At a recent Monster Jams, show I was slack jawed at the way the drivers drove those enormous trucks over massive mounds of dirt, around precariously placed barricades, and on top of dirt structures the size of small homes. The show was noisy and fun.

The show had me wondering about the offerings in the Remote Control or RC market. Why are most RC vehicles so flimsy. We have a veritable pile of RC cars in our garage. One car had unfortunate collision and lost half a bumper. Another car was manhandled so vigorously that the antenna is bent. And of course the antenna is needed so that the remote control can “talk” to the car. Both cars sit in a tangle of wires and cords looking for all the world like they have been abandoned on a junk heap.

You know what kids need? A super sturdy, practically unbreakable remote control vehicle. Enter the XT Ricochet Tricksters RC from Tonka. This vehicle sits low, very low to the ground. With the remote control, your child can zip, zoom, and zag around the floor. Perfect for playing with outside. The sturdy wheels will withstand lots of play from kids. I suspect my husband will want a turn when he comes home from work and sees my son creating a ruckus with the Tonka XT Ricochet Tricksters.

Recommended for ages 6 and up. Retails for $24.99. The remote control requires 5 “AA” batteries, while the remote control uses a 3.6V rechargeable batter. Parents and caregivers will love that each time you charge the vehicle you will get 20 minutes of rip-roaring action.

I have a Tonka XT Ricochet Tricksters RC set for one lucky reader!

Winning is easy. First, leave a mandatory comment. Second, leave one or more of the optional comments. Remember, you must leave the mandatory comment for the other comments to count. Oh and don’t forget to leave your email address in the comment, so I can contact you if you win!

Mandatory Comment — Leave a comment.

What was your favorite Christmas gift as a child?

Optional Comment — Leave a comment.

• Follow @MusingsfromMe on Twitter.
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• Stumble one of my posts that is not a giveaway.  Use your Stumble toolbar or use the Share button that is placed to the left of the post.
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• Tweet this giveaway and leave a link to your tweet: @MusingsfromMe is giving away a Tonka XT Ricochet Tricksters RC! Enter http://bit.ly/rH55Wd. Ends 12/27.

I was provided with Tonka XT Ricochet Tricksters RC for this review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Giveaway ends Tuesday, December 27 at 11:59 p.m. Any links in this post are affiliate links to my amazon affiliate account. I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

The changing forms. The deep, radio announcer-like voice. The shape shifting from car to robot and robot to car. Until I saw the first Transformers movie, I truly did not “get” the whole Transformers robots thing. The TV show seemed like a hodge podge of animation styles. The voices indistinct. The plot line meaningless. I didn’t “get” it.

Everything changed once I saw Transformers on the small screen. All the shape shifting and grinding of gears made sense. I looked at all of my son’s Transformer toys in a new light. Suddenly, that yellow half car, half robot made sense. I saw how proud my son was of shifting from yellow sports car to Bumblebee.

A new Transformers toy is now on the scene. In fact, I saw the unveiling at the Hasbro HQ at New York’s Toy Fair.  KRE-O is a new line of construction building toys. With each KRE-O set, young builders can do two types of builds:

• deconstruct a robot to create a vehicle
• disassemble a vehicle to build a robot

My son is quite the builder of stuff. Part engineer and part artist, he likes building structures by following precise instructions as much as he likes tinkering with assorted bricks and wheels to create his own masterpiece.

I have a KRE-O Transformers Sentinel Prime set for one lucky reader! Designed for kids ages 8 years and up. The KRE-O Transformers Sentinel Prime Set contains 386 pieces. Kids can create a powerful Autobot first with a shield and sword, and then use the same pieces to create a fire truck complete with three ladders and KRE-O figures. The set comes with a launcher brick for blasting action.

Winning is easy. First, leave a mandatory comment. Second, leave one or more of the optional comments. Remember, you must leave the mandatory comment for the other comments to count. Oh and don’t forget to leave your email address in the comment, so I can contact you if you win!

Mandatory Comment — Leave a comment.

What was your favorite Christmas gift as a child?

Optional Comment — Leave a comment.

