Stories by kids for kids

Read, Play, Explore "Alaca Bead! Alaca Beak! Here comes the fairy-tale with answers you seek!" With these magical words, zany Professor Pywacket invites you to read, role-play and explore each of the sixty-four Whimsical Tales from the Wild Hearts. These nature stories are about magical journeys, struggles, and relationships within the sixty-four animal trios that form a global archetypal matrix of the most used and highly regarded totems of the planet. From the beautiful Peruvian Llama Aiko to the mighty Moose Mukaday, to the smart and diplomatic Dr. Bundles, a wise doctor-stork from the Crooked Tree village in Belize, each totem embodies the wisdom of many different tribes and cultures. Reading each story is like traveling to a faraway place where a trio of mammal, an insect, and a bird lives. Sharing these read-and-play stories with children will help you understand the values taught by 192 nature totems and use these archetypes to nurture and empower your children.

Grandpa Graybeard is a sorcerer who frequently has to get his granddaughter Lily and her best friend Penny out of trouble when the two 8-year-old fairies mess up their magic spells. Their misadventures - as told by a real grandfather-grandchild team - become great fun for all three and for young readers who love to let their imaginations run wild.

Fun, easy and inexpensive family entertainment-you'll find it all in Let the Adventure Begin: Theme Nights for Families With Young Children. Laurie Moulton (author, teacher and mom) provides fun and easy family night activities based around different themes. Kids ages 2-7 will love being pirates on pirate night, going on rescue missions on firefighter night, or learning new dance moves on ballerina night. Each theme contains meal ideas, activities, online resources, and other readily available resources such as books and DVDs. A great alternative to family game night, family theme nights will soon become a new favorite in your home!

"The Texas Folklore Society has been alive and kicking for over one hundred years now, and I don't really think there's any mystery as to what keeps the organization going strong. The secret to our longevity is simply the constant replenishment of our body of contributors. We are especially fortunate in recent years to have had papers given at our annual meetings by new members--young members, many of whom are college or even high school students. "These presentations are oftentimes given during sessions right alongside some of our oldest members. We've also had long-time members who've been around for years but had never yet given papers; thankfully, they finally took the opportunity to present their research, fulfilling the mission of the TFS: to collect, preserve, and present the lore of Texas and the Southwest. "You'll find in this book some of the best articles from those presentations. The first fruits of our youngest or newest members include Acayla Haile on the folklore of plants. Familiar and well-respected names like J. Rhett Rushing and Kenneth W. Davis discuss folklore about monsters and the classic 'widow's revenge' tale. These works--and the people who produced them--represent the secret behind the history of the Texas Folklore Society, as well as its future."--Kenneth L. Untiedt

You will enjoy this story about a Persian cat named Shireen and all of her little cat and dog friends. Excerpt: "Fresh Arrival (looking astonished): "My name is Cracker. My breed is the Airedale terrier. I come from Yorkshire. I have fought and slain an otter single-handed. I'm a terrible fellow when I'm put out. I must kill rats, and—listen—sometimes even cats!" Shireen (purring louder than ever): "Oh, I daresay and, indeed, Cracker, some cats deserve to be killed. But I'm Shireen. Nobody ever kills me. What a nice good-natured face you have! Just let me rub my back against your chest. So—and—so! I'm sure we shall be tremendous friends, and you might do me a favor if you care to."