It's become devastatingly clear that not everyone recognizes Haiti as the naturally beautiful, culturally rich, nation that it is. Not to mention a resilient one, as we commemorate the 8-year anniversary today of the massive Port-au-Prin…
This is my favorite recurring post every year on Cool Mom Picks, in which we collect all the best children's books of 2017 lists from all over the internet -- from big publications like the New York Times to our favorite indie bloggers w…
The truth is, we want to give a shout out to the many wonderful children's authors this year who dedicated their energies to supporting, uplifting, and empowering girls -- and to those publishers who gave them the opportunity. But the on…
It's been a tough year for women, but we're convinced that the future is female , and that includes 2018. So in the spirit of sisterhood , supporting the work of more diverse voices, and in general, just discovering something new and won…
Since the introduction to Harry Potter 20 years ago (wha-aa?) I can't think of a children's book that's resonated with so many kids and adults as RJ Palacio's Wonder . It's made my own daughters' lists of Favorite Books Ever, and they ad…
Our local bookstore has a kids' section that's a swath of red and green right now. But books like Clifford's Christmas or It's a SpongeBob Christmas are not my first choices. (You guys, I totally just made up those titles in my head, sea…
Over the last few months I've received a stack of advance review novels that's now literally taller than I am. But from the pile of books, three great middle-grade novels in particular have caught my attention. Each explores themes of ju…
I'm not going to pull punches here; like a lot of parents, I'm concerned about so many American kids growing up in an age where the normalization of a lot of really awful stuff -- hatred, bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia, mass shootings -- …
Let's be honest, middle school sucks in more ways than we can count. Which is probably why so many of us relate to the plight of outsider-turned-insider-turned-outsider-again heroines like Cady Haron of Mean Girls , Heathers ' Veronica S…
The 2017 National Book Awards have just been announced, in time for those crisp autumn nights cuddling up with a good book. And while you should check out all the finalists in the fiction and nonfiction categories, we're sharing the Youn…
Earlier this week, I was introduced to the story of Cambridge, MA librarian Liz Phipps Soeiro, who graciously and thoughtfully declined to accept a box of Dr. Seuss books sent to her by Melania Trump as they were to a number of other hig…
We first spotted Lovelane Designs' amazing superhero capes on Etsy a few years ago and became instantly obsessed. In fact, we've featured them in more than one gift guide for kids over the years. That said, the quality and handmade desig…
The moment The Force Awakens movie introduced me to Rey , I wanted to know more. Who was this young brave scavenger? Where was her family? What is in that green portion bread she's eating? Luckily for fans like me, there's a new Star War…
Back when I first discovered Dave Eggers, I never would have thought that he'd turn out to be one of the beloved children's authors on my kids' bookshelves . But he's certainly cemented that honor with the new Her Right Foot , an equally…
One of my kids' favorite go-to activities for road trips on holiday weekends are sticker activity books . Because it's hard to argue with good old-fashioned fun. They're simple and affordable -- and they keep my kids busy for a good hour…
Coming across the Modern HERstory book fundraising effort from Equality for HER founder Blair Imani's Twitter feed this week, I was immediately like YES YES YES! Related: Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls is back, more inspiring than eve…
As a new mom to a 4-month-old boy, I look at my rare lounge chair time to lie back and crack a novel a rare indulgence -- and necessary sanity-saver. Happily, I've found some of the very coolest literary tote bags for all the readers and…
There's no denying that the massive success of The Woman's March on January 21, 2017, marked it as an historic day in our country, the world and the continuation of a long history of boss ladies making our voices heard. So I was so excit…
Lately, as my kids are getting older and the world has gotten (ahem) a little crazier, my 10- and 12-year-old have been questioning what's going on. I chat with them about my own observations and beliefs...and ask them about theirs. But …
Beach reads are one of the greatest things about summer -- whether or not you actually make it to the a beach. To help you find your next great literary escape, I checked out the top 10 most-read books on Amazon this week a new list they…
We discovered the cool parent-run company that creates personalized Lost My Name books for kids nearly four years ago, and became instant fans. From the gorgeous art to the compelling story, and the clever customization that makes every …
From Brooklyn to beyond! The Well-Read Black Girl Book Club (WRBG), which has been bringing together women of color to celebrate and raise awareness of Black literature, will be hosting its first-ever The Well-Read Black Girl Writers' Co…
Wonder Woman -- let alone an exclusive all-female screening of the Patty Jenkins-directed Wonder Woman movie -- does not frighten the boys and men in my life, and for that I am grateful. I mean, what kid wouldn't want to look up to a bad…
As much as we're looking forward to summer and all of the many kids' activities that come with it, we have to say that it's those long days of no activities that can be most stressful. That's why we made this list of awesome summer activ…