Freckle juice by Judy Blume

Wonderful story about a grade school boy who desperately wants to look like someone else, and in the end learns to love himself just the way he is. Wonderful way for children to learn respect and self-esteem.
Andrew and Nicky are typical of children in that they think the features of others are better than their features so they have a desire to change. This story is a lesson in that reality of life, so it is a good one for children. A desire for change is sometimes good, but foolish when it is something that cannot be changed. Drastic attempts can lead to dire consequences and there will always be unscrupulous people who will offer you solutions that will not work and that may be dangerous.

Precious and the Boo Hag by Patricia C. McKissack & Onawumi Jean Moss

Never let strangers into the house! Mind your manners! Always tell the truth! This book teaches age-old childhood lessons in a fun way. When her big brother warns her about the Boo Hag, "She's tricky and she's scary and she tries to make you disobey yo' mama...Pruella is strange from head to toe. She aine none too smart, got no manners, hates clean water, can change her shape, and tells whoppers." Precious has no idea how tricky a Boo Hag can be. With quick wit (and hilarious sing-song taunts) Precious teaches the Boo Hag a lesson she won't soon forget.
I fell in love with this book the first time I read it. This book begs to be read aloud. It has predictability, repetition, and a child hero that outwits the villain. Children of all ages will love this story.

The All-I'll-Ever-Want Christmas Doll by Patricia C. McKissack

This book resonates with me because of the lessons it teaches, but the great thing is that Patricia C. McKissack gets these lessons across so well that kids who read it won't feel like they're being "preached" at. Three of the most important lessons I got from the book are:

1. People are more important than things
First, McKissack does a beautiful job of demonstrating through a bit of humor that people are indeed more important than things. When Nella first claims Baby Betty as her own, she has a great time playing all alone with her...for a while. Then Nella gets increasingly frustrated when Baby Betty doesn't respond to her stories or songs until she finally sees her sisters in the other room having a great time playing together and feels sad and lonely. It's not until she invites her sisters to join her and Baby Betty for tea that she truly has a good time. In fact EVERYONE has a good time, and Nella is finally able to say it was the best Christmas ever.

2. Be thankful for what you have
The second lesson the book teaches us it to be thankful for what you have. The Pearson's have to fill the cracks and line the walls with newspaper to keep the cold out. They are in the Great Depression, and money (and work and food and toys) is hard to come by. Yet, when the girls receive their bags of raisins and nuts for Christmas, they are very pleased because it's the most they've ever received. And when they get the Baby Betty doll, they are excited beyond belief. Children who are used to receiving tons and tons of gifts may be horrified at the meager gifts the girls receive, and it's a perfect opportunity to let them know that are many kids out there who are less fortunate than them. It could also be a good time to introduce them to charitable giving and get them involved in helping out kids who are less fortunate. Perhaps volunteer at a local food bank, participate in a toy drive, or "adopt a family" for the holidays. Your children may have great pleasure going out and finding the "perfect" gift.

3. Share what you are fortunate enough to have Finally, McKissack shows us that by sharing what you do have, everyone wins. Nella is miserable until she asks her sisters to join in the fun and have tea with "their" Baby Betty doll. A great lesson, especially if you have kids who squabble over toys and other things a lot.

Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe

This book is a must for all young African American girl's. I've loved this book ever since I saw it on "Reading Rainbow" as a child,(now the theme song is stuck in my head) . where the story is read by my favorite actress Phylicia Rashad. For whatever reason the book was burned into my memory and I was always delighted whenever it was featured on the show. The story, the illustrations... everything made a huge impression on me. SO, as an adult I was anxious-excited and anxious-apprehensive to find out if the book would still be as wonderful as I remembered. This story is definitely a book for the ages. It's part African fairy tale, part sibling rivalry story, It also teaches kids not to be vain and be selfish, but to be kind and help others. A tale of kindness and selfishness, and their corresponding consequences. A chance for girls to see that beauty goes deeper than the skin. Inner beauty will always out shine outter beauty any day. It also teaches kids not to be vain and be selfish, but to be kind and help others. One of the best books for children ever written. Ever. Complete with a surprise ending, a touch of magic, and a moral message, Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters is a wonderful story, one book that every bookshelf must have. The story emphasizes the true ugliness of getting to the top no matter what, while at the same time showing the beauty of compassion, empathy, and taking the time to make true connections with others and embracing their essence. These are values that we must instill within our children: one cannot be mean to others and prosper on that.Kindness and gentleness can make good things happen in everyones life. People have to prove that they're worthy of someones love and respect.


