Internationally beloved podcast turned fun fact book for kids — STUFF KIDS SHOULD KNOW.

Did you know that Mr. Potato Head was originally an actual potato? Or that dogs have 25 to 60 times more scent detectors than we do, making their sense of smell 10,000 to 100,000 times better than ours?

Learn about all that and more in Stuff Kids Should Know (on sale August 1)!Written by the masterminds responsible for the beloved, award-winning podcast, Stuff You Should Know this is a gut-busting and brain-bursting nonfiction book for middle grade readers that offers an incomplete compendium of only the most interesting topics. 

Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant are co-hosts of the Stuff You Should Know podcast, which has over a thousand episodes and millions of listeners (including a lot of kids). With this new book inspired by the hit podcast, Josh and Chuck want to make the everyday world extraordinary for kids, digging deeper into the “whys” and the “hows”. With plenty of clever insights, silly illustrations, and an array of topics, this book delves into stuff we all wish we knew more about. 

Better than apples! This entrepreneur-teacher’s sticker book makes the perfect back-to-school teacher gift!

As some of you know, I am going back to work this year as a Preschool Teacher. I am really looking forward to this new adventure! So, I was really excited to receive this book to feature. It really is delightful! From tantrums and sticky hands to missed assignments and skipping class, teachers handle it all. And it’s not always easy. Just in time for back-to-school season comes the perfect gift to say thank you to every educator for what they do. Teaching Is A Work of Heart (Workman Publishing; $12.99 US) is a sticker book to brighten up any teacher’s planner, lesson plans, or classroom.

If you’re looking for a teacher gift that’s better than an apple, look no further. Christine’s first-ever sticker book, Teaching is a Work of Heart is a practical yet adorable sticker book, including:

·       35 pages of stickers

·       650+ full-color glossy stickers

·       Stickers that show appreciation (“Teachers change the world”), stickers with humor (“Three reasons to become a teacher: June, July, August”) and stickers that just get it (“Tired as a teacher”), in addition to planner stickers.

Christine Lee, Med, OG-T, knows the challenges of teaching all too well. A teacher herself, Christine has always had a passion for illustrations, design, and creativity. During the pandemic, she decided to design stickers as a creative outlet, and soon discovered a vibrant community of sticker lovers. Now with a thriving sticker business Created by Christine and a 129k Instagram community at @createdbychristine, Christine lives out an inspiring example of balance: being a teacher by day, and entrepreneur-artist with a massive social following by night.

Find this one here.

New Family Activity Book “Play Together” by Laura Haver is a must-buy!

I believe that play is so very important and I love how this book is about families playing together! There are so many fun ideas!

Play Together features over 60 of the best games and activities for children 12 and under aimed at promoting happiness, communication skills, healthy movement, increased emotional intelligence and more.

Play is one of the best parts of being a kid, stimulating healthy development and providing wonderful benefits that you and your children will enjoy for years to come. Plus it’s simple! Most games are screen-free and can be played in under 10 minutes using materials you already have on hand… or just your imagination!

Some of the games featured include:

• Marble Mania Madness  
• 3-2-1… Freeze!
• The What If? Imagination Game
• Cardboard Creations
• Snap-A-Letter Scavenger Hunt  
• Make Your Own Puzzle
• DJ Art
• Play Heart Art Journal
• Rainbow Breathing
• Floor Pong and more!

Play Together also includes helpful game hints, prompts to stimulate family conversations, and fun anecdotes from play expert Laura Haver on her own experiences creating and play-testing each of the games. Perfect for anyone looking to add more fun into their lives, Play Together will provide you and your children with endless hours of enjoyment and bring you closer together as a family.

About the Author

Laura Haver is a play, happiness and communication expert, author, speaker and life design coach. She has helped hundreds of individuals and families to experience more play, growth and inspiration in their lives. Laura is the founder of Author Moms (a community that connects, supports and inspires fellow writing moms) and Alchemy of Fun (a community for busy women who want to bring more fun, fulfillment and magic into their lives). She has been featured on the Today Show, CBS, Fox and more. She has over 25 years coaching experience in leadership, life design and tennis (for both children and adults). Laura lives in San Diego with her husband and two sons. Visit laurahaver.com for more information.

