Category Archives: Children Books

children book review: our beginning reader

I am so thrilled that BigBoy is starting to read.  If you are a regular reader of Not Just Another Jen then you know about my passion for books.  So I am over the moon and back again that he’s able (with a little help) of reading out loud.  It’s important to me to pick…

favorite board books for babies and toddlers

In an effort to tame the overgrowth of Hot Wheels, train tracks and Bakuguans, we’re moving BabyD into a bigger room.  Out of the nursery and into a big boy’s room complete with a toy box and book shelf.  Does this mean that it’s time for us to give up our favorite night time board…

children book review: for the love of dragons

First it was dinosaurs, but as the boys have aged, their attention has moved to dragons. Dragons are magical and mesmerizing.  Here are some of our favorite dragon books for kids and I can assure you there will be a Part 2 and probably a Part 3. Dragon love and lore is big around here….

children book review: for the love of dinos

What is it about (most) boys that they come hard-wired to love cars, trucks, trains and dinosaurs?  My nieces don’t get into them, but my boys…they are crazy about dinos.  By four boys can probably even name at least five different species.  I swear T-Rex was one of BigBoy’s earliest words.  Of our most favorite…

children book review: applaud the odd

I love the Golden Globes.  I love that television and movie stars are mingling, people are drinking and everyone appears to be having a good time dressed to the nines.  I also love spying the quirky (ahhh Helena and Tilda how I love thee) in and amongst all the glamor.  There were many times growing…

wintery kid reads with snowy snark

I’ve never lived in a place with winter.  Like real winter with lots of snow, bone-chilling cold and grey.  Never had it and hopefully never will.  Honestly, I don’t know how you people get used to it.  But then again, if snow is what you know…then, well.  There you have it. So in the spirit…

sassy santa reviews kid’s holiday books

In this week’s book review, I started with the sweet stuff, but something came over me and Sassy Santa took over.  I hope you get a couple of good chuckles from my random book musings.  Guess I was hitting the nog when I wrote this. As you know I am the Scholastic Mom for BigBoy’s…

straying from the beaten fairy tale path

Something comes over me this time of year.  The weather cools down, the leaves change color and eventually fall off the trees, and we start thinking about the holidays.  We come inside to get warm.  Friends and family come to visit.  We have big meals. For some strange reason this magical season makes me think…

kid books for thanksgiving

You know that I love seasonal books.  I just can’t help myself.  So of course between trips to the library and our kindergarten Scholastic order I have found a few gems of kid books for Thanksgiving. Let’s start with a sweet obvious choice, Countdown to Thanksgiving, by Jodi Huelin and illustrated by Keiko Motoyama.  We…

favorite halloween children’s books & giftcard giveaway

One of my favorite things to do at the library is get seasonal books.  A month ahead of time, I reserve books from the library to prepare the boys for the upcoming season or holiday.  Of course, right now it’s all things Halloween.  Here are a few of our favorite Halloween books. Skeleton Meets the…