A beautifully illustrated story where good triumphs over evil. Both sisters must pass several tests , in order to be considered the most beautiful and the most worthy daughter for the prince to marry, their true characters are tested, through these tests, It shows how people can be generous and kind or mean and selfish. It also describes the difference it makes to be kind. In the long run, the nice people get rewards that they deserve. While the ones that are only out for themselves are not rewarded. The moral of the story is, of course, that to be good and kind is far better than to be cold and mean; and how the force of personality can open a new life. Inspired by an African folktale, the two sisters are both beautiful, but the beauty of one, Manyara, is only external. Her sister, Nyasha, is beautiful inside and out. And her goodness doesn't consist just of doing what she's told to do. She's kind to all creatures, even Manyara. Furthermore, the king chooses her to be his queen not because of her beauty, but because he has secretly seen her her kindness and generosity (and her sister's meaness) in action. He chooses a good soul, not just a beautiful face. This African "Cinderella" folktale tells a much truer message than conventional European versions of the story. As the sister of our heroine is also beautiful and intelligent, the central character trait praised here is not beauty or charm, but kindness and compassion.

And as if that weren't enough, the illustrations in this book are sheer magic, breathtaking; they are artwork unto themselves, absolutely beautiful. The details almost look more life-like than photographs. The way lighting is used is amazing, and they are just stunning pictures. This is a book that touched me deeply as a child and still does to this day

Striped Ice Cream by Joan M. Lexau

I remember reading this for the first time at about the age of 9 and loving it. I recently picked up a copy for my collection of childhood favorites and have re-read it several times since. The story still rings with impact and life-lessons that still apply in today's world. Becky's insights are wise beyond her own years, and the journey to her birthday is unforgettable. Despite their lack of money, the family dearly loves one another . The characters are so real, and you become involved in what they feel. The mother does a fantastic job of being a single parent to five children during a time (1960's?) when it was neither common or accepted. Inspite of difficult times, the family's strong ties to each other and their fine character would serve as excellent role models for any child today. The main story line is "peppered" with moments of humor and warmth of a close family. Despite family hardships and personal sadness, Becky finds happiness in the smallest pleasures--a new dress, spaghetti with chicken and striped ice cream It still made me cry at the end. I love the story and characters in this book.

Hot wheels and Lip balm

Okay, received a email asking for advice, this mom states that every time she goes into a store with her kiddos, they always asked for candy when its time to check out. Well for my household , I don't see nothing wrong with buying your kiddos treats at the grocery store. However I do extremely limit my kids candy intake. So instead of candy when we check out at our local Krogers since that is where I do majority of our shopping , luvbug gets to pick out a new hot wheels car and ladybug gets to pick out lip balm. Both are between .88-$1 so it comes out to the same as if I was buying a piece of candy only this doesn't rot their teeth. Take for granted I now have a house full of hot wheels and lip balm but I would rather have that then them eating candy.

Too Much Screen Time????

Okay I must admit that I am one of those moms who allows the iPad to babysit her kiddos just so she can get some work done. My children have iPads , not because the are good learning tools but because they are also good distraction tools as well. If I need to cook, do a load of laundry or write a blog post with out being bothered then they get their iPads and can play away. Heck we even take the iPads with us in the car just to keep them occupied.

Now are they receiving too much screen time from them? I would say no cause unlike the television, the iPad interacts with them when I need them to be distracted. Case in point , We were at Sal and Mookies new york pizza and ice cream joint for dinner with my guy- friend (I will blog about him later <3 ) . We were having adult talk and the kiddos were occupied with their iPads. One was playing child friendly learning apps and the other was watching super why! ; both had on headphones and were in their own little world. We kept getting these weird looks from the family next to us. It gotten to the point to where the woman came to me and asked if I would take the iPad away from my kiddos cause they are a distraction for her kiddos who no longer want to engaged in a conversation but are now trying to get down and run around and come play with the iPad, and wouldn't it be nice if we had a family conversation like her family is having without technology getting in the way. I smiled , politely told her that we will do no such thing cause the iPads are serving a purpose right now. And please don't blame my kiddos who are seated quietly on the fact as why your brats are screaming and running around the resturant. (that's one of the downsides of living in the south, everyone and I mean everyone, from down right to complete strangers will give you unsolicited parenting advice). After that they asked the waiter to move them away from us , which was fine with me. My guy-friend was like how dare she try to blame us for her kids behavior cause they were seated before us , and her kids were running around the restaurant when we got there.

