Child-Development Books

As a mom of two, this book is so very helpful to navigate the parenting obstacles we encounter every day. Sharon Duke Estroff brillantly guides parents with humor and passion. Once you pick up this book you won't be able to put it down. LOVE IT! Thank you to the author.

There are so many reasons why I loved this book, but one of my top five is the Lego analogy. Parenting is like Legos, the author explains. "When you first dump the contents of the package on the playroom floor you feel overwhelmed and perplexed. You don't know if you're trying to build a spaceship or a castle. It's not until you see the big picture on the front of the Lego box that all those disconnected plastic bricks take on new meaning as a totally cool medieval fortress. That glimpse at the final goal - while admittedly a bit daunting at first - ultimately gives us the faith, inspiration and direction we need to begin building our Camelot." This book helps parents take a good hard look at the big picture and shows them how they can use it to their family's benefit.

My mother gave me this book for Chanukah and I read the first three chapters before the candles burnt out. (Really!) Can I Have a Cell Phone for Hanukkah isn't just great because it's a fun and easy read, it's also packed with helpful advice. The author is a professional educator but she's also a mom who totally gets what it's like to raise kids today. One of my favorite chapters was "Countdown to Kindergarten" since I have a child who will be starting kindergarten next year. I also love the social chapters called "Pladate Protocol" and "Surviving the Schoolyard Social Jungle". I know that as my son gets older the chapters on school, homework and the internet will be invaluable to me. As a Jewish mom I also enjoyed the holiday by holiday guide. A fun read packed with tons of practical, useful information. What more could you ask for in a parenting book?!

This is the first book of our generation that puts parenting into a realistic, sane perspective. It acknowledges all the challenges and noise that we have to deal with as we raise kids. It puts into very simple and funny terms how ridiculous the standards are that we are foisting upon our children. Its like a cup of coffee with a good friend that sets you straight when you're feeling down on yourself for not having the family you see in advertisements. Uniquely refreshing and easy to read, this book is a great gift to new moms and struggling moms as a place to turn when they need a positive attitude adjustment.

I read Can I Have a Cell Phone for Hanukkah in one afternoon. I could not put it down! Sharon Duke Estroff really helps parents navigate "parenthood." I highly recommend this book for all parents!

It doesn't go into great detail but provides a good overview. I was given some used baby bottles/nipples that looked in great condition but I wanted to boil them. The book briefly described that boiling them was not necessary in most cercumstances but didn't go the extra mile to say how long to boil them if I chose to do so. It seems to be a good reference guide but is a bit outdated in some controversal topics at this point.

I've used this book countless times and have given it as a gift to at least 3 new mothers. They still thank me for the book. It explains what caused the illness, when to seek medical attention, how the doctor will treat it, and how to prevent it. YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK!

I had purchased this book a few years ago and the recipient was so pleased with it she buys one for every baby shower she attends. I also bought one recently from Amazon which was a much better price. This recipient hasn't put it down yet. It is a great resource for mothers and fathers to be but also after birth. Just about every question you have will be answered. You'll save a lot of phone calls to the pediatrician.

Highly recommeneded!!!

I really like the center of the book that lists all illness and injuries that children of all ages can experience. It gives information about what it is, what you can do to treat it and signs and symptoms that you need to see a doctor.
This book is going to be a valuable resource to us for many years to come.

Having this book with three young kids is a must! Great reference for sick babies and also loads of interesting stuff about growth and development.

The subtitle is "a father's steps to a blended family that really works" A soundtrack MUSIC CD is included....lovely snapshots of life of a 3-6 year old little girl, her single-partent father and their blended family . She appears in the drawings -- he appers in tonggues using poetry to transcribe his daughter's drawings-- and prose....the title comes from the author's belief that a daddy is his daugher's first dance partner. This is a perfect book for giving at any age....on a birthday...after a divorce...or even on a daughter's first prom night...beautiful....Each of them could be filmed-- fabulous gift book....YES real men do go to tea parties...a lovely book for fathers, mothers and families....

Daddy Daughter Dinner Dance takes family values back to where they once were long ago. Although not tradtional in nature the displays of love and caring teach us all how to care. What a beautiful parent to take the time to see the beauty of all the
lovely drawings and make poetry out of each of them,while most of us hang our childrens drawings on the refrigerator and then file them somewhere,Bill teaches us the beauty in what we as parents can learn from our most precious gifts, our children.

Quateman breaks life down to it's lowest common denominator-the heart. Through his daughter's pictures and his touchingly open essays, we see for ourselves that there need be no boundaries when it comes to blending our families together.

