Not long after my last book, Dreamland, came out, I was speaking in the small town of Portsmouth, Ohio, where part of that book is set. After my speech, an older couple—thin, short, and pale—came up to a table where I was signing books. We were alone. Quietly, so only I could hear, the man said that their daughter was in prison for many years for a crime related to her opioid addiction. He said they were raising her young daughter and didn’t know what to do. They were exhausted. They were concerned they wouldn’t live long enough to see the girl through to adulthood. He was a man of few words and no tears. He looked shell-shocked. “It’s so...
And this time it’s personal. For weeks now, our reporter Mr. Sato has travelled all over Japan – from Tokyo to Oita, but not much in between – in search of Japan’s Best Home Senbero which is a set of alcohol and food that costs about 1,000 yen ($8.78). What started as a playful experiment has now turn into a race against time as Mr. Sato’s increasingly strong senbero powers led to the demonic possession of his co-worker Masanuki Sunakoma. With finding the best senbero in the country Mr. Sato’s only key to saving Masanuki, he continues his journey, selflessly eating and drinking as much as he can. This time Mr. Sato is going to “OK” which is the slightly...
Enlarge / Many kids (and adults) don't much like broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and other types of cruciferous vegetables. Taste perception is complicated, but per a new study, our unique oral microbiomes might be one reason why. (credit: DNY59/Getty Images) For many people, nothing is less tantalizing than a big plate of steamed cruciferous vegetables at dinner. Yes, it's supposed to be good for us, but that bitter taste is just too overpowering and unpleasant. This is especially true for young children, as any frustrated parent can attest. But an aversion to broccoli, cauliflower, and similar foods is not just people being finicky; some genetics are at play. And according to a recent paper in the Journal of Agricultural and...
Click here to read Walking Water Science Experiment – And Expert Tips on Hands On As We Grow® Today, I want to share this walking water experiment — which I’ve wanted to with my kids for ages. We just love simple science experiments in our house! I’ve tried it a little bit here and there without much success. This time we made sure to find out what wasn’t working and why. Of course, we added in a little learning into the fun by mixing colors in the process! My kids were super excited to see what colors we would make. To Do This Walking Water Experiment You’ll Need: paper towels (the cheaper, less absorbent the better; toilet paper works too.) 3...
While plenty of us are hooked by reading as children, it might feel intimidating to get back into the world of middle grade books today as adults. Referring to books published for the 8–12 age range, middle grade books are those classic novels you devoured as a child. In a middle grade novel, anything is possible, and the age group is diverse in genres and formats. With authors experimenting with new types of literature, today’s middle grade books can even be in newer formats, like novels in verse or graphic novels. But where do you begin with an epic industry of books written for children when you’ve been out of the game a while? It’s overwhelming to dip your toes...
