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By: Arbordale Publishing,
on 9/16/2015
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Robin Yardi is releasing her first picture book this week, They Just Know: Animal Instincts. The combination of the whimsical and real life come together perfectly with Laurie Allen Klein’s art as readers learn how some animals don’t need mom and dad to show them the way, they just know!
Before we get to the inside scoop on hidden gems in the art meet Robin and find out how this story came to be…
What was your incentive to write this particular book?
When my daughter was young we loved to talk about animals that didn’t need their mothers. I remember playing mommy and baby butterfly with her (a game of her invention) and trying to explain, “Well actually, butterflies never meet their mothers.” You should have seen her face! “Who teaches them to fly?” she asked. “Who makes them breakfast?” After years and years of watching butterflies in our garden this still amazes her, so I thought a book about the wonderful things animals can do all on their own would appeal to other kids too.
What animals in They Just Know have you seen before?
that winter and really don’t have many left. Now when I find ladybugs I give them to my children to wish on.
I’ve never seen a spring peeper, or pinkletink as some people call them, but I do love and worry about the world’s amphibians. I’ve had pet frogs and toads and once ended up with about two hundred tadpoles!
I’ve swum among Green Sea Turtles in the waters of Hawai’i. These turtles are protected and you cannot touch them, but you can look deep, deep into their eyes. I’ve rarely seen anything so beautiful, curious and gentle.
As a kid in California I caught two species of kingsnake, both strikingly and stripingly beautiful!
To read the full interview with Robin, click here, but first play find and seek throughout the book with Laurie Allen Klein’s art!
Hide and Seek in They Just Know
(hint, Laurie answers these questions on Nonfiction Nook, but see if you can find them yourself)
- Find the t-shirt with all the animals from the book pictured on it.
- Which way is the current headed for the baby swimming turtles?
- What kind of “helmet” might a ladybug wear for flying?
- If a shark needed a nightlight what kind of fish serves that purpose?
- First flights are celebrated with a ritual, why is a cut t-shirt so special?
- What is the equation on the frog’s blackboard showing?
- What game are the king snakes playing?
- What other Arbordale book is pictured within the pages here?
Comment here and enter to win your own copy of They Just Know!
By: Arbordale Publishing,
on 9/15/2015
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Some writers always knew that they were destined to tell stories, others came to the craft a little later. That was the case with new author Sharon Chriscoe. Her first picture book The Sparrow and the Trees is a retelling of a native folktale that explains why some trees lose their leaves in winter while others do not.
Find out why Sharon chose to retell this story:
What was your incentive to write this particular book?
I love the Native American folklore, Why The Trees Lose Their Leaves, and it was exciting to base my own story on that wonderful folklore. It was the story I was meant to write. I was thrilled when Arbordale agreed and offered publication.
What is most rewarding and/or challenging about writing children’s books?
The most rewarding aspect of writing The Sparrow and The Trees for Arbordale is knowing that children all around the world are going to read and learn from my book. Arbordale is so fantastic with the amount of educational elements they include with each of their books, from online resources to worksheets to Creative Minds Information — there is something for everyone to learn. I learned a lot while researching this book!
Do you have any advice for parents of young readers and writers?
Read to your children every day. Make it a fun, memorable experience and they will become lifelong readers. One of my favorite quotes is “Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.” — Emilie Buchwald.
Get the full interview on the book’s home page, click here!
Don’t forget comment on this post to win a copy of The Sparrow and the Trees. And color to your hearts content with these fun pages.
By: Arbordale Publishing,
on 9/14/2015
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Terry Catasús Jennings has a talent for taking a simple concept and telling a great story. In her newest book Sounds of the Savanna, Terry takes readers to the African plains and shows them how important sound is to the animals that live in this habitat.
Get to know a little more about Terry’s writing:
How did you first become interested in writing, and writing for children’s picture books?
When I read Little Women by Louisa May Alcott as a very young girl, I knew I wanted to be a writer, just like Jo March. I believe though, that I would have ended up being a writer even if I hadn’t read the book. Stories are always rolling around in my head. Whenever something happens I like to report on it, like writing a newspaper story, in my head. I also like to figure out why people may have acted in a particular way, so I take what happens and I figure out a plot line that may have led them to their actions. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? What I like best of all is figuring out the very best way to convey each message—the best words to use, how to form each sentence and that is especially important in a picture book. I love to use the rhythm of language when I write a picture book. It’s almost like writing a poem.
Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?
Read, read, read. Write, write, write. Look at the world with curiosity and try to figure out why things happen they way they do and why people act the way they do. Listen to people talk. Pay special attention to how they move. Capture a scene as if you were a movie camera and store it in your mind. You’ll use all those things that you have stored in your mind when you write your books.
You can read the full interview here!
But first here is a great roaring lion craft to go along with the book’s For Creative Minds section, check it out.
What you will need:
- You can use felt or paper (for our mask we used paper).
- You will need light brown, dark brown or black, A shade of red/pink, and white.
- Scissors and a pencil
- A large circle and small circular container for tracing
- A stick, for ours we used a pipe cleaner
- On tan paper use the large circle and trace three circles in a heart shape pattern. Connect the two top circles to the bottom and cut out your back portion.
- On the same paper trace two circles connect them together at the top to form a straight line and cut those out. For the nose of your lion.
- On the dark brown or black paper use the smaller circle and repeat step one. This will form your open mouth.
- Again on the dark paper cut a triangle for the nose and then round the edges
- On the pink paper use the bottom of the open mouth form and trace the lower portion of the tongue. Use your small circle to overlap and form the heart shape of the top of the tongue.
- On white paper cut two narrow triangles.
- Glue the dark mouth to the background, glue the tongue in place and then the teeth. Glue the triangle nose onto the tan nose, then glue that on top of your lion mouth.
- Tape or glue a stick to the back and you have your finished roaring lion!
Leave a comment and enter to win a copy of Sounds of the Savanna!
By: Arbordale Publishing,
on 9/13/2015
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It’s no secret; at Arbordale we are big fans of Jennifer Keats Curtis and her ability to write wonderful books about animals. This season she pairs up with John Gomes again to bring us The Lucky Litter: Wolf Pups Rescued from Wildfire. John’s beautiful photographs really bring out the personality in these cute pups and paired with Jennifer’s insightful words, this book is already getting praise…
“This is a charming tale full of child appeal for young readers who love true animal stories. The large font, bold type, and short but informative sentences make for easy, comfortable reading.” -Kirkus Reviews
Have you ever wondered how Jennifer begins a book, She was kind enough to share her process of creating The Lucky Litter:
Last year, a huge wildfire in Alaska consumed vast amounts of wilderness, forcing people and animals to leave their homes. I learned about this devastating fire from my buddy John Gomes, the Alaskan photographer with whom I’ve worked on Animal Helpers: Zoos and Kali’s Story: An Orphaned Polar Bear Rescue. With John’s update came a tip – the Alaska Zoo was expecting five wolf pups just rescued along the Funny River Horse Trail. John was looking forward to photographing the babies. Was there a story here?
I began gathering information about the pups and the rescue, tracking down the firefighters, wildlife biologists, vet, and keepers involved in helping these animals. I also connected with Alaska residents who had been affected by the fire. As it turned out, the adult wolves caring for those pups had been driven away by the heat of that massive fire. They were unable to return for the babies. Fortunately, a firefighter found one of the pups and rushed to get help. It is clear that Gannett, X-Ray, Huslia, Hooper, and Stebbins would not have survived without human intervention. There was indeed a story here. The Lucky Litter is the true story of the little pack’s survival.
This story almost wasn’t written. There was a question about whether wolves are a good topic for a children’s book. It turns out that people feel strongly about wolves and tend to fall into one of two camps: they love them or they hate them. Those who love wolves are awed by their power, beauty, and strength. Those who hate wolves believe these animals are frightening and view them as vicious, eating machines.
It is true that wolves are predators. But, they play a crucial role in the ecosystem. The gray wolf is a keystone species. A keystone is the big, important stone at the top of an arch that holds all of the other stones in place. The keystone anchors the structure so that it does not collapse. Keystone species are animals that help all of the other animals in an ecosystem stay in place. Gray wolves may be small in number but they play a big role from the top of the food chain all the way to the bottom. They help maintain the balance between predator and prey. When a keystone species is harmed, the entire ecosystem suffers. This important premise is beautifully shown in the video How Wolves Change Rivers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysa5OBhXz-Q) about the demise and reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone Park.
