Adriana Puckett

Green eggs and ham is the order of the day on March 2. This is the day we celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday, the beloved author who brought us such favorite characters as the Grinch, Horton, and the Cat in the Hat. 

Here are some activities to do to celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday:

-Of course, read Dr. Seuss books!

-Download the Cat in the Hat audiobook from NetLibrary and listen to it with your family.

-Play games online at Seussville (there are things to print out too)

-Make one of the Dr. Seuss crafts or play a game from About.com

-Make green eggs and ham for dinner, or another recipe from the Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook (here for samples).

-Have a contest to see who can speak in rhyme the longest.

And remember, you can celebrate Dr. Seuss any day. "Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one!"

If there's one series that I can count on my kids to read again and again, it's the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books by Jeff Kinney. My 11 and 9 year-old have both re-read each book multiple times, laughing along at Greg Heffley's antics. For anyone who has not yet picked up a Diary of a Wimpy Kid book (and there are now four in the series, with a fifth one due out sometime this year), here's a trailer to tell you a little more about them. You can also check out the series' Web site at http://www.wimpykid.com/. There's even a movie coming out on March 19th.

Last month I blogged about Leviathan, an awesome new book by Scott Westerfeld in the steampunk tradition. The trailer below illustrates the Leviathan plot and setting. For fans of the first book - you'll be thrilled to hear that the second book in the series is called Behemoth and will be published in October 2010.

Cornelia Funke, author of the Inkheart trilogy, Dragon Rider, The Thief Lord, and more kid favorites, has written a new book called Reckless that is due to be published in September. Curious about her new book? Want to know more about how she comes up with her cool ideas? Email her a question through Kidsreads.com! Selected questions will be answered in an online video right from Cornelia Funke. Go to Kidsreads.com and read all about it on the homepage.

Porter Book Bunch kids recently shared their thoughts about the importance of the library. Have you thought about what the library means to you?

The action-packed books in the new Amazing Adventure Books list are perfect for a snowy winter afternoon. These stories are guaranteed to keep you glued to your seat as you experience the perils of crash landing in an icy wilderness, battling with pirates over treasure, or speaking with lions as you try to find your kidnapped parents. Browse the list and check out a new adventure today.

Every so often a book comes along that completely entrances us. A spell seems to fall over my kids as we are reading, and when we are done, a small sigh is offered up as we reconnect with reality. Princess Hyacinth: (The Surprising Tale of a Girl Who Floated) is such a book, one that promises to help you transcend reality for the few moments you are reading it.

Mass-produced holiday cards first appeared in Europe with the early printing presses, hundreds of years ago. As early as 1467, the Christ child appeared on a card in Germany wishing the receiver a good and happy year.

In older times and in other countries, New Year's was a time to give little presents, sometimes food, sometimes jewelry, sometimes money. In some countries, they still prefer to send New Year's cards to Christmas cards.

Bored? Nothing to do? Jump into a cozy picture book on a winter night. Troublesome trolls and a beauty's Beast! Helpful hedgehogs and polite polar bears! Whether you find yourself surrounded by swirling snowflakes or a chilly blue twilight, there are no better companions for winter's frozen brightness than Jan Brett's tales from the European tradition. Read our author profile for more.

Today, Sesame Street turns 40 years old. As a child of the '70's, Oscar the Grouch, Big Bird, and Grover became my very close pals. The music–from the uplifting "Sunny Days" intro theme to the swinging "1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-tweeeelve" pinball disco song–became personal anthems. I learned phonics from the letter of the day and counting from...who else?...The Count.