The book in my seat pocket on my recent US Airways flight (which we were encouraged to take) was Lucy Cousin’s “Come Fly with Maisy!”
I’ve never really taken to the Maisy books (or the TV show) but all of my children have enjoyed them, and this book is no exception.  “Come Fly with Maisy!” features Charley, Cyril, Maisy, Tallulah and the gang as they learn about various methods of transportation including trains, horses and rockets.
As with most Maisy books, “Come Fly with Maisy!” is interactive.  At the front of the book, each set of pages features a question and a group …read more

Dress like an Ashley and win a $500 gift certificate to Limitedtoo.com.
To enter, download the entry form PDF on the web site and fill in your name, address, age, and favorite Ashleys character and mail your entry to us at Simon & Schuster Ashleys Sweepstakes, Attn: Kelly Stocks, 1230 Avenue of the Americas , New York, NY 10020.
The contest began on December 31, 2007. Entries must be postmarked by March 31, 2008 and received by April 10, 2008.
One entry per person. Entries are restricted to those between the ages of 9 and 17.
For more information, you can …read more

It’s Valentine’s Day!
Throughout the day, I’m going to try and post some trailers from movies (taken from books) that are romantic in some way.
First up, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. It’s not a classic romance – more about friendship than love – but has some lovely moments. I’m including it first as a nod to the sequel (you can find the trailer to the sequel here).

A movie based on the best selling children’s book series, The Spiderwick Chronicles, is set to hit movies theatres on February 14.
The fantasy fiction books are the brainchild of authors Tony Diterlizzi and Holly Black. The series – about a family of children who move to the frightening Spiderwick Estate, was picked up by Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing in 2003.
In the film, the children, Simon, Jared and Mallory, discover a field guide to Faeries. They quickly learn that some of the faeries are good and some of the faeries are, well, not so good.
There …read more

“Get young black people to read more.”
That was the goal, according to Harry Dawson, an English teacher at Seton Hall Prep, when he first read Troy CLE’s The Marvelous Effect.
The Marvelous Effect is the first installment in a fantasy book series by author Troy CLE (a/k/a Troy Tompkins). The book features a young African-American kid from East Orange, New Jersey, who finds himself in a whirlwind of fantasy adventure in his inner city neighborhood.
Troy grew up in a rough neighborhood in East Orange. He had trouble finding books with characters who were like him and his friends, so …read more

Of course, you’re thinking green, I’m sure.
But one of the interesting things about How The Grinch Stole Christmas is that the illustrations in the original version of the book were actually quite plain.  In fact, the illustrations inside the book only came in three colors.  Any guesses as to the three?

Sweden’s best-known author, Astrid Lindgren, would have turned 100 years old this month (she was born November 14, 1907).
Lindgren was best known for her series of books about Pippi Longstocking; only the first three books were full length novels. The first, aptly titled Pippi Longstocking, was published in 1945. The first of a slew of movies about Pippi aired in 1949. Here’s the opening sequence of the English version:

To celebrate Astrid’s birthday, throughout the day, just for fun, I’ll be posting Pippi quotes and trivia. Keep checking by.
In the meantime, what was your favorite Pippi …read more

It’s a compelling question.  In response to criticisms that the intent of the book, The Golden Compass (soon to be aired on the big screen), was to promote atheism or anti-Catholicism, author Philip Pullman had this to say:
In the world of the story — Lyra’s world — there is a church that has acquired great political power, rather in the way that some religions in our world have done at various times, and still do (think of the Taliban in Afghanistan). My point is that religion is at its best — it does most good — when it is …read more

Earlier in the month, I indicated that I wanted to talk about traditions. Last night, I was reminded of the importance of traditions and routines in our household.
First, a disclaimer. I am a busy mom. I work, I volunteer, I blog and I have three children ages 5 and under – as well as a dog and a husband (I’ll let you guess which one is the most trouble). There’s a lot going on in my house. While we strive for some semblance of order, I will be the first to admit that bedtime …read more

I mentioned earlier in the month that I planned to focus on traditions for November… And what is more traditional than Mother Goose?
Mother Goose’s Little Treasures is a compilation of nursery rhymes by Iona Opie and beautifully illustrated by Rosemary Wells.  Each page is a snippet of charming rhymes accompanied by rich, wonderful watercolor drawings.  Even the fonts are endearing.
My favorite of the rhymes, just because it was fun to say, is “Intery, Mintery.”  Here it is:
Intery, mintery, cuttery, corn,
Apple seed and briar thorn,
Wire, briar, limber lock,
Five geese in a flock.
Sit and sing by a spring -
“o-u-t and in again.”
A …read more