Hot Stuff

        Celebration: The eighth annual African American History Celebration returns to the Grand Tori Station Banquet and Convention Center in Fairfield at 7 p.m. tomorrow

        The celebration wraps up the city's Black History Month observances. This year's theme is “Empowerment of the 60s” and partygoers are encouraged to wear period attire from the 1960s. The event includes a libation ceremony, art exhibit, pictorial and biographical exhibit, historical re-enactments and vignettes, music anthology and awards presentation.

        The Clyde Brown Band and RHL Productions will provide music for the event. $45 and $50. 591-2255.

Shelf Help

        Testing, testing: With the Ohio proficiency tests right around the corner, it pays to get ahead of the game as early as possible. Princeton Review's Roadmap to 4th Grade Reading & Writing, Ohio Edition (Princeton Review; $14.95) is part of a series created for elementary through middle school students.

        The series is designed for year-long use as skill building study companions. Each guide includes two full-length sample practice tests and detailed explanations of each question.

        Parenting rescue: What do you do if your 2-year-old is on the floor at the store pitching a fit?

        Meal time, bedtime, sibling spats and “whine” overdoses can make the best parent feel they're at the end of a proverbial rope. Whip out The Pocket Parent by Gail Reichlin and Caroline Winkler (Workman Publishing; $10.95) offers hundreds of workable solutions from parents in the trenches for resolving life's everyday battles with your 2- to 5-year-old.

        Sections have topics indexed for quick reference: anger, bedtime, biting, chores, discipline, thumb sucking and others.

Family Fun

        Fun for all: The Bluffton, Ohio-based publishers of Hopscotch and Boys' Quest magazines have a new kid on the block. Fun for Kidz ($4.95), a colorful magazine designed for children ages 6-12, has fun activities, jokes and stories any family member will like.

        Each issue is on a theme such as math puzzlers, knot tying, cooking and contests plus cartoons, puzzles and riddles. A unique feature of all three magazines is that they contain no advertising nor commercial endorsements.

        Available online at funforkidz.com and at Media Play in the Western Hills Plaza, 6174 Glenway Ave.

New On Video

        Sing a song: Preschoolers love music and songs and parents sometimes can't remember all the lyrics to their childhood favorites like “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” and “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.”

        Enter Fun Songs for Kids (Madacy Kids; $6.98 VHS and $14.98 DVD), a new four-part series with live-action fun and lyrics of 100 songs per release. The VHS version has 25 songs each, the DVD version packs 50 songs on each of two discs. The collection is also available on audiocassette and CD. www.madacy.com or (800) 784-0991.

        Contact Shauna Scott Rhone by phone at 768-8511; fax: 768-8330; e-mail: srhone@enquirer.com.

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