The Dilemma Surrounding Children’s [...]]]> Reading to Kids Doesn’t Have to Cost a Fortune

Let me ask you this. Does a trip to the book store end up lightening your pocket book a little more than you expected it to? 
And do you have a hard time picking the best books to read with your kids or keeping up with age-appropriate titles?

The Dilemma Surrounding Children’s Books – To Buy, Borrow or Forgo?

The fact is, you walk into a bookstore with the best of intentions ( namely, to grab a cuppa joe and browse books for free, mostly!) But, somehow, somewhere between the caffeine, the music, the lights and the aisles of glossy, printed material, you decide you just have to have some of those shiny, new books adorning your book shelf at home. Today.

And if you are a parent of young kids, many of those shiny books are likely to have snuck up into your shopping cart from the children’s section.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for buying books for kids. Children’s books make the best gifts for any occasion. Yet, these books aren’t cheap. And you don’t always know which books your child will enjoy. If you end up buying a handful of children’s books everytime you visit the bookstore, the cost adds up. Although I’m guilty of giving in to temptation on several occasions when it comes to buying new books for my daughter, I must admit that there have been times when I’ve refrained, thanks to the price tag. I say to myself that I’ll find a copy at our library or a used one online. And sometimes I do.
But, I’ve often wondered if it wouldn’t be nice to have some kind of a circulation service or online library where we could borrow books instead of buying them and where the cost of books wouldn’t be a factor in enjoying the most beautiful children’s books with our little readers as and when we wanted to.

Grow Up With Books may have the answer

Sanitized, good as new books. Delivered to your door step every month. No late fees. 

Reading to kids made easier

Rent. Read. Return. Repeat!
Grow Up With Books is a company that provides an ‘online children’s book rental experience.’ Not only can parents afford to bring home as many children’s books and picture books as they want, but they can also enjoy several added benefits of the GUWB membership for a nominal cost..like finding the best, age-appropriate books for kids or learning ways to enrich their reading experience with the Read TWO concept. To tell you more about the idea, the company and the experience, I asked Lara Ivey a few questions. Lara is a Reading Consultant with GUWB and was kind enough to answer my questions, along with Phil Daukys, the brain behind Grow Up With Books.

If you’re looking for a way to surround your kids with books all the time, without having to resist temptation in bookstore aisles or writing off all your savings, and if you’d like to learn about ways to engage your children with reading-related activities and ideas, you’ve got to read what Lara has to say.

Reading Consultant at GUWB

When I visit your site, the first words I see are ” Online Children’s Book Rental Experience” But, I’ve noticed you say it’s more than that. How would you describe GUWB?
At first glance, you’d think we were a company that rents books Netflix style.  Which we are–that is true.  However, we like to call it an “experience.” We offer quality literature, connection ideas, the Read TWO Experience, a reading consulting team to help with reading related questions, and even a sanitizing process so that you know your books are clean.

*The books that are offered have been specifically chosen so that GUWB can act as sort of a “filter” for parents having a hard time choosing books.  
*One of my favorite things we do that adds to the “experience” is our Connection Cards.  Inside most of our books (as long as there is a place to put it) you will find a sticker that gives additional ideas for you and your child to connect with a book.  The connection ideas include movement, art, music, math, science, social studies, technology, cooking, writing, and general ones that don’t necessarily fit into a category.  For me, the “connections” bring the books to life and is an added benefit to a GUWB membership.
*Our Reading Consulting Team (RCT) is available to offer guidance with reading related questions.  We won’t diagnose reading problems, but we can suggest books, reading strategies, and activities to make reading an enjoyable experience.  We are available close to 24/7, so that is a definite bonus to GUWB members.  
*The Read TWO Experience…

Which is…?
At GUWB, we believe strongly in the importance of reading being a family experience.  That’s where the “Read TWO Experience” comes into play and GUWB comes to the rescue.  Many times, parents will ask, “I don’t know what to read with my child.”  Or they may say, “I don’t know what my child should be reading on her own and what I should read aloud to her!”  When we review each book, we will mark the general age group that the book is appropriate for as well as HOW to read it.  Would this book be read To, With, or on their Own (T, W, O= Read TWO).   One book might be for 2 different age groups, but would be used differently within each group.  A 3-4 year old would have it read TO them, but a 5-8 year old you might read it WITH or let them read it on their OWN.  The Read TWO Experience really helps to understand how to best use each book.  

