How To Potty Train Your Monster

How to Potty Train Your Monster may be a new potty training classic. It is a hilarious guide on how to a little monster, but the steps would work for a tot as well. $10.99

How To Steal A Dog by Barbara O'Conner

I picked up the school book fair flyer, and found this hilarious book description:

Ever since Georgina's father left, her family has been living in their car. Desperate to improve their situation, she devises a plan to steal a dog and claim the reward. What happens next is the last thing Georgina expected.

Has the bad economy really come to this, a book that encourages homeless children to steal.

How to Steal A Dog, $6.99

The Szyk Haggadah

Passover will be starting soon, and if you are celebrating you probably have a copy or two of the Haggadah. The Szyk Haggadah is beautiful beyond anything you can imagine (unless your family is lucky enough to own an earlier copy of the masterpiece.) Bay Area antiquarian bookseller, Historicana used modern digital technology to photograph a complete set of the 1940 and used fine art giclee printing so that none of the beauty of the original would be lost. Historicana printed a just 300 copies of the book, which are printed on fine European paper and hand bound in leather and silk.

The book may just be the ultimate family heirloom and has the price tag to prove it...$8,500- $15,000. Maybe you can sell a child or two to pay for a copy. And here is the rest of it.

Little Golden Books

The Central Library of Baltimore is having an exhibition of the original illustrations from the Little Golden Books. If you don't know what a little Golden Book is (which would require living on Mars), they are a classic series of children books launched in 1942. I think every American child since has owned or borrowed at least one. The exhibition will run from 2 March until 9 May.

There was also a book released about the history of the books released to mark the 65th anniversary. Golden Legacy, $26.40.

Other Book Posts
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Petite Picasso

Are you looking for the ultimate way to preserve your little artist artwork. Petite Picasso has a range of custom bound books for the drawings of children. The books range in price from $200 for a book with a linen cover to $650 for a book with a leather cover in a custom box. The base price includes up to fifty works of art.

This would be a great gift for a grandparent's anniversary. Why not have all the grandkids illustrate their grandparent's love story.

The company will also paint a portrait of your child's favorite stuffed animal.

Favorite Posts of 2008- Smith System Gorilla Book Trucks

This would be a fantastic way to store a kid's books and toys. The carts can be purchased in colors to match your decor. But be careful, I used to work in a library. Filled with books, a book cart weighs a ton. $353
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Favorite Posts of 2008- The Family Bible

I remember that as a child my grandmother had a big, leather Bible on a side table. All of a sudden all I want is a family Bible of my own. But what I don't understand is why nice family Bibles are so hard to find. This one is $150.

Tales Of Beedle The Bard Brings In Big Bucks For Charity

JK Rowlings latest book, The Tales of Beedle Bard is a huge money maker. Since the book, a book of wizarding fairy tales that Professor Dumbledore left to Hermoine Granger in his will, was released on 4 December it has raised over £4.2 million ( almost $6.5million). The book sold 2,629,000 copies. It is set to be the fastest selling book of 2008.

The money will go to the Children's High Level Group (CHLG), a charity co-founded by Rowling to help vulnerable children across Central and Eastern Europe.

"I am absolutely delighted that so much money has been raised," Rowling said.

"I would like to thank everyone who has so far purchased a copy of the book.

"All royalties will be going to help children without families, many of them with disabilities, whose voices have been unheard for many years."

The Tales of Beedle the Bard

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Vicky Ceelen

Vicky Ceelen takes amazing photos of babies and animals. Ceelen whose work has appeared in Vogue, GQ, and Elle comes from a family of painters and it shows. She has several books, the most popular of which is Close Friends, which has been published in over two dozen languages. The book mirrors the photos of infants and animals. It would be a great baby gift. $9.95

Little Bird, Little Bird

Just imagine the stories you could make up with this wool felt book by Esthex.

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Despereaux Coming To Big Screen

The Tale of Despereaux is coming to the big screen 19 December. Now my son may finally read the book.
Other Movie Trailer Posts

Obama Reads Twilight To His Daughter

President-Elect Barack Obama truly has a full plate. Revitilize a sinking economy. Energize a nation. Rehabilitate America’s fragile standing in the world. Oh, and get through four “Twilight” books with his youngest daughter.

Yes, according to the latest issue of Us Weekly, Stephenie Meyer has a couple fans who will be moving into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in a couple months. The magazine reports that the President-Elect and his ten-year-old daughter Malia often bond over addictive book series, “They read all the Harry Potter books together and have moved on to the Twilight series.”

What does this mean? A Presidential screening of “Twilight” at the White House? Robert Pattinson for Secretary of Dreamy Eyes? Anything is possible. Are you surprised that “Twilight”-mania has gone all the way to the Oval Office?

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How To Traumatize Your Children

Finally a parenting book that will teach you skills that you actually use. Take it from me, by the time your kid reaches high school you will have perfected traumatizing your kids, so perfect the skills early. And a baby harness is a great gadget for a child who is a runner. $9.99

Beatrix Potter In Hieroglyphics

How cute is this copy of Beatrix Potter's The Tale Of Peter Rabbit translated in Egyptian hieroglyphics. The book is available from The British Museum. £6.99

This Weeks Popular Popular Posts 19 September

• Casey Anthony Recorded Interviews Released
• Casey Anthony's MySpace Page About Caylee
• Scholastic Bookfairs Pulling Plug On Bratz
• PBS Kids Games
• Other Bizarre Crimes I Found This Week 12 September
• Sex and the City For Your Daughters
• What Will Bugaboo Be Bringing Out In 2009
• Pretty Parties
• Quinny By Henrik Vibskov
• Milkies Nursing Pads
  

Scholastic Bookfairs Pulling Plug On Bratz

The largest distributor of children's books to Canadian schools has decided to yank all Bratz books from its roster after parents and psychologists complained that the controversial dolls promoted "precocious sexuality."

