While your baby needs baby-focused books for fun, learning, and development, there are certain children's books so classic and universally loved that they deserve a spot on the bookshelf in every nursery. Here are 10 of the best children's books that it's never too early to buy.

- By Michelle Horton
Follow Michelle on Disney Baby

For 5 more children's books that should be on every bookshelf, visit Disney Baby!

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As a voracious Shine! reader, I have come across articles that upset me from time to time, that's a given. However, I could not believe my eyes when I saw an article today on the Penn State molestation rulings by the NCAA; Joe Paterno's family had the gall to say that the ruling is unfair, that it "defames JoePa's legacy." Now, I started to make this article just a rant against the Paterno family... but there will be enough of that in the comments on the main article, so I thought about what I could say here that could actually help someone, and not simply alleviate my rage through a (well-deserved) bashing of the Paterno clan.

This children were raped by a monster, there is no denying that... and Sandusky deserves to die in prison for what he did. Something just keeps nagging at me, though. when things like this happen, I can't help but wonder if the victim had ever been talked to about how to handle a situation like this. Right or wrong, my instinct is, at least partly, to blame the

Makers of this baby bottle made no friends with their latest ad campaign.Over the past few days, bottle maker Bitty Lab sent out the following Tweet at least 12 times, according to an original story posted on Care2.com:

"New baby? Reclaim your wife. Meet BARE #air-free #babybottles Bittylab.com #bfing"

That tweet was followed with this one:

"Feeling like you're competing with your newborn for mommy's attention? Meet BARE #air-free #babybottles Bittylab.com #breastfeeding"

Where to even begin?

Annie Slaughter, the writer of the original Care2.com story, wrote:

"This offensive marketing tactic presumes that a woman, or at least her breasts, belong to a man. It also attempts to create a false competition between the baby and the father, when the father should be supporting the mother in providing the best care and nutrition for her baby."

Mom bloggers and Facebook commenters--women and men alike--were uniformly outraged and insulted. Some highlights are cataloged here.

We here at Shine had a moment's uncertainty, since we love the idea of a baby bottle

When it comes to teens and safe sex, an ounce of prevention can go a long way.I know you may be uncomfortable broaching the topic of condoms and safer sex with your teens. As a mom myself, I can tell you we've all been there.

Most parents are not comfortable thinking about their teens having sex, much less talking to them about it. Also, social norms and religious beliefs make things more complicated and more emotionally charged. However, I cannot stress this enough that this may be the most important conversation you will have with your teens ... because it has the power to truly save their lives. Also Read: 3 Tips For Talking To Your Kids About Sex

As responsible and caring parents, we share our opinions on a range of topics. We monitor media, teach healthy eating, and immunize our babies. But, once our children hit the teen years, a lot of parents clam up and don't know what to do or when to do it. It makes perfect sense, as very few if any of us were ever properly educated on condoms and sexual safety ourselves. But, it is up to each of us to break this

The tragedy in Colorado offers some important lessons.A few days ago, a deranged* 24 year-old gunman named James Holmes entered a crowded movie theater in a Denver suburb during a showing of the Batman film The Dark Knight Rises, killed 12 people and wounded several others. Holmes took both the joy and life out of what should have been a relaxing evening.

We generally do not associate murder and mayhem with movies. Nor should we have to. But, I am always searching for teachable moments - even in life's most unexpected moments, no matter how wondrous or gruesome. It is my life's work and passion to identify them. And so, I suggest the following to parents:

1. If your kids are very young and seem unaware of the tragedy in Colorado, you should not feel compelled to tell them about it. They may at these young ages be unable to deal with such complicated and confusing information. If,on the other hand, they ask questions then you must explain that yes there are bad people who do very bad things but reassure them that most people are

Motherhood. It's the experience that bonds us all together, in projectile vomit and muddy footprints on freshly cleaned floors. I dare you not to relate to at least one of the below from my Confessional. (Maybe all 10?)

I double dare you to leave your own confession. I'm pretty sure we'll be able to relate.

More from The Stir: 20 Things I Don't Miss About Having a Toddler

1. Every dish in my house is cleaned and put away. EVERY. ALL of the clothes are washed and put away except what we're wearing. All. It's nudity and dry toast on paper plates tonight, fuckers.

2. I used to read fun magazine articles about sex positions and orgasms. I just realized I was just reading an article about shopping for the perfect watermelon. My, my, how times have changed.

3. DH came close to getting paint on me. I yelled, "Be careful, these are my good pants!" They are black yoga pants from Walmart. Sadly, the statement is still true.

More from The Stir: 25 All-Time Favorite

baby shoesI was horrified to wake up this morning to the news about the Dark Knight Rises shooting in Denver. I grew up in Aurora and used to get my Hello Kitty fix at that same mall. But the most heartbreaking part of this story, to me, is that there were children at that theater.

More from The Stir: Mom Shot in Theater Massacre Loses Daughter But Unborn Baby Gives Her a Reason to Live

Among the reports was this shocking detail: The youngest person injured was a 4-month-old baby. OMG! Thankfully it turns out that may have been a FALSE report. I'm hearing that the baby was not injured, just taken to the hospital, treated, and released.

Meanwhile someone on my Facebook stream said she was baffled as to why there would be a 4-month-old at a midnight movie. Are we really doing that already -- judging the parents who brought that baby?

It's not what I ever did, but it's pretty common. Parents sometimes bring their babies to the movies. If you happen to have a heavy sleeper

As the mom of a nine-year-old boy, I realize it's odd that I'm only now learning what it's like to have neighborhood kids over. This late development is because my son is a pretty shy kid when it comes to making new friends, but I'm ecstatic to report he's made friends with a neighborhood kid three doors down.

As much as I'm struggling working from home with my two boys this summer, adding a third child into the mix is helping ease their summer boredom. "Neighborhood Kid" (as he shall be named) seems to diffuse the sibling rivalry between my kids, and his novel presence in our home has become a perfectly adequate substitution for my undivided attention.

While I'm thankful for Neighborhood Kid's ability to keep my kids occupied and bring my oldest son out of his shell, I'm learning things about the strangeness of our household that I never realized. Here are the 7 stages I've gone through to deal with having neighborhood kids over:

- By Lori Garcia

Follow Lori on Babble

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