5 comments about Parenting by the Book: Biblical Wisdom for Raising Your Child.

1. John Rosemond writes with what was once called "common sense", a now all too uncommon trait of modern psychology. Well written, wise, biblical, practical information on training happy, healthy children to become happy, healthy adults.



2. John Rosemond's sensible and solid advice frees families to enjoy each other instead of fighting and refighting the same discipline battles. If you are experiencing crisis conditions in your home you may want to read his The New Six-Point Plan for Raising Happy, Healthy Children or Making the "Terrible" Twos Terrific first. All of his books emphasize practical methods for raising secure, confident, responsible kids.



3. More people need to get back to Biblical principals when it comes to living our lives including parenting. The devil has done a great job of confusing and getting us to buy into the lies of parenting. Are our kids better behaved now? No, and we need some back to basics (Bible) teaching to help us rear our kids to be productive rather than non-productive citizens of this world. Just the other day there was an article in the paper for a seminar for employer for Generation Why? And it headlined instructing employers how to motivate the Generation Y because they are so unmotivated. Have you ever seen a seminar for this is previous generations? This book should be handed out when babies are born.



4. First of all, it is very clear that most, if not all, of the 1 star reviewers either did not read this book or are just John Rosemond haters who assume his books do nothing but condone spanking. This could not be farther from the truth. If you are considering buying this book and don't know anything about John Rosemond, then visit his website: www.rosemond.com. If you look under the "About John" section, there is a position statement on spanking. READ IT if that is of concern to you. Then you will see how full of baloney these people are who are spitting venom at him because he respects the right of parents to discipline as they see fit.
   I thought this was a well-written book that brought to light many of the problems with the post-modern psychological parenting model. One need not look too far to see frustrated parents running ragged because of out-of-control children. Is it that difficult to admit that children are generally ill-mannered these days with little to no respect for authority? That being said, isn't it a good thing to find someone who offers an alternative if a family feels they need one?
   If you don't like John Rosemond, then parent your children as you see fit and don't read his books. But why should you try to persuade someone to not check something out that might really help their family just because you have an agenda? I am raising two children, and I find that when I apply Rosemond's advice, I discipline calmly and I stay in control. I'm guessing that most child-abusers do the exact opposite: They LOSE control. That is something Rosemond tries to help parents keep from doing.
   So I personally recommend this book to those who are frustrated with their current parenting philosophy and want to make a change. But if you are an attachment parent, then don't read it. You won't find what you're looking for here. It's as simple as that.



5. I find it very interesting that 27 out of the 28 negative reviews were made the first week of June 2008. A little fishy.
   This book is an excellent guide to parenting. Firm, but not too strict. I love the example of "Hey, in a ball game when you foul, you don't get a second chance, do you?" To many sports obsessed kids, this example works perfect. Why should they follow the rules of a game better than house rules??? Which are more important in the long run?
   Too many parents confuse love with overindulgence today. There's nothing wrong with teaching your children a little self control.

5 comments about Grandpa, Tell Me Your Memories.

1. I started by buying these books for my parents to fill out for me. I loved reading their responses. I learned many things about my parents that I didn't know before. It also sparked conversations with them about additional stories.
   
   Now that I have children, I'm buying these books for me and (the grandparent ones) for my parents to fill out for them. And buying them as gifts for new parents.
   
   Regarding the comments that there isn't a lot of room to write...The pages are small, but there are only a few pages that you would get that lengthy on your stories. You can always attach in an additional sheet of paper to continue your story.



2. This is a wonderful gift to give your father or grandfather. Basically, this book contains many questions and pages for Grandpa to answer and pass down to his grandkids. It's something the grandkids can read whenever and get a great understanding of the person their grandfather is. It might seem a little morbid at first, but having something written down is a great suppliment to all the great times the child will have with his grandfather. Please note, however, that in order to get hundreds of memories into one small spiral bound paperback book, it is not as substantial and sturdy as some of the other memory books. Though I think it is a good trade-off.



