books

Our back to school 2016 guide continues with our picks for some of the best reading apps for kids. From preschoolers learning ABC basics and sight words, to older kids needing a synonym for obsequious (or uh, maybe that is the synonym?),…

This morning as I was flipping through my emails on my phone, I discovered an email with a subject "Your Prime membership includes a free Kindle book," which I clicked right away because who doesn't love free? And to my total surprise, I…

It must be the week of class action lawsuit settlements. First with Ticketmaster , and now Apple, who's required to fund over $4 million dollars in credits to eBook customers. That means if you bought eBooks on Amazon between 2010 and 20…

So, I want my daughter to read more this summer, and with all our upcoming travel, I'm considering a tablet or e-book reader but I'm not sure which is best. -Dawn We're definitely with you that gadgets can be a whole lot easier to travel…

By now we all know that the adult coloring books trend has taken over -- just check any recent NYT Bestseller list. But if your inner nerd is wanting more than mandalas and nature scenes to help you get your zen on, check out these aweso…

Sometimes I need just a little quiet at home over the holidays, you know? And since my kids are app-crazy anyway, they always think it's a treat to find cool new Christmas apps for kids that they haven't tried yet. While we have a few fr…

We love toys for kids that are educational too, which is why we're so happy to share of these some favorite cool STEM toys and gifts for kids as the next installment in our 2015 Holiday Tech Gift Guide series. And we’re extra happy to sh…

I'm pretty measured about letting my kids use my iPad, especially when they could be playing outside, practicing their instruments or learning their fifth language. Ha. In truth, I'm all about balance in our household, and I'm definitely…

We're unapologetically heavy on the Star Wars around here these days ( birthday parties ! halloween costumes ! shower heads !) because well, between Halloween and the Force Awakens movie countdown, we just can't help ourselves. And so, w…

It may sound a tad hokey, but reading really is fundamental to school and life in general, which is why we've worked hard to put together 8 of the very best reading apps for older kids as part of our Back to School Tech Guide 2015. Wheth…

Next up in our Back to School Tech Guide 2015, we're happy to share 10 of the best reading apps for little kids. Because as plenty of us parents know, getting kids hyped about reading isn't always an easy road. So when they're first star…

With all the amazing books for tweens and helpful book recommendation websites we've been sharing on Cool Mom Picks and here on Cool Mom Tech, I'm swimming in books. Which, you know, it could be worse. But that's why I need these build o…

Some of our kids are really picky when it comes to books -- not too long, not too short, with just the right plot points and character types. Then there are the ones who go through books so quickly that we can barely keep up with suggest…

I am pretty sure that it's written somewhere in the fine print of the Parenthood Contract that we're supposed to take tons of photos of our kids. So it's always a nice bonus when the subjects of our countless pics develop their own inter…

Bless the big-hearted Star Wars fans of this world, for on May the Fourth Be With You Day, they are always an extra-giving bunch. Like Jason Yang, the designer and illustrator behind Invisible Element, who just offered up this wonderful …

My kids ask me if they can download new apps to my iPad every day, and I almost always say no. I hate to give up my precious memory space for the junky, ad-filled apps that appeal to them, but that I'd really rather they not play in the …

There are any number of baby books and memory journals out there for new parents, but none I couldn't put down, before it was even filled in. Until I saw The Geek Baby Book by Tim Mucci. Right from the first chapter, in which the author …

My house is filled with readers. If it's made of paper, we'll probably read it. So it may seem strange that I'm very excited about a brand new interactive book app. But once you see the new City Nights app for iPad from Tidepool Publishi…

If you love to read, this Saturday's National Readathon Day gives you a perfect excuse to spend the day reading to, and with, the kids. So this week's recommended music downloads are a trio of songs from Latin Grammy-nominated Mister G t…

While we love finding cool gifts for kids under $15 that don't seem like stocking stuffers, there's something to be said for finding actual awesome stocking stuffers that won't break the bank either. It's not easy though when you've got …

Though reading to the kids has always been one of my favorite things to do, it’s not always possible for those of us who travel for work, have a newborn, or just get too busy to drop everything to read a book for the fourth time in an ho…

Up until a couple years ago, I held on steadfastly to the whole idea of wanting to read with a real book in my hands, as opposed to seeing digitized pages on an e-reader. That is, until I got my hands on a Kindle , and became hooked. So …

Not even the biggest die-hard Minecraft fans can live on screen time alone, so when it's time for them to step away from their favorite game, you could try some of our screen-free Minecraft games , or offer up one of the cool little Mine…

Even though my two older kids aren't as tied to a specific bedtime routine as when they were younger, reading in bed together is something that we still all love doing. And with a husband who travels frequently, it's so neat that the Sto…