Published by Hatherleigh Press.
Distributed through Penguin Random House.
Available wherever books are sold. Also available at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1578269741

Head Back to School with Amazon Bestseller, Benny the Brave! 

Going back to school can be exciting for many kids, but some may feel anxious or nervous going into the new school year. Whether kids are starting school for the first time or they’re returning to a classroom full of new faces – those back to school jitters are absolutely real. 

How can kids make sure their year is off to a solid start? Let Benny the Brave and Team Supercrew save the day! 

This Amazon bestselling children’s picture book tells the story of Sarah as she fears the first day of school. In Benny the Brave in the First Day Jitters, Benny reminds Sarah that it’s okay to feel scared, but that she has the power to change those thoughts. By teaching Sarah the power of being brave, she is able to overcome her anxiety and tackle the school day. 

Benny the Brave teaches kids the valuable lesson that their ‘worst case first day fears’ can go away when they tap into their inner superpowers – their emotions – and channel Benny’s top-notch tips. Rooted in cognitive behavioral therapy, each Team Supercrew story educates kids on how to change their thoughts and feelings.

Benny the Brave is just one of four books in the Team Supercrew ‘Emotions and Powers’ box set – now available on Amazon. Each superhero has a different power kids can unlock in themselves and prepare for a successful school year – no matter if they’re headed to a new school, grade or classroom. Through these fun, sometimes silly, and heartwarming stories, kids will start thinking about the first day of school as a new adventure. Some New York City teachers have even infused these books in their curriculum! 

 Banned Books Primer Sets to Fortify New Generation of Young Rebels Before Kindergarten.

BABY’S FIRST BOOK OF BANNED BOOKS | $9.99 paper over board], which was created to introduce children in the 0-5 years reading age group to some of our best-loved—and now most banned—children’s books.

Baby’s First Book of Banned Books is a clever and innovative way to introduce young readers to the themes and ideas found in banned books. Inside, young readers will find the core lessons introduced in the titles that have disappeared from classrooms and library shelves, including The Diary of Anne Frank, The Giving Tree, and The Kite Runner, among others. At a time when censorship and the suppression of diverse voices are becoming more prevalent in schools, the book provides a valuable tool for parents to engage their children in important conversations about freedom of expression and intellect while nurturing a new generation of young rebels yet untouched by the suffocating weight of hypocrisy and censorship in the classroom.

Find out more at  Mudpuppy.com

Self Disclosure: I received free copies of the above books to facilitate this post. Cover images and information were also provided.

Growing up impoverished in small-town Texas, young Rickey Hill shows an extraordinary ability for hitting a baseball, despite being burdened by leg braces from a degenerative spinal disease. His stern, pastor father discourages Rickey from playing baseball to protect him from injury, and to have him follow in his footsteps and become a preacher.  As a young man, Ricky becomes a baseball phenomenon.  His desire to participate in a try-out for a legendary major league scout divides the family and threatens Rickey’s dream of playing professional baseball.

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Eshaan M. comments, “With a hard-hitting cast and beautifully written, evocative script, The Hill surely captured my attention and should appeal to sports, drama and biographical film fans as well.” See his full review below. 

The Hill

By Eshaan M., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic age 17

With a hard-hitting cast and beautifully written, evocative script, The Hill surely captured my attention and should appeal to sports, drama and biographical film fans as well.

The Hill is based on the true story of Rickey Hill (Colin Ford, Jesse Berry), a kid from a poor Baptist family in rural Texas. Rickey has big dreams of becoming a baseball superstar and he’s immensely talented at batting, but he must face one problem — his dad (Dennis Quaid) won’t let him. Even when Rickey seems to have overcome congenital degenerative spinal disease, his father refuses to let him play, and he’s intent on molding him into a pastor just like him.

The direction by Jeff Celentano and screenplay by Angelo Pizzo and Scott Marshall Smith come together to bind the story — a riveting narrative of talent torn between passion and family. The set pieces and props, ever the wooden leg braces Rickey wears as a child, are all realistic. The dialogue in The Hill is real and raw, and I especially like how each cast member has convincing Texan accents. Dennis Quaid is an absolute superstar in the film; you’ll want to scream your head off at him sometimes and at other times, you’ll consider where he’s coming from — though that’s an angle the film doesn’t explore much. I was most taken by Jesse Berry’s portrayal of the young, fiery Rickey; he helms the film’s many tear-jerker moments. It’s certainly a stellar performance by a child actor, especially given the complexity of the role.

