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4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
36 Childhood Books That Every 2000s Kid Grew Up Reading
There was nothing like the comfort a book could give you as a child, whether it came from the words or the pictures. So here, for your nostalgic pleasure, are some of your childhood favorites. Eloise by Kay Thompson Eloise's adventures at the Plaza Hotel made me dream of visiting New York City as a little girl. The movies starring Sofia Vassilieva are just as cute! Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak Maurice Sendak's imagination knows no bounds. The "wild things" he dreamed up sure look strange, but they come across as friendly rather than fearsome. Curious George by Margaret Rey and H.A. Rey Everyone loves a mischievous little monkey. Looking back, the Man in the Yellow Hat was just as precious. Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow What's better than a mischievous little monkey? Five of them. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems Seriously, don't let him! This book had me cracking up at the library. The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister The Rainbow Fish books had the most gorgeous illustrations. Just look at those beautiful blues, greens, and purples. The Arthur Books by Marc Brown It's safe to say that Arthur is everyone's favorite anthropomorphic aardvark. Life wasn't always easy for this bespectacled creature, but with friends like Buster and Francine by his side, he could find his way out of any dilemma. A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon Whether or not you loved lima beans like Camilla as a child, this book's message of self-acceptance hit hard. It's no wonder that teachers often use it to teach kids about the importance of staying true to themselves. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst Even on a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, this book is sure to bring a smile to any reader's face. There's a little bit of Alexander in all of us. Love You Forever by Robert Munsch It's rare to see a children's book that spans several decades — but Love You Forever has a broad scope, showing how a mother's love for her son endures as time passes. The final twist just might make you tear up. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Eric Carle and Bill Martin Jr No, David! by David Shannon The Mitten by Jan Brett The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn The Berenstain Bears' Books by Stan & Jan Berenstain Stellaluna by Janell Cannon Miss Nelson is Missing! by Harry Allard Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson Corduroy by Don Freeman Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss Any book by Robert Munsch There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback Are You My Mother? by P. D. Eastman The Snowman by Raymond Briggs Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff And lastly, Biscuit by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida GOP looks to make it easier to challenge books on school shelves
A Florida law that has pushed public schools to remove thousands of books, including literary classics, from their shelves could get even more restrictive soon, as Republican lawmakers move to close a 'loophole' they say still allows volumes depicting nudity or sexual conduct to remain on campuses. New bills backed by GOP legislators would mean school districts could no longer consider a book's artistic, literary, political or scientific value when deciding whether to keep it. Instead, any book that 'describes sexual conduct' could face removal. Already, critics argue the 2023 law is unconstitutional — a pending federal lawsuit says it violates the First Amendment — and overly broad and vague. Some worried educators have removed children's picture books, such as 'No David!' by David Shannon, for showing cartoonish bare bottoms out of fear they depict the prohibited 'sexual conduct.' Classics, such as Leo Tolstoy's 'Anna Karenina' and Ernest Hemingway's 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' also have been pulled. But the current law gives districts some room to evaluate books for their merits, even if they are challenged as inappropriate. Orange County Public Schools, for example, reviewed Trevor Noah's book 'Born a Crime' after someone filed a complaint, charging it was too sexually explicit. A district committee determined that the comedian and TV host's memoir about growing up under apartheid in South Africa was a worthwhile read for interested high school students and that it did not violate the law. Senate staff members who analyzed its bill (SB 1692) suggested the new legislation could lead to further legal troubles, with the state facing additional 'challenges under the First Amendment.' But both House and Senate bills have gotten favorable committee votes by their GOP majorities. 'I thought we were done with the culture wars. I thought we were done with all of the excessive book banning, but here we are,' said Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, at a recent committee meeting, where he voted against the bill. 'I'm not sure how this helps anyone.' Florida led the nation in school book bans last school year with 4,561 instances reported in its public schools, according to PEN America, a free-speech group. Florida's book bans accounted for about 45% of all school book bans reported nationwide, the group said. But Republicans insist that Florida doesn't ban books, instead pulling inappropriate and 'pornographic' books from schools. Now, they argue the law needs to be strengthened. Rep. Dean Black, R-Jacksonville, said he didn't think his fellow committee members had seen the questionable books for themselves. 'They shouldn't be anywhere near our children. This bill fixes that,' he said as a committee approved the House bill (HB 139). Sen. Clay Yarborough, R-Jacksonville, agreed. 'If I took a picture with my phone of what is in some of these books, and I transmitted it via text to a fourth grader sitting across the hall from the library in Mrs. McGillicuddy math class, I would go to federal prison,' he said. Both bills would alter the state's criminal code that defines material 'harmful to minors,' so that schools could not use the argument that a book that describes 'sexual conduct' should remain because it has 'serious' artistic, literary, political or scientific merit — part of a standard set by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973 known as the Miller Test. Rep. Doug Bankson, R-Apopka, sponsor of the House bill, said the changes makes sense. He said some school districts were using 'the Miller Test as the loophole,' and his bill would mean part of it would no longer applied to public schools. Former President Jimmy Carter's 1976 interview with Playboy magazine might be of political value, Bankson said, but public schools shouldn't have a copy of the magazine on their shelves. But there have been no reports of Playboy magazines in Florida public schools. Instead, award-winning books such as John Steinbeck's 'East of Eden' and Toni Morrison's 'Beloved' as well as many popular novels have been taken off library shelves in some Florida school districts. Judy Blume, an award-winning author, spoke against the bills at a virtual press conference Friday, saying book bans hurt students. Adults are afraid, she added, that books will prompt too many questions or make children change. 