Articles for Reprint

 

Following is a description of the articles I have available for reprint. Scroll down for a complete list of articles, or click on the link for one particular topic. For pricing and other information, please email me at cindy@cindyhudson(dot)com.

 

Book List Articles

  • 15 Book for Kids to Read About Bullying—Some kids are excited about being back at school in the fall, others worry being bullied. There may not be one solution to address those situations, but reading books about kids who are bullied can be helpful in many ways. While any time can be good to run an article about bullying, October fits in with National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month. This 1,228-word article contains titles in three age groups and offers advice from authors Shannon Hale, Frank Cottrell Boyce, and Aija Mayrock. A 226-word sidebar contains a list of resources.
  • Eight Books That Help Kids Learn to Be Thankful All Year Long—Parents can do more to help their kids learn gratitude than prompt them to say thanks after receiving gifts. Books help kids empathize with characters as they learn life lessons. This 425-word article compiles a list of titles that parents can read with their kids aged 3 to 12.
  • 20 Great Book Series to Keep Kids Reading All Summer Long—Reading during summer is a great way for kids to keep up and even improve their literacy skills. Yet parents may be frustrated when their kids are reluctant to pick up a book. This 669-word article talks about the appeal of series and lists a wide range of titles that will appeal to all types of readers. I’ve included five suggestions that include classics and current series in four age groups along with one-line descriptions of each. A 161-word sidebar lists another 20 titles without descriptions.
  • Inspire Your Kids to Go Outside, and De-Stress, With Books on Nature—Exposure to the outdoors is a great de-stresser, for both kids and parents alike. But getting kids interested in nature can be a challenge for parents, especially when time constraints and other distractions are always calling.The solution may be found in stories that present kids interacting with and enjoying nature. This 722-word article includes 14 titles geared to five age groups, from three year olds to parents.
  • 15 Books to Help Kids Understand LGBTQ Issues—Kids see people who are LGBTQ all the time, either in their own families or going about their everyday lives. As they grow, some of them will need to support friends who deal with sexual identity issues, or they may even face the issue themselves. Books can help them understand what others experience as well as give them a way to process their own feelings in an age-appropriate way. This 831-word article includes recommendations in three age categories.
  • 10 Short Classic Books for Teens—When teens are crunched for time, reading for pleasure may be one of the first things to fall off the list. Yet parents can help by encouraging them to find short classics to read in between activities at school and home. This 738-word articles recommends titles teens may already be familiar with through movies and popular culture, and they may be curious about the original work.
  • 12 Great Kids Books to Snuggle Up With—Winter is a great time to snuggle up alone or as a family and dive into the pages of a book. This 522-word article highlights classics and new titles that you’ll want to read while sipping a cup of hot chocolate.
  • 12 Library Life Hacks Help Families Save Money, Make Life Easier—Libraries offer a host of services many patrons may not know about, including homework help, passes to local museums, music to own, magazine and newspaper subscriptions…even job search help. This 882-word article highlights these services and how they help families save money, be entertained, and more.
  • Six Books to Give High School Graduates—Books as high school graduation gifts hit the mark on several fronts: they are affordable, personal, and may offer advice that’s useful to the grad about to embark on a life away from family and friends. I wrote this 479-word article to help parents looking for a stand-alone gift or one that goes well with a gift card.
  • 15 Laugh Out Loud Books for Kids and Teens—Scholastic’s Kids & Family Reading Report (5th Edition) found that 70 percent of kids surveyed said they most want to read a book that makes them laugh.This 739-word article helps parents find humorous books for readers aged 6 to 14 and older.
  • Ten Tips to Hook Reluctant Readers—This 725-word article offers simple suggestions  for parents to try out when their child resists picking up a book. A resource sidebar of 34 words is included.
  • Six Memoirs Kids Will Love—Learning about how other people approached problems or handled certain issues can give us insight into solving our own challenges. That’s one of the reasons memoirs are so popular. Kids may enjoy reading memoirs for the same reason, and this may be particularly true for reluctant readers. The article is 660 words.
  • Seven Books to Challenge Kids’ Ideas on Beauty—Children start to form ideas about looks and beauty at an early age, influenced by images they see in media and reinforced with interactions among their peers. This 818-word article lists great books that explore outward appearance and how it affects those who don’t fit society’s view of the ideal.
  • Six Books to Introduce Your Children to Other Cultures—Parents often want to introduce their children to cultures that are very different from their own. And while they may not be able to travel to far-away lands to visit in person, they can seek out books that bring those cultures to life. This 587-word article includes books set in diverse places, such as a Bangladeshi village and the banks of a Louisiana bayou.
  • Six Books to Read With Your Kids During Women’s History Month—March is Women’s History Month, a great time for moms and dads to read books about women and their role in history. This 512-word article highlights some of the best books to read to kids about women and how they have advanced over the years.
  • Ten Kids Classics That Adults Will Love to Read Too—It’s easy for moms and dads to think kids’ books are not interesting enough for them. This 406-word article highlights classic titles that both adults and children will love and why it’s a good idea for parents to read books to their kids that are above the child’s reading level.
  • Eight Books Every Mother Should Read With Her Daughter—Conversations about friendship, boyfriends, and risky behaviors can be awkward for both moms and daughters. But an easy way for moms to broach these topics is by talking about how characters in a book handled similar issues. In this 773-word article I share a list of books to kick off meaningful conversations.
  • 25 Can’t Miss Stories for Family Reading/Movie Time—Reading a book together then watching the movie version is a great family activity. Parents and kids can have fun talking about the differences in how the story is told and why. This list contains classics as well as new titles in three age groups. The long, 859-word version includes an intro and short descriptions of each title. The 428-word short version includes the intro and titles only.
  • Bookish Gifts for Kids—This 558-word articles lists non-traditional gifts for kids who love books and reading. These items, which are appropriate for gift-giving at any time of year, go beyond books and look at creative ways to trumpet a favorite story, play games that build reading skills, or simply make reading more fun.

