Hi folks, I’m George. Mid-forties. Dad of two. Engineer by training, entrepreneur by accident.
My kids are older now. We watch Demon Slayer together, and some nights my son and I run Fortnite duos for a few hours. I’m his sidekick in those matches. He calls the shots, I try to keep up, and we win more than we lose.
This site started differently than where it is now.
The bedtime story years
When the kids were little (3 – 5 years old), we read to them every night. Same books on repeat. Goodnight Moon so many times I could recite it with my eyes closed. We went through stacks of picture books trying to find ones that didn’t bore me to sleep before they did.
I started keeping notes on what worked. Which books they asked for again. Which ones gathered dust. Those notes became this site.
Now they read themselves
Parenting changes fast. My daughter reads a lot of manga. My son is into sci-fi books, Fullmetal Alchemist and Solo Leveling. Both of them got hooked on Demon Slayer (the anime first, then the manga).
So the site evolved. I write about what we’re actually dealing with now: middle-grade books, YA novels, manga, graphic novels, and the occasional book I read for myself when I remember I’m allowed to have hobbies.
The stuff beyond books
My daughter draws anime characters constantly. That means I’ve gotten into art books, drawing guides, anime merchandise. We collect Harry Potter stuff. LOTR too. My wife (she’s a therapist, which comes in handy when I screw up parenting moments) helps pick books that actually matter for the kids.
I also cover gaming content because that’s where my kids live. If a book feels like a video game, they might actually read it. Worth a shot.
What I do for work
Twenty-plus years in business. Started as an engineer, ended up running teams. Marketing, sales, operations, the whole mess. Still learning how to be a better boss. Still reading leadership books hoping something sticks.
When I’m not working or parenting
Running. Board games with the family. TV series we can watch together (harder to find than you’d think). The occasional solo hour with a book and coffee, if I’m lucky.
Why this site exists
Recommendations from someone who actually reads the stuff with his kids. I pick every title myself, so you won’t find algorithm-made lists or sponsored posts dressed up as reviews here.
Some links on this site are affiliate links. You buy something, I get a small cut, costs you nothing extra. That’s how I keep this running without ads everywhere.
Affiliate links don’t change what I recommend. I’d point you to the same book or show without the commission, and when something isn’t worth the money, I say so. Nobody pays to be featured or rated here, and I don’t run sponsored posts. Publishers sometimes send review copies. A free copy doesn’t guarantee a review, and it never buys a good one.
How I rate shows
The age numbers on this site are house ratings, not the TV label. I watch the show myself, at least the first stretch, and often one or both kids are on the couch with me. The darker ones I watch alone first. For shows I haven’t seen all of, I watch the key episodes and lean on Common Sense Media and the official rating. I also check what other parents are saying, and I note where each number is coming from. Then I write down the youngest age I’d say yes to in this house. When my number and the streamer’s rating disagree, I explain why.
14+ means my daughter is right at the line and my son usually waits. Skip means not for family viewing here. The Anime Finder and every article use the same numbers.
Contact
Got a question about a rating, or think I got a pick wrong? Write to me through the contact page. When I get something wrong, I check it, fix it, and the page shows a new updated date.
