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Before you ask for a teacher change, talk to the teacher

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Most teachers want to know when there is a conflict between your child and them or a story that your child brings home that doesn't make sense. Austin ISD teacher Juli Naranjo teaches a science camp in the summer as well as fourth-grade science during the school year. Confession: She was my son's fourth grade teacher and we wouldn't have traded her for the world.  RALPH BARRERA/ AMERICAN-STATESMAN

Most teachers want to know when there is a conflict between your child and them or a story that your child brings home that doesn’t make sense.  Juli Naranjo teaches a science camp in the summer as well as fourth-grade science during the school year. Confession: She was my son’s fourth grade teacher and we wouldn’t have traded her for the world.
RALPH BARRERA/ AMERICAN-STATESMAN

You come to Meet the Teacher Night and stare at the list of classes. Really, that teacher? You so did not want Mrs. Smith for your child. Or you look at that list and realize your child’s bully from last year has ended up in your son’s class.

Or maybe it’s that every day these first few weeks, your daughter has had something bad to say about Mrs. Jones and what happened in class that day.

Or every morning starts in tears because your child suddenly no longer wants to go to school.

Is it time for your child to change classes?

First know that making a switch into another class usually doesn’t happen. Class assignments, unless in kindergarten when the school really doesn’t know your child yet, are well thought out.

Kristina Snow, who is now the director of elementary education for the Round Rock Independent School District and was previously a principal at Teravista Elementary, says a lot of people weight in about which teacher a child gets: the principal and vice principals, the counselor, previous teachers, the special education and gifted and talent staff, etc. They also are looking at the academic and behavioral mix of the class as well as parent feedback about which type of teacher might not be the best or which kids need to be separated. “It’s an intricate puzzle,” she says.

Snow and Teravista counselor Jenna Fleming say that usually at times of high stress parents start demanding a change: the first weeks of school, right before the winter break and at the end of the school year when grades become an issue.

Snow and Fleming don’t want parents to sit on their concerns and stew until they explode in February or March (that happens). Instead, they would like you to first go to the teacher to share your concerns.

Send an email using neutral language and arrange a time to talk to the teacher either by phone or in person before or after school.

Do not go straight to the principal or superintendent before talking to the teacher. Parents are often uncomfortable having the conversation with the teacher, Snow says. “They either let it fester or they come straight to the principal,” she says. “It makes things more tense.” Most principals, she says, will listen, but then will ask the parent “Have you spoken with the teacher, yet?”

“90 percent of the time, teachers and parents when they are communicating with one another, they start to develop a relationship and respect with each other,” Fleming says.

If after you’ve talked with the teacher and don’t feel heard, then you can go to the principal or counselor. Things schools take very seriously are safety concerns and 504 and special education accommodations.

Snow says there are times when she would move a student when there was a bullying situation with another student or the relationship between the parent and the teacher became so hostile it was unworkable. “When you come ready to go to war, it always ends up hindering communication and being able to be heard,” Snow says.

Most of the time, schools won’t move a student because it becomes disruptive to not only that student, but the two classes involved.

Dealing with different personalities also is one of those life skills that kids need to master. “Growth feels uncomfortable,” Fleming says, and there’s a difference between protecting a child from a bad situation and enabling a child to only get the class or teacher she wants.

It might be in the best interest of the child to leave her where she is and help her grow through this challenge, Fleming says.

You also should double check what your child is telling you. Kids can be prone to exaggeration, and while we all want to believe our children, sometimes the way she perceived a situation and the way a teacher did is entirely different.

The stories might even be true but something that the teacher is not aware of: case in point, the time the boys in my son’s third-grade class were told to measure something in the room. Guess what they went in the bathroom to measure? While that wouldn’t be a reason I would want to move my son, it was a story I thought the teacher should know. I’m sure she now changes the directions she gives for that assignment.

Teachers, of course, want to know when a child no longer wants to go to school or is complaining every day. There might be other things, not just the teacher, that are behind it such as trouble with friends, a big change in the expectations that takes an adjustment, or a sign of a mental illness like anxiety.

“Changes bring about anxiety because we’re human beings,” Fleming says. Listen to your child and be empathetic. As those big changes become part of the routine, the anxiety should lessen. If not, then it’s time to be talking to the school counselor or an outside counselor to get some help.

Also don’t believe the rumors or a friend’s impression of that teacher. “Some of the best teachers aren’t super popular, but they are incredible teachers,” Snow says.


Choo Choo! Thomas the Tank Engine is coming and I have tickets

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Update: We have picked a winner: Matt Hendrickson. Check back to austin360.com/raisingaustin for more family-friendly event ticket giveaways.

Thomas the Tank Engine rolls into Burnet Sept. 18-20. Jay Janner/AMERICAN-STATESMAN

Thomas the Tank Engine rolls into Burnet Sept. 18-20. Jay Janner/AMERICAN-STATESMAN

I know there are Thomas the Tank Engine fans out there. In fact, you probably stepped on one of those trains trying to get everyone to out the door this morning. And you can probably sing all the songs from the TV show. 

Thomas the Tank Engine rolls into Central Texas on Sunday. Austin Steam Train Association will be his engineer. You’ll get to take a 25-minute ride on a train pulled by Thomas. And there will be games and activities; and you might even meet Sir Topham Hatt.

It’s $18 for anyone ages 2 and older, and you should buy them in advance at http://www.austinsteamtrain.org. Trains run every 50 minutes from 8:30 a.m. to 5:40 p.m., but all the other activities run from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Burnet Community Center, 401 E. Jackson St., Burnet.

I have a family four-pack for the 4:50 train on Sept. 20 (If you win, show up an hour before to explore the rest of the event and ensure you do not miss your train time). Send me an email to nvillalpando@statesman.com with your name and phone number by Friday at noon. I’ll enter you into the contest. Also you can win by Instagramming or Tweeting a photo of your Thomas fan at #dayoutwiththomasaustin.

The winner will be announced late Friday.

What’s trendy in baby names? Bruce Lansky has the answers

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Bruce Lansky wrote

Bruce Lansky wrote “100,000+ Baby Names.”

I blame Reese Witherspoon. In 1999, she had a daughter, she named Ava. She planted a seed in a lot of people’s heads. Myself included. When we went to name our daughter in 2003, Ava was barely on the Top 100 baby name list according to the Social Security Administration. By 2005, Ava showed up on the Top 20 list and is now at No. 5. My Ava now runs into situations where she is Ava V., so much so, that her nickname at home is now just V.

I blame the Bible for Benjamin. When he was born in 2001, Benjamin was squarely in the middle Top 100, but now is No. 12. Luckily, Ben doesn’t run into a lot of Benjamins, until we go to our temple or his Jewish summer camp. Then he might be one of two or three in his class or cabin. At camp, he became known as Villalpancakes, a mixture of our last name and his apparent love of pancakes at camp.

These were never scenarios we considered when naming our children, but according to baby name expert Bruce Lansky, who wrote the book “100,000+ Baby Names,” there we should have considered when naming children, and following trends is just one of them.

Lansky, who is also a children’s book author, tells me I actually did well at following trends. For boys, especially in Texas, Biblical names are very trendy. In 2014, Jacob was No. 1 in Texas, and the top 10 boys included Noah, Ethan, Daniel, David and Matthew. The U.S. chart had Noah at No. 1, as well as Jacob, Ethan, Michael, James and Daniel.

For girls, parents tend to choose names that are glamorous or movie star names, rather than biblical, though Ava (which is a form of Eve) and Abigail (which has Hebrew roots) are the exception. In the U.S., there are a lot of namesakes of Olivia de Havilland or Olivia Wilde with the No. 1 name, Sophia Loren, Ava Gardner, Emily Blunt, Isabella Rossellini and Mia Farrow or Hamm. In Texas, it’s Sophia Loren with the No. 1 name as well as the spelling Sofia at No. 7, followed by Emma Watson, Mia Farrow, Olivia Wilde, Emily Blunt, Ava Gardner, Lucy Liu, Isabella Rossellini and Victoria Beckham.