I am thrilled that this story has come to fruition. My goal in writing for children is to help young readers see what I’ve seen and learn what I’ve learned. For this book, I discovered a lot about wolves and wildfires. I had the opportunity to work with people who are making a difference in the lives of animals. The photos capture the personality of each of the wolves. What’s not to love?
Learn more about Jennifer and John’s work on the book’s page, but don’t forget to enter to win a copy of your own by commenting on this post!
Enter to win a copy of That's (Not) Mine (Two Lions, 2015), written by Anna Kang and illustrated by Christopher Weyant; plus an adorable full-color poster.
Giveaway begins September 7, 2015, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends October 6, 2015, at 11:59 P.M. PST.
Enter to win a copy of Ancient Earth Journal: The Early Cretaceous (Quatro Kids Books, 2015), written by Juan Carlos Alonso and Gregory S. Paul.
Giveaway begins August 31, 2015, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends September 30, 2015, at 11:59 P.M. PST.
Enter to win a copy of Chasing Secrets (Wendy Lamb Books, August 2015), written by Gennifer Choldenko.
Giveaway begins August 26, 2015, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends September 25, 2015, at 11:59 P.M. PST.
Enter to win a copy of The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed (HarperCollins, August 2015), written by Jessica Lahey.
Giveaway begins August 21, 2015, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends September 20, 2015, at 11:59 P.M. PST.
In
Esther’s last post, she pointed out a series of “re-” words related to
Kate Messner’s
Real Revision. I’ll add another: Repetition. Along with rhythm and rhyme, it’s one of the three important patterns in poetry that I discuss in
Write a Poem Step by Step. (By the way, we’re giving away an autographed copy! See below to enter for your chance to win!)
Here’s an excerpt from the book:
What do you do when you want to remember something? Do you say it to yourself again and again until you learn it? That’s using repetition. Repetition is an effective technique in poetry. It helps create a pattern in a poem. It can help us remember. It can add emphasis to a certain word or phrase. It can connect the parts of a poem to each other.
(Rahel Spilka wrote the following poem in one of my workshops many years ago. It's still one of my favorites.) Repetition ties Rahel’s poem together.
Blowing in the Wind
The tree’s branches are
blowing in the wind.
Like a cradle rocking
blowing in the wind.
It sounds like a baby crying
blowing in the wind.
The branches are swiveling
blowing in the wind.
Seems like a Mom saying,
“Shhhh!”
blowing in the wind.
Rahel Spilka, Grade 2
If your poem includes a word, a phrase, a line, or even a stanza that you want to use more than once, go ahead. Just make sure that what you repeat is important to the poem, or it can feel or sound overdone.
Have fun! Have fun! Have fun!
JoAnn Early Macken
Just in time for our back-to-school TeachingAuthors posts, which JoAnn kicked off Friday with a Book Giveaway of her WRITE A POEM STEP BY STEP, I share my THUMBS UP review of Kate Messner’s REAL REVISION (Stenhouse, 2011) – a must-read for anyone any time of the year (really!) who wants to get his or her writing right.
Personally, I’m a Big Fan of the prefix “re” – as in, back to, return to, again and again. According to my trusty online dictionary, verbs affixed with re connote restoration and repetition, a backwards motion, a withdrawal.
Think Second Chances.
Think Do-overs.
REAL REVISION makes all of the above possible, breaking down the revision process into doable, fun-even tasks, by sharing the revision strategies of a bounty of award-winning children’s book writers – Mentor Authors who truly show readers that all writing is revising.
Kirby Larson, Nora Raleigh Baskin, Jane Yolen, Kathi Appelt, Mitali Perkins, Donna Gephart, Tom Angleberger, Tanya Lee Stone, G. Neri, Rebecca Stead, just to name a few – share honest-to-goodness manuscripts and revision experiences of specific titles they’ve published in order to illustrate a key element of narrative – say, voice or characterization, setting or plot, and the writing process – maybe research, seeing the Big Picture, word choice, copyediting or brainstorming.
