A Holiday Book in Review: Sticks and Stones

Sticks and Stones The Troublesome Success of Children's Literature from Slovenly Peter to Harry Potter By: Jack Zipes
Non-fiction: writing, literature, essays, 188 pages
Book Count: 75

This book is a collection of essays, most of them had been used at other times. One was new and one was a mix of two different ones. They are all on the issues of writing for children. The book points out a lot of issues, with the main two being children's books are mainly bought and there forth made for adults and issues of culture and society and their effects on children and their books. It doesn't really do much to answer any of these problems. It would be a good thing to read if you were a teacher or librarian or otherwise working with picking out books for kids; however, I don't think that people writing kids books would get much out of this to help their writing. Also, when talking down about books that were formulaic, commercial, stereotypical or otherwise things that he thought were things that are wrong with kids books he would note authors that he felt were good because they weren't these things, but he didn't include any information like books they wrote to help people that aren't experts in this field have some idea who they are.

A Book in Review: Nurture Shock

Nurture Shock: New Thinking about Children By: Po Bronson & Ashley Merryman
Non-fiction: parenting 23 pages
Book Count: 28

This book deals in depth with different new findings on how the brains of children and teens work. It is bases on scientific research both from lab testing and controlled experiments/ data collecting. It deals with many things like how TV watching isn't whats making kids fat, but educational TV may be making them meaner and why teen are wired for risky behaviors but not for being the stereotype angst filled teen. It's findings all boil down to two main points. First, kids do not think/respond/act/"work" like adults, which is why many things that should work, don't. Adults are thinking about what would work for them and why in a case, but for kids it is different. The second point is that positive traits are not always the opposite of negative ones, nor does it necessary stop them. For example, popular kids are the ones that best know how to control others. This is done with a careful balance of actions that are nice and are mean. It also points out how, because kids brains are still learning how complex issues work, things that you wouldn't think are an issue can be confusing to them. Like how lying is wrong, but if you get a horrible gift on your birthday, you still need to smile and say thank you, or even that if your birthday is in a week they may tell people you are 5 when you are still 4.

A Book in Review: Good News About Your Strong-Willed Child

Good News About Your Strong-Willed Child By: Randy Reynolds
Non-fiction: parenting, religion 200 pages
book count: 57
NYR page count: 1316

I only read this book at this time, because my mom loaned it to me, and I wanted to finnish it before I saw her tomorrow. It was OK. I don't know if I didn't really like it because I wasn't into reading this type of book right now, or if it realy was to much physo-babble. In either case, it did have some good points. It talked about the importance of kids changing into independent people, which is something that most religious books on parenting do not address, or only deal with the negitive of rebeling kids as something to be stopped. It had other good thoughts too, but I have a headache and don't feel up to writing more.

Note to Self: Are We Having Fun Yet?

Are We Having Fun Yet? the 16 Secrets of Happy Parenting By: Kay Willis and Maryann Bucknum Brinley
Non-Fiction, parenting 218 pages
Book Count:23

This is a book on parenting advice from a mother of 10 kids and one of 2 kids. It offers broad idea that can be fitted for different parenting styles, lives and kids. As such it is more useful then some other books as there is more flexibility in it.

A Book in Review – Setting Limits with your Strong-Willed Child

Book Count: 73

Setting Limits with your Strong-Willed Child: Eliminating Conflict by Establishing CLEAR, Firm, and Respectful Boundaries By: Robert J. MacKenzie, Ed.D.
Non-fiction: parenting, psychology 264 pages 2001

This book was helpful. Although, like most parenting books the author seams to think that their idea will work much better then it realistically would in the real world it does point out that there will be issues with starting this and it may take 3-4 months until your children act like the examples he gave of how well it works. Plus, it requires less work then most any other method you are using that isn’t working, so at the very least it’s easier. The main idea of the book is that most people learn ineffective methods of disciplining kids from their childhood and repeat them. Either they are permissive and have kids that don’t do what they want or they are punitive and have kids that hate and/or fear them or they do both. This book is about getting kids to do what you want in a way that is respectful to them. This is done mainly by clearly stating what to want them to do, what will happen if they don’t do it once and then following threw when they don’t behave with punishments that make sense and are not too weak or harsh. An example would be telling a child to pick up their toys on the living room floor before dinner starts at 6 or they will be taken away until Saturday and at 6 putting all toys on the floor in a box. (Like I said earlier at least it is not a lot of work to do this method.) It also getting into teaching kids problem solving and child psychology.

