and traded the hours of blogging for working, we would all be making more money. Blogging is not particularly lucrative. We do it for many reasons but money is definitely not on the top of the list.
And, as definition would have it, we are also mommies. Which means we have kids. Which means we spend a heck of a lot of time parenting, driving carpools, running errands, and cooking for our families. Some of us mommy bloggers also work outside the home.
So, now Google expects us to blog daily with 500+ word posts? Seriously?! Who has time to do this?
Oh, I know.
SEO companies and businesses with marketing departments and/or ad agencies to run their social media.
I’m sure if you have been blogging for a while, you get “guest author” requests from SEO companies. They’d love to write a post for you on a topic of their choice that somewhat relates to your blog. They won’t pay, of course. And their content is carefully peppered with key word phrases for their clients and their post is mind-numbingly generica and boring. There’s sure to be a Top 5 list. And there will be no point of view. It will sound like a Stepford wive write it. I’m sure they all have interns making $15/hour who crank this stuff out. I fell for that. And here’s how I weed them out. Ask them for the url of their blog. You know. A blog that relates to the stuff YOU blog about.
I’m sure Google doesn’t want any more of this drivel than I do — I consider it Internet litter — but guess what? It is these SEO companies who have time to write lengthy posts daily.
This is how Google will now view your site.
Why are mommy bloggers getting the shaft? We are exactly the kind of authentic, not-for-money-but-for-community content that Google wants.
This makes me yearn for a paradigm shift. Remember when Yahoo got unseated by Google. Well, I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before this happens again. I hope this new upstart has more sympathy for Mommy bloggers. What kind of Mother’s Day gift is that?
Happy Mother’s Day! I hope you all have a wonderful and relaxing day!
p.s. I have more advice on blogging: How to Not to Blow Up Your Blog.
May 13, 2012 | 25 comments
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Anti-Social Media Disorder (ASMD) from lack of interaction with real people (funny video!)
Thank you to Twitter friend Hillary Weisman Graham for permission to post her very funny and extremely clever video. You will be very amused if you are on Pinterest, Google +, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and more. This puppy deserves to go viral!
May 12, 2012 | 10 comments
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Friday Find: Pedometer to Teach Kids Math and Fitness
I received this nifty gadget from Reebok to try for February Heart Awareness month. It took me more than 2 months to actually try it out because I thought it was complicated to figure out. I am not good with the gadgets. It sat in the kitchen for a month before I realized I really need to try it out, plus I wanted to clock the number of steps I take at the off leash dog park around the reservoir. I’ve heard rumors that it’s 1.85 miles for one loop.
When I went to grab it, of course it was no longer in its spot. I asked my husband. He said to ask PickyKidPix. She likes shiny objects. When she got home from school, I asked her if she had it. She was indignant. No, she didn’t have it. “But do you know where it is?”, I implored? Of course she did.
She ran off, and in a few minutes she was back with my gadget. She then demonstrated how it worked, snapping it expertly in and out of the plastic case (not shown) that allows it to be easily clipped to your clothes.
“You push on this button to clock the time,” she said. “Then this button, for number of steps. It also tracks milage. Do you want me to reset it for you?”
I shook it (don’t know why, just did), and the numbers started to escalate.
“Why are the numbers going up?” I asked her. “I am standing still.”
“Mom! It thinks you are moving. Don’t shake it,” she admonished.
My, she really knew how to use it.
The reset button requires an opened paper clip with was not handy, so I just said that I wanted number of steps and I’d subtract from the number it is on now.
Subtraction ... my mind thought. Hmmm…. nice! Even better, have them graph the data … using an Excel Spreadsheet!
I wore it the rest of the day. It turns out that in my Zumba class alone, I stepped more than 5300 times! Who knew?!
The end of the day, I had clocked 9802 steps.
Reebok In View Pedometer, $21 (click on image to view at Amazon)
I don’t know if that is good or bad but then I remembered talking to our school nurse who asked if there was a program about health and good eating habits that The Creative Arts and Sciences Committee could bring in. There isn’t which is a shame. Now is the time to teach kids about healthy food choices and staying active.
We brainstormed.
Pedometers came up.
Kids think pedometers are fun. They also love competition. And graphing progress! Or at least graphing results to keep an eye on their competition. We know this from our March Madness reading competition. (My youngest won his division. PickyKidPix came in second to last. She was sad!).
And so an idea was hatched that also could be implemented at home.
Let your kids wear the pedometer for a day. Chart each person’s results on a master graph. Don’t reset, just subtract. Ha, there will be carry subtraction problems built in that actually relate to their life!
p.s. As to how many steps a person should take in a day, I did some research on the site 10,00o steps.
