Even More Great Kids’ Books

After I wrote the last blog about good children's ebooks I found myself spending a week at my family's cottage. A perusal through the book shelf there found even more great works of children's literature that I can hardly recommend as reading for your own kids any time of the year.
'Gentle Ben.' This coming-of-age story of a sickly, lonely Alaskan boy who makes friends with an Alaskan brown bear. In the end this relationship helps mend his relationship with his authoritarian father. There was also a television series made in the sixties about this bear.
'Tom Sawyer.' Written by Mark Twain this great book follows the adventures of Tom, his girlfriend Becky and his friend Huck Finn also makes an appearance.
'Anne of Green Gables.' At a time when young ladies were supposed to be demure and polite, Anne emerged to become one of the strongest and most precocious of girls to ever be described in literature. Her upstart ways appeal to even the hippest and most jaded girls of today.
'The Dog Who Wouldn't Be.' This is a funny poignant and exceptionally well-written reminiscence of childhood on the Canadian prairies. It is definitely a classic that most kids find very entertaining.
'Little Lord Fauntleroy.' This classic spawned is responsible for the Blue Bo=. An American boy from a struggling family turns out to be heir to an irritable and fabulously wealthy old English lord. He goes to England where the challenge is for the boy to endear himself to the old curmudgeon.
'On to Oregon.' This outdoor saga, written almost a century ago, is loosely based on the true story of the Sager family journeying by covered wagon in 1848, in the early days of the Oregon Trail. The parents die on route, and the seven children — the youngest just an infant — keep rolling the wagon onwards towards the homestead. They are led by the heroic 13-year-old John who is steely but has a heart of gold.
'The Prince and the Pauper.' Most kids encounter Mark Twain through 'Tom Sawyer,' but this work is at least as funny and offers unforgettable images of English history.
'Lad, a Dog' is a book about a collie.. The book was published 90 years ago. Lassie is the poor man's Lad. This work of literature is based on the life of a real life dog who has a grave in New Jersey that has become a very popular tourist trap!

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Indoor Air Pollution and Kid’s Asthma

We live in very advanced times but despite all that we know about nature and keeping humans healthy we still seem to keep them locked up n big steel and concrete bunkers where they inhale canned, recycled or rearmed air. Even worse this source of vital oxygen is often polluted by all kinds of carcinogens and toxins in the air that are simply the byproducts of our day-to-day activities.

These sealed up buildings came about as the result of the last energy crisis. The worst are buildings built past 1973.Over the past twenty -five years; buildings have been fortified to keep the cold or warmth out in order to prevent us from using up energy resources.

Unfortunately a lot of the materials that have been use to insulate these buildings also emit particulates and off-gas fumes into the air. These chemical vapors and bits of dust have brought dramatic increases in the number of cases of asthma, allergy, chemical hypersensitive and cancer.

The main culprits are materials such as fiberboard, carpeting and the glue and resins that are used to hold everything together. Here is a break down of the types of chemical emissions that can be found in the various construction materials, furnishings and commonly used items. All of these chemicals cause illness of all kind but especially cancer.

• Acetone – Bioeffluents, cosmetics, nail polish remover, office correction fluid, pre printed-paper forms.

• Alcohols – adhesives, bioeffluents, carpeting, caulking, ceiling tiles, duplicating machines, printers, floor coverings, paints, particle board, stains, varnishes and wall coverings

• Ammonia –bioeffluents, carpeting, cleaning products, printers, microfiches, photocopiers

• Benzene –adhesives, caulking, ceiling tiles, printers, floor coverings, paints, particleboard, photocopiers, stains, varnishes, tobacco smoke and wall coverings

• Chloroform – tap water

• Formaldehyde –adhesives, caulking, ceiling tiles draperies, fabrics, facial tissues, floor coverings, gas stoves, grocery bags, paints, paper towels, particleboard, permanent press clothing, plywood, stains, varnishes and upholstery.

• Trichloroethylene – duplicating machines, printers, photocopiers

• Xlyene –adhesives Bioeffluents, caulking ceiling tiles, computer screens, printers, floor coverings, paints, particle boards, photocopiers, stains, varnishes and wall coverings.

Indoor air pollution is considered by many experts to be one of the main threats to health in the twenty first century. People are getting ill in what are called 'sick buildings'. To make matters even worse, statistics show that most North Americans spend 90% of their entire life indoors in buildings that may be off gassing chemicals and particulates.

No wonder are kids are so allergic and suffer from asthma.

Illnesses that are known to be caused by indoor air pollution are –

• Allergies
• Asthma
• Eye problems
• Throat irritations
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Confusion
• Memory Loss
• Irritability
• Lowered immunity
• Joint pain
• Cancer

It is not just the materials that are used to insulate homes that are the problem. Many downtown office buildings in urban cores are very old and have poorly maintained air conditioning systems. This creates environments where the humidity is too high or too low which can cause respiratory problems, the growing of bacteria such as Legionnaire's disease and other problems.

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