Grab Bag Friday: Exceptional Websites for Kids

Congratulations to The Children's Book Review, which was added to the ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children) list of Great Websites for Children.

Browsing through the other 14 sites that were added, I got a kick out of stopping at the National Mock Election and noting that among kids who voted, Obama/Biden won in Alaska (Palin's home state) and McCain/Palin won in Hawaii (Obama's home state). I guess kids there are a little bored with their home state heroes?

There's a *lot* to see and do at the Nature Educational Resource, but I have to say I especially like the Weird Questions Answered page. Kids can email their weird questions and have them answered. Like Are Redheads Different from Other People? (the answer is yes, in one obvious and one surprising way) and What's Up with the Exploding Toads? (it's gross).

Another nice addition to the list is the search engine GoGooligans. Powered by Google (it's Google for kids), it will filter your searches and only give kid-friendly results.

If you've got a rainy weekend, you could spend hours browsing the entire list.

The Peanut Butter Jam!

DJ Chris Wienk over at WEXT (a terrific independent, listener-supported radio station out of New York) emailed me to let me know that they're adding my music to their regular rotation. Starting with Unclouded Day on The Peanut Butter Jam this Saturday (5/17) at 9am EST. (You can even listen online to their live stream.)

The Peanut Butter Jam is a way-cool kids music show that plays things you would expect:

• Dan Zanes
• They Might Be Giants
• Laurie Berkner

...and things you wouldn't:

• The Cars
• The Clash
• Gram Parsons
• Wilco
  

I love kids shows like this that recognize that kids love *good* music, no matter what age it is marketed to.

I love radio stations like this that break the mold, play outside of the market "rules," and support independent artists.

Thanks, WEXT! Thanks, Peanut Butter Jam!

They Might Be Giants: Family Friday Night Podcast

For those of you who've wondered whatever happened to the quirky, fun, indie-pop duo They Might Be Giants, you might be interested to know that they are now actual *giants* in the kids-and-family music scene. They took the scene by storm with their first kids' album, No!, in 2002 and followed up in 2005 with a supercool CD/DVD set Here Come the ABCs (which I *highly* recommend).

Now, with their highly anticipated album Here Come the 123s due out this February, TMBG has begun a Friday Night Family Podcast with videos of songs from the album. Zooglobble has been posting them pretty regularly (check out this great one The Seven Days of the Week: I Never Go to Work) and you can see the whole list here.

I think, so far, Apartment 4 (below) is my favorite:

Grab Bag Friday: Origami Club

Last week, when we were snowed in, I did a little internet search to find out how to make small origami gift bags for my students. I came across the Origami Club which has tons of easy-to-follow origami designs rated from easiest to most difficult.

So I made my gift bags. But when Kevin came into the living room 45 minutes later, he also found an array of hats, bears, and stars strewn about. I looked up sheepishly and said, "What? I had to see if I could do them." Kevin's reply: "This may be the biggest nerd alert yet."

Well if you and/or your kids are bored over winter break, you might wander over to the Origami Club for a little paper-folding fun. Just watch out...it can be addictive!

Grab Bag Friday #2: Books & Imaginary Play at Educating Alice

Since today's Grab Bag Friday was a little tech-y (yawn), here's an interesting article from Educating Alice to make up for it.

Virginia Tech Tragedy: Coping Tips for Parents & Kids

UPDATE (4/20): Here's another good site on PBS Parents: Talking with Kids About the News

I saw this post on Shaping Youth today and was struck by how thoughtful and useful this information is. If you have kids of any age and are wondering how to cope and help them cope with:

• All the graphic media they'll see/hear about in the next few weeks
• Feeling safe at home and at school
  
• How to talk about the tragedy on an age-appropriate level

Amy Jussel has compiled a few resources and guidelines that can help. This is sad, scary stuff. It's nice to know there are a few small things we can do to bring a little comfort and peace to the kids in our life.

And in all seriousness, don't underestimate the power of rocking out when it comes to blowing off some steam and relieving anxiety (both yours and your kids). I hope today's previous post on the Lovely Mrs. Davis and her rock-out list can help with that.

Rock Out With Your Kids! The Lovely Mrs. Davis & Hockey Monkey

This week, the Lovely Mrs. Davis posted her Top 20 Kids Albums for Parents Who Can't Stand Kids Music. It's a very hip, very cool list that only includes music that rocks. You will definitely not find the Wiggles, but you will find albums and compilations geared toward the 8 and under set that include:

• They Might Be Giants: No!
• Frances England: Fascinating Creatures
• Sting: "Cushie Butterfield"
• Yo La Tengo: "My Little Corner of the World"
• Sarah McLachlan: "The Rainbow Connection"
• Frank Black (of The Pixies!): "Pray for the Girls"

I was especially pleased to find a link to this Zambonis video: Hockey Monkey which has apparently been getting years of play on Nickelodeon.

The Zambonis are a band (with Peter Katis from Philistines Jr.) that write songs exclusively about (yes, this is true): hockey. If you don't believe me, you can visit their website and listen to their hit song I Wanna Drive the Zamboni (which is apparently featured in that new Will Farrell movie about figure skaters).

When I was in college (and a bit too-cool-for-school), I used to hang out at WBOR and listen to a well-worn Zambonis 7" that included such great hockey songs as "The Referee's Daughter" and "Away Game" and "Shot...Score!"

Thanks to the video link so kindly provided by the Lovely Mrs. Davis, I was able to find out that neither these songs nor the Zambonis have completely faded into indie rock oblivion. Their hockey obsession is alive and well, and those original songs can be found on their first full length album 100% Hockey & Other Stuff. They've even created more albums since that one, and have songs on a Christmas compilation (songs like "Zamboni Stuck in the Snow" and "The Ref that Stole Christmas"...beautiful!)

Who knew?

Stevie Wonder for Kids

I thought for the last day of Black History Month, I'd talk about something purely fun. I get a lot of requests from parents looking for children's music that won't drive them batty. These parents have ususally spent insane amounts of time listening to the typical, vacant, sing-songy variety of kids music that permeates the genre (you know the kind I'm talking about). It's usually when they catch themselves humming it on the way to work that they realize they would rather scrape melted gummy worms off the sofa than listen to another minute of this stuff.

Aside from sending them to Zooglobble and Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child, I have another miracle cure for these desperate parents:

Stevie Wonder
(Cue angel choir and light streaming down from heaven)

First of all, Stevie Wonder was signed to Motown Records when he was just 11 years old. That is supercool by anybody's standards.

Second of all, go to iTunes and listen to/download Uptight. What kid wouldn't love to dance around to this song? What parent wouldn't love to dance around to this song? See? Problem solved!

A special treat:
This is from the 1973 season of Sesame Street. Now this is music! Pure energy. The video quality isn't the best, but YouTube has confiscated all the versions that were clear due to the recent lawsuits. Hm. A topic for another day. Enjoy this one while it lasts:

Welcome to Please Come Flying

Thanks for visiting my very first blog post!

My plan for this blog is to share some things that I think are amazing...books, music, people, organizations, maybe even a recipe or two. Rachel Carson once wrote:

If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life, as an unfailing antidote against the boredom and disenchantments of later years, the alienation from the sources of our strength.

This is what I hope to do. Share some things that work toward fostering that indestructible sense of wonder. This is an "all ages" site, so don't be surprised to find some kid-lit strewn about here and there!

Well, are you ready?
Please come flying...












Photo by eqqman