- A sedentary person may only average 1,000 to 3,000 steps a day.
- Recent guidelines recommend walking 10,000 steps per day.
- How far is 10,000 steps anyway? The average person’s stride length is approximately 2.5 feet long.
- It takes just over 2,000 steps to walk one mile, and 10,000 steps is close to 5 miles.
Yikes, that sounds like a lot? Here are some suggestions:
- Take a walk with your spouse, child, or friend
- Walk the dog
- Use the stairs instead of the elevator
- Park farther from the store
- Better yet, walk to the store
- Get up to change the channel
- Window shop
- Plan a walking meeting
- Walk over to visit a neighbor
- Get outside to walk around the garden or do a little weeding
More advice on how to accomplish this:A reasonable goal for most people is to increase average daily steps each week by 500 per day until you can easily average 10,000 per day. Example: If you currently average 3000 steps each day, your goal for week one is 3500 each day. Your week 2 goal is 4000 each day. Continue to increase each week and you should be averaging 10,000 steps by the end of 14 weeks.Wearing a pedometer is an easy way to track your steps each day. Start by wearing the pedometer every day for one week. Put it on when you get up in the morning and wear it until bed time. Record your daily steps in a log or notebook. By the end of the week you will know your average daily steps. You might be surprised how many (or how few) steps you get in each day.Have you ever worn a pedometer? It’s fun! I guess I did ok on my Zumba day. Now I need to see how I do on days I don’t have an exercise class. Have your kids tracked their steps? Might be a fun thing to do over the summer!
May 11, 2012 | 6 comments
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New Books for Kids: Picture Book GIVEAWAY Kaleidoscope
Kaleidoscope by Salina Yoon
I am giving away 3! copies of this delightful board book. Please leave a comment to win.
Blissful moments, wishing hoping,
Swiftly turning, Kaleidoscoping!
Turn the spinning 2-inch kaleidoscope lens and watch each magical page transform before your eyes! Award-winning artist Salina Yoon invites readers on an unforgettable poetic journey filled with colorful surprises.
Deceptively simple and thoughtfully layered, Kaleidoscope will encourage readers to see the world through a different lens.
Salina Yoon’s clever design turns this picture book into a kaleidoscope with delightful rhyming text but more amazing layered images that can be viewed with a built in kaleidoscope. You turn the wheel of the kaleidoscope — jiggle it a little if it sticks — and you and your child will see gorgeous patterns shifting beneath your eyes. Such fun! You may even forget to read the text!
To view the book more closely at Amazon, please click on image of book.
May 10, 2012 | 30 comments
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Best Books for Kids Who Like Aliens to Build Vocabulary!
My 7-year-old son loves alien books. While some boys are put off by the weird Alien language, he thinks it’s funny. I read Henry P. Baloney to his Kindergarten class the week he was the Star of the Week, and I noticed most of the kids did not find the book as funny as we do. Author Jon Scieszka in a sly use of foreign language onamatopia, uses words from almost two dozen languages that kind of sound like English words in this engaging picture book.
The Julian Rodriguez easy chapter book series uses an alien posing as young son to really push this idea of alien books for building vocabulary. Julian is trying to make sense of the confusing world of humans — basketballs, baseballs and pretty much all balls are “orbs”. And that is just the start. It’s the kind of read together book that amuse adults as well as kids.
I’m not sure if alien books will be a brief phases for my son. I hope not. I love these books!
Baloney (Henry P.) by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Lane Smith
Who is Henry P. Baloney? An alien schoolkid who has to think of a very good reason for being late to szkola again. Otherwise it is Permanent Lifelong Detention.
This New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestseller follows Henry’s tall tale of his lost zimulis with graphically created piksas that help explain just exactly what Henry is talking about. An out-of-this-world experience, the book is told in at least twenty different Earth languages, and is probably the best excuse ever for being late to szkola.
Funny man Jon Scieszka strikes again and the pairing with talented artist Lane Smith is very successful. Henry is late to his alien school so he has to explain his tardiness to his teacher. It’s a pretty complicated story exactly why he’s late. His teacher isn’t having it, but luckily they are working on tall tales so Henry successfully avoids Permanent Lifelong Detention once again! The beauty of this book is that Jon uses more than a dozen foreign languages with words that sound a little like English words as the alien language. It’s a fun twist. [picture books, ages 5 and up]
Dear Flyary by Dianne Young, illustrated by John Martz
One-eyed alien Frazzle recounts his flying adventures in a new journal (in alien vernacular, of course). He bighearts his little Model 7, but as time passes, it starts making strange sounds, and Frazzle — pressured by friends and co-workers — wonders if he should trade it in. One day, when it goes CLUNK in the middle of the flyway, it’s clear something must be done. Youngsters will love the out-of-this-world illustrations depicting worlds rife with all manner of alien life. Even more irresistible: an unexpected ending sure to delight careful readers.
