Kids Books

I have read many books about parenting but they were all focused on the child's behaviour and how to deal with it, unsuccessfully. This book was a total eye opener: it focuses on you as a parent and how it is your own emotions and reactions to your child's behaviour "that pushes your buttons". It totally changed my perception: if my child is having a tantrum he is HAVING a problem, he is NOT BEING a problem. My job as a parent is to identify the root of that problem without getting emotionally involved and to help the child solve his problem. Bonnie Harris teaches you to recognise how your behvaiour is rooted in your own child hood and how the beliefs and standards you grew up with determine your parenting even if you vowed to do excatly the opposite of what your parents did. This is a must read for every parent, including the ones who had a happy child hood and good relationship with their parents!

Bonnie's Book is a wonderful way to learn to deal with our children and our extended families in a new light. By keeping her book close and rereading the areas in which my buttons are being pushed on any day it has helped our family to become closer and for the children to realize that we really are very proud of their development (no matter what their age). It has also made me realize that whatever the behavior that the child (or adult child)is presenting that I have taught them how to deal with this emotion or conflict. If I am not satisfied with the outcome then I need to practice the appropriate response so that they inturn will learn this new skill. Thank you Bonnie for your insight and non judgement when it comes to raising our kids. It is such a personal issue, and to know that someone is there who truely cares is all we need.

As a parent educator, I have found Bonnie Harris' "When Your Kids Push Your Buttons" fills a space in the parenting literature that no-one else has addressed adequately. For 28 years I have been teaching parents skills which can be implemented effectively when the parent is calm, unstressed and positive about her or his capabilities. In the past, when a parent 'lost the plot', I have always said, "Just forgive your self, apologise to your child, and focus on the times when you do manage well". Now Bonnie's book/CD gives hope to the stressed-out parent who has always wanted to understand and change that out-of-control reaction to their child but didn't know how. Bonnie teaches us how to see and hear our child (and ourselves!) with new eyes and ears.
Ever since I heard Bonnie's presentation in Adelaide in 2006 I have drawn on her recommendations (summarised so well in the book's appendices)in the classes I have conducted since then. My husband John is a clinical psychologist and family therapist, who, after reading the book, has also found Bonnie's practical advice to be immensely helpful for families with relationship problems. The book is full of stories which illustrate all the salient points, and it is a great read. Even better, Bonnie's ideas can be adapted to any situation where you experience 'road rages' - whether at home or at work. Congratulations Bonnie, and THANK YOU! I'm looking forward to your next book.
Margaret Hunt

Bonnie Harris' book, "When Kids Push Your Buttons" is refreshingly respectful of parents. Rather than an ardent "This-is-the-right-way-to-parent" manifesto, it is instead a supportive, relevant resource that helps parents figure out how to parent more from love and trust, and less from fear. What parent hasn't had their buttons pushed? Whom do you know that couldn't benefit from relating better to their children? Don't we all want to enjoy parenting more and parent more on-purpose? Bonnie Harris' book helps you do just that. The tone of the book is warm, realistic, helpful, and personal. I read it one and half years ago and loved it. I re-read it a few weeks ago and got even MORE out of it. The parents I coach have embraced the concepts in the book because a)they work and b)they respect that parents can trust themselves. If you're looking for a powerful process for helping you relate to your children and yourself more positively, this is it.

I realize that all the other reviews so far are 4 or 5 stars. I also admit due to an insight I picked up in the first 30 pages this book was likely worth its money to me and therefore may deserve a higher rating. But I want people to read this review before they buy.

The great insight was that the author asked us to think, in the midst of a misbehavior issue, like the child. She suggested we look at inapposite behavior not from an adult prospective but from what is going on in the mind of the child. This actually gives a whole new view to things and I have been trying it.

I was excited to be reading this. I soon became disillusioned.

In the next hundred pages or so the writer never seemed to grasp that sometimes we want our children to behave in a store, to speak properly to us and to pick up their toys just because we want them to behave, to speak properly and pick up their toys. The author suggested the main reason we do not want to accept improper behavior is not because it is wrong but because or own mother was to strict, or parents did not understand us or we were scarred as children and cannot get over it.

