Publisher’s Synopsis: From the creators of Little Pea and Little Hoot comes this tidy tale of a decidedly different pig. Little Oink is a neat little fellow. Clean clean clean that’s all he wants to do. But Mama and Papa won’t have it! They say in order to be a proper pig he has to learn to make a proper mess. “Don’t come out until your room is a pigsty ” says Papa Pig. “I won’t have any child of mine going out looking so neat and clean. It’s just not acceptable ” says Mama Pig. Readers who hate to clean up will love this humorous twist on a universal dilemma.

View Little Oink on Amazon.com

Great job UPS Stores! We’re all rushing in to ship packages this time of the year. Consider giving a donation at the UPS Store in your neighborhood on behalf of the Toys for Tots Literacy Program

NEW YORK, Dec. 14 /PRNewswire/ — The Toys for Tots Literacy Program is helping raise awareness of the issue of children’s literacy and the importance of families reading together.

See video from The UPS Store at: http://inr.mediaseed.tv/UPS_37213

A year-round initiative of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, the program offers our nation’s most economically disadvantaged children the ability to compete academically and to succeed in life by providing them direct access to books and educational resources that enhance their ability to read and to communicate effectively.

As the exclusive sponsor of the Toys for Tots Literacy Program, participating The UPS Store ® ( )locations collect monetary donations throughout the year. Every dollar donated places a book into the hands of a less fortunate child in the local community.

To raise awareness of the need for initiatives like the Toys for Tots Literacy Program, The UPS Store network has enlisted the assistance of the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) and its president and founder, Sharon Darling.

“The ability to read is the foundation on which the rest of an education is built. However, far too many families can’t foster a love of reading and learning because they don’t have access to the resources they need, including books,” said Darling. “The National Center for Educational Statistics released a report asserting that 33 percent of all fourth graders in this country cannot read at grade level. This puts at risk their futures and their ability to become actively engaged adults and productive members of society.”

The program suggests people consider purchasing a copy of a favorite childhood book and sharing its magic with a child who may not know the joy of having a book of his or her own. The NCFL and the Toys for Tots Literacy Program have also developed a book list as a guide for parents to use in selecting quality books for their children.

Since the March 2008 launch of the program, The UPS Store network has raised more than $1 million, enabling the purchase of an equal number of books.

For more information or to donate, please visit

Have trouble getting your kids to read? I’ve proposed ideas before such as starting them off with instructional books for their hobbies like drawing etc. Another great way to encourage reading is with the use of popup books.

Recently, they have gotten more elaborate and grand than the old popup books I remember as a kid, and they certainly put an interesting twist on many books. Nothing like turning a page to have a 1 foot tall castle come flying up at you.

A great popup book you can look at is Peter Pan: A Classic Collectible Pop-Up by Robert Sabuda. Check out the pirate ship!

Publisher’s Synopsis: Readers will delight in this retelling of the classic story of Neverland, pirates, and flying. Robert Sabuda’s elegant text and paper engineering give new life to favorite charcters like Tinkerbell, Wendy, Michael, and John, and, of course, Peter Pan. Sabuda’s beautiful pop-ups are further complemented by full color illustrations that pull readers even deeper into the magical world that is Neverland.

Peter Pan: A Classic Collectible Pop-Up

Parents. Christmas is almost upon us, and it’s at this time of the year when “want” is a word you may hear a little too much of. Each and every bit of marketing your child sees on television reminds them of the new toy or videogame they’ve been asking for. If you’re struggling with trying to teach your children about giving, maybe these books will help. They all have valuable lessons that help young readers understand the joy that giving to others can give.

