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Author: Pragmatic Mom

I am a mom with three kids and a husband living in Newton, MA. I graduated from Harvard University with a degree in HIstory and Science. I went to The Anderson School of Management at UCLA for my M.B.A.My background is entrepreneurial. I started several companies and currently serve on three boards including for my elementary school and preschool. I was a SAHM for nearly 8 years, and went back to work part-time just recently. Now I work almost full time as a WAHM for a consumer electronics start-up in Boston.My blog is my outlet to read children's literature which is my great secret pleasure, and to document any interesting and/or useful information that I acquire as I parent. My kids are quite active and pursue many interests collectively including soccer, gymnastics, rhythm gymnastics, karate (Chung Kook Doh), ice skating, Chinese, Spanish, flute, piano, T-ball, book clubs, and art. In my free time, I have been doing kickboxing, vinyasa yoga, zoomba, and I am trying to learn Spanish as well.Learning about SEO and how to blog has been a really fun enterprise albeit very time consuming. I started a bloggers group that meets weekly called www.coffeeshopbloggers.com. The S.O.S. on SEO. We share our collective frustrations and knowledge from blogging.Now you understand the Type A parent I am...hence the tagline my blogger friends came up for me for my blog:Type A Parenting for the Modern World
No Cream Puffs, Karen L Day, http://PragmaticMom.com, Pragmatic Mom, girls book club girls bookclub

5th Grade Book Club with Karen Day, author of No Cream Puffs

Posted on October 1, 2010June 11, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

A Big THANK YOU to Karen Day for her visit! And just a shout out that SHE’S AN AMAZING SPEAKER. SHE IS OPEN TO VISITING SCHOOLS. Our elementary school brings authors into the classroom as part of our literacy program that is funded by the PTO. Here’s her contact info.

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Banned and Challenged Books for Kids

Top 10: Challenged or Banned Books

Posted on September 30, 2010June 11, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

The American Library Association (ALA) has issued their annual list of the 10 most frequently challenged books from US libraries. There’s a number of the usual suspects on the list, and while I’m still flabbergasted that there are people out there who are so concerned about the content in these books that they are requesting that they be removed from libraries (To Kill a Mockingbird? Really?)

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Best Latinx American Children’s Books

21 Great Latinx American Children’s Books

Posted on September 28, 2010June 11, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

September is Hispanic Heritage Month so I am barely squeeking out this list in time to celebrate Latino/Latina and Hispanic culture in children’s literature. Por favor, disfrutar de. (I think I said please enjoy!).

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ay, CaldecottJeanne Flora's Very Windy Day, Jeanne Birdsall, Hopeful, http://PragmaticMom.com, Pragmatic Mom

Predicting Newbery and Caldecott Winners

Posted on September 28, 2010June 11, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

Ok. So these are not really the list of Caldecott and Newbery candidates for 2011 but School Library Journal Blog’s best guess… but I have feeling that they know what they are talking about. We shall see when the awards come out next year, but I’m betting they got quite a few correct.

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Children's Book Authors Who Never Disappoint

Children’s Book Authors Who Never Disappoint

Posted on September 27, 2010June 11, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

You know how there are authors that your children always wait impatiently for the next new book? And maybe they do a great series which isn’t that much of a stretch. But then there are other authors that either 1) write in a wide range of genres from picture books to easy chapter books to YA fiction and EVERYTHING they write is amazing? Or 2) maybe it’s just that they never jave a dud even though everyone is allowed a dud when they are a prolific author. Or 3) their work is crazy imaginative! How do they DO that?!

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Karen L Day, No Cream Puffs, Tall Tales, http://PragmaticMom.com, chapter books for ages 8-12

Book Club, Activity and Interview with Karen Day

Posted on September 27, 2010June 11, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

My oldest choose No Cream Puffs by Karen Day for the first book club of the year. They are in 5th grade now and have been meeting for book club since 2nd grade. My daughter played soccer with the author’s daughter this past spring, but she had no idea that the mother is an author, though we (the moms) have all heard of Karen Day and knew of her books here in Newton, MA. What I didn’t know was that KAREN was a really great baseball player and the book is loosely based on her own childhood story! (see interview below)

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Pearson GrammarPrep Commas, SAT study, ACT study, English Grammar iPhone iPad app, http://PragmaticMom.com, best mom blog, best education blog

Grammer app for Using Comma

Posted on September 27, 2010June 11, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

This is a nice iPhone/iPad/iPod app from Pearson that focuses on correct punctuation using the ever so confusing comma. It’s a quick and easy way to study just this one topic for standardized test.

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I’m Mia Wenjen!

Mia Wenjen Pragmatic Mom

Hi, I’m Mia Wenjen. Nice to meet you!

I blog excessively about diverse children’s books (picture books through middle grade). I am also the co-founder of Read Your World Celebrates Multicultural Children’s Book Day on Jan 25, 2024, our 11th year!

I’d love to chat with you. Let’s connect! PragmaticMomBlog (at) gmail (dot) com or through my social media handles.

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We Sing From the Heart picture book cover reveal of The Slants Simon Tam

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Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Robert Sae-Heng

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GNOMES & UNGNOMES: Poems of Hidden Creatures 3 haiku by Mia Wenjen
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Recent Posts

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