Artificially Sweetened

Read Kiddo Read (A Mother-Talk Review)

I promise you that if I ever send your kid a present, it won’t talk, beep, flash, shriek or otherwise induce seizures. It won’t randomly start chatting in the middle of the night (Did the cat step on it? Are the batteries dying? Or is it poltergeist?) causing you or your child or both of you to wake up in a cold sweat.

So if I gave your child something with a battery in it? I hate you.

Seriously, I usually give books to all the little ones in my life. Okay, and a few kid-powered toys, and art stuff, and pretend play stuff – and – but, really, usually books. This works great for kids I know well and kids who are near P’ito’s age. Not so great for my six year old nephew who I see twice a year and who doesn’t need another copy of Where the Wild Things Are.  And I’m a book snob, so no syndicated characters or television tie-ins please.

So I was really psyched to be invited to do the Mother Talk book tour for Read Kiddo Read.

This site was put together by author James Patterson to give parents, teachers and librarians recommendations for books that “kids would absolutely,  positively love… [that they] will gobble up and ask for more.”

It’s divided into four age categories: Great Illustrated Books (0-8), Great Transitional Books (6 & up), Great Page Turners (8 & up), and Great Advanced Reads (10 & up) with further subdivisions within each category.  I knew I was in the right place when I saw some new and old favorites in the mix.  Kitten’s First Full Moon, I Stink, and Knuffle Bunny (or, as P’ito calls it “Aggle Flaggle Clabble Book!”) – check! Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler? Check!

I picked up a lot of great gift ideas browsing through the listings here – a nice change from my old standards.  I also came up with about $150 worth of ways to spend that $20 Amazon gift certificate… thanks Mother-Talk. Thanks a lot.

I’m looking forward to sharing new-to-me titles like Dear Zoo, Ten Little Fingers, and  I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More with P’ito (plus, each book listing gives you suggestions for other books if you liked that one).  And my nephew? He’s getting I’m Still Here in the Bathtub. But don’t tell him that.

Of course I have a few quibbles: I want MORE. MORE BOOKS PEOPLE! And in the older age ranges it seems like there’s a lot of  the this and that series books.  But mostly – a very useful jumping off point for your future career as the aunt or uncle who never needs batteries.

How many times can I say SEARS in one post?

Emailed to Sears.Com.  I am going to say SEARS SEARS SEARS as many times as possible in this post so that people who are searching for SEARS APPLIANCE REPAIR come across this instead!

Dear Sears Appliance Repair: 

Yesterday morning, I called Sears to schedule a repair visit for my fridge, which was not cooling. After turning down an extremely unpleasant hard sell to prepay for the repairs, I was assured that an appointment was available today, and a repairman would call me to schedule. By the time it was clear that no repairman was going to call or show up, it was too late for me to schedule an appt with another company and I had a fridge full of spoiled food.

When I called Sears, I was told that “someone should have called me” to tell me that no one was coming, and that the next available appt was on Saturday! As far as I am concerned, Sears is responsible for over $200 worth of groceries going to waste. I called a different repair company this morning and had a serviceman present within the hour.

I have been a loyal customer of Sears for many years now, but will never purchase or repair another appliance with you again, and will advise all my friends and relatives to do the same. Your name is now mud in my book.

Sincerely,

ARTSWEET

p.s. Pepito is pissed at Sears too.