You’ll also notice a trend of old-fashioned names being popular again. For girls, as well as these names, Charlotte makes the Top 10 and Nora, Eleanor, Annabelle, Penelope and Alice are on the rise. For boys, William, Liam and Alexander show up on the Top 10 as well, and Oliver and Sebastian are also gaining in popularity.

Why is that? First, some celebrities are choosing those names, thus making them popular, but also, think about who is having babies right now. They probably had beloved grandparents or great-grandparents with these names and are honoring them, Lansky explains.

“There’s something special about your grandmother or grandpa that’s a quality that you would love to adhere to a baby,” he says.

He does warn that some names aren’t worthy of recycling even if your dear Meemaw had them. “Hazels and Wandas and Mabels — those are awful names,” he says.

Instead, he suggests finding a new version of that name or use some of the same letters in the name. So, the way I turned my grandfather’s name William, who went by Bill, into Benjamin. I honored Bill, but didn’t stick my child with what I thought of as an outdated name. Apparently, I was wrong on that, because William is in the Top 10.

Another trend that Lansky has noticed is people choosing less popular Biblical names for their sons like Isaiah and Ezekiel or it’s nickname Zeke. That’s especially true in parts of the South.

For girls, parents also have been choosing gender-neutral names or names that were once boy names. It’s this idea that their daughters might get a fare shake with a less “girly” name. That’s why Madison and Harper show up in the Top 20 girls’ names and why Kennedy and Skylar are on the rise. Celebrities are on board with this, too. Tiger Woods named his daughter Sam, not Samantha, in 2007.

“Names like hemlines and fashion go through cycles,” Lansky says.

Lansky makes these suggestions when choosing a name:

Rule out the Top 10, and then next 15.

Look for names that are on the rise. Maybe they just appeared on the Top 100, or they are slowly climbing from the 80s to the 50s, but not yet reached the Top 25. You can find the list of popular baby names on the Social Security Administration’s website.

Remember what a celebrity did and then reconsider. That’s especially true for Britney (Spears), Paris (Hilton) and Miley (Cyrus), or Ivan (the Terrible), Adolf (Hitler) or Charles (Manson or Whitman, you take your pick).

Avoid going too “girly” or too “macho.” It’s the 2010s, after all.

Consider versatile names such as Elizabeth, which your daughter could change into Liz or Beth or Betsy (no!).

Consider the meaning as well. Though not as important as the name itself, it’s good to take a look at what it is supposed to mean and whether you want your baby to have those qualities.

Consider a name that is right for a baby and right for an old man or woman and every stage in between.

Don’t go for a unique spelling. “By changing the spelling, parents make it harder to pronounce,” Lansky says. “It’s an awful thing to have to deal with all their lives. It will make them unique, just because they will be uniquely pissed off. Why is that a good thing?”

Really looking for something cool: consider food or place names. That’s how we get Brie and Kale and Brooklyn and Austin (though there’s a lot of Austins in Austin).

Realize, that if you think you’re coming up with a cool name, you probably are not the first to come up with it. And that’s OK. What happens to pregnant women or people who are thinking about having a baby is they gravitate to every baby carriage or kid in the park and ask the parent what that kid’s name is. “They are taking their own private survey,” Lansky says.

Test out a name before you decide on it. You might think it’s a good idea to hide the baby’s name until he or she is born, but nothing will prevent a bad name like floating it out there to trusted friends and family members. They might come up with a horrible nickname that you hadn’t thought of or not get your line of thinking. Read expressions and body language, not just what they say.

You also could just do what we did. Print out two copies the Top 100 names list. Give yourself and your partner each a copy. Circle what you each like and compare. You might just end up with one name in common and that’s how your kid gets named.

Happy naming!

Five myths about car seats and other things you should know about kids in cars

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As part of Child Passenger Safety Week, Safe Kids Austin sponsored a free child car seat inspection. 2007 Ralph Barrera/American-Statesman;

As part of Child Passenger Safety Week, Safe Kids Austin sponsored a free child car seat inspection. 2007 Ralph Barrera/American-Statesman.

Buckle Up for Life, a national child safety passenger organization, released this list of five myths and the real facts behind them.

I touched on car seat safety in my story about which seat your child should be in. You can read that story here.

Below, I also have my cheat sheet to help you.

MYTH: Used car seats are always okay.
FACT: Car seats have expiration dates.

Hand-me-downs might be convenient, but when it comes to car seats, they’re not worth the risk. If the seat has been through a crash, it might be compromised. Additionally, the plastic can degrade over time. If you do have a used car seat, know its history and check the expiration date, which can usually be found on a sticker affixed to the seat and on the registration card.

MYTH: Older kids can sit in the front seat.

FACT:  Kids under 13 are safest in the back.

Many think that once their children outgrow their car seats or booster seats, the front seat is fair game.  However, the truth is that all children under age 13 are safest in the back seat.

 MYTH: Seat belts alone protect small children.

FACT: Children shorter than 4 foot 9 inches need booster seats.

Seat belts don’t properly fit young children and can ride up around their waists or necks, potentially causing injury during a crash. Children less than 4 foot 9 inches should sit in booster seats, which elevate them so that seat belts can protect them correctly.

MYTH: A one year old can ride in a forward-facing car seat. 

FACT: Children should be rear-facing until age 2.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children should remain in rear-facing car seats until age 2, or until they exceed the height or weight limit for the car seat. According to a study by the University of Virginia, children under age 2 are 75 percent less likely to die or to be severely injured in a crash if they are rear-facing.

MYTH: Expensive car seats are safer than others.

FACT: All approved car seats are equally safe.

All car seat manufacturers are required to meet the same performance standards issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  Some seats may be more expensive than others based on fabric, padding or other bells and whistles, but that doesn’t mean they are any safer.

WHERE’S THE SAFEST PLACE FOR YOUR PASSENGERS?

Where should your child be in the car? Don Tate II Austin American-Statesman

Where should your child be in the car?
Don Tate II Austin American-Statesman

Keep the youngest in the middle of the car and have the right kind of car seat for each passenger based on age and weight.

1. A teenager or an adult can ride in the front seat with a seat belt on. The safest place is still the back seat.

2. An infant must be in a rear-facing car seat.

3. Adult drivers must wear seat belts.

4. Children younger than age 2 should be in rear-facing car seats.

5. A 4- to 7-year-old should sit in a high-back booster seat until he reaches the upper weight and/or height limit for the seat.

6. A 2- to 4-year-old should ride in a forward-facing car seat until he reaches the upper weight and/or height limit for the seat.

7. An 8- to 12-year-old less than 4 feet 9 inches can be in a high-back booster or a low-back booster used with the car’s adjustable head rest until he reaches the upper weight and/or height of the seat.

Parenting teens is tough, but rewarding, St. Edward’s professor Sara Villanueva says in new book

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Sara Villanueva wrote "The Angst of Adolescence."

Sara Villanueva wrote “The Angst of Adolescence.”

St. Edward’s University psychology professor Sara Villanueva wants you to know that the love/hate relationship you’re having with your teenager is completely normal. As is screaming at your child to get out of bed every morning. As is the eye rolls and grunts that are coming from his direction.

It’s all part of the journey toward adulthood. Those teenage years can be the most frustrating for parents, but they can also be the most rewarding. She has four children, ages 25, 20, 18 and 9.

“I wish someone had told me it was going to be really hard, but it would totally be OK,” she says. “That you’re going to appreciate all the fighting, and they are going to appreciate it one day.”

That’s what she tries to tell parents in her book “The Angst of Adolescence: How to Parent Your Teen (and Live to Laugh About It).” She will be at Barnes & Noble Sunset Valley on Sept. 20 to give parents even more insight into their teens.

She remembers her own teenage years. At one point her parents called her selfish. “I was so shocked,” she says. “It was out of nowhere. How could she think that?”

Now she realizes, that she was incredibly selfish and so are most teens. It’s part of this stage of development.

In the book, Villanueva explains some of what is going on physically in their brains that makes them want to sleep all day and stay up all night, but that also makes them now understand sarcasm and contemplate the way that they think.

She asks parents to embrace these years and to go into them with positive thoughts, but to also remember what their teenage years were like. Try to be empathetic, while remembering that their brains are not yet fully developed. All those missteps are helping them get there, though.

