Thursday, January 28, 2010

Planet of the Helicopter Parents



Remember Choose Your Own Adventure books? If you were crazy for them, as I was, you will be excited to know that they're being re-issued. I don't know how they'll fare with today's cyber-saavy kids who are used to customizing everything on their computer screen but I'm hopeful they'll be a hit again. In a time and place where children are so over-scheduled and closely-directed, kids crave control -- who doesn't really? --and here is another way to give it to them AND encourage literacy.

But this particular Choose Your Own Adventure book is not for kids, but for you.

Planet of the Helicopter Planets

Warning: the sipping of beverages while reading this may result in leaking out your nose - that's how funny Marjorie Ingall's parody is. And I'm a self-avowed helicopter parent. What slays me is the names of the kids in the playground. Atticus! Spot on.