What age groups do you target and how do you select the books?
Ages birth-12.  Book selection is key!  We pride ourselves on choosing high-quality books and offering connections with them.  When selecting picture books, some things we look for are rich vocabulary, believable characters that may be multi-dimensional, “voice,” engaging illustrations, child-friendly, humor, age-appropriate, and possible future “classic.”  With novels, we look for some of the same things…rich vocabulary and phrases, complex storyline, “back story” to the main one, believable characters, “voice,” humor, age-appropriate, etc.  With our concept books we’re looking for them to be clear, developmentally appropriate, interactive, and have engaging text and pictures.   Not each and every book will have all of those, but that’s our guide.  

Do you offer recommendations or reviews to help parents/kids in the book selection process?
Reviews are given for each book we offer.  Our RCT personally reads each and every title, taking notes along the way and creating connection ideas.  We also include a “Just a Heads Up” section on books that may be of concern to parents.  Our categories for that are…General, Mild Violence, Mature Language, Mature Content, and Springboard Topics.  The goal of offering the “Just a Heads Up” section is to make parents aware of what their children are reading.  Too often we let our kids read books that we know nothing about.  The “Just a Heads Up” section is located at the end of any book review that we felt deserved it.  Knowing that a book includes “Mature Content” would let you know that it needs a mature reader.  It also may guide a parent to read the book with their child rather than have the child read on his/her own. 

How much does it cost to rent books on GUWB?
Plans range from $13 per month for Very Light Readers to $ 40 per month for Heavy Readers depending on how many books you wish to receive and read each month. The number varies from 3 to 15. You can change your plan at any time…choose a plan with more or less books depending on your need.  You can always email us with questions if one arises. 

Who came up with this idea and how did it all start?
(Answered by Phil Daukys) After listening to my son tell me that “Mommy read that book last night… Daddy, you read that book last week,” my wife and I decided that we needed an alternative and wanted to find a way to help others in the same boat.  Understanding that the library was a great place to get books, but it still did not alleviate that problem of what books we should be reading. In addition, all people are not close to a library… Grow Up With Books was created. 

 How does this compare to visiting the library with your child? You have advantages like participating in story time, being able to select books physically, and enjoying an atmosphere of books and reading. Can GUWB replace that?
(Answered by Phil Dauksys) We love libraries and fortunately we’re close to them, but not all parents are.  We have no intention of competing with libraries.  What we offer, that most libraries do not, is recommended rich literature by age group, taking the guessing game out of the equation for parents in trying to pick the ‘right’ books for their children.  We have sanitized books, connection cards in each book that allows both the parents and children to take a book to the next level, making it come alive. GUWB subscribers have the ability to ask our Reading Consulting Team any question regarding their children’s reading development.

Are you able to source the latest or relatively new titles?
That’s one of my jobs–keeping up with what is coming and what is newly out there.  Some of our latest ones are the Newbery and Caldecott winners.   However, we are always looking for new ideas and welcome suggestions.  Being on Twitter and Facebook connects me with authors, publishers, and educators who also are quite knowledgeable in the book field. 

Is this service available in all the states currently?
YES!  We’ve even sent books to Hawaii. 

What is your role with GUWB as a reading consultant?
I’m afraid to tell you because everyone will want my job!  I have the privledge and pleasure of choosing books, reading them, reviewing, writing connection pieces, blogging, twittering, Facebook, etc.  I get to connect with people and bring books along with me!  It is my dream job and I love spreading the joy of books!

Children’s books are going digital in a huge way these days as that seems to be an attractive way to get kids to read….you have iPhone apps, digital story readers etc…what do you think of this trend? Do you feel it’s all right as long as kids are reading somehow…or do you think that it’s important for kids to experience reading actual books? 
My first thought is if a child is reading, we have accomplished the first and very important goal(digital or not).  If we are building better readers by reading with, to, or having children reading on their own, we have accomplished a bigger goal.  There is no question that the digital movement is upon us, providing convenience. However, no matter what technology comes around, NOTHING will replace the connection made when you are holding your child in your lap and turning actual pages of a loved book.   Prominent author Emile Buchwald puts it quite nicely, “Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.”  We couldn’t agree more. 
 
