Kids

Brand-new inspiration for your LEGO lovers

Brand-new inspiration for your LEGO lovers
Chances are, if there is a new LEGO anything, my kiddos have heard about it. But buying a new LEGO set every time they want one (read: always) can get expensive. So how do you inspire your kids to keep building with the pieces that they already own? Fortunately, that's where an excellent new book comes in, with novel step-by-step ideas--and big-time inspiration--for the kids' old LEGO stash. Nice. Meet The LEGO Adventure Book, a brick-by-brick guide to building cars, castles and more--with pieces you already own. I'm a visual learner, and written directions usually intimidate me. But this guide is so colorful and clear, you just want to dive into your LEGO stash and make magic happen. The author of the book is a woman, Megan Rothrock, a nice fact to point out to daughters to encourage them to branch out from the more princess-y LEGO fare. Rothrock enlists her friends from around the globe to help her, and holy cow, they are talented folks. My favorite models? The old-fashioned fighter planes and the yellow castle, for sure. My kids have taken to reading the book and then coming up with their own twist on the projects. I love to see their imaginations revved up again--they're even setting up their own Flickr galleries. (Megan, take notice! They are trying to get your attention for the next edition.) The LEGO Adventure Book is available at your local independent bookstore, or at our affiliate, Amazon.

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shannon hale princess in black book and author

Q&A with children’s book author Shannon Hale

Shannon Hale is the bestselling author behind The Princess in Black series. It's a favorite early chapter book series for kids ages 5–8 and boys love it as much as girls do. Her newest book, Princess in Black and the Trick or Treating Trouble, comes out just in time for Halloween. We talked with her about it as part of our Q&A author series and asked about a few of her favorite things too.

Explore Build-a-Bear

Some Not-So-Spooky Fun this Halloween

How can Build-A-Bear be used for Halloween costumes? Let kids create a spooky Build-A-Bear sidekick to incorporate into their costume, which can help the costume be enjoyed beyond Halloween.

Barnes & Noble is already packed with gift-worthy finds

Gifts to get in the bag before December, at Barnes & Noble

Should I start my holiday shopping at Barnes & Noble now? Yes Barnes & Noble already has a broad holiday selection (toys, LEGO, puzzles, games, stationery, advent calendars, and books) so shopping early gives you more options and time.