I got a book suggestion request the other day that asked for children’s book suggestion for a 9 year old girl that was described as lively and fun-loving. The book suggestion request ended with the phrase “please don’t recommend any princess themed books”.

I certainly can identify with the parent of this 9 year old girl who did not appreciate the princess gifts stereotype for young girls. Melissa Wardy of Pigtailpals.com takes particular exception to this fluffy categorization of young girls. I remember when I first met her on twitter,

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Spring is a time of renewal, a breath of fresh air. A time for “spring cleaning”, the kids get off on “spring break”, winter is over and the outdoors beckons.

Along with spring come the allergies from the high pollen load in the environment from all the blooming flowers. Yes stock up on Kleenex and maybe Claritin. In banish cabin fever with rhyming books, you were introduced to kid’s books that light up the house, since we are now in spring, here is an introduction to Spring books for kids

These books deal with the outdoors mostly. Teaching kids a sense of appreciation for the environment and the seasons. Some of these kids’ books also talk about the lifestyle of animals that hibernate in the winter but come out to play so to speak in the warmer weather. Read the rest of this entry »

Love is in the air! Valentine’s Day is the day to express your love to your heart-throb with romantic gifts and such like. My hubby gives me chocolate. Well over the years there has been dinners, movies, roses, jewelry but being a chocoholic that I am, the chocolate gifts resonates the best with me.

The kids in your life should not be left out of this expression of your love. Here is a selection of children’s books for Valentine’s Day. Any one of these books will communicate your love and affection to your kids and build their self-esteem in the process. Read the rest of this entry »

Bedtime books are life-savers! If you think otherwise, just ask the parents that use them to lull their little one to sleep. The days are long with a little one: diaper changes, potty training, accidents, and fussy eaters all come with the territory. If you are a working parent, well you don’t get a pass. You start your second job the moment you step into the threshold of your home. Read the rest of this entry »

I am doing some inventory review looking at which picture books or chapter books did well, which ones performed below expectations and which ones exceeded sales expectations. I have been the book buyer here at SlimyBookworm.com and will likely continue with this role as the kids bookstore grows. There is something relaxing about poring through publisher’s catalog and making selections on what titles to stock, weird I know.

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I met Dave Reisman on twitter. I think every children book author or aspiring children’s book author should be on twitter. The connections you can forge in 140 characters could take you years to forge otherwise.

 Dave is of the learned profession (lawyer) and has a bright side – he is the author of 2 children’s books; Cows Can’t Jump and Cows Can’t Quack. He has been gracious with his time agreeing to an interview. Read on.

1. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? Read the rest of this entry »

I had somehow missed Cori Paul’s booth at the Orange County Children’s Book Festival 2011, but she came across Picture Books for Kids and the People Who Write Them and we connected. I was asked to review 2 picture books she had written, Turquoise Tally and Lavender Lucy. Read the rest of this entry »

May I start with a disclaimer here? If you ever have the unfortunate happen, like a fire, earth quake of flash flood, don’t wait around trying to pick out your Picture Books to Take Out in a Fire. Run for your life! You will not find me carting a stack of picture books out of a burning home; I will be making a run for the exit with my kiddos in tow.

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I knew very little about Japanese Manga books before being asked to review Thunder Kid. Here is a little background information on them. Manga books are graphic novels or comic books. I have found boys and reluctant readers to be particularly drawn to this form of presentation. We are trained to read and open books in the left to right direction, Manga novels are read right to left. That was really hard to overcome for me, it’s really hard to teach an old dog new tricks. Read the rest of this entry »

I am sure it is starting to feel like Christmas (or any other holiday you celebrate this time of the year). Yes it’s the time for school plays, holiday parties and of course gift shopping.
Here is a slide show of some of our really popular kid’s books for the holidays. These children’s books are flying off our shelf so hurry and place your orders so they can get to you in time for Christmas. Read the rest of this entry »