Filed under: Childrens' Books, Reading | Tags: Children, Childrens' Books, Education, Reading, Summer Vacation
It’s hard to believe that Rydan has just three days left of school. With school starting here in mid-August, kids get an earlier start to their summer than what Rydan was used to in Pennsylvania. Today is Field Day, Tuesday is a day off, and then he’ll officially begin summer vacation on Thursday when he steps off the bus at 2:45pm. I know he is very excited to sleep in, watch Monday Night Raw, visit the community pool, and spend time with his neighborhood friends.
In the mix of that, I hope to keep his reading skills sharp. That’s why today I’m sharing a few lists of recommended children’s books, so that you can keep your own bookworms reading over the summer too.
Here’s a great list to start reviewing. It’s the Top 100 Children’s Books of All Time. How many are in your child’s library? We have 17 of them, but I’m pretty sure we’ve read almost half of the books on the list. Rydan brought many of them home from his school library. This is a really helpful list if you’re looking for some old favorites that you might have forgotten about. Our personal favorites on this list are Goodnight Moon, Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, The Going To Bed Book, Stellaluna, The Tale Of Peter Rabbit, The Runaway Bunny, Rainbow Fish, and Miss Nelson Is Missing.
Next, it’s 75 Books That Build Character. This list is sure to have some new titles to check out, and they’re also great conversation starters about important life lessons.
And though I’m not a very big advocate for entertaining kids with technology instead of playing outside, visiting local attractions, or reading together, I realize that certain forms of technology can be very beneficial to kids. That’s why I’m sharing this last list, The 40 Best iPad Apps For Young Learners. As noted in the introduction to this list, “For every Angry Birds there’s an educational game out there to improve your child’s mind.” These appps do just that.
Filed under: Childrens' Books | Tags: braces, Children's Book, Illustrations, Manuscript
It’s no secret that I love childrens’ books. Unless you’ve read my blog, it might be a secret that I’ve written a few myself. One of them, titled Simon’s Silver Smile, has recently been fully illustrated by my very talented friend, Kelly Griffith.
Kelly and I met through a mutual friend a few years ago. When I learned that one of the items on her “bucket list” was to illustrate a childrens’ book, I couldn’t wait to talk to her about collaborating. After our first meet up at Borders, I was so blown away by her portfolio and knew she was the perfect match for my story. It took some time, but Kelly and I are proud to say that our book is complete. Now all we need is a publisher. As an unpublished writer, this is quite a difficult task. I’ve made a few attempts, but those rejection letters are really heartbreaking. Hopefully this post gives me a boost of motivation to keep trying. If anyone has some advice, I’d love to hear it.
The message of Simon’s Silver Smile is simple. It’s about treating friends with respect and kindness no matter what our differences are. When I watch stories about bullying on the news, I find it so disturbing that kids are treating one another with such cruelty. It’s gone beyond verbal abuse, and I just don’t understand where these young children get the idea that they have the right to treat another child with such brutality.
All of my manuscripts have been inspired by real life experience, and Simon’s Silver Smile is no different. At one point in our childhood, my brothers and I all experienced the joy of wearing braces, and I still remember not wanting to talk or smile the first time I walked into school with my braces. Simon’s Silver Smile is about what it’s like to look different.
The entire manuscript for this story can be found underneath My Work from the left hand column. Until now, no one (other than my husband), has seen Kelly’s final illustrations. I’ve chosen to reveal a few of them today because they really bring the story to life, and hopefully someone out there can help push us in the right direction when it comes to getting this book published.
Filed under: Childrens' Books, Holidays | Tags: Amazon.com, Baby's First Book, Barefoot Books, Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See?, Childrens' Books, Christmas Gifts, Eric Carle, Heard On The Playground, Holidays, Reading, Shopping, The Grandparent Book, World Atlas
You’ve heard me say it before, so here is my annual “books make great gifts” holiday post. If you’re still shopping and not sure what to buy, here are my personal suggestions for all of the bookworms in your life, big and small.
Book Suggestion #1: Board Books by Eric Carle. My daughter absolutely loves these books. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? is by far her favorite Eric Carle book at the moment. She loves the simple, repetitive text and the large, colorful illustrations of various animals are very eye-catching. Her favorite part of the book is the last two pages, where she can point to all of the different animals. Amazon.com has these books at great prices, and they fit nicely into stockings!
Book Suggetsion #2: The Grandparent Book. This unique keepsake makes it easy and fun for grandparents to share their stories with their grandchildren. The Grandparent Book is organized into sections, each devoted to a stage of life: childhood, teenhood, adulthood, and grandhood. With prompts for collecting grand memories and pages for grandparents and grandkids to fill out together, this journal is a great fuss-free way to bring generations together.
Book Suggestion #3: Baby’s First Journal. Capture the precious memories of your baby’s first year in this spiral and cloth bound journal. With special sections for your baby’s “firsts” and favorites, photographs, captions and more, all the important moments will be saved for years to come. Includes six colorful pockets for holding mementos and keepsakes. Makes a great gift for the expecting parents in your life!
Book Suggestion #4: Heard On The Playground. Kids say and do funny things every day. Heardontheplayground.com has found a way to share and remember all of those silly moments. Visit their website and you can submit your child’s funny comments for others to enjoy. The website was such a success that a book has been created with some of the best comments from kids all over the country. This book is pure, honest entertainment and takes us inside the fascinating mind of a child. It makes a great gift for teachers or grandparents. You haven’t heard it all until you’ve read this book. I must also add that I am very excited to have Marshmallow Mondays listed in the blog contributors section of this book!
Book Suggestion #5: Barefoot Books World Atlas. Divided by geographical region, the Barefoot Books World Atlas looks at the way in which communities and cultures across the world have been shaped by their natural environment, and at the ideas and initiatives which are shaping the future. An atlas for the twenty-first century, it shows how all parts of the planet are interconnected and looks at the challenges which face us all in creating a sustainable future. A great resource for kids of all ages.