Then there was the proposed solution to a 15 year old that continued to violate the rule of "no food in the living room". The author's solution was to eliminate the rule.
Not such a bad suggestion in some cases, but this is the rule of thumb for the author.

This was mostly babble but at page 130 I realized that I would not be finishing this book.

On page 130 the author was speaking with the parents of 15 year old Cindy. She was currently a runaway, and this was not the first time. She had friends that her parents did not approve of. They had visited the home with their daughter, when the parents were not home, and stolen pills, money, liquor and left condoms behind.

The father was visibly angry. The author consoled the father to wait for the daughter to come home and say to her, that he does not condone the friend's behavior but accepts them. The father says he will say to the daughter, "You can have your friends over next Wednesday when we`re not her if you behave properly. But if I find out they got into anything that's the end of it." Our author says that is in the right direction but he needs to frame it positively. The father then rephrases what he will say. He tells the author that he will say, "I know you'd rather have your friends over when we are not here. We can try next Wednesday after school. But please let them know that they are not allowed to do drugs here." He is then praised for his enlightened attitude. The author says this attitude will help him to be closer to his daughter.

There was also the issue of the six year old who was terrorizing the house by verbally abusing the parents. The suggested solution wasn't much different than the suggestions above.

It scares me to think parents will buy this book and follow it.

ISBN 0763607525 - Lift the flap books, in general, suffer from one flaw - the flaps themselves. If you decide to buy a used copy, it's a good idea to make sure that all the flaps are intact, since they tear off fairly easily. That aside, this book is a great one for little budding readers.

The reader is told that Maisy is going to hide (it shows her picture, so you can identify her, in case you're one of the five people in the world who don't know what she looks like and couldn't spot her on the cover). On the following pages, you look for her in various places by lifting flaps - and finding all of her friends before finding Maisy!

The illustrations are admittedly not world-class stuff, but they ARE standard Maisy. They are basic but full of bright colors and, combined with the lift-the-flap aspect, a lot of fun.

My daughter is now 17 months old, ever since she started being interested in books (as early as 11 months) she has always loved this one. She gets more and more excited as we get closer to the end and she loves looking behind the door. I noticed all the little kids at the daycare also just stopped whatever they were doing when I read this book to them once. The best 'Peek-a-boo' type book we've seen.

If your child loves Maisy, they will love this book! My 20 month old never tires of "looking" for Maisy under the flaps and will sit for 15-20 minutes at a time "reading" this. Even her older sister enjoys it!

Both my son and my daugther LOVED this book from the age of 6 months on. It keeps them in rapt attention, and my daugther loves to "knock" on the door.

My daughter loves these books. They are simple, quick & colorful. She turns the pages & loves it. She is under 1 yrs old & has been reading theses with me for about 6 mo. Stays focosed since it is so fast, not so wordy!

I've been a writer all of my life but took five years off to get fat, dumb and pregnant -- over and over and over again. Well, those days are done and while I dwindle down to my pre-pregnancy size with a few extra sags and stretch marks, it's time to raise my kids and get back to writing. Needless to say, I needed a darn-good refresher course. After considering a $600 class, I decided against it and bought this book instead. For once, I made a great decision (and my pocket book agrees). This book was perfect in getting me back up to speed! It freshened up my creative skills, got me motivated to write again, and had all the necessary components needed to refreshen my skills. Best yet, at the end of each chapter there was an excercise to make sure I understood what I read. It was the best course in a book I could ask for. Nancy Lamb, you are the best! That was the best "slap in the creative juices" I could ask for!

If you want to write stories of any kind, you want this book. I borrowed it form the library, but I didn't want to return it. I bought my very own copy right away.

This book is great for anyone interested in writing for children, actually, it's great for anyone interested in writing fiction! It's an easy read and has loads of great information. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

Nancy Lamb is the author of the "Which Way Books"!!!!

