Kids' Home Library from Creators Syndicate

Giddy-up for some Western Horse and Cowboy Tales for 08/25/2008

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Travel to the wild West and beyond with some inspiring horse and cowboy tales. These lovely, adventurous books are must-haves for equine lovers of all ages.

"Heartbeat for Horses," by Laura Chester and Donna Demari; Willow Creek Press; 192 pages; $29.95.

Writer/editor Laura Chester takes a brilliant array of prose and poetry from classic horse favorites, such as "Mi ...

Updated: Mon Aug 25, 2008

Exciting Biographies Tell of Interesting and Heroic People for 09/01/2008

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Fantastic, intriguing biographies for children include a man who walked on a tightrope between the late Twin Towers, an artist who trekked through the U.S. frontier and South American jungles, women pirates and a 19th-century woman who ran for president.

"The Man Who Walked Between the Towers" by Mordicai Gerstein; Square Fish/Macmillan; 32 pages; $6.95.

Winner of the 20 ...

Updated: Mon Sep 01, 2008

Kid-friendly Presidential Stories Provide a Taste of the Campaign Season for 09/08/2008

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The children's publishing world is awash in new picture books about presidential candidates, real and imaginary. These thoughtful and even humorous books should help young children enjoy making sense of all the talk they hear from parents and the news.

"Madam President" by Lane Smith; Hyperion; 32 pages; $16.99.

Lane Smith's quirky, super-fun illustrations have always ha ...

Updated: Mon Sep 08, 2008

DVDs Provide Entertainment and Learning for Young Children for 09/15/2008

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Brand new children's DVD releases offer education and fantastic fun during weekends or when homework's done.

"The Blue Elephant" from Genius Products; 79 minutes; $19.97.

The late Jim Henson and his company, Discoveries, continue to thrill children in this new animated tale, produced with The Weinstein Company and Genius Products. Featuring the voices of Martin Short, Ca ...

Updated: Mon Sep 15, 2008

Fun, Interactive Books will get Children Excited about History and Science for 09/22/2008

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

It's prime time to replace those video game/instant messaging/TV watching brain cells with some good old book learning. These new reference-type releases add fun to history, science and geography.

"The Wicked History of the World" by Terry Deary and Martin Brown; Scholastic; 96 pages; $10.99.

Kids with weak stomachs may want to avoid this "history with the nasty bit ...

Updated: Mon Sep 22, 2008

These Halloween Books put Young Children in the Holiday Spirit for 09/29/2008

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Here's an enticing witches' brew of delightfully spooky, and not-so-spooky, tales for Halloween.

"Disney Scary Storybook Collection" from Disney Press; 305 pages; $15.99.

Want a fun way to ease your young child into slightly spookier fare? This big, zesty Disney collection fits the Halloween season bill. Starring beloved characters from fabled Disney kid flicks, such as ...

Updated: Mon Sep 29, 2008

These Creative Fantasy Stories Bring the Dream World to Life for 10/06/2008

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Imagination must be celebrated. In the world of children's publishing, lofty imaginations reign. These fabulous new books are worth their weight in originality and fun.

"Cowboy & Octopus" by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith; Viking Children's Books; 32 pages; $16.99.

The amazingly creative duo of Scieszka and Smith has produced kid-friendly favorites such as "Math Cu ...

Updated: Mon Oct 06, 2008

Children will Enjoy These Interesting Vintage Stories for 10/13/2008

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Popular children's books often stand the test of time. And even new books can hold onto the vintage look and feel of classics. These refreshing books are happily retro.

"Up in the Tree" by Margaret Atwood; Groundwood Books; 32 pages; $14.95.

Originally published in 1978, Atwood's simple picture book was at that time deemed too expensive to print in Canada. Atwood helped ...

Updated: Mon Oct 13, 2008

Though Books Are Best, Plenty of Other Children's Media Products Warrant a Mention -- and Are Downright Entertaining. for 10/20/2008

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

"Sesame Street Playground" from Putumayo Kids; $14.99.

From the cultural music phenomenon company Putumayo comes these classic songs and videos from around the world featuring the "Sesame Street" bunch. With a zesty collection of ditties on the CD in English, Spanish, French and Dutch, and a bonus DVD with five international music videos, "Sesame Street Playgroun ...

Updated: Mon Oct 20, 2008

Independent Books are Just as Fascinating as More Well-Known Stories for 10/27/2008

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Small and independent publishers often get overlooked in the publicity drive that sells many children's books. Still, books from smaller companies can be carefully written, unique works of art and information. These new stories are certainly every bit as entertaining as books from famous authors and artists.

“Johnny Art: The Art of Johnny Swager,” (64 pages and $29.95), and “My Saturday ...

