The Conductor is the kind of children's book I've always adored having in our collection; it's richly illustrated, with a story that kids can appreciate in different ways at different ages. It's got another aspect I happen to like a lot …
If you're a bibliophile like me, then you know that nothing smells as good as an old book. Age, ink, paper, maybe a dash of cracked leather cover. But we've discovered a gorgeous trio of classics with a redesign so spectacularly beautifu…
My middle son loves graphic novels. They really get him excited about reading, and I'm certainly down with that. I want him to excitedly pick out a book from the library and read it on the ride home. So he about nearly flipped when we sa…
I have no idea how missed the huge fact that a new book from Shel Silverstein was released a few weeks ago, especially considering he's my favorite modern children's author of all time. But my mother knew. And when I opened the mysteriou…
My daughter is turning 3 next month and is starting to outgrow her naps! I am trying to enforce quiet time on the days she won't nap, and someone gave me the idea of letting her listen to audio books as her quiet time activity. I was hop…
When I was assigned to check out a pregnancy journal for Cool Mom Picks, I jokingly responded that I'd do it as long as I didn't have to get pregnant. Well, here I am (no, not pregnant!) flipping through Embrace: A Pregnancy Journal and …
After our local Border's bookstore closed, I became a bit "woe is me" about the future of books. I'm one of those people who just can't imagine sitting down my kids for a bedtime story with my iPad in my lap. So, I'm rejoicing over this …
Some books are like cut flowers: I get them, enjoy them, and forget about them. But some books are like lawns, like rich green grass that I want to cultivate and nurture and wiggle between my toes every Spring . Okay, maybe just the firs…
As a child of the 80's, Soliel Moon Frye and I go way back. I have a glorious memory of dressing up as Punky Brewster for Halloween one year, which involved mainly pig tails and lots of bandanas. Her character was so bold and confident a…
It is rare to find a book that all three of my boys can enjoy together. With such varied interests, I long for something captivating (and non-electronic) that has the ability to sustain their attention long enough for me to take a shower…
The more books my kids own, the more bookends they need to keep them from falling (on me) every time I straighten up the shelves. But do you know how expensive kids bookends can be? It's actually kind of surprising. We're talking $100 an…
My interest in politics has ebbed and flowed over the years, but since I've become a mother, public policy has taken on a whole new personal relevance for me. I've got three kiddos whose futures will be affected by the decisions of polit…
The Winnie the Pooh movie hitting theaters today promises to be a sweet mix of old and new, combining classic Pooh animation with a few new voices-- like Craig Ferguson as Owl. The overall idea is to charm Pooh fans of all ages with a ti…
Recently, my daughter asked why a friend's two year-old brother couldn't "act like a cow" without saying moo. I explained that animal sounds are the first way that children start to understand how to define animals. And that's why every …
I'll just say it: I'm not a self-help book kind of person. Spousonomics arrived in the mail and languished on my desk for months; because, really, a book about using economics to master love and marriage? Ooooookay. But then one day I st…
I've never been a big fan of personalized books. Books on their own can be so magical - why would I need my child worked into the plot somehow? There are a few personalized books for kids that we've reviewed that do the job beautifully, …
I say we all need more poetry in our lives, but poetry so often seems to be one of those tricky things, like an exotic fruit. You enjoy it when you come across it, but it's not part of your regular consumption, especially when you are a …
Pam Allyn knows books, and she knows boys; she also knows, as a literacy expert, that for a variety of reasons, our boys are more vulnerable to being left behind academically and succumbing to undesirable behaviors if they're not profici…
If you have daughters, if you know daughters, if you have ever bought a single Disney Princess gift for someone else's daughters, you simply must read Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches From the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Cul…
Here in Atlanta where I live, the weather has been nice since the beginning of March, which means my kids have already exhausted Hide n' Seek, Freeze Tag, and two entire boxes of sidewalk chalk. So when I saw this book when I was at the …
Just in time for Earth Day on April 22, a new book weaves together all the intricate threads --biology, climate, culture, economics, evolution, food, history, and politic -- that combined, makes up the rich tapestry of our world. And it …
I've been a long time reader of Meagan Francis' blog The Happiest Mom , not only because any mom of five who can string together coherent sentences has my utter respect, but because her straightforward, friendly, and non-judgmental appro…
My heart skips a beat when a new shelter magazine arrives in the mail, but ten minutes of flipping through the pages usually leaves me wanting more. The houses are too perfect, too expected and too completely out of touch with my life an…
March 2 was National Read Across America Day, which is in honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday, which I know because Thing 1 and Thing 2 were spotted around my town in bright blue wigs and matching t-shirts. And while I make it a point to read …