parent & child wellness

by Meredith & Sofie Jacobs

From the bestselling authors of the Just Between Us series comes a set of conversation cards to help the whole family get beyond the chit-chat and deepen the conversation.

Housed in a sturdy and pleasing keepsake box, these conversation starters can sit on a shelf near a family gathering place, or be tossed into a bag for a road trip.

If you like, you can slip a conversation card into the display window in the front of the box. Take turns answering the question. Then flip the card over for more ways to enrich the conversation.

With more than 150 prompts, these cards generate many rich opportunities for connection, and because the questions are open-ended, they can be reused again and again.

75 cards, front and back. More than 150 prompts.

Chronicle Books. Published April 2019.

Nest Note: We also find this to be a nice activity before bed, as a kind of journalling aloud together. We have used 'the cuddle cards journal' for this same activity, and it is an absolute family favourite for children kindergarten aged right up to adults. This set from the 'just between us' series for us feels like a natural expansion of the cuddle cards journal.

Sample prompts:

Front of card: "Imagine you're my age - what's your day like?"

Back of card, digging deeper: "Imagine you're my age - what are you like?"

About the Authors:

Sofie Jacobs graduated from the University of Michigan and lives in Rockville, Maryland.

Meredith Jacobs is an award-winning columnist and author. She lives in Rockville, Maryland.

By Meredith & Sofie Jacobs

A journal to share, to hand back and forth, and communicate by pen, with helpful advice from a mother-daughter writing team. Includes writing prompts for discussing friends, school, crushes, and growing up. Fun pages for drawing pictures and making lists.

Recommended for ages 10 and up. Mothers can begin making entries when their daughters are younger, in preparation for handing it over...

Hardcover. 22 cm (8.8 inches) high.

Chronicle Books, 2010.

By Meredith & Jules Jacobs

The bestselling journal series, Just Between Us—now for moms and their sons.

This thoughtful keepsake journal is the perfect place for a mother and son to share stories and dreams, hopes and fears.

Advice, guidelines, and prompts by author Meredith Jacobs and her son pave the way to discussing everything exciting and scary about growing up, from friendships and school to positive masculinity. With plenty of free space to write about whatever's on their minds and fun pages for drawing pictures and making lists, this journal will open the lines of communication and help strengthen mother-son relationships.

• In the age of #metoo, conversations between mothers and their sons are even more important—this journal allows a safe space for sharing.
• Perfect Mother's Day gift!
• A great way to approach and share difficult challenges that boys face growing up, and share important milestones and memories.

Written by a mother (Meredith Jacobs, the award-winning coauthor of the Just Between Us series) and her son, Jules Jacobs.

Recommended for ages 10 and up. Mothers can begin making entries when their daughters are younger, in preparation for handing it over...

Hardcover. 6.5" x 8.75". 144 pages.

Chronicle Books, 2020.

Escapades for Your Life of Epic Adventure

by Caroline Paul; Illustrated by Wendy MacNaughton

 A New York Times Bestseller

From the author of You Are Mighty, a real-life derring-do woman, a collection of exhilarating stories, activities, and tips to inspire girls to pursue a life of adventure and excitement.

Why should girls miss out on the joy of adventure? They can jump off rocks, swing on ropes, and climb trees just as well as boys can. But girls often allow fear to stand in their way.

In The Gutsy Girl, author Caroline Paul emboldens girls to seek out a life of exhilaration. Once a young scaredy-cat herself, Caroline decided that fear got in the way of the life she wanted--of excitement, confidence, self-reliance, friendship, and fun. She has since flown planes, rafted big rivers, climbed tall mountains, and fought fires as one of the first female firefighters in San Francisco. In The Gutsy Girl, she shares her greatest escapades as well as those of other girls and women from throughout history, and offers engaging activities such as confidence-building stances, creating a compass, positive self-talk, and using crickets to estimate outside temperatures. Each section includes a place for girls to “journal” their adventures, thus encouraging a new generation to develop a zest for challenges and a healthy relationship to risk. The Gutsy Girl is Lean In for young girls, a book about the glorious things that happen when you unshackle from fear and open up to exhilaration. Fully illustrated and enlivened throughout by bestselling illustrator Wendy MacNaughton's whimsical pen-and-ink drawings.

Hardcover, 160 pages. Black and white illustrations throughout.

Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2016.

Reviews

From Nest Owner, Lisa Di Lorenzo: "After signing this book out of the library the third time, I decided that I just had to carry it in the shop. I read aloud to my son, 6 yrs at the time, the story of how she collected 2L milk cartons, made a large, layered, duct-taped milk carton raft with her father, and convinced other kids to sail it down river with her. There's the call to abandon ship as it's starting to sink after not too long, but it's absolutely hilarious and like all her stories, we felt in an adventurous and very free state of mind, and we had some great laughs while reading. This is a wonderful book to have in the home for all children, in my opinion! I do think that as a young girl, I'd have especially appreciated it, and I wonder if having books like these in our home library opens up the world a bit and the paradigms that we tend to think in. Overall, the book is very well-written, illustrated, edited, and printed. It's chockfull, and a great book to gift/ own for inspiration and laughs."

