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!

(more…)

Pull on your cowboy boots and braid your hair, Rapunzel’s Revenge is a new graphic novel full of adventure and excitement! No need for guns or fists, Rapunzel uses her mile long hair to save the day and send the bad guys packin’. She first discovers her braided powers when she reigns in an overgrown wild boar with her hair and rides it  like a bucking bronco.  Your buckaroos can test their own fearless riding skills (although we don’t suggest using their hair to hold on) at Rawhide’s Friday Night Bull Riding.  Real cowboys and cowgirls ride the big bulls, but kids can try Mutton Busting (sheep riding), and our graphic novel readers will be interested in taking a turn on Rawhide’s Mechanical Bull, Widow Maker.

Go to the online bookstore or nearby library and grab Rapunzel’s Revenge. When you arrive at Rawhide you’ll be ready to shout “Howdy!” and “Yee-haw!” with the best of them.

(more…)

Long drives are the perfect time to read chapter books together as a family. Enjoying a story passes the time quickly and keeps the kicking, poking, and yelling to a minimum. One we recently enjoyed, Cave of the Dark Wind: A Never Land Book, is a great story full of excitement and adventure. A chapter book intended for 9-12 year olds, it’s a fun and simple read but the storytelling and imagery are fantastic! We found this to be a great book for boys - it’s a Neverland adventure - and yet there is a brave heroine named Pearl who kept my daughter’s interest. It’s a nail biter for children and tough to put down. You will love imagining the treasure hunt through The Cave of the Dark Wind together.

You could finish the book on your drive down to Benson, AZ - just past Tucson. Here you will find Kartchner Caverns, an amazing cave in pristine condition. You and your children will be wowed as you seemingly enter another world full of stalagmites and stalactitles! It can only be accessed by tour and a reservation is required.  Get the book and plan your trip. It will be an inexpensive mini-vacation the kids will talk about for months!

(more…)

Toys. That stuff’s for kids, right? Oh – who are we kidding? Everyone loves toys!!! Even though most of our toys tend to get bigger and more expensive as we grow older, we’ll admit that around here we still have a chest full of toys that are off limits to little hands because we just can’t let go. Children of all ages get emotionally attached to their playthings and they are often the best conversation starters for both young and old.

That’s why we think it’s pretty cool that the Arizona Museum for Youth is currently showcasing an exhibit dedicated to toys. Paintings, sculptures, and other artwork combine with hands-on fun to create an environment in which parents can reminisce and children can explore toys from a new point of view. To get your kids thinking about the magic of toys, encourage them to read on old classic. Whether the toy is made of plastic, wood, paper, or metal, their magic lies in the way they facilitate play and make believe. One of the best books to push your kids’ imagination as they read about toys coming to life – literally – is The Indian in the Cupboard. One of the ten best-selling children’s books of all time, this fantasy-based chapter book has been entertaining kids for nearly 30 years. We think your kids will fall in love with this book as quickly as we did years ago. Just be prepared to find toys in your cupboards for the next few weeks.

(more…)