In third grade something amazing happened. All of a sudden my daughter graduated from reading books that seemed to be written for the sole purpose of teaching kids to read, and started reading some really good children's literature. Some of her favorite books this year have been from the Inkheart series: Inkheart, Inkspell and Inkdeath, by Cornelia Funke.

Inkheart, is a fantasy fiction story about a girl whose father has the ability to read people in to and out of books which obviously goes all wrong and sets them off on an adventure of a lifetime. As my daughter puts it, "It's scary enough that you want to keep reading to the next chapter, but not so scary you have nightmares." But, what she loves most about these books was that the stories are all about books, with lots of clever references to other favorite books.

Inkheart is a child booklover's book that keeps its readers engrossed for the full 560 pages and on through the next books, which are just as long.

They have just made a movie out of Inkheart which will be in theaters on Friday, January 23, 2009. I hope it's good otherwise there are going to be a lot of very disappointed Inkheart fans.

Happy Martin Luther King Day. Whether you're working or home with the kiddos, here's all the news that's (probably not) fit for print. Ever wonder what would happen if you named your kid something crazy, like, say Adolf Hitler? One family in NJ just found out. Plus, facing the velvet rope at a nightclub as a mother, scientists who are experimenting on their own kids, indoor alternatives to keep your kids from climbing the walls, Uncle Mexico wants you, and which sex toy is right for you?  Jump!

An editor from another kids parenting publication (I'm not going to out him/her) emailed me that s/he had no idea what they were going to do with their kids for a three day weekend of subzero weather. If she is stumped, then the rest of us are totally SCREWED! But seriously, here are some of my favorite websites for inspiration for indoor activities and things to do on a rainy, or freezing cold, day. These are mostly smaller blogs, written by moms with really sweet activity ideas. Check out these sites, browse through the archives, click on their blogrolls to find other great related sites. (Hey at least you'll be occupied all weekend.)

Top 5 Craft and Indoor Activity Websites:

The weather is going to suck this weekend so start strategizing now. Stay in? Or try one of these fun events? You may also want to check our Indoor Activity Guide for additional indoor ideas. Here's the best of this weekend, including a very cool and fun art exhibit tonight only in Williamsburg.

If you've been reading this blog for a long time, you know about my love of ZipCar, the car sharing service that lets you rent a car in New York City by the hour. While ZipCar has been adding more cars and locations, there's a new competitor on the road, Mint.

Just like ZipCar, Mint offers car rental on demand and by the hour. Gas and EZ Pass are included. Even the rates are identical, except for an introductory promotional offer that allows you to rent a Mint car for just $2 an hour Monday through Thursday, 8 am to 5pm.

While searching far, wide and near for today’s roundup of links I’ve been reminded of the terrible stress of putting your kid in daycare for the first time.  There is a universal maternal (and paternal!) tension around this topic.  After the jump is a personal recommendation for my peeps in Brooklyn.  Also: exploring the fear of getting separated from your kids on the subway, a new tool for measuring the alcohol content in your breast milk, and listen sister – let’s make sure you’re not smearing one of the eleven worst facial moisturizers on your mug, OK?

Taking the kids to DC doesn't seem like such a great idea, what with the crowds, the temperatures, not to mention the stroller ban. But that doesn't mean you have to miss the opportunity to be part of Barack Obama's historic Presidential Inauguration live event. There are places all over the city to watch the Inauguration in a group setting so you get that live experience, but with heat and subway access.

Word spread fast to downtown families about the ice skating rink at the South Street Seaport finally opening up. When we went on Sunday afternoon, it was already comfortably crowded. The rink is fairly small, and the pavilion is not as nice as the one at Bryant Park, but with a predominantly downtown family crowd and no speeding teenagers, it was a great place for kids to ice skate.