How to Use This Site
My interests lie along so many side roads that my biggest goal with this blog was to organize the information I ferret out in a way that readers can get to what they need as quickly as possible.
You can figure out what I’m doing simply by wandering around the site and taking a look. Or… here’s an overview of how everything is organized…
The Categories, as listed in the right-hand sidebar, cover the following:
CLASSICS
What started this whole thing was my own desire to compile a list of the classics of children’s literature. I missed a fair number of these when I was a young reader. (I was a show-off. I liked to read grownup stuff, even if I only half-understood it!) If you would like to see the list of classic ‘oldies’ I have compiled, go to LISTS – CLASSICS. If you want to know more about the history, check out CLASSICS in the list of categories.
For the most famous and popular of these titles, I hope to write an OVERVIEW: a look at the original book in its historical context, then a look at how it has been adapted in other forms through the years. The first one I’ve done is PETER PAN.
THEMES
Through the use of tags, I hope to allow parents to zero in on books and movies that conform to specific interests their child may have. For example:
pirates, fairies, dancing, cars, undersea, space, bugs, mermaids, princesses, knights, dinosaurs, cooking, flowers, ballet, volcanoes, painters, horses, hallowe’en, robin hood, african animals, farm animals, individual sports, magic, cowboys, aliens, birds, rock groups, robots, hawaii, monsters, musicals/singing, fairy tales, history, folk tales, arabia, wilderness survival, superheroes, showbiz/puttin’ on a show, magnets, crafts
Etc. etc. etc. You get the picture. Any time I write about a certain book or movie I will tag it appropriately. You can go right to the TAG CLOUD in the right-hand sidebar. There each tag is listed – the more items a tag has, the bigger the word will appear.
So if your little one suddenly becomes obsessed with asteroids, or dragons, or delphiniums, you can find books and movies to fuel their curiosity.
ISSUES
There’s a lot out there for parents to be alarmed about, and alarmed they are! Everyone has their own specific area of concern, and I don’t want to judge the variances in taste out there. I’d just like to take a look at some potential ‘hot button’ issues that crop up in children’s entertainment.
MOVIES
Pretty basic. I’ll watch and review movies, and give parents a detailed description of difficulty of plot, scary scenes, and other issues that will help them determine if the flick is right for their child. I’ll put in my own age suggestion, but of course these things are so individual, it’s just a suggestion.
I’ll also include the suggested appropriate ages given for the movie by other websites, like imdb or common sense media.
My intention is not to provide a vast, comprehensive listing of all the movies out there. I’m just one person! But I will look at the big titles, especially the most ubiquitous Disney ones. And my focus will be primarily on movies for the younger, preschool crowd, because I think they’re the hardest ones to find movies for.
OLD MOVIES – one area we sometimes forget about, that may provide a lot of fun for adults and children watching together, are old movies. Before the days of cinematic ultra-violence and questionable content, it was a kinder, gentler movie world, and old movies are a friendly portal to the past for young viewers. From bewitching silent movies, to historically fascinating black and white talkies, to wildly colourful musicals and thrilling westerns, don’t forget about all of these old gems!
BOOKS
Again, far from being a comprehensive book review list, I will read and write about any really good books I come across – focussing again on the preschool crowd.
I intend to read my way through all the Caldecott, Greenaway, Newbery and Carnegie Medal Winning books, and provide lists of these authors and illustrators.
INTRODUCTIONS TO…
This includes my suggestions and ideas on child-friendly ways to introduce your kids to so-called “high culture”: poetry of all kinds, plays (especially Shakespeare), classical music, dance, jazz, even opera!
And in the Menu at the top of your screen…
LISTS
There you will find all kinds of goodies, in easily printable form. I’ll begin with award-winning books, listed by author…
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Here you’ll find info for the books I’ve referenced in this obsessive quest of mine. It’s not a list of every book out there, just the ones I’ve read. Updated frequently.
That’s kind of it. Jump in and enjoy.
Rarest Kind of Best 