Tippy Toes and Tantrums

Review: Python for Kids, A Playful Introduction to Programming

First she rejected nerds, then programming, but at the wise age of nine, she gave Scratch programming a chance after reading the Super Scratch Programming Adventure. Soon after, Python for Kids arrived, and she quickly picked up the book. 

Kevin could not have been happier. While no one mentioned the n-e-r-d word, Clover took a leap closer to Kevin's interests. "You know, programmers at Google use Python," he said quietly. Her eyebrows went up. Clover was more interested. 

Normally, she zips through books, then will either try or ignore what was inside. With Python for Kids, she took it in parts, following the steps lined out in the book. Soon after she started, she called out, "Mom! I made a turtle!" The book is fun and filled with things that I would have thought to be really complicated, like adding movement to graphics or basic game development, but it's broken down into simple parts. And of course, there are illustrations. 

While the book is geared toward kids, it's secretly for adults, too. When I figure out a new HTML trick, I feel like I've accomplished something huge, but when I see my husband's large tomes on different programing languages, it may as well be written in Greek because the writing is just as foreign. Python for Kids made sense to me, which means it must be perfect for kids. It's fun, and straightforward, building confidence as it moves. After entertaining activities, each chapter includes a summary of what was learned and programming puzzles to further try out those skills. 

Scratch was a great entry into programming, but Python definitely feels like the training wheels are off. She's moving into website design next, she said, which is something I don't know she would have been interested in before she got in to the intro programming books. When her bookshelf was returned to her room recently during the remodel, Python for Kids was given a prominent spot. Just don't call her a nerd. 

Disclosure: The review copy was given to us for free. All opinions are our own. 

Books for a Nine Year Old Girl: Read by a Fourth Grader

People will often ask what Clover is reading and I stand there looking dumbfounded instead of responding. I have no idea what she's reading, which makes me look like the least involved, most permissive parent ever because she could be reading Fifty Shades of Grey, for all I know, but it is really because she goes through books so quickly that there are moments where I know what she's reading, but in a blink, she's moved on. 

Clover tears through books quickly, which makes purchases seem wasteful. Recently she saved her money to buy Big Nate, and the book arrived Monday night after softball and just before bed time, but was still finished by the time she returned home from school next day. It was finished in an 18 hour period that included sleep and school. If it had been the weekend, it would have been finished by lunch. Thank god for her library card.

We're proud library users, which means books can come and go with less parental review. Everything is from the young reader section, so it isn't FIfty Shades of Grey, but standards for books that come for free are much lower than for ones that need to be purchased. Last month I did buy books to cover our trip East (we don't travel with library books) and Easter gifts, so this is what I know she recently read:

Princess Knight, Part One - She loves manga and comics, plus the book has a female main character, making it a winner.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane - This is where my lack of oversight cost me because she'd already read the book at school. When I told her I'd save it for her brother, she took it from me and read it again, probably just to claim ownership.

Half Magic - Pre-Harry Potter magic and wizardry.

The Silver Crown - Another old book about magical powers, this time via a mysterious crown.

Oddfellow's Orphanage - We love Emily's artistry (The Black Apple) and had to have this. 

A Whole Nother Story - A time machine, scientist dad, a psychic dog, and kids, all on the run from the CIA.

Arabel's Raven - Funny book about a girl and a crazy raven. I think the NFL team was named after this book.*

Savvy - Each member of this family receives a super power on their thirteenth birthday. This book has won a bunch of awards, and it looks good enough that I'll likely pick this when it's our turn to suggest a book for our Mother-Daughter book club. 

Darth Paper Strikes Back - This is the second in a very cute series. I bought the first book about Yoda thinking it was strickly an oragami book. Clover loved it anyway.

*Belief not based on facts. 

40x40: Read Brideshead Revisited

I bought this book almost exactly 19 years ago and it has been nagging me ever since. I was a freshman in college and a whole group of people I knew loved this book. Really loved it, in the way tween girls love Justin Beiber. I bought it before heading to Spring Break, which was dumb because who reads anything more than a magazine while on Spring Break in Palm Springs? I remember reclining poolside with hands oily from suntan lotion, trying to get some momentum on this book. It didn't happen. Nor did it happen the other times I tried to read it over the past 19 years.

That is, until last Monday night when I cracked it open, with absolute determination to grit my teeth and get through it. Very quickly this time, I fell into it. I loved it. It was finished within days. I can't believe it took me this long to complete.

