In keeping with our theme this week…exploring your local area, investigate what your library is offering.  You and your children may be delighted at what you discover.

Summer reading programs at local libraries offer youngsters fun and reading encouragement.  Our library, the Pease Public Library in Plymouth, NH, has excited young readers for many years.  I’m always impressed by what is planned for youngsters and the community.  Also, the children receive prizes, donated by local businesses,  for the number of books they read during the summer.

Image: sxc.hu

Even, though my grandchildren are too old (high school and college age when the programs are geared for pre-school through grade 8), we do attend some of the family programs…movies, entertainers and projects.

I’ve taken Kara and Alex to these summer reading programs since they were in pre-school.  Then when I was no longer needed to help, I enjoyed the evening reading and using my laptop while I waited.

Visit your library and those in neighboring towns. We still check out many books and movies throughout the summer and enjoy them at home.

When discussing books with a children’s school librarian, I mentioned Twilight and the fact that so many youngsters are fascinated by Stephenie Meyer’s books.  The librarian said that the series becomes a little more risqué in the subsequent books.  So at that school, they limited the reading to Twilight, unless the student had written permission from the parents.

This was considered an appropriate policy, especially since students as young as fourth grade wanted to check out these books.  This gave the parents input into their children’s reading selections.

This raises some interesting questions:

Do you think a school should limit a student’s reading material unless he/she has parental approval?

Do you like the fact that a school will check with a parent first?

Do you think the school or librarian should simply let children of any age read whatever books are in the library?

As a mother and grandmother, I like the idea that I’d be consulted and give input into my child’s reading matter.  What do you think?

(Image: Pop Culture Graphics at Amazon)

BalletGirl came home today very excited about that bag she was carrying, it had all types of treasures inside. What was in the bag? Books. If you or if she is anything like me, you will learn that a book can transport you to a new world, time, place in a matter of pages. If it is a good book it can grab you the moment you begin to wait. Now that she is older I see her picking more books that are actually familiar to me. Do you recognize any of the books below?

IMG: Amazon.com

Summer Reading Books:
Scary Stories: More Tales to Chill Your Bones by Alvin Schwartz
Fairies: Cook Book By Barbara Beery
The Kids’ Book of Chocolate By Richard Ammon
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Always Wear Clean Underwear! by Marc Gellman
Franny K. Stein: Mad Scientist by Jim Benton
The Shivers in the Fridge by Manushkin
How the Second Grade Got $8,205.50 to Visit the Statue of Liberty by Nathan Zimelman
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
Falling Up by Shel Silverstein

How many of you remember poems by Shel Shiverstein? I also remember Franny K Stein and the Wimpy Diaries as her brother checked them out just a year or two ago. Course I didn’t like her comment, “Mom you know these books right?” In reference to Shel’s, “Yeah why?” She kind of shrugged and replied, “They just looked old, like classics.” OUCH.

“Lizzie’s mom wouldn’t let her read certain books, so she kept them in her locker at school and read them anyway,” my daughter shared with me about her friend years later. 

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 ”These weren’t ‘bad’ books,” Beth continued, “only books Lizzie’s mom thought didn’t go along with their religion.”

We had always read to and with Beth when she was younger and encouraged her love of books.

 I didn’t restrict the books Beth read.  Instead, when she was in high school, she shared with me, and we discussed why or why I didn’t think they were appropriate.  I thought I needed to teach her how to make judgments about her reading, movie and television (now Internet) watching before she was on her own.  If I said, “No,” to specific books, they might have more appeal.  Also, she’d read them anyway, as Lizzie did.

 Do you check on the books your children are reading and limit some of them?  Or do you feel, that as they grow older, they will read these books anyway.  So you need to teach them how to make good decisions?

Recently, there was a discussion on one of my online children’s author groups  (I’m a children’s author, as well as blogger) about children’s chapter books dealing with death.  Most of them are slated for young readers,  6-9 years old.

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I thought I’d pass this information along in case parents, grandparents and others would find this list of interest for reference.  Some books deal with death of a family member or friend; others are about the death of a pet.