• Follow @MusingsfromMe on Twitter.
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• Like Jill MusingsfromMe on Facebook.
• Subscribe to my blog’s feed.
• Stumble one of my posts that is not a giveaway.  Use your Stumble toolbar or use the Share button that is placed to the left of the post.
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• Tweet this giveaway and leave a link to your tweet: @MusingsfromMe is giving away a KRE-O Transformers Sentinel Prime set! Enter http://bit.ly/t2Iz7R. Ends 12/27.

I was provided with KRE-O Transformers Sentinel Prime set for this review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Giveaway ends Tuesday, December 27 at 11:59 p.m. Any links in this post are affiliate links to my amazon affiliate account. I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

Music calms the savage beast…uh…I mean baby. If you have every sat in a car with a squalling crying baby for a long trip you will feel my pain. As the navigator-not-the-driver-on-family-trips, I am the designated hitter with any crises to do with the kids. As the kids moved from the babies and toddlers stage to preschooler and elementary school phases, our family trips improved immeasurably. Thank goodness!

New from Lego…for toddlers…and moms and dads…

The Duplo Jams app just launched. What is Duplo Jams? Duplo Jams is free music available on iTunes. Each month a new song is launched. Recommended for kids aged 2 to 5. The app is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3^rd and 4th generations), and iPad (requires iOS 4.0 or later at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lego-duplo-jams/id477095318?mt=8 .  A version for Android is in development and will launch soon.

The Duplo Jams app provides an interactive, musical world for toddlers or preschoolers to discover the joy of creative Duplo building. Set to an original score of upbeat playroom songs that even parents will enjoy, the app helps children build their imaginations by clicking bricks to explore colorful worlds as they sing along to catchy tunes.

How can you get these cool Duplo Jams?

Download Duplo Jams through iTunes.

Got older kids? Gotta get these cool Lego apps!

• Lego Creationary
• Lego Halloween Creationary
• Lego Ninjago Spinjitzu Scavenger Hunt

I did not receive these apps nor was I compensated for writing this post. I posted about them because I love all things Lego. The views expressed in this post are my own. I follow the tenets of Blog With Ingegrity.

When my son was born, my oldest was finishing up 1st grade while my youngest was finishing up her last year of preschool. As the school year began for both girls the following August, my son and I were left in a strangely quiet house. From 8:10 until 3:30 p.m. it was as quiet as a church. Well, as quiet as a little baby in a church.

Soon, my son and I found our rhythm. He was awake most days to see his sisters off to school. Took two short naps, which became one slightly longer nap. Our day revolved around meals, the arrival and departure of the school bus, and vehicles. Over his 5 years at home, he and I played cars, read about cars, visited train museums, toured the fire engines at the local VFD, and sought out construction sites. He could never have enough vehicles.

Large or small…it didn’t matter to my son. He was mesmerized by earth movers, cherry pickers (still not entirely sure what this machine does), steam rollers, and diggers of all kinds. Our local library became the site of the new community center construction project. We spent many a morning hanging our heads out of the van window watching paint…uh…tar dry. He loved it. I loved watching him. Any question he asked that I didn’t have the answer to…see above question about “cherry pickers”…was answered by a quick walk to the library.

My son was a happy kid as he boarded the school bus that first day. I kinda of miss the sounds of kids playing as I toil away in my basement office. One sad part of having three kids in full-day school is that we have to cram a whole lotta stuff in to the evenings. Sports practices, occasionally games, music practice, homework, and even play dates with friends can only occur between 3:30 p.m. and bedtime, and of course weekends, but we’re still busy.

Many nights my son must occupy himself while his sisters finish up homework as they have more homework than he does. A key source of entertainment for him is construction toys. From building with bricks to erector sets, he wants to do them all. A recent kit that arrived in our home had him jumping up and down with great excitement. What was the toy you ask? Mega Bloks’ new construction set from the Blok Squad line.

Unlike me he was not daunted by the “395 pieces.” Quite the contrary he dove in to the box and started constructing the Blok Squad Construction Site one vehicle at a time. By the looks of his finished products, the Blok Squad Construction Site includes a Workers’ Truck with Optional Trailer, a Track Loader, a Road Roller, and a bunch of construction workers with shovels, wheel barrows, cones, and guard rails.

