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Category: Social Studies

History, social science and geography for kids.

Easter Eggs Pysanka Style: Video, Picture Books and GIVEAWAY

Easter Eggs Pysanky Style: Video, and Picture Books

Posted on March 20, 2015March 27, 2026 by Pragmatic Mom

In celebration of Easter, I wanted to share this video and two picture books about the Ukrainian craft of egg painting called Pysanky: A pysanka is a Ukrainian Easter egg, decorated with traditional Ukrainian folk designs using a wax-resist (batik) method. The word pysankacomes from the verb pysaty, “to write”, as the designs are not painted…

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My Son's Educational Video Picks

My Son’s Educational Video Picks

Posted on December 19, 2014July 11, 2022 by Pragmatic Mom

My son and I have been curating videos for your viewing pleasure. Many of them came our way via the excellent blog The Kid Should See This which selects videos created for adults but appropriate for a young audience. My son spends quite a bit of time on YouTube these days so he offered up…

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Plimoth Plantation: Learning About The Mayflower

Plimoth Plantation: Learning About The Mayflower

Posted on November 27, 2014May 15, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

The first stop for the third grade field trip  to Plimoth Plantation on a wet and dreary day was the Mayflower II.  It’s a replica of the Mayflower ship that the Pilgrims sailed on. We also learned about the life for Pilgrims and Native Americans. Here’s a model boat version of the Mayflower at Plimoth…

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Plimoth Plantation: Learning About the Pilgrims

Plimoth Plantation: Learning About the Pilgrims

Posted on July 11, 2014May 16, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

A few years ago, we spent the 4th of July in America’s Hometown, Plymouth. What a difference a few hundred years make! This is Plimoth Plantation’s Pilgrim settlement. I chaperoned the 3rd grade field trip to Plimoth Plantation and my group wanted to see the English settlement at Plimoth Plantation as their first stop and…

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Plimoth Plantation: Learning About Native Americans

Plimoth Plantation: Learning About the Wampanoags

Posted on June 23, 2014April 3, 2026 by Pragmatic Mom

I went for the first time to Plimoth Plantation as a chaperone for my son’s third grade field trip. I somehow managed to avoid it for my girls. It was really a great trip and the kids were very well prepared. My son said that he preferred learning about the Native Americans (and Wampanoags specifically)…

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Boston Freedom Trail, The Freedom Trail

Lessons From The Boston Freedom Trail

Posted on June 27, 2013May 21, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

Can you believe that I have not chaperoned a field trip for PickyKidPix since she was in Kindergarten?! And now she is about to graduate from 5th grade to start Middle School! I had two choices, The Museum of Fine Arts and The Freedom Trail so I asked my daughter to choose and she asked…

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2nd grade china unit, 2nd grade china, china unit, red envelope activities

Red Envelope Crafts for 2nd Grade China Unit

Posted on June 9, 2013May 24, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

My mom friend Stella who is Chinese explains the ins and outs of Chinese Red Envelope etiquette and its significance to 2nd grade kids. We did a special presentation as part of their 2nd grade China Unit that included: the Chinese invention of paper money, red envelope craft and background, Chinese silk children’s clothes, and…

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I’m Mia Wenjen!

Mia Wenjen High Res Headshot Jerry Russo

Hi, I’m Mia Wenjen. Nice to meet you!

I blog about diverse children’s books, co-founded Read Your World on Jan 29, 2026, and write children’s books.

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Barbed Wire Between Us (click to purchase)

Barbed Wire Between Us by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Violeta Encarnación

Barbed Wire Between Us original song by Daria Music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wZieLAYEXA

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Postcards from Malcolm X by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Keith Henry Brown

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Fortune Cookies for Everyone (click to purchase)

FORTUNE COOKIES FOR EVERYONE! by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Colleen Kong-Savage, Published by Red Comet Press

Makoto Hagiwara| Inventor of Fortune Cookie | Dorktales Storytime Stories for Kids

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1TaM7HjuzY

Fortune Cookies for Everyone book trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9k6aOlMgCc

The Traveling Taco (click to purchase)

Cover Reveal for THE TRAVELING TACO by Mia Wenjen

The Traveling Taco Song created by Daria – World Music for Children

https://youtu.be/KWTuCwbWLXs

We Sing From the Heart (click to purchase)

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

Dorktales Storytime Podcast: Simon Tam featured in We Sing From the Heart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlDdwUZpcNI

FOOD FOR THE FUTURE (click to purchase)

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

Food for the Future Song created by Daria – World Music for Children

https://youtu.be/uTw6y3EjeOA

SUMO JOE (click to purchase)

Sumo Joe cover reveal

CHANGING THE GAME (click to purchase)

Changing the Game: Asian Pacific American Female Athletes by Mia Wenjen

Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime! (click to purchase)

Cover Reveal: Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime!

3rd Newton Children’s Book Festival 2026//NEW Venue!!

Save the Date for the 3rd Annual Newton Children's Book Festival 2026!

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How To Coach Girls by Mia Wenjen and Alison Foley

ebook Version has 3 bonus chapters (click to purchase)

How To Coach Girls ebook

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Recent Posts

  • Thank you to Publisher Spotlight for Interviewing Me! June 10, 2026
  • Storytime celebrating moms and mental health with Lisa Varchol Perron and Monica Acker June 8, 2026
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