3. Grandpa, Tell Me Your Memories by Kathy Lashier
   Grandma, Tell Me Your Memories by Kathy Lashier
   These wonderful little books make great gifts for grandparents to complete for their grandchildren, as Christmas gifts, graduation gifts, birthday gifts - you get the picture!!! I first purchased one for my father, who is 80 years old, and when his 5 daughters are with him and mom, we ask him questions and have such fun writing in the answers! It has provided great family time, wonderful memories for the folks, and a great gift for me - his daughter!



4. I gave this to my dad as a gift from my daughter for his birthday and he began filling it out immediately. I teared (sp?) up this first time I read some of his entries because I learned things about him I never knew. This can be enjoyed by both his children and grandchildren for years to come. I'm so truly grateful I purchased this book.



5. (review written by Nick's wife) I came across these memory books in a parenting magazine and loved the idea of having my children's grandparents fill them out. I even bought some for my grandparents to fill out for me.
   
   After searching through everything Amazon has to offer, I ended up purchasing a variety of books. I bought Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, Tell Me Your Memories. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I really didn't think they would all be the same with a different cover page as they are. I was really disappointed in the size of the books. They are 4" x 5.5" with a 1" spiral binding. Each is about 1" thick. It is laid out for a full calendar year - each day having a different question or memory for the person do write about. The pages have a question at the top and are blank (no lines) below.
   
   The other books I decided to purchase are: A Grandparent's Legacy and Memories for My Grandchild. A Grandparent's Legacy is laid out month-by-month with topics to discuss. The book measures 8" x 5" with a nice covered spiral binding and is about .75" thick. Each page has topics to discuss and lines for writing. Memories for My Grandchild has the most flexible layout - meaning there is no guide for filling things out at a certain time. It is also the largest book, measuring about 8" x 10" and just less than 1" thick. It has a covered spiral binding. This is the only book with a pocket in the back to drop in any special items and a pull-out page to fill in the family tree. The pages in this book are lined as well.
   
   The books all cover similar questions and memories. I haven't gone page-by-page to compare, but have been pleased with what I've seen so far. Since the books are so similar, I'm basing my overall opinion on the appearance. My favorite would have to be A Grandparent's Legacy.

3 comments about Chicken Soup for the Soul: Teens Talk Middle School: 101 Stories of Life, Love, and Learning for Younger Teens (Chicken Soup for the Soul).

1. Middle school is such a difficult time for nearly every child. Somehow, with patience and perseverence, we survive it. I wish I had a copy of this book 16 years ago. It would have been nice to relate to someone else - even if only through written word.
   
   Parents, arm your middle schoolers. Buy them "Teens Talk Middle School." Let them know that we have been there too and that their problems are important.



2. This is a very touching book, sometimes funny,sometimes sad and always moving. Unlike other books, the 101 stories have a different feel, more like a bunch of freinds laughing and talking with you then other teen "support group" books' far-off, detached view. The Chicken Soup series has done it again!



3. I may be biased as I have a story in here but there are some really great stories in here, especially those by Donald Verkow and Annmarie Tait (The first one), and of course, mine. What?
   
   Rock On,
   
   Harris Bloom
   www.harrisbloom.com

5 comments about The Motivation Breakthrough: 6 Secrets to Turning On the Tuned-Out Child.

1. I happen to be a special ed teacher, unlike the author of this book, however, I don't claim to know everything. At least this author has 30 years teaching experience, unlike many with two-five years experience who are deemed superior, and suddenly become philosophers, instructing the rest of us how to do things. The advice here for teachers is a little callow with platitudes like "Provide a structured, predictable environment" and "Give simple, single-step instructions." This is by far not the best book of its sort; certainly not comparable to Fred Jones' "Tools For Teaching." The author's advice for parents is probably far more helpful to them than his advice for teachers is for teachers. All considered, I would advise teachers to save their money for a better book.



