We all have holiday traditions. For the second year in a row, Candace and I have been getting into the spirit of the season on Mamanista with our 12 Days of Giveaways. At home, we’ve both been counting down the days until Santa’s arrival with our The Story of Christmas Advent Calendars. This book and advent calendar combo features 24 miniature board […]
Make a Quick and Easy Journal: My Listography
My Listography: My Amazing Life in Lists will inspire children and teens to write their autobiography in list form. Kids can list favorite books, movies, foods, songs, friends, things to do in their free time as well as their dreams for the future and all the jobs they might like to do someday. I wish this book had been […]
Election 2008 Shopping Guide
Presidential elections are a great way to teach your children about the democratic process and U.S. history. The first presidential election I remember was in 1984. I had just turned six, and my parents brought my brother and me with them to the polls. My father let me help him pull the lever to cast his […]
Halloween Children’s Boooooo-ks
Fueled by candy, children’s imagination runs wild at Halloween as they transform themselves into superheroes, animals, monsters, pirates, villains, and fairy tale characters. Feed your children’s imagination with some ghoulishly great books that they’ll enjoy long after they’ve eaten their fill of fun-size Snickers and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. You won’t need to trick your children into reading these lively […]
Start Your Reading Engines…
There’s a lot of talk in education circles about the literacy gender gap. Boys are lagging behind girls in reading and writing. I’ve heard author Jon Scieszka of Guys Read.com on NPR talk about how to close this gap. One of his suggestions for closing the literacy gender gap is encouraging male role models for reading. I love […]
It’s Fun to Be Smart!
My mother was a teacher, so she had a gift for making learning fun. After school and especially on rainy weekend days, we’d do all sorts of enjoyable activities. I realize now that many of these activities were actually educational. But at the time, I just thought of them as “play.” And that’s how learning should […]
Haiku Baby
Sweet Coos and Giggles Poems make my baby happy Buy Haiku Baby Ok…I’m not much of a poet, but Baby Mwah loves Haiku Baby anyway. This board book celebrates the Haiku, a traditional Japanese poetry form, with beautifully-illustrated three line poems about nature. Short, sweet, perfect bedtime reading. Available at Amazon.com.
How to Teach Your Child Tolerance: Create a Global Bookshelf
Even though Baby Mwah is only a few months old, I’ve been pondering the best way to teach him tolerance and respect for other cultures as he grows. I know that one of the best ways is by modeling love and respect for others, but I also did some research about more ways to teach your […]
Not Your Ordinary Personalized Book
Since children love seeing their name in print, there are tons of personalized books on the market. But Baby Mwah recently received a personalized book from Freckle Box that blows away the competition. The “My Name Is” Book by Freckle Box teaches your child how to spell his or her name through stunning personalized images. […]
My Favorite Easter Book
If you’re looking to give your child something more meaningful than jelly bellies and chocolate bunnies this Easter, I recommend my favorite Easter book- The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes. Written in 1939, The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes feels modern and has an empowering message for young girls. All the bunnies aspire to be one […]