This books explores most if not all facets of writing with a focus on children stories. Very dense, her book offers enough information in each topic to get you started writing and to understand story structure. An excellent primer for beginners, the book serves well for experienced writers as a refresher. Lots of golden nuggets in each page. It is a book that will not remain on your shelf collecting dust. It's not the end all book on writing but will save you time and money from buying poor quality how to books on writing. Her style is very straightforward. She offers good examples to make her point as well as exercises at the end of each chapter geared to either the writing of your story or an element that raises your awareness to good writing. Buy the book. You won't be sorry.

Also, Check out her new book "The Art and Craft of Storytelling"!!!!

If you need a writer's guide , buy this one, no matter what you write or for which public. It's full of usefull and simple examples and exercises. The language is clear and humoristic. This book contens all you need to know about crafting unforgettable stories. I use it to rewrite my crime story manuscript and it makes rewriting something close to fun. And that is something unvaluable as you may already know. Buy this book, pick up your pen and join the creazy community of wannabe writers.

Castaway Kid: One Man's Search for Hope and Home (Focus on the Family Books)

This book is amazing. I work in a school with much racial, religious, financial and ethnic diversity. This book was the center of our summer reading program. Rob's life was such a great example for our children who face discrimination that they too can be successful regardless of what others say to them. In addition, my husband and I found things in the book we could relate to as well. My favorite part was Rob's argument with God.

It doesn't matter who you are or how you were raised, you will relate to some part of Rob's life. This is a book you will love and one you will want to share with everyone you know!!

We were fortunate to have Mr. Mitchell visit our school after all of our students had read Castaway Kid as their summer reading assignment. His connection with our community was immediate and deep. All of us can relate to feeling abandoned at some point in our life. And in walks this gentle man who has every reason in the world to be hard and bitter. If God can give Rob Mitchell the courage to forgive, that same courage is certainly available to me!

We chose Castaway Kid as a book for our whole school (private 6-12 independent school) summer reading book. Our librarian and her committee chose it from a long list of possibiities. We were not disappointed in the choice. The students and adults found it a powerful and positive read. The Castaway Kid is not an easy story but students identifed with it in powerful and significant ways. Even if they were not orphaned, all could relate to the feelings of abandonment and isolation that seems part of growing up. We were doubly blessed because we convinced Mr. Mitchell to come to campus and speak at our academic convocation and parents' night. He is a wonderful speaker and it greatly enriched our community's experience. The whole community gave Mr. Mitchell and his story two thumbs up--way up!

Many adults have suffered great hardships in their childhood, even being sent away. This now successful man had a horrible beginning. One can feel the isolation he felt when he was "dumped" off at the age of 3.
A good book to restore your belief that you can make your life different.

I really enjoyed this book. Being from Chicago as well, I felt an ever closer connection to the author and his story. I had a real hard time putting it down and I had to keep tissue close by whenever I was reading it. As a Mother, it was especially heart wrenching to read some of the thoughts and emotions the author experienced as a child. Such wonderful writing and expression - always feeling the emotion the author was sharing. I would highly recommend it! I passed it onto a friend after I was done with it - so the enjoyment could be passed on!

It is definitely the best book I have ever read, and I read many great books throughout my life. I read it about six times, the first one when I was little. I still remember. Now I got it for my own children. It has amazing principles, and wonderful teachings. I wich we could all see life the way "El Principito" does. What a great lesson!

A BOOK THAT INFLUENCED MY LIFE

The book that has influenced my life is "The Little Prince". This book iis basically about a little blond boy that meets an adult with who he will become friend, somewhere in the world, dunno where.He discovers, during a trip, adults, who will allow him to understand adults world and life on hearth In the begining of the story, the pilot crashes in a desert and thers were the story begings.This story has many characters, but the two main ones are the pilot (the narrator), and the little prince.One of the main settings are the dessert were the pilot meets the little prince, and the planet were the little prince lives, but this story has many settings.

I read this book because my mother told me that every kid must read this book, so she gave me the book and i read it when i was almost 12 years old. This book has influenced my life in many ways. Every time i read this book it makes me think, about pepole and friendship, it makes me cry, laugh, and be a better person and a better friend. It also makes me be more pacient, and this is a thing that im not so good at, but every time im in a cituation were i have to be pacient, since i read that book, I have teach myself to try to understand people, and why they are like that. This book is in a prose/chatter way written, in this way it was easier for me to understand the meaning of the words. This book you have to read it more than once to get the meaning of the words.











