There are lots of mystery books for children, and many of them do a good job of holding their attention, helping to develop critical thinking, deductive reasoning, etc. However, some are better than others. Here are a few guaranteed page-turners to share with your child.

Last week we updated our Fall Fun Guide with all the culture highlights, festivals and fun stuff to do this season, and our Pick Your Own Guide for places to go apple and pumpkin picking. This week we've added our updated Halloween Fun Guide with all our tips for having the bestest Halloween with kids in New York City and the region. We've also created a new Museums Guide (an update of our old Culture Guide) which has write-ups of all the local museums we've reviewed as well as tips for how to get more out of them with kids.

Fraunces Tavern, a very old inn, is one of our city's better known historical sites and is cited on nearly every touristy list of stuff to do downtown. But the funny thing is that nobody I knew had ever been there, or had a clue what to really expect on a visit. Was it good only for junior history buffs? Was it a ho hum bore? With my kids in tow I set out to find out what the real deal was about this famous but little-visited site, and we all were pleasantly surprised, even my toddler. Read on for the straight scoop on this homey hangout for our founding fathers.

Wow! Is all I can say about the production of ZooZoo my family and I recently saw at the New Victory Theater.  ZooZoo is a unique play without sets, dialogue, or real props.  Unless you consider fantastic, realistic looking animal “costumes” a prop.  Mood setting music, lighting and maybe even a little magic bring a family of polar bears, three frogs, a cat trapped inside a paper bag and musical chairs playing penguins to life.  Every minute of the one hour performance was engaging and hysterical -- my son (as well as all the other kids and most of the adults in the theater) were laughing out loud through the whole show! It's here till October 24, 2010 and tickets are still available.  Don’t miss it.  

I opted for a parent-founded preschool co-op for my 2-year-old and couldn't be happier. Our preschool co-op meets for two hours on Fridays at a local church's nursery space. This type of preschool alternative can be a great option for families overwhelmed by the preschool admissions process. However, a few weeks into the experiment, our small group of parents has already learned from our early mistakes in planning the co-op, or rather over-planning it! 

I'm happy to share some of what’s working and what hasn’t in case it might help other like-minded parents succeed in building their own preschool co-op. 

It took a long time, but the renovation of Vanderbilt Street Playground in Windsor Terrace is finally complete! Before the renovation, this playground felt dark and dismal. Now it’s open, airy and full of fun structures for kids of all ages. Near Prospect Park Lake, it also offers pretty views, plus Uncle Louie G’s and a decent pizzeria are across the street.

Here’s what you’ll find once you get there:

NYC’s favorite holiday is already at a fever pitch.  In Staten Island watch or participate in a costume parade -- for the dogs. Visit huge Halloween festivals in Brooklyn and Queens or buy a pumpkin for painting at the South Street Seaport.  Head over to Central Park for an early evening encounter with the mammal of the hour: Bats!  Boo at the Zoo is in full swing at The Bronx Zoo and guaranteed to be a good time. Hope you have your costumes ready!

This post has the scoop on lots of other events for families and kids, like the not-to-miss Meet the Breeds, a huge dog and cat extravaganza, or The Drawn in Brooklyn Exhibit Family Day.  Plus, there are writing and art programs, school fairs, craft, harvest and pickle festivals, storytimes and a lot more. If you haven’t gotten your fill of apple or pumpkin picking yet check out our U Pick Guide and don’t miss our brand new Fall Fun Guide, chock full our best bets going on around town this autumn.

Read on to plan your weekend and have a great one.

Yes, it’s October and Halloween is always the star, but even if you’re not into fun frights, there’s still plenty to do in New Jersey this weekend. Six Flags is continuing their “Thrills by Day, Fright by Night” weekend parties and you can “Boo” at the Zoo with Scooby Doo, but you can also make your own scarecrow, get up close and personal with fire trucks and bulldozers, and see one of our absolute favorite kids’ groups, They Might Be Giants, in concert. Have fun!