NAPPA Children's Products Judges

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	National Parenting Publications Awards 2011 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.
	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.
	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 consults with major toy manufacturers on product designs, from initial concept through post-production. She has created systems to research and evaluate toys’ impact on childhood development and their therapeutic value for children with special needs. She has written extensively on creative applications for play products, including a bi-monthly column for ASTRA (American Specialty Toy Retailers Association). She has been the lead evaluator for the Toys ‘R’ Us Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids for fifteen years. She currently serves as manager of business development at the National Lekotek Center, a nationwide non-profit, which focuses on accessible play for children of all abilities. www.lekotek.org; www.ableplay.org.
	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.
	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!
	Music – Michael Berick Since January 2009, Michael Berick has served as the calendar editor at L.A. Parent. Besides reviewing CDs at L.A. Parent, Berick has written about children’s music for the Los Angeles Times and Entertainment Weekly. He has been writing about music, in general, for more than 20 years and his work has appeared such magazines as the L.A. Weekly, San Francisco Chronicle, Cleveland Scene and M: Music and Musicians. In 2009, he organized and moderated a panel discussion on children’s music at the Americana Music Conference. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and daughter.
	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.
	Virtual - Allen Rausch has been involved in the videogame industry for more than 15 years. His experience includes work for such renowned game developers as Acclaim Entertainment, Toys R Us, Interplay Entertainment, UbiSoft, Riot Games, and Nexon America. For seven years, he was the PC Editor for GameSpy.com, part of the IGN family of websites, the largest and most respected gaming news, reviews, and information sources in the world. He has been a contributing author for games published by White Wolf and Wizards of the Coast and a noted columnist reviewer, and editorialist for publications such as PC Gamer, GameSpot, CNet, G4TV, and Gamasutra. He currently writes a monthly gaming column for L.A. Parent.