I’m talking REAL examples that lead to raised eyebrows and bulging eyes and all sorts of head-shaking responses.
Each Mentor Author’s offering is the stuff of a mini, personalized writer-to-writer one-on-one.
Each Mentor Author also offers a Try Out for the reader that accompanies the teaching point of each chapter– an easily-reproducible hands-on, doable, concrete exercise that underscores what’s – really – important.
The quotes that begin each chapter are delicious, too.
For instance, Lisa Schroeder’s:
“Revision is like cleaning your room because it may not be fun while you’re doing it but when you’re finished, you can stand back and see what you’ve done, and think, ‘Wow! That looks great!’”
Or Kirby Larson’s:
“Revision is like a newborn because it’s a 24/7 commitment and worth every sleepless night.”
Or Donna Gephart’s:
“Revision is like a lottery ticket because it’s a golden opportunity to make your work even better!”
Throughout REAL REVISION, Kate herself wears both her author and teacher hat, sharing her writing life, her process and the revision stories of her books. Kate happens to be a National Board-certified teacher – and – the award-winning author of such books as the E.B. White Read Aloud Award winner THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z., SUGAR AND ICE and the Marty McGuire chapter book series.
I don my two TeachingAuthor hats to sincerely thank Kate for bringing REAL REVISION’s Mentor Authors and their realistically-presented, insightful and informative revision strategies to the page in such a fun and readable instructive way.
Whether it’s back-to-school for you, and/or back-to-writing, don’t leave home without this anytime/anyonetool.
Oh, and don’t forget to enter our Book Giveaway for JoAnn Early Macken’s WRITE A POEM STEP BY STEP.
Here’s to that prefix “re” and second chances!
Esther Hershenhorn
Enter to win a copy of YOUR ALIEN (Sterling Children’s Books, August 2015), written by Tammi Sauer and illustrated by Goro Fujita!
Giveaway begins August 9, 2015, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends September 8, 2015, at 11:59 P.M. PST.
For the first time in nearly twenty years, no one in our house is going back to school! I won’t miss packing lunches or saying goodbye every day. But I am looking forward to visiting schools myself. I love working with students and teachers in poetry presentations and writing workshops. (For program details,
see my web site.)
Many teachers and writers I’ve worked with have asked for a poetry writing plan they could follow on their own. Write a Poem Step by Step is that plan, based on the workshops I present in schools. It describes a simple, logical method of writing a poem. It includes examples written by elementary school students in my workshops. And we’re giving away an autographed copy! You can enter to win below. The giveaway is set to begin on Friday, August 7, and run through Friday, August 21.
In our neighborhood, we’ve still got time to squeeze in more summer fun before the back-to-school frenzy begins. Here’s a summertime poem from Write a Poem Step by Step.
The Beach
The waves come
and crash on shore.
Shosh, shwash, shosh, shwash
The sand is as smooth as a wooden polished floor.
The sand goes through my toes.
The day was as hot as a heating vent.
I built a sandcastle,
but the waves washed it away.
Shosh, shwash, shosh, shwash.
Sarah Ilbek, Grade 3
The line “Shosh, shwash, shosh, shwash” uses invented words that sound like waves crashing on the beach. Like many creative writers, Sarah made up words to fit her poem. I recommend using this technique sparingly and only when a reader can understand the meaning from the context.
Sarah also repeats the line “Shosh, shwash, shosh, shwash.” Watch for a Wednesday Writing Workout on using repetition in poetry next week.
Don’t forget to enter our Book Giveaway below!
Tabatha Yeatts is hosting this week’s Poetry Friday Roundup at
The Opposite of Indifference. Enjoy!
JoAnn Early Macken
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By:
Bianca Schulze,
on 8/4/2015
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Enter to win a copy of Goodnight Songs: A Celebration of the Seasons, by Margaret Wise Brown!
Giveaway begins August 4, 2015, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends September 3, 2015, at 11:59 P.M. PST.