2. I am reading this book as 1) a professor/college instructor, 2) a parent of a child with a significant learning disability (LD), and 3) a researcher in the field of childhood developmental disorders (e.g. ADHD and autism). Honestly, in my classroom I already care about how my students learn and how to reach out to struggling learners (yes, content applies to certain aspects of college instruction). This book affirms the techniques that I already employ - which is a boon to my confidence but offered me no new insight. As a researcher, this book is technically sound, giving information on how children learn, specifically how children with LD learn, that is supported by research. I applaud him for discussing in simple terms what we now know about how children learn. So, this book does compile "best practices" but does not fully cite sources, which is disappointing.
   
   Now, as a parent, I read this and cheered along. Yes! Yes! I wish my son's school did that! However, what do I do with this information? I cannot exactly plop the book down and insist they conform. Lavoie fails to cite where he gets all his information, so I cannot direct educators to these sources from the material herein. Frankly, the focus is more on the classroom environment, so it will have limited applicability at home. Although, the information DOES apply, there is no help in how to carry it out. For instance, Lavoie discusses WHY yelling at a child reduces motivation and hinders positive behavior. To me, this seems obvious, but I'll allow there may be some adults who feel yelling is really effective. I yell from time to time. I feel bad. Lavoie offers no strategies or replacement behavior to reduce yelling. Fixing the problem that led to the yelling is your problem - use "I statements" just don't yell.
   
   As a parent, basically I read this book and felt really awful and discouraged about my son's school and the education he is receiving. I felt frustrated to begin with, but reading about Lavoie's school demonstrated the lengths to which a school can go to include and educate the whole LD child. Since I cannot afford a private LD-centered school, I have no idea what to do with that information - I cannot exactly write into my son's IEP - "Ms. XYZ will praise in public and criticize in private" - it's just not realistic, and as a parent (even one carrying credentials of my very own), I just get very little respect from the district without threatening to sue (and that's not exactly respect or the relationship I seek). So, applying Lavoie's principles in a resistant school is impossible as a parent.
   
   The writing itself is sound. The book could be dry and dense, but instead it is dense and interesting. It is a bit preachy, but he has the experience to justify that. One side note that really bothered me is that he uses far too many examples and analogies. I really only need 1, 3 is just obnoxious. It seems he has writing for people that are slow to understand or accept his point, possibly people like my son's teachers and administrators. Certainly teachers who belittle, demean, and see the LD as a reason to write a child off would have the most to gain from this book. Unfortunately, I doubt they are the audience who are actually purchasing and reading the book. My guess is people who read it probably are already two thirds the way to believing and adopting his philosophy, and for these people very little new information is offered, hence it's average but not superb. To be excellent, he would have needed to address some functional goals of the book and the appropriate audience(e.g. towards rehabilitating schools and/or teachers), streamline the text (cutting out superfluous analogies), adding more detailed research and citations in, and discussion of how to implement into a school as a parent or administrator.
   
   For parents reading this with a child with any disability, I highly urge you to consider reading The Complete IEP Guide: How to Advocate for Your Special Ed Child and using NOLO's advocacy information to try and insert some of Lavoie's principles into your child's IEP. These can be done by asking for a behavior plan or study skills as a target area.



3. I already knew from experience that different people are motivated for different reasons but I admit that I didn't realize the importance of recognizing these differences when it came to motivating my own children to excel at school. This book helped me understand the different reasons why children are motivated to succeed at school and it provided a method for classifying these differences so that appropriate motivation strategies could be selected and used.
   
   As an example, through using the method in this book, I discovered that one of my daughters thrives on and is motivated by praise. When I pay close attention to her homework and provide plenty of praise for her successes, she's delighted and tries even harder...happily! In this case, identifying her motivational strategy provided me with a way to encourage her beyond doing mediocre schoolwork to doing outstanding schoolwork. I'm actually a bit surprised by how well this approach works.
   
   To say that this book is a worthwhile investment for any parent of school age kids is an understatement.



