Articles tagged Life, Kids, and Books with Karen Ruben
Last week, on a school day, our alarm went off and my husband and I did not jump out of bed. We lay there looking at the ceiling for a few minutes, you know, in dread. It was, as we call it, “time to wake the donuts,” and man, we really didn’t want to. Truth … Continued
I once read about a woman who banned her kids from reading picture books because she believed her kids were beyond them and should be reading chapter books exclusively. I have also heard, and I am sure you have too, about parents who forbid books like Captain Underpants, books that are slightly vulgar in a … Continued
Kids’ minds are so amazing. Their appetites for new information and ideas are so voracious that they sometimes remind me of Cookie Monster gobbling cookies. It’s a beautiful thing to behold and being reminded of it makes me so proud to be a contributor to CLiF’s blog. A few mornings a week I help out … Continued
General / Book Recommendations
Kitties always get a bad rap in fiction, don’t they? You never see an evil witch with a dog as a sidekick. Even when they are the heroes or heroines, cats tend to be portrayed as sarcastic, cranky, and self-centered. They are the David Spades of the animal world. In a household otherwise inundated with … Continued
There is something about the truly awesome body of children’s books that tempts people to try to separate the cream from the chum. It’s just irresistible. This week the New York Times noted two organizations that have recently published their lists of the 100 “best books” in children’s literature, the New York Public Library and … Continued
Can you imagine what it must feel like to be Superman and be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, especially when the world needs you the most? The sheer joy of such a thing! To realize you have the talent and the strength to burst through the constraints of the physical world … Continued
When I was a kid there was a vacant field in the middle of our block. It was a place from which almost all of us could hear our mothers calling when it was time for dinner, but it was hidden away just enough that we could pretend we didn’t. The best times were when … Continued
In parenting, as in life, some days are better than others. This was one of the others. On a good day everyone gets to school and work on time, behaves, eats healthy food, and the fighting is kept to a minimum. On the others, all hell breaks loose. Everyone is late and out of sorts, … Continued
Last week my husband and I walked our two girls down the street for their first day of school. There was a strong sense of community and celebration as our children paraded into the building. We have a great school with incredible teachers, programs, and families and we feel fortunate to be a part of … Continued
I am a mean parent. It’s true. And I had mean parents, for which I am eternally grateful. How mean am I? Mean enough to use the word NO in the face of adversity (begging, foot stomping, crying, and occasional tantrums), and mean enough to make demands of my children, even if they temporarily hate … Continued
Sometimes it can be tough to get new readers to read on their own. Many beginning reader books are too complicated, too simple, or just plain don’t make sense. To be fair, it is really difficult to write a good story and stick within the necessary parameters for new readers: simple vocabulary, understandable content, and … Continued
If you are reading this, you probably really love books. But what if they were forbidden? Would you love them even more? Would you fight for them? Would you keep the stories in your head and pass them on so they would never be lost? Imagine if there was just one book left in the … Continued
General / Book Recommendations
The amount of thunder showers we are getting this summer seems a might bit excessive, wouldn’t you say? At our house, we have already sung, “rain, rain, go away,” until we are blue in the face. Ah well, I guess, when life gives you thunder storms the best thing to do is to make thunder … Continued
I am ashamed to say that sometimes I take my public library for granted. Sometimes I act like having free access to all those resources, carefully filed and maintained for my use, is my God-given right. Ha! Sometimes I behave as if all those educational opportunities the local library offers my kids are nothing more … Continued
1) If you fall asleep while reading you don’t miss anything. 2) It’s quiet. 3) You can do it ANYWHERE including places with no cell service, electricity, wifi, or satellite transmission. 4) It’s private, just you and the author linking minds and ideas. 5) It’s free with a library card, and sometimes … Continued
Nine months ago I sent my newly minted kindergartener off to school with a fresh set of markers, perfectly pointy crayons, a brand new clean lunchbox, and an excitement to be a part of something bigger, a community of kids with their own job and a place to do it. She was nervous and thrilled. And … Continued
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