Most of the time, all those things that are irritating you — the attitude, the sluglike speed at which they move, the constant need to argue, the hair-pin turns of emotions — are not the things to be alarmed about. Instead, worry about depression, eating disorders and substance abuse. She goes through the signs related to these and how to get your child help.

Keeping the lines of communication open is important. Sometimes this is an age where they don’t want you to talk to them about sex or relationships. So you just leave flyers and pamphlets around. You eavesdrop on their conversations and then read up on what they were talking about, so you can later talk to them about it.

Holding the line about rules and expectations is also important. Because they are such good arguers, you have to face delivering consequences without emotion. It’s a “This was the rule. You broke the rule. Now this is what is going to happen” conversation.

As you get to the later part of high school, they need to be able to think their own thoughts, take care of their own needs and take responsibility for bad decisions, she says. You don’t want to be the parent who comes to the college professor to complain about a grade (and she and her colleagues have had lots of those parents). Instead, you want to know that you have set them up to be able to handle adversity and their obligations.

“You have to let them fall flat on their faces,” she says. She gives the example of the toddler who won’t tie their shoes. “If you are there to catch them every time, how are they going to know you have to tie your shoes.”

That might mean that every time they forget something for school, you don’t run home and bring it to them, as much as you want to be helpful. Or that kid who is making you late every morning has to find his own way to get to school.

Because kids can be completely different, you might need a different approach with each one. “It’s not a different set of rules, it’s a different approach. That makes your job even harder.”

And, in case you suspected it, the mother-daughter relationship is the most challenging.

“They are really going to push your buttons,” she says. “They may even say, ‘I don’t need you anymore.'”

Yet, somewhere at college or even into their 20s, you become the smartest person in the world and they do realize that they need you.

Villanueva says this new chapter in parenting — the parent of a college kid — was also a big shock for her. Her daughter Sophia, whom she writes about a lot in the book as the kid who pushed the most buttons, just left to go out of state to college, the first one to do so.

“It feels like a gaping hole in my chest,” she says. “It physically hurts, but I’m so unbelievably excited and happy for her.”

Sara Villanueva wrote "The Angst of Adolescence."

Sara Villanueva wrote “The Angst of Adolescence.”

“The Angst of Adolescence: How to Parent Your Teen (and Live to Laugh About It)”

Sara Villanueva

$18.95, Bibliomotion

Book-signing and reading

When: 2 p.m. Sunday

Where: Barnes & Noble Sunset Valley, 5601 Brodie Lane, Suite 300.

Cost: Free

Information: Barnesandnoble.com

Get your car seat inspected for free

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As part of Child Passenger Safety Week, Safe Kids Austin sponsored a free child car seat inspection in 2007. They will do the same this weekend at Highland Mall. 2007 Ralph Barrera/American-Statesman

As part of Child Passenger Safety Week, Safe Kids Austin sponsored a free child car seat inspection in 2007. They will do the same this weekend at Highland Mall. 2007 Ralph Barrera/American-Statesman

Dell Children’s Medical Center and Safe Kids Austin are offering a free car seat inspection on Saturday. Head to the Highland Mall parking lot, 6001 Airport Blvd, from 8-11 a.m. It is first-come, first-served.

Car accidents are the No. 1 cause of death in children.

Read more about the myths about car seats here and my guide to car seat safety here.

Find more tips at www.safekids.org/child-passenger-safety.

Ticket giveaway: Family four-pack to Barton Hill Farms

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Search the "Great Pumpkin" maze at Barton Hill Farms.

Search the “Great Pumpkin” maze at Barton Hill Farms.

We are heading toward cooler weather (let’s hope!) and fall festivals. Sept. 26 two pumpkin patches and hay mazes open up. One at Sweet Berry Farm in Marble Farms and one at Barton Hill Farms in Bastrop.

Sweet Berry Farm fall fun. The Texas-shaped hay maze and smaller candy corn hay maze opens Sept. 26-Nov. 8. You can also find hay rides, pumpkin decorating, a train and more. Priced per event. 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday-Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays. 1801 FM 1980, Marble Falls. sweetberryfarm.com.

Barton Hill Farms “The Great Pumpkin” Maze. Find a lot to do including the maze in the shape of the Peanuts’ Linus’ hero “The Great Pumpkin,” live music, pumpkin painting, farm animals, train rides and more. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 26-Nov. 8. $11 adults, $8 3-10 years old, free for children 2 and younger. $1 off online. Barton Hill Farms, 1115 FM 969, Bastrop. bartonhillfarms.com.

I’ve got tickets for a family of four to give away to Barton Hill Farms. Email me at nvillalpando@statesman.com with your name and phone number by Friday and I will enter you into a contest to win.

Looking ahead to October: Lots of family event, Halloween fun

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The Austin Zoo puts on Boo at the Zoo next month. DEBORAH CANNON / AMERICAN-STATESMAN

The Austin Zoo puts on Boo at the Zoo next month. DEBORAH CANNON / AMERICAN-STATESMAN

Believe it or not, I’ve spent this work day working on my October family calendar.

Here’s what we have to look forward to next month:

Halloween

Sweet Berry Farm fall fun. The Texas-shaped hay maze and smaller candy corn hay maze opens Through Nov. 8. You can also find hay rides, pumpkin decorating, a train and more. Priced per event. 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday-Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays. 1801 FM 1980, Marble Falls. sweetberryfarm.com.

Barton Hill Farms “The Great Pumpkin” Maze. Find a lot to do including the maze in the shape of the Peanuts’ Linus’ hero “The Great Pumpkin,” live music, pumpkin painting, farm animals, train rides and more. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Through Nov. 8. $11 adults, $8 3-10 years old, free for children 2 and younger. $1 off online. Barton Hill Farms, 1115 FM 969, Bastrop. bartonhillfarms.com.

Boo at the Zoo. Wear a costume and ride the Haunted Train and explore a haunted house. $12.50. 6:30-9 p.m. Oct. 9-10, 16-17, 23-24 and 30. 10808 Rawhide Trail. austinzoo.org.
Halloween Carnival & Haunted House. Many family games and treats. 5:30 p.m. Oct. 15. Metz Recreation Center, 2407 Canterbury St.

Dittmar’s Haunted House. A haunted house created by local teens. 6:30 p.m. Oct. 24. Dittmar Recreation Center, 1009 W. Dittmar Road.

Austin Symphony s "Halloween Children's Concert  will turn Dell Hall into a place where spooky music and characters roam, but not in a scary way. Credit: 2011 Austin Symphony Orchestra

Austin Symphony s “Halloween Children’s Concert will turn Dell Hall into a place where spooky music and characters roam, but not in a scary way.
Credit: 2011 Austin Symphony Orchestra

“Halloween Children’s Concert.” The Austin Symphony performs some “frightfully fun” music. Come dressed in your costume. 3 p.m. Oct. 25. $8-$12. The Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Drive. austinsymphony.org

Sinister Circus Halloween Carnival. 25-cent tickets for activities, with a free Trick-or-Treat Trail. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Oct. 30. Northwest Recreation Center, 2913 Northland Drive.

Halloween Hootenanny. Celebrate Family Night at the Thinkery. Wear your costume and do some spooky science. 6:30 p.m. Oct. 30. $15. The Thinkery, 1830 Simond Ave. ThinkeryAustin.org.

Spooktacular. Enjoy family-friendly Halloween activities. 5-8 p.m. Oct. 30. Bullock Texas State History Museum. 1800 Congress Ave.thestoryoftexas.com.

Spooky Skedaddle Halloween Festival. Texas School for the Deaf is holding its annual Halloween festival and 5-K run. The Heal Yeah 5K starts a 9 a.m., the 1K Spooky Skedaddle is at 10:30 a.m. The festival includes music, obstacle course, bounce house, mini horses, clowns, food trailers and costume parade. The festival is free with tickets purchased for each booth, the 5K is $35, the 1K is $3. 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 31, Texas School for the Dear, 1102 S. Congress Ave. www.tsdfoundation.org

Theater

“Winnie the Pooh.” A.A. Milne’s story comes to life in musical form from Zach Theatre. 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 12. $15-$20. Kleberg Theatre, 202 S. Lamar Blvd. www.zachtheatre.org.