Updated: Mon Oct 27, 2008

Young Adults Will Enjoy These Adventurous and Mysterious Stories for 11/03/2008

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Kids, too, are tired of politics and relieved most of the election hoopla is over. Help them sink their teeth into absorbing young adult novels. These are five fantastic new books for older children and teens.

"The Lost Island of Tamarind" by Nadia Aguiar; Feiwel and Friends/Holtzbrinck Publishers; 448 pages; $17.95.

Part "Peter Pan," part "Wrinkle in Time ...

Updated: Mon Nov 03, 2008

Kid-Friendly Books That Make Perfect Holiday Gifts for 11/10/2008

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

It's that time of year — the time where parents and grandparents start looking for holiday gifts for the children in their lives. These new books teach cooking, offer buried treasure and hieroglyphs as well as reintroduce a pair of favorite book characters.

"The Playful Chef Cookbook" from Playful Life Inc., 147 pages; $18.95.

The "Playful Chef Cookbook" ...

Updated: Mon Nov 10, 2008

Put a Book and Toy Together for a Great Holiday Gift Package for 11/17/2008

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

How about going with a themed gift package for that special child in your life? Pair a special book or CD with a toy — and thrill the little dinosaur or Elmo fan this holiday season. Below are some ideas for toys and book combinations for kids with particular interests. I'm leaving off most prices of the toys, as my research indicated a wide array of costs depending on stores and coupons. ...

Updated: Mon Nov 17, 2008

Eco-friendly Books Encourage Youngsters to Care for the Environment for 11/24/2008

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

"Green" books and toys are fulfilling many families' desires to teach their children environmentalism while still having fun. These are some earth-friendly books — and a fantastic new line of kid-powered toys — that are garnering attention.

"Little Green Books" from Little Simon/Simon & Schuster; $3.99 and up.

Made from recycled materials, each ...

Updated: Mon Nov 24, 2008

Surprise Your Child with One of These Intriguing and Heartwarming Stories for 12/01/2008

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Books always make great gifts. Though they usually don't have the glitz and gloss of electronic gadgets, they can stimulate imaginations and intellects without batteries or chargers. These are a few of the new gift-worthy children stories.

"Wabi Sabi" by Mark Reibstein; art by Ed Young; Little, Brown; 32 pages; $16.99.

Looking for a meaningful picture book with glorious ...

Updated: Mon Dec 01, 2008

Last-Minute Gifts Children Will Love for the Holidays for 12/08/2008

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Last minute shoppers, never fear! Here's your all-encompassing, condensed gift guide for the young and young at heart.

"The Bill Martin Jr. Big Book of Poetry" from Simon & Schuster; 175 pages; $21.

Every child should have one big, fun book of poetry. Sure to elicit giggles and awe, these 200 poems handpicked by Bill Martin Jr. — famed author of "Brown Bea ...

Updated: Mon Dec 08, 2008

Need Gift Ideas for the Youngsters in Your Family? Here is a Helpful List for 12/15/2008

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Read on for more great last minute gifts for youngsters, from books with special effects to family-friendly movie options to an extra sturdy DVD player to play them on.

"Take Me Back" from DK Publishing; 304 pages; $24.99.

This "trip through history from the Stone Age to the digital age" is an all-encompassing, modern reference book from the creators of the pop ...

Updated: Mon Dec 15, 2008

Keep Kids Busy with Friendly Animal Stories for 12/23/2008

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Books about personable critters help brighten little ones' cold winter days. These new pictures books star animals with enough personality to rival any human's.

"Tillie Lays an Egg" by Terry Golson; photography by Ben Fink; Scholastic Press; 32 pages; $16.99.

Homey photographs of a real-life farm provide an authentic backdrop for this fun chicken tale. With names such as ...

Updated: Tue Dec 23, 2008

Kids Can Stay Entertained and Informed with These Activity Books for 12/30/2008

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800

A handbook for aspiring swashbucklers, a write-on, wipe-off art book and an invitation to an ancient world are just a few of the exciting activity books available for kids on cold winter days.

"Pirate's Log" by Jory John and Avery Monsen; Chronicle Books; 172 pages; $15.95.

This appealing journal has everything young pirates need to turn from "shark bait to a sword- ...

Updated: Tue Dec 30, 2008

Bring a Little Weirdness into Your Child's Library for 01/05/2009

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Books with a bit of weirdness are always popular with kids. These tales contain just the right amount of strange.

"How Weird Is It? A Freaky Book All about Strangeness" by Ben Hillman; Scholastic; 48 pages; $15.99.

One of my new favorite books for children, this oddly appealing nonfiction picture book starts off with a bang — depicting a family with green skin and ...

Updated: Mon Jan 05, 2009