• Remembering Mrs. Rossi by Amy Hest
• Love You, Soldier by Amy Hest
• Because of Winn Dixie
• Each Little Bird That Sings
• Sarah Plain and Tall
• The Higher Power of  Lucky
• Carolina Harmony
• Julia’s Kitchen
• The Tenth Good Thing About Barney
• Blackberries in the Dark by Mavis Jukes, about a boy visiting his grandmother after the death of his grandfather
• Sun & Spoon by Kevin Henkes
• Saying Goodbye to Grandma by Jane Resh Thomas
• Some of Us Survived: The Story of an Armenian Boy by
  Kerop Bedoukian,  an eyewitness account of the Armenian Genocide
  written from the author’s point of view when he was 8 years old.
• The Road from Home by David Kherdian  is the true story how Kherdian’s mother and  family were annihilated and driven from their historic homeland during the Genocide.

Do you have any to suggest that you think are particularly good at helping youngsters…and adults?

My grandson, now in 8th grade, has been interested in robotics since he was 7-years old.  As a first grader,  he would go to the resource section of the school library and find books about robots and creating them.

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He and his grandfather tried some initial robotic activities and his interest continues.  I’ve begun to explore this area more in depth to stimulate Grandson’s interest.  A friend’s son entered into a robotics competition recently.  Another friend’s nephew is majoring in robotics at college.

Robotics is the wave of the future for youngsters now and as they grow up? As parents and grandparents, let’s help them explore this area for future careers and interest.

Some books to consider:

Robot Building for Beginners by David Cook

Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Building Robots by Gareth Branwyn

Programming Microsoft Robotics Studio by Amy Morgan

The LEGO Mindstorms NXT Idea Book

Recycling or trading books constitutes the “in thing” for Earth Day in one of the schools where I substitute teach.  The youngsters and teachers bring  used books to the school where they are sorted by grade level.

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Then each child can select a book or books to take home, the number depending on how many are received in each age group.   This is one way to recycle books and provide great reading for youngsters and teachers.

What other activities are you involved in for Earth Day…as parents,  a family, home schooling parents, or at your school?

I remember when I was a little girl, I received a personalized book that had ME in the story. It was so cute and I felt so special. Yournovel.com is a similar concept for adults. They created personalized romance novels featuring you and your partner.

Yournovel.com offers 25 novels in settings including exotic Caribbean islands, a cruise ship, dude ranch and ski lodges. There’s historical fiction and a detective novel, too.

Yournovel.com’s paperbacks range from 150-190 pages and cost $49.95; hardbacks range from 200-230 pages and cost $94.95. Photos can be added to the cover for an additional $25.00. Priority shipping and handling is $7.00 in the U.S. or $16.00 on global orders.

Image: yournovel.com

The customized books come in both mild and wild versions. Each book is personalized novel features more than 25 details of the couple crafted from an online questionnaire that includes names, hometown, workplace, friends, favorite music and much more.

You can order online at yournovel.com or by calling (800) 444-3356. Husband and wife founders Kathy M. Newbern and J.S. Fletcher have been creating the novels since they met and fell in love back in 1992.

Right now, we are giving away one of their customized paperback books. To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment on this post. You will be automatically entered into the giveaway, which ends next Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 11:59pm ET.

Thanks to yournovel.com for sponsoring the giveaway.

To learn more about the novels, watch the video below:

Barbara Walter’s Audition:

This book is written from the dry, poker-faced stance of a neutral journalist. Which is great if you’re reporting for 20/20, but it’s not the tone you want to take when you’re reporting your own life. In spite of that it’s a knock-out. Barbara Walters has lived some kind of life. It’s also a first-person view of history as told by someone who was there. By there, I mean, in the room and asking the questions. The first woman in journalism has a personal opinion of our recent history. Oh, and she’s also to blame for first exploiting our interest in sex. She discovered when writing press releases for a PR firm that the public responds to sex in a headline every single time and thus she can be seen as the impetus for the sexualization of the media. Thanks Barbara.

