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This book offers parents a practical guide to finding quality child care that fits the parents’ and child’s individual needs. The book tells you how to locate care, identify quality care, what to look for in a provider, how to support your child’s care giver, tips for financing child care, how to make sure children get the care they need and deserve, advice on coping with your guilt, how to handle separation anxiety, and much more. Mon Cochran has been a professor of early child development and family studies at Cornell University. Together this husband and wife team have more than fifty years of child care experience to offer parents. Written by Eva and Mon Cochran, Robins Lane Press, $16.95.

If your a parent who’s job often takes you far from home, this is the book for you. Verdick offers over 100 ideas to help parents stay connected to their children despite being frequently far away. Ideas like a travel journal that the parent as well as the child keep full of unique perspectives of each individual’s feelings and experiences while they are apart are just one of the many great activities that this book has to offer. The book offers great ways to spend quality time with one another upon reunion as well as activities that help the family cope with being apart. Written by Dan Verdick, Robins Lane Press, $14.95.

Gill, who is herself a working-mother and whose husband is a stay-at-home-dad takes you into the lives of families who have had success in creating a father/child-centered home environment. The book explores topics like creating an economic plan, a mission statement, an outline of dad’s job description and performance evaluation, overcoming gender stereotypes, keeping one’s sex life alive, and great reasons for dad to stay home. Gill offers valuable advice for couples ready to try role reversal. Written by Libby Gill, A Plume Book, $14.00.

This book offers parents a wealth of information on getting their children a satisfying and positive educational experience. Rambo teaches parents what their children’s rights are and how to obtain resources to improve your child’s educational experience. If your child is often bored, inattentive, easily frustrated, and/or isn’t performing to the best of their ability this book will prove helpful in better understanding issues like the pros and cons of diagnostic labels, the value of different teaching styles, rules that govern school performance and evaluation, and the effect personal and medical issues can have on a child’s education. Written by Anne Rambo, Ph.D., Contemporary Books, $14.95.

New York September 11
By Magnum Photographers
Power House Books

$29.95 (A portion of the proceeds benefits The New York Times 9/11 Neediest Fund)

Eleven members of the famous Magnum photo agency risked their lives by descending into New York, as the events of September 11th unraveled, in order to document the tragic history that was unfolding before their camera lenses. The book’s 140 pages offer haunting, surreal, and shocking documentation of the collective feelings of this horrific moment in history. The photos encompass the aftermath of Ground Zero, mourners, rescue workers, and photos taken of the Twin Towers over the last quarter of a century. 

Keeping Kids Safe
By Dr.Kenneth Shore
Prentice Hall Press

Parents of Toddlers through Teens

Shore offers both parents and teachers very practical guidelines for handling issues pertaining to drugs, alcohol, school violence, peer pressure, internet safety, media influences, and physical and sexual abuse prevention. This is a much needed contribution to combating some of the all too prevalent crisis’ that affect our children today. $12 

"My Stuff" by Collectify LLC

This is a software for the serious and avid collector. This sophisticated software allows its user to catalogue their objects with museum quality standards. The user can attach visual images, accounting info and personal info/descriptions about the object, thereby creating a permanent record which provides security in the event of loss or damage. In addition the user can cross reference their objects to museum collections that have similar objects, download and save articles and newspaper clippings pertaining to their object, and create slide shows for e-mailing others. If you know your way around the computer and need to organize your collectables this is the software for you. Teens/Adults. 1-800-932- 5811and www.collectify.com $99.

No More Diapers for Elvis
By Judith & Michael Cohen
A Potty Pets Parenting Product
1-888-923-3428

Toddlers & Adults

Well, it’s certainly not just a book. This is the best potty training system I’ve yet to come across. The system focuses on positive reinforcement to potty train your child. 

The kit contains a brightly illustrated book for your toddler, a potty chart and happy face stickers just like the Elvis character in the book, a cassette featuring Potty Training your Toddler by Dr. Warren Umansky, and a books on tape version of the potty training story. The book is about a young elephant named Elvis, who is very smart and succeeds with most anything he undertakes. His only foible seems to be his lack of desire to use the potty. Elvis soon realizes that he has a problem when he finds that he has grown so large that he can no longer fit into his diapers. 

This is a great system that helps both parent and child undertake potty training.
$22.95 + $6 S&H. 