Articles on Literacy and Reading

  • Five Tips to Finding a Gateway Book: Help Kids Launch a Love of Reading—When kids say they don’t like to read, it often just means they haven’t found the right book yet, the title that will turn them into an avid reader. This 934-word article addresses things parents can do to help and includes advice from an educator, children’s authors, and the manager of the children’s collections at a nationally respected bookstore. A 191-word sidebar lists authors children love as well as recommendations for series.
  • Six Reasons to Love Graphic Novels—Graphic novels, books that combine words and illustrations to tell a story, have been exploding in popularity in recent years. While many parents see them as lightweight reading that doesn’t contribute to their kids’ overall literacy skills, educators and graphic novelists say just the opposite may be true. My 797-word article covers what parents should know about graphic novels and why they should be happy when their kids want to read them. An 88-word resource list of places to find titles for all ages is included.
  • Three Fun and Easy Activities Help Kids Write Poems, Boost Reading Skills—Poetry writing with kids is less about the quality of what’s created and more about the sneaky literacy skills they gain while thinking of words to describe how they feel about people, animals, or objects. This 707-word article outlines three ways parents can work with their kids to write poems, with a notation on how much time is involved. The article ends with a list of resources for finding other poem-writing guidelines.
  • Funny Poems Inspire Kids to Read—Funny poems written for children, about things they can relate to, are great at inspiring kids to read. They are especially good for reluctant readers, who may find their short length, kid-friendly topics and silly rhymes attractive.  My article, “Five Ways Funny Poetry Inspires Kids to Read,” lets parents know the benefits of having their kids read poetry as they grow up. In the 778-word article I quote Kenn Nesbitt, a children’s poet who frequently presents at schools around the country. A 155-word resource sidebar is included.
  • Tips on Reading Aloud to Your Child—Studies consistently show that one of the best ways parents can help their children be successful in school and in life is to read to them. When parents read aloud, their children gain better language skills and greater vocabulary as well as other benefits. Yet, even though moms and dads may be aware that reading aloud is good, they may not know about strategies they can use to make the best use of this tool. This 573-word article includes ideas and advice that help make reading aloud fun. A 63-word sidebar lists online resources for literacy.
  • Six Steps to Starting a Mother-Daughter (or Parent-Child) Book Club—I wrote “Six Steps to Starting a Mother-Daughter Book Club” to help moms identify the key issues they can address to get a new group started. This 616-word article has tips for deciding whom to invite, choosing books to read, and more. I’ve also included a bonus 278-word sidebar titled, “Six Can’t Miss Titles to Get Your Book Club Started.”
  • Scary Stories Help Kids Face Fears—Stories from the Brothers Grimm have long been told to children, but parents today may wonder whether scary stories may do more harm than good. In this 495-word article with a 142-word sidebar of book recommendations in two age groups I interview experts who say scary stories play a role in helping kids face their fears and be heroes, but who caution about keeping the books (and movies) age appropriate.
  • Focus on the Fun to Encourage Your Child to Read—Knowing how important it is for kids to read well, it’s sometimes easy for parents to think of reading as a serious pursuit. Yet kids are more likely to read often, and improve their overall literacy, when they have fun with a book. At Mother Daughter Book Club. com I often get asked how to encourage kids to read. The answer is simple: keep it fun. This 624-word article includes 10 tips for parents on how to make reading fun and encourage kids to spend more face time with a book.
  • Bonding Through Books—Mother-daughter book clubs offer so many advantages to both moms and daughters, including the opportunity to forge a closer bond as the daughter grows. This 630-word personal essay talks about the joys of sharing books with you daughter and it comes with a 228-word sidebar with tips on how to start a club.
  • Do It Yourself Summer Reading Program—The benefits of summer reading have been widely proven. While programs at libraries are often available and easy to sign up for, parents may find that getting to the library or motivating their kids with the prizes offered is difficult. To help parents looking for their own way to motivate their kids to read, I’ve written a 543-word article about an easy way to put together a reading game that can be tailored to each individual family. It includes a 169-word sidebar of do’s and don’ts.