This picture book is my son’s new book to read at night. We read it several days in a row. We love the alien words. While they don’t translate into English, they are fun to guess what they mean. It’s actually not so different from decoding a foreign language only this is much more fun.
Here’s a sample of what I’m talking about:
75 Red Moon 4851
Dear Flyary,
Oldpop gave you to me for my dropday. He wants me to scrib down everything about my first spaceship. It’s a Pattzer keepition, He even showed me the drivary that his oldpop (my real-real-oldpop) scribbed. It was pretty laffy.
Julian Rodriguez series by Alexander Stadler
This newish easy chapter book series is seriously funny but I don’t love the weird comic book illustrations that make all the humans look possessed. I can overlook the drawings because the books are so clever and the SAT vocabulary slipped in makes me happy to! [easy chapter book series, ages 6 and up]
Julian Rodriguez #1: Trash Crisis on Earth
Julian Rodriguez is on a mission for the Mothership. He’s been sent to Earth to study human lifeforms and their bizarre habits–from their disgusting diet (orange sticks named carrots, flavorless liquid called water, and the revolting substance known as vegi-dogs) to their repressive treatment of their young (forcing them to carry out menial tasks known as chores, withholding access to the great cultural masterpieces called cartoons). When Julian’s Maternal Unit assigns a hideous task, it’s nearly too much for the hardened space veteran to bear–but he finds his courage at last.
Julian Rodriguez #2: Invasion of the Relatives
First Officer Julian Rodriguez battles his worst foe yet–a band of genetically linked mini-brains known as The Relatives!
First Officer Julian Rodriguez has seen his share of injustice during his time on Earth, and now he’s facing his greatest challenge yet: the invasion of his home base by a group of genetically linked mini-brains known as “the relatives.” He’s been moved from his personal sleep chamber (bedroom) to a subterranean containment facility (the basement).Then he is forced to participate in a show of ceremonial athleticism (football), and must consume a variety of mystery foods (Thanksgiving dinner). But the ultimate disgrace comes when he is threatened with contamination by mini-brain DNA!
Binky The Space Cat (A Binky Adventure) beginning graphic novel series by Ashley Spires
Binky is a space cat – at least in his own mind. He’s really a house cat who has never left the family “space station.” Unlike other house cats, Binky has a mission: to blast off into outer space (outside), explore unknown places (the backyard) and battle aliens (bugs). Binky must undergo rigorous training so he can repel the alien attacks that threaten his humans. As he builds his spaceship, he must be extremely careful with his blueprints – the enemy is always watching. Soon Binky is ready to voyage into outer space. His humans go out there every day and he’s sure they need a certified space cat to protect them. But just as he’s about to blast off with his co-pilot, Ted (stuffed mousie), Binky realizes that he’s left something very important behind ? and it’s not the zero-gravity kitty litter. In the first book in the Binky Adventure series, graphic-novel readers will delight in watching where this lovable and quirky cat’s imagination takes him.
Binky may be just an ordinary house cat and not a space cat; I’m never quite sure about that actually. I think that is what makes this early graphic novel series so fun. [easy reader graphic novels, ages 4 and up]
What are your favorite alien books? Please share!
To view any book more closely at Amazon, please click on image of book.
May 09, 2012 | 4 comments
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4th Grade Book Club: Savvy and GIVEAWAY
My mom friend Cynthia throws a very good book club for kids. All three of her kids are in a book club and hers ALWAYS have both food and a really fun activity that relate to the book. It’s not an accident, it turns out. She tells me that she researches book club activities to plan out hers.
Two of her kids are boys, and we both bemoaned the fact that there are very few online resources for little boy book clubs. Her youngest is in Kindergarten and mine is in First Grade. There seem to be plenty of resources for girls book clubs, particularly for mother/daughter book clubs.
If you host book clubs for your kids, please share your favorite book and book club activity. If you have food as well, you are a champion. Definitely, please share! We are begging you!!
Savvy by Ingrid Law
For generations, the Beaumont family has harbored a magical secret. They each possess a “savvy”—a special supernatural power that strikes when they turn thirteen. Grandpa Bomba moves mountains, her older brothers create hurricanes and spark electricity . . . and now it’s the eve of Mibs’s big day.
