Books For Kids | ParentSphere

National Geographic Kids Almanac 2010

February 20, 2010 By: Amy Category: Kids, Products

2010Almanac National Geographic Kids Almanac 2010

National Geographic is a name that I’ve known and trusted since I was kid. We always turned to our National Geographic magazines for school projects. I have done much research and have cut out many animals from these publications. It was always so cool to me to have access to information about other places, people and animals, among other things, right at my finger tips.

That being said, when I learned about the release of the Nat Geo Kids Almanac 2010, I was pretty ecstatic. I have a very curious preschooler and instantly knew this would make a great addition to her bookshelf.

This hard cover almanac is vibrant and full of facts and photos of far off lands and of things right in our own backyard. It is history and present-day information at our finger tips. I’m fixing to sit and read this almanac from cover to cover with my preschooler. There are so many things to explore and this almanac provides a kid-friendly way to do it.

We are taking a family vacation to The Dominican Republic in just over three months and have spent some time explaining to our four year old that we’ll be traveling to another country. I was able to refer to our Nat Geo Kids Almanac to point out to her where exactly The Dominican Republic is located and talk to her a little bit about the geography of the country.

nat geo almanac 277x300 National Geographic Kids Almanac 2010

This almanac is chalk-full of details about planets, all the way down to what happens inside of the earth.

Totally loving this book and highly recommending you pick up a copy of it.

National Geographic Kids has teamed up with New Media Strategies to give away one (1) copy of their 2010 Kids Almanac to one ParentSphere reader (MSRP $19.95).

To enter this giveaway:

Leave a comment on this post with your favorite National Geographic learning as a kid (or as an adult). We encourage you to get your kids involved! Are you traveling (or want to travel) somewhere in the coming months? Use the National Geographic Kids website as an excellent resource. Leave your feedback in your entry comment.

Tweet this post for an additional entry. Just leave an additional comment on this post including the link to your Tweet.

We’ll choose a winner at random on Friday, February 26th and notify by email. We’ll also update this post with the winner’s first name and comment number.

*We would also recommend considering a subscription to National Geographic Kids magazine for your child(ren) (10 issues for $15). We have one and it’s the bees knees.

Additional resources, follow NatGeoKids on Twitter. Become a fan on Facebook.

*Make sure to come back and visit in the coming months, as I’ll be posting information about travel preparations for the coming vacation season!

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Tags: books for kids, educational material, grade schooler, preschooler, teens, tweens

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LeapFrog products for your collection

January 25, 2010 By: Amy Category: Babies, Kids, Products

I’ve played with a lot of toys over the past four years and can honestly tell you that my favorite brand is LeapFrog. I really like the quality of their toys and I’m also very impressed by the technology they use in their products. Not to mention they are an extremely generous company.

We recently added the following LeapFrog products to our ever-growing collection:

Zippity

zippity 300x237 LeapFrog products for your collection

Zippity is quite popular with my preschooler right now. It is very easy for her to grasp the concept of how this gaming system works. She gets to use her whole body, which is a plus because I swear, the kid never stops moving. I like it that she’s on her feet playing the game, rather than staring at the screen while sitting on the couch. This is an excellent gaming system for kids around the ages of 4 and up.

I am somewhat of a technology snob and pay attention to graphics. The graphics and animation of the games for this system are exceptional, in my opinion. I am pleased with the look and feel of Zippity. Good job on this one, LeapFrog!

(Picture of Hailey using Zippity coming soon)

My Pal Scout/Violet

mypalviolet 260x300 LeapFrog products for your collection

Pictured above is My Pal Violet. Cute, cute, cute! We love this puppy. Once again, LeapFrog has outdone themselves with technology. Violet and Scout can be connected to your computer via USB cable and personalized. I’m not kidding, we walk around the house everyday singing the little tunes that come from this puppy. Violet says our baby’s name (which grabs her attention); she sings personalized songs (for instance, right now, Violet likes the color black and meatballs are her favorite food. For a while, it was bacon). I absolutely love that you can connect and change options any time you want. This is a stuffed animal that is worth having around.

IMG 1142 300x216 LeapFrog products for your collection

(Teagan and Violet)

Tag Junior Book Pal

tag junior leapfrog 300x200 LeapFrog products for your collection

I’ve been itching to use our Tag Junior with the baby. I can’t wait to see her chubby hands wrapped around this chubby reader. Even our preschooler enjoys the Tag Junior but ultimately, her favorite is the regular Tag reader and books. Tag Junior is less pen-like, compared to the regular Tag Reader. It is much easier for babies/toddlers to grasp in their little, uncoordinated hands. The board books are just the right size for the smaller hands, too.

