Magicblox's blog

We want our future leaders to have unlimited access to a giant library of books that they can enjoy anywhere, anytime through the web or their tablet devices.  We also want authors and publishers to have the ability to freely bring those books to you.

Over the first year, we've learned a lot about our customers and authors and we need to renovate our product.  We're currently behind the curtain improving the design and flow of our site, building native iPad and Android tablet apps, and improving the content creation process, but we're tight on money and need your help to finish development.

We hope you see our vision and in exchange for helping, we'll reward you.  See below for details.  Anything helps, so please donate even as little as $1 .  The money we raise will help us finish MagicBlox 2.0 and make our library more accessible to kids around the world.

A couple times per year The Lincoln Elementary School Dads Club in Burlingame puts on a movie night, and this year we have been chosen as the pre-show entertainment.  If you live in or near Burlingame, CA, come on out on November 18th to enjoy some fun stories and the newest Disney release, Cars 2. 

Note: If you want to support Lincoln Elementary School, you can use the coupon code 'LINCOLN' on checkout and they will earn a portion of your annual access pass payment.

Autumn begins on September 23rd, so with just a few more weeks of warm summer nights left, come join us in the park with the city of Burlingame for story time and movie night!  Pack up the sleepingbags and roll out the wooly blankets for an evening of entertainment on the grass. We are so proud to be the pre-movie entertainment.  We'll read a few short stories and sing some popular songs from some of our audio books while everyone gets settled and ready to watch Toy Story 3 and Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory in the park. It'll be a lot of fun!!

When Friday September 9th & 23rd, 2011

Time 8:00p - 10:00p

Cost FREE

Where Washington Park (850 Burlingame Ave) - Map

More Information

Look Left, Right, then Left Again and be Defensive

Reminding our children (any age) to look “left, right & left again” is extremely important to keep them on the lookout and teaches them to be defensive when they're on the street.  There are far more distractions with drivers these days, such as texting, GPS, or talking on the phone. All of these distractions mean less time watching for your kids walking to school. This was apparent to me on the first day back to school earlier this week.  Even though we live close to school we stil find ourselves dodging cars while crossing the street, so we continually remind our son about this rule every day. Being defensive is the best way to be safe.  

Teach your Children about their Designated "Safe side" Adults

Let your your younger children know who their 3 “designated” adults are.  Who will pick them up from school and who can drive them or walk them home.  And most importantly, the difference between strangers, "kind a knows", and "safe side" adults.  Giving them a practice run at screaming when a stranger tries to grab them is a great way to blow of steam and teaches our children never to be afraid to yell for help when needed.  We have been practicing the "Safe Side" yell with our son since he was three.  We highly recommend watching the Safe Side DVD created by John Walsh and Julie Clark, with your child and answer questions as they pop up.  Our child (6yrs) get’s to yell at the top of his lungs. “Help this is not my mom, Help, this is not my dad!”  It’s fun, but we also talk with him about the need for it and how important it is that he use his voice if he feels scared or in danger, even with "kinda knows."

Hot Tip 1 - Designated Adults

Hot Tip 2 - Internet and Email Safety

One year may not seem like a huge milestone for most, but it is for us here at Magicblox.

To begin, our library has grown exponentially and we continue to add new books every week for you to enjoy and the rate is increasing.

We started the library with self-published authors in mind, but we quickly expanded to support all publishing houses who have books that could use a little extra exposure.  

Our team has been refining the content loading process to allow our busy authors and publishers to add their books easier and faster.

We've also enabled the iPad, iPhone, and Android mobile platforms, giving you easy portable access to Magicblox almost anywhere.

Lastly, we've also been adding a few new team members to help bring you lots of exciting enhancements we have planned for you in our second year ahead.

We're especially thankful to you, our readers, parents, and fans.  It is because of your commitment and dedication that we have adopted the motto "Today a reader, Tomorrow a leader."  With every new registered user and Access Pass sold, we've been able to give authors and publishers from around the world an incentive to add their educational, fun and inspirational books to our library for you to enjoy.  Schools, homeschoolers, parents and special ed teachers around the world have been using our books to supplement their kids reading goals.  

Our Spanish books have also become quite popular with children & adults who are learning a second language.

Thank you to all of our authors & publishers.  Your books continue to make a huge difference to families from more than 109 different countries.  

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It's Summer!  Time for the water and pool side activities to begin.  It's also time when sunscreen will be showing up on your grocery list.  But before you lather any cream on your little ones, we've got some information you should know about the chemicals in our sunscreens. 

For a few years now we've heard claims of sunscreen chemicals being bad for you in the long run.  We were advised by two dermatologist that only SPF 20/30 was needed.  Anything higher was just extra chemicals on our skin.  Yet in the past couple of years we've seen an increase in TV commercial's regarding sunscreen SPF 40 & 50.    