Want to learn more about Mega Bloks Blok Squad Construction Site?

• Item #2462
• 395 pieces
• Recommended for 5+
• Price: $19.99
• Where can you buy it? A link on the Mega Bloks site says that this product is not available yet at offline retailers. You can leave your email to be notified when it is available. But, I found it at Walmart.com…though it was out of stock. Other Blok Squad sets were available at Walmart.com. Until then you can buy it through my amazon affiliate link.

Get connected with Mega Brands.

• Like Mega Bloks on Facebook.
• Like @MegaBloks on Twitter.
• Join the Mega Bloks Family Club.

Other finds from Mega Brands.

• I saw a very cool 3D puzzle at Time To Play.
• You’ve seen the Board Dudes dry erase boards, I’m sure? This mom needs a Board Dudes board in every room of her home. Got to get more organized for 2012! Note: If you saw my kitchen wall with its bulletin boards and calendars, you’d think I was highly organized. You would be partially right. I can always put a dry erase calendar board to good use!
• Moshi Monsters in your house? Build these Moshis.
• And don’t forget RoseArt — Color Blanks, Fun Dough, Smart Easel, and more.

I was given a Mega Bloks Blok Squad Construction Site to facilitate my review by Mega Brands and ChildsPlay PR. I was not compensated for this review.  I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

Lego Pirates of Caribbean Fountain of Youth

As a kid, I played Lego all the time. I remember creating an entire town of buildings, schools, offices, a zoo, a hospital, and even a police station. I played with this Lego “town” for years and years.  It was sadly dismantled on our family’s final move from New Jersey back to England.

How did I make this wondrous diorama? I created my town using a large piece of wall paneling, a roll of my dad’s drafting plans, a box full ‘o cars and trucks, a bin full ‘o assorted safari and farm animals, and of course a bin full of Lego.

Back in the day, I had more of the assorted bucket ‘o Lego than Lego kits. I recall receiving a Lego Lunar Module kit. The kit was easy to assemble until I had to place the body of the space craft on the 4 splindy, robot-like legs. I’m not sure if the Lunar Module every “stood up” but whether it stood up or not didn’t diminish the pride I took in creating my very own Lego creation.

My dad set the piece of wood paneling on a table. I purloined a large roll of drafting paper. I drew the outline of roads, train tracks, airport runways, homes, and buildings on the roll of paper. I created the buildings out of Lego to make a town infrastructure. Added people and animals to create a Lego Town.

This much played with toy structure playset was sadly unphotographed. You’ll have to take my word for it that I played with it fore years. Phooey on growing up in the pre-digital age where a roll of 24 films could last a year unless the roll was inserted in the camera on the first day of vacation.

Want to win a Lego set for your kids or grandkids? Or if you don’t have kids, donate what you win to Toys for Tots or a children’s charity. I’m giving away a very cute toy for preschoolers — Lego Duplo My First Fire Station. Head on over here and enter. Come back here to enter to win a Pirates of the Caribbean set for one lucky reader.

Winning is easy. First, leave a mandatory comment. Second, leave one or more of the optional comments. Remember, you must leave the mandatory comment for the other comments to count. Oh and don’t forget to leave your email address in the comment, so I can contact you if you win!

Mandatory Comment — Leave a comment.

What was your favorite Christmas gift as a child?

Optional Comment — Leave a comment.

• Follow @MusingsfromMe on Twitter.
• Like Musings from Me on Facebook.
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• Subscribe to my blog’s feed.
• Stumble one of my posts that is not a giveaway.  Use your Stumble toolbar or use the Share button that is placed to the left of the post.
• Subscribe to my YouTube Channel.

I was provided with Lego Pirates of Caribbean Fountain of Youth set for this review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Giveaway ends Wednesday, December 21 at 11:59 p.m. Any links in this post are affiliate links to my amazon affiliate account.  I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

“There’ll be a lot of kerfuffle.”

I remember like it was yesterday my grandmother warning me about an upcoming commotion or fuss or kerfuffle. She was all about anticipating potential disaster. I definitely inherited my “it will end in tears” attitude from my grandmother. Kerfuffle is one of those words I like to drop in to conversation every now and then. Like discombobulate. You have to love words like these.