“Just a Minute.” Celebrate Día de los Muertos with an adaptation of Yuyi Morales’ bilingual “Just a Minute” and “Just in Case.” 11 a.m. Oct. 3, 10, 24, and 31; 12:30 p.m. Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25 and Nov. 1; 1 p.m. Oct. 24 and 31; 2:30 p.m. Oct. 18, Oct. 25, and Nov. 1. $7 children, $12 adults. Scottish Rite Theatre, 207 W. 18th St. Scottishritetheater.org.

“Fly Guys & Other Stories.” Seven stories including “Diary of a Worm,” “Fluffy the Classroom Guinea Pig,” and “Fly Guy Meets Fly Girls” get told in this children’s theatre. $15 adults, $12 children. Noon, Oct. 10. One World Theatre, 7701 Bee Cave Road.oneworldtheatre.org.

“Liberty! Equality! and Fireworks!” This play about the Civil Rights movement from Polyanna Theatre Company returns. This time it’s at the LBJ Presidential Library’s auditorium. $6. 2 p.m. Oct. 10. 2313 Red River St. pollyannatheatrecompany.org

Family Dance Studio. Learn some of the ballet moves from “Snow White.” 2:30 p.m. Oct. 18. Austin Ventures StudioTheater, 501 W. Third St. balletaustin.org.

“Dog Loves Books.” Dog loves to read books and recommend them to customers in her bookstore. $15 adults, $12 children. Noon, Oct. 31. One World Theatre, 7701 Bee Cave Road. oneworldtheatre.org.

“Snow White.” Ballet Austin II presents this classic fairy tale in ballet form. 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Oct. 31-Nov. 1, and Nov. 7-8. $15. Austin Ventures StudioTheater, 501 W. Third St. balletaustin.org.

Museums

Thinkery Workshops: Kitchen Lab: Whisks & Wizards, for ages 8 and older. 10:30 a.m. Oct. 3, 2:30 p.m. Oct. 4. $29 one child and adult. Bat Boxes, for ages 8 and older. 10:30 a.m. Oct. 10, 2:30 p.m. Oct. 11. $34 per child and adult. “Cooking with Goodnight Moon,” for ages 4-7. 10:30 a.m. Oct. 17, 2:30 p.m. Oct. 18, $29 per child and adult. Superhero Capes, ages 4-7. 10:30 a.m. Oct. 24 and 2:30 p.m. Oct. 25. $29 per child and adult. The Thinkery, 1830 Simond Ave. ThinkeryAustin.org.

Free First Sunday: Football. Enjoy football-themed activities 12-3 p.m. Bullock Texas State History Museum. 1800 Congress Ave.thestoryoftexas.com.

Second Saturdays with Contemporary Austin. Have a bubble blowout. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 10. Laguna Gloria, 3809 W. 35th St.thecontemporaryaustin.org.

Books

At Book People: Adam Rubin, author of “Dragon Loves Tacos,” visits story time. You can get your Adam Rubin book signed. 11:30 a.m. Oct. 3. “Once Upon a Chapter Tour.” Meet Ursula Vernon, author of “Hamster Princess: Harriet the Invincible,” M.A. Larson, “Pennyroyal Academy” and Rob Harrell of “Life of Zarf: The Troll Who Cried Wolf.” 7 p.m. Oct. 5. James and Kimberly Dean speak and sign “Pete the Cat and the Bedtime Blues.” 6 p.m. Oct. 13. Mary Laura Philpott reads and signs “Penguins with People Propblems.” 6:30 p.m. Oct. 16. Liz Garton Scanlon reads “In the Canyon” and Susan Kralovansky reads “Twelve Cowboys Ropin'” 2 p.m. Oct. 25. Tick or Treat for books at a Halloween story time. 11:30 a.m. Oct. 31. Book People, 603 N. Lamar Blvd. bookpeople.com.

Head to the children’'s tent of the Texas Book Festival in October.  Ralph Barrera/AMERICAN-STATESMAN

Head to the children’’s tent of the Texas Book Festival in October.
Ralph Barrera/AMERICAN-STATESMAN

Texas Book Festival. Hang out in the children’s book tent and meet authors Lemony Snicket, Louis Sachar, Liz Garton Scanlon, Don Tate and more. Oct. 17-18. Free. Texas Capitol grounds. www.texasbookfestival.org

Barnes & Noble story times. This month the 11 a.m. Saturday story times at all locations will read: “We’re In the Wrong Book,” Oct. 3; “Pete the Cat and the Bedtime Blues,” Oct. 10; “Imaginary Fred,” Oct. 17; “Click, Clack, Boo! Storytime,” Oct. 24.

Other Barnes & Noble events: “Strathio” author Betty Starr Kirkpatrick reads and signs. 2 p.m. Oct. 3, Round Rock. Lego master builder visits. 7 p.m. Oct. 13. Sunset Valley. “Star Wars” Reads Days. Noon Oct. 10, Arboretum, and 2 p.m. Oct. 10, Lakeline and Round Rock. Lego Architect studio. 2 p.m. Oct. 17, Lakeline and Round Rock.

Happening at the library: Mad Science Maelstrom for ages 10 and up. Make a monster. 7 p.m. Oct. 2, Yarborough Branch. “Wild and Wacky Weather” from Literature Live. 3:30 p.m. Oct. 1, Howson Branch; 2 p.m. Oct. 2, Willie Mae Kirk Branch; 3:30 p.m. Oct. 6, Twin Oaks Branch; 10:15 a.m. Oct. 8, Ruiz Branch; 1 p.m. Oct. 10, Recycled Reads Bookstore, 10:30 a.m. Oct. 15, Little Walnut Creek Branch; 10:15 a.m. Oct. 20, Carver Branch; 11 a.m. Oct. 21, Old Quarry Branch; Noon Oct. 22, Southeast Branch; 10:15 a.m. Oct. 27, Cepeda Branch; 11:30 a.m. Oct. 28, University Hills Branch; 10:15 a.m. Oct. 29. Windsor Park Branch. T(w)een Stem Lab. 3:30 p.m. Oct. 13, Carver Branch. Family Movie Night: “James and the Giant Peach.” 5 p.m. Oct. 22, Carver Branch. Family Craft Night. 7 p.m. Oct. 22, Hampton Branch. Día de los Muertos celebration, 3:30 p.m. Oct. 23. Terrazas Branch; 6 p.m. Oct. 26, University Hills; 5:30 p.m. Oct. 28, Cepeda Branch; 6:30 p.m. Oct. 29, Manchaca Road Branch; 2 p.m. Oct. 31, Willie Mae Kirk Branch.Family Movie Matinee: “Cinderella,” 2 p.m. Oct. 24, Cepeda Branch. Family Movie Matinee: “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein,” 2 p.m. Oct. 31, Cepeda Branch.


Dreams come true for girl who grew up to be “The Little Mermaid” at Bass Concert Hall

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Alison Woods plays "The Little Mermaid" when it comes to Bass Concert Hall this month.

Alison Woods plays “The Little Mermaid” when it comes to Bass Concert Hall this month.

Theatre Under the Stars - Disney's "The Little Mermaid" at TUTS, September 2015.

Alison Woods is a natural redhead. On stage, she’s been blonde and brunette, but next week she’ll play a famous redhead, Ariel from “The Little Mermaid,” when the Disney musical comes to Bass Concert Hall Sept. 29 through Oct. 4.

When she was 5, she fell in love with the movie. “She made redheads cool,” Woods says. “I loved everything about it … that she stood up for herself and what she believed in. It’s got a great message. It’s one of those classics that’s so perfectly done.”

Woods began taking dance when she was 2 and later did choir, but musical theater and voice lessons came later.

She’s been in productions of “The First Wives Club,” “The Sound of Music,” and “42nd Street.” She was also used as an animation reference for Rapunzel in “Tangled.”

“The Little Mermaid” has fulfilled another dream come true: to fly on stage like Wendy in “Peter Pan.” Woods and “The Little Mermaid” cast swim in the ocean by flying above the stage.