1. Sharing Christmas

Author: Kate Westerlund
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
ISBN: 0698400747

View Sharing Christmas on Amazon.com

2.Christmas Eve: The Joy of Giving

Author: Lisa Sferlazza Johnson
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
ISBN: 0977309622

Publisher’s Synopsis: This fresh take on Christmas traditions follows Eve, the enchanting toy-making fairy, as she leaves her pumpkin patch and heads to the North Pole, where Santa’ s elves have come down with a nasty case of Elfpox. Eve is delighted to lend a magical hand and help Santa do the elves’ work, but she is unsure of her abilities– she can only create small toys. After learning about the first Christmas and getting a few history lessons from the Mrs. Claus, Eve begins to understand that it’ s not the size of the gift but rather the love that inspires the presents that counts. Once Eve gets hooked on the ” Joy of Giving, ” she infuses every pint-sized toy with feeling and is given the distinguished title of ” Christmas Eve.” Providing adults with a new explanation of Christmas traditions, this story helps children understand that, sometimes, less is more.

View Christmas Eve: The Joy of Giving on Amazon.com

3. The Legend of St. Nicholas: A Story of Christmas Giving

How cool that of the tens of thousands of books sold on Amazon.com each day, that at the end of the year, a childrens book would be in the top 10. The entry? Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney.

Author: Jeff Kinney
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 224 pages
ISBN: 0810970686

Publisher’s Synopsis: The highly anticipated third book in the critically acclaimed and bestselling series takes the art of being wimpy to a whole new level.

Let’s face it: Greg Heffley will never change his wimpy ways. Somebody just needs to explain that to Greg’s father. You see, Frank Heffley actually thinks he can get his son to toughen up, and he enlists Greg in organized sports and other “manly” endeavors. Of course, Greg is able to easily sidestep his father’s efforts to change him. But when Greg’s dad threatens to send him to military academy, Greg realizes he has to shape up . . . or get shipped out.

Greg and his family and friends, who make the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books a must-read for middle school readers, are back and at their best in this hilarious new installment of the series, which is sure to please current fans while attracting new ones.

View Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw on Amazon.com

This is a great little book with a really nice “pay it forward” theme.

Author: James Proimos
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 40 pages
ISBN: 0316032921

Publisher’s Synopsis: Paulie Pastrami can’t whistle, he has trouble matching his socks, and he is usually picked last in sports. But he plans to achieve world peace before he turns eight.

Through simple acts of kindness–from reading to the trees and being nice to his little sister to cheering up the school principal and sharing cupcakes with strangers–Paulie learns that spreading peace isn’t that hard after all.

View Paulie Pastrami Achieves World Peace on Amazon.com

CAROLINE, Alberta, Dec. 3 /PRNewswire/ — Many children will face anxieties about their first day of preschool, wondering what it will be like, if their teacher will be nice and if they will make new friends. In her reassuring new children’s book, “The Girl Who Tamed Her Wonder Worm” (published by AuthorHouse), Rose Brenda Lavis offers parents an important new resource for helping their children cope with those familiar first-day jitters. Lavis writes:

This book is bright and colorful; this is every child’s story. We have all sat on the sidelines in life at times. This story provides inspiration for parents and children to create their own successes through guidance and non-negotiable expectations. This story is an inspiration for any child who is reluctant to try something new or for children who may have difficulty in following something they start to the end.

“The Girl Who Tamed Her Wonder Worm” is the true story of the range of emotions experienced by the Lavis’ young daughter and upon signing up for playschool. At first, her daughter, Jill, is a happy, giggling 4-year-old girl with anticipation in her tummy. Her excitement turns to wondering what playschool would be like and if she would like it. The happy wondering changes to uncertainty, and uncertainty leads to worrying. Jill’s playschool time was spent holding on to her mother’s leg, watching the other children have fun because she was too afraid to join in. Watching her daughter’s mood shift, Lavis notices the butterfly in her daughter’s tummy change from fluttering its wings to folding them, and then finally loosing them altogether. Lavis writes:

There had been so many Wednesdays and so many wondering worry days that the little butterfly in her tummy had not only closed his wings he no longer had wings at all. The little butterfly, which made her giggle, had turned from a happy fluttering butterfly into a wonder worry worm. It was not possible to whoosh and giggle with a wonder worm in your tummy.