Book Reviews

Each month I create one or two separate reviews on new books that appeal to two age categories: children aged 8 and under, and those aged 9 to 12. When choosing which books to review, I look for universal themes in well told stories. The books entertain children, and encourage them to consider important issues of various types, appropriate to their age.

For nearly a decade I have been choosing these kinds of stories for readers at MotherDaughterBookClub.com. But the reviews I here are written exclusively to help parents discover new books to read to their young children or recommend to their independent readers.

Each review is approximately 250 words, and each costs $15 for one-time rights. Images are included. Email cindy(at)cindyhudson(dot)come for a list of current reviews available.

Articles on Family Activities

  • Overcome These Obstacles and Volunteer With Your Family—Volunteering with children is a good way to teach them about helping others and improving the world around them. Yet, many parents don’t volunteer with their kids for several reasons: They think they don’t have enough time, they don’t know where or how to volunteer, or they think it’s just too much trouble.  This 648-word article addresses common reasons parents may not volunteer with their kids and helps them get around those barriers. A sidebar listing resources for finding volunteer projects is included.
  • Six Easy Steps to Turn a Backyard Scavenger Hunt Into a City-Wide Adventure—One of the most successful summer activities I’ve organized was a scavenger hunt with a twist. Instead of lasting a few hours, it went on for almost two months, and it took the girls in our mother-daughter book club places in our city they otherwise never would have gone. The game was simple to organize, and it was a hit with both the girls and their moms. A city-wide scavenger hunt is a great activity to pull together in July, when the initial excitement and energy of being out of school is waning into the summer blahs for everyone. This 635-word article gives all the details about how to make it work.