Prizes and samples provided by Carole P. Roman The Children’s Book Review | July 29, 2015 Enter to win a complete autographed set of the If You Were Me series, written by award-winning author Carole P. Roman and illustrated by Kelsea Wierenga; including If You Were Me and Lived in … China: A Child’s Introduction to Culture Around the World! […]
Enter to win a copy of What Pet Should I Get?, by Dr. Seuss!
Giveaway begins July 28, 2015, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends August 27, 2015, at 11:59 P.M. PST.
Enter to win a copy of The Princess and the Pony, Kate Beaton!
Giveaway begins July 13, 2015, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends June 12, 2015, at 11:59 P.M. PST.
Enter to win a copy of Mistakes Are Proof That You Are Trying, by Samantha Snyder.
Giveaway begins July 1, 2015, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends July 31, 2015, at 11:59 P.M. PST.
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By:
Sherrie Petersen,
on 6/23/2015
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Headline news can be depressing. Which is why it makes me happy to find news stories like this one: This Teenager Discovered a New Planet on his Third Day of Work. Seriously. At 15, this kid shows up for day three of his “work experience” project, they’ve assigned him the task of wading through all […]
By:
Valerie,
on 6/21/2015
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Welcome to Weekend Links!
I don’t know about you but summer is has been crazy-busy so far! We have mountains of books to read, travel plans galore and I am enjoying yet another batch of baby fox kits who have taken up residence at my house. As always I am determined to provide booklists, activities and giveaways to keep the whole family pulling books from shelves and stories from pages during the lazy, hazy days of summer.
Speaking of giveaways, did you know I have TWO wonderful ones that will be ending TODAY??!! (6/21)
One is a Linda Sue Park Booklist Giveaway. Linda Sue Park has written many children’s books, many of which one lucky reader will win! You can view the booklist and giveaway HERE.
The second giveaway is my Book-Jumper Summer Reading Series Secret Garden Booklist giveaway. More chances to win great books! Read the booklist and view the giveaway HERE.
I have another awesome giveaway running right now that will end June 27th. Again, this booklist and giveaway is based on yet another amazing female children’s literature author. Pam Muñoz Ryan is the author of more that thirty books for young readers, including four beloved novels, Riding Freedom, Esperanza Rising, Becoming Naomi León, and Paint the Wind, which collectively have garnered, among countless accolades, the Pura Belpré Medal, the Jane Addams Award, and the Schneider Family Award. She lives in Southern California with her family. You can visit her at www.PamMunozRyan.com.
ONE winner will receive a copy of each of these Pam Munoz Ryan books: Esperanza Rising, Echo, Riding Freedom, Becoming Naomi Leon. The Dreamer and Paint the Wind. Giveaway begins Wednesday June 17th and ends June 27th, 2015. You can enter the giveaway HERE.
All three are great opportunities to get some wonderful books into the hands of your young readers.
Reading at any age is soooo important. I recently found some great articles that reinforce this fact so I will post them here for you to read and enjoy:
Why Keep Reading Aloud in the 5th Grade? Monique at Living Life and Learning offers up a great perspective.
@NerdyBookClub Parenting, Bonding, and Reading Aloud by Jenny Houlroyd
@NerdyBookClub Reading Aloud by Debbie Shoulders
TOP TEN Read-Aloud Books for Students with Special Needs by Aimee Owens
Slow Reading Family Style by…ME!
Read Aloud to Ignite a World of Possibility at Huffington Post
Do you read aloud in your family? Which books are the best for reading aloud?
Looking for more ways to not only get your youngsters reading, but get them OUTSIDE as well? Enjoy more month-by-month activities based on the classic children’s tale, The Secret Garden! A Year in the Secret Garden is a delightful children’s book with over 120 pages, with 150 original color illustrations and 48 activities for your family and friends to enjoy, learn, discover and play with together. AND, it’s on sale for a limited time! Grab your copy ASAP and “meet me in the garden!” More details HERE! http://amzn.to/1DTVnuX
The post Weekend Links: The Importance of Reading Aloud & The Last Day on the Giveaways! appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
Welcome to our third week of our Bookjumper Summer Reading Series! This is my way of inspiring parents who are looking for creative ways to keep their kids reading this summer!