A Note to Self: What your Kindergartner Needs to Know

Book Count: 69

What your Kindergartner Needs to Know: Preparing Your Child for a Lifetime of Learning Edited by: E.D. Hirsch, Jr. and John Holdren
Non-Fiction: education, parenting 278 pages 1996

We read this book to get ideas of what things our oldest could be working on this year to be ready for kindergarten. And we found either she already knows it (or is learning it) or it is something that we would never think to teach at this age. For example: under things she already knows/ is learning is counting, ABC’s, writing their name, how plants grow, basic music and art concepts, and types of weather. Things that I would never think about teaching includes, subtraction, geography (although she can find some places on a map already, it wasn’t from trying to teach geography so much as pointing out where we were going on a trip or where people she knows lives), biographies of famous people, and history. (And I know, I out of all people should be into teaching her history, but in school we didn’t really start that until the 5th grade beyond learning about the First Thanksgiving every year.) The book also had a number of places to get more information or things to use in teaching on a subject, making it an overall useful book.

A Book in Review – Nerds

Book Count: 37

Nerds: Who They are and Why We Need More of Them, By: David Anderegg, Ph.D.
Non-Fiction: physiology 253 pages, 2007

This book is all about the idea of the nerd/ geek in America. It talks about what a nerd is to different groups and at different times in one’s life, the history of nerdome and how this stereotype is affecting America. Some of this information is not surprising, such as telling kids and teens that people who are good in math and science are losers who will never get laid, decreases the number of people who do good in school in math and science. Some of it was surprising, such as how people we think of as intellectuals like Washington Irving and Ralph Waldo Emerson helped the spread the idea of anti-intellectualism in America. This is a book we recommend to anyone interested in this subject, especially early teen and pre-teens that fear that they my be labeled as a nerd, so that they can use it to show their parents how they are ruining the next 6-8 years of their life by not getting them contacts, cool cloths or any of the other reasons that we wish this book was written 15 years earlier so we at least had independent proof that it was their fault that we were miserable in junior high and much of high school. (Note: if we sound bitter just blame it on the hormones, or learning that it could be someone’s fixable fault that all our friends [who were mostly our friends as they were the only people who would hang out with us] abandoned us at the start of 9th grade.)

A Book in Review – The Three-Martini Playdate

Book Count: 36

The Three-Martini Playdate: A Practical Guide to Happy Parenting By: Christie Mellor
Non-Fiction: parenting 143 pages 2004
This book was often referenced in a book we reviewed earlier this year, “Even June Cleaver Would Forget the Juice Box”. (click here to read) And so when we happened appond it in the library we thought that we would read it. It is in many ways a lighter, shorter, less data filled version of the other book. And so if you think you would like the first book you would like this one too. (Just, don’t have an actual 3 martini playdate, 2 well made martinis is more then enough for anyone to drink in one sitting, and if the playdate isn’t at your house, more then one and you’ll need a ride too. [Unless it is a really long playdate, or you are a tall, large male.])

A Book in Review – TCIGT Homeschooling

Book Count: 33

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Homeschooling By: Marsha Ransom
Non-Fiction, parenting, education, legal 297 pages 2001

This book has useful information for homeschooling and teaching kids age 3 to 18. It also includes information on where to get up to date information and help online and threw local, state and national organizations and groups. It addresses the main issues and questions that people have about homeschooling including: legal requirements, socialization, how a homeschool is set up (including information on all the major methods used,) and where to get more information and/or meet others who homeschool. At the end of the book are pages of appendixes with where to go for more information on any topic. I found the book interesting as someone that might like to homeschool for preschool (although, in a mini brag the little one already is starting to understand most of the concepts an average learning based preschool would teach. J ) And would also find it useful if I was looking into homeschooling or doing teaching in addition to other schooling for older children where the subject matter and rules may be more complex. Also, although like most homeschoolers the author has a set of ideas for schooling she presents information on several of methods and reasons to homeschool in a mostly neutral way. (She does note that the “school at home” method doesn’t work as well in many cases and it is clear that she doesn’t like that method; however, she does point out that it is good for some types of learners and gives info on where to get programs and books on that method.)

A Book in Review – Even June Cleaver Would Forget the Juice Box

Book Count: 27

Even June Cleaver Would Forget the Juice Box, By: Ann Dunnewold, Ph.D.
Non-Fiction: Self-help, Parenting 285 pages 2007

This book is about not being one of those extreme parenting people who are obsessed with their kids and always pushing them in school or sports, setting up every moment of their day, and/or in some other way being overprotective and/or acting as if every action of the parent will determine the child’s whole life. It talks about why people act that way in this country, how ideas on parenting have changed through history and by culture and how unrealistic the idea of the perfect parent are. It then goes into how one can be a “perfectly good mother” using common sense, realistic expectations and thinking about what is truly important to you for your children’s’ future to raise kids. It was a well thought out, well reacurched, helpful and funny book on the subject of child rearing. It points out such things as although characters like June Cleaver are seen as the perfect model of a wife and mother the actress that played her left her own kids each day to be her and June didn’t do much of any actual parenting as she was too busy cleaning and cooking in high heals and pearls. Wally and the Beav were always playing on their own, doing there homework with out help and had to walk everywhere as she never drove them or even put them in any activities.