4. I am so glad I ordered this book. Last year, my child had great difficulty in school. She subsequently repeated the grade this year, however with a different teacher. She is doing much better this year. Although some of the differences were very obvious, this book opened my eyes to the subtle differences that revealed just how much of an uphill struggle my child faced last year. I've read a few reviews of this book, claiming the advice is elementary or basic. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of teachers out there who should read and follow the principles of this book. The first two-thirds of the book even seem to be aimed more towards teachers than parents. Just reading this book reinforced my belief that my daughter was placed in the absolutely worst possible situation last year vs the best possible situation this year. I found myself nodding in agreement as I read all of the bad and good teaching examples. Even the preface, which describes the author's daughter's initial bad school experience and subsequent turnaround was identical to what I experienced with my daughter between last year and this year. The fact that such a disparity exists in the same grade of my child's school disturbs me because parents have no say in what classes their children are placed into. This book offers excellent information as to what we as parents should expect and demand in our children's learning environment. I feel better informed and prepared for those parent/teacher conferences. Highly recommended for parents, especially if your child is experiencing difficulty in school or has learning disabilities.



5. This book is filled with great ideas; some make me think, "I have to try this on my classes!" and others, "I should have done that with my kids!"
   
   Even though both my students and my kids are now adults, I see a great deal that I can still use. The author is very specific and filled with enthusiasm for teaching and motivating. He shows great understanding of, and compassion for, kids and students who have difficulties in school or in social situations. He has certainly motivated me!

5 comments about Children's Book of Virtues.

1. As a homeschool mother I am always looking for great stories for my almost 7 yo and my 2.5 yo. This book is part of the curriculum for Sonlight and it is fabulous. My daughter's favorite is about two brothers, one who doesn't let his "please" out of his mouth so the "please" jumps into the other brothers' mouth (which makes him say all his "pleases" twice). Eventually though, the "please-less" mouth wants his please back and his "please" is thrilled to be at home and allowed to get some fresh air. The stories are grouped by moral or attribute (compassion, courage, etc.). Both male and female main characters throughout the stories and the poems makes this book appropriate for both boys and girls. I highly, highly recommend this book, no qualms about it.



2. I purchased this book and a few others in the series for my 4 ½ year old. My son is very intelligent for his age, yet some of the stories were a bit long and beyond his attention span and/or understanding. However, I am not disappointment as I am confident that in time, all the stories will be appropriate. I would recommend this book!



3. These tales were collected from virtually every corner of the globe and some go far back into the reaches of antiquity. Bennett and his collaborators did a fine job of finding stories of universal, fairly non-controversial appeal that we can all cite without worrying about the inherent differences in religion or politics that might otherwise divide us. Segregated according to the principles being celebrated (Honesty, Courage, etc.) these fables and true life stories demonstrate virtues of conduct far too often left unstressed in our morally-undermined society.



4. I had this book when I was a little kid. I honestly think that by reading it, it changed how I viewed things as a child. Partially because of this book, when I was little I had strong feelings about responsiblity, kindness, courage, perserverance, and many of the other subjects illustrated in The Children's Book of Virtues. I loved reading it and the stories affected me greatly.



5. My children and I just adore this book. What a lovely collection of stories all heavily demonstrating solid virtues that are Biblically rooted, not worldly. My children, ages 5 and 4, request that several stories be read time and time again. This book will grow with us through the years; they are no where near growing out of it.
   
   Bennett compiles the stories and poems in 4 categories: courage/perseverance, responsibility/work/self-discipline, compassion/faith, and honesty/loyalty/friendship. There is a nice selection in each category of 1 paged poems, to several paged stories. There is a solid virtue to be taken from every single work.
   
   I recommend this book highly. Fill those little minds with things that are good, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable. Also recommended by the same author are The Children's Book of Faith and The Children's Book of Heroes. Both also have wonderful collections and wonderful illustrations.

5 comments about Engaging Autism: Helping Children Relate, Communicate and Think with the DIR Floortime Approach (Merloyd Lawrence Book).

1. Nice to know more than one method for teaching children with Autism. This book has great information to help you individualize teaching for young children with Autism.



2. This is a good book. Bought it for my sister and my sister and my brother-in-law
   are finding it very informative and useful.
   
