Meet the 2009 NAPPA Children's Products Judges

It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it! NAPPA’s panel of judges are all experts in evaluating and writing about their specific categories of children’s products. They have direct experience working with children, so they know what kids like. They recognize the qualities that make a good product truly stand out from the crowd.

Books – Helen Foster James, Ed.D. has taught at the elementary school through university levels and is a former coordinator of library media services for the San Diego County Office of Education. She is also a book reviewer and the author of the children’s books E is for Enchantment: A New Mexico Alphabet and S is for S’mores: A Camping Alphabet. Dr. James has also received the International Reading Association’s Celebrate Literacy Award and California Reading Association’s Marcus Foster Award for outstanding contributions to reading. Visit her Web site at www.helenfosterjames.com to learn more about her and some of her favorite children’s books.

Read Helen’s tips on building a home library.

Books – Kathleen Krull has reviewed children’s literature for regional parenting magazines across the country for nearly a decade. She is the author of the "Lives of..." series and other books for young readers.

Find out why Kathleen claims that “Books Rule”!

DVDs – Ranny Levy, the founder and president of the 19-year-old nonprofit Coalition for Quality Children’s Media, has been an advocate for quality children’s media since 1989. KIDS FIRST! reviews and evaluates children’s programming, trains children to become critical media users and produces the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival, which partners with more than 100 venues nationwide to bring high-quality children's films to local communities. Additional judges for 2008 included Diane Clark, Monique Kogan, Chris Pollock and Terry Solowey.

See Ranny’s tips on maximizing your children’s DVD viewing experience.

Software & Video Games – Alex Chisholm is a media research and development consultant who has most recently created the games for iCue with NBC News and produced Generation Cures at Children's Hospital Boston. He is a founding member of the Learning Games Network, a nonprofit organization that aims to support innovation in the design and use of games for learning.

Read Alex’s response to the oft-asked question, “Are video games bad for kids?”

Storytelling & Spoken-Word – Marilyn McPhie has been a professional storyteller for more than 20 years. She is a state liaison for the National Storytelling Network and has presented at many national and regional conferences. She writes reviews of storytelling resources and performs hundreds of times a year for audiences ranging from preschoolers to adults. Visit Marilyn's Web site at www.marilynmcphie.com.

Find out from Marilyn which story is the one that children most want to hear.

Toys – Ellen Metrick has more than 20 years of experience in the toy industry. As the toy specialist and manager of business development for the National Lekotek Center, a nonprofit focusing on accessible play for children of all abilities, she promotes the development and evaluation of high-quality toys. To learn more, visit Lekotek.org and AblePlay.org.

Check out which NAPPA winners work best with kids’ abilities.

Toys – Peggy Brown NAPPA's new judge for board games, Peggy has worked for many of the world’s biggest toy companies as an inventor, designer, writer, creative director, consultant and executive. She has done creative development for hundreds of games and written children’s activity books that promote curiosity and creativity.

Get in on Peggy’s tips for standout family game nights.

John Woods Music – John Wood brings more than 30 years of expertise to his reviews of children’s music, which appear in parenting magazines across the country and on Kidzmusic.com. He created and produced the annual Theatre Arts Festival for Youth (TAFFY) festival for 10 years and has performed more than 8,000 shows with his children’s group, J.P. Nightingale. He is a partner in CineCal Entertainment, a film company based in Los Angeles.

Read John’s thoughts on how we never forget what we hear as kids.

Music – Tor Hyams has 20 years experience in the music industry, from composing scores for film and television to producing world-class recording artists and live music festivals for children (Kidzapalooza, Kiddie Limits, SXSW, etc.). He wrote and produced A World of Happiness, a NAPPA-winning children's CD, and coauthored a book by the same name printed by Alfred Publishing. In May 2009, Hyams launched the first KindieFest Family Music Conference and his family music record label, Happiness Records, and joined veteran music reviewer John Wood as a NAPPA music judge. Visit his Web site at www.tor.net.

See what Tor has to say about trends in current children's music!

Books – Rubin Pfeffer Rubin Pfeffer’s career in the publishing industry spans three decades and top executive positions at Harcourt Brace Jovanovich; Pearson, Inc.; and Simon & Schuster Children’s Books. In 2008, he launched Beach Lane Books, a commercial children’s picture book imprint. The following year, Pfeffer joined the East West Literary Agency as a partner and established its Boston base. He continues to work with numerous luminary talents, both new and published.

Return to NAPPA 2009 Award Winners

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NAPPA's Barbara Smith Decker demos some great gift ideas from NAPPA's Parenting Resource winners, plus "Family Fun" and "Best Bang for the Buck" winners from the Children's Products competition.

NAPPA helps parents make the best choices for their families.