Kane/Miller Book Publishers

Ota City, in Japan, is one of the country's sunniest spots. According to Tree Hugger, Japan has earmarked 9 billion yen ($92 million) for solar panels for households in this year to March 2009...

by Jen KulmanDo you have fun annual traditions for this time of the year? Like buying fresh new pajamas for everyone to rip into on Christmas Eve? Or using themes for each night of Hanukkah gifts...

Yesterday afternoon, I learned that my maternal grandmother passed away. This did not come as a big surprise, as she had been in hospice care since Thanksgiving weekend...

by Jen KulmanThere is nothing quite like baking to get you in the holiday spirit! We have an annual Grandma Cookie Day where both our mothers come out to bake with the boy. The first year I spent two hours making him the perfect little apron for the event...

by Jen KulmanThriftiness is especially important for many families who are feeling the financial pinch this holiday season. Instead of enjoying time spent with family, they are concerned about paying the bills...

Gail Giles is a young adult author who recently wrote an article in School Library Journal that touched on a topic close to home. As a single mom of a young boy, I really work at trying to get my son involved in reading, sports and anything else that interests him (dinosaurs, cars, action figures)...

by Jen KulmanWe live in Michigan, where the snow flies thick and often. People here scramble to put up their exterior holiday decorations just as soon as the turkey carcass has been discarded. We spent the weekend doing just that. Tree in, lights up, snowflakes secured in the windows...

by Jen KulmanObviously, this is a big, happy week for eaters! Less so for poultry. At our annual dinner, my mother starts out okay, but panics as the dinner hour approaches...

Discovering new blogs that focus on parenting and reading is always a good find. This morning, I spent a lot of time reading book reviews and blog posts from Book Dads: Fathers That Read!I also signed into my GoodReads account for the first time in quite a while...

by Jen KulmanThis year marks the the 16th anniversary of Canstruction, a construction competition that aids in the fight against hunger. Teams must assemble their structures in a single night, made entirely from full cans of food...