(Picture of the girls using Tag Junior coming soon)

Before I close, I will also mention that LeapFrog has the technology to tell you what your child is doing/learning. It’s just a matter of connecting your LeapFrog products to your computer and checking out the LeapFrog Learning Path that gathers information from the activities your child does on his/her LeapFrog products and calculates their progress. This is a fantastic, educational tool.

As far as I’m concerned, LeapFrog is blowing their competition out of the water with their quality and technology. I love that I’m able to experience these learning products with my kids! They have been such a huge part of our lives. Thank you, LeapFrog, for taking the time to make products that will make a difference in a child’s life in the future.

http://www.leapfrog.com/en/play/information_center.html

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Tags: books for kids, technology, toddler, toys and games, video games

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LeapFrog Ambassador of Summer Reading

September 22, 2009 By: Amy Category: ParentSphere news

Earlier this summer, I was contacted by LeapFrog and asked if I would like to be one of their “Ambassadors of Summer Reading”. Of course I was thrilled and jumped at the chance. Ok, I didn’t exactly “jump”, as I was 8 months pregnant at the time. I realize I’m a bit late on my post, as today marked the first day of Fall and this was a “summer” program. Yikes! It just so happens that my baby arrived a little early by way of an emergency c-section, so quite a few things were placed on hold in my world.

So, the specifics of the program were to contact local libraries, daycares, family and friends and GIVE them LeapFrog Tag and Tag Junior sets. If you don’t know what these awesome products are, go check them out.

Anyway, just recently, I got out and made some deliveries in my area. My first stop was to a branch of my local library.

LeapFrog Ambassador of Summer Reading

The manager of the branch was so thankful. They are going to use the LeapFrog Tags that were donated for giveaways that are held at the library.

My next stop was to my daughter’s daycare center/preschool. They were just thrilled with the gift! They are going to use the LeapFrog Tag and Tag Juniors that were donated in the classrooms.

LeapFrog Ambassador of Summer Reading

I have also given a couple of sets of the Tags and Tag Juniors. to my mother-in-law to bring to her school. She works with special needs students and I thought they would be a great learning tool for the kids. I have also gifted some sets to my family and friends who have children.

It felt so good to introduce such a fantastic product to people and places I care about.

I highly recommend you checking out LeapFrog Tag and Tag Junior. They are excellent products! We love them and use them in our home. These should be on everyone’s Christmas lists this year!

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Tags: books for kids, for the good, whats happening

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I Spy A-to-Z

June 15, 2009 By: Amy Category: Contests, Kids, Products

Congratulations to our winners: #25 – Carol (Grand Prize), #38 – Yvonne, #98 – Gabriel, #64 – Deborah, #44 – Stephanie

ispyatoz

My 3-1/2 year old opened this book and immediately started chanting, “I spy with my little eye”. She knew right away what the book was all about. I’ve seen this book on store shelves and online and I’m sad to say, I never did pick up a copy of it. Though, I’m happy that I was recently sent “I Spy A to Z” because it is big fun to look at with my preschooler.

Here’s the skinny:

Easy-to-read riddles by Jean Marzollo are paired with forty-six object-filled photographs by Walter Wick to create I Spy A to Z, the most engaging alphabet book ever! With more than thirty titles and 36 million books in print, the I Spy series continues to win the hearts and minds of parents and kids everywhere.

We have a pretty sweet deal for you, too. A chance to win a pretty huge “I Spy” prize pack for one lucky reader and the above book, I Spy A to Z for four (4) runner-up readers. Check it:

One (1) Grand Prize winner receives a Grand Prize Pack including:
* Wii Video Game ‘Ultimate I SPY’
* Board Game ‘I SPY Memory Game’
* I SPY A to Z: A Book of Picture Riddles
* I SPY Treasure Hunt
Grand Prize Pack valued at = $85.99

ispygrandprize I Spy A to Z

*The actual packaging of the products may be different than shown above.

Four (4) runner-up winners receive a copy of the new book
* I SPY A to Z: A Book of Picture Riddles
Each book valued at = $13.99

So, for your chance to win either the grand prize or a copy of I Spy A to Z, leave a comment on this post. In your comment, let us know if you’ve ever played “I Spy” with anyone or if you’ve had the chance to go through the book or play any of the games included in the prize pack.

Five (5) winners will be chosen at random on Friday, June 26th and contacted via email.

*For an extra entry, Tweet this giveaway and come back and leave a 2nd comment with your Twitter username so we can go and spy on you.

*Giveaway is open to residents of the continental U.S.