A few Thursdays ago…Thanksgiving Day to be precise, we decided to seek out some good old commotion through good ole fashioned game playing. Our family of 5 is all about seizing family time. True some are more in to it than others, but a little game playing on a major holiday is always fun.

The game: Dicecapades! Kerfuffle!

The players: The Tween, The Kid, The Mom

The watchers: The Dad, The Grandfather

The nonwatchers: The Teen — curled up in bed reading a book, the Grandmother — popped in from time to time to watch the game.

The object of the game: In the game — Dicecapades! Kerfuffle! — players choose a color of dice. We had a minor squirmish or three over the color each person needed to have. Oy! Players roll their dice to create a pair, four of a kind, or a straight by lining the dice on the grid. But, there’s a catch…a twist if you will…

The catch AKA what will keep everyone playing a long time: Each player has to do something while taking their turn…like turn around three times in a circle, or jump up and down, or any number of crazy moves. The players liked doing the moves, but I have to tell you that the watchers had just as much fun watching everyone play the game. My FIL thought it was hilarious that The Kid had to run around in a circle while taking his turn.

The verdict: The game was a hit. Easy to play after an initial discussion about what was a straight, four of a kind, etc. We had never played a dice game before.

Would you like to win Dicecapades! Kerfuffle!? To win the game, leave a mandatory comment with your name and email, so that I can contact you if you win. For more chances to win, leave other comments. You must leave the mandatory comment to win. The giveaway ends December 19, 2011. The giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada only.

Mandatory Comment

• Go to The Haywire Group site. Come back and tell me about a game.

Optional Comments (leave one comment for each)

• Like The Haywire Group on Facebook.
• Follow @HaywireGroup on Twitter.
• Like Musings from Me on Facebook.
• Like Jill MusingsfromMe on Facebook.
• Like @MusingsfromMe on Twitter.

I was sent Dicecapades! Kerfuffle! to facilitate my review. The views expressed in this post are my own. I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

My oldest is always ahead of the game. As an almost-tween she “discovered” the Bobby Jack monkeys. For a few years she was all about those cute monkeys. Posters on her wall. Desk accessories. Many, many tees. Even a pair of sweatpants. And then nothing. No more monkeys. No more cute monkey pencils. Nada. Nothing.

She was the same way with the home computer. One day she was all about playing educational games on CD-ROMs where you shot a rocket to get the correct answer or followed a trail to find clues to solve a puzzle. No logging on to worry about…at the time our internet connection was painfully slow. And the next day she declared that the games were too babyish for her.

And so she moved on to the land of cute Arctic creatures. At about the same time my younger daughter — then a tween, too — discovered an online world of plush animals that you could buy at a store and play with online. Both girls also found their way to an online site where kids can play games, start a webpage or sphere, play in a virtual world, earn credits, etc.

In a matter of a few short months, I was faced with not one but two kids who wanted to play games online. We talked. We discussed. We educated our kids about online safety. We made it clear that playing games on online was a privilege not a right. If grades dropped or attitude waned or chores were neglected, the computer and any online privileges would disappear. No discussion.

I was adjusting well to this when my oldest then an almost teen requested a Facebook page. I hemmed and hawed and debated whether I should allow her to get a page until finally relenting when she turned 14. Her sister wasn’t far behind in asking for a Facebook page.

Having a Facebook page is a privilege and not a right for my girls. I keep track of their passwords for Facebook and email. But, I don’t check their accounts each and every day. I trust both girls to act responsibly with their pages. But, I want to know for sure that both are acting responsibly.

Recently, I was asked to check out a service called Safely. Safely offers a number of services to parents:  Safely Locate, Safely Drive, and Safely Social Monitor. I was asked to review the Safely Social Monitor service. Safely Social Monitor helps parents AND kids stay smart on Facebook. The Social Monitor is a free service for parents.

