Sorry, moms and dads, but it’s your job — not the schools’ — to find books to get your kids reading and to make sure they read them…and other great advice by author James Patterson on how to get your child to be a voracious reader.
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Top 10: Strong and Capable Princess Books for Girls (ages 2-16)
Do princesses really need rescuing? Please! I don’t like this message imparted to young girls so, in a perfect world, these are the books I’d read instead to my daughters!
Best Drawing Apps for Kids (ages 2-14)
What are the best iPad and iPhone drawing apps for preschoolers as well as older kids? I checked out some free ones (Scribble Kid and Doodle Buddy) and bought a few (Kids Finger Painter and Drawing Pad) to do a compare and contrast. My favorite is Scribble Kid for its versatility and price. And it saves trees!
Best Dogs in Children’s Books
Dogs try to win your heart much more so than a cat, and these dogs in children’s books have won untold hearts the world over. Even if you are not a dog person, these dogs will convert you! These dogs are either rescuing someone or being rescued, getting kidnapped or preventing robberies, or just a dog-about-town. Please meet some dogs to fall in love with!
Best Math Apps for Kids
I do think that math apps for the iPhone/iPad/iPod are a really fun way to learn and practice math. In some ways, very specific apps like the ones from iDevMath can serve as a private tutor for your child, teaching a concept step by step and provide problems for practice. Other math apps are meant to be really fun and are a way to use gaming to practice math facts. Still others provide an overview, like a Cliff Notes for a math subject. Algebra Boot Camp is not meant to be sexy, but it’s like reading someone’s very good notes for a refresher review. I believe in all of these concepts so I rounded up what I think are the best educational iPad and iPhone apps for kids. Now when your kids use your iPhone, you can feel good about making them math games!
Top 10: Best Beginning Chapter Book Series (ages 6-9)
Dragons and aliens and dinosaurs, oh my! And for girls, there are interesting slightly mischieveous girls to meet as well as cousins who are really sweet. Short chapter book series can often have repetitive plot lines about nothing or language that is neither rich nor interesting. There is something special about each of these book series for the child AND the adult reading along.
Top 100: Truly and Honestly, Best Children’s Picture Books Ever!
This list is from Children’s Book Guide titled Top 100 Children’s Books of all Time. It really is the best list of picture books EVER! It made a little sad as I went through this list. On the one hand, I did manage to read most of these books to my three kids. On the other hand (the sad part), my youngest is almost too old for these books. I think we have another year or so, and then he’s pushing on into chapter books. Another era closed, I suppose, just like diapers to potty training and preschool to elementary school and beyond.