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Tags: books for kids

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Kids Books: Here’s The Punk Alphabet & M Is For Metal

May 30, 2009 By: Eric Category: Kids, Products

If you are a parent to a youngster and a fan of fine music (like me), you definitely need to check out the following rowdy rock-n-roll-inspired alphabet books. The two books are called Never Mind Your P’s And Q’s: Here’s The Punk Alphabet and M Is For Metal! and both feature bright, bold illustrations and some of the funniest rhymes I’ve ever seen in any children’s book, ever. I mean, kids books that call out the likes of The Clash, Elvis Costello, The Ramones, AC/DC, Jimi Hendrix, and more sound like just as much fun for us grown ups, right? These books aren’t for uptight squares (though) as they contain words like “sucks,” “hell,” “up yours” and “The Damned.” That being said, my three year old daughter just loves these books (especially the graphic of Iggy Pop wearing a dog collar). I love ‘em too even if trying to explain what “up yours” means is a bit tricky. Have a look at the books below.

Nevermind Your P’s and Q’s: Here’s The Punk Rock Alphabet

M is for Metal! Video Flipthrough

Both books are available in the US through Reckless Records.

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Tags: books for kids

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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: Share the Magic Giveaway

April 06, 2009 By: Amy Category: Contests, His and Hers, Kids, Products

Congratulations to our winners: #44 Jammie, #1 Jill L, #9 Harli, #46 Toby and #19 Angela J

hpandthesorcerersstone 199x300 Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone: Share the Magic Giveaway

Happy 10th anniversary to the first book in the Harry Potter series: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone! I just can’t believe how quickly the years go by. Has it really been ten years since the Harry Potter phenomenon began? The excitement isn’t going away anytime soon, either. A whole new generation of children await the magic of Hogwarts, and Quidditch, of Sorting Hats and Spells.

We’re here to help introduce the little one in your life to the first book in this remarkable series – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – and get them started on the reading adventure of a lifetime.

For this giveaway, five (5) of our readers have a chance to win TWO paperback copies of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. One copy for you and the other copy to give to someone and “Share the Magic”.

This giveaway will end on Friday, April 24th at 12pm midnight, central standard time and is available to entrants within the continental U.S.

To enter:

Leave a comment on this post and let us know when you became a Harry Potter fan or if you’re just getting into the Harry Potter phenomenon now.

*For an extra chance to win, Tweet this giveaway. In your Tweet, include a link back to this post and leave another comment letting us know that you’ve tweeted. Please include your Twitter name!

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Tags: books for dads, books for kids, books for moms

Comments (76)

Who doesn’t think dinosaurs are cool?

April 05, 2009 By: Amy Category: Contests, Kids, Products

Congratulations to our winners!
Grand Prize winner: # 19 Desiree K
Runner up winners: #30 Jenn H, #104 Jennifer M, #12 Rachel and #78 Paula H

dinosaur 300x252 Who doesnt think dinosaurs are cool?

I am still fascinated by dinosaurs. You often hear the noises that dinosaurs “supposedly” made, how do we know what they sounded like? None of us have ever seen a real dinosaur, only their ancestors. Why are dinosaurs extinct? So many questions. I know the day will come when my kids ask me these questions. I’m just going to tell them to become paleontologists so they can get the answers for all of us.

In the meantime, we can feed our imaginations with the brand new book, “Dinosaur” by Stephanie Stansbie.

DINOSAUR offers young readers an in-depth, gripping journey back to a time when these prehistoric creatures ruled the Earth! Each stunning spread features different fascinating species and provides the facts and meticulously researched details that dinosaur fans want to know.

Complete with beautiful illustrations and a design that captures the feel of an old, weathered paleontologist’s journal, DINOSAUR will captivate the imagination of dinosaur buffs and curious dino experts in-the-making.

The book also includes a tri-fold timeline outlining the key historic ages, mini booklets with little known dinosaur facts, and a giant foldout poster that includes various life-size dino footprints (and our relative mini-scale human size), this is the definitive dinosaur book for budding paleontologists as well as fans of every age.

We have a pretty fantastic giveaway up for grabs right now.

dinosuar_grand_prize

One (1) Grand Prize winner will receive a ROARING Grand Prize Pack (valued at $88)!

* A copy of the hard cover book DINOSAUR
* and five (5) additional young reader’s titles from the Little, Brown bookshelf including: Tumtum & Nutmeg, Rumblewick’s Diary, The Mousehunter, Daniel X, Ignatius Mcfarland: Frequenaut

Four (4) runner-up winners will receive a copy of the new book (valued at $19.99):

* A copy of the hard cover book DINOSAUR

This giveaway will end on Friday, April 24th at 12pm midnight, central standard time and is available to entrants within the continental U.S.

To enter:

Leave a comment on this post and tell us your burning dinosaur question (make something up if you have to).

*For an extra chance to win, Tweet this giveaway. In your Tweet, include a link back to this post and leave another comment letting us know that you’ve tweeted. Please include your Twitter name!

