Tag: children

Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys

Wild Things is a fabulous manual for rearing boys. Authors James and Thomas first explain the fives stages of a boy’s development, and then detail how parents can help their sons grown through these stages to become strong, confident, capable men. Each section is replete with examples of how a boy may act in each… Continue reading Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys

I’m Outnumbered!

Laura Lee Groves celebrates all the reasons that boys — for all their wild, crazy, messy, rambunctious ways — are a wonderful blessing to parent. She does not gloss over the challenges, and her book is, in fact, full of excellent ideas for handling the challenges as they arise (and even for forestalling a few… Continue reading I’m Outnumbered!

Real Solutions for Busy Moms: Your Guide to Success and Sanity, by Kathy Ireland

While there is some good information in here, I really was expecting better, especially as a I am a fan of Kathy Ireland. Being widely read in the field of parenting literature, perhaps I am jaded — or overexposed. Perhaps for a new mom of a younger generation, this book would be useful as a… Continue reading Real Solutions for Busy Moms: Your Guide to Success and Sanity, by Kathy Ireland

The Spider and the Fly, by Mary Howitt

Here is a really creative re-telling of  the 1800s poem “Will you come into my parlour, said the spider to the fly.” The artwork (by DeTerlizzi) is fantastic…dark, but very detailed and full of forewarning of the fate that the little fly, dressed like a flapper of the ’20s, is sure to suffer if she… Continue reading The Spider and the Fly, by Mary Howitt

Is My Child Overtired?, by Will Wilkoff

This book is of great importance and relevance to all parents. The section on the sleep needs of teens is highly informative, as is chapter 12, “It Takes a Well-Rested Parent….” Studies show that most children and a large number of adults are sleep-deprived. Sleep deprivation causes irritability, health problems, and difficulty making decisions, among… Continue reading Is My Child Overtired?, by Will Wilkoff

Dangerous Island, by Helen Mather-Smith Mindlen

This is an excellent chapter book for young readers, or a great read-aloud book for the younger set. Three children visiting the New Jersey seaside are cast adrift in the Atlantic Ocean when the raft from which they are fishing pulls its moorings loose in an unusually high tide. Eleven-year-old Frank and his nine-year-old sister… Continue reading Dangerous Island, by Helen Mather-Smith Mindlen

The Man Without a Country, by Edward Everett Hale

This is the deeply moving story of naval lieutenant Phillip Nolan, a young man who lived to regret a rash and passionately spoken oath. For when Nolan, who had fallen under the spell of the treasonous conspirator Aaron Burr, was court-martialed for his part in Burr’s plot, he cursed the United States and avowed that… Continue reading The Man Without a Country, by Edward Everett Hale

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle

I discovered Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle at the age of 12. I fell in love with her, and I am now reading these stories to my 4- and 6- year-old sons. There are four books in the series by Betty MacDonald: Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, Hello Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle’s Farm, and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle’s Magic. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is a… Continue reading Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle

Beginning Books for Early Childhood

The Cat in the Hat and other Dr. Seuss (aka Theo LeSeig and Theodore Geisel) books are some of the best kids’ learning books available. The stories are short, simple, and easy to read. For pre-readers, they make great bedtime stories, with their bright, active pictures and beginning vocabulary. For beginning readers, they are a wonderful… Continue reading Beginning Books for Early Childhood