“The first time they took me up, it did feel a little higher than you think you’re going to go,” she says. “But it’s pure fun for me.”

The flying has gotten easier as has working around her tail. Instead of it being a tail that goes straight down, the tail is actually a large skirt that is attached to her fingers. When she’s not flying, she’s moving on the stage floor as if she’s swimming. It can be a tripping hazard.

“All of us fell in rehearsal at some point,” she says.

One of the highlights of the play is, of course, when she changes from mermaid to human before our eyes.

“It’s really magical,” she says. “it happens right in the air. It’s one second and I have legs. .. It’s really pretty amazing.”

Like many in the audience, Woods was the kid who knew all the songs from the movie. All those songs are in the musical, but additional songs round out the show. There’s more about the father-daughter relationship between Ariel and King Triton, and there’s more about the prejudice between humans and mer-people. It makes the experience more relatable to the parents in the audience, she says.

For the kids, while Woods can’t actually see them, she says she can feel their energy. “They are laughing and they are talking to us,” she says. “That’s the best part. They are in the story with us.” She’s been told they are standing on their chairs and pretending to swim. “It’s really special to be part of something that brings such happiness to kids and parents. It’s very joyful, very alive and magical. It’s Disney.”

Woods knows she’s very lucky to be doing this show. She has to pinch herself to make sure it’s real.

“Anyone who knows me knows this is the ultimate role and experience,” she says. “It’s quite literally a dream come true.”

“The Little Mermaid”

When: 8 p.m. Sept. 29-Oct. 3, 2 p.m. Oct. 3, and 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Oct. 4.

Where: Bass Concert Hall, 2350 Robert Dedman Drive.

Tickets: Starting at $35-$115

Information: texasperformingarts.org

What are you doing for Austin Museum Day on Sunday?

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The new planetarium at the Texas Museum of Science & Technology will allow the museum to show different types of star shows as well as do star talks before.

The new planetarium at the Texas Museum of Science & Technology will allow the museum to show different types of star shows as well as do star talks before.

I love Austin Museum Day because not only does it get families to museums and they get to go for free, but also museums come up with some really fun events to go with their exhibits.

Here is a selection of what this year’s museums are offering for families:

The Austin History Center has an exhibit “Making the Grade: Austin’s First Public Schools,” which could be fun for your kids to compare. 810 Guadalupe St. austinhistorycenter.org.

The Austin Nature & Science Center will let you see up close the creatures that live in your back yard. 301 Nature Center Drive. austintexas.gov/department/austin-nature-and-science-center.

The Blanton Museum of Art offers an Art Quest for you to explore the galleries and make your own art. 200 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. blantonmuseum.org.

Blanton docent Gary Kattner, right, reads a book for (left to right) Mandy Kutz, and daughter Effie, 3, Cate Bowman, 3, and mother Jillian Bontke Bowman during a Storytime tour in the Blanton Museum of Art in 2014. Julia Robinson/ FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN.

Blanton docent Gary Kattner, right, reads a book for (left to right) Mandy Kutz, and daughter Effie, 3, Cate Bowman, 3, and mother Jillian Bontke Bowman during a Storytime tour in the Blanton Museum of Art in 2014. Julia Robinson/ FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN.

The Contemporary Austin opens up its Laguna Gloria site for an Art and Nature event. Watch artists demonstrations and explore the grounds. 3809 W. 35th St. thecontemporaryaustin.org.

Head to the Dougherty Arts Center to learn to be a street artists, practice print making and play in a Pop-Up Maker Space. 1110 Barton Springs Road. austintexas.gov/dac.

The Texas Department of Public Safety’s museum will have police cars, drug dogs, a crime lab, road safety exhibits, horse patrol and more. Kids can get Junior Trooper badges. 5805 N. Lamar Blvd. txdpsmuseum.com.

Kids run in the Nature's Spiral at the Luci and Ian Family Garden.  DEBORAH CANNON / AMERICAN-STATESMAN

Kids run in the Nature’s Spiral at the Luci and Ian Family Garden at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. DEBORAH CANNON / AMERICAN-STATESMAN

Elizabet Ney Museum offers Portraiture in the Park. Create masks, enjoy photo booths, make a clay bust and more. 304 E. 44th St. austintexas.gov/Elisabetney

The French Legation Museum will be having tours and games and hands-on activities on the lawn. Bring a picnic and enjoy the big oak trees. 802 San Marcos St. earlyaustin.org.

The Jourdan-Bachman Pioneer Farms has some new exhibits and demonstrations in this historical adventure park. 10621 Pioneer Farms Drive. PioneerFarms.org.

Go on a scavenger hunt, listen to a story and play games and blow bubbles at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. 4801 La Crosse Ave. wildflower.org.

Learn how piñatas are made and make one of your own at Mexic-Arte Museum. 419 Congress Ave. mexic-artemuseum.org.

Visit with Civil War re-enactors and churn ice cream, plus play old-fashioned games at the Neill-Cochran Museum. 2310 San Gabriel St. nchmuseum.org.

The O. Henry Museum, the Susanna Dickenson House and the Austin Fire Museum lets you create your own haiku and take photos of some of the museums’ historical subjects. 409 and 411 E. Fifth St. www.ohenrymuseum.org.

At the Republic of Texas Museum, you can play in Grannie’s Backyard and kitchen, dress in frontier clothes and meet some of the Texas originators. 501 E. Anderson Lane. drtinfo.org.

Bring your rocks and fossils to get them identified at the Texas Memorial Museum‘s Identification Day. 2400 Trinity St. D1500. texasmemorialmuseum.org.

Head to the Texas Military Forces Museum to see demonstrations of leather making and weaponry, plus make a plastic model. 2200 W. 35th St. texasmilitaryforcesmuseum.org

The French Legation Museum is having a one-day camp on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The French Legation Museum offers old-fashioned games for Museum Day.

The Williamson Museum allows kids to create a 1920s fashion by making boater hats. 716 S. Austin Ave., Georgetown. williamsonmuseum.org.

The Texas Museum of Science and Technology has its new planetarium ready for testing. 220 Toro Grande Drive, Cedar Park. txmost.org. Read more about that planetarium here.

Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum celebrates SculptFest with live demonstrations and sculptures you can make. 605 Robert E. Lee Road. umlaufsculpture.org

Women & Their Work has a special game of “I Spy” in the gallery. 1710 Lavaca St. womenandtheirwork.org.

Enjoy the twist in Zach Theatre’s honey pot full of fun, “Winnie the Pooh”

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"Winnie the Pooh" at Zach Theatre stars Will Cleveland as Pooh, Sara Burke as Piglet. Photo by Kirk Tuck

“Winnie the Pooh” at Zach Theatre stars Will Cleveland as Pooh, Sara Burke as Piglet. Photo by Kirk Tuck

“Winnie the Pooh,” Zach Theatre’s opening musical in this year’s family series, lets children into the secret of theater. It starts with musician Allen Robertson warming up the audience by teaching the “Winnie the Pooh” dance.

"Winnie the Pooh" at Zach Theatre stars Russel Taylor, Will Cleveland, J. Quinton Johnson, Allen Robertson, and Sara Burke. Credit: Kirk Tuck

“Winnie the Pooh” at Zach Theatre stars Russel Taylor, Will Cleveland, J. Quinton Johnson, Allen Robertson, and Sara Burke.
Credit: Kirk Tuck

Later he appears on stage with the crew of the play: a set designer, a prop master, a stage hand and a costumer. They are going about their business, but suddenly they notice that there is an audience. Robertson declares, that no, it’s not an audience, it’s the backup dancers. This, of course, brings some giggles.

Indeed, there is an audience, and we’re told that we’ve come two weeks too early. But wait, we’ve paid money for this show! The behind-the-scenes crew will just have to put on the musical for us. They find the book on stage and begin sorting out who will play what.

It’s a delightful twist to this classic tale and the musical, which was written in 1964 by le Clanche du Rand with music from Allan J. Friedman and lyrics by author A.A. Milne and Kristin Sergel. The musical originally just starts with Pooh doing his morning exercises, not this behind-the-scenes crew turned actors vignette.

