Yesterday I mentioned Steven Caney’s Toy Book as a great source of ideas for homemade kids’ toys. Along the same vein, but with an added bonus, is The Science Explorer by Pat Murphy, Ellen Klages, and Linda Shore of the San Francisco Exploratorium Museum. It’s chock-full of quick, craft-like projects aimed at six- to nine-year-olds, […]
With toy recalls coming faster than a toddler’s diaper changes these days, it seems natural to turn to homemade options for our children’s playthings. One great resource for toy ideas is Steven Caney’s Toy Book. First published in 1972, it was reissued in 1990 and still stands the test of time. Some toys are simple,
The room was dark. “Lumos!” said the witch, and a glowing orb of light illuminated the bookshelves. The woman searched for a few minutes and then cried out in surprise. Behind a well-thumbed, leather-bound volume of Hogwarts: A History and a fraying copy of Parent Hex, was a tome covered in cruelty-free fabric (woven by
I’ve spent much of the past few days reading the U.K. “adult” edition of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. (“Adult” refers only to a difference in jacket cover, not content.) The photo of author J. K. Rowling on the back of the dust jacket, the same one that’s been used in the past, shows
I suspect traffic across the blogosphere will be low today as people lock themselves away to read through Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I thought it would be appropriate, however, to publish a heretofore lost list of charms and spells that came to light only recently when a scholar journeying through King’s Cross Station,
Instead of a cruise-related post today, here’s a book review, originally published in Bay Windows (July 12, 2007). More cruise thoughts and a wrap-up to follow. . . . Carrie Jones’ debut young adult novel, Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend, may at first seem an odd choice for review here. It is not
Many of us bloggers are also avid readers. As parents, however, we are often short of either time or money to maintain our habits. I was thrilled, therefore, to see Sassymonkey at BlogHer point out Best Places to Get Free Books: The Ultimate Guide (a link she in turn got from fellow BlogHer contributing editor
I enjoy finding seasonal books for my son, and was pleased to stumble upon John Segal’s Carrot Soup. In it, Rabbit spends many hours planning and cultivating his carrot garden, only to find that the carrots have vanished right before the harvest. He asks his friends Mole, Dog, Cat, and others if they have seen
Julie Anne Peters is the acclaimed author of numerous books for young adults and children. Several of them have LGBT protagonists, or, in one case, a protagonist with lesbian moms. Her young adult novel Between Mom and Jo is in fact a finalist in this year’s Lambda Literary Awards. Her 2004 book, Luna, about a
I’m always happy when I find new authors who have written books featuring LGBT families. I’m also happy when I find strong straight allies of the LGBT community. Canadian Heather Jopling is both—though in fact, “ally” is too weak a term. She is the author of Ryan’s Mom is Tall, Monika’s Papa Is Tall, and
