Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in new orleans, LA

N.O. Public Libraries go high-tech

by Kelly Leahy

August 06, 2009

While I was recently perusing the New Orleans Public Library website, I was surprised to find that you can now download Audiobooks, eBooks and music from their site onto your computer. Many digital versions can even be listened to on your iPod which is perfect for long car rides.

Some of the parenting-related titles available include The 7 Stages of Motherhood by Ann Pishette Murphy and In Praise of Stay-At-Home Moms by everyone's favorite Dr. Laura Schlessinger.

For the kids there are Aesop's Fables and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.

Also available are many classic and contemporary novels for time away from the kids. Check out 1984 by George Orwell,  Absurdistan by Gary Shteyngart (I enjoyed this book quite a bit),  and Toni Morrison's Beloved.

The only drawbacks are that many of the titles available are only excerpts of the books so look carefully at your selection and Mac users are pretty much out of luck ... grrrrr.

What's on your nightstand?

by Kelly Leahy

August 03, 2009

Whether it takes you five minutes to get your little one down or 125 ... the road to blissful evening quiet is hard fought.

On my nightstand you will find reflection of my current obsessions including four books on gardening, one book on crafts, one book on knitting and one on getting fit. Lately I've found myself reading more non-fiction by writers like Michael Pollan and Dan Baum.  I am in desperate need of a good novel recommendation as I tend to read them with immediacy and stories don't tend to last long in my hands. 

That said, I have read a few good books recently so if you are looking to wind down at the end of the day, here are some suggestions. Please feel free to add you own suggestions in the comments.

1. The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian takes place primarily in Vermont where we follow our heroin as she unravels the mystery of a box of photos left behind by a homeless man at a shelter. The story evokes Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby so you might want to dust off your old copy as a companion read. It's a wonderful and surprising novel. You may recognize Bohjalian as the author of Midvives and Skeletons at the Feast.
2. While listening to NPR one night I heard from Michael Chabon, the author of The Yiddish Policemen's Union. I was immediately drawn into his fantasy world in northern Alaska where thousands of Jews immigrated instead of Isreal during the Holocaust. This modern day tale invites us into this world through the eyes of Officer Landsman who is a bit of a drunk but trying to solve a murder mystery nonetheless. What he uncovers is something larger. This book is smartly written and was hard to put down.
3. Drinking, Smoking & Screwing: Great Writers on Good Times by Sara Nickels and Bob Shacochis. This anthology of American writers includes stories written about or including some of my favorite vices. In a time where cigarette smoking is nearing "retro" status, this book of 24 esseys, short stories and poems reflects on the good (and bad) of what these habits entail. Included is one of my favorite short stories by Dorthy Parker as well as other greats including Charles Bukowski, Erica Jong, Richard Braughtigan, Fran Lebowitz and Mark Twain.

Summer Reading with Berthe Amoss

by Kelly Leahy

July 27, 2009

The other day my husband stopped by Blue Cypress Books on Oak Street the other day with Adelaide to peruse their children's offerings. They walked out of there with two local books; A Cajun Little Read Riding Hood and The Cajun Gingerbread Boy. Both books were written and illustrated by New Orleans born author Berthe Amoss.

I've read each of these books to my kids and although the stories are incredibly familiar, they offer a bit of local flavor to the mix. Instead of a wolf lying in wait for Red Riding Hood, it is M’sieur Cocodrie. The gingerbread man jumps and escapes hungry folks through Cajun country and throws in a smattering of French for good measure. The illustrations are lovely and show familiar Louisiana territory from the shrimpers on the coast to tall pines in the forest.

These books are constructed with thick paper and come with cardboard cutouts that jump through slits in the pages making fine motor coordination necessary when reading to interested parties. I also have had to work on my Cajun accent which is rather poor. That said, they are incredibly fun and will be kept in rotation for a long time.

If you are not lucky enough to find a copy of Amoss' children's books locally, a great number of her works are on Amazon -- most through third party sellers. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for more titles by this author.

Farewell 2008 -- 10 best posts of the year

by Kelly Leahy

December 30, 2008

Boy, what a year it's been. With my second child born towards the end of 2007, 2008 was about keeping my sanity, surviving the preschool application process for my eldest and treasuring every moment (even the mind numbing tantrums). The year culminated in a live television interview yesterday on ABC's Good Morning New Orleans . Since this year has been all about keeping my head above water, I  Read more...

Essential books for the New Orleans Kid

by Kelly Leahy

November 25, 2008

We are fortunate to live in a city with such prolific writers. This makes not only for great gifts for our own kids but for out-of-towners as well. I've found that regional books run the gamut from lengthy prose with full illustrations to brief, amusing stories with line drawings. Here are a few of my favorites. Cajun Night Before Christmas by Trosclair - This was the first book that I ever  Read more...

Visiting the Library

by Kelly Leahy

November 24, 2008

My local library is the Nix branch. It is ridiculously close to my house and yet I go there so infrequently. The New Orleans library system is actually pretty advanced in comparison to the rest of the city's offerings. First of all, every library that I've been into has a welcoming children's section. The Nix Library is a small building to begin with so the little ones have to be extra quiet.  Read more...

Bedtime Stories

by Kelly Leahy

November 20, 2008

Like many households, there is a three book bedtime requirement from the girls before lights out. One of the casualties of being with the kids all day is that my patience wears thin by the time the girls are tucked in. This means that The Husband is often charged with the story time task. However, though I am admittedly the weaker story reader in the house, I have learned a few things. Agree  Read more...

This week's best bet: Little learned ones

by Kelly Leahy

November 14, 2008

This weekend's events are educationally and artistically inspired. From school festivals to book fairs, there's quite a bit going on! Audubon Charter's first annual Fall Fete takes place this Saturday from 11 am until 5 pm. Live music, great food, spacewalks and games will be available for you and your little ones. Head on Uptown to 428 Broadway. The New Orleans Bookfair is happening this  Read more...

10 ways to get free or cheap books for your family

by Kelly Leahy

August 27, 2008

We have tried to develop a love of books in our daughters. Our three-year-old loves to pick out her favorites for nighttime reading and even "reads" them back to us. Our eleven-month-old likes to chew on the corners -- you can't win 'em all. As a family we are always looking for new books to cycle through the collection. This can get expensive if we were to buy new every time. Instead, I have  Read more...

99 Things to do With Your Preschooler Before Kindergarten

by Kelly Leahy

January 27, 2008

For today we at Savvy Source are listing 99 things to do with your preschooler before the big K. I can't even wrap my head around kindergarten right now but it's fast approaching. Rather than come up with 99 things, I'm going to start off the list with nine. Please add more in the comments! Take a ride on the Algiers Ferry. I keep saying that I'm going to do this but I haven't yet. Know the  Read more...