As far as I can remember, television has been alternately used and vilified as a babysitting tool. Educational programs aside, which hardly anyone watches, you have to admit that it’s much easier to tell a child to watch or play something on-screen instead of finding other forms of distraction or amusement, if not for the concern of the long-term effects of screen-based interactions on cognitive function. That children “must” be constantly entertained is another matter of discussion, but either way, there’s certainly no harm in turning to arts and crafts, which shouldn’t be something found only at play-school.
Not only
When I Was a Child I Read Books
by Mackenzie M. April 27th, 2012 | New Releases
Marilynne Robinson, well-known author of books such as Housekeeping, Gilead, and Home, made the New York Times' Best Books list again this month with her new collection of essays, When I Was a Child I Read Books. She has described this latest project as a collection of essays that are very personal and critical. Robinson’s analysis of her own thoughts and behaviors makes for an incredibly interesting read. She bends the ideas of what feelings and behaviors we think of as “normal” and weaves a personal tale of breaking everyday emotional and personal rules.
In the book, Robinson looks upon
In the book, Robinson looks upon
Stan and Jan Berenstain
by Louise April 26th, 2012 | Authors, Children's
Stan and Jan Berenstain, the authors and illustrators of The Berenstain Bears, were quite the duo. The couple met in 1941 during their first day of class at the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art. Due to World War II, the couple was separated for a numberof years, but were reunited and married in 1946. In the early 1960s, they decided to write for young children, coming up with a family of bears as the main characters. Their first story, titled Freddy Bear's Spanking, wound up on the desk of Theodor Geisel (better known as Dr. Seuss), who was
The Lucky One
by T Akery April 23rd, 2012 | Fiction
The Lucky One is a Nicholas Sparks novel that has been turned into a movie. The storyline is classic Sparks. If you are a fan, you will probably like the book. However, it is not one of his best books on the market. It has been out awhile, so you can easily find this one at the library.
The story is about an Iraq war soldier who stumbles upon a photograph of a girl. His clues to her identity are the picture itself and the message on the back. But there is no time to investigate the picture's origins as
The story is about an Iraq war soldier who stumbles upon a photograph of a girl. His clues to her identity are the picture itself and the message on the back. But there is no time to investigate the picture's origins as
Author Profile: Andrew Clements
by Kaitlin April 20th, 2012 | Authors, Young Adults
When encouraging a love of books in young readers, sometimes it can be hard to get them excited about the stories. Series like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games help captivate young audiences with tales of adventure and magic, but sometimes they can be too dark for young readers, and they are also a lengthy commitment. I discovered Andrew Clements back when I was in his target audience age range, and found his one-shot novels to be light, fun reads that, despite the lack of supernatural or overbearing themes, can still connect to young readers.
The characters in Clements' novels are pretty normal
The characters in Clements' novels are pretty normal