By Avira Arreola.

Creo que uno de los libros mas lindos que he leido. Es un libro que podes leer a cualquier edad, tendo 18 años y recien lo lei.
Es una aventura muy linda que algun dia espero poder leer a mi hijos :)
Les recomiendo este libro a todo mundo.

It's been one of my favorite books since I was in 6th grade, great life values in this story! Great for kids! and people of any age.

This is a lovely story, and I wanted to own the book to follow while I listen to the story in Spanish on my ipod. Children's stories in Spanish are a delightful way to study for the mid-level student.

T.William Waltrip, M.D.

I read the reviews before buying this and thought it would be great. My 3 yr old is overweight and I needed some ideas to eat more healthy. If you already know much about eating healthy, a lot of the things in this book you will already know. I really bought it for the menu items to cook things she would enjoy eating. There really weren't very receipes. If you are buying it as a cookbook, I would think twice. It did have some good tips, but it isn't a book I'll be using every day to help think of dinner ideas.

My daughters and I have really enjoyed this book. The book's "field guide" approach makes it easy to read and understand. My ten year-old makes the snacks with the recipes provided. We love this hassle free system to feeding the kids! Thank you!

I found this book while looking for some healthy recipes that my kids (2 & 4) would eat. It turned out to be much more than just recipes- it has changed the way our family eats- for the better! It has an easy to follow six-week plan, which I think is brilliant, because you can gradually add in healthy items and the kids don't even notice that they're eating healthier. The plan is also very flexible- you do what works for your family. I don't want to completely ban treats, but I know that for the most part we are eating healthy, so I don't mind us having some special treats now and then. It has some great recipes in it, too. I just think it is a great book for any parent to have and I highly recommend it! My family is well on it's way to a healthier diet and the kids enjoy the food, too.

This book is an absolute asset to any family and of course to every kitchen! This is the book to get for all those who are bogged down in the never ending cycle of work, home, extra murals, not knowing even what to shop for half the time, tired and bored with food and no new ideas on getting your family back on track and eating the way you should be eating. I have two kids, I work, I run a business, my schedule is never ending and I'm totally out of food ideas. This book has been so refreshing in its non-judgemental and realistic approach to improving your lifestyle and eating habits and getting into a routine and situation that just works! What I would suggest is that if you're looking for recipes as well, to also go ahead and buy a couple of practical kid friendly cook books to draw inspiration from. Go for something that is easy and doesn't require any drawn out preparations - just something to grab and go and cook up in less than an hour. There are some really great recipes in Feeding the Kids, however I feel that more is more and only serve to add to the variety, making life even easier! Meal planning although it can take some time initially is also something to really go for! Buy yourself a journal and spend some time - even over the period of a week or so, preparing a month or even two weeks worth of menus. This way you can photocopy and paste recipes into the journal and have everything you need on hand when you go shopping and are ready to cook. With two weeks worth of recipes and meals you just recycle when you get to the end of it and probably go several months that way too! I found books like sneaky chef and deceptively delicious to be a waste of time and energy - get your kids into the real deal! Quite honestly I think they probably gain more from V8 or fresh smoothies made from real fresh fruit that hasn't been cooked up to hell and gone, pureed and then recooked - probably leaving all the nutrients behind anyway!

As a Mom who doesn't enjoy fancy or complicated cooking, I highly recommend this book! The recipes are easy and the menus offer great ideas for pulling together balanced and nutritious meals and snacks. In addition, the nutrition information is presented in a logical, easy to understand way! This book has really turned my family's poor eating habits around!

This is a great book for boosting morale on any campus at any level. The ideas are fresh and enlightening for building relationships and team building. This book would be a great way to boost staff development, and active participation from all staff members.

This is a wonderful resource for Staff Development. If you are tired of having teachers yawn through your important presentations, this is a book full of ideas to help add fun to your work. The activities keep the audience involved, listening and learning throughout your presentation.