The Safely Social Monitor service is now available for parents to keep an eye on their child’s Facebook page. I found the service to be very easy to use. Here’s what I did:

• I opened the Safely Social Monitor using this invite code link. Remember there is no fee to join Safely.
• I created an account for our family. I shared the password and email that I used to sign up for an account with my husband.
• I added the email that my oldest child used to create her Facebook pages to our family Safely account.
• Safely Social Monitor prompted me to log in to my oldest child’s Facebook page. I keep both of my children’s Facebook passwords handy. The children know that I have their Facebook passwords and may log in. I’m not spying…I’m letting them know that I trust them to act responsibly, BUT I want to be able to log on from time to time.
• Once Safely had logged in to my child’s Facebook page, a Safely Report was generated that gave my child a score for safety including:  a score out of 100 for overall safety and a letter grade for the following categories — Connected to Safely, Number of Alerts, Appropriate Language, Friends’ Ages, Mutual Friends, and Number of Friends.
• I repeated the process with my middle child.
• The process was easy.

I am pleased to report that both children scored a 98 out 100 on their overall safe use of Facebook. I am so pleased as this means I (and my husband) have done a good job educating them about Facebook. Both kids “operate” their Facebook pages using safe practices.

One interesting feature is that I can see any new photos that the kids have added. I can also see the number of friends each has by age. The majority of their friends are their age. I like knowing that they are associating with tweens and teens their age, rather than young adults.

I bookmarked the Safely Social Monitor site so that I can check in regularly to see how the kids are doing on Facebook. I shared the log in details with my husband so that he can check in as well. Oh, and I sent an email to both kids letting them know that I was proud of them for using their Facebook pages in a safe manner. Kids love praise.

I would highly recommend that parents use Safely Social Monitor to keep track of their child’s Facebook page. I would also suggest that parents should not allow their children under the age of 13 to get a Facebook page. Facebook terms of service specifies that children should be over 13 before starting a Facebook page.

Want more information about online safety for kids, tweens, and teens?

• Like the Safely Facebook page.
• The Safely Spotlight — free digital parenting guide with tips and advice — will be regularly published and made available on the Safely Facebook page.
• Learn more about Safely Social Monitor by watching this YouTube video.

I was compensated for this review of Safely Social Monitor through a compensated post campaign sponsored by Location Labs. The views expressed in the post are my own. I follow tenets of Blog With Integrity.

A few years ago my friend told me about a game her toddler son played all the time. The game was a “simple tap of the keys and watch what happens” type of game. A simple concept to adults, but the game allowed kids to make choices and decisions about how the game would be played. Kids — even kids as young as 1 — crave power over their surroundings. The game was on a site called Kneebouncers.

Ever tried to put a sock on a 1-year-old? Only to have him push the sock off his foot. Mom and dad are thinking why is he pushing his sock off? We have to go out for a walk. Why is he doing this? He needs to wear socks. Your one-year-old is not concerned with your agenda at all. He wants to wiggle his toes. Suck on his toes. Rub his toes against the carpet. He’s asserting his will to be in control of his environment. Little ones like making decisions for themselves.

Who Says Moo?

My friend told me that her husband created Kneebouncers for little ones everywhere to enjoy. Kneebouncers has grown from one single game to a site with numerous games for the baby, toddler, and preschooler set…including Vroom, Bed Jump, Sight Words, and Run Puppy Run. My son loved tapping on these games. He was eager to start using the computer far earlier than when his sisters were his age. He wanted to do what they were doing…Kneebouncers games allowed him to have fun too!

Here’s how it works…

• Each week Kneebouncers offers about free games and stories to try out. This week your child can read “Who Says Moo? — a read long or read-to-me story?
• If your little one is anything like my little one, you will want to go and activate all the Kneebouncers games. My oldest loved playing the same computer game over and over again. I still know the words to ALL the songs even years later! So for only $2.95 per month, your little one can play all the games on the Kneebouncers site. If you are not sure, that you and your little one will like Kneebouncers activate the free trial…one week of free access to all the fabulous Kneebouncers games.
• And the yearly access pass, is a steal. The yearly fee for Kneebouncers of $19.95 is now only $11.97. This works out to only $1 a month for tons of fun for your little one. Offer good through end of October 2011. Great gift idea for the grandparents to buy for your child!

