Books For Children Reviewed

Oct. 28, 2010 - PRLog -- America’s parents want to know: What can you do when your children refuse to eat anything green and seem to subsist on chicken-fingers and French fries alone? Introduce them to Mitch Spinach, of course!   http://www.MitchSpinach.com

Books for children have the power to change the way your child sees the world and The Secret Life of Mitch Spinach may very well be this year's most important book to own.  Mitch Spinach is on the move to get elementary school kids to eat more fruits and vegetables and let's face it . . . what kid doesn't need to do that!  On a mission to prevent childhood obesity and nutrition related diseases, husband and wife authors, Jeff Hillenbrand and Hillary Feerick are parents of two young children that know first-hand how difficult it is to raise healthy kids in a fast-food and junk-food filled world. But, as Joel Fuhrman, M.D, who has collaborated on the series has pointed out many times, what children eat in the first ten years of their lives has a profound effect on their lifelong health.  

A unique collaborative effort between two parents and a well-known nutrition researcher, The Secret Life of Mitch Spinach series provides a perfect way for kids to learn about healthy eating while enjoying the adventures of a super kid. Unlike other books for children, Mitch Spinach has the power to significantly change the way that children eat because it actually prompts them to ask for healthy food without having to lecture them. Plus, what kids don't like reading about kids with super powers!  For though we all know that good nutrition fosters academic and athletic performance, getting children to understand the importance of a healthy diet can be a daunting task. While textbooks and food pyramids are one form of promoting the message, they are not always the most stimulating or successful pedagogical models for the elementary school student. As with any subject, children need fun and entertaining ways to learn material. The subtlety of fiction enables children to learn without even realizing that they are learning.

   Mitch Spinach™ seems to be an ordinary kid, but his classmates have begun to suspect         something. The notes in his custom-made, temperature-controlled Nutripak™ lunchbox appear to have been written in code. While other kids eat their usual chicken fingers and pepperoni pizza, Mitch Spinach mixes up his meal in a battery-powered blender before their curious and envious eyes. Although he is the smartest, nicest, strongest kid in Ms. Radicchio’s class, he often misses recess when he is called to Principal Lycopene’s office. The truth is that his high-powered fruit and vegetable smoothies give him special powers, such as super-sonic hearing and amazing night vision, which help him tackle problems and solve mysteries at Sunchoke Elementary.

While many books for children focus on a child’s dislike of a certain food (usually a vegetable), this book series is devoid of that type of negativity and instead transforms healthy eating into a behavior to be copied in order to gain “super” powers like those of Mitch Spinach.  

When their first child began Kindergarten over a year ago, Jeff Hillenbrand and Hillary Feerick were dismayed by the diet that American children were subjected to in school. Frustrated with the lack of a healthy role model for their own children and bombarded with the public school rewards of ice cream and fundraisers at McDonald’s, they decided to create the new healthy, super kid, Mitch Spinach.

We collaborated with Joel Fuhrman, M.D., best-selling author of Disease Proof Your Child and leading expert on nutrition, to ensure that the information in our books, including the “Secrets for Parents and Teachers” section and healthy recipe, is based on sound nutritional and medical advice. Also, The Mitch Spinach website http://www.MItchSpinach.com features creative, multidisciplinary lesson plans and outlines the importance of sound nutrition. Kids can print educational games that pertain to the healthy foods used in the books to reinforce what they have learned.  

Compelled to share these unique books for children at schools, the authors started the Mitch Spinach Fundraising Program. If you want a healthy fundraiser idea that promotes the important message of healthy eating through a positive role model visit http://www.MItchSpinach.com/fundraiser to learn more.  Your school or organization can earn $6 per book for every book ordered during the school fundraiser.

Read what people are saying about Mitch Spinach:

Dr. Neal Barnard, President of The Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine, is already a Mitch Spinach fan: “The Secret Life of Mitch Spinach shares an important story–the power of plant foods . . . Mitch Spinach is a great role model for all the things children need help with—eating well, kindness, compassion, helpfulness, and modesty. The fun and engaging story of Mitch Spinach will inspire you and your children to explore the many health benefits of plant foods.”

And we know it works!

Here’s what one mom has to say about these new books for children: “The Proof is in the . . .Spinach!?  We have 3 children ages 8, 6, and 4, and while our daughter is eager to try new foods, our boys are definitely not! We purchased The Secret Life of Mitch Spinach to support our good friends, never thinking it would have such an impact on our boys' eating habits. Well, we were happily surprised when the boys actually asked us to prepare some spinach for them. Not only did they 'try' a new/healthy food, but they finished their spinach salads, and even asked for it in their lunches the next day! Needless to say Mitch Spinach is a hero in our house!"

National campaigns focused on childhood nutrition-related health problems and on unhealthy school lunches have brought the gravity of the health crisis involving American children to the forefront. The MItch Spinach books for children promote healthy eating through exciting mysteries, multicultural characters, and colorful illustrations.  Mitch Spinach kids books should be a part of every family's personal library.  Learn more at http://www.MitchSpinach.com

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The Mitch Spinach new kids books are a parents kids books top pick. Every parent wants a smart, healthy hero to entertain and motivate their kids to eat more fruits and veggies. The Mitch Spinach kids books are for you. Visit http://www.MitchSpinach.com