Adriana Puckett

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.

Right now there is a sick kid upstairs, reading and coughing. And laughing, in between coughs. "Mom, this book is hilarious!" he manages to squeak out, somewhat breathlessly. When I ask what the book is, I'm told, "This Book is Not Good For You," which doesn't sound like a promising read when you are ill. The plot summary includes something about adventure, chocolate, and kidnapping. And a narrator who writes himself into the story, sometimes even falling asleep for pages at a time.

Halloween is October 31, 2009. We have scared up some great articles and booklists for you to learn more about this spooky holiday.

Halloween Fun
Get ready for some spooky good times! We found lots of games to play, stories to share, crafts and recipes beyond compare.

Halloween History
Did you know that Halloween is one of the world’s oldest holidays? It has gone through many changes, but was originally a Celtic festival called Samhain (pronounced sow-in), marking the end of harvest and the beginning of the new year (November 1st).

Spooky Stories
Ghoulish, ghastly and deliciously fun books for all ages!

Get the creepy crawlies with R. L. Stine. He's a master of conjuring things that go bump in the dark. Imagine you've just moved to the town of Dark Falls where you don't know anybody.

Pinky Dinky Doo is full of spunk and has lots of adventures in her own beginning reading series. The books have vibrant artwork and zany text that especially appeals to the pre-reader and beginning reading set. Pinky also has her own show on Noggin.

To get a taste of what Pinky is all about, go to her awesome Web site. There you can play Pinky games, watch more than a dozen videos, and even listen to her audio podcast.

Will is small for his age and can climb a tree quicker and higher than any of his Ward mates. He hopes to be accepted into Battleschool on Choosing Day so he can become a hero like his father, whom Will never knew. Will is an orphan, left on the steps of Castle Redmont's ward, and Choosing Day is the opportunity each ward has to be apprenticed to a master craftsman. 

SkippyJon Jones is a small Siamese cat with a BIG imagination. He loves to pretend that he is El Skippito, a sword-wheeling chihuahua always up for an adventure. But ay caramba! He drives Mama Junebug crazy with his escapades. Little does she know that during each time-out in his room, SkippyJon goes into his magic closet and travels somewhere else, like ancient Egypt and the land of dinosaurs.

To see SkippyJon in action, click here to go to his cool Web site. There you can watch videos, download coloring sheets, and play games.

The little girl who stars in "Pinkalicious" loves the color pink. One day she and her mother make pink cupcakes and she eats soooo many that she turns pink! A certain 5 year-old in our household thought that was the coolest thing and started eyeing her own food as something more than to just put in her stomach.

Rosh Hashanah begins the Jewish New Year. The ten days following are called the High Holy Days or the Days of Awe that lead up to Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement. Some of these children's books explain the customs and symbols associated with this time. Others have marvelous stories that help to convey the rich meaning behind the celebrations. This year Rosh Hashanah starts at sunset on September 18, 2009 and Yom Kippur starts a sunset September 27, 2009. Click here to browse the booklist.