   On the same topic, ADHD as Autism requires lot of pointers for the parents, when
   their kids/family members or friends are diagonised. May be there are lot of pointers
   and information already, but I find it hard to get some directions on this.
   
   Also, the medical community over here in US could share their invaluable knowledge and
   expertise to countries like India, where this is new and parents like my sister are
   suffering, lacking all this information, guidance and pointers - I really mean that.
   
   Thanks for all involved in writing this book.



3. Engaging Autism has been one of my mainstays for working with families with children in the autism spectrum. I have been able to teach them simple strategies from the Floortime method that allows them to quickly see glimmers of engagement with their children. Dr. Greenspan's explanations of why these children have problems and how to help them find us worth joining is very thoughtful.
   
   Parents that I have recommended this book to have come back with a better appreciation of the struggles and strengths of their children. They are more ready to get down to their child's developmental social-emotional level to allow them to grow, thus enabling them to be available to the other therapies that are needed.
   
   Not everyone has a Floortime/DIR trained therapist available to work with them, but with this book they at least have some strategies to include as they play with, work with, and learn to enjoy the child they have.



4. Really well-written and so on target. I have shared it with several families and their response to it has been so positive...they feel they now have a realistic way to try to play with and communicate with their child. We are also using this approach with several students at our school and witnessing appropriate responses from them.



5. Excellent book! Highly recommended! Our son is progressing with more positive results and LESS tears! We found this in our library and HAD to purchase it.

4 comments about My First Words: Early Language Development System (Your Baby Can Read).

1. My 18 month old son loves this book and can read every word. The pictures are great as are the questions. I wish they had more books and highly recommend this one.



2. My daughter has the videos as well. This book is a perfect compliment to the videos since I don't let her watch so much tv. She loves trying to slide the card over to see the images herself and I like that it allows her to participate.



3. My daughter LOVES this book and asks for it by holding her head in her hands like one of the little boys is doing in a picture. She's not reading yet, but loves the sliding windows.



4. My daughter loves it. It comes with the starter DVD. Price was good. Shipment was fast.

5 comments about Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year.

1. As a married father, you might think I'd have a hard time relating to this story of a single woman bringing up her son more or less by herself. But Anne Lamott's willingness to open up the most intimate details of her private life--her struggles, insecurities, and anger at the challenge of being alone with a new baby--drew me in very deeply. And she's very funny, too. After you've read the "What to Expect" and other standard-issue baby books, pick this up. You won't be disappointed.



2. Funny at times, way too religious at others.
   
   Overall just "ok"
   
   I would recommend "Mother Shock" by Andrea J Buchanan instead.



3. This book helped me survive my first-born. It was such a breath of fresh air, and Lamott was like my best friend, sharing the same experiences. I have read this book countless times - and laugh out loud each time. I always send this book to all my friends when they have their first born. (As you can see by my order history.) This is a much better tool than any of the how-to baby books out there. I absolutely love it!



4. This book is about an extremely emotionally ill women, who has spent her entire life avoiding reality with coke, meth, and alcohol, who now sober at 35 gets knocked up by one of the random men she is sleeping with. (She apparently is too hippie for condoms.)
   Maybe it's because I don't have kids, but I find a mother doing nothing but go on and on and on about her kids every movement very monotonous and boring. Not only is that what she writes about in this book, but she is extremely negative, cynical and it's annoying.



5. This was an interesting read, a friend lent me the book. It had a lot of "god" in there, but beyond that, the story rang true. I think anyone who has ever had a newborn can relate to a lot of her thoughts and stories. I do wonder how Sam is doing now, he would be what? 18 or so?
   
   I have to say that any staunch republicans would probably not like it as she's also got quite a bit of politics in here. But I think people have to remember that reading a memoir is like reading someone's journal. They are going to be offensive and sometimes even mean. I think if they aren't then the memoir is entirely too watered down.
   
   She does drone a bit and gets lost in the text at times. I don't know that I would give this one to a brand new mother, but as a mom of a 5 and 8 year old, I found it interesting to "think back". A good read.