As if waiting weren’t hard enough, the family gets scary news two days before Mibs’s birthday: Poppa has been in a terrible accident. Mibs develops the singular mission to get to the hospital and prove that her new power can save her dad. So she sneaks onto a salesman’s bus . . . only to find the bus heading in the opposite direction. Suddenly Mibs finds herself on an unforgettable odyssey that will force her to make sense of growing up—and of other people, who might also have a few secrets hidden just beneath the skin.
My oldest, Music Lovers, first discovered Savvy for us. It was such a popular book that she read it alongside her friend Anna; both holding the book together and waiting for each to finish before turning the page.
She was disappointed with the sequel, Scumble, though because it featured a completely different family. Other girls in her book club and PickyKidPix‘s book club felt the same way,unfortunately. Perhaps a sequel is in order for the Savvy family?
Do your kids like both books or one over the other? Please share!
The book club was scheduled after an early release day. These days, though there are only five girls in the book club, it’s tough to find a block of time when they are all free. Early release days are always a safe bet and we have more than a half dozen throughout the school year. Since Cynthia took the kids before lunch, she fed them. This was a nice tie in the with book.
She set up a “Diner” with hamburgers and fries, a meal enjoyed by all including the Savvy family in the book. It was followed by banana cream pie . The pie is mentioned in the book but our girls got a little creative with it. They insisted on eating the pie without the use of hands or utensils like a pie eating contest. It was messy fun!
Cynthia led a book discussion around naming what savvy you would have. I don’t recall what they were though.
Finally, because Mibs’ savvy relates to tattoos — I don’t spoil it for you — the girls returned home looking like biker chicks. Cynthia said she was able to find washable tattoos conveniently at the local Stop and Shop grocery store. Here are some if your grocery store isn’t stocked with them.
These twisted tribal tattoos are from a company called Savvi. Weird coincidence?! Or not!
This is the best deal. 800 tattoos for $3.
The idea of a Savvy or special super power is a fun one and there are many many popular chapter books with super power themes. If your child liked Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Kane Chronicles, Charlie Bone, The Emerald Atlas, Maximum Ride, The Pharaoh’s Secret, then Savvy would be a good pick. What super power chapter books am I missing? Thanks for helping me out!
Harry Potter series
Percy Jackson series (first one)
Heroes of Olympus, Percy Jackson second series.
The Emerald Atlas series
The Pharaoh’s Secret, a stand alone chapter book about Ancient Egypt
Charlie Bones series
Maximum Ride series
The latest Kane Chronicles book
I just got a copy of The Emerald Atlas from Random House but I already own it on my Color Nook so I am giving it away. To win, please leave a comment with either: a chapter book about special super powers that I left out OR what your super power would be. Thanks! U.S. and Canada only please.
To view any book or item more closely at Amazon, please click on image.
May 08, 2012 | 12 comments
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LIVE CHAT with Tad Hills, How Rocket Learned to Read, and Learning to Read
Live Chat with Tad Hills of How Rocket Learned to Read
Tuesday, May 8th. 9 pm EST.
I’m really excited to meet Tad Hills on a LiveChat at the Kids Read and Play Random House Community at BlogFrog. I hope you can join me!
I asked for a Color Nook for Mother’s Day last year. I really wanted to read picture book on an eReader with my kids. The shelves were filling up fast and I figured it would be a new, space efficient and different way of reading books at bedtime. How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills was my first picture book download and it didn’t disappoint. It won a Caldecott honor earlier that year, and I had flipped through it several times at bookstores. The narration was spot on, and the characters and story are ADORABLE! We still read it frequently on the Nook.
How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills
Other picture books did not translate as well to the Color Nook — some tried to put an entire landscape spread on one Nook page which is way to small to read, especially when the font size is small to begin with. Jeanne Birdsall’s Flora’s Very Windy Day was my second download — it was up for a Caldecott and she wrote the Penderwicks series. Alas, the Color Nook eBook is unusable. The devil is in the details and whoever did her eBook did not think it through. Her picture book, though, about sibling relationships is charming!
I would have purchased How Rocket Learned to Read in a heartbeat if my kids were still learning their letters, the first stop on the road to independent reading. I love picture books that support learning to read. It’s like a present within a present. My experiments with teaching my kids their letters culminated in a magnetic letter fishing pole game that I developed using pieces from two different games to teach my youngest his alphabet at around 15 months. It worked like magic and he’d beg to play it every day. We’d spend about 5 minutes a day on it; stopping the second his interest waned. It’s very simple.