Jill was crying with her wonder worm curled up in her tummy. Her mother asked what was wrong. Jill told her mother that she did not want to go to playschool. She wanted to stay home and play in her own back yard with the kids she knew.

About the Author

Rose Brenda Lavis was born in Calgary, Alberta in Canada. She is also the creator and author of multiple children’s books, learning materials, and seminars for adults and children. She is currently creating an educational program for children which will include each of her four children’s books she has written (http://www.reachhigherempowermentcentre.com). She lives and works on her acreage near the Village of Caroline in Alberta, Canada.

AuthorHouse is the premier book publisher for emerging, self-published authors. For more information, please visit http://www.authorhouse.com.

View The Girl Who Tamed Her Wonder Worm on Amazon.com

Not all kids enjoy reading, that’s a fact. You may even have one of those kids in your house or classroom. You constantly struggle with them, encouraging them to read, yet they fight you every step of the way. Reading itself may not be the issue. It may be the subject.

When I was a kid, I didn’t love to read. I loved to draw. I always had a pencil or marker in my hand. There was nothing I loved to do more. I was so interested in it, that I was ecstatic when I received a book on drawing comic books (How to draw comics the marvel way, to be exact). I studied that book intently looking for tips to encourage my hobby. As my artistic skills grew, so did my need and want for new books to further my studies and inspiration. Those art books were a gateway to non-art books and there lies a tool you can use. For instance, if your kids like comic books, get them a book on drawing or writing comics. I’ve listed a selection below of some of the better ones you may be interested in.

How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way

Author: John Buscema
Paperback: 160 pages
ISBN: 0671530771

This is the one that I started with, and although it’s a little older, the artwork and examples are excellent.

Publisher’s Synopsis: Stan Lee, the Mighty Man from Marvel, and John Buscema, active and adventuresome artist behind the Silver Surfer, Conan the Barbarian, the Mighty Thor and Spider-Man, have collaborated on this comics compendium: an encyclopedia of information for creating your own superhero comic strips. Using artwork from Marvel comics as primary examples, Buscema graphically illustrates the hitherto mysterious methods of comic art. Stan Lee’s pithy prose gives able assistance and advice to the apprentice artist. Bursting with Buscema’s magnificent illustrations and Lee’s laudable word-magic, How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way belongs in the library of every kid who has ever wanted to illustrate his or her own comic strip.

View How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way on Amazon.com

Drawing Cutting Edge Anatomy: The Ultimate Reference for Comic Book Artists

Author: Christopher H

Author: Steve Jenkins
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
ISBN: 061896620X

Publisher’s Synopsis: When it comes to wild animals, everyone knows that there are certain things you just dont do. It’s clearly a bad idea to tease a tiger, pull a python’s tail, or bother a black widow spider. But do you know how dangerous it can be to pet a platypus, collect a cone shell, or touch a tang fish? Some creatures have developed unusual ways of protecting themselves or catching prey, and this can make them unexpectedly hazardous to your health.

In this dynamic and fascinating picture book by Steve Jenkins, you’ll find out what you should never do if you encounter one of these surprisingly dangerous animals.

View Never Smile at a Monkey: And 17 Other Important Things to Remember on Amazon.com

Although the year is almost over, publisher’s aren’t done releasing great new books. Keep reading for a sample of some of the top children’s books released for the month of December.

Scholastic Book Of World Records 2010 by Jenifer Morse

Author: Jennifer Morse
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 320 pages
ISBN: 0545160650

Publisher’s Synopsis:Whether kids want to know what the world’s deadliest snake is, which country eats the most chocolate, who has the most career touchdowns in the NFL, or which state has the largest water park, the SCHOLASTIC BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS 2010 has all of the answers and much, much more! Over the past eight years, kids, parents, and teachers have come to love this kid-friendly book.

