Earlier this spring, John and I started chatting about books and children’s literacy with the goal of putting together an interview … we had such a great time collaborating that we ended up with three!

In Part 1, John shared his thoughts and the science behind the mantra “screen free until three”  and its role in child development. Today, we’re going to talk about Literacy 2.0 (e.g., e-media, iPad, Leapster, et al) and the secrets of the box. Intrigued? Well, read on!

For my grammar fanatic readers … John knows blue manatee isn’t supposed to have capital letters. I am following doctor’s orders. Enjoy!

Terry: Before we go to much further, I wanted to ask you about a phrase that you used in one of our conversations. You said that “kids are growing up in Tupperware containers.” Could you explain what you mean by that?

John: Sure. I’m sure your readers will recognize this concept. More and more, our kids have nature fed to them via Dora and Diego, Disney, or other shows.  Thus, they are fed a steady diet of rainforest and tigers, but can’t identify an oak leaf.  There is a Baby Loves Nature App, as well as videos to teach Baby Geniuses about water, the sky, wind, and adventure. Why outsource it?

Children are young scientists and naturalists. They are also mammals, and need a sense of connection, a “sense of wonder” as Rachel Carson famously put it.  This often starts in your own backyard.  Again, going outside is fun and doesn’t need to be an overt educational exercise, though it is – naturally.  Interestingly, there is also evidence that the rise in allergies and autoimmune diseases is a byproduct of growing up too clean (the “hygiene hypothesis”) – getting dirty is good for you!

Terry: Continuing with that thought for a moment, watching my own daughter – and sometimes playing screen activities with her (like Wii Sports) – there are some pretty amazing moments. I guess I’m going back to the idea “are all screens created equal.”

John: Childhood only happens once. Exploring in a way that is meaningful to THAT child only lasts so long. This is their only opportunity to do wonderful, robust things like turn pages, play with boxes, bounce balls, snuggle up with blankets, and explore the yard.  You’ll find these kids are healthy, more active and focused, sleep better, and are more confident and secure.  The foundation we, as parents, always want to give them. So why outsource child development and let someone else do it less effectively than you can?

Once introduced into the increasingly wired world, the genie is out of the bottle, so to speak. I have two teenage girls who are enamored with cell phones. This is a much tougher issue and has been a bit of a challenge for us. Our major intervention there is to keep them, along with laptops, etc, out of their bedrooms, which is great since we see them more often and they actually read and sleep in there.

I guess the short answer is: all screens for older kids are not created equal. If I could wave a wand, there would be an e-media driver’s license, and children at least 8 years old and/or fully independent readers would be eligible. There is a valid, family reason my teens have cell phones. That said, we still set boundaries for where they live and how they can be used.

RT:  What about digital books and apps for kids?
John: There is a maxim in pediatrics: children are not small adults. Their needs, abilities, and susceptibility to illness change at different ages. One size does not fit all.  The same holds for e-readers and apps.

For grownups and young adults, they are here to stay, and how a given person uses and assimilates them is a function of taste and temperament.  For younger children, I am not a fan, especially-especially-especially for under threes.  Have I mentioned that if I were empowered I would create a e-media driver’s license?

Basically, I see digital books and apps for young children as part TV equivalent, part “gateway drug.”  Same e-media, just a new package … It doesn’t mitigate the negative impact child development.  For example, many popular movies (e.g. Kung Fu Panda, Toy Story) are packaged as e-books, with words that light up as a story is narrated overlaying a cartoon.

All of the standard educational claims are there: “Build vocabulary!…Learn with Woody!…Make reading fun!”  The breakdown is on these levels:

1. Outsourcing parents, also known as handing over a cell phone/iPad to a fussy child to calm and/or entertain. Ubiquitous “Read to Me” features on e-books for kids don’t require grownups.  In general, grownups don’t read or use these with children, at least for long.  The goal is to teach kids to navigate the device and then go do something else.  Taking parents out of the equation removes the all-powerful piece of reading together, i.e. interactive, asking questions, sounding out words together, or relating the story to real life.
2. Baseless educational claims. No evidence has ever supported e-media as educational for young children.
3. Distraction! Most devices, e.g. iPad, Leapster, have many other applications or features that tend to distract from the primary activity, with implications for impairing focus.  Children need to develop this focus before being expected to handle so many choices at once.
4. Three’s a crowd. A recent child development study for 3-year-olds found that when sharing e-books, attention tends to be focused on the device itself, e.g. “hold it like that, don’t touch that button, what does that do…” as opposed to the story. Result? Negative effects on comprehension, intimacy, and overall satisfaction.  This is why it is so tempting to activate the “read to me” feature on these devices, where the parental role is taken over by the device.
5. Fine motor skills. Turning pages and pincer grasp are critical skills that emerge during sensitive periods of child development; ditto other skills requiring engagement with 3-D objects
6. Content. In addition to the cartoony stuff above, there is a tendency to take real-world experiences, e.g. the sky, water, and “virtualize” them in apps, collapsing a child’s world into two dimensions.  A great example is the Baby Loves Nature app for iPad and Android.  Ditto apps for Sky and Water for the Vinci Learning Tablet.  The heavy bias towards cartoon characters in e-books and apps for young kids fuels these brands and overuse but does nothing for child development.

Beyond their value of motor skills and comprehension, there is an intimacy of real books. Focusing on a single story with a loving caregiver is not only magical, it is incredibly robust in terms of fostering deeper analysis of the story, focus, and completion. The real world is important!

So even the 8-year-old who can read on their own can – and should – be sharing reading time with Mom and Dad, away from the e-Reader, iPad, etc.

Terry: Picking up on your “cartoon” reference for a moment …  In the sidebar of the Bookstore’s website, you have include this item as a way of explaining how blue manatee is designed with kids in mind: “Cartoon” is not a synonym for “good children’s book.” Could you elaborate?

John: blue manatee has a tradition of only carrying books that started as books. If it was a movie or TV show first, we don’t want it.  We reject the notion that “content” works in all platforms. A book is not just “content.”  A book should stand on its own, by virtue of cohesive plot, characters, and illustration.  Books based on cartoons (e.g. Sponge Bob, Dora, Elmo) are generally poorly written by unnamed mystery author teams, and mostly serve to sell tie-in products and promote TV channels or movies.

That said, parents and children often seek these books out and wonder why we don’t carry them. For the most part, though, they are grateful that we don’t.

Terry: I knew we were kindred spirits … we have the same rule for books we accept in the reading tub: no branded content or other-media tie-ins. Now to the moment everyone has been waiting for. The Box! As I mentioned in our initial conversation, when I opened the blue manatee box that brought Baby Unplugged to my house, I laughed out loud! So tell us … what’s so important about a box.

John:  Did you know the “lowly” box has been in the National Toy Hall of Fame since 2005? It’s true. This is  a fun story, and I love to tell it.

At the bookstore, we get lots of requests to ship “book baskets” to friends and family in other parts of the country. Long story short, there is a lot of wasted packaging that goes into that process, so we were looking for something a little greener. Then it hit me: kids are the world’s best recyclers!

So now, instead of cellophane, in each box you will find a User’s Guide to boxy play organized by developmental stage,  a small sponge, and a chunky crayon. The gift enclosures feature a personal message and one from a menu of original illustrations made for us by notable children’s author/illustrators, including Loren Long, Lois Ehlert, and David A. Carter. We even have a poem by Jane Yolen showcasing how one might transform a cardboard box.

Our packing noodles are edible – though not tasty – and that moist sponge is enough to make them stick together.

The rest is up to the child.  From a developmental perspective (I am a pediatrician, prone to these kinds of thoughts), such open-ended, creative play is incredibly robust and healthy.  It – like reading books – is a very effective way to unite grown-ups, children, and imagination, which is exactly what children need.

They are so iconic -  not to mention important for creative learning – that one of the upcoming titles in the Baby Unplugged series is “Box.”

Boxes are one of the most inexpensive yet robust learning tools/toys yet devised.  When your child opens a gift – any gift – what is the thing they want to play with most?

Part art, part architecture, part science, boxes have enchanted children for decades, yet are now too often thrown away in favor of the Leapster inside. A box is totally custom and can’t be Amazoned or require an iPad app!  How cool is THAT?

If you missed one of the earlier chats, here is the full list.

• @ The Reading Tub – John Hutton, MD, talks about his journey from medical resident to children’s book author and his goals for his award-winning Baby Unplugged board book series.
• @ Family Bookshelf, Part 1: Dr. John Hutton talks about “analog kids” and preparing them to learn.
• @ Family Bookshelf, Part 2:  John shares his thoughts on e-Readers and the secrets of the box!

