Book Recommendations
For Parents
— Glow Kids
We’ve all seen them: kids hypnotically staring at glowing screens in restaurants, in playgrounds and in friends’ houses―and the numbers are growing. Like a virtual scourge, the illuminated glowing faces―the Glow Kids―are multiplying. But at what cost? Is this just a harmless indulgence or fad like some sort of digital hula-hoop?…
— Balanced and Barefoot
Today’s kids have adopted sedentary lifestyles filled with television, video games, and computer screens. But more and more, studies show that children need “rough and tumble” outdoor play in order to develop their sensory, motor, and executive functions. So, how can you ensure your child is fully engaging all of their senses?
— Last Child in the Woods
I like to play indoors better ’cause that’s where all the electrical outlets are,” reports a fourth grader. But it’s not only computers, television, and video games that are keeping kids inside. It’s also their parents’ fears of traffic, strangers, Lyme disease, and West Nile virus; their schools’ emphasis on more and more homework..
— There is no such things as Bad weather
When Swedish-born Linda Åkeson McGurk moved to Indiana, she quickly learned that the nature-centric parenting philosophies of her native Scandinavia were not the norm.
In Sweden, children play outdoors year-round, regardless of the weather, and letting babies nap outside in freezing temperatures is common and recommended by physicians.
— i Gen - Jean Twenge
With generational divides wider than ever, parents, educators, and employers have an urgent need to understand today’s rising generation of teens and young adults. iGen is the first generation to spend their entire adolescence in the age of the smartphone. With social media and texting replacing other activities, iGen spends less time with their friends in person..
– SCREEN KIDS – Arlene Pellicane
In this digital age, children spend more time interacting with screens and less time playing outside, reading a book, or interacting with family. Though technology has its benefits, it also has its harms.
In Screen Kids Gary Chapman and Arlene Pellicane will empower you with the tools you need to make positive changes. Plus, you’ll learn to teach the five A+ skills that every child needs to master: affection, appreciation, anger management, apology, and attention.
A Wall Street Journal writer’s conversation-changing look at how reading aloud makes adults and children smarter, happier, healthier, more successful and more closely attached, even as technology pulls in the other direction.
Meghan Cox Gurdon argues that this ancient practice is a fast-working antidote to the fractured attention spans, atomized families and unfulfilling ephemera of the tech era, helping to replenish what our devices are leaching away
Playstation Nation - Olivia & Kurt Bruner
When Olivia Bruner saw video games overtaking her young sons’ lives, she decided to learn the facts behind addiction. What she found was shocking: that most games are designed to be highly addictive-triggering physiological reactions in the brain similar to those associated with substance abuse-and that one out of five kids becomes addicted to computer and video games.
This book arms parents with the facts they need and concrete steps to protect our children from this very real epidemic
Screen Smart SAM. Battles the Bad Habits Monster (Nicole Rawson)
Let’s face it, kids love screens. But they don’t know what’s best for their own good!
Follow Sam on a journey from being a distracted, screen obsessed youngster to a confident, screen smart teen. Written in gender neutral terms, children can relate to Sam’s struggles keeping the addictive screen “bad habit monsters” away with new rules that help create new healthy habits. This read-aloud story is a great conversation starter for parents to talk about why limiting screen time is necessary and encourages social emotional learning opportunities.
“The addictive and stimulating programming design of apps and games makes all types of screens irresistible to children, leaving parents feeling like the bad guys when trying to limit. But this book makes it easy to talk about why parent support is essential” Holly, educator and parent.
Something is happening to boys today. From kindergarten to college, American boys are, on average, less resilient and less ambitious than they were a mere twenty years ago.
The gender gap in college attendance and graduation rates has widened dramatically. While Emily is working hard at school and getting A’s, her brother Justin is goofing off. He’s more concerned about getting to the next level in his videogame than about finishing his homework.
In Boys Adrift, Dr. Leonard Sax delves into the scientific literature and draws on more than twenty years of clinical experience to explain why boys and young men are failing in school and disengaged at home.
Reset Your Child's Brain - Victoria Dunckley
Increasing numbers of parents grapple with children who are acting out without obvious reason. Revved up and irritable, many of these children are diagnosed with ADHD, bipolar illness, autism, or other disorders but don’t respond well to treatment. They are then medicated, often with poor results and unwanted side effects.
Dr. Dunckley has found that everyday use of interactive screen devices — such as computers, video games, smartphones, and tablets — can easily overstimulate a child’s nervous system, triggering a variety of stubborn symptoms. In contrast, she’s discovered that a strict electronic fast single-handedly improves mood, focus, sleep, and behavior, regardless of the child’s diagnosis.
The Glass Between Us – Lisa & Jason Frost
Youth are born into a pixelated reality, where sexting, swiping, pornification, and ghosting are the social norms. Adults who advocate for the well-being of teens face a trillion-dollar tech industry whose mission is to capture and monetize attention.