The love in this book is a soulful eclispe that leaves its readers knowing all beauty is possible in every kind of family no matter the circumstances. Bill and India have touched on the most important relationship between a Daddy and his precious daughter. This book is a treasure, a teaching tool for parents,teachers,and psychologists as a model to follow."Daddy Daughter Dinner Dance" gives us life lessons that come straight from the heart.

More 66% of families now days are consisted of "Broken Homes" or divorced parents. This causes much confusion especially for the son or daughter that has to go through the transit between different rules and structure. I have witnessed this first hand as my parents divorced when i was about seven or eight. It was tough having to understand the meaning to all this and often time blamed myself for the splitting of my parents. Myself just ending my teen years, read this book and look back and recognizing the value family communication and how important it is for the family to come together despite their differences. I believe this book is a cheat-sheet to parenting and helps guide you as a parent to bettering your relationship with the rest of your family. I strongly encourage you to take a look at this book because I think everyone needs a little cheat-sheet once in a while. =P

-dylan age 17

I LOVE this book! I encourage you to pass this along to mothers, daughters, sisters, friends...everyone will love it and be enriched greatly just by reading this sweet, funny, thought-provoking book by the incomparable Beth Moore!

I'm a parent of 2 little ones, and I've been reading one of her essays each morning. They're sweet and real and funny (just like Beth Moore always is) - and they're a real encouragement to me to see the long view of godly parenting, rather than getting stuck in the preschool weeds. I also gave it as a gift to my mother-in-law whose chicks are long gone from the nest, and she loved it too.

Very touching...touches all emotions. I bought three more to share with other family/friends who are mothers. Great choice as a gift for moms whose children are leaving for college.

This wonderful little book about Beth and her husband going thru empty-nest made me feel a wide range of emotions. She is a brilliant writer and always amazes me how she can be a faithfull follower of Jesus but still have so much FUN!! What a refreshing christian woman..Buy the book.. you won't be disapointed.. Beth allows you a 'peek' into her private life. If you have taken a bible study that she wrote you will get snapshots of her life.. this book fills in the holes a bit..Great reading!

I read Beth Moore's book after experiencing two miscarriages and trying to get pregnant for the third time. Her Godly approach to motherhood made me realize that God gives us children as gifts and blessings - regardless if it is for a few months in utero or for decades on earth! She gives a personalized insight on how to try to raise children to love Christ - in a world that often makes that difficult! I would highly recommend this book to any woman - moms, daughters, moms-to-be, or as I was when I read it, a mom wanna-be!

I was totally impressed with this book. It is very colorful and informative for those interested in establishing a Montessori way household. The information is to the point and suggested activities and necessary household items are listed in a clear concise manner.

I recommend this book to parents interested in a Montessori education for their children. It gives a very clear understanding of what Montessori is about.

I didn't know much about the Montessori method, but this book was a great introduction to both the general principals, and specific practices. It's a fairly quick read, with lots of pictures (showcasing the most amazing kids fashion I've ever seen), but it offers a wonderful window into a method that has raised many successful and fascinating children and adults over the past century.

A very nice point about this book is that there are instructions on how to make some of the specific Montessori toys used for learning letters and numbers. There's also a short but comprehensive list at the end of suggested books and web resources. Since, as the book explains, the Montessori method isn't copyrighted and anyone can claim it, it was nice that the book offered some definitive sources that can be trusted.

I'd recommend this book to any parent of a young child. Even if you don't want to send your child to a Montessori school (and the book even freely admits that it's not for everyone), there are some really valuable ideas in this book about everything from learning to child development to discipline to specific activities to do with a child.

My daughter goes to a Montessori daycare. Before signing her up, I had reviewed online information. This book does not really give you more than what you can find online on the method itself, and does not touch on the critism made to the Montessori method.
However, it is a very pleasant book and good introduction. It gives very practical advise to apply Montessori to your home.

This is no literary great, but a short and sweet little guide about montessori in the home. The photos are exquisite, a real joy in themselves. The ideas and activities in the book are more contemporary than some of the other montessori the in the home books around as well.