"Winnie the Pooh" at Zach Theatre stars Will Cleveland as Pooh. Credit: Kirk Tuck

“Winnie the Pooh” at Zach Theatre stars Will Cleveland as Pooh.
Credit: Kirk Tuck

The twist allows a young audience to not have to suspend disbelief. We know it’s not really a bear, an owl, a kangaroo, a piglet, a rabbit and a donkey. Instead, it’s an adult stage crew trying to play legendary animal characters. We see them try to transform into these animals by finding hats, scarves, shirts, jackets and aprons to fit their characters. We see them give one another stage directions, such as rabbits hop, so hop more.

"Winnie the Pooh" at Zach Theatre stars Sara Burke as Piglet and Russel Taylor as Eeyore. Credit: Kirk Tuck

“Winnie the Pooh” at Zach Theatre stars Sara Burke as Piglet and Russel Taylor as Eeyore.
Credit: Kirk Tuck

The fun is that the crew is very similar to their animal characters. The set designer who is chosen to play Pooh (Will Cleveland) is also a slow-motion kind of guy. The costumer (Sara Burke) has a ton of energy and positivity, perfect for Piglet and Roo. She also has the smarts of Owl. Another stage hand (J. Quinton Johnson) becomes the leader and narrator, qualities like Christopher Robin and Rabbit. The highlight is Russel, (Russel Taylor), who has as much enthusiasm as Eeyore, as he gets dragged into this production to play Eeyore and later awkwardly Kanga. He brought the biggest laughs, especially during the song-and-dance numbers.

Throughout, Allen Robertson plays the on-stage musician and coaches the crew-turned-actors on how to sing.

The kids in the audience of Friday night’s opener loved being part of the action. They loved being asked to dance and do the movements with the actors on stage; after all, they are the backup dancers, right? They loved with the actors talked to them.

If you come into this musical thinking you’re going to see a straight version of “Winnie the Pooh,” you might be disappointed, but probably you’ll be delighted with the change.

Zach Theatre’s education director Nat Miller, who directs this show, doesn’t do things in traditional ways. Last year, “The Three Little Pigs” were rock stars. Cinderella was alive in the imagination of a bilingual girl who created her out of a funnel with a doiley on it in “Cenicienta.”

This year, Zach is presenting a storybook season with “Winnie the Pooh,” running now through Dec. 12, the bilingual “Tomás and the Library Lady,” Jan. 15-Feb. 14; “James and the Giant Peach,” Feb. 19-April 10; and “Alice in Wonderland,” March 4-May 14. We can’t wait to see the twists that Miller finds for “James” and “Alice.”

“Winnie the Pooh.” 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 12. An autism and sensory-friendly performance is scheduled for 11 a.m. Oct. 31. $15-$20. Kleberg Theatre, 202 S. Lamar Blvd. zachtheatre.org.

The best 25 children’s museums: Where’s the Thinkery? Not there

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Ben Villalpando does his own engineering at the Thinkery over winter break. Nicole Villalpando/American-Statesman Staff

Ben Villalpando does his own engineering at the Thinkery over winter break. He gave up after not having the right parts to build his bridge. A simple L-shaped piece would do it. 
Nicole Villalpando/American-Statesman Staff

Today the folks at Early Childhood Education Zone released its list of 25 best children’s museums. The Thinkery is not on there. That’s not surprising to me. I’ve been to four of the best: Houston, the Exploritorium in San Francisco, Pittsburgh, and the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. I’ve also been to the one in San Jose, Calif., which is usually on these lists.

I’ve also been to some duds, where the kids get easily bored or there’s not a lot to do, or there’s stuff to do if you are 4 years old to 8 years old, but anything younger or older, not much.

The Thinkery is a huge improvement from what we had. It grew by leaps and bounds, and offers a lot more for kids of all ages, but it’s still too small for a city our size.

What I have seen with my own kids is that the first time they spent a lot of time at the Thinkery and were impressed. The next time less. The time after that less. Where we have spent a day at all the places we’ve been that made the list and have had to drag people out of there, we haven’t been able to spend more than two hours at the Thinkery before we’ve felt like we’ve done it. Perhaps, it’s that the Thinkery opened when they were 10 and 13 and we missed the train too much. Perhaps, there’s something more about it that didn’t click. Or maybe it’s just my kids.

There are many cool workshops at the Thinkery that they would love to do, but you have to pay extra and not a little extra… $29-$45 extra. The Thinkery feels like it’s catering to a population that already can afford enrichment activities for their children.

Ava Villalpando created this  Little Red Riding Hood at the Pittsburgh Children's Museum. They have an open play area where you can build things or sew things. You are given the materials and an adult helper. She spent two half days in this exhibit.

Ava Villalpando created this Little Red Riding Hood at the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum. They have an open play area where you can build things or sew things. You are given the materials and an adult helper. It doesn’t cost extra. She spent two half days in this exhibit.

If you could design your own children’s museum, what would it have in it? Here’s my list:

  1. Building activities with a variety of tools for all ages that didn’t cost extra.
  2. Exhibits that allow for more imaginative play in a variety of stations. My kids have spent hours at the Houston museum’s mini town, where they get a job, buy groceries, open a bank account.
  3. Exhibits that don’t have one answer or one activity. You get to decide how you manipulate the objects.
  4. A cafeteria option. A place inside the museum with good food where we could sit and regroup before heading back for more.
  5. More than a dedicated area for the infants and a dedicated area for the older kids. Exhibits should be multi-aged as well as offer those dedicated areas. And those areas need to have more than one basic function.
  6. Playscapes that include real-life objects as well as science activities. The best playground in the world isn’t teaching me as much as a play ground where I can crawl through a fire truck or have to use physics to make something work.
  7. More rotation of exhibits. I know we have favorites, but maybe it’s time for new and then our favorites return. It keeps us coming back.
  8. Water. We love to play with it, but it has to be in the right space, preferably near the outside to dry off and at the end of the museum to not be wet through a good chunk of the exhibits.
  9. More art and freeplay art. Kids love to create stuff and take it home. Give them the stuff and they will create. Tell them what to do, and they will be bored.
  10. Things I couldn’t do at home. I can play in the bath tub and manipulate water, and I can set up my own play kitchen or store. I want bigger and more elaborate when I come to a museum.

Here is their list of best children’s museums. Which ones would you add?

Boston Children’s Museum – Boston, MA

California Science Center – Los Angeles, CA

Center for Puppetry Arts – Atlanta, GA

Children’s Museum of Cleveland – Cleveland, OH

Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh- Pittsburgh, PA

Children’s Museum – Indianapolis, IN

Children’s Museum of Denver – Denver, CO

Children’s Museum of Houston – Houston, TX

Children’s Museum of Phoenix – Phoenix, AZ

Discovery Place, Charlotte, NC

EDVenture – Columbia, SC

Exploration Place – Wichita, KS

Exploratorium – San Francisco, CA

Garden State Discovery Museum – Cherry Hill, NJ

Glazer Children’s Museum – Tampa, FL

Kohl Children’s Museum – Chicago, IL

Madison Children’s Museum – Madison, WI

Minnesota Children’s Museum – St. Paul, MN

Museum of Science and Industry – Chicago, IL

Please Touch Museum – Philadelphia, PA

Port Discovery Children’s Museum – Baltimore, MD

Portland Children’s Museum – Portland, OR

The Strong – Rochester, New York

The Treehouse Museum – Ogden, UT

WOW Children’s Museum – Lafayette, CO

Chelsea Clinton talks about new book, children as advocates, before BookPeople visit

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Chelsea Clinton signs copies of her new book, "It's Your World," at Barnes and Noble last week in New York City. Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images

Chelsea Clinton signs copies of her new book, “It’s Your World,” at Barnes and Noble last week in New York City. Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images

Saturday Chelsea Clinton celebrates her daughter, Charlotte’s, first birthday with “lots of balloons and bubbles” including Sesame Street character balloons. Charlotte loves the “Sesame Street” including her stuffed Elmo and the Grover book “The Monster at the End of This Book.”

Even though Charlotte has not yet seen an episode, “Sesame Street is already big in our house,” Clinton said in a phone interview Thursday.