"A Modern Manifesto for Bravery, Perseverance, and Breaking the Tyranny of Perfection. A former firefighter and lifelong adventurer’s clarion call for the joy of adventure in a culture obsessed with risk-averse achievement." -Maria Popova, BrainPickings.org

“The perfect book for young feminists, or really any woman who needs a dose of inspiration in her life . . . Viva la Gutsy Girl!” – Buzzfeed

“Part high-energy how-to guide, part hilarious memoir, and part interactive adventure journal designed to help girls of all ages build confidence, pluck, and bravery by venturing outside.” – Outside Magazine

“Delightful . . . There's a lot here that will thrill any girl--or boy--of any age.” – San Francisco Chronicle

“Caroline Paul's inspiring and sometimes astonishing stories of the adventures that she and other great women have undertaken, alongside Wendy MacNaughton's beautiful illustrations, make The Gutsy Girl the book of the year for daredevils, doers, and dreamers of all ages.” – Cheryl Strayed, author of WILD

“Paul encourages readers--girls, specifically--to pursue lives of excitement in a book that blends elements of memoir, guidebook, and journal.” – Publishers Weekly

“If Pippi Longstocking and Sheryl Sandberg got together and penned a book for tween girls, this brilliantly written and illustrated gem would be it.” – Parent.co

“An incredible book for raising 'gutsy' girls and a must-read for adventurous women . . . Paul's book will convince any woman that she, too, is destined for a life of epic adventure--whether it's in the woods or in the boardroom.” – Quartz.com

“A must for inspiring girls of all ages--young and young at heart.” – Stanford Magazine

“Paul's exuberant prose is made even better by Wendy MacNaughton's charming illustrations, which help place us in the adrenaline-fueled scenes . . . An adventure tome, field manual, journal, and self-help book all in one, Gutsy makes an excellent gift for girls graduating elementary school, though it's a good read for anyone. The book aims to help young women widen their comfort zone, face fear, and manage insecurity.” – Sierra

“[Lost Cat] is revelatory . . . it moves easily and hilariously from one sentence and chapter to the next . . . it's ingeniously crafted . . . a fiercely charming narrative that sneaks up on a reader, just as the best fantastical books do . . . Lost Cat is an incredibly endearing work, a snapshot of the madness of loving and agonizing over and chasing after animals.” – Jillian Steinhauer, The Los Angeles Review of Books, on LOST CAT

“An uncommonly charming and wise tale.” – Alexis Madrigal, The Atlantic, on LOST CAT

“This playful, quirky book is like a cat that climbs into your lap and purrs; it's impossible not to love it.” – Gayle Brandeis, San Francisco Chronicle, on LOST CAT

“A tender, imaginative memoir infused with equal parts humor and humanity . . . an absolute treat from cover to cover.” – Maria Popova, Brain Pickings, on LOST CAT

By Meredith & Sofie Jacobs

The Just Between Us journal you know and love-now for dads and daughters! Co-written by a real-life father-daughter team! In this journal co-author of the original Just Between Us: Mother & Daughter, Sofie Jacobs, partners with her father, Jonathan Jacobs, to offer advice and prompts for fathers and daughters to express anything and everything. With sensitivity and thoughtfulness, this interactive keepsake journal provides the space and encouragement for father-daughter conversations, packed with all the essentials to cultivate shared respect and deep understanding in one of life's most important relationships. Perfect for dads and daughters who are already close, it is also a shared resource for any father-daughter pair looking to deepen their relationship!

Includes:

• Advice and guidance from a real father and daughter duo
• Writing and drawing prompts to get the conversation started-and keep it going
• Pages for drawing funny pictures and making ambitious lists
• Plenty of free space for writing about whatever is on both of your minds

BESTSELLING JOURNAL SERIES: First published more than ten years ago, Just Between Us: Mother & Daughter is the original bestselling mother-daughter journal. This latest addition to the series-written by a real dad and daughter duo!-contains all-new prompts and art, perfect for longtime fans and new journalers alike.

DELUXE KEEPSAKE: Complete with two ribbon-markers so that both father and daughter can mark their place, this colorful, highly-illustrated hardcover journal makes for the perfect gift to fill now and treasure for years to come.

DAD & DAUGHTER CONNECTION: There are so many benefits to kids-girls especially-when they have an active and engaged father, from health and IQ to stable jobs and relationships. Just Between Us encourages regular, active communication, ensuring that when you need each other most, you're there for one another.

A POWERFUL TOOL: This journal helps facilitate necessary conversations in fun, funny, and heartwarming ways by offering a safe space to be honest. Writing removes a layer of awkwardness by providing some distance, and encourages vulnerability and truthfulness in those more reluctant to share.

Perfect for:

• Daughters and mothers looking for the perfect birthday or Father's Day gift for dad
• Resource for mothers, fathers, or stepparents looking for bonding activities for their families
• Families familiar with the original journal who are eager for new content
• Fans of Wreck This Journal and Why a Daughter Needs a Dad or anyone looking for a high-value interactive journal for dads or stepdads

Recommended for ages 10 and up. Fathers can begin making entries when their daughters are younger, in preparation for handing it over...

Hardcover.  6-1/2 x 8-3/4 inches.  144 pages.

Chronicle Books, 2023.