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Tags: books for kids

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My heart simply grew bigger in size

April 05, 2009 By: Amy Category: Babies, Contests, Kids, Products

Congratulations to our winners!
Grand Prize winner: # 10 Sheila Hi
Runner up winners: # 24 Heidi, # 117 Courtney, # 50 Nadia and # 80 Elizabeth Y

This is perfect timing for a giveaway that has everything to do with welcoming a new life into the world. Because if you weren’t already aware, we’re expecting our second child!

Sandra Magsamen has a new book out called, “Welcome, Little One“.

welcome_little_one

In this truly special interactive novelty book, beloved author and artist Sandra Magsamen celebrates the miracle of babies of every kind – including baby elephants, pint-sized giraffes, tiny chicks, and lots of other adorable little ones.

Perfect for cozy, shared laptime reading, the soothing, lulling text is paired with a wide variety of playful, engaging novelty elements that babies will love to explore,including:

- touch-and-feels
- pull-tabs
- lift-the-flaps
- pop-ups
- a musical sound chip

Enter now to win this fabulous prize pack:

grand_prize

One (1) Grand Prize winner will receive a Grand Prize Pack (valued at $149.88) including:

* 2 Baby Outfits from Sandra’s clothing line “Messages from the Heart”
* 1 copy of Welcome, Little One
* 1 copy of Peek-a-boo, I Love You
* 1 copy of Baby Love
* 1 copy of My Blanket
* 1 copy of Little Blossom
* 1 copy of Goodnight, Little One
* 1 copy of Butterfly Kisses
* 1 copy of Love Bug
* 1 copy of Bedtime Bunny
* 1 copy of Little Angel

Four (4) runner-up winners will receive a copy of Sandra’s new book:

* Welcome, Little One

This giveaway will end on Friday, April 24th at 12pm midnight, central standard time and is available to entrants within the continental U.S.

To enter:

Leave a comment on this post and let us know if you’ve previously read any of Sandra’s books.

*For an extra chance to win, Tweet this giveaway. In your Tweet, include a link back to this post and leave another comment letting us know that you’ve tweeted. Please include your Twitter name!

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Tags: books for kids

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Kevin Luthardt: artist, storyteller

March 29, 2009 By: Amy Category: Kids, Products

larabeecover 300x254 Kevin Luthardt: artist, storyteller

Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting Kevin Luthardt, a Chicago author and illustrator. Before I even met him, I was impressed by his artwork displayed at Mars Gallery in Chicago. I was thrilled to learn that besides his whimsical and colorful paintings and murals, he has written and illustrated eight children picture books so far.

I purchased Larabee the night that I met Kevin. This book about a mailman’s dog, who longs to receive his own piece of mail, became an instant favorite at our house. The soft illustrations are pleasing to the eye and the story is heartwarming and quite easy for a preschooler to understand.

We just received a copy of Kevin’s newest book, “Flying“, which is a story about a boy who dreams about being able to fly. Like all kids, the little boy in the story is very curious. There is playful interaction between the boy and his father and again, the simple, colorful illustrations just pop. We like naming the types of birds shown in some of the pictures.

flyingcover 261x300 Kevin Luthardt: artist, storyteller

It won’t be long before we add to our collection of Kevin’s books. You can check out all of his titles available for purchase over at Amazon. We highly recommend them.

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Tags: books for kids

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Silver Dolphin Books

March 05, 2009 By: Amy Category: Babies, Kids, Products

An exceptional publisher of entertaining and educational books for kids through young adults and beyond is Silver Dolphin Books.

silver dolphin books Silver Dolphin Books

Their list of titles, including the above: Safari Animals, Five Little Ducks! and Model Masters: Dragons, have something to offer many age ranges. My 3 year old loves the safari animals and scenery that we assembled from the Safari Animals book. As she grows, she’ll enjoy learning interesting facts about the animals.

silver dolphin books2 Silver Dolphin Books

Older kids who are fascinated with science would probably be thrilled with something from the Uncover It Series, like the above: Uncover a Dolphin. The Uncover It books are full of facts and 3-D layers of the book’s subject matter. Another set of great interactive books are the Explore Within Series. We have the Explore Within a Medieval Castle book pictured above and it’s really cool to open each page only to discover the interesting layers of a castle…in 3-D. Another book that my 3 year old loves to flip through is the Kaleidopops Oceans book. The images are beautiful and she gets a glimpse of some colorful ocean life.

These are just a select few of the many titles you can find from Silver Dolphin Books. These books are available for purchase online at the Silver Dolphin Book site or select book stores online and in the store.

We highly recommend checking out their vast array of titles the next time you want to purchase a unique gift for someone.