http://www.wklb.com/Blog/celia/home.aspxCelia Reeds is a children's book expert who recommends and reviews children's books for Country 102.5's parenting page, The Daily Parent. Celia has had the pleasure of working in children's film and publishing for the past five years. An avid reader since childhood, she spends much of her free time with a book in her lap. When she's not reading, she loves flamenco dancing, baking pies and taking long drives through rural Massachusetts. She lives outside of Boston, MA with her husband who teaches fifth grade.en-usCopyright 2012, WKLB-FMMon, 20 May 2013 00:49:10 GMTWed, 12 Dec 2012 20:01:42 GMT1http://emmisinteractive.com Happy Hanukkah to those of you who celebrate the Festival of Lights! Why not commemorate the season with the gift of books, or rather, books introducing Hanukkah to your young children? From straight non-fiction to humor to animal stories, there are many different kinds of books for young readers that explore the holiday of Hanukkah. I asked some of my librarian, teacher and blogger friends to recommend their favorite Hanukkah stories to share with the children in their lives, and here is what they said: (All synopses are taken from the respective publisher’s web site.) Age 2 and Up Where’s My Dreidel? A Hannukah Lift-the-Flap Story by Betty Schwartz, illustrated by Varda Livney “Where can Max's dreidel be? As he searches his home, Max joins his family as they prepare for Hanukkah. By story's end, everyone — including Max — has what he needs to enjoy Hanukkah dinner.” The Hanukkah ...http://www.wklb.com/Blog/celia/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10478696DailyParentBooks@gmail.com (Celia Reeds)http://www.wklb.com/Blog/celia/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10478696Wed, 12 Dec 2012 20:01:42 GMTI hope lots of books will be on your holiday shopping list this year! And now that so many children’s books are available in print or e-book editions, you can choose how to gift them. So, given there are at least 30,000 children’s books published every year, where do you even start to look for gifts? This time of year there are lots of reputable newspapers, magazines and review journals that post their “best children’s books of 2012.” I’ve selected some of the best “best of 2012” lists so you can find the perfect present for all the children in your life. And having read most of these titles myself over the past twelve months, I can vouch for just about all of them: I’d suggest starting out with the New York Times Notable Children’s Books of 2012, a few of my favorites on this list include Wonder, The Hero’s ...http://www.wklb.com/Blog/celia/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10472800DailyParentBooks@gmail.com (Celia Reeds)http://www.wklb.com/Blog/celia/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10472800Thu, 29 Nov 2012 22:23:03 GMTNovember is Picture Book Month, “an international literacy initiative that celebrates the print picture book during the month of November.” To find out more about Picture Book Month, check out the official website: http://picturebookmonth.com/. Speaking from personal experience, picture books have had a huge impact on my life. I spent much of my childhood behind the pages of some of my very favorite picture books. I thought it only fitting to end the month of November with a tribute to my one of my very favorite picture books: Caldecott Honor book, A Chair for my Mother by Vera B. Williams. The book tells the story of a young girl, her mother, and her grandmother. After their home burns down, they are left with only a hodgepodge of gifts from kindly friends and relatives, but nothing that truly makes their new apartment feel like home. So they start collecting coins and, ...http://www.wklb.com/Blog/celia/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10471295DailyParentBooks@gmail.com (Celia Reeds)http://www.wklb.com/Blog/celia/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10471295Tue, 27 Nov 2012 16:48:24 GMTMany of you may not know that there is a new curriculum called Common Core being incorporated into many school systems across the country. The language arts section of this curriculum emphasizes students’ use of non-fiction texts to aid comprehension. Recently, I’ve been hearing a lot about the need for more high concept non-fiction titles for kids, and I am frequently asked by parents if I have any recommendations for them. As non-fiction is one of my favorite genres, I read in this area quite a bit, and have wanted to do a post on the topic for some time. With the recent Columbus Day holiday, I thought a great way to introduce a non-fiction post would be to focus on United States history from the age of Columbus onwards. Here you will find some of my favorite American history non-fiction books for kids. Many of these are appropriate for upper ...http://www.wklb.com/Blog/celia/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10447879DailyParentBooks@gmail.com (Celia Reeds)http://www.wklb.com/Blog/celia/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10447879Tue, 09 Oct 2012 16:05:39 GMTWelcome to school year 2012-2013! By now, most of your summer vacations have ended and the bittersweet back-to-school transition has begun. Some of you may have little ones who are heading to the classroom for the first time. Hopefully, for many of you, it has been a smooth transition, but what to do for the child who is having a more difficult time heading off to school? (I know I was one!) If you are grappling with this, here are a few books that may help ease you and your child’s anxiety. These titles are suitable for those kids just entering school, from pre-school to first grade. Where quoted, book descriptions are from