I am Groot. Well, these cool, sprouting pencils are.

Thanks to Guardians of the Galaxy, a sentient tree who can only say three--fine, four--words is this summer's coolest superhero. And when I think of how cool these plantable, sprouting pencils will look once they bloom in a pot of soil, …

Thanks to Guardians of the Galaxy, a sentient tree who can only say three--fine, four--words is this summer's coolest superhero. And when I think of how cool these plantable, sprouting pencils will look once they bloom in a pot of soil, all I can think about is baby Groot, dancing. Which means your kids can do their homework with Groot. Sprout pencils are made of sustainably-grown cedar with a special, water-activated seed capsule where the eraser should go. Once your pencil is too short to write with, just follow the included directions to plant it. Soon you'll have a pot of flourishing flowers or herbs or yellow peppers or tomatoes--unless you have a black thumb like me, in which case hand them over to someone you trust to share the basil. Not only are Sprout pencils eco-conscious and made in the USA, but if you buy their Plant the Rainbow pack, they donate $2 to the Kids in Need Foundation, which means you're helping guard the galaxy from illiteracy. We really are Groot. Find Sprout pencils at our Affiliate Amazon, or learn more at the Sprout website. And for more cool back to school supplies, visit our 2014 Back To School Shopping Guide

More in KidsView all picks →

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.

Q&A with children's author Sophie Blackall

Q&A with children's author Sophie Blackall

Cool Mom Picks readers, we are so excited to launch a new series for you. We are obsessed book lovers over here at the CMP headquarters, and we have a particular soft spot for children's books (even though we're moving our kids into coll…