The Hill promotes pursuing your dreams with resilience; never saying never; and gaining a better understanding of perspectives different from you. The film contains religious content given Rickey’s upbringing in a strict, conservative Baptist family.

I give The Hill 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. It releases in theaters on August 25, 2023.

Trailer:

This book, which is inspired by the author’s own personal experience of practicing tap dancing while working as a night watchman, explores redefining gender norms, similar to Julian is a Mermaid and Glad, Glad Bear. It reinforces that nothing is wrong with boys wanting to practice dance, a hot-button topic that is still being talked about today. Not too long ago, a GMA host received a lot of backlash when she ridiculed Prince George on-air for practicing Ballet. Her comment went viral and sparks much-needed conversations about changing those preconceived notions about boys in dance.

The book follows shy Stanley, a boy who loves to dance, but never for an audience. Once the school principal discovers his secret talent, he urges Stanley to enter the school talent show and perform for his classmates. This book will have children and their parents cheering for Stanley to conquer his stage-fright and shine on stage.

I really enjoyed this book! I recommend it for all young children. I think this shares such an important message!

A Must-Read with the Acclaim of Goldie Hawn and Tom Hanks

Gregg and Ryan’s book When You Wonder, You’re Learning: Mister Rogers’ Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids — has been called “a gift for all in the neighborhood” by Tom Hanks. Academy-award winning actress Goldie Hawn who has founded MindUP said “Fred Rogers taught that we each have something unique – a kind of inner music that only we can make. In this book, Behr and Rydzewski do for readers what Fred Rogers did in the Neighborhood: use brain science to help all of use become the best of whoever we are.”

In their acclaimed book, When You Wonder, You’re Learning, Gregg and Ryan reveal a never-before-seen side of Fred Rogers: the ingenious scientist and legendary teacher who was decades ahead of his time. They explain how Fred engineered every aspect of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood to help kids develop the “tools for learning” — the skills and mindsets now deemed essential for school, work, and life.

These tools have been shown to boost academic performance, social-emotional wellbeing, and even physical health. They cost almost nothing to develop, and they’re up to ten times more predictive of children’s success than test scores. I love how this book is engaging and how it truly can help parents help their children!

This groundbreaking new book, told through verse and illustration has already hit the #1 spot for New Releases in Children’s Books on Bullying on Amazon, and tells the story of a young boy who is struggling with his body image and disordered eating while learning how to accept himself.

Disordered eating is rarely looked out from a male perspective, but Jarrett hopes to change that with his raw and real portrayal in this book. Just this month, NBC Nightly News aired a news segment alerting parents to the fact that one in three people diagnosed with an eating disorder is male, and that 99% of the research for eating disorders has focused solely on females. Jarrett can discuss why he hopes A WORK IN PROGRESS will help expand the conversation and raise awareness about boys and eating disorders. I think that this is an important book. There are many books about girls and eating disorders and it isn’t only a disorder that effects girls.

This original middle-grade book is based on the animated series of the same name, which premiered in October 2022 and is airing on Nickelodeon and streaming on Paramount+. Star Trek: Prodigy tells the story of a bunch of teen misfits who discover a hidden Starfleet ship called the Protostar, and it follows them on their adventures as they travel through space in the year 2383.

In ESCAPE ROUTE, the crew is on their way to Starfleet, when Murf spots a moon that isn’t on their charts. Murf really wants to explore, so the group makes a pitstop. However, this small detour turns into a big dilemma when the inhabitants of the moon ask Murf to stay with them. The rest of the crew begins to wonder if this is a sign, and contemplate if it might be time for them all to go their separate ways.

With strong themes of teamwork, inclusiveness, embracing diversity and one another’s differences, this series will appeal to all types of audiences. This is the third middle-grade book in this new S&S series, following the release of A DANGEROUS TRADE and SUPERNOVA earlier this year.

I found this book quite entertaining and recommend it to middle age readers! I loved the characters!

Self Disclosure: I received free copies of the above books to facilitate this post. Cover images and information were also provided.