In light of sophisticated social media algorithms, reality transcending gaming platforms, and the allure of orgasm on demand, guiding teenagers’ online interactions with rules and content filters alone has left parents and professionals feeling like a David facing off with Goliath.
The Glass Between Us is a value-based guide for screen-driven challenges, filled with stories, interviews, practical tips, conversation starters and evidence-driven solutions to tackle the complexities of our teens’ digital lives
FOR KIDS
— The Invisibles (Eleanor Chun)
Ever wonder where that missing sock went? How about that last piece of a puzzle set? Are these items just lost? Maybe, or perhaps the Invisibles had something to do with it. The Invisibles are adorable, imaginative creatures that like to hide and cause a little trouble now and then. Children are the only ones to help keep them out of mischief. But children have been too busy on their screens lately.
— The technology tail
(Julia Cook)
A cute, creative story about children and their texts, tweets, posts and pics. Screen wants all kids to know that everything you post is attached to your life, creating a digital trail that can’t be erased.
This book delivers a timeless message to a new generation just learning how to navigate the fast-changing digital age.
Reader age : 6-11
Screentime is not Forever (Elizabeth Verdik)
Help young children learn screen-time boundaries and fun ways to spend “screens-off” time.
As important as screens are in our lives, we all need to unplug, especially children. This active, encouraging board book offers young children and families an easy way to set boundaries and limits for screen time, and to find enjoyable ways to spend time without screens. “Together, we say, ‘All done.’ Now follow up with something fun.”
Screen time can be helpful and fun, but it’s important for toddlers to learn that screen time can’t be all the time. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends consistent limits on screen time for young children. With her trademark mix of empathy and encouragement, author Elizabeth Verdick offers appealing and healthy alternatives to using screens, like singing, swinging, or playing pretend!
The book ends with additional ideas and activities to help adults navigate screen time with toddlers and preschoolers.
Reading age: 1-4
Pages: 24
Screen Smart Sam. Battles the Bad habits monster
Let’s face it, kids love screens. But they don’t know what’s best for their own good!
Follow Sam on a journey from being a distracted, screen obsessed youngster to a confident, screen smart teen. Written in gender neutral terms, children can relate to Sam’s struggles keeping the addictive screen “bad habit monsters” away with new rules that help create new healthy habits. This read-aloud story is a great conversation starter for parents to talk about why limiting screen time is necessary and encourages social emotional learning opportunities.
“The addictive and stimulating programming design of apps and games makes all types of screens irresistible to children, leaving parents feeling like the bad guys when trying to limit. But this book makes it easy to talk about why parent support is essential” Holly, educator and parent.
Featuring easy-to-understand science about the addictive nature of screens and how it affects the body and brain, this internationally-acclaimed book engages young kids to think about how their time would be better served interacting with others off-line. Parents can access resources via the book website www.ScreenSmartFamilies.org.
Reader age: 9-11
Page length: 32 pages
Languages : English
Cami & Watt Have too much screentime
Watching movies and playing games on their tablets is so much fun!
But are they missing out on other things?
And are their family and friends feeling ignored?
Screen time addicts of ALL AGES will find this book relatable and funny.
Parents in particular will appreciate the gentle suggestions that inspire and empower kids to power down.
Join Cami and Wyatt in the third book of the Cami Kangaroo and Wyatt Too series, as they try to break this bad habit and find their way back to the real world.
Reader age: All ages
Pages: 40
— Please Look up at Me
Kate loves to look at her tablet. Mama feels concerned. At first, Kate feels that Mama is overreacting. But after giving it more thought, Kate finds understanding in Mama’s plea.
“So relevant and a wonderful conversation starter for my daughter and I. Just the perfect book for our family at this moment – she’s 6, in first grade and read it entirely to me“
– Parent review
— Milly'S Message
Milly’s Message is about a bold and curious girl who knows the importance of seeking help from a trusted adult, especially when she sees upsetting images online.
It is the perfect way to let young kids know that coming across unsafe images is not their fault and they can always seek help from a trusted adult when they see things that are not meant for kids eyes.
Reader age : 5-10
— Goodnight iPAD
A parody of the children’s classic and a hilarious gift for anyone that finds modern life funny and absurd.
Modern life is abuzz with viral clips of cats doing flips. Wouldn’t it be nice to say goodnight to all that? This book, which is made of paper, is a reminder for the child in all of us to power down at the end of the day.
— If you give a mouse an iphone
If you give in to temptation and give a bored little mouse your iPhone, even for ten minutes, he’s probably going to beam to some faraway place beyond time, space, and the sound of your pleading voice.
And if he’s that far gone, he won’t have any idea what’s going on around him, and he might end up missing out on all the real fun.