 How long has GUWB been around and how would you say the response has been? Are parents enthusiastic about your service?
(Answered by Phil Daukys)The concept has been in place for 10 months, the actually website has been operational since 10/09.  The overall response has been enthusiastic.  We have people that love the idea and wish they would have come up with it themselves.  When you combine reading, children, and a mechanism to provide a service that is designed to save parents time and money, you’ve succeeded.

I find the Read TWO experience interesting – I guess I do a little bit of all three when I read to/with my daughter. Is there any incident or memorable ‘reading’ moment you’d like to share related to reading with your kids or in your experience as a teacher?
One of the most important things that I NEVER was willing to forgo during the day was the time I read aloud to my class.  Some of my favorites were Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlotte’s Web, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, All About Sam, Wayside School is Falling Down, Frindle, and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.  Then there are the lesser-known titles like People in Pineapple Place, The Real Thief, and The Fairy Rebel.   Just recently I had a former student (now a student-teacher) tell me that People in Pineapple Place was the best book she ever heard read aloud.  Now I have to find a copy of it and get it for her so that she can carry on the tradition.  You never know what impact your “reading choices” will have on others!

How does this work logistically? ( According to your site, kids can keep the books for as long as they want, there are no late fees, the books are sanitized every time, how does all this work?)
Phil Daukys: An absolutely seamless process.  Parents sign up, add books to their queue (hopefully with the help of their children), and we automatically ship books to you, free.  When you are done reading the books, you simply place them in the return envelope mailed with original shipment, and place them in your mail. If, by chance, your child falls in love with the book, you can opt to buy the book straight from us!  There are no late fees, no shipping fees, and no concerns with germs with our sanitization process.  Through the sanitization process upon return of books we disinfect each book with an environmentally safe, EPA approved product that kills 99.9% of the bacteria, including H1N1.

If someone reading this is interested in renting children’s books or checking your service out – what action do they have to take and how long on an average would the whole process take? 
Phil Daukys:Interested parents can simply log on to the site, chose a plan, add books to their queue and then wait for their Grow Up With Books shipment. Online time is minimal, but we encourage subscribers to browse our books, ask questions of our Reading Consulting Team, and even check out our prices. We also sell books and are often, if not always, cheaper than Amazon and other online retailers.  Shipping in general takes about 3-5 days to receive your books. We have created an expedited process when books are returned allowing us to have knowledge that your shipment is on its way back. Then we immediately ship out your next round of books, taking precious days out of the process.

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The primary goal of Grow Up With Books is to encourage reading and the love of books among children and to make books accessible to them wherever they are. The online book rental service is just a part of their bigger plan to promote reading and reading-related activities among children, including underprivileged kids. It is with this goal in sight that Grow Up With Books has partnered with various charities and organizations to donate books and promote early literacy both within and outside the United States. To learn more about GUWB’s philanthropic endeavours or if you’re interested in checking out the online children’s book rental experience for yourself, visit http://growupwithbooks.com/. And let me know what you thought!

But if I had the time and was looking for a really special [...]]]> You could probably come up with hundreds of reasons why books make the most wonderful gifts.  Classics, picture books, board books, bedtime stories, fairy tales…how great is it that you’ll NEVER run out of choices when picking out a book as a gift?

But if I had the time and was looking for a really special gift for a child, I’d probably go with a personalized book, especially for milestone occasions. In my search for unique and meaningful gifts for children in my family, I chanced upon I See Me a couple of years ago. The brain child of Maia and Allan Haag, this website sells personalized children’s story books. If you haven’t considered buying personalized books before or have been looking for a source of very high quality, classy personalized children’s gifts, you should definitely check out I See Me!

Last week, I had a chat with Maia Haag,  mom of three, co-creator of I See Me and author of personalized children’s books. In this interview, she shares her thoughts on her company, her kids and why she thinks personalized books are so important for kids.

Creators of Personalized Children's Books

How did you come up with the idea for I See Me ? What is the story behind all these children’s stories?