Scholastic Inc. distributes its products through school-based book fairs and clubs, selling books to students and teachers at discounted prices. But after a persuasive North American campaign spearheaded by the Boston-based Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, the company has relented and pulled books and products featuring the popular Bratz dolls.
In a statement yesterday, Scholastic declined to comment on Bratz books, saying "the books we offer have been selected by an experienced team of editors who consult with our teacher and librarian advisors and review thousands of titles from all publishers.

"Our goal has been and continues to be to provide quality, affordable books that meet the wide range of reading levels and interests of today's students and help every child develop a love of reading."

The Bratz book line is a spinoff of MGA Entertainment Inc.'s top-selling fashion dolls, which have gained notoriety for their skimpy wardrobe of miniskirts, high-heel boots and feather boas.

A New Yorker article about the powerhouse of marketing behind the brand described the appearance of the dolls as being akin to "kept girls," "pole dancers on their way to work at a gentlemen's club," and, most critically, wearing "the sly, dozy expression of a party girl after one too many mojitos."

The brand has become so popular that it has spun off into a full product line. In addition to books such as Lil' Bratz Dancin' Divas and Lil' Bratz Catwalk, Scholastic last year also offered the Bratz:

Rock Angelz computer game so that girls can create their own fashion magazine and the Bratz Fashion Designer stencil kit for elementary students to design "the perfect purse."

Since February, 2007, Scholastic and its Canadian subsidiary received more than 5,000 e-mails as part of the anti-Bratz campaign.


"We're just really thrilled and it really attests to the power of people working together to try and make change," said campaign co-ordinator Susan Linn.

"The Bratz are a highly sexualized brand and when a brand is marketed in a school, it has that school's endorsement. Essentially, schools were saying to their students, 'This is a good way to portray girls, these are models that you should strive for.' "

Ms. Linn, a psychologist and author of The Case for Make-believe: Saving Play in a Commercialized World, said she was particularly troubled with Scholastic's apparent tacit endorsement of the Bratz brand.

"Scholastic has such a stellar reputation with parents and with teachers and for Scholastic to be supporting and promoting this kind of sexualization, it was very troubling."

Edmonton mother Wendy Boyko was among the thousands who flooded Scholastic with their objection to Bratz books for sale in schools. She said she's "very, very impressed" by the book distributor's decision.


"For me, my main concern was just the appearance, the makeup and the clothing being more suggestive than necessary ... and targeting that to little girls who don't need to be looking like that," said Ms. Boyko, whose daughters are ages five and eight.

MGA Entertainment, based in California, was not available to comment.

It's about time. Take a gander at a picture of a porn star and then at a Bratz doll. The look is very similar: extensions, puffy lips, too much makeup, and too small clothes. But Scholastic needs to take a look at their whole book line. I volunteer at our school's bookfair every year, and there are almost no traditional books to be found.
I've been to the seminar that they have for the people who run the bookfairs, and asked about it. They gave me the giving the kids books they actually want to read excuse too. Kids are kids and sometimes they need adults to tell them what they want. Isn't that what advertising is for.
Also of Interest:
Scholastic Bookfairs
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Sex and The City For Your Daughters

Candace Bushnall will be writing a pair of books based on the popular Sex and the City series for the teen market. The Carrie Diaries will focus on what Carrie was like in high school . The first book will be out in 2010. (Why announce so early?) You know a movie or series will probably follow. Miley Cyrus must be wetting herself at the thought of playing Carrie. You know she loves Sex and the City. But you know if there is a big screen movie Carrie will be played by someone like Dakota Fanning who is turning into quite the sophisticated stunner. Miley is too mall rat to be a believable Carrie. But Selena Gomez could be Charlotte. But those poor girls will probably be so over in a couple of years.
Also of Interest:
Miley Cyrus Is Playing Games With Us
Another Cinderella Story

Products I'm Loving 10 September

My Life Story by Suck UK. Use this hundred year diary instead of a traditional baby book, it includes a map of the world and of the body. £25
Also of Interest:
Ashley Jensen Handcrafted Baby Book

Skip Hop Day To Night Baby Log

Baby books are the perfect gift for new parents. First time parents love to record everything (after two you are lucky if you have time to fill out the first page of a baby book). The Skip Hop Day To Night Baby Log is a more practical form of the baby book. It is for recording feedings, sleep times and diaper changes for the first six months, but there are also spaces for doctors visits and to record gifts. And there is a light up digital capsule that serves as a timer. * Built-in illuminated Time Capsule lights pages
* 6 months of daily log pages
* Sections to record doctor visits & baby gifts
* Canvas cover with nursery décor-inspired colors
* Time Capsule includes clock, date indicator, timer, & four lights
* Translucent day-marker helps you keep your place
* Becomes a wonderful keepsake of baby's first months
* Designed by Scott Henderson with Graphics by Skip Hop
* Requires two (2) AAA batteries. Not included.
* Dimensions (inches): 8.5 x 9.5 x 2
$39

Products I'm Loving

A handcrafted baby book by Ashley Jensen that is actually tasteful with 15 printed pages and over 100 blank pages, $85.