'Is This a Phase?' is a delightful and intelligent guide for parents, soon-to-be parents, and pediatricians such as myself. I have recommended this book to many families and refer to our office copy frequently. Especially helpful are the 'around the world' sidebars for understanding many of our international families' parenting practices. Thank you Ms. Neville!
Claudia Reay, M.D. Los Gatos, CA

As a parent educator, I often recommend titles I think will be of particular use to parents. This is one I also give to friends and family members as a baby gift. It's a book that can be referred to quickly and easily to find out say, why your 3 month old is fed and dry and still crying; why your toddler is so insistent on having everything done the same way, all the time; what to do when your three year old has a blazing meltdown in the grocery store; or how to determine if your five year old is ready for kindergarten.
If it's a developmental issue, you'll find it in this book and what's more, you'll understand it a little better and be better able to decide what to do about it, if anything. It's always a happy thing when you find out that your child is not disturbed---but simply age four. This is a helpful and reassuring book.

I am a mother of a one-year old and was given this book as a gift. I have found that it is one of the most useful books I now own on childrearing and chid development. I keep it by my bedside and go back to it on a regular basis to look up whatever the issue or "phase" is--whether it is testing limits or trying to understand some strange behavior or a new sleep pattern--Ms. Neville seems to know it all! She has helped me better understand what these new behaviors mean and gives good, practical advice for dealing with all of these situations from birth to six years of age! I think hospitals should give this book out to new parents as required reading!!

Featuring charming illustrations by Jenny Williams, "Is This A Phase?: Child Development & Parent Strategies, Birth To 6 Years" by health educator, pediatric advice nurse, inborn temperament specialist and researcher Helen F. Neville is a thoroughly 'parent friendly' guide to common behavioral issues with babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. The advice ranges from having realistic expectations with respect to developmental milestones, to ways of making life easier until various phases are passed through, to reassurance about the range of normal development and when to get help, even instructional advice on how to talk about such issues as sex and death to a child. Of special note are the charts of quick information when a parent is short on time. "Is This A Phase?" is very highly recommended reading for all new (and not-so-new) parents having questions or concerns about kids and their quirks.

One of the things I liked best about this book are the "around the world" boxes... Basically, throughout the book there are little boxes with text describing how different cultures around the world have different beliefs about parenting. It's a wonderful reminder that there isn't just one way to parent.

Great book, very informative, the author talks straight to you and tells you only the truth what you REALLY need to be prepared for when you are having twins (I'm 15 wks pregnant.

This is a must have for all twin moms. I have read a few and found this to be the most helpful and realistic. Excellent book!!!

A great read for new parents of twins! This book provides great common sense solutions to the seemingly endless challenges of raising two at once!

The author has produced a book that covers everything anyone needs to know to successfully keep their sanity while learning how to handle those precious little bundles of joy that came two in a package, rather than one. The book makes being a mother of twins sound almost fun! A must read!

I have now read three of the books that are out there on handling twin babies, and I have to say this one is absolutely the best. First of all, it is hilarious, which really makes it fun to read. But more importantly, it gave me meaningful, specific ways to cope. Not just "get help" but "here's how, exactly". I just felt like, reading it, I had a best friend or sister guiding me through the whole way, reassuring me that I could do this and telling me HOW. I feel so much better prepared for twins than I did before I read it, even though I had already read "Here They Come" and "Twinspiration." It wasn't until I got this book that I started to feel like I can handle these babies. This one is definitely going to become the go-to book for expecting twin moms. As my due date nears, I am actually now RE-reading some parts.

This book has been a real life saver to us during a trying time with our adult son's health. The book is so very complete, yet gentle and comforting in its approach to issues of great concern to parents. I really appreciated their balanced approach to health issues-- medical, behavioral and life st yle. I recommend their adult Down syndrome clinic to anyone who can get to their CHicago area. We gave a visit to our son for his 21st birthday!

As a mother of an adult with Down syndrome, I found this book to be amazing. I wish I had found this book years ago! I now understand why my daughter does many of the things she does. This book delves into not only physical aspects which might contribute to the mental wellness of adults with Downs, but also the psychological as well.
I was fascinated to learn that so many things my daughter does is very common with many adults with Down syndrome.
This book is a great guide to help all parents, family members, doctors and others who live, help and work with adults with Down syndrome.

I just received this book and I can't put it down. I am mother of a 17 year old daughter going on 30. This book is so informative. I am even learning more things about my daugther and I thought I had it all figured out. I think if the public were to read this book, there would be no more trouble having our kids with DS be more accepted in the public eye. Its so enlightening. Dennis McGuire is going to be at the DS conference in April. I can hardly wait to see him. I have been to one of his presentations before, he is so on the mark, its uncanny. Wouldn't it be great if all the teachers, doctors and public knew all this information.

