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A Death Star, drawn by my five year old.

As a parent, there are many days when things go very badly, days when you feel you are not cut out for raising cats, let alone tiny humans. But then some days you beam with pride knowing you got it right. My five-year-old twin sons are nice to each other (unless a dispute over Matchbox cars arises). They try new foods (unless they look icky). They always let me finish my requests before they ignore them. And now, now they are learning to be good geeks.

It all started so simply. My husband and I were minding our own business playing Angry Birds on our iPads. Our sons, future geeks that they are, were instantly attracted to the buttons, sounds, and pictures. It was as if they were born to understand a touch screen. And oh how we laughed at those silly piggies and crazy birds. The sound of wood crashing and wingless birds smashing was the sound of family time. As each new iteration became available, we had one more carrot to dangle in front of our future nerds.

And then it happened. Angry Birds Star Wars was released. The boys had already taken to Angry Birds Space like, well, like geeks to video games. We had been having some fabulous discussions about space travel and planets. We even watched the NASA video demonstrating how the birds would move in space. We had implanted an idea. Space = cool.

I figured they would just see the Star Wars game as another space mission, but I underestimated the nerd blood that pulses through their veins. As soon as the title cards scrolled on the screen in that familiar pattern, they instinctively knew this was something special. We had made space even better. The birds had names. The planets were different and wonderful. There was a story that Mommy and Daddy told with each new discovery.

And now, here we are; we have two boys who spend their free time at school drawing the Death Star and Tie Fighters. To say I'm proud would be an understatement.

Having successfully indoctrinated the boys into one of our geek loves, we know we can add others. You can too; here's how.

(Image via Seanmfreese)

We’re readers. We like books. I think that goes without saying. We also like giving and receiving books as gifts, but those actions bring their own special set of problems. When you pick out a book for yourself, you know what you like and what you’re in the mood to read, but how does that translate into picking books for other people? Conversely, how do your nearest and dearest pick books for you? And (horror!) what happens if you don’t like the book you’re given?

I’ve received some awesome books as gifts (like Yiddish with Dick and Jane from a friend who knew I was about to start working toward my MA in Jewish Studies). I’ve also received some epic stinkers. Interestingly, both bookish gifts were from the same well-meaning friend. I’ve recommended books to people that they’ve enjoyed (like City and the City) and books they just couldn’t get into (like Perdido Street Station), and both of these recommendations were by the same author and to the same friend.

So, really, what the heck?

Curious about what kind of educator's guides, reader's group guides, and event kits we've got? Follow us on Pinterest or scroll below! 

EDUCATOR'S GUIDES

The Tales from Lovecraft Middle School Series: Good news! You can download educator's guides for Charles Gilman's spooky middle grade series! This includes Professor Gargoyle, The Slither Sisters, and Teacher's Pest. Click the links below to access them all on the Lovecraft Middle School website.

Professor Gargoyle | The Slither Sisters | Teacher's Pest | Substitute Creature

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The Nick & Tesla Series: Bring Science Bob and Steve Hockensmith's charming middle grade series into the classroom, thanks to these educator's guides. You can download guides for High-Voltage Danger Lab and Robott Army Rampage via the links below on the Nick & Tesla website. A guide for Secret Agent Gadget Battle and Super Cyborg Gadget Glove will be coming soon! 

High-Voltage Danger Lab | Robot Army Rampage | Secret Agent Gadget Battle | Super Cyborg Gadget Glove | Special Effects Spectacular

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William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Hark! An educator's guide is available for thee… alright, our New York Times bestselling author Ian Doescher is way better at that. Bring his series into the classroom with these handy guides. 

William Shakespeare's Star Wars | The Empire Striketh Back | The Jedi Doth Return | The Phantom of Menace | The Clone Army Attacketh | The Tragedy of the Sith's Revenge

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READER'S GROUP GUIDES

The Last Policeman Series: Bringing The Last Policeman into your book club? Well good news! We've got a reader's group guide for The Last Policeman, Countdown City and World of Trouble. Download them via the links below.

The Last Policeman | Countdown City | World of Trouble

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AUTHORLESS EVENT KITS

Find Momo: Andrew zips around the country in his yellow van all the time. But, in the event you can't get him out to your bookstore, we've got a great authorless event kit you can download. Check it out here. 

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children: If Ransom can't make it to your bookstore because he's busy rummaging around for new vintage photos, you can download this fantastic authorless event kit here.

Lovecraft Middle School: Chances are, Charles Gilman is busy researching Cthulu lore along the shores of the Schuylkill in Philadelphia. You can get information on how to get an authorless event kit here, which will help you create a fun event. 

The Nick & Tesla Series: Excited to share the adventures of Nick & Tesla with your bookstore or classroom? We've put together a fun event kit, just for you. 

Jane Austen Cover to Cover: We've got a special kit so you can have your own Jane Austen Cover to Cover GALLERY SHOW. That's right! Download the free kit on Scribd, here. 

Now is the time to meditate on the year past, memories had, friends and family we loved and also missed, the work we did, and time we spent. Now is the time to plan, think of the future, and start again.

Whether you put down a smoke, pick up a dumbbell, or continue as you were, may your year be pleasant and spirited. Happy New Year, may it be a good one, and just as Tennyson said, here’s to ringing out the false and ringing in the true!

In the spirit of 2013, here are ten more quotes, some words of wisdom in light of the New Year, from a handful of beloved writers.

Let me preface this by saying this is the first internship I’ve had, and I’m not ready to leave! I’m a pretty busy English major and senior in college, and consequently I’ve done quite a bit of academic writing. However, I’ve never written creatively or with any other real purpose than for the ever elusive A.

Here at Quirk, I’ve had the opportunity to write Q & A sheets for authors, press releases, and BLAD letters (which go out to others in the publishing business). These writings, while heavily edited by the professionals upstairs, often start with an intern. Writing creatively but concisely is the key to having more of your language used in the final product, so get those imaginative juices flowing! I found the writing aspect of this internship the most interesting and challenging of all the tasks appointed to me. Academic writing is often dry and colorless; at Quirk, the opposite is true. (Thanks for preparing me for life, college.)

Okay, get ready for geek overload. I honestly enjoyed everything I did here, but my favorite part of spending time in Quirk HQ was just being around so many books. I found that if I needed a quick break from the task at hand, the perfect antidote to writer’s block or a sore back was to walk around the book room for a few minutes. Quirk has some really interesting titles— seriously, check out Yum Yum Bento Box, Tiny Food Party, and Breakfast for Dinner. Talk about food porn! The pictures are the best part.

Quirk is small and everyone is friendly here. I get the impression that there are a lot of young intern faces in and out of here on a regular basis, so make yourself memorable. Say hello to everyone and express interest in what is going on at Quirk! It may sound cliché, but follow the requests of Nicole, Mari, and Eric explicitly. You’re only here for a short amount of time and there’s a lot to do. The sooner you finish that mailing, the sooner you’ll (hopefully) be given another, more stimulating task.

Part of Snowman Week in Sarah Goldschadt’s Craft-A-Day, mini-snowman cupcake toppers are the perfect way to while away a chilly winter afternoon with the young people in your life. Get creative with your snowman topper—make a family of snow-people for Frosty, or have a contest to see who can make the most interesting outfit! Don’t forget the corncob pipe, and why not add a scarf and perhaps some icy jewelry while you’re at it? Plaid is all the rage in snowman fashion these days!

The possibilities are endless with Craft-A-Day’s simple handmade blue prints for projects for each day of the year.

Happy holidays, and get crafting!