Letting kids use or own iPads is controversial. Parents, teachers and others aren’t so sure about letting kids get sucked into yet another electronic diversion. Pilot programs at a few schools around the country to experiment with iPad-based learning tools are often met with criticism by parents and teachers alike.

Everybody’s asking: Are iPads healthy for children?

I’m here to tell you: That’s the wrong question.

The right question is this: Is the iPad a healthy *replacement* for TV? And I believe the answer is a resounding yes.

The iPad is scary because it’s new. But most parents have already accepted a gigantic role for something truly in the lives of their children: television. The content kids see on their TV sets is mostly mind-numbing, soul-deadening, formulaic consumerist crap, punctuated by sophisticated ad campaigns designed to transform children into mindless consumers.

When parents complain about inappropriate shows or advertising on TV, they’re told by society: Well, you should watch TV with your kids and discuss the programming, or get a V chip.

Gosh, thanks, society!

As any parent will tell you, managing what kids watch on TV is far easier said than done. Real life is busy and hectic. Working families undergo pressures from every direction, and spend their days scrambling to keep up. Parents simply don’t have time to hover over their children’s media consumption. The reality is that for a long list of reasons, American parents let their kids watch TV. A lot of TV.

Kids spend more time watching TV than they do in class (1,500 hours on TV per year vs. 900 hours in school). More than two-thirds of daycare centers let kids watch TV during day-care hours. One-quarter of preschoolers, half of school age children and two-thirds of teenagers have TV sets in their bedrooms. Two thirds of American families watch TV while eating dinner. It gets worse: The average American child watches 20,000 TV commercials per year. The number-one category of product advertised on children’s TV shows is junk food. And even children’s shows themselves have constant references and even product placement for the worst kind of junk food.

I could go on for pages. The bottom line is that TV is a massive, negative, toxic, unhealthy influence in the lives of American children. I think parents already know this. Television dominates childhood for a very simple reason: It satisfies everyone’s basic requirements. Children want to be stimulated with humor, drama, fun and novelty. Parents need a break.
That’s why fearing the iPad is such a colossal error. The iPad isn’t a new problem. The iPad is a new solution to an old problem. By *replacing* TV time with iPad use, parents can dramatically improve the lives of their children.
From a parent’s perspective, the iPad is superior to a TV in every significant way:

* The iPad has far fewer, far less harmful ads than TV. It can even be rendered “commercial-free.” Imagine that.

* The iPad is interactive, for the most part, rather than passive. Instead of just staring motionless at TV, kids could be solving puzzles, actively playing games, typing, drawing and other activities.

* Parents can control iPad content. The App Store contains literally thousands of educational children’s books, games and other apps. By not sharing the iTunes password with children, parents can have total control over what’s on that iPad. By not connecting it to the Wi-Fi network, parents can easily prevent even Internet surfing.

* The iPad can be made age-appropriate. Who knows what kids are watching on TV in their bedrooms? It’s common for children to be attracted to programming for teens, and for teens to watch programming for adults.

* The iPad can be taken outside.

* The iPad can encourage the following of curiosity and discovery. By loading that sucker with a huge number of educational programs, kids can explore and search and discover what their interests really are, rather than being spoon-fed a celebrity-obsessed, shallow and limited set of interests by the commercial-driven TV industry.

* The iPad builds skills. By using an iPad, children can learn typing, multi-touch navigation, problem solving (with puzzles and games) and many other skills. Watching TV imparts zero valuable skills.

* The iPad can actually facilitate parenting. One example of many is a new app called “You Did It!,” which lets kids earn points for doing their chores.

Rather than fretting about whether an iPad is unhealthy for their kids, parents should instead be thanking their lucky stars that something highly educational and parent-controllable has finally come along that kids enjoy using at least as much as the TV. If you want to argue that electronic, screen-driven devices *in general* are bad for kids, I can’t really disagree with that. But if you believe that iPads are worse than the TV kids are already watching — well, that’s an argument I’d love to hear.

My advice to parents: Unplug that TV and run, don’t walk, to Toys R Us and buy each of your kids an iPad 2 — before TV turns them into “average Americans.”