I was working at General Mills in a marketing position and really wanted to start my own business. I had gone to business school and come back to General Mills and was anxious to start my own business. I was looking for an idea to start a business and I knew I wanted it to be something to do with children. And I was looking for some sort of product that would take advantage of my husband’s creative skills -he’s a graphic designer – and also leverage his printing connections. And so I was thinking about greeting cards or some sort of printed products. Then my husband and I received a personalized story book for our first child when I was on maternity leave. And that was the light bulb – because I looked at the personalized product and my husband and I both thought – we can create personalized books with higher quality, better illustrations and better writing and it was a great idea for starting a business. So that’s the beginning of the story.  I had a six month maternity leave and  I spent the last three months of that maternity leave working on the idea for the first book which was My Very Own Name and started to write the story. Then I left my job at General Mills. I went and spoke to the president of my division and told him that I was leaving to start my own children’s book business. He thought I was a little bit crazy.(laughs) I spent the next three months after that writing the business plan and that’s how it started.

How do you come up with the story ideas for all the books? What’s the process like?

Well, I knew we wanted a book that was focused on the child’s name in the story and so everyday I would take our newborn in a stroller around the lakes of Minneapolis and think of different book ideas as I was walking around the lake. Then I would come home and share different ideas with Allen. The one about the animals bringing the alphabets that spell the child’s name really stuck.  We thought that was unique and would be a great way to focus on the name.

…All the animals you picked out and their illustrations – they really each have a story of their own.

Yes, Allan and I worked together and for each animal we sat down and defined whether it would be a boy or a girl and what its personality would be, what it would be doing and where and then we gave those directions to the illustrator who would then sketch it and that’s how we created all the animals.

Personalized Chilldren's Storybook

Is the process pretty much the same for all the other books?

Well, for 6 years, we only had that one book – My Very Own Name. And my focus was really on building the operations side of the business and getting distribution for the books and marketing. Then, we finally got to the point where we really needed a new product to grow the business. I noticed that year at Halloween that a lot of girls were coming to the door dressed as princesses and fairies. And that was the inspiration behind the second book – My Very Own Fairy Tale.

Do you have a personal favorite among all your books?

Wow, I’ve never been asked that before. Probably, my favorite book out of all of them is actually The World According to Me. Which is a book that features the child’s own illustrations and the child’s own answers to questions. And the reason I love that so much is because the child gets such a kick out of seeing their own illustrations in the story and it’s really fun reading the book to the child – the words that they wrote.  And it’s a keepsake that I think will be really fun for our kids to have when they’re older.

Yes, and I like how the book engages the child in the writing process and through the book the child and his family learn about each other. So, tell me, why do you think personalized books are important? How are the different from any other book – say classics or just books in general which are considered great gifts for children? Why are personalized books even more special?

I think personalized books are fabulous for children because they encourage the child to want to read that book over and over again. They hear their own name in the story. A personalized book really engages the child because it’s such a personal story that’s about them. That’s the primary reason. The second reason is that personalized books build self esteem in children – especially because we’ve made it a point to create stories that boost self esteem in children, which make them feel that they’re really special and unique.

How do we purchase a personalized book from your website? Please describe the process.

It’s very easy – you just go to our website – www.iseeme.com and provide the child’s first name, last name and birth date and the dedication that you would like to include in the book in the title page. And we take that information and we make the books. So it’s very easy to order, and also very friendly and personalized.  With the World According To book and we also have a new one called the You and Me book – with these two books – you order a kit that has everything you need in it – to provide the answers to questions, drawings, photos and there’s a mailing envelope to mail the materials out to us. So we make it as easy as possible for the person who’s doing the book and we do all the work to layout the book, type set the answers and produce a beautifully designed book.  They get the book back about three weeks later.

What are your thoughts on reading to children? Any tips and advice for parents and educators on how to read, what books to pick?

Yes, for very young children it’s important to find books that are colorful with their illustrations, that rhyme. Rhyming is important because it helps children learn the sounds of the English language. Before they learn all the words, they start getting interested in the sounds of the language. Finding a book that builds self esteem in the child and shows a child from an early age that he or she is very special. Many books have a message of one sort or another. It’s a question of finding a book that has a strong message that you’d like to teach your child.

It’s important to understand the child’s reading levels, that you get a book that has the right number of words on a page, so that they continue to be engaged.

Besides I See Me books, what are some of your favorite children’s books, your recommendations for young children?

