Dr. Susan’s Fit and Fun Family Action Plan: 301 Things You Can Do Today by Dr. Susan Bartell
Sourcebooks, Inc. - September 1, 2009
Ages: Parents
Cautions: None

Kiwi Magazine Review:
I had a chance to speak to the ebullient Dr. Susan Bartell about her latest book and I was convinced that she not only knows her stuff, but really has the right approach to instilling lifelong lessons for making fitness a permanent part of family life. The advice is sound and grounded, eschewing fads for lifelong sensible solutions to eating right and exercising.

The information in the book is presented in well-organized and very digestible bites so parents can quickly track down specific, age-appropriate information for their kids.  The best part about the book is that Dr. Susan uses real situations to provide guidance for parents.  I read with vigor the section about the child who races through a meal, only to say she’s hungry 5 minutes after the dishes are cleaned up.

Everything from teaching kids about portions to making it easy to fit exercise into a busy schedule. For example, keeping a Frisbee in the car and taking the route that goes by the park make it easy to have an impromptu romp to have fun and get bodies moving.

Word of caution to parents: you actually have to set a good example by exercising and eating right, too! You’ll need to tune up, too, in order to keep up with your fit and fun family!

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The Backyard Birdsong Guide: Eastern and Central North America By Donald Kroodsma
A Cornell Lab of Ornithology Audio Field Guide A Guide to Listening By Donald Kroodsma
Chronicle Books - April, 2008
Ages: It’s for adults, but kids LOVE it
Cautions: None

Kiwi Magazine Review:
I received this book as a birthday gift and I can not pry it out of my kindergartner’s hands. Although we have dozens of guides to flora and fauna in our area, this is the first book that plays each bird’s song or songs and helps us really identify what’s flying, nesting and feeding nearby. At night, when we can hear the birds, but not see them, we could tell for sure we had a female Great Horned Owl on the prowl. This book goes with us everywhere we travel now in our quest to know with who-o-o-m we’re sharing our piece of the planet. I can’t wait to share it with my girl scout troop!

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Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Children’s Book by Anita Silvey (Editor)
Reading level: Young Adult to Adult
Roaring Brook Press; 1 edition (October 13, 2009)
Cautions: None

Kiwi Magazine Review:
I wonder how some of these authors would feel if they read this book and saw how their words and characters profoundly influenced people. Notable people contribute to this collection by writing about how a children’s book taught them life lessons which influenced them. I found this book to be fascinating from the light take on a book by Jay Leno to more cerebral interpretations by Lesley Stahl. Moreover, this collection of essays provides the titles of books which functions as a must-read list for all.

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Bullying Prevention for Schools: A Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing a Successful Anti-Bullying Program by Allan L. Beane
Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (July 27, 2009)
Cautions: None
A must for every school and parents, too

Kiwi Magazine Review:
There are many new excellent titles on bullying on the shelves but this one stands alone with its crystal clear information presented in a reader-friendly format, awash with worksheet pages and resources. The author takes the reader from explaining bullying at different ages through correcting problems and creating a culture of civility at the school. Every school should have a copy but it is extremely useful from a parent’s perspective as well.

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Educating Esme: Diary of a Teacher’s First Year by Esmé Raji Codell
Algonquin Books (June 1, 2001)
Cautions: None

Kiwi Magazine Review:
So that’s what it is really like to be a 5th grade in the city. I found that this book was really enlightening as a parent and I am giving copies of this book to every future teacher whom I know. I found the author’s viewpoint of her students to be so touching and honest, as well as her perspective on parents and school administration. Some of the book is so disturbing, such as the author witnessing parents hitting their kids at school (one can only imagine that, if a mother hits her child at school in front of his teacher, what home life must be like). This book is an eye-opening account of the life of a teacher in the city and a must-read.

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Reef by Scubazoo
DK ADULT - August 17, 2009

Kiwi Magazine Review:
I am absolutely wild about nature books and have a giant and ever-expanding collection. This one, is, without exception, the most beautiful photographic collection of the beauty of the ocean’s occupants. The whole family will enjoy looking at this collection. Warning: you will definitely see your children leaning toward careers in marine biology.

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Bird: The Definitive Visual Guide by Audubon
DK ADULT - August 3, 2009

Kiwi Magazine Review:
Now, this is what I call a bird-watcher’s dream book. The photographs are colorful and detailed, showing birds in their natural habitat, doing what birds do. The information is so comprehensive and extensive that you could easily pick up this guide and identify that strange bird you took a photo of in Puerto Rico (I cruised through 2 other guide books unsuccessfully, but this guide made it so easy). This book is a must-have for bird and nature enthusiasts.
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Simple Home by Mark Bailey and Sally Bailey
Ryland Peters & Small (September 2009)
Cautions: None

Kiwi Magazine Review:
The lovely simplicity of the style of the rooms in the book make you feel instantly calm. The clear reuse and repurposing of old items adds charm and dimension to these clutter-free designs.

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Open Me Up by DK Publishing 
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: DK CHILDREN (September 21, 2009)
Cautions: Lots of body parts

Kiwi Magazine Review:
Once a DK Publishing book enters my home, it never leaves. The photography, text and illustrations are incredible and make all of my family members, regardless of age, want to cuddle up with a book about anatomy. That’s a most impressive feat. This book has accurate information about the body but also interjects humor and a dose of gross just to keep the readers interested.

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Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln’s Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities by Amy Stewart
Briony Morrow-Cribbs (Illustrator)
Algonquin Books - 2009
Cautions: Murder and criminal element
Ages: Adult

Kiwi Magazine Review:
This book has it all. Murder, suicide, strangulation…we’re all at the mercy of merciless plants that inhabit the earth. Legends, myths, mysteries and mayhem all seem to begin with a single sprout of an innocent-looking plant. I had no idea there was even something called the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s federal noxious weeds list, but I assume these plants laugh in the general direction of any sort of regulation. There is a whole chapter called ‘Weeds of Mass Destruction,” which is thoroughly horribly enjoyable reading. This book is a great gift for plant lovers who just may think their plants love them to death.

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