Books

I have not given this much thought, but the idea behind this article is that dads are way under-represented in kids' fiction, save for the famous Hop on Pop. Let me know what you think - we'll even do a contest. Name kids' books with dads who are at least present in the story and extra points if they are positive literary forces.    Where are all the nice, normal … [Read more...] about Why aren’t dads in children’s books?

Scholastic Inc., the children’s publisher of favorites like the Harry Potter, Goosebumps and Clifford series, may be best known for its books, but a consumer watchdog group accuses the company of using its classroom book clubs to push video games, jewelry kits and toy cars.[From Watchdog Group Says Scholastic Is Selling Not Just Books to Children - NYTimes.com] While we like a … [Read more...] about Watchdog Group Says Scholastic Is Selling Not Just Books to Children – NYTimes.com

11 Birthdays is one of my favorite books of 2008.It is the story of a girl named Amanda who always has her birthday with a boy named Leo. For their eleventh birthday they don't have their birthday together. Then, something odd happens: their birthday starts repeating over and over again. Why is this happening? Read this book to find out! This is a great book and a mind-bending … [Read more...] about 11 Birthdays – a good book for 8+ girls

It's kind of gross, but our friend, Howard Bennett, is writing a book on "the gross facts of life." He is quoted in Monday's Washington Post discussing what happens if you drink urine or eat insects. Not exactly cocktail conversation but he hopes topics that will be fun for kids as a way into reading more about science and how the body works. In just this short article, he … [Read more...] about Howard Bennett in the Washington Post