You can also catch up with John and learn more about blue manatee bookstore and decafe here.

Related articles

• Two schools of thought: High-tech vs. no-tech(bangordailynews.com)

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• @ The Reading Tub – John talks about his journey from medical resident to children’s book author and his goals for his award-winning Baby Unplugged board book series.
• @ Family Bookshelf, Part 1: John talks about “analog kids” and preparing them to learn.
• @ Family Bookshelf, Part 2:  John shares his thoughts on e-Readers and the secrets of the box!

For my grammar fanatic readers … John knows blue manatee isn’t supposed to have capital letters. I am following doctor’s orders. Enjoy!

Without leaving the Cincinnati metropolitan area, John Hutton has morphed from mud-loving, neighborhood explorer to pediatrician, bookstore owner, literacy fanatic, and a dad raising three book-loving girls.

In his journey to become a practicing physician, John took a detour to focus on his writing and then, fortuitously, as an independent bookstore owner. In fact, by the time he got back to his medical residency he had to start all over!

In 2010, John and his wife Sandy bought The Blue Marble, a soon-to-be-closed bookstore. A family favorite, they couldn’t let this landmark go. They have kept the best and added more to what is now called blue manatee Bookstore and deCafe.

John, aka “the Book Doctor,” is also the self-proclaimed “most prolific, under-published author working in Southwest Ohio.” After many, many rejection letters, Dr. John Hutton decided to make a go of it as an independent publisher. blue manatee publishing has, as its first offerings, a series of award-winning board books for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.

John and his wife Sandy live in Cincinnati, Ohio. They have three daughters, each of whom loves books and being unplugged!

Terry: Hi John, and welcome to the Family Bookshelf! Could you tell us a little bit about being an “analog kid”?

John: You bet … I was an analog kid, as I’m sure most of us were “back in the day.” I loved playing in my mud pit, searching for all manner of creatures, riding my bike, and inventing/playing games with neighbor kids.  I also loved all sports, especially baseball.

I was a reader on the following occasions: (really) rainy days, sick days, car trips, and at night.  Since 100% of my day was “unplugged,” with nothing else to do, by today’s standard I was probably a big reader.  My parents were and are huge readers, and I recall consistent bedtime stories, as books were a major part of our home.  We were regulars at the library and our local bookstore, and I also recall picking classic, floppy comics (before they got all highbrow as “graphic novels”) from drugstores and gas stations.

Despite my best teenage rebellion to not be like my parents, I gravitated more and more towards books through and after college, and most certainly with my own children, where it is especially fun to rediscover these old favorites. I still have many of them, with original tears and crayon marks.

What I enjoyed – and what I pay forward in my books – is a multi-sensorial, screen-free experience. Each of the books is built around the icons of childhood which are educational as a happy byproduct of a child’s natural instinct to play, bond, and explore.

There is oodles of research to support the “screen-free until three” mantra. Physiology and brain science tell us that kids are not developmentally ready for electronic media. We are analog mammals, evolved over millennia. So it only makes sense that when you think about a developing brain, that it must first process the real world experiences.

It is well documented that the brain does not process screen-based media in a constructive way until it is between two and three years old. Children learn language via practicing with real people. Recent statistics find that the average age kids start using e-media is nine months old (it was three years in the 1960s), with kids under two watching approximately three hours/day (this includes devices like smartphones).

Terry: I can remember wringing my hands those early years “TV /  no TV” … and to appease my concerns (read: guilt) I carefully chose educational products. Is all media created equally?

John: Ah, the trap of “smart baby” electronic media! Despite any evidence of efficacy for young children – and no requirement for any to back “educational” claims – technology wears a halo of sorts, promising a better, faster way for children to learn and develop.

The cardinal rule of child development, especially for children under three, is that in general, things that help bring grownups and them together for quality time tend to be healthy and nurturing, things that interfere tend not to be.

No matter how well-intentioned or well-designed, technology mostly gets in the way.

Terry: Thanks, Doc. I feel better … not!

John: Sorry about that. I know the lure of the screen … my daughters want screen time, too. E-media is very absorbing for young children, akin to anesthesia. Combine that effect with the “educational” marketing claims, creates the illusion of learning, when the only real learning going on is learning to use more media.