But I still don't know what made me think it was appropriate reading for Spring Break.

My Boundaries are Easily Tested

When the Mominatrix book arrived, I immediately hid it in my closet. It's just a book and not even a graphic book, but my Catholic-quasi-Puritan upbringing kicked in and I freaked out. We had someone coming over that day and while I doubt this person was going to demand to check out every corner of our house, I still wasn't ready to display this book. It reminded me of a family house warming where we were all surprised by the sex books on open display. Maybe it was the astonishing number of sex books that surprised us. It was a childless house, but I still couldn't imagine wanting to share that information about myself with everyone I knew.

This book was brought out of hiding the next day and placed on my nightstand where it's remained, even though I've finished reading it. The book is better suited toward new or pregnant moms because for me, almost four years postpartum, the post-baby stuff has all been long ago worked out. However, the last few chapters of the book include mom-friendly suggestions to spice up anyone's sex life. It's gentle enough for those quick to blush, like me. As I reported to Kevin about what I read, he told me he was all in favor of any "research" I was doing. I imagined myself writing, presenting and defending a dissertation on the subject, but I don't think that was exactly what he meant.

Now to find a spot for the book.

Disclaimer: I was sent a free copy of The Mominatrix Guide To Sex by Kristen Chase as part of the Silicon Valley Moms Book Club.

Philosophically White Trash

The good news is that I do not need to cancel my subscription to Martha Stewart Living. I took the quiz in The White Trash Mom Handbook and I am not white trash, although after reading this book, I do share the white trash philosophy. And I have a loud laugh - a mom at school told me the other day that she could hear my laugh from the parking lot - which is a white trash trait, apparently.

I thought this book - written by Michelle Lamar, a Deep South mom blogger - was funny and I whole heartedly agreed with one of the book's main messages: get involved in your child's school. Michelle wrote that "pitching in always helps your child," which is so true. For those moms who may be naive to school politics, the lesson is helpful. It's best to blend in and participate in a visible way. Politics is everywhere, it is a fact of life and The White Trash Mom Handbook spells out how to best navigate the school scene to ultimately help your child. When I was young, my mom worked as a yard duty ("yard nard" as the kids called these moms) a few days a week at our elementary school and I know that her involvement got me and my sisters spots in the classes with the more popular teachers. Even if we did not acknowledge our mom while she was patrolling the playground, her being there helped us.

Also, I have never been big on kid's music, making my kids listen to NPR or music that I liked, which throws me into the White Trash category. Sure, we have all of the They Might Be Giants kid's albums, but I liked them before they got into the kid realm, so I still think of them as a regular band. I've always justified the lack of hokey kid music by arguing that I was doing them a favor, exposing them to more complex music. But really, I don't remember listening to children's music as a kid. My parents were heavy into disco and many of those songs formed the soundtrack to my childhood. I turned out just fine. Right?

Other book club takes on The White Trash Mom Handbook can be found here.

February Books in Review

One of my New Year's resolutions continues to be met: I read my obligatory two books, plus two others in February. I started with The Wild Trees, which was great, although I did skim the more technical/scientific paragraphs on the trees because...I just didn't care that much. But the book was great and difficult to put down, despite being about researchers climbing trees.

Next I moved onto Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume, which was one of those books that made me happy I checked it out from the library instead of buying it. Some essays were interesting, but some were bad. I loved and read all the Judy Blume books as a kid, but apparently I was naive because I missed some of the sexual awakening stuff (like in Deenie) that others say had a big impact on their lives. No one wrote about what I would have, which was in Are You There God? It's Me Margaret, the old description of maxi-pads that included a belt totally confused me and I would sneak peeks in my parents' bathroom, unable to find any belts or huge pads that attached to them. That book had a big impact on my life because more than just getting my period, I was worried about wearing a belt under my clothes one week a month. Of course I am going to have Clover read all of these books too, but I am going to set her straight about the belt thing.

After this I moved onto Grace Eventually. I liked it because I like Anne Lamott's essays and this book was just the next chapter in her life.

The last book was Bend the Rules Sewing. I received two copies for Christmas (my mom is a last minute shopper and cannot be bothered with asking others what they have already purchased as gifts) and finally got around to sitting down to read one, instead of just looking at the projects. I love Amy, I love her blog and I loved the book too. It is full of helpful information, especially for the beginning sewer, and written in her witty, approachable style.