Goodreads. The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn, illustrated by Ruth E. Harper and Nancy M. Leak “School is starting in the forest, but Chester Raccoon does not want to go. To help ease Chester's fears, Mrs. Raccoon ...http://www.wklb.com/Blog/celia/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10437959DailyParentBooks@gmail.com (Celia Reeds)http://www.wklb.com/Blog/celia/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10437959Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:11:10 GMTIf you love children's books as much as I do, you'll want to join me for a fun event on August 25th! Show your love for one of Boston's great independent bookstores: The World's Only Curious George Store in Harvard Square, Cambridge. What do you need to do? Simply stop by the store on Saturday, August 25th at 10 a.m. and join the gathering throng of people planning to "cash mob" the store. What's a cash mob? It’s when a group of people come together at the same time and place to support an independent retailer. All participants then “mob” the retailer with their cash, pledging to spend a certain amount on the store’s books or merchandise. Everyone who participates in the mob is eligible to enter multiple raffle giveaways, including a set of 15 books and DVDs! You'll want to stick around the Square for a chance to meet ...http://www.wklb.com/Blog/celia/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10416417DailyParentBooks@gmail.com (Celia Reeds)http://www.wklb.com/Blog/celia/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10416417Wed, 15 Aug 2012 19:58:15 GMTAs many parents know all too well, with summer vacation frequently comes dreaded “summer slide,” where “it is estimated that school summer breaks…cause the average student to lose up to one month of instruction.”* That’s quite a backtrack, if you ask me. This is especially prominent in that “middle grade” or tween age range, roughly 9-12, when interest in reading begins to decline for many kids, especially boys. So, how can you keep your tween’s reading on track this summer? Start with this list. In my day job, I spend a lot of time working with teachers, librarians, and book bloggers. Recently, I put a request out to all my well-read librarian and teacher colleagues, asking for their best summer reading recommendations. I asked everyone to focus on titles that were published within the past few years, as I believe parents tend to gravitate to many of the classics without ...http://www.wklb.com/Blog/celia/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10402138DailyParentBooks@gmail.com (Celia Reeds)http://www.wklb.com/Blog/celia/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10402138Tue, 10 Jul 2012 15:26:25 GMTWhile we love to promote reading and help you find great books for your kids, every once in a while, even the best readers need a break. For many families, summer means family vacations, summer camp and some downtime with the family. So, in anticipation of a busy summer, here’s a rundown of all the upcoming children’s and family-friendly movies expected to hit theaters. All of these films are rated G or PG and are appropriate for most audiences. We have noted instances in which films may be too scary for young children. Happy viewing! June Releases Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted – 6/8/2012 Rating: PG Studio: Dreamworks Animation Starring: Chris Rock, Ben Stiller, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sasha Baron Cohen and David Schwimmer Director: Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath So we’re a little late on this one as it’s already been released, but it should still be in theaters for ...http://www.wklb.com/Blog/celia/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10396571DailyParentBooks@gmail.com (Celia Reeds)http://www.wklb.com/Blog/celia/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10396571Thu, 05 Jul 2012 13:09:20 GMT There are nearly 30,000 children’s books published every year, so how do you select the ones worth reading? Here are a few of this year’s most promising titles. Any of these are great reads for you or your child, and make wonderful read-alouds. (Synopses courtesy of Goodreads.) 8-12 Year Olds  Wonder by R.J. Palacio August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances? The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he ...http://www.wklb.com/Blog/celia/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10383976DailyParentBooks@gmail.com (Celia Reeds)http://www.wklb.com/Blog/celia/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10383976Wed, 16 May 2012 17:53:39 GMTAfter spending so much time talking about books, I thought I’d take a moment to reflect on how stories have impacted my life. Books have shaped my life the way little else has. Important moments have always been associated with whatever book I was reading at the time. Starting kindergarten? Well that’s A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams, still one of my favorite picture books. Graduating from high school? I was deep into Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. My first real job? The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. And moments that may not have seemed notable were given new meaning if they were associated with a particularly important book. That random summer trip to Connecticut will always be memorable because I was reading The Giver by Lois Lowry for the first time. Christmas Eve 1994 stands out because it was the night I ...http://www.wklb.com/Blog/celia/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10380660DailyParentBooks@gmail.com (Celia Reeds)http://www.wklb.com/Blog/celia/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10380660Mon, 07 May 2012 18:36:02 GMT