We love Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar because it’s interactive. Our kids have always loved putting their fingers in the holes on the pages. We turn to so many books and they like different books different nights – let me think. Both of our boys love Cars and Truck that Go by Richard Scarry because they’re interactive and a lot of things to find on each page. We’ve actually incorporated that in our book My Very Own Fairy Take – there’s a fairy on each page for the child to find. It makes the book more fun for the child and makes them want to read it that much more.  And The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg is another favorite.

Do you have any plans to create personalized books in other languages – since there are so many children coming from bilingual or multilingual families and it’s important for children to be read to in their mother tongue?

Yes, we have been evaluating that and when it’s the right time we will.  It involves not only translating the books but also developing a marketing and distribution plan to get the books into the right places. One challenge in translating the books is that they’re all written in rhyme. So it’s not as simple as straightforward translation. We would have to completely rewrite the books if we wanted them written in rhyme in the other language.  So, the short answer is Yes and we’ve been sort of deciding when is the right time to do that.

Do you have any interesting experiences to share with regards to I See Me books and your children?

A: With all three of our children, when we’ve read My Very Own Name, they’ve all fully believed that they’re the one in the bassinet in the beginning of the book and that makes the books so much fun. Our daughter loves My Very Own Fairy Tale and she likes to point to the girl at the back of the book – whose back is to us so that it could be any girl. She talks about the fact that it’s her and that she’s about to sit on the throne. So, it’s very fun for us as a family to watch our children see themselves in the story.

And you do have a new book with the holiday theme…

A Christmas Bear for Me – I was just thinking about that one. That one has also been a very popular one.  One thing I’d like to share is that our son Austin, who’s 11, has become a key part of our product development. He reviews all of our books before we finalize them to look at it from a child’s perspective. And he has made some significant recommendations to us that we have used to make our books even better. For example,  with A Christmas Bear for Me, we were planning on including a Certificate of Ownership for the bear and it was his idea to instead include a letter from Santa, because that would be more important to a child than a Certificate of Ownership of the Bear.  And for example we had an illustration of all the stockings on the mantelpiece on the night before Christmas. And they had some candy in them and he was the one who noticed that the stockings shouldn’t have anything in them yet because it was still the night before Christmas.  So, he sees things that we don’t always see.  We have three kids who are 11, 8 and 3. So we read books at different levels at home which has helped in the product development.

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So, if you’re looking for a perfect gift for your kids, nephews, nieces or other children – pay I See Me a visit. And be prepared for the widest grin and the loudest squeal of delight when your gift is opened. If nothing else, at least, you won’t have to worry about giving the exact same gift as someone else. And I think it’s safe to assume that your gift won’t be forgotten or lost amidst a sea of plastic toys any time soon.

(Disclaimer – I haven’t purchased [...]]]> Educational gifts for kids – let your kids experience other cultures!

Unique gifts for kids are usually hard to come by. Especially the kind that holds their attention and excitement for more than a few fleeting minutes under the tree. Which is why I am really impressed with Little Passports.

(Disclaimer – I haven’t purchased a Little Passports subscription yet – my daughter is too young for it – but I really do like the idea a lot and will definitely be choosing it as a gift for one of my older nieces in the coming months. This is NOT a paid review. )

Little Passports – Let your child view the world through Sam and Sophie’s eyes

If you can’t take your kids to see the pyramids or the Taj Mahal, you could still give them the experience of world travel this holiday.

When you give your child a Little Passports subscription, what you’re really giving them is a window to other cultures and countries. A subscription brings your child souvenirs, maps, accessories, music and other items from countries across the globe. So, what’s so different about this, you ask? It’s not just the gift in itself, but also how it is presented and delivered to children.

Remember your pen pal days?

The whole concept revolves around two pals – Sophie and Sam – who travel the world and send your child souvenirs from their adventures. Every month from a different country, for up to 12 months. So, each month, your child rushes to your mail box – yes the physical one standing beside your drive way – and opens it eagerly, in anticipation of the package from a far away land. Currently, the subscription brings you gifts from Japan, Brazil, India, Australia, Egypt, Argentina, China and a few other countries.