This book gives the administrator and anyone who supports the teachers in a school some great things to think about and ways to help the teachers on a day to day basis.

thanks for a wonderful job, the book and the service is excellent. well done

I had the honor to see Ms. Connors speak at a teacher conference this past week. I was feeling a bit jaded over the profession of teaching after completing my second year of teaching and after completing a research study proposal on the sad state of teacher retention due to low administrative support. I was at an oh-too-typical low point...

Ms. Connors' words (both in spoken and written form--I flew through her book after listening to her speech) really hit home. This is a book that every teacher and every administrator should read. It gives simple solutions that could and would make a big impact upon the current state of education today. I encourage every person involved in teaching students to read this book and think about the roles they currently play and the role they could play. THANK-YOU MS. CONNORS for humorously yet seriously pointing out both the problem and the necessary solutions.

This cookbook is THE BEST of a number of kids' cookbooks I've looked at.
Why?

1. The clear instructions: Each and every recipe includes an illustration showing ALL of the ingredients and tools you'll need to make the recipe -- down to the cup of water, the fork, the zip-loc bag (for crushing cornflakes), the cutting board, and for many recipes, the "grown-up assistant with knife". (Applesauce, for some reason, requires an assistant with a "sharp knife", a more stringent requirement than the other recipes.) No more "oops I don't have that" halfway through the recipe. The instructions are very clear, showing how to do things -- how to use the spatula, how to roll up the dough, how to spoon muffin batter into the muffin tins. The instructions teach. Instead of saying "melt butter" one recipe tells you to melt the butter on low, explaining that butter is easy to burn. A soup recipe advises to add a little bit of water if the soup seems too thick. (Many cookbooks would assume one knows these things.) The book doesn't pander, but it doesn't take much for granted.

2. The Rules: The book starts out with Kitchen Rules. It talks about how the kitchen is a "very special room" and lays out ground rules -- Be careful, be clean, Be ready & Measuring. The discussion on why it is important to clean as you go is great --

3. The Kid Focus: Language is really directed to children; it puts the kid in charge by saying things like "Your grown-up assistant and you shoud talk about every recipe before you start it" and "Stoves are hot places . . . always a good place to use some grown-up help." The accompanying picture is of grown man wearing a "Helper" apron and holding a knife, reacy to help.

4. The Recipes: Nice variety, with breakfast items (Buried Treasure Muffins, Four Ways to Cook Eggs) Lunches (Personal Pizza, Happle Bagle Sandwich), Dinners (Alphabetter Soup, Ready Spaghetti, Tuna Wiggle), Desserts (Frozen Bananoids, Disgustingly Rich Brownies), and even bonus recipes for play dough, face paint, soap bubbles, and dog biscuits. These aren't nutritional powerhouses, just basic good food.

5. Illustrations: Very cute. Lots of animals doing things; great facial expressions, particularly on the various grown-up assistants.

6. The format: The book is spiral-bound, so it lies flat. The pages are cardboard and can be wiped clean. That alone makes this a stand-out among kids' cookbooks.

Initially, I was a little hesitant to buy this book because many of the reviews seemed to be written by folks who had this book as a kid. I was comcerned that the book might not seem current. I bought one anyway, for a gift (along with a Molly Katzen cookbook for kids) and have since purchased several more. Nostalgia aside, this book really has withstood the test of time. For a book copyrighted more than 20 years ago, it seems completely up-to-date in 2008.

Highly recommended -- don't think you'll go wrong.

My sister received this cookbook when she was little and it has the best chocolate chip cookie recipe in it. When my sister moved, she took the book with her and I wanted to get a copy for myself. When I received the book, I made a batch of cookies and the memories of when I was younger came flooding back to me. I highly recommend this book for people of all ages. Also, the playdough recipe is easy and fun too.

My son (6 years old) and I love this easy and fun cook book. We have been trying for the recipes every weekend.

This was the first cookbook I had recieved myself as a child. The ingredients are illustrated in a very clear appealing way. Even the measurements are illustrated which makes it very friendly for a child just attempting to cook. I gave this book to my neices and will pass on my copy to my boys, who are a little to young at this time. A great first cookbook. I'm glad to see it is still being published 20 years after I first recieved it.