Sex and the City, The Movie:

Trendy fashion went overboard when the ladies look like clowns by the time the DVD comes out. I confess I watched this movie with my husband, so I may have been more willing to see how ridiculous the uber-fashion was but, seriously - since when are shoulder pads and 80s power suits back? It’s like every fashion designer who bought product placement in the movie barfed all over these four.

Samantha Jones has to be the epitome of SAD and pathetic. When she leaves the one guy who can tolerate her self-absorption and celebrates her 50th birthday alone so she can screw it was a sad, sad moment in feminist pop culture. That’s powerful? No. Happy women have grandchildren at 50 or 60. Monogamous sex only gets better cause you stop pretending you’re the star of a porno movie.

Carrie Bradshaw is a complete idiot. You’re SURPRISED that Mr. Big screwed you over on your wedding day cause he’s commitment phobic? Really? Where have you been? Meanwhile Aiden is the perfect father of 4 working on his craft and spending time with his wife. You get what you settle for - reduced to a 3rd wife’s wedding dress in Cinderella’s shoes. Please see my article Cinderella Could Have Saved Herself. Let me add - by not marrying a selfish dick.

I enjoyed the story-lines of Charlotte and Miranda Hobbs. Charlotte pooping her pants was the only parts that made me laugh out loud.

New Moon & Eclipse:

I hated the first book, Twilight, because I thought it was a great description of battered wife syndrome rather than “true love.” Everyone kept saying “read the next books, you’ll see.” So I tried. But, 3 pages in the sentimental crappola distortion of love and exaggerated teenage angst made me decide, “I don’t have time to read bad romance novels no matter how fast they are flying off the shelves.” I’m over it.

Running With Scissors:

My friend said this was a great movie so I put it on my Netflix. Annette Bennening was fun to watch. But, it was depressing. I used to watch depressing movies over and over, but then I realized it only made me . . . depressed. I need no extra downers in my life. I turned it off and watched E’s Sunday lineup of sexed-up reality television - which was no less depressing. So I went to bed with a good book.

One Fifth Avenue

Like the original Sex and the City book, this one was written by Candace Bushnell. This is a good book. It’s interesting and fun and light and entertaining. Only, unlike when I was younger and books like this made me want to seek my fortune in New York City - this one makes me want to never, ever live there again. Was New York always as shallow as L.A. and I just thought it had more depth?

A Return to Love: Reflections on a Course in Miracles

This is the best book I’ve ever read on what Love really is. It presents true love as a miracle. A gift from God. A gift to ourselves. A gift to the world. A gift to each other. It also presents love as a battle against the ego and it says love is really hard work worth doing. If you’re looking for a soulful meditation on true love - skip the juvenile romance crap of Stephanie Meyers and read this book.

This is a Blogtoberfest Post.

Leave a comment guessing what I’m giving away on this post to enter to win. A random winner will be awarded this fantastic surprise one week from today.

I’m giving something away every day for two weeks straight, subscribe to Blog Fabulous (RSS button at top, share at bottom) so you don’t miss any Christmas hoarding opportunities (see our cool list of prizes here.

Ever have days like this: Everyone seems annyoying? Nothing motivates you? The whole world seems unremarkable? You’re even unimpressed with yourself?

Today was one of those days for me–I felt invisible…business was a little slow–it was sooo bloody hot. And–yet again–NOone was answering my e-mails…I didn’t even want to deal with clients…I was in heavy phone-screen mode.

I decided to get out of my office and go shopping. I didn’t really want to buy anything…I just wanted to roam around the mall, alone — just to avoid engaging with anyone.

So much so–I even lied to the girl at the Clinique counter when she asked what I used to wash my face. “My dermatologist has me use something special”, I muttered. That shut her up…no tedious sales pitch to smile through, one less person to talk to.

What am I saying, I do that very thing to clients all day long!

Next, it was off to the jewelry store to get my wedding ring polished. Excellent. I’d accpmplished something and didn’t have to spend a dime.

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