The gift set includes a suitcase and a realistic looking ‘little passport’ plus distinctive items from each country, representing their culture such as small statues, photographs, maps, music clips, stamps, reading material and activity sheets pertaining to each place. Each package is accompanied by a personalized note from Sam and Sophie addressed to your child, describing the places they’ve visited and the experiences they’ve had – a travelogue if you will.
The pricing is approximately $11 per month, and subscription packages currently offered are 1 month, 6 months and 12 months.

Now, Little Passports has won several awards including the iParenting Award for 2009 Outstanding Products and Parents’ Choice award. I don’t know what criteria they used to judge. But me?

I can immediately think of a few reasons why a Little Passport Subscription would make a terrific gift for kids.
- History and Geography become favorite subjects all of a sudden. Did you ever think the day would come? But, that’s exactly what Little Passports accomplishes. It gets kids interested in the world beyond their neighborhood, video games and chat rooms and opens their eyes to a whole new global experience with this interestingly packaged staycation.
- It fosters other related interests and hobbies. Stamp collection, map reading, souvenir collection, flag identification, learning a new language, listening to different types of music….need I go on?
- It opens their hearts and minds. In this day and age of hate crimes, bullying and school shoot outs…we could all use a generous dose of studying, understanding and showing compassion for other countries and their people. Let’s start with our kids learning a little bit more each day. And maybe it will rub off on us?
- It gets them to read. Be it the personalized letter from Sam and Sophie or any of the other fun, educational material included in the set – Little Passports nudges your child closer towards and/or encourages his existing interest in reading for the purpose of learning and for pleasure.

If you are considering putting Little Passports on your list when buying kids’ Christmas gifts ( or for any occasion for that matter), check out more details and testimonials on their website.

It all started with two San Francisco area moms who were looking for children’s products with a global element. From their website : ” We both felt a deep and personal drive to help raise a generation of children who are more empathetic to people and cultures around the world. ” “…We remembered the joy we experienced as kids when we received personal mail. We wanted to find a way to deliver that same excitement, surprise and delight to children via good old snail mail.”

I think it’s a fantastic way to get kids interested in other countries, languages and cultures without blowing your budget or stepping foot inside an airplane. And what a great way to restore the anticipation associated with the arrival of a good old-fashioned snail mail!

I often wonder if our texting, IMing, tweeting kids even know what purpose the mail box outside our home serves? If we gave them the Little Passports experience, they just might find out.

Personalized gifts are everywhere. But what impressed me about I See Me was how much thought had gone into the making of each book or gift.  [...]]]> I chanced upon I See Me – Personalized Children’s Books when looking for a gift for my newborn nephew. I have never been more delighted with a product or service.

Personalized gifts are everywhere. But what impressed me about I See Me was how much thought had gone into the making of each book or gift.  They’re not just personalized for the sake of doing so, as is the case in many places.

Each personalized gift is carefully created to reflect the personality of the child or occasion. For instance, I chose the My Very Own Name book for my nephew. It features various animals and birds bringing in the letters from different corners to make up the baby’s name. I thought this was a beautiful way to introduce a baby to his name, to animals, to the idea that he is so special that everybody worked hard to find him the perfect name. I am told that my nephew enjoys being read to from this book. There’s also a My Very Own Name floor puzzle that is appropriate for older kids. To see your name spelled out – what a great motivation for a child to complete a puzzle! This made a good ‘You’re a big sister now’ gift for a niece.

The World According to Your Child, My Very Own Fairly Tale and a book of drawings by your child are some of the other products this website offers. The thought and care that goes into each book idea is abundantly clear. These are gifts that probably won’t be forgotten or discarded when their novelty fades away. They would make great heirlooms, keepsakes or time capsule items that will be cherished long after the child has outgrown them.

Meticulous planning goes into each gift. For example, for the book featuring your kids’ drawings, they actually send you a kit with interview questions to ask your child, color markers, drawing sheets for your child to draw his pictures on and a post paid envelope. You send it all back to them and within weeks can surprise your kid with a professionally made book featuring his own drawings and comments.

If you’re looking for gifts for kids, I See Me is worth a visit. Their customer service rocks too.

Note: I am not being paid to promote I See Me and am not related to them. I’ve used the website and purchased a few products and recommend them to anyone looking for unique, memorable yet reasonably priced gifts.