Charlotte is part of the inspiration behind Clinton’s new book “It’s Your World: Get Informed, Get Inspired & Get Going!” — a book to encourage kids and teens to become informed about the issues facing their communities and their world, as well as to get them active in creating solutions. Clinton will be at BookPeople Oct. 8 reading and signing from her book.

She says she had been thinking about “It’s Your World” before she became pregnant, but the pregnancy and motherhood added more attentiveness to the project. “I felt even more inspired and enthusiastic about trying to write (It’s Your World),” she says.

She remembers reading “50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth,” when she was in elementary school. She became part of creating that school’s recycling program. She also would cut the plastic rings around soda cans and glue them onto cardboard. Then she would had out the cardboard to her friends, neighbors and grandparent’s neighbors to encourage them to cut the rings to protect birds from choking.

Chelsea Clinton's new book, "It's Your World: Get Informed, Get Inspired & Get Going." KENT D. JOHNSON/KDJOHNSON@AJC.COM

Chelsea Clinton’s new book, “It’s Your World: Get Informed, Get Inspired & Get Going.” KENT D. JOHNSON/KDJOHNSON@AJC.COM

“I hope ‘It’s Your World’ impacts one kid the same way ’50 Simple Things’ impacted me,” she says.

Clinton continues to volunteer at a variety of organizations as she did throughout her childhood. Many of her volunteer work in high school and college were kept private. Only now as an adult does her service work sometimes get publicized, she says, specifically to encourage others to volunteer as well.

Growing up in Arkansas and Washington, D.C., she knew she was growing up “blessed” compared with the people around her. Her grandmother told her she needed to “expand her circle of blessings. It had a profound impact on me,” she says.

“It’s Your World” not only outlines the problems of poverty, diseases, access to education and gender equality kids in American and around the world face, it highlights organizations and kids that are making a difference. Some of the featured kids she knew about through the Clinton Foundation, on which she serves as vice chair; others she heard about through the organizations she highlighted and through other inspirational kids she found.

On the book tour, she’s now been able to meet face-to-face with some of the kids in the book. “It’s so fun,” she says.

Rather than telling kids what they should be passionate about, she’s a big believer in adults asking kids what moves them. Some kids will read the whole book and then decide what they want to do, she says. Other kids, might just read the portion that they care about. She sees the book as helping them have information to be informed.

For her own daughter, she says, “I hope that Charlotte feels a responsibility to help make an impact on whatever she cares about. As a mom, I can help her find her way.”

She’ll wait for Charlotte to tell her what issues she really cares about. “I can’t wait to hear the answer to that.”

“It’s Your World: Get Informed, Get Inspired & Get Going!”

Chelsea Clinton

$18.99, Philomel Books

Chelsea Clinton book-signing and reading

When: 7 p.m. Oct. 8

Where: BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar Blvd.

Information: bookpeople.com

Note: Tickets are required to join the signing line and available by purchasing a copy of “It’s Your World” from BookPeople. One ticket admits up to four family members. The line for signing will be a first-come, first-served line on the day of the event.

Get ready for “Hotel Transylvania 2” with a prize pack

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You could win this prize pack.

You could win this prize pack.

I have five, count them, five, “Hotel Transylvania 2” prize packs to give away. They include a cape, stationary set, blob putty, vampire fangs, activity sheet and posters. It could be fun. Want to win them? Send me an email at nvillalpando@statesman.com and include “Hotel Transylvania 2” in the subject line. You’ll need to include your address so we can send you the prizes if you win. Enter by noon Friday.

Read Dale Roe’s review of the movie here.

“The Little Mermaid” at Bass Concert Hall enchants visually, emotionally

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Alison Woods plays "The Little Mermaid" when it comes to Bass Concert Hall this month.

Alison Woods plays “The Little Mermaid” at Bass Concert Hall.

“The Little Mermaid” musical, which is onstage at Bass Concert Hall through Sunday, is magical. Characters fly through the air, skate and dance as if they are swimming through the ocean. It’s one of the few musicals that use all the stage from top to bottom, back to front. You never know where Ariel will appear next.

The musical rounds out the Disney movie by creating back story as well as letting us into the minds of more than just the lead character, Ariel. Ursula the sea witch is actually King Triton’s older sister. Who knew? Triton loves Ariel the most because she has her mother’s voice. And that mother is the reason why Triton hates humans. He thinks his wife was killed by them.

To give all this back story, the musical adds a lot of songs — a lot. More than half are not in the movie. They blend well, though, and feel like they should have been, but if you have “Little Mermaid” purists, it will be a tough sell. And if you have little ones, the hour and 23 minute movie becomes a two and a half hour musical with a 15 minute intermission. It also feels like all the secondary characters: Prince Eric, his adviser Grimsby, Ariel’s friend Flounder, the crazy seagull Scuttle, King Triton, Ariel’s sisters, and Ursula’s henchmen Flotsam and Jetsam were all given their signature song, which doesn’t always move this story forward.

Still, as a production, it is visually stunning, incredibly heartwarming and stunning. Alison Woods, who plays Ariel, has her precociousness and naiveté down. Her voice sounds straight from the movie, not an easy task considering the range that Ariel is expected to have. Jennifer Allen as Ursula is pure fun in her evilness. She gives a memorable performance and the choreography smartly uses her eight octopus legs to be characters of their own.

Also of note, the is one of the first productions at Bass Concert Hall where the sound was well done. It did not feel as if the actors were singing through mud and you could understand the lyrics almost all of the time. There was no whispers from the audience of “What did she say?” Instead, a lot of kids and even adults were repeating the lyrics or lines during intermission or after the show in approval of their cleverness.

“The Little Mermaid

When: 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday, and 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.Sunday.

Where: Bass Concert Hall, 2350 Robert Dedman Drive

Tickets: $35-$115

Information: texasperformingarts.org

 


Think about sound protection before Austin Kiddie Limits, F1 race

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Elizabeth McQueen performs for young fans at the Austin Kiddie Limits stage last year. MIGUEL GUTIERREZ JR  AMERICAN STATESMAN

Elizabeth McQueen performs for young fans at the Austin Kiddie Limits stage last year. MIGUEL GUTIERREZ JR AMERICAN STATESMAN

October brings two loud events that your kids might be attending: The F1 race Oct. 25 and ACL Fest this weekend and next. Your kids might be enjoying the Austin Kiddie Limits portion.

Rocking out and watching race cars can be hard on the ears, especially little ears. Last year, I wrote a story about ear protection for kids. Read it below.

If you are heading out to Austin Kiddie Limits, remember it’s for kids 10 and younger who have an adult with a wristband. Here’s the lineup:

Friday:

12:30 p.m. Austin School of Rock

1:30 p.m. Residual Kids

2:30 p.m. Tim Kubart with Mother Falcon

3:15 p.m. Special Guest

3:30 p.m. Justin Roberts & The Not Yet Ready for Naptime Players

Saturday:

1 p.m. Big Don

2 p.m. Tim Kubart with Mother Falcon

3 p.m. Q Brothers

3:45 p.m. Special Guest

4 p.m. Residual Kids

Sunday:

1 p.m. Big Don

2 p.m. Q Brothers

3 p.m. Austin School of Rock

3:45 p.m. Special Guest

4 p.m. Justin Roberts & The Not Yet Ready for Naptime Players

Oct. 9:

12:30 p.m. Big Don

1:30 p.m. Q Brothers

2:30 p.m. Mister G

3:15 p.m. Special Guest

3:30 p.m. EmiSunshine

Oct. 10

1 p.m. Austin School of Rock

2 p.m. Mister G

3 p.m. EmiSunshine

3:45 p.m. Special Guest

4 p.m. The Pop Ups

Oct. 11

1 p.m. Austin School of Rock

2 p.m. Q Brothers

3 p.m. Motown Pete

3:45 p.m. Special Guest

4 p.m. The Pop Ups

If you’re not heading to Kiddie limits and want to hear some music with the kids, head to the Domain on Sunday. Hush Hush Music Bash is happening from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday at the Amy Donovan Plaza.