And for on-the-go access…

• Get the new Who Says Moo? story on itunes for $2.99 and Who Says Moo? the Android Market also for $2.99. You can even record yourself telling the story! Wouldn’t it be fun to record your child’s grandmother or grandfather reading the story? I know my children loved hearing a familiar voice reading a story when they were little.
• Also available on Kneebouncers first set of games on itunes for iphone, itouch, and ipad for only $1.99.
• On an Android phone? You can purchase Kneebouncers first set of games on Android for $1.99.

Kneebouncers first set of games includes:

• Choo Choo: A train, a car, a tractor and LOTS of fun!
• Big Top: KneeBouncers perform in a three-ring circus.
• Pop-a-Lot: You’re little one will love what pops up next!
• It’s Colorific: Bright balloons and amusing characters help make this intro to colors a whole lotta fun
• The Alphabet Game: Is it a letter-learning tool or just plain tot entertainment?

Want to win a Who Says Moo? app by Kneebouncers? Entering is easy peasy! To be eligible to win, you must do the mandatory entry.

Mandatory Entry

Go to the Kneebouncers site and tell me what game looks fun. Don’t forget to leave your email so that I can contact you.

Optional Entries

Subscribe to the Kneebouncers blog, Kneeblogger. Come back and leave a comment.

Like Kneebouncers on Facebook.

Follow Kneebouncers on Twitter.

Friend me on Facebook.

Like my blog on Facebook.

Follow me on Twitter.

Follow my #onlinesafety account on Twitter.

Subscribe to my blog’s feed.

I was not compensated for this post. I happen to love the games. Giveaway ends October 28, 2011, 11:59 p.m. Giveaway is open to all readers. I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

Options. Enrichment. Opportunities. Advancement. Like all parents, I want the very best education for my kids. I’m fortunate to live in the county where the school system is on the rise academically. About 5 years ago, our school district surpassed a neighboring county’s test scores. This change was monumental for our county.

If you know anything about education, you won’t be surprised that the list of top schools in this country is based on the all-important test scores in reading and math. In order for students to score well on these tests, students need to have the have a strong grip on the fundamentals of reading and math that are the foundation for all subject areas. Without knowing how to read with a critical eye, a child will not be able to comprehend a historical document or follow a recipe. The same is true for math. Learning how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide is necessary before embarking on higher level math classes in geometry, algebra, and trigonometry.

Parents with middle and high schoolers know how critical math is to current and future education, as well as career opportunities. I read an interesting quote from Sylvan while preparing to write this review:

A critical gateway subject, algebra is the foundation for higher-level mathematics and science courses in high-school, which in turn can open doors for college and lead to better careers and lifetime earning potential.

According to Sylvan, American students are failing algebra at an “alarming rate.” Algebra is a foundation course that is critical for your child’s future school success. Tweens and teens with low algebra skills could encounter difficulties with the ACT and SAT standardized tests.

Do you have a 7th or 8th or 9th grader who is about to or taking algebra this school year? Sylvan in partnership with Let’s Go Learn is offering a FREE 21-question Algebra Readiness Check-up. I was asked to review a site that will assess your child’s readiness for algebra.

After finding out that I needed to review the math site — Fit 4 Algebra — I enlisted my daughter’s help. I needed her expertise on the finer points of algebra. Over the years, I have forgotten quite a bit of the algebra I was taught in school. She was willing to do the screener for me as she is taking algebra this year. The screener, given to me by Sylvan Learning, is a tool that evaluates your child’s knowledge of algebra.

The process for accessing the algebra diagnostic test was straightforward. I set up an account on LetsGoLearn.com for our family using my email address. I chose a password that I shared with my children. I have one child who has completed Algebra 1, one child who is taking the class, and one who will take the class in a few years. I added all 3 children to our family account.

After my daughter completed the Fit4Algebra diagnostic tool — which took her about 15-20 minutes — I asked her what she thought about Fit4Algebra by Sylvan. Here’s what she said:

• She answered all the questions on the Fit4Algebra site, but she was able to use scratch paper to work out her answers.  Her math teacher always require that students hand in their scratch paper to see how they solved the problem.
• She liked she would be getting a reward for reviewing this site.
• She liked that the site helped her work out algebra problems.

