The Mysterious Benedict Society was on our list for months before it was available at the library, and it was worth the wait! Trenton Lee Stewart weaves a fantastic plot of mystery and discovery. Kids love reading about other children who outwit nasty grown-ups . . . and in this case, a small group of brainiac kids save the whole population from the evil plan of a plotting scientist.

When your kids are finished with the book, challenge them to apply any newly found super-sleuthing  skills to solve the mystery at the new community theater play WhoWhatWhenWhyHow!

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My husband recently brought The Hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher Goes to School home from a business trip in preparation for school starting. It was an instant hit. Zoe starts the first grade and the rules just aren’t the same. She learns, just as all kids do, how to find her place in her new grade, new class, and new school year.

The first days of school can be very exciting or very tough (or a little of both) depending on the personality of each child. Extra anxiety has made our first days of school tough, but still exciting. Our daughter has enjoyed reading this book and others to help her know that everyone is nervous and a little anxious at the beginning of the year. Hooray for awesome teachers and fantastic kids! It’s going to be another great school year!

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This is one of my favorite times of year. We’ve purchased the perfect backpacks and new shoes, and I love all of the organizational boxes and notebooks! Like you, we are looking for ways to get the gears turning in the brain after a summer of pools, fun, and sun. Phantom Tollbooth is a crazy book all about Math, but it is so much fun! Another great way to brush up on their math skills is with all of the clearance sales. Let your kids calculate the new price of the items you buy. It might be crazy and a tad stressful, but have fun getting ready for school anyway. P.S. The Phantom Tollbooth might be a great book for you to read too, it will bring back a flood of memories of math and English you have blocked out for years.

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Monster’s are awesome! Some of my kids’ favorite books are all about these silly make believe creatures. Some of the all-time great monster books are The  Monster at the End of This Book, Go  Away Big Green Monster, Where the Wild Things Are, and Leonardo, the Terrible Monster. We would like to add to another to the list of great monster books with When a Monster is Born. This book is very funny and crazy fun! After reading, take your silly little monsters to the AZ Museum for Youth, where the current feature exhibit is My Favorite Monster.  They have fantastic hands-on exhibits to help you build, create, and play with toy monsters. Make your day less scary and more fun! Enjoy reading this great book and having fun with your kids today!

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