Essays About Motherhood/Raising Children/Personal Issues

  • Hammock Weather—Most of the moms I know find it hard to take time for themselves to relax. All too often, tasks on the to-do list trump taking time to read a book or put their feet up on the couch, or in better weather, swing in a hammock. And yet, I believe it can benefit everyone in the family when children see their parents take a breather. This 791-word essay explores this common issue and encourages moms to set aside time for themselves.
  • Letter to My Younger Self With Advice on Being a Mom—Like a lot of moms raising children, I worried a lot—when my kids were sick, when things were tough at school, when they had problems with friends. Most of all, I worried that somehow I wasn’t doing it right, and that the problems I encountered along the way would always be there. Now my daughters are grown, and although I still worry about any number of challenges they face, I have learned a few things over the years that help me take heart when I do. This 591-word personal essay in the form of a letter from my older self to my younger self is meant to encourage moms who are currently raising growing children.
  • Diet Buddies—Many people struggle to lose a few extra pounds, and it sometimes helps to have a diet buddy, someone who can help keep you on track with diet and exercise. I found an unusual diet buddy—my cat—who needed to lose weight the same time I did. My 994-word essay recounts our sometimes humorous adventures getting healthier together.
  • Lunch Date—When one child in a family is a picky eater, it can strain the whole family dynamic. This is particularly true during vacations, when eating out is more common and finding restaurants to please everyone’s taste can add stress to what is supposed to be a fun time. My 980-word personal essay talks about the day we changed our thinking on eating out during vacation. I believe many families can find inspiration from it to tackle similar issues.
  • Bonding Through Books—Mother-daughter book clubs offer so many advantages to both moms and daughters, including the opportunity to forge a closer bond as the daughter grows. This 630-word personal essay talks about the joys of sharing books with you daughter and it comes with a 228-word sidebar with tips on how to start a club.
  • Six Reasons You Will Fail When Cleaning Out Your Child’s Room After She Leaves for College— When kids leave home for college they often leave chaos behind in their rooms. Inevitably, moms will go in to clean things up, but it’s easy for them to get sidetracked and sentimental when considering what to put away.This 766-word essay addresses this experience.
  • Forty-Nine Perfect Hearts—First appearing in Chicken Soup for the Soul, this 768-word essay is about the tradition my husband and I have been carrying on throughout out marriage; we give each other heart ornaments each year when we decorate our Christmas tree.

Seasonal Articles

Spring

  • Six Books to Read With Your Kids During Women’s History Month—March is Women’s History Month, a great time for moms and dads to read books about women and their role in history. This 512-word article highlights some of the best books to read to kids about women and how they have advanced over the years.
  • March is National Reading Month. Any of the book list articles or reading and literacy articles noted above are appropriate to run during march.
  • Funny Poems Inspire Kids to Read—April is National Poetry month. Funny poems written for children, about things they can relate to, are great at inspiring kids to read. They are especially good for reluctant readers, who may find their short length, kid-friendly topics and silly rhymes attractive.  My article, “Five Ways Funny Poetry Inspires Kids to Read,” lets parents know the benefits of having their kids read poetry as they grow up. In the article I quote Kenn Nesbitt, a children’s poet who frequently presents at schools around the country.
  • Six Books to Give High School Graduates—Books as high school graduation gifts hit the mark on several fronts: they are affordable, personal, and may offer advice that’s useful to the grad about to embark on a life away from family and friends. I wrote this 479-word article to help parents looking for a stand-alone gift or one that goes well with a gift card.

Summer

  • 20 Great Book Series to Keep Kids Reading All Summer Long—Reading during summer is a great way for kids to keep up and even improve their literacy skills. Yet parents may be frustrated when their kids are reluctant to pick up a book. This 669-word article talks about the appeal of series and lists a wide range of titles that will appeal to all types of readers. I’ve included five suggestions that include classics and current series in four age groups along with one-line descriptions of each. A 161-word sidebar lists another 20 titles without descriptions.
  • Do It Yourself Summer Reading Program—The benefits of summer reading have been widely proven. While programs at libraries are often available and easy to sign up for, parents may find that getting to the library or motivating their kids with the prizes offered is difficult. To help parents looking for their own way to motivate their kids to read, I’ve written a 543-word article about an easy way to put together a reading game that can be tailored to each individual family. It includes a 169-word sidebar of do’s and don’ts.
  • Six Easy Steps to Turn a Backyard Scavenger Hunt Into a City-Wide Adventure—One of the most successful summer activities I’ve organized was a scavenger hunt with a twist. Instead of lasting a few hours, it went on for almost two months, and it took the girls in our mother-daughter book club places in our city they otherwise never would have gone. The game was simple to organize, and it was a hit with both the girls and their moms. A city-wide scavenger hunt is a great activity to pull together in July, when the initial excitement and energy of being out of school is waning into the summer blahs for everyone. This 635-word article gives all the details about how to make it work.
  • Lunch Date—When one child in a family is a picky eater, it can strain the whole family dynamic. This is particularly true during vacations, when eating out is more common and finding restaurants to please everyone’s taste can add stress to what is supposed to be a fun time. My 980-word personal essay talks about the day we changed our thinking on eating out during vacation. I believe many families can find inspiration from it to tackle similar issues.
  • Hammock Weather—Most of the moms I know find it hard to take time for themselves to relax. All too often, tasks on the to-do list trump taking time to read a book or put their feet up on the couch, or in better weather, swing in a hammock. And yet, I believe it can benefit everyone in the family when children see their parents take a breather. This 791-word essay explores this common issue and encourages moms to set aside time for themselves.