5 comments about Licensed to Kill: Hired Guns in the War on Terror.

1. Completely devoid of preaching, no axes to grind, no ideology to promote... you have to wonder how this ever got published in the USA. Not a trace of faux compassion. No uplift. In short, an almost miraculous book. Remarkable achievement.



2. Licensed to Kill : Hired Guns in the War on Terror is a damn good book. It's an unfiltered and unjudgemental look at the security contractors who do security, assault and intelligence work on behalf of governments around the world. If you've heard of companies like Blackwater, DynCorp or Aegis, then by all means, pick up this book.
   
   1. So who are these guys? Who are these guys are all over the news these days, with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? Basically, security contractors are highly-trained masters of warfare. They are usually ex-special operators (e.g. Green Berets, Navy SEALs, Army Rangers, Marine Recon) or at the very least, ex-infantrymen or cops in the governmental forces. Some do security detail work for top dogs like Afghan President Hamid Karzai and former Iraq administrator Paul Bremer. Others guard escorts and convoys, and other work as non-official spies.
   
   On one extreme end there is a guy like Billy Waugh, an ex-Green Beret-turned-CIA-turned-contractor. He is extremely experienced, guile and professional. Most of all, he is very patriotic, and his zeal to defend America keeps him going even though he's almost 80.
   
   And just like sports teams, there are the walk-ons. This one guy named Shannon Campbell is the security contractor's answer to Rudy. He's not a veteran of the Special Forces or SAS, but a regular Joe who had a dream of making it. He trained in martial arts and firearms until he could break in to the industry, and he did!
   
   2. And what are these guys like? They are basically just humans, just like us. They just happen to be extremely alpha. Although many media outlets portray them to be these monsters who have no remorse and shoot kids on the streets of Baghdad for fun, Robert Young Pelton does a great job keeping things in perspective. Security contractors have fun; they have camaraderie; they have fear; they worry about family and finances; they surf the web for porn. They are just like guys out there in the regular "world." It's like asking what NBA players are like, or what NFL players are like. Until you've lived in their world, you don't know what it's like. But if you want to know what they are like as human, just look at the people around you.
   
   Of course, with the good and normal, you have the bad and the ugly. Besides the possibility of someone going berserk on some women and children after having seen too much war, you have guys motivated greatly by greed, greed and more greed. On one hand, you have companies like Sandline and Executive Outcomes and guys like Niek du Toit and Timothy Spicer, who scour for unstable nations rich with resources like Equatorial Guinea and Papua New Guinea and try to capture the market - even overthrowing the government is not out of the question. Niek du Toit sits in a Equatorial Guinean jail, and is unlikely to ever see daylight again.
   
   And in a market that is exclusive, secretive and relatively unregulated, you must always watch out for the opportunists, like Jack Idema. Portraying himself as a well-connected and well-informed ex-Special Forces member, Idema scammed journalists, filmmakers and locals in Afghanistan. Like Niek Du Toit, Jack Idema is currently rotting away in an Afghan prison.
   
   3. And what is the future of the private military/security industry? Only God knows, but the faithful founder of Blackwater, Erik Prince, has ambitious dreams. He visions Blackwater fielding a battalion-sized force of security operators with small-arms, heavy weapons and planes, that can be deployed globally on short notice. It may sound bolsterous, but with Blackwater's capital, reach, and track record, Prince's plan is certainly not unrealistic.
   
   Also, with small conflicts popping up everywhere, urbanization, and the rise of mixed martial arts, I can certainly imagine more Shannon Campbells popping up. With more manpower neededm with elite war vets who decide to pass on becoming contractors, and with companies that offer tactical training, it is not unrealistic to envision young males decide to get in shape, learn hand-to-hand and weapons, and join in for some gold and glory.
   
   I don't want to go on forever, but Licensed to Kill : Hired Guns in the War on Terror by Robert Young Pelton was a great read, and I could not put the book down. And I don't think you'd be able to either.



