The San Diego Zoo Centennial Celebration is in Full Swing! See what’s new at the San Diego Zoo! From its humble beginnings when Dr. Harry Wegeforth was inspired to bring a zoo to San Diego, to what is now a top attraction for family fun in Southern California, the San Diego Zoo has led the pack in […]
9 Books for Tween Boys My Kid Says Your Kids Should Read!
Ah, summer: the time when summer reading lists swarm, and compete with summer fun bucket lists for internet saturation. Here’s the thing: those book lists are usually compiled by moms. Here are 9 books for tween boys that are recommended by one of their own! I asked my 12-year-old son Jefferson to give me a list of his Top […]
3 Reasons You Should Never Set a Reading Timer for Your Kids
I have a ton to say on the topic of reading and how we’re ruining it for our kids, but I’ll keep it short today with 3 huge reasons you should never set a timer when your kid reads. Not even if his teacher tells him to. Not even if she sends home a fancy Pinteresting […]
Beyond The Jungle Book: How to Introduce Rudyard Kipling to Your Kids
Disney’s live action The Jungle Book pounces into theaters April 15th! Jon Favreau promises a closer interpretation of the text this time around (not that I have anything against the 60s classic), so that gives every American kid 3 months to finish the book. You probably know that besides The Jungle Book, Rudyard Kipling also […]
The Best Disney Book You’ve Never Read
You think you know Disney. You’ve watched—or at least heard, as you worked while your kids watched—every Disney movie at least a dozen times, or, in the case of Frozen, as regularly as you brush your teeth. You can spell supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. I’ll wait while you quiz your kids. If you pick 10 toys at random from […]
Great Books for BIG Kids to Read Over Christmas Vacation
“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.” Walt Disney Here are some ideas for books to read on Christmas vacation, and the reason why reading shouldn’t stop when school lets out for winter break. [Affiliate links in this post are for your convenience and offer free 2-day shipping […]
Free Homeschool Planner: How Kids Can DIY Homeschool When Mom Is Busy!
This post promotes affiliate links. It’s the most wonderful time of the year! I moved last month and that craziness doesn’t play well with my goal to be totally organized for Christmas this year. My heart says put up The Tree! And my head says, um…have you SEEN your bedroom? Yes, my heart looks like Joy and […]
How to Teach Vocabulary with Great Books! The Hardy Boys 1: The Tower Treasure
Do you want your kids to have a rich, expressive vocabulary? Sure you do! There’s really only one way to ensure your kids can easily pluck le mot juste from their magnificent brains at will: read Great Books to them! Take a good, hard look at your kids’ book lists from school: do you see […]
We’re Killing Cultural Literacy for Kids! The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – Robert Louis Stevenson
Cultural Literacy is collective consciousness—the common body of knowledge shared within a culture. For me, that culture is the good old U.S. of A.! Cultural Literacy is our shared experience. If you grew up in America in the 80s like I did, you can reasonably assume that everyone around your age you meet today made a trail […]