I work in the healthcare field with persons with Mild Mental Retardation including Down's Syndrome. I'm also a grad student and have taken several courses in this area. This book is a revelation. The first thing that's great is that it's a practical manual specific to just Down's (most caregiver manuals are so broad as to be virtually useless). This book has answers to real world problems culled from experience and insight.

It does a great job at systematizing a lot of the knowledge out there and coming up with ways to apply it. The concept of "groove", chapter on OCD and Down's (something I was having a problem with with a specific client I work with and haven't seen anything useful written on) and Time Perception were all really good.

Lots of helpful, PRACTICAL information and not a bunch of the kind of garbage educational theory and psychobabble that passes as scholarship nowadays. This stuff works. I've used it already. It is obviously written by people who actually work with people with Downs and not ivory tower bureaucrats.

If you're a caregiver, work with persons with Downs' or are a concerned parent, buy this one ASAP. I can't say enough good things about this book.

This is the best book on this topic I have ever seen! We will soon be responsible for my 44 year old sister-in-law. This book is unlocking some of the mystery of her actions and habits. I have already recommended this book to other parents of down syndrome children. I'm impressed enough to put this book on my keep for life shelf! Thank you so much for offering such an informative book! Keep up the good work. Jean

What belongs in a diaper bag? What is the best way to let other children be affectionate towards your new baby? How do you hydrate a vomiting baby? Dr. Tanya's tips answer these questions and many more. Mommy Calls is a gift to parents and doctors alike, with quick access to the most common concerns arise with young children. The only advice Dr. Tanya left out is to make sure you have an extra copy of Mommy Calls to pack in that diaper bag!

As a first time mother I have made a point to find the best resources when it comes to carring for my daughter. A friend told me about Dr. Tanya's book THE WONDER YEARS which has been so informative to me. Then I happened to see her on The Today Show so I couldn't help but get her most recent book MOMMY CALLS. I consider these books my all in one resource for child rearing!

This book actually answered my questions with practical information and helpful "real world" tips.

My criticism of many of the parenting books I read before this one is that the info I wanted got lost in the minutia and I still wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. Here, everything is right there. And best of all, the answers helped keep me sane on those sleepless nights...

An excellent resource for all parents that will save you calls to the pediatrician and late night visits to the urgent care.

My friend bought me this book as a gift for my shower and I started using it as soon as we came home from the hospital. I am so grateful to my friend for getting me this book. It's such a great find. I totally recommend it to anyone having a baby! Thanks Dr. Tanya!

Even though I am neither a teacher nor a parent, this book touched me. It brought me back to my younger days - the highs, lows, scares & excitements of growing up and the educators that helped me through it all. I found this book to be sweet, familiar and very well written. I would have loved to have been a student of Mr. Bowen's because he seems like a rare man -- caring & extremely concerned while still managing to be fun and creative. Great book for parents, teachers or anyone still enjoying growing up!

This book is funny and inspiring. It reminds us of what we love about children. It should be read by all teachers so they take time to celebrate the joy of the innocence of youth.

This book was recommended by a friend. I have a daughter who is a teacher in Junior Hi School and was going through some hard times with some of her student's attitudes. I called her and told her I had just purchased this book and was sending it to her. She called me about a week later and informed me of how the book was a blessing because it refreshed her spirit. This book addressed some of the very things she was going through in her relationships. She loved it! She thanked me for thinking of her and said she was telling others about it. Thank you Mr. Bowen: Tony Del Rio

It never fails that the most newsworthy stories seem to be those of the teacher that has made mistakes. This book should be in every beginning teacher class, it should be required reading for those students in Liberal Arts who aren't sure of the path they want to take. This book takes all the good, bad and indifferent about teaching and shows the reader that although teachers do not make the headlines for all the things they do...they do make a difference in the lives of our children... the lives of our future...the lives of our dreamers...the lives that should matter most. Any parent, educator, or person who comes into contact with children should buy it. It validates those feelings you always knew but could never express...I may be the teacher, but who is actually learning? This is the kind of book you keep, and every once in awhile re-visit, because what it contains will never change and will continue to re-new your mind, spirit and soul. Read it you won't be disappointed!

As a someone who is studying to be a teacher, sometimes it gets hard to remember why I am doing this while getting lost amongst content standards, lesson plan rationales, and assessments. The biggest imspiration behind teaching is the chance of making a difference in a child's life. Not many classes offer lessons in doing such a thing. This collection of stories celebrates the differences we can make and reminds us why we are writing lesson plans til late in the evening. This is a great book for anyone preparing to be a teacher. Keep this book by your bedside while getting through your teacher certification.