3. I wanted to learn more about Security contractors after I heard so much about them in the news on Iraq and Afghanistan. I found this book and read it quite quickly for it was very interesting and for the most part worth the money. Robert Pelton has written a engaging investigation where you feel for both the contractors and the opponents against their existence. There is one chapter about a con artist that I felt didn't need to be included in the book but nonetheless I commend Mr Pelton for his good writing ability.



4. Robert Young Pelton's Licensed to Kill is a witty, provocative, inside look at private security companies and their explosive growth after 9/11. More than simple history or commentary, Mr Pelton explores every aspect of the PSC's involvement in the war on terror, their necessity in the face of large-scale military down-sizing, and role in the future of military conflict. With a keen eye for detail and the cultural sensitivity of a poet, Mr Pelton tells us a story that should be required reading for everyone in the Western world.
   
   I married into an Assyrian family who continues to communicate with trapped family members in Baghdad and those who've made their way over long years to Syria and Jordan in hopes of finding a way out. Mr Pelton doesn't just tell us the stories of the private security operatives, but gives us the impact on the people of Iraq and Afghanistan in ways that only a person of his ability and experience could.
   
   I have a much fuller appreciation for the jobs they do and for theater in which they do it. And coming by that experience was no mean feat. The book deserves an award and its author a medal. If you read no other book on the subject, read this one.



5. This was an excellent and interesting treatment of the subject. The writing is quite good, the author has command of the details, and the whole of the book is captivating, not just interesting.

5 comments about Superfoods: For Babies and Children.

1. This book provides an interesting selection of meals for your baby. I've purchased it originally to cook first purees for my newborn, and still waiting until she's old enough to eat solids. However, the book also provides recipes for toddlers and older children, and I haven't found a recipe that I could imagine my 2-year-old eat. He's very picky and simpler meal recipes would do us more good. I'd look for something else if I would purchase a cookbook for babies and children.



2. I simultaneously purchased this book and two others by Ms. Karmel. There are great recipes in all three; however, some of the same recipes are repeated in each book. Had I known that, perhaps I would only have purchased the one for infant recipes and the one for family recipes and not this one that's kind of 'in the middle' of the spectrum.



3. I liked this book because it has a lot of fun looking food that is fun for kids to look at while they are eating, and good for them to be eating!



4. If you have a baby or young child, you may already know that it is not always easy to feed them healthy or nutritious meals. Sometimes it's not all that easy to plan them either. Your child might be a picky eater, or you might be in need of some healthy recipes to make mealtime fun for your family. If you want to give your child a great start in life, the best way is to provide them with a balance of healthy foods. But where do parents begin to look?
   
   One such place is in the book, "SuperFoods for Babies and Children," by Annabel Karmel. What an excellent resource! Here are just a few of the wonderful treasures we found in this informative book:
   
   * Detailed, healthy recipes for main meals and desserts, categorized by age;
   
   *Sample meal planners, categorized by age;
   
   *Numerous food tips and the importance of a variety of each of the foods in our everyday diet;
   
   *What foods you should avoid giving your baby;
   
   *How to shop for healthy foods;
   
   *Much information on eating "superfoods" by colors and how you can give your child the best start in life by eating a well-balanced diet.
   
   This book also has a section that discusses food allergies and lists foods to cure common ailments.
   
   The steps are clearly detailed beginning at 6 months of age -- what foods you should begin introducing to your child...how to know if they are ready for solids...how to make baby food...and sample meal planners for the first 4 weeks of first solid foods. There are large colorful photographs of meals, and cute vegetable and fruit illustrations throughout the book. Short "Did you know?" facts and other side bar tips give you a quick look at important food information and how those foods can benefit our bodies.
   
   MyParenTime.com highly recommends this book -- informative content, clear appetizing food photos, and an abundance of ideas, make this book a winner! But be warned -- you might have some real fun creating these meals, and your child may beg you to make more healthy meals for them!



5. I just thought this book had less content than glossy pictures and recipes included ingredients not normally found in one's cupboard. I gave this as a gift, but would look for something more "parent" friendly and easier to use in the future. Also takes up much bookshelf space for the amount of use it will probably get.