I read 39 books in 2018 in Goodreads’ Annual Reading Challenge. Here are my 10 favorites.
Now that my kids are teens (sniff) and need less handholding to get through every second of the day, I’m trying to read more books instead of spending all my “down time” reading Facebook updates or watching Netflix. So at the start of 2018, I joined...
Holden Caulfield, Luna Lovegood, and your dad: How to win a chance to name a character in an upcoming novel from a big author.
Still trying to figure out that perfect, one-of-a-kind gift for that very, very special book lover in your life? Then hop on over to the Literature Lovers’ Holiday Auction by December 20. There, you can bid to win an incredible gift for someone on your holiday...
14 magnificent children’s and YA books for Hispanic Heritage Month
September means new backpacks and football kickoff and pumpkin spice latte month (*insert eyeroll), but mid-month, September is also became Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15). So we put together some of our very favorite children’s and YA...
9 clever, cool kids’ tees for book lovers | Back to School Guide 2018
We of course love t-shirts for our kids featuring their favorite superheroes, pop culture references, rock bands, and athletes. And our kids love them too. But there’s something extra special about the t-shirts that show the world who our kids are, and not just...
10 growth mindset books for kids that challenge them to try harder and think bigger
Failure is hard for kids, but it’s essential to their growth. That’s why teaching growth-mindset for kids has become so popular lately in parenting circles. Parents are increasingly moving away from helicoptering (yay!) and instead, giving their kids the...
6 inspiring new memoirs that entertain, inspire, educate, and open eyes.
I love a good novel, but there’s just something special about memoirs. Seeing how other people use the raw material of their lives — whether chaotic or painful or just unusual — to create a story fascinates me completely. And for those of you fellow...
Why we need libraries: Twitter claps back against a truly stupid op-ed
It was only a week or so ago that I was reading Carolines article about 20 free summer activities for kids, and thinking how wonderful that there were so many mentions of various events at local libraries. And then this morning, I laughed as I stumbled upon a a poorly...
A new middle grade page-turner that’s full of wonder and magic | Sponsored Message
This is a sponsored message from Linden Tree Press Fans of Lemony Snicket are going to love Casper and Jasper and the Terrible Tyrant, the witty, zany and thrilling new middle grade novel from author and former middle-school teacher, Tilia Klebenov Jacobs. And who...
6 children’s books to read during Asian and Pacific Island heritage month. Beyond Moana.
Did you know May is Asian and Pacific Island Heritage Month? Honestly, I didn’t either until this week. And even though we don’t hear much about it in our news feeds — or maybe, because we don’t hear much about it — I thought it would be...Hi! We’re Kristen + Liz!
We started Cool Mom Picks in 2006 to help make life cooler, easier, more organized, more meaningful, and more fun for parents of all kinds.
Trivia: It was called Cool Mom Sh*t for the first two days. (Yeah, we rethought that.)
We had no idea our site would grow to become a major lifestyle network, that we'd end up sharing our finds with the TODAY Show and Martha Stewart, that we'd be able to make a real difference for so many small businesses and women-run companies, or that we'd end up with an incredible community of the coolest readers on the planet. (If we do say so ourselves).
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