Put all the letters in a bucket and have the child fish a letter out with the magnetic fishing pole. Put the letter on a magnetic board and identify it. Then make patterns with the letters as they accumulate. Sometimes we’d sort the letters by color
Fishing, Sorting and Identifying Magnetic Alphabet Letters
Tolo Toys Funtime Fishing, $18
Imaginarium Letters & Numbers – 72 Pieces, $13
Here are other great pop up picture books to learn the letters of the alphabet. These were our personal favorites.
Best Pop Up Alphabet Books
Maisy’s ABC by Lucy Cousins
An adorable pop up picture book with our favorite mouse Maisy! As the first chidren’s book my husband ever bought even before we actually had kids, this book will always have a special place in my heart. And, as it turns out, all my kids loved the Maisy picture book series.
Robert Crowther’s Amazing Animal ABC Book
I’m not sure if this book is still in print, but my kids loved the interactivity of the flaps and pull tabs. Our copy is tattered with lots of Scotch tape mends.
The Most Amazing ABC Book by Robert Crowthers
Any pop up picture book by Robert Crowthers is a keeper so this is the one I’d buy now if the Amazing Animal Alphabet book is out of print.
p.s. I have more posts on phonics here. Our favorite phonics workbooks are Explode the Code.
To view any item more closely at Amazon, please click on image of item.
May 07, 2012 | 2 comments
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Top 10: Best World Religion Children’s Books
The very excellent and funny blogger Craftwhack (where irony meets creativity and explodes) asked me to come up with a list of religious and/or spiritual books for kids. It’s funny because I have had this list as a “draft” for over a year. I’m not sure if I am exactly qualified to post on best world religion books for kids because I rarely grace the inside of a church these days and my background in religious studies is spotty to say the least.
My mom is Buddhist and taught at a Buddhist Sunday school before she got married. She’s Japanese and was forced to relocate during WWII since she was so obviously a threat to U. S. security. She and her family landed in a remote part of Utah; we think near where there was underground testing for nuclear weapons. Her neighbors were friendly and spent a lot of time debating the merits of the Mormon religion to her versus Buddhism in an attempt to convert her.
My father, as an immigrant from mainland China, was not religious. Still he wasn’t opposed to us kids being exposed to religion. We went, volunteer basis only, to the local Presbyterian church down the street. My parents were happy to drop me off and pick me up but I always thought it was weird that they weren’t in church when I was at Sunday school. To be honest, I was only there for the comic books. One comic book a week would be handed as a take home keepsake for each class attended. It was on the Bible, of course, but I loved the old Testament stories. The power of graphic novels!
There were always Buddhist services that my family attended for weddings and funerals. And, as Buddhism dictates, there are anniversaries of one’s dead relatives that are additional services held each year and we always went to those. It wasn’t until years later that I realized that there were also services held in English! Not only was it boring to sit though an entire service in Japanese but we never got the jokes. We’d have to elbow my mom and ask, “What did he say?” There were a few messages that I remember from Buddhist services and they always seemed to revolved around the lotus flower which, from climbing from the bottom of the muddy pond to bloom, was a message that was both poetic and inspiring.
In 2nd grade, I made a new best friend Wendy, who was Mormon. I learned to cross my arms and bow in her religious classes that I religiously attended. I’m not sure why I went but it was enjoyable enough. They didn’t require me to memorize the chapters of the Bible which is what my old Sunday school seemed fixated on.
By high school, my close friend Natalie took me to a few Catholic masses. Catholicism continues to baffle me. And I always felt outed and isolated by not being able to receive the cracker. Not to mention that everyone had to step over me to get in and out of their seats. The rituals of Catholics must be comforting but as an outsider it was like being in a foreign country.
My mother-in-law is Baptist. It’s the Korean Baptist version and she’s heavily involved in the church. I had gone to Baptist church camp with my best friend from Junior High and it was a kumbayah type of camp talking constantly about your feelings and love for Jesus. I wasn’t against it, and I appreciated being included in the wafer ceremony but I didn’t have the same connection to Jesus that they did. My mother-in-law church seems focused on Jesus, or at least they don’t seem to talk about it as much outside of church, and more about a Korean experience where Korean expats have reason to see each other weekly to eat together.
My husband worships at the church of golf and I can understand that. It’s a religious experience for him to commune on the golf course, and definitely more so on some courses than others. Water views seem to have the closest connection to god for him, as do well designed holes by Robert Trent Jones.