Let’s say you’ve gone screen-free for three years, now its time to get kids ready for school. The search for and reliance on e-media fosters a tendency for “parental outsourcing” to shows and devices. There is no two ways about it: it is unhealthy and interferes with a young child’s interaction with loving caregivers and the real world. E-media tends to impair development, literacy and otherwise. Real things – like books – catalyze learning in spades.

I don’t think it is a surprise that a number of our pediatric epidemics parallel the rise of e-media: obesity, ADHD, sleep problems, and even allergies, have screen time as risk factors.  This is why the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has had evidence-based guidelines in place since 1999 advising parents to discourage all electronic media for children under two, and then 1-2 hours per day ideally with a grownup caregiver. The AAP also advise strongly against any e-media in bedrooms. Having a screen in their room – and recent studies found that 70% of US kids have at least 1 bedroom screen; 30% of those are younger than two years old.

I extended the AAP guideline to age 3 for Baby Unplugged, since this is the age most children start preschool where e-media is increasingly prevalent and parents lose a good deal of control over the issue.  The first three years also offer the only true sanctuary a child has to live wholly in the real world. It is their only opportunity, a time to do wonderful, robust things like turn pages, play with boxes, bounce balls, snuggle up with blankets, and explore the yard. Once introduced into the increasingly wired world, the genie is out of the bottle, so to speak.

As parents, we talk about how fast our children grow up. Those first three years are a precious opportunity to explore the real world together – reading, playing, bonding – while critical “old-school” skills develop naturally as they always have, as opposed to via an overt Baby Genius DVD curriculum. Young children want to feel loved, safe, and connected.

Kids allowed to explore the world in this way are healthier, more active and focused, sleep better, and more confident and secure. Thus, they are afforded a sturdy foundation to do whatever they want in life, including computers later when they are ready.  Raising a baby unplugged is the stuff of enduring memories – catching real fireflies versus watching Dora catch them – and a commitment that few parents would regret.

Terry: One of the things we emphasize as part of our literacy mission is the importance of modeling for our kids. We read email on our phone, books on our reader or tablets … as parents is it realistic to turn back time?

John: Technology is here to stay, and it is not the world we grew up in. Yes, kids need to learn to use it, but to argue that if they don’t they will “fall behind” is a hollow argument. Most technology is incredibly easy to use, with no advantage to starting before age three. If early technology was required to be adept at technology later, Steve Jobs could have never founded Apple.

The real risk of falling behind is in “old-school” skills, such as social, empathy, focus, the ability to cope with boredom and create from it, risk assessment, connection with nature. These are key aspects of personal development and communication skills – including literacy. They don’t just “happen. ” They must be practiced, with critical periods during the first few years. If you turn the tables, what are you teaching your kids about communication by staring into a screen?

Terry: Given that your also a dad and use technology yourself, do you find it hard to keep the “electronic toys” at bay?

John: As you might guess, I am somewhat fanatical about them. It was easier when they were young. We would sometimes get these toys as gifts and we would quickly have their batteries removed and/or disappear. Once the commitment was made, we really didn’t miss electronics / videos / etc. We feel that our relationship with our kids is much stronger and more intimate as a result, which we wouldn’t trade for anything.

We waited until our youngest was 3-1/2 for her first Sesame Street video, which she liked but didn’t miss, either. Interestingly enough, she is much more able to take or leave videos and e-media. She’ll ask to watch a movie on a school night, we’ll say no, and she’ll go draw or play ball outside. She can also sit calmly in the car, put herself to bed, and even be bored without media.  It’s pretty wonderful.

She did lobby hard for a ZhuZhu pet for her 4th birthday, which we finally caved in to (partially research), but she only played with it for a few weeks and then found it kind of annoying. It has vanished, perhaps carried off by a vulture).

A bigger challenge is our teenagers, enamored as they are with cell phones, but that is a tougher issue. Our major intervention there is to keep them, along with laptops, etc., out of their bedrooms. The side benefit to that is that we see them more often and they actually read and sleep in there.

Terry: I think I’ll leave us here for today. If you’d like to see more of our interview with Dr. John Hutton, I invite you to check out our chat on the Reading Tub website.

Next week John and I will talk about screen reading, apps, and their impact on literacy development..

