THE MOM BOOK: 679 of Mom Central's Tips... for Moms, by Moms

DeBroff, founder and president of the online community Mom Central, knows the day-to-day maternal routine. In this comprehensive guide, she offers commonsense hints on raising kids—from specific techniques for toilet training, healthy eating and trauma-free bedtimes to newer parenting issues such as business travel, job-sharing and adjusting to staying at home. Much of the advice will be familiar to experienced parents, who have either learned how to navigate the complications of family life or who regularly read any of the parenting magazines. First-time parents of kids in elementary school and younger, however, will find this book quite useful. "If you feel too much like a short-order chef when reciting all the options possible in your kitchen," DeBroff suggests, "cut out magazine pictures or draw your own pictures of what's available for breakfast and lunch. Then your child can look at the breakfast menu the night before." Moms who have the energy to do this will no doubt be glad they did; moms who don't will find plenty of other tips, which DeBroff doles out in a straightforward, encouraging style. Her text is accompanied by suggestions from Mom Central contributors, covering everything from how to dress a toddler who wants to wear his pajamas to school to dealing with an older child's jealousy of a new sibling. A solid addition to a parenting bookshelf. (Feb.)