And so my kids are bereft of the religious “mixed-plate” that is my background. There was a brief — very brief — window where my oldest, Music Lovers, wanted to go church, but that window closed as her friends shared with her their dislike of attending religious classes. We visited a number of churches in our neighborhood, finally finding one that was “just right.” We have yet to attend though.
I do think that the Bible is as important as reading classics or Shakespeare and so, my only real effort in religious studies, has been to find children’s books on religion including the Bible and read them to my kids, usually under protest. Still, my oldest likes the Book of Ruth too!
10. Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth
“Michael,” said Karl. “There’s a really big bear in the backyard.” This is how three children meet Stillwater, a giant panda who moves into the neighborhood and tells amazing tales. To Addy he tells a story about the value of material goods. To Michael he pushes the boundaries of good and bad. And to Karl he demonstrates what it means to hold on to frustration. With graceful art and simple stories that are filled with love and enlightenment, Jon Muth — and Stillwater the bear — present three ancient Zen tales that are sure to strike a chord in everyone they touch.
I love this picture book that delves into Chinese philosopher Chuang Tzu as well as the ideas behind Zen Buddhism.
9. Spy for the Night Riders Martin Luther series by Dave Jackson
Young Karl Schumacher helps protect Martin Luther who is condemned of heresy, but doesn’t know whom to trust. Ages 8-12.
This historical chapter book series for ages 9 and up helps to explain how religions evolved though history. This is a good point since religions are often a pawn of politics and power struggles masked in a veneer of respectability.
8. The Bible by Sheldon Mayer
In 1975, “DC Comics” published a comics adaptation of the Bible as part of a series of tabloid-sized comic books. This first book in the projected series adapted the earliest chapters of the book of Genesis, including the stories of “The Garden of Eden”, the Flood, and Sodom and Gomorrah. Now, for the first time, DC reprints this hard-to-find classic in a deluxe hardcover edition.
You knew I had to have a graphic novel version of the Bible, right?!
7. Sacred Myths : Stories of World Religions by Marilyn McFarlane
Sacred Myths retells the best-loved stories of seven world religions: Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism. Also Native American and Earth-based traditions. Introduces the basic tenets of each religion; approved by religious authorities. Elaborate illustrations full of texture, depth and mystery, conveying the richness of spiritual heritages. Beautiful spread of The Golden Rule expressed in each religion.
I like how this book ties in mythology from ancient cultures to our current large world religions. It’s for ages 9-12.
6. The Very First Easter by Paul L. Maier
The Gold Medallion Award-winning team of the renowned ancient historian and the gifted illustrator make the story of Jesus death and resurrection come alive for children aged 5 to 10. Difficult questions are asked, reasonable answers given. For family reading or religious education.
I was able to explain the significance of Easter to my kids when queried but just barely. I obviously need to bone up on this book which I own so I have no excuse for next year!
5. My First Read-Aloud Bible by Penny Boshoff
Designed for children and parents to share, this Bible storybook combines simple retellings of more than fifty stories paired with basic learning skills for young children. Parents can help their children master concepts including opposites, number recognition, rhyming words, and context clues while sharing the basics of faith. Talking points, songs and activities, and parent notes make this the perfect book to turn to again and again.
There are many great Bible story books for kids and this one does the trick nicely.
4. One World, Many Religions : The Way We Worship by Mary Pope Osborne
Religious understanding is as important today than any other time in history. In this highly acclaimed book, Mary Pope Osborne introduces readers to the six major religions of the world. One World, Many Religions covers the history, beliefs, and practices of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. All have had a deep effect on the laws and customs of every country. They have shaped art, literature, music, and education. They have given the world magnificent stories, songs, buildings, holy objects, ceremonies, and festivals.” From the Introduction to Many Religions, One World. Best-selling children’s author Mary Pope Osborne presents an accessible and elegantly crafted volume that introduces young readers to the world’s seven major religions. Six short readable chapters–perfectly targeted to fourth, fifth, and sixth graders–detail the history, beliefs, and practices of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. Handsomely designed and featuring fifty oversized color photographs and a full complement of reference materials, including a map, time line, and bibliography, this book provides a thorough and thoughtful presentation of the diverse ways people worship around the world.
-Outstanding introduction to world religion for young readers.
-Unanimously praised when first published in 1996
-Newly updated reference materials such as a glossary, map, timeline and bibliography complete this excellent book.
-Features over 50 full-color photos.
That this is from Magic Treehouse author Mary Pope Osborne is enough to get me to buy this book! That is covers many religions from a cultural point of view makes it a Religious studies book of choice for ages 9-12.