This month, Jen Robinson’s Book Page hosts our mid-month collection of newsy items, including reading and literacy events; literacy research and studies, and suggestions for growing bookworms.

I have been largely MIA these past few weeks, so it was fun for me to see the great stuff that Jen and Carol collected. Like …

• Suzanne Loring‘s article about making reading time family time at Parent Express. I loved her description of the power / lure of bedtime stories: “… we are carrying on a family tradition and having a lot of fun together, with books, every night before bed.”
• A set of summer reading recommendations from The Horn Book. The Magazine staff has put together a great list of books to entice kids to read. It is a marvelous list, with audience ages organized much more refined than you would see on the back of a book, with nonfiction and fiction together. I agree with Jen: “this makes their lists particularly useful.” Keep reading for another shout out to the team at The Horn Book.
• Summary conclusions of a recent study by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). According to this new analysis, “children whose parents regularly read aloud with them in the first year of primary school performed substantially better in reading at age 15 than children whose parents rarely, if ever, read to them.” The United States was not part of the study, but if I were a betting reader, I’d say that the data extrapolates well. Read Irene Sege’s report in the Eye on Early Education Blog.

Jen has TONS more of easy-to-use ideas for engaging early readers in the Literacy Programs and Research and Suggestions for Growing Bookworms sections of the Roundup. You can even learn about a link between Cheezits and literacy. No hints, just j-u-m-p over to Jen Robinson’s Book Page!

For those of us interested in expressing and expanding the diversity of children’s literature,  be sure to visit the CBC Diversity blog and participate in It’s Complicated! Yesterday was the first day of this week-long blog dialogue “addressing a topic that has frequently arisen at the Diversity table — the concept of responsibility and authenticity when writing about diverse characters and how authors, editors, and agents can choose/write stories that reflect the diverse nature of our society.” Here is the lineup …

Monday: Nancy Mercado, CBC Diversity Chair and Executive Editor, Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan Children’s
Tuesday : Author Cynthia Leitich Smith
Wednesday : Agent Stefanie Von Borstel, Full Circle Literary, LLC
Thursday: Senior Editor Cheryl Klein, Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic
Friday: Advocate/Reviewer Debbie Reese

The email I received said – in big bold letters – that everyone is invited to post comments all week long.

Last but not least, I’d like to give a shout-out to The Horn Book and their support of the Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers Literary Awards (aka Cybils). In the back section (book awards), you’ll find a list of all of the 2011 Cybils winners. It’s one column, the equivalent of half a page. WOOT! I hadn’t read my new edition yet, but as soon as I saw the note from Gail Gauthier (by way of Sheila Ruth!), I ran up to the office to find my copy of The Horn Book Magazine! Thanks Horn Book!

Thanks for reading and for all your support in sharing our Roundups around the Twit-osphere and beyond! Carol will be back at the beginning of June with more children’s literacy and reading news. In the interim, we’ll keep sharing literacy links on Twitter. Follow us at @CHRasco, @readingtub, and @JensBookPage.

With all thoughts turning to summer and summer reading, I kickd off  our celebration for new readers with an illustrated chapter book that’s fun for all audiences: boys, girls, mixed ages … Head on over to Share a Story to see what I’ve picked.

This is a monthly festival dedicated to emerging and developing readers! For the next three days you can visit Share a Story to…

• Post a review of a favorite easy reader, short chapter book and/or series;
• Offer tips and ideas for nurturing the developing bookworms; or
• Share an idea on ways to engage readers this summer.

What makes this festival fun, is that we can dig back into our archives to find old posts and share them anew. If you has something you wrote last summer, go to Share a Story – Shape a Future and paste in the link! It can be an easy reader that is fun for a summer read aloud, a must-have short chapter book that we might have missed; ideas for summer reading, or even just ways to keep literacy skills strong during the summer. The sky is the limit!

The blogosphere is teeming with summer and summer reading in mind … which reminded me of this book.

Bugged! (Science Solves It Series)
by Michelle Knudsen; illustrated by Blanche SIms
Kane Press, 2008
reading level: 2.3

Mosquitoes love Riley, but Riley doesn’t love them. He is tired of being a mosquito magnet. Riley and his friends try lots of ways to stop the biting, but nothing seems to work. After several failed attempts, they visit Professor Hayes, a bug expert! He has a few ideas, but will they work? This is an easy reader with a science-themed story.