Fall

  • 15 Book for Kids to Read About Bullying—Some kids are excited about being back at school in the fall, others worry being bullied. There may not be one solution to address those situations, but reading books about kids who are bullied can be helpful in many ways. While any time can be good to run an article about bullying, October fits in with National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month. This 1,228-word article contains titles in three age groups and offers advice from authors Shannon Hale, Frank Cottrell Boyce, and Aija Mayrock. A 226-word sidebar contains a list of resources.
  • Scary Stories Help Kids Face Fears—Stories from the Brothers Grimm have long been told to children, but parents today may wonder whether scary stories may do more harm than good. In this 495-word article with a 142-word sidebar of book recommendations in two age groups I interview experts who say scary stories play a role in helping kids face their fears and be heroes, but who caution about keeping the books (and movies) age appropriate.
  • Six Steps to Starting a Mother-Daughter (or Parent-Child) Book Club—October is National Reading Group Month and November is Family Literacy Month. I wrote “Six Steps to Starting a Mother-Daughter Book Club” to help moms identify the key issues they can address to get a new group started. This 616-word article has tips for deciding whom to invite, choosing books to read, and more. I’ve also included a bonus 278-word sidebar titled, “Six Can’t Miss Titles to Get Your Book Club Started.”
  • Bonding Through Books—Mother-daughter book clubs offer so many advantages to both moms and daughters, including the opportunity to forge a closer bond as the daughter grows. This 630-word personal essay talks about the joys of sharing books with you daughter and it comes with a 228-word sidebar with tips on how to start a club.
  • Eight Books That Help Kids Learn to Be Thankful All Year Long—Parents can do more to help their kids learn gratitude than prompt them to say thanks after receiving gifts. Books help kids empathize with characters as they learn life lessons. This 425-word article compiles a list of titles that parents can read with their kids aged 3 to 12.
  • Overcome These Obstacles and Volunteer With Your Family—November is Family Volunteer Month. Volunteering with children is a good way to teach them about helping others and improving the world around them. Yet, many parents don’t volunteer with their kids for several reasons: They think they don’t have enough time, they don’t know where or how to volunteer, or they think it’s just too much trouble.  This 648-word article addresses common reasons parents may not volunteer with their kids and helps them get around those barriers. A sidebar listing resources for finding volunteer projects is included.

Winter

  • Bookish Gifts for Kids—This 558-word articles lists non-traditional gifts for kids who love books and reading. These items, which are appropriate for gift-giving at any time of year, go beyond books and look at creative ways to trumpet a favorite story, play games that build reading skills, or simply make reading more fun.
  • 12 Great Kids Books to Snuggle Up With—Winter is a great time to snuggle up alone or as a family and dive into the pages of a book. This 522-word article highlights classics and new titles that you’ll want to read while sipping a cup of hot chocolate.
  • Forty-Nine Perfect Hearts—First appearing in Chicken Soup for the Soul, this 768-word essay is about the tradition my husband and I have been carrying on throughout out marriage; we give each other heart ornaments each year when we decorate our Christmas tree.

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