Zilladog

ZillaDog.com: A Save and Easy Website for Kids

ZillDog has games from Club Penguin, Disney, Neopets, Cartoon Network, Pokemon, and Nickelodeon. They can play Sonic games and also log on to and access their Webkinz pet. Includes links to Radio Disney and KidsBop, as well as movie trailers of current movies. All of these can be accessed without a log in.

"ZillaMail is a web based email system that is safe for children, is spam free and parent password protected." There is a one-time fee of $9.95.

Bay Area Girls

B.A.G. (Bay Area Girls)
Live music, Tween band

An all girls band of five 11- and 12-year old girls perform originals, as well as covers from Miley Cyrus, Michelle Branch, Kelly Clarkson, Michelle Branch, Avril Lavigne, and more. I haven't seen this band yet, but it's cool to listen and watch them perform their original "Summer" on their website.

They will be playing soon in my city, at San Mateo Central Park. Learn more at their B.A.G. website. I know this isn't media; I just appreciated that it's a local group of girls rockin' out.

Aqua Kids

Aqua Kids

"Ready to make a difference? Building a better planet starts with you."

This TV show is hosted by Molly, an educator, and a group of tweens and teens. The intent of the show is to introduce youth to marine and aquatic environments. In show episodes, the team visits locations to learn about the setting and interview professionals. Material is information- and fact-based and presented in a manner understandable , as well as interesting and appealing to youth.

The companion website Aqua Kids website has show video clips and links to the organizations that they visit.

Paper Fantastic

Paper Fantastic - 50 Creative Projects to Fold, Cut, Glue, Paint and Weave (2004) by Joe Rhatigan and Rain Newcomb. 111 pages.

ISBN: 1-57990-476-9

Tweens are pictured throughout out this paper crafts book. Each craft has clearly described, step-by-step instructions accompanied by photos to show the steps as well. Appealing craft projects are appropriate and complicated enough for tweens. Project topics cover a good range: decorating, cutting and folding paper, origami, paper mache and gluing paper.

The Children's Baking Book

The Children's Baking Book - More than 50 delicious step-by-step recipes (2009) by Denise Smart. 128 pages.

SBN: 978-0-7566-5788-8

Recipes for cookies and baked goods, breads and dough, pastries and tarts, and cakes are presented in the the typical Dorling Kindersley (DK Eyewitnees books) style with clear, colorful, pop-off-the-page photographs. All the recipes follow the same format with ingredients and tools listed in text boxes. Each step of the recipes is explained in clear, simple text accompanied by a photograph to show the step in action.

Appealing, easy-to-follow recipes will be very attractive to tweens. (I want to make the toffee squares :-)

12 Again

12 Again (2002) by Sue Corbett. 227 Pages.
ISBN: 978-0-14-240729-5

This story is told from the alternating perspectives of 7th grader Patrick and his mom, Bernadette McBride. On her fortieth birthday and Bernadette wakes up and she's twelve years old. Now, she's also a 7th grader and attends class with Patrick. Patrick has now idea what's happened to his mom and now must attend to his brothers. Life is complicated.

The Basket Counts

The Basket Counts (2000) by Arnold adoff and illustrated by Michael Weaver. 47 pages.

ISBN: 0-689-80108-4

A collection of poetry about playing basketball. Text formatting is playful, enhancing meaning. Colorful expressive llustrations show teens, girls and boys, of various ethnicities playing basketball. Games take place in urban street settings. Expressive and appealing for tweens.