3.Where Does God Live by Holly Bea
A lively and inquisitive young girl named Hope has a favorite pastime: asking questions. She asks everyone she knows just about anything. One day her musings lead her to a really big question: Where does God live? She talks to her mom. She questions her animal friends. Finally, it is her wise and gentle grandmother whose lifetime of faith offers Hope, the answer that she and all of us can take into our hearts. It is an answer whose simplicity does honor to the Creator.
This picture book is a good place to start with preschoolers and is perfect for ages 4 and up.
2. Muhammad by Demi
Born in Mecca in the year 570, Muhammad grew into a sensitive and thoughtful man who believed deeply in the worship of one true god.
In his fortieth year, Muhammad experienced a revelation from the angel Gabriel that he, Muhammad, was the messenger of God. Over the next twenty-three years, he received many such revelations, all of which were written down by scribes at the time of revelation to become the Koran, the sacred scripture of Islam, a religion that is practiced by nearly one-quarter of the world’s population and holds as its most sacred tenet that there is no god but God.
Through a clear text and stunning illustrations based upon those of traditional Islamic expression, the award-winning artist Demi here introduces the remarkable life of the Prophet Muhammad for young readers.
I think it is more important than ever to give our children an understanding of Islam and that it’s really not so different from the teachings of Jesus Christ. Demi does a beautiful job with this gorgeously illustrated advanced picture book to explain who Muhammad is and therefore what Islam is all about.
You can practically build your entire world religion book shelf with just Demi books.
1. What is God? by Etan Boritzer
What is God? is an eloquent introduction to the ideas behind God and religion, and brings forward complex ideas in a way children will understand. It is written with a simple clarity and beautifully illustrated with just the right blend of seriousness and humor.
What is God? compares different religions — Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism — and their holy books, looks at misunderstandings and arguments among people of different religions, and talks about praying as well as feeling connected to everything in the world.
If you want to talk about spirituality with a child, or introduce them to philosophy or religion, or just help them to begin to center themselves and their feelings about the world, this book is a great beginning.
For the child with more questions than you have answers and ponders spirituality deeply, this picture book is for ages 6 and up.
What books are you using to teach your kids about spirituality? Please share!
To view any book more closely at Amazon, please click on image of book.
May 06, 2012 | 6 comments
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What Moms Really Want for Mother’s Day!
The Hardest Job in The World
Is the Best Job.
Happy Mother’s Day to All Moms Around the World!
Engage Moms took a small sampling of 7o moms and found that, we, in fact, DON’T want candy or flowers, “moms chose “help around the house” far more frequently than the alternatives: brunch, dinner, flowers or jewelry.”
- Fifty moms said they wanted to spend that time with their families rather than on their own. When it came to how to spend that family time, 50% more moms preferred “just hanging out at home” (30 moms) to “brunch” (20 moms) as their favorite Mother’s Day activity. Only a few opted for movies or shopping. Other plans for the day included walks on the beach, going to the park, cookouts, picnics and short trips.
- Moms who preferred to spend time alone opted 2:1 for “doing something just for me” over “doing nothing but relaxing.”
- For moms who wanted to do something special for themselves, pampering was the name of the game: 22 opted for massages, just edging out manicures and pedicures.
- Not a single mom wanted to spend the day “catching up” or “with friends.” Interestingly, only two said they wanted to spend the day with their own moms.
Here’s another take from a Cozi survey.
The ideal Mother’s Day includes extra pampering, freedom from usual parenting duties and a lazy day with nothing on the schedule, according to survey results released today by Cozi, the No. 1 online and mobile family calendar and organizer. The reality of Mother’s Day, however, can be pretty different: most moms still do chores on Mother’s Day (59% will do dishes this year), and one in five families have forgotten about Mother’s Day altogether.
Other findings of the survey of 350 moms included:
- 51% of moms want a day of pampering most for Mother’s Day
- 54% percent think a nice meal at home that they don’t have to make or clean up would be ideal
- The top three gifts moms want on Mother’s Day are: a day at the spa, a gift card or flowers
And a nice thing to do:
To make sure every mother gets the Mother’s Day she deserves, Cozi is launching the “Make Another Mother’s Day” campaign. Cozi is challenging people nationwide to find someone who might not be recognized on Mother’s Day—maybe a single mom, a friend who’s lost a child, or someone who has been a motherly figure to others—and make her day. Visithttp://www.cozi.com/
Teaching Tiny Tots has a great post on making a mother’s day coupon book. I love those! I used to make them as a child.
An homage to moms commercial from P & G. I dare you to watch it and not tear up. Yup. They understand moms. This is to every mom out there!