Once she completed the Fit4Algebra Algebra Readiness Check-up I hopped on to the site to access the results of her check-up. The Results page showed her school grade level, for instance, 7.1 , 8.4. By clicking on “Results,” I was able to see my daughter’s algebra readiness level.

The Fit4Algebra “AlgebraMeter” listed not only her overall fitness level, but broke down her algebra readiness by topic areas showing whether her grasp of the material was STRONG, MODERATE, or whether she needed to BUILD her skills:

• decimal operations
• comparing and converting
• fractions
• ratios and proportions
• coordinate graphing
• geometry
• integers

I would highly recommend using the Fit4Algebra Readiness Checkup with your middle and high school children. Since the test is only 15-20 minutes, students shouldn’t be averse to doing the screening.

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Sylvan Learning and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

I must admit that I avoid talking about bodily fluids. My days of diaper changing are over. In the day…the days of diapers and diaper changing…I was all about poop and how much and how messy and oh my what did this baby eat to make such a messy diaper. But, now those days are behind me. Thankfully.

My kids on the other hand are all about using “toilet language.” They know not to do it at the dinner table, but at any other time watch out!

Speaking of toilet words… My son and I have been reading the latest from Dav Pilkey. You will know him if you have kids who have read the Captain Underpants series of books. Captain U books are the type of books that a kid can read by himself. The books are recommended for 7+. By the age of 7, many kids are tired of the Stage 1, 2, 3 readers. Books read in school are mostly longer readers or chapter books. Kids at this age want to use their new-found reading skills, but might not be ready for the rigor of reading a chapter book. Graphic novels allow kids to read a little, look at pictures, but most importantly read on their own.

The Captain Underpants series are a departure from most books read by this age group. The books star the “tight-whitey-wearing superhero who fights for Truth, Justice, and all that is Pre-Shrunk and Cottony.” New to the series is a pair of books written by George and Harold.

I’m not certain if George & Harold are real people, but since the books are listed as being written by the creators of Captain Underpants I think I can safely say that your kids will love this new series. You on the other hand may cringe a little at the humor, but let your kids read away. If you have a reluctant reader, a book like this may get them reading.

I recently was sent a pair of books to review: The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby and Super Diaper Baby 2: The Invasion of the Potty Snatchers. I read through both books in one sitting. I like to at least skim through books my kids read. The books are cute. The illustrations look like they were drawn by a kid. The spelling is erratic. The chapters are short, with snappy dialogue, and a few tricks to keep kids reading. Our favorite feature is the use of the Flip Book. At least 5 times per book kids can place their thumb on the handy thumbprint and flip the book to see the characters do whatever it is that they do.

In fact, we loved the Flip Book feature so much that I wonder if the authors would consider making an entire book in the series a Flip Book. I can just visualize Super Diaper Baby and Super Diaper Dog flying to the rescue! In fact the Flip Book might look a bit like this video…

Want to win a Super Diaper Baby Prize Pack? I have 4 prize packs to give away to 4 lucky readers! [1 prize pack was awarded earlier. Congrats, Sara! Contest deadline extended to give people more time to enter.] The Super Diaper Baby Prize pack contains:

• Super Diaper Baby 2: The Invasion of the Potty Snatchers
• The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby
• Super Diaper Baby Ruler

How to enter? You know the drill, but if you are new here… You must leave a mandatory comment to be eligible to win the prize. You must include your e-mail in the comment, so that I can contact you if you win. You wouldn’t want to miss a chance to win would you? Once you have left a mandatory comment, you can leave one or more of the optional comments. Leave one comment for each entry.

Mandatory entry

Go to the Scholastic Store. Come back and tell me about a book you found on the site. Don’t forget to leave your e-mail address, so I can contact you when you win.

Optional entries

You must leave the mandatory comment for all other comments to count. Leave a comment for each optional entry.

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I was given the two Super Diaper Baby books to facilitate my review. The giveaway is open to U.S residents only. Giveaway ends September 21, at 11:59 p.m. The views expressed in this post are my own. I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.