I love to cook, and for years my little boy has wanted to help me out in the kitchen. Unfortunately, most of my recipes exist only in my brain so it was very hard for him to lend a hand.

This book, which I purchased only hoping to find one or two recipes we'd like, has turned him into an independent little chef in his own right. The instructions are very well-written, the safety precautions are clear and the foods themselves are all kid-pleasers. Well, let me rephrase that: they are all family-pleasers. We've made every one in the book and they've all been big hits.

He's quite proud of owning his own measuring spoon set, too. My only complaint is that the gold-colored paint used to label each spoon's measurements wore off quickly. That was easily solved by going over the raised letters with a permanent marker, though.

Fantastic book: a great gift for any kid!

The book is great. My son loved it. Sadly though, it was ordered with the guarantee that it would arrive before Christmas, and it showed up on the 26th. Amazon has been non-responsive and has ignored my correspondence (e-mail & snail mail). So, I would recomend buying the book, just not through Amazon.

This book is magical for kids - I just bought a second one to make sure both of my sons have this book when they are grown and have their own children. The story is about Peef - a bear that Santa makes by hand. Peef is Santa's right-hand "bear", but really longs to be given as a gift to a boy or girl, but he just can't bring himself to tell Santa. Santa figures it out and decides to give him to a child on Christmas Eve. Great lesson about love. Definitely buy the stuffed Peef they sell with the books and then place it in bed with your child Christmas Eve. After the kids have read the book several times leading up to Christmas, and then wake up to Peef on Christmas morning, they feel so special. They believe Santa decided they were the one who was special enough to receive his special bear.

I am so looking forward to reading this to my kids! It really is a cute book.

The book is a great story and even better when you hear the author read it the way he wrote it. It is a great story about Santa making a friend and eventually giving his friend away to a little child.

Santa is up to something! He's asked all of his elves to pick out their favorite fabric and bring it to him. Just what is Santa doing? Why he's making a multi-colored Christmas Bear, that when the final stitch is completed and with a push from Santa's finger, the bear speaks his own name...Peef.

Peef is an important bear. He is Santa's chief assistant and dearly loves Santa. But what Peef really wants is to belong to and bring happiness to a special child. That doesn't seem to be Peef's fate until one Christmas Eve when Santa is one toy short. Peef's dream is realized as he is left behind to bring one special child great happiness.

This is a wonderful Christmas story! It wraps up the gift of love, sacrifice and the sense of belonging all in one little bear. The illustrations are spectacular and will draw children and adults alike into the story.

Armchair Interviews says: This book, first introduced in 1995, is sure to become a classic and treasured by all children everywhere who dream of loving that special bear.

The Treasure Tree: Helping Kids Understand Their PersonalityMy 8 year old son had this book read to him at school by his teacher and he desperately wanted it for himself to read at home so of course I bought it from amazon (anything for him to read more)he has been reading the book every night before bed, it is a beautiful book with gorgeous characters who have different personalities that work together, it helps kids understand different kinds of personalities and become more tolerant of others. Loved it!

This is a good book for preschoolers through 3rd graders. We have read it aloud in the preschool, kindergarten, and 3rd grade classrooms, and children love to identify with the animal characters in the book. It teaches a good message about how personality differences are to be valued by ourselves and others.

The Treasure Tree: Helping Kids Understand Their Personality

This book was bought for my son when he was around 7, he is now 17 and refuses to give this book away. It's message was and still is wonderful. Great book and highly reccomended.

MY DAUGHTER LOVES THIS BOOK. IT'S GREAT FOR STORY TIME!!! I LOVED READING THE BOOK TO HER AND ALLOWING HER TO ANTICIPATE THE NEXT ADVENTURE WAS EXCITING FOR BOTH OF US.

This colorful book is written to kids, but adults will learn as well. You will see yourself in at least one of the characters and laugh at your extremes. You also will hopefully come to understand the strengths of your own personality tendencies and be encouraged to work on them. Another great thing about this book is it helps you to understand those around you and to see strengths in them, rather than being annoyed with the extreme side of their tendencies. I highly recommend this book to anyone with children ages 5 and up.(though it can be read earlier, the personality traits are maybe seen better after age 5.)