My oldest, Music Lovers, checked my Pinterest board to see if I gave out clues but I don’t have much. I would actually love that Mother’s Day card/book where my kids can record messages to me. Also, I love their homemade cards. What do I need? Nothing. What do I want? I am actually doing a Mom Yoga Retreat after Mother’s Day and that is a great gift!
What do I really want? A day to lounge around in bed, reading and blogging, without anyone giving me a hard time. I’ll come out for meals but that’s it! With a hectic day — I saw the calendar already — that is not likely. A raincheck would be lovely though …
What do you want for Mother’s Day? Please share!
Being a mom is the hardest job in the world. But it’s also the best.
This Procter & Gamble commercial honors everything that all moms do to help their children succeed by showcasing the amazing moms behind Olympic athletes at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The hardest job in the world is truly the best job in the world.
Join P&G in saying “Thank you, Mom” by sending your Mom a message of thanks at: http://www.facebook.com/thankyoumom
May 05, 2012 | 8 comments
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Seeking 3rd Grade Mystery Author for School Visit in Boston. Ideas?
Patrick Carman, please come to my elementary school for a 3rd grade Skype author visit.
I’m co-chairing my elementary’s school Creative Arts and Sciences program run by the PTO with another lovely mom of 5. We are responsible from bringing in all the wonderful supplemental programs into the school. It’s run quite efficiently; all programs have to be approved by the Director of the Creative Arts and Sciences Program (a part time paid position), and then screened by all the chairs at more than a dozen elementary schools before we can book them.
This year, we had Lucinda Landon of the popular Meg Macintosh chapter book series as our mystery author and she was WONDERFUL!! Our teachers asked for her back next year and pretty much every year after that, but bad news; she’s taking the year off to write her books. The nerve of her! Writing and illustrating when we need her in the classroom!! I am kidding, but only a little.
So, the search begins for a replacement …
I contacted David Adler of early chapter book series Cam Jansen. He is from Toronto but, because the stars are aligning, he will be in Boston next June to attend his child’s college graduation. We can’t afford him though. He emailed me back and he does Skype visits too for a very reasonable price. A good option I think.
I also emailed Liam O’Donnell of the graphic novel mystery series Max Finder which I have been enjoying with my first grade son. He’s in New York. I’m not sure if the teachers will go for graphic novel since the curriculum our program is supposed to support is writing mystery short stories. Emphasis on stories.
So, I thought I’d ask you for suggestions. Yes, you!
What mystery authors for 3rd graders do you like? Did any visit your schools? Thank you so much!
I also found a list of mystery authors for 3rd grade. I have been checking out their websites.
Blue Balliett. She used to be a teacher! She doesn’t have school visits listed on her website though. I do really like Chasing Vermeer though! It’sa great mystery wrapped around art and museums.
Pseudonymous Bosch. We can book an imposter which sounds promising and quite fun. Not sure if he does school visits though. Looks like his visits are mostly to bookstores when he has a new book to promote. Drat!
Michael Buckley. No mention of school visits.
Bruce Hale. Paydirt? He does school visits and Skype visits. He’s based in Santa Barbara, CA. (Lucky guy!) $250/1 session. $350/two sessions on same day via Skype. Alas, no. His presentation is based around storytelling from one of his books. We need meat and bones of how to craft a good mystery. He would be great for a kids’ book club though!
Patrick Carman. From Walla Walla Washington. Virtual tour video of him. Q and A around his book. Darn it. I need a structured presentation around writing! He seems lovely. I just heard a magic word as I am listening to his video as he talks about his school visits: FREE EVENT! He will do 20 free Skype visits a year. Wow! I am emailing him right now. His mystery chapter books are really, really popular among our 3rd graders. He has rockstar status among them! I will be a hero if I can get him!
Diane Stanley. Santa Fe based. Skype not available. Too bad. It’s really not that hard to set up Skype.
Nancy Springer. No website. That is too bad. I don’t get it when authors don’t have their own websites.
Please wish me luck is getting Patrick Carmen. I would love to book him for next January or February to coincide with the 3rd grade writing curriculum in which they … ta da! write their own mystery stories. I will report back if I get him on how the Skype author visit went. You should book him too! For your school or special play date!
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May 04, 2012 | 6 comments
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Meet Judy Blume Tonight: LiveChat 7pm EST! What Other Authors Would You Like to Meet?
Judy Blume needs no introduction! Meet her tonight on a LiveChat at the Random House Read and Play Community at 7 pm EST.
May 03, 2012 | 0 comments
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