As your kids get older, you realize you don't have to ply them with gifts or offer extra ice cream at dessert just to be The Cool Parent. (And despite what you may have learned from Amy Poehler in Mean Girls , you don't have to serve the…
What a treat it is to put together our list of the best children's books of 2015. Not that it's easy; we've collectively read hundreds of great kids' books this year -- from cute, sweet board books, to excellent picture books for early r…
We've mentioned before that only 3% of children's books feature characters of color , and there are even fewer that feature kids with special needs. This makes me really sad for the millions of kids out there who want to open up a book a…
Every once in a while, a children's picture book will capture me in a way that I just don't expect it to. The Only Child by Guojing is one that has got me right now. This beautiful story, told only through illustrations, includes a littl…
We love finding new ways to teach our kids about the big, diverse world that extends far beyond the boundaries of their neighborhood and town. And while nothing can replace actually going to the countries themselves, playsets like this o…
This is a sponsored message from GiftLit. You really can't go wrong when you give books over the holidays, but a special way to make your gift keep on giving all year long is a personalized subscription to GiftLit . GiftLit offers more t…
We figured this was a pretty good time to start looking around at some great -- and effective -- books about manners for kids. I'm sure you feel me; my family calendar is already so booked over the next couple months, which means lots of…
This is a sponsored message from I See Me! personalized books. If you're looking for a special, one-of-a-kind gift for your kids this holiday, check out I See Me! personalized books for kids. These award-winning books are a huge hit with…
We're getting close to the holidays, which for many families means road trips with the kids. And there's nothing more fun, right? Hahahahha. I recently did 16 hours in the car with my three kids -- each way -- and lived to tell the tale.…
I admit I'm a sucker for fantastic adult authors who turn their talents towards children's books -- and succeed. See also, Neil Gaiman . It's not an easy task for sure; it's hard to strike a balance between child-appropriate and childish…
With Halloween coming up, I did some browsing at my local library and bookstore to find some creepy books for kids. But, I wanted books that weren't necessarily tied to Halloween so that we could read, enjoy, and be spooked by them all y…
RJ Palacio's Wonder is one of those rare books that simply stays with you for a long time. At least for me and for my daughters, who often bring up this phenomenal YA novel in the course of everyday conversation, and refer back to it whe…
If you want to know how to throw a cool, space-themed party for kids, well we've just done it and we're sharing our most successful ideas here. Having just thrown a NYC launch party for the newest, space-themed title in the highly person…
At very first glance, the cover of the upcoming The Story of Diva and Fle a cues some sort of classic French picture book. And then I scanned down to the author credit: As told & shown by Mo Willems and Tony DiTerlizzi. That's when I kne…
I'm looking at the brand new Olivia for Gymboree collection of girls clothes (6mo-12y) that just launched today, and I must say, it's all pretty darn cute. While I'm not always a fan of kids' cartoon characters all over my children's clo…
I don't know about you, but my kids aren't the most patient people I know. I'm not either, for that matter, but I'm trying. I promise. And I think my kids are too. Still, it's hard for all of us to practice waiting in a world where almos…
We love personalized books for kids , which always make special gifts for the kid who has everything. Also, what child doesn't need more books in his or her library? But now we've discovered a publisher creating personalized books made j…
Our superhero-loving kids are going to leap over a tall building to get their hands on The Superhero Comic Kit , an activity book that gives them the chance to write and illustrate their very own comic books. No super skills required, on…
If you ever pick up a newspaper in front of your children, turn on the news, or even have an adult conversation about the day's events, there's no doubt that they are aware in some way of the tensions, divisiveness and frankly, ugliness,…
My ten-year-old is the kind of kid who is still reading in bed long after his siblings have fallen asleep. But it can be hard to keep up with his pace, and continue finding age-appropriate fantasy and adventure books that tweens like him…
Who doesn't need more coloring books in their lives? Well, okay, if you look in my kids' craft drawer, maybe we don't. But, we do need awesome ones. The cheap, thin, licensed ones can get tossed and we'll replace them with cool, creative…
T he Day the Crayons Quit , written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by the amazing Oliver Jeffers, has been sitting on my kids' bedside table -- and getting read every night at bedtime -- since the day it came home from the bookstore. It…
This past Sunday, August 9, marked one year since the death of Michael Brown and the subsequent uprising in Ferguson, Missouri. Despite the many months that have passed, trying to make sense of the heartbreak and horror of everything tha…
We have no shortage of movie nights in the summer, but I would love to get my kids to crack open their books more often when school isn't in session. And I think I've found a way to encourage them to read more while still keeping movie n…