yeonasky, keep in mind that the children's room librarian at your local library- would prob also have some great suggestions, and also the gift shops at the ubc and van dusen gardens. best, mindy i know you are probably in the midst of your typically grey and depressing January, but oh how i love vancouver!

My Ds might be the same way (he's only 10, so no parking tickets yet, but forgetting his lunchbox or his homework at school - though never a book!). He is continually reading - even if we're going somewhere - we were taking the kids to a 6pm show at the circus 35-40 minutes away and he had to take a book in the car! I don't know how he can read in the car - I always got motion sickness when I tried. I think he stays up late at night reading and that's why he's so tired in the AM - send him to bed b/t 8:30-9pm, get him up at 7, and he's dragging. When he was about 4 (in preschool, but I forget whether it was PS1 or PS2 - he went for 2 yrs) he explained to his teacher how cell phones worked - he had seen the towers, asked about the antennas, and so I told him the basics. She was impressed - but that's what you get when you have an engineer and a computer geek for parents! He was always asking questions. Now of course he thinks Mom's the dumbest person on earth, always wants Dad to help him with homework - I had to convince him the other night that I really did know how to add fractions! Though by the time he gets to calculus I might need to brush up. DD is just more interested in animals and flowers than technology - and I'm not good at biology/botany so I have a hard time answering her questions.

Oooo! My favorite subject! BOOKS! ;o) The "Ramona" series by Beverly Cleary, follows Ramona as she grows up, family relationships are a big part of the plot/theme of these books... everyone learning to get along and repsect each other through funny but normal situations. She's a great girl with all the normal ups and down of being a kid. They are my DD's favorites, she is 9 now. Cleary has many other children's books, definitely an author to collect. Several Judy Blume books are for kids that age: The One in the Middle is the Green Kangaroo Frecklejuice and the "Fudge" series, Superfudge, Fudge-O-Mania, Double Fudge. (Fudge is a kid.) The Spiderwick Cronicles is a fantasy series, think Harry Potter for younger readers. The books are MUCH shorter than a HP book! Much more managable, with some sketched illustrations to keep it interesting. Andrew Clements, another author writing for that age group. And if you want to take her beyond chapter books, try the poetry of Shel Silverstein. Excellent, and she'll read them for years to come. If I sit down to read Shel Silverstein with my 6 y/o, my 9 and 12 y/o's are soon by my side, too. They all enjoy the humor and eccentricity of his poetry and drawings. While the vocabulary is managable for a young reader, they have to think a little harder to "get it" with some of his writing which makes them great fun to read together and talk about. Although other poems are just plain silly fun. Lemony Snicket ("Seris of Unfortunate Events"), Ronald Dahl ("James and the Giant Peach") and E.B. White ("Charlotte's Web") write for just a tad older, but a high-reading 7 y/o could read them. Finding a good series she will follow is a great idea. Also consider introducing her to different authors. If she likes a book, she should look for others by the same author, even if they are not in a series. I am helping to set up our school's bookfair tomorrow, and I am so excited! I'm hopeless when this is what I get excited about. But there you go, I love to see all the new titles and I LOVE LOVE LOVE to help the kids find the "right" book when they come to shop. Most authors have websites now where you can get a really good idea of what their writing is all about, and find some fun activities for kids to go along with the reading. So google the author and check it, it will be fun. If your GD finds an author she really likes, don't forget to try the author's website for fun kid activities. If she loves to read, introduce her to good children's literature and start a lifetime of appreciating literature. There is some fantastic literature for kids, with themes and characters and conflicts that they will relate to and that will make them think.

books to be read to - I do not have much experience with this, but I know when I read to my friends three year old, he seems to enjoy interactive books and books that he has to find/do things in. But I would think for the little older to be read to's Shel Silversteins poetry collections Where the Side walk Ends and A light in the Attic - the funny poems and illustrations appealed to me at that age (lol and still to this day) books for young readers (6-10 ish) - Ramona Series by Beverly Cleary. These are wonderful books! The next two were harder, as I tried to base them on more modern books. I ended up picking the two that were my nephews favorites that we read and discussed when he was that age. He didnt enjoy reading, but read these two several times. books for young teens - The Thief of Always by Clive Barker. This is a great book for kids who like the horror genre, but arent ready for Stephen King :) I believe the reading age is 10 and up, and I believe we read this when he was around 12. A wonderful story about a boy that is bored with his life and ends up at Mr. Hoods Holiday House, where all the seasons pass in a day and you can do and have everything your heart desires - for a price. books for older teens, young adults - Miracle's Boys by Jacqueline Woodson. This is an amazing book for people of all ages, although it is geared specifically towards YA. It is a great story about the struggles a young man must face with his brothers after his mother dies. Wanted to put a Jack London book on here, but was not sure if that would be considered a childrens book, even though I read it when I was quite young (10 or 12 I think)