'Books don't make kids become anybody else. Books make kids think,' Blume said. Blume's 1975 novel 'Forever,' about teenage romance and sexuality, has been challenged by a parent in Orange who objected to a copy found at Timber Creek High School, district documents show. The parent said the book was 'pornographic' and violated the 2023 law. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, the documents say. Aaron Terr, the director of public advocacy at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, said removing educators' ability to judge the artistic, literary, political and scientific value of books would violate the First Amendment. 'Courts have consistently recognized the 'serious value' prong as essential to distinguishing constitutionally protected material from obscenity, including in the context of minors,' Terr wrote in a memo to Florida lawmakers, urging them to vote down the bills. The group of authors, parents and book publishers that sued Florida in federal court last year argued the state's existing law — which required the removal of 'materials alleged to contain pornography or obscene depictions of sexual conduct' — already violates the First Amendment and fails to conform the Supreme Court's ruling. The lawsuit also says the 2023 law is so broad that some schools have removed books that did nothing more than mention the phrase 'made love' and that it had effectively stripped teachers and school librarians of their ability to conduct an 'holistic evaluation' of books. The state disagreed and asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit, but a federal judge in Orlando rejected the state's motion in February so the lawsuit is proceeding. The new legislation, if adopted, would leave no doubt that the value of book could not be considered if it contained 'sexual conduct.' Stephana Ferrell, an Orange County mother and founder of the Florida Freedom to Read Project, said the new bills are 'incredibly frustrating' and widen the goal posts to make it easier to remove more books from public school libraries. A single resident bothered by a book could get it removed from a school, said Ferrell, whose group fights book bans. Now, as OCPS did with 'Born a Crime,' some districts have relied on the Supreme Court's test in deciding to keep books that faced challenges, arguing they have 'serious' value despite some sexual content, Ferrell added. In January, the Hillsborough County school district, for example, decided to keep in a school library the book 'Identical' by Ellen Hopkins. Several other districts had removed or placed age restrictions on the book, which contains depictions of a daughter being sexually abused by her father. During a House committee meeting, Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis, D-Orlando, called the bill 'unconstitutional' and said it would increase book bans. 'This bill screams 'mistrust of educators in Florida public school system',' Bracy Davis said.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Wabtec gains RailPulse telematics certification
Wabtec, a provider of equipment, systems and digital solutions for the rail industry, has obtained approval as a RailPulse Certified Telematics Vendor. This certification is said to recognise the company's efforts to enhance rail shipment safety and efficiency through its railcar telematics platform. Wabtec's telematics offerings, which include the Gateway (CLT-20Ex), Bridge (CLT-M), and universal Load/Empty Handbrake sensors (LU-19-Ex), are designed to extract vital, often unseen information from a customer's railcar fleet. This data is then transformed into actionable insights to enhance operational efficiency and safety within the rail sector. Wabtec growth and innovation vice president Evan Sevel said: 'Telematics is an emerging technology in the rail industry, a market that currently lacks real-time visibility over a vast majority of its railcars worldwide. 'With the RailPulse certification, Wabtec's telematics platform will help advance the adoption of railcar tracking technology across the rail sector and drive meaningful business outcomes for our customers.' RailPulse, the coalition responsible for setting the rail industry's universal telematics standards, imposes stringent criteria for certification, according to the company. These standards ensure data quality, performance, mechanical robustness, and continuous support. Wabtec's telematics solutions underwent comprehensive testing, successfully meeting and surpassing the coalition's requirements for uptime and data accuracy, the company stated. RailPulse general manager David Shannon said: 'Wabtec has a rich history of pioneering next-generation solutions for railcars. 'Together, we will drive transformative change in the rail sector by combining our strengths and fostering a culture of innovation that will shape the future of rail transportation.' Recently, Societe Nationale des Chemins de Fer francais (SNCF) Voyageurs ordered Wabtec's KinetiX Inspection Technologies to enhance rail safety and reliability, expanding its use across 13 Technicentres in France. "Wabtec gains RailPulse telematics certification" was originally created and published by Railway Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Wabtec gains RailPulse telematics certification
Wabtec, a provider of equipment, systems and digital solutions for the rail industry, has obtained approval as a RailPulse Certified Telematics Vendor. This certification is said to recognise the company's efforts to enhance rail shipment safety and efficiency through its railcar telematics platform. Wabtec's telematics offerings, which include the Gateway (CLT-20Ex), Bridge (CLT-M), and universal Load/Empty Handbrake sensors (LU-19-Ex), are designed to extract vital, often unseen information from a customer's railcar fleet. This data is then transformed into actionable insights to enhance operational efficiency and safety within the rail sector. Wabtec growth and innovation vice president Evan Sevel said: 'Telematics is an emerging technology in the rail industry, a market that currently lacks real-time visibility over a vast majority of its railcars worldwide. 'With the RailPulse certification, Wabtec's telematics platform will help advance the adoption of railcar tracking technology across the rail sector and drive meaningful business outcomes for our customers.' RailPulse, the coalition responsible for setting the rail industry's universal telematics standards, imposes stringent criteria for certification, according to the company. These standards ensure data quality, performance, mechanical robustness, and continuous support. Wabtec's telematics solutions underwent comprehensive testing, successfully meeting and surpassing the coalition's requirements for uptime and data accuracy, the company stated. RailPulse general manager David Shannon said: 'Wabtec has a rich history of pioneering next-generation solutions for railcars. 'Together, we will drive transformative change in the rail sector by combining our strengths and fostering a culture of innovation that will shape the future of rail transportation.' Recently, Societe Nationale des Chemins de Fer francais (SNCF) Voyageurs ordered Wabtec's KinetiX Inspection Technologies to enhance rail safety and reliability, expanding its use across 13 Technicentres in France. "Wabtec gains RailPulse telematics certification" was originally created and published by Railway Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
