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Marc Blatt and his wife, Rachel, had every intention of sending their 7-year-old twin daughters, Hannah and Tova, to public school. But after visiting some of the local elementary schools and talking with their friends, the Blatts had a change of heart. Instead, they decided to send their girls to …

With October, our minds naturally turn to wizards, witchcraft and the latest post-Harry Potter trends in book stores and libraries. Actually, today’s popular titles have little to do with magic and are stories with a social justice theme, according to bookseller Rachel Machesky of The Children’s Bookstore in Baltimore’s Roland …

In October 2001, 9-year-old Ava Conklin of Elkridge was diagnosed with a brain tumor. After surgery to remove it, Ava contracted meningitis, which in turn, caused her to have a series of 13 strokes that left her in a coma. After 10 days, she woke up, unable to move or …

Think only adults have to worry about high blood pressure? Think again. Although the condition is not as common, pediatric hypertension or high blood pressure is about to be diagnosed more often than in prior years, due to new updates in blood pressure guidelines for children. The efforts to revamp …

FRIDAY Hallowread Hallowread, a convention celebrating fiction of the paranormal, urban fantasy, and steampunk variety, returns for its fifth year. Bookworms and horror fans meet for this spooky series of writing workshops, ghost tours, author panels,  paranormal investigations, and book signings. Held in historic and possibly haunted  Ellicott City, the fest …

Lives: Pasadena Children: Abigail, 9 Occupation: Director of field conservation, National Aquarium What motivated you to start working with the National Aquarium? I grew up just south of Baltimore, but moved out of state after graduating from high school. After years of being away, including going to college at the …

THURSDAY Cirque Goes Broadway What could be better than a full symphony playing Broadway hit after Broadway hit? That symphony being accompanied by dancers twisting and twirling through the air. In the BSO’s four-night performance of Cirque Goes Broadway, Jack Everly conducts as acrobats and aerialists from LA-based Troupe Vertigo …

Lisa Wilson says she sensed “something wasn’t right” when her son Phoenix was around 18 months old. “He was losing skills,” Wilson remembers. “He had a few words, then he lost them. We didn’t know it was autism. We knew next to nothing about autism.” Wilson turned to the internet, …

THURSDAY Special Evening Dinner and Lecture – Living on the Wind: The Miracle of Bird Migration with Scott Weidensaul Pulitzer Prize finalist Scott Weidensaul is coming to the Ladew Topiary Gardens to give bird lovers a glimpse into bird migration and preservation. His lecture will also give attendees a greater …

With the start of the school year, Howard County Public Schools kicked off Launch into Learning, an initiative to get parents, county organizations, child care centers, pediatricians and others to focus learning activities on the important formative years—before kindergarten. The first project under this new effort is “Ready Rosie,” a …