The Family Butterfly Book
By Rick Mikula
Storey Books
www.storeybooks.com

Adults & Children

This family-friendly book offers a colorful, glossy guide to the world of butterflies. The book encourages an appreciation for this beautiful and frequently misunderstood creature. It offers its readers both facts and cultural beliefs about butterflies. It’s a perfect family guide to attracting, finding, identifying, holding, healing, and rearing butterflies throughout the stages of their lives. This is a book of quality and would make a wonderful addition to a family’s library and life. $16.95

Bringing Up Boys
By Dr. James Dobson
Tyndale House Publishers
www.tyndale.com

Some would want us to believe that boys and girls are the same—tell that to the parent of both a son and daughter! This book of practical advice and encouragement for those shaping the next generation of men not only acknowledges the differences between the sexes, it celebrates them! More importantly, it reminds us how critical it is that we instill in our sons the character traits that will help them to navigate through life’s challenges. From father/son and mother/son relationships, to a boy’s competitive nature, to discipline, to the social pressures our sons face today, Dr. Dobson not only describes the possible problems, he gives practical guidance on facing these challenges in a loving, healthy way. Dr. Dobson can always be counted on to provide sound advice on family issues. A must read for parents, grandparents, teachers, and others who care about the future of our sons. Hardcover. $19.97.

The Toddler Journal
By A. Christine Harris, Ph.D.
Chronicle Books
www.chroniclebooks.com

This spiral-bond, week-by-week guide provides information on the physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development of your little one. Unlike other guides, and as the name suggests, it is also a personal journal of your child’s development. Plenty of space to write your own reflections, with suggestions on the topic, and even a toddler scribble space for your little artist are provided. Quotes at the bottom of most pages give thoughts to ponder (Every day we move a little closer to the sidelines of our children’s lives, which is where we belong if we do our job right. Anna Quindlen). A great gift for yourself or someone with a future toddler. Also available are The Pregnancy Journal and Baby’s First-Year Journal. Spiral bond. $19.95.

What our Children Teach Us:
Lessons in Joy, Love, and Awareness
By Piero Ferrucci

Through delightful and thought-provoking anecdotes, noted psychologist Piero Ferrucci reminds us that children have the power to teach us the greatest lessons we’ll ever learn. By sharing stories of his experiences as a father of two young sons, he encourages us to take our children’s hands and reconnect with our own innocence. Ferrucci’s text illustrates how, by simply being willing to learn from our children we can discover our honest, true selves and ultimately become better parents and happier people. Warner Books. www.twbookmark.com. $23.95.

My Mom’s the Best Mom
By Stuart Hample

In the beginning is mom. Mom nurtures you in her womb, she plans your birthday parties, joins you on a roller coaster when no one else will, kisses your bruises, and is there for a hug when you need one. Hample has creatively captured the love (and some of the gripes!) children feel towards their mothers in this compilation of appreciations, reflections, misgivings, and accolades written by kids. A charming gift book for moms of all ages. www.workmanweb.com. $7.95.

IHOP is certainly proving their "family friendliness" by offering to feed our children for free! All three Middle Georgia locations (2 in Macon and 1 in Warner Robins) are currently running a promotion where one child can order from the kid’s menu at no charge for each paying adult ordering a meal costing a minimum of $4.99 (see restaurant for details). This offer is from 2-9 p.m., seven days a week! In addition, franchise owner Shawn Sbaity provides a clown at his Eisenhower Pkwy. (Macon) and Watson Blvd. (WR) locations during breakfast and lunch hours on the weekends. Now is a great time to get the family in the car and hop on over to IHOP.

Last Minute College Financing
By Daniel J. Cassidy

The time for your child (or yourself) to go to college is quickly approaching and no financial planning has been considered or started. Don’t panic, this easy to read text provides detailed information on the different ways to obtain financial aid whether it be through government scholarships, school endowments, or private sector funding. Specific directions on how to apply for these scholarships and financial aid packages are included. There is also a listing of helpful publications and resources on the web to assist you in your scholarship and financial aid search. Career Press, 800/CAREER1. $10.99.

The Overweight Child: Promoting Fitness and Self-Esteem
By Teresa Pitman and Miriam Kaufman, M.D.

Filled with sound practical advice for parents of overweight children, this text explores the many issues that stem from childhood obesity. The links between weight gain, heredity, and lifestyle are discussed, along with suggestions to cope with your child’s suffering self-esteem, promote healthy eating, and improve fitness for the entire family. Even includes recipes and tips for eating out. Firefly Books, $14.95.

Facing the Schoolyard Bully: How to Raise an Assertive Child in an Aggressive World
By Kim Zarzour

A childhood bullying victim herself, Zarzour examines the dynamics of bullying in a friendly parent-to-parent style. Child development experts say as many as half of all children experience pain at the hands of a schoolyard bully. Zarzour provides many helpful suggestions on how to stop the cycle of bullying, prevent your child from becoming a bully or victim, and raise an assertive child in these aggressive times. Firefly Books, $14.95.

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