Do you think Screen-Free Week (April 30- May 6) is a good way to remind adults that family members (both children and adults) shouldn't spend too much time with electronic media (TVs, computers, electronic games, mp3 players, etc.) or do you think how much time your family spends using electronic media is nobody's business but yours? Share how you feel by commenting here.

Related Resources From About.com Parenting & Family Guides:
10 Tips to Help You Raise Kids Who Love Reading
Kids and Technology: When to Limit It and How (About.com: School-Age Children)
Kids Watching Too Much TV? Set Limits on Screen Time (About.com: Family Fitness)
Five Ways to Use TV for Good (About.com: Children With Special Needs )
How Much Is Too Much TV for KIds? (About.com: Work-At-Home-Moms)
Recommendations for Kids' Physical Activity (About.com: Pediatrics)

(Cover art courtesy of Penguin Books)

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Did you know that April 30th is the 16th anniversary of Children's Day / Book Day, also known as Dia? According to ALSC (What's ALSC?), "El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day) is a celebration every day of children, families, and reading that culminates yearly on April 30." (Source: Dia Web site) Download the Dia reading list of children's books for recommended books in a number of languages in addition to English, including Spanish, French, Chinese and Vietnamese.

I also have a special picture book to recommend: Book Fiesta! by children's book author and Dia founder Pat Mora. The full title of the book is Book Fiesta! Celebrate Children's Day / Book Day - Celebremos El dia de los niños / El da de los libros, and this bilingual picture book is indeed a celebration. Rafael López, the illustrator of Book Fiesta! received a Pura Belpré Award for the book's festive illustrations, the 2010 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award. Book Fiesta! is a celebration of the joy of reading for children of all cultures and languages. I think that Book Fiesta! has a much broader appeal than just as a book for Dia. It's a children's picture book that many 3- to 6-year-olds will enjoy any time. It's hard to resist a book that is so joyful.

(Cover art courtesy of HarperCollins)

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It's been TV-Turnoff Week and Turnoff Week. Now it's called Screen-Free Week, and the goal keeps expanding. From Monday, April 30, to Sunday, May 6, families across the United States are encouraged to not only turn off the TV, but all electronic media, including computers, electronic game systems, iPads, etc. and enjoy other activities. Are you wondering, "What does Screen-Free Week have to do with children's books?" You may be surprised at some of the research. Read my FAQ about Screen-Free Week. Then, consider the following question, "Is Screen-Free Week a good idea or is how much time your family spends with electronic media nobody's business but yours?" Finally, go to Readers Respond to answer the question and to see other people's answers.

Related
Limiting Screen Time - Other Schedules and Activities for Kids (About.com: Pediatrics)

(Cover art courtesy of Penguin Books)

Since it's National Poetry Month, it seems appropriate to feature a novel in verse. Thanhha Lai won the 2011 National Book Award for Young People's Literature for her novel Inside and Out & Back Again. Using poetry that children's book blogger and reviewer Melissa Fox calls "gorgeous in its simplicity," Lai tell a story based on her own childhood, first as a 10 year old in war-torn Vietnam and, then, as a new arrival in the United States. Inside and Out & Back Again is also a 2012 John Newbery Honor Book. I've added the book to my Historical Fiction For Middle Grade Readers list, which is made up of award-winning books for middle school and upper elementary age (Gr 4-8) kids. If you have particular authors or books of historical fiction for kids/teens that you recommend, please post information about them at Readers Respond.

(Cover art courtesy of HarperCollins)

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