Ruth Ann Smalley is a holistic educator who writes about green living, fair trade, and health for children and adults. A former literature professor, she currently homeschools with her two children in Albany, New York. They live in a kid-friendly neighborhood, where children run in and out of each other s houses and even the dogs have playgroups. Neighbors gather for porch parties, ice cream socials, plant swaps, book club meetings, musical jam sessions, and winter board game nights. One family even hosts an annual August Kid Wash, where children in swimsuits soap up and enjoy being sprayed by adults with garden hoses!