A Reader’s Thoughts: The practical basis of the story will resonate with kids, who may be inspired to conduct their own tests. This is a story perfect for rising second and third graders. Its fun, kids can relate to Riley’s plight, and there is some science in there (which parents love!). It is also comfortable for a read aloud.

The illustrations take up most of the page, limiting the text to a third (or less) of the space. This works well for the content. Through direct text (mostly conversation) and inset boxes, the author relays lots of information about mosquitoes and the scientific process.

I like how the book engages the reader in thinking about science beyond just mosquitoes. For example, there are two illustrations on the last page and readers are asked to determine what experiment the girls are conducting.

The Science Solves It series of easy readers are a nice choice when you want to sneak in a little bit of nonfiction, and make an excellent read aloud or partner read.

To learn more about the I Can Read Festival, visit our information page. No time? Then here are the four things you need to know …

• These are books with a reading level for Kindergarten through third grade (think: reading by 9);
• They are meant to be read aloud by the reader;
• They are are sized for a young reader’s hand; and
• Even as a short chapter book, they include illustrations to help the reader decode the words on the page.

We would love to share your post – fresh or recycled – with an audience looking for ideas to help kids become successful readers. Summer reading is a necessary evil, so let’s make it a fun summer. Here’s the link to the I Can Read Festival post on Share a Story.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend with lots of special, memorable moments. It’s fun to have a day just for us, but moms around the world know that every day is Mother’s Day, as we treasure those inexplicable, unpredictable treasures of everyday life!

Ditto Children’s Book Week. Spending the week reading and talking books is wonderful … did you see the video with Jarrett J. Krosoczka and Jon Scieszka (still wearing his Ambassador’s ribbon)? O.M.G.G.

Reading and sharing stories is something many of us strive to do in our lives everyday. Raising awareness of literacy and paying forward a love of reading are what the Reading Tub is all about.

So why not keep the buzz of Mother’s Day and Children’s Book Week going all summer long … AND help young readers understand the importance of helping those less fortunate?

This is where American Girl’s Read-a-Palooza can help!

American Girl is inviting girls and their moms to discover the joy of reading while helping a great cause! Read-a-palooza is a summer reading program that started May 1, 2012 and runs through September 3, 2012. The campaign is not just about reading and reading incentives, but also about making a difference. One dollar from every book purchased from American Girl will benefit Save the Children’s US Literacy Program, which works to raise literacy rates in impoverished communities by providing basic education and equipping schools and teachers with reading materials.

This fall, American Girl will donate books to Save the Children. This is the third donation of books to Save the Children, and raises the value of the company’s total book donation to nearly $1.5 million.

From the American Girl Press Release: To participate in Read-a-palooza, girls can visit americangirl.com/reading,. There they will find colorful bookmarks to download and free book-related content, such as tips and materials for starting a book club. They’ll also be able to do reading challenges and take fun, interactive quizzes.

Starting in June, girls can participate in the Read-a-palooza summer reading campaign by visiting an American Girl retail store, where free reading events will be offered all summer long. provides girls with fun activities and incentives to inspire them to keep their reading skills sharp and encourage engagement in a variety of different literacy activities!

Read-a-palooza is a summer reading program for girls ages 8 to 12. Although it is designed to help girls maintain their reading skills over summer break, it can be a lot more than that. It is a chance for moms (and dads) to create those special every-day memories we treasure, and strengthen their communication bonds as we approach the (dreaded) teen years.

With those ideas in mind, the Family Bookshelf is hosting a giveaway of American Girl books. Think of it as a belated Mother’s Day present and a way to make summer reading easy! American Girl has graciously donated nine books, something to meet every young reader’s interests. Several are classic-style that are extensions of the American Girl doll experience, and some are “Smart Girl’s Guides” that engage readers and promote positive, personal growth.

So how does our Read-a-palooza summer reading giveaway work? We will have three winners, selected by random. Each winner will receive three books.

To enter, add your post about Mother’s Day and/or the joys of reading with your children in the InLinkz box below or in the comments.

• Does it have to be about girls?  No, so long as you have a girl in your life (or your library – hint!) that you want to give the books to.
• Do you have to be a mom? Nope! We love that dads read with their daughters!

Updated: Spammers not welcome! New link box!

Here are the books in the collection …