Reading Worm

If your kid draws in every margin of their notebook, you’ve probably wondered if it’s just a phase or something more. Most children's books treat drawing as a cute pastime. But if a child is genuinely curious about how cartoons come alive, they deserve resources that treat their interest with respect. Animation isn't just doodling—it's a blend of acting, timing, and incredible patience. Instead of sugarcoating the process or making it sound like a dry textbook, Linda Soules’ book "Animator" introduces kids to the actual mechanics of the craft: The 12 principles of animation (like "squash and stretch") The history shifting from ancient cave paintings to digital rigs Real, hands-on prompts for DIY flipbooks and stop-motion It gives parents an honest look at what the industry demands while keeping kids inspired to create. If you want to help them turn those margin doodles into real craft, check out our full guide. 👉 Read our full Animator by Linda Soules ...

When we picture a victim of domestic violence, a specific image usually comes to mind. But statistics tell a far more complicated story: society has a massive blind spot, and millions of men are paying the price. Trapped by deep-seated stigma and cultural myths about masculinity, many male victims of domestic abuse endure their suffering in complete silence. In her powerful new book, Shameful Silence: What You Don't Know About Domestic Violence , human rights attorney Alexandra Lozano exposes an epidemic we’ve trained ourselves not to see. Drawing on sixteen years of frontline legal experience, Lozano turns her focus to male survivors who face a heartbreaking, bleak refrain: “No one will believe me.” Invisible Tactics: Abuse Beyond Physical Scars True abuse can devastate a life without ever leaving a physical bruise. Lozano moves past clinical data to show the deeply human faces of this crisis through raw survivor accounts: Psychological Control: We meet Miguel, an undocumented fa...

Finding books for 10-to-12-year-olds is notoriously tough. They are too old for simple stories, but not quite ready for full young adult angst. They want real answers about how the world works. That is exactly why Linda Soules’s new book, So You Want To Be A Magician , is such a triumph. While it is technically a career guide for aspiring young illusionists, Soules does something brilliant: she treats wonder as a serious, hard-earned craft. Instead of just listing standard coin tricks, the book dives deep into mirror practice, backstage discipline, and the ethics of the magician’s code. What parents will love most, however, is its honesty. Soules doesn't hide the tough stuff. She openly discusses the loneliness of practice, what it feels like to face a failed show, and the exact recovery skills professionals use to bounce back. It’s a masterclass in resilience, wrapped in the fun of a magic book. Combined with vibrant historical snapshots of legends like Houdini and Shin Lim, this ...

  If your living room floor looks less like a playroom and more like a messy engineering workshop, don't clean it up just yet. Most parents see scattered cardboard boxes, missing puzzle pieces, and half-dismantled toys as a chore. But to a curious 10-to-12-year-old, that mess is actually rigorous creative work. They aren't just playing; they are prototyping. Linda Soules’s book, "So You Want To Be A Toy Designer," is the perfect guide for these exact kids. Instead of a boring lecture on career day, it’s a practical, inspiring blueprint that shows kids how their current playroom experiments can turn into a real-world career. The book is packed with short, punchy insights, practical activities for rainy afternoons, and honest stories about real design failures. It’s a wonderful resource for families to read together. Next time you see a blank cardboard box, don't throw it out—hand it to your kid and see what they build next. Read the full breakdown: Head over to B...

  If your house sounds like a racetrack and your 10-year-old can't stop talking about laps, pit stops, and tire strategies, you’ve probably hit a wall with children's books. Most of them treat motorsport like a simple cartoon: fast cars go fast, the end. Linda Soules’s Race Car Driver changes that completely. Part of the excellent "So You Want To Be A..." series, this book actually treats young racing fans like intelligent thinkers. Instead of just celebrating the speed, it shows kids the immense teamwork and brainpower behind the sport. It introduces them to the telemetry engineers, the data strategists, and the pit crews. Plus, it features inspiring profiles of legends like Ayrton Senna, Danica Patrick, and Lewis Hamilton to give the book real human heart. The best part for parents? It includes weekend activity ideas like bicycle cone courses and sim racing tips, and it connects racing safety tech directly to your everyday family car. It’s the perfect catalyst fo...

There is something deeply addictive about a story that pulls back a velvet curtain to reveal absolute rot. We love the contrast: the pristine surfaces of extreme wealth masking the ugliest human impulses. Maria Monday’s debut psychological thriller, Symphony of Lies , triggers this obsession perfectly. The story follows Emma Bally, a brilliant but compromised investigative journalist who is dragged out of her quiet Swiss Alps sanctuary by a mysterious inheritance from Monaco. What she uncovers isn't just a secret—it’s an entire underground service economy built on surveillance, extreme discretion, and perfectly executed "accidents." The Ultimate Jet-Set Tension The book masterfully splits its time between two gorgeous, atmospheric worlds: The biting, quiet isolation of a historic chalet in Gstaad, Switzerland . The polished, sun-drenched, and deeply corrupt streets of the French Riviera . Monday’s writing makes these settings feel alive. It delivers that perfect "dar...