Here’s the lineup:

4 p.m. Elizabeth McQueen

5 p.m. Mario the Magician

6 pm. Tim Kubart and Mother Falcon

There’s also games from the Microsoft Store, cupcake decorating and more.

Bring your earplugs for F1’s loud events

The roar of the Formula One race cars, that’s exciting, right? But if you’re headed to the track with your family, that might not be the best thing for ears young and old.

Much has been written about the quieter engines of this year’s cars, going from about 145 decibels to 134 decibels. Audiologist Dr. Heather M. Lamberth of Austin Regional Clinic explains what those

numbers mean to you and your family’s ears. A rock concert is similar to a chainsaw at about 110 decibels. That means after about two minutes you’ve damaged the hair cells in your ear’s cochlea that allow you to hear. Immediate damage happens at about 140, similar to a jet engine taking off or an F1 race car. The damage is permanent and cumulative, Lamberth says. You’re born with a certain number of cochlear hair cells, and they don’t grow back.

Afterward, your ears might feel full or be ringing. That ringing might go away or might not. For young children, the worry is that hearing loss can affect communication development and their ability to succeed in school.

The best thing to do is to wear earplugs. If your family goes to concerts or loud events a lot, you might want earplugs that are fitted to you that filter out the noise so you can still have a conversation; it’s just not as loud.

If you’re only occasionally at a loud event, pick up some earplugs at a drugstore. Look for the Noise Reduction Rating and pick the highest one you can get. Usually that will be between a 28 to 35 decibel reduction.

Even though Lamberth is concerned about the loudness of F1 or a concert, it’s what our kids are doing every day that might be why researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston found a 31 percent increase in hearing loss for preteens and teens ages 12-19 from 1988-1994 compared with 2005-2006. You know that smartphone and its ear buds that seem to be permanently attached to your teen and preteen? Those personal listening devices could be to blame. Lamberth recommends your child listen to the iPod at 50 percent or less of the maximum volume. Maximum volume would be about 115 decibels. As you walk by your child, you should not be able to hear her music.

If you think your child has had some hearing loss, isn’t responding to loud noise or has had frequent ear infections, get her hearing checked.

And just in case you wanted to know, loud yelling at the teenager is only 80-90 decibels, and they can go hours listening to that without hurting their ears or getting the message.

Parents magazine’s Best Toys of 2015: Is your favorite toy on the list?

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GoldieBlox Craft-struction Box is on the list.

GoldieBlox Craft-struction Box is on the list.

Parents magazine came up with its Best Toys of 2015. Below are some of the toys on the list.

Are your favorites here? What toys are not on the list that you think should be?

Get the complete list here and watch the video of the testing out the toys here.

 

Birth to 12 Months:

  • Fisher-Price Dance & Move BeatBo, $40 at Fisher-Price.com
  • Yookidoo Gymotion Robo Playland, $70 at Amazon.com
  • Playskool Fold ‘n Go Busy Elephant, $25 at HasbroToyshop.com
  • Estella Baby Security Blanket, $30 at Estella-NYC.com
  • Skip-Hop Explore & More Rocking Owl Stacker, $16 at SkipHop.com
  • Chewbeads Baby Gramercy Stroller Toy, $15 at Chewbeads.com
  • Tiny Love Rock & Ball, $15 at Amazon.com
  • Little Tikes Lil’ Ocean Explorers 1-in-1 Adventure Course, $80 at LittleTikes.com

 

Toddlers:

  • Playskool Play All Day Elmo, $60 at HasbroToys.com
  • Chicco Fit & Fun Mini Golf, $25 at ChiccoShop.com
  • Haba Croco Kuno Dragon Crawling Tunnel, $70 at HabaUSA.com
  • LeapFrog Number Lovin’ Oven, $25 at ToysRUs.com
  • Tomy Push Me Pull Me Puppy, $30 at Amazon.com
  • VTech Sit-to-Stand Ultimate Alphabet Train, $50 at VTechKids.com

 

You can never go wrong with a classic box of Legos.

You can never go wrong with a classic box of Legos.

Preschoolers:

  • Jakks Pacific Hulk Smash, $70 at Walmart.com
  • Spin Master Bunchems, $25 at ToysRUs.com
  • Fisher-Price Spinnyos Giant Yo-ller Coaster, $50 at ToysRUs.com
  • Mattel Barbie Color, Cut, and Curl Deluxe Styling Head, $30 at Kmart.com
  • LeapFrog Epic Kids’ Tablet, $140 at BestBuy.com
  • Lego Classic Large Creative Brick Box, $60 at Lego.com
  • Doc McStuffins Pet Vet Checkup Center, $80 at ToysRUs.com
  • Crayola Color Wonder Light-Up Stamper, $25 at Crayola.com
  • International Playthings Buddy’s Balloon Launch, $20 at intplay.com
  • Spin Master Paw Patrol Patroller, $60 at Target.com
  • Hasbro Jurassic World Chomping Velociraptor Head, $20 at HasbroToyshop.com
  • Educational Insights Design & Drill BrightWorks, $40 at Amazon.com
  • Hasbro FurReal Friends StarLily, My Magical Unicorn, $120 at HasbroToyshop.com

 

Ages 5 and Up:

  • Gerd Hahn’s Worry Eaters, starting at $16 at HaywireGroup.com
  • Uncle Milton T-Rexcavator, $20 at Unclemilton.com
  • Zing Firetek Zeon Bow, $15 at Walmart.com
  • Jakks Pacific Aladdin Magic Genie Lamp, $17 at Target.com
  • Hasbro Super Bumblebee, $50 at HasbroToyshop.com
  • Spin Master Zoomer Kitty, $100 at ToysRUs.com
  • Smak-a-Ball, $24 at FatBrainToys.com
  • Disney Playmation Marvel Avengers, $120 at DisneyStore.com
  • Lakeshore Learning My First Weaving Loom, $30 at LakeshoreLearning.com
  • PlayWheels Frozen Convertible Ice Skates, $50 at ToysRUs.com
  • GoldieBlox Craft-struction Box, $40 at Goldieblox.com
  • Mattel View-Master, $30 at Target.com
  • Crayola Color Alive Action Coloring Pages, $6 at Crayola.com
  • American Girl Truly Me, $115 at AmericanGirl.com
  • WowWee MiPosaur, $120 at Target.com
  • Anki Overdrive Starter Kit, $150 at Anki.com
  • Mattel Minecraft Stop-Motion Movie Creator, $33 at MattelShop.com
  • Klutz Finger Knitting, $22 at Klutz.com
  • Educational Insights Read My List! Game, $15 at Amazon.com
  • Yomega Kendama Pro, $20 at Yomega.com

Here’s an interesting idea: Aqueduck to make bathtub safer

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Aqueduck extends the bathtub faucet and makes it less likely to bonk a head against the metal part.

Aqueduck extends the bathtub faucet and makes it less likely to bonk a head against the metal part.

More than once my kids have bonked their heads on the tub faucet. The Aqueduck Bath Extender might have saved a few bumps. It brings the water out from the faucet, which makes washing a head underneath the faucet easier and safer. There’s also an Aquaduck for sink faucets, which make it easier for kids to reach the faucet. Aqueduck products are on peachyco.com and amazon.com. They sell for $12.99.

Want to see “Jem and the Holograms”? I have free tickets

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In the 1980s, Jem, from "Jem and the Holograms" looked like this.

In the 1980s, Jem, from “Jem and the Holograms” looked like this.

The new movie looks like this.

The new movie looks like this.

“Jem is truly outrageous, Truly, truly, truly outrageous. Woah! Jem!” Sing it with me. The cartoon from the 1980s about an all-girl rock band is back in a live-action version from the people who made “Pitch Perfect.”

I’ve got 10 sets of three tickets to the screening on Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m. at Regal Gateway to give away. Want them? Email me at nvillalpando@statesman.com with your name and phone number and put Jem in the subject line. I’ll give them away at noon on Oct. 16.

Heading to the Texas Book Festival with kids this weekend? Watch this

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Today I offer a video tips of things to bring, things to consider before you head to the Texas Book Festival this weekend. Have additional tips? Share them with us in the comments section.

 

 

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