Each of the 300 records on pop culture, sports, science, and more has its own page that includes a full-color photograph and a detailed description of the record.

View Scholastic Book Of World Records 2010 on Amazon.com

Dandelion Fire: Book 2 of the 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson

Author: N.D. Wilson
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 480 pages
ISBN: 037583883X

Publisher’s Synopsis: Henry York never dreamed his time in Kansas would open a door to adventure—much less a hundred doors. But a visit to his aunt and uncle’s farm took an amazing turn when cupboard doors, hidden behind Henry’s bedroom wall, revealed themselves to be portals to other worlds. Now, with his time at the farm drawing to a close, Henry makes a bold decision—he must go through the cupboards to find the truth about where he’s from and who his parents are. Following that trail will take him from one world to another, and ultimately into direct conflict with the evil of Endor.

View Dandelion Fire: Book 2 of the 100 Cupboards on Amazon.com

Quiet! There’s a Canary in the Library by Don Freeman

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Reading at home with your kids is a great thing to do each and every day. But let’s face it, it’s hard to make the time when you know that sometimes they just aren’t interested and what fun is that for you?

One way to get your kids interested in reading is to make a game out of it, and The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Traditionhelps you do just that.

The book, which was written by Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chandra Bell, comes with a really cute, vintage looking elf that is an integral part of the story and the fun. The story is about an elf from the north pole that watches kids and reports back to Santa on how they are behaving. Every night, parents get to move the elf and kids aren’t allowed to touch him. It really turns into a great hide-and-seek game all centered around the story in the book. This is an excellent way to reinforce fun and reading!

Publisher’s Synopsis: The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition™ is an activity the entire family will enjoy. Based on the tradition Carol Aebersold began with her family in the 1970s, this cleverly rhymed children’s book explains that Santa knows who is naughty and/or nice because he sends a scout elf to every home. During the holiday season, the elf watches children by day and reports to Santa each night. When children awake, the elf has returned from the North Pole and can be found hiding in a different location. This activity allows The Elf on the Shelf to become a delightful hide-and-seek game.

View The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition Elf on the Shelf Gift Set on Amazon.com

There are lots of great Christmas books out there, but none that have the history and sentimental memories of Dr. Suess’s original How The Grinch Stole Christmas! It’s in a small class of holiday classics along with the original Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
animated short and the Frosty The Snowman cartoon. If you haven’t read your kids this book, it’s a classic and cannot be substituted with the film. Get a copy for the holidays and pass on the tradition.

View How the Grinch Stole Christmas! on Amazon.com

The holiday season is in full swing with Thanksgiving this week. It’s time to put away those Thanksgiving books and get out the Christmas books. If you’re like us and have a newborn, you will be looking for baby’s first Christmas book. I’ve got 3 recommendations that will be fun for you AND baby!

Keep reading to find out what we recommend!

1. Where Is Baby’s Christmas Present? by Karen Katz

Author: Karen Katz
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 14 pages
ISBN: 1416971459

Join baby on a search for his first Christmas present! A great interactive lift-the-flap board book.

Publisher’s Synopsis: Baby is looking everywhere for the Christmas present—but where can it be? Little ones will love lifting the large, sturdy flaps to reveal special, holiday surprises: Christmas cookies, candy canes, ornaments, and more! Babies are sure to love this Christmas treat!

View Where Is Baby’s Christmas Present?: A Lift-the-Flap Book on Amazon.com

2. How To Build A Snowman (Little Scholastic)

Reading Level: Baby to Preschool
Hardcover: 10 pages
ISBN: 0545000661

Build a snowman! Kids will live the different textures in this touch-and-feel title.

Publishers Synopsis: A very first winter book with different textures to touch and feel on every page. Introducing Little Scholastic, a developmental publishing program of interactive books created exclusively to give babies and toddlers a head start in learning.

View How to Build a Snowman (Little Scholastic) on Amazon.com

3. Welcome Winter

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