Skinbiology.com spells out just how bad the chemicals in sunscreen can be and how some of the sunscreens can actually have adverse effects on our skin as well as blocking vitamin D absorption.  We need adequate amounts of daily sunlight to stay healthy.  Sunshine is the best source of vitamin D, which is necessary for proper brain development, to prevent colds, flu and reduce the risk of certain cancers and diseases.  15 to 20 minutes a day without sunscreen (being careful with the prime sun hours between 10am & 2pm) is more then adequate time for us to soak it in.  However some children may have more sensitive skin, so please use your best judgement when doing this.  

"Worldwide, the greatest rise in melanoma has been experienced in countries where chemical sunscreens have been heavily promoted  The rise in melanoma has been exceptionally high in Queensland, Australia  where the medical establishment has vigorously promoted the use of sunscreens. Queensland now has more incidences of melanoma per capita than any other place on Earth."   (Garland, Cedric F., et al. Could sunscreens increase melanoma risk? American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 82, No. 4, April 1992, pp. 614-15). 

Researchers encourage consumers to READ THE LABELS on sun/skin-care products. If the product contains any of the following chemical ingredients, use discretion before applying to your skin:

• Benzophenones (dixoybenzone, oxybenzone)These chemicals contain estrogen-like properties that can disrupt the development of reproductive organs, according to research conducted by the University of Zurich’s Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology. Most of us are already exposed to these chemicals through our environments or diets (for example, in the fish we eat), so absorbing the chemicals through our skin just further overwhelms your body with toxins. And children are particularly at risk when using products that affect development.
• PABA and PABA esters (ethyl dihydroxy propyl PAB, glyceryl PABA), This ingredient is rarely used today. It can cause a host of reactions and may even increase the risk of skin cancer in certain individuals.
• p-aminobenzoic acid padimate O or Octyl dimethyl PABA
• Cinnamates (cinoxate, ethylhexyl, p-methoxycinnamate)
• Salicylates (ethylhexyl salicylate, homosalate, octyl salicylate)
• Avobenzone (butyl-methyoxydibenzoylmethane; Parsol 1789),There is evidence that the sun’s light may cause these chemicals to become reactive and cause free-radical damage when they’re absorbed into the skin.
• Digalloyl trioleate
• Menthyl anthranilate
• Propylene Glycol: Called a humectant in cosmetics, it is industrial antifreeze, and the major ingredient in brake and hydraulic fluid. Material Data Sheets on Propylene Glycol warn to avoid skin contact as it is systemic and can cause liver abnormalities and kidney damage. If anti freeze is spilled on your garage floor and a dog or cat drinks one lick, it will kill them.

We found the only organic or natural sunscreens are the ones (without) Titanium Dioxide.

That's right!  

In our research, we've found that the so-called "Natural Titanium dioxide" is nowhere near natural.  This substance has had a lot of questionable tests and studies.  One test in lab rats resulted with a return of carcinogen; yes cancer causing.  Yet it is in almost every "natural" make up & sunscreen product you see on the market today.  

Titanium dioxide is also well used in paint and food dyes (another questionable substance that has recently been linked to ADHD and has already been banned in Europe and Canada.)   

In small doses, non-nano zinc oxide is the best form of UVA/UVB coverage.  

The Solution

So, where can you find sunscreen that does not have chemicals or Titanium dioxide in it?  

In addition to the web sites below, check your local health and beauty salon.  They usually carry natural products, but make sure they do not have Titanium dioxide (TD).  (As most "organic & natural") labled sunscreens will have TD in it.    

http://www.badgerbalm.com/p-372-spf-30-for-face-body.aspx  (badger is also sold at REI)

http://www.lovingnaturals.com/

http://www.kabanaskincare.com/ (Great natural sun screen with the maker of this product dedicated to selling true natural skin products) 

http://www.organic-baby-resource.com/kabana-skin-care.html  

We hope you find this information useful in keeping your kids healthy and protected from the sun over the summer.  Have a very fun, safe, and maybe even a little relaxing summer.

Yeah,  We Did It!  101 Books And More Coming Weekly ...

Yes, we've reached a major milestone thanks to our authors, illustrators and publishers and we continue to add more books every week. With that said, we've also made it easier to upload, buy & read books on Magicblox.  Our vision is to become sort of a "YouTube" for kids book authors and publishers.  

Thank you to all the Access Pass holders for supporting not only Magicblox, but also our independent authors, illustrators and publishers.  Below is the current breakdown of the various books in our library.

We realize that some of you still like to own a physical book or two, so we've given our authors an option to provide a "Buy Book" button for you to purchase a physical copy of their book if you prefer.

More books makes it more difficult to find what you're looking for, so we've given you the ability to find books by age, audio book, language, and keywords.  

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