Our summer reading program will be a combination of some really neat things. All of our protagonists are girls or women and most of our showcased authors are women as well. I will be offering up a combination of themed weeks, great novels, booklist giveaways, and blog post recaps so be sure and stop by to discover more wonderful ways have A Book-jumper Summer while Exploring Our World and Beyond!
This week I want to focus on the wonderful works of one of our favorite authors, Pam Munoz Ryan.
When my intern Hannah and I were planning what books we’d jump into this summer, her eyes popped open and shouts of glee were heard after I asked, “What about Esperanza Rising?” According to Hannah it is one of her all time favorite books which she goes to again and again. I think we can say that Esperanza Rising is a close and dear friend to Hannah.
So thanks to that confession, Esperanza Rising made our summer reading list and our lovely Hannah Rials is sharing her views on one of her favorite reads……oh and by the way, mine too!
From Hannah……
Esperanza Ortega lives a live of privilege in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Her father owns El Rancho de las Rosas where he grows rows of roses and grapes. Esperanza is treated like a princess, with beautiful gifts, loving parents, loyal servants, and wonderful friends.
When bandits kill her father, her mother and her lives are uprooted. Her evil uncles wish to take over the ranch and her eldest uncle to marry her mother, Esperanza, Ramona, and their loyal servants are forced to flee Mexico, leaving an ill Abuelita to heal with her sisters at the convent. With all their papers in order, they sneak out of Aguascalientes by cover of darkness to travel into the United States for work.
Here, Esperanza discovers the hardships of life, responsibility, and so many other experiences that her life of privilege had shielded her from.
She, along with 5 other people, live in a two room cabin with no warm water in California. They work unreasonable hours, but they must work, or there will be no food on the table. Being only thirteen, Esperance lucks out of having real work, instead being charged with watching the babies and sweeping. That is, until her mother falls ill with Valley Fever.
Five months, Esperanza prays for her mother as she heals in the hospital. In less than a year, Esperanza has lost her father, had to leave her abuelita, watched her mother grow weaker, and begin to work with the rest of the women. To her, hope does not exist. Will the valleys, as abuelita says, ever turn into mountain tops?
Esperanza Rising has a special place in my heart. As a child, I read this book several times, and at the time, I was not sure why I was so connected to this novel, with a lifestyle that I could not relate to. It doesn’t matter that I cannot empathize with the situation because I love these characters. Esperanza is alive—her temper, her kindness, her selfishness, her newly learned wisdom. All the characters are so alive, that I believe they are real. And that is what makes this story so amazing. Ms. Ryan based this story off of the life of her grandmother. To her, these are real people, and because of this truth of them, this idol to hold them up to, they are made all the more real for us. I love this book, because I am an only child, because I love my mother and my grandmother who smells like peppermint.
Ms. Ryan also offers interesting insight into the Mexican Repatriation in her Author’s note. This is one note that you don’t want to ignore.
Something To Do Book-Inspired Activities:
Rosehip Tea recipe (like Hortensia makes). Rose hips produce a mild, tangy, fruity tea. Use them solo or combined with a hint of fresh spearmint or peppermint leaves. Chilled and sweetened with stevia, the tea is a vitamin-rich, sugar-free alternative to fruit juices or Kool-Aid that is appealing to kids and adults alike. Grab the full process HERE.
Crochet a Shawl (like Abuelita). Hopeful Honey has great tips on Crochet for Beginners.
Yarn Dolls (for all of Isabel’s friends). Yarns are fun and easy to make (great project for kids!) Get the full tutorial at Little House Living.
What book-inspired fun will you do today
**Don’t Forget!!!! We have TWO wonderful book giveaways going on and ending SOON. Enter my giveaways here and here.…but don’t delay!
**some of these links are affiliate links
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Grab your copy HERE: The Waldorf Homeschool Handbook: The Simple Step-by-Step guide to creating a Waldorf-inspired homeschool. http://amzn.to/1OhTfoT
The post The Book-Jumper Summer Reading Series: Esperanza Rising Book Review & Activity appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
Welcome to Weekend Links!
I don’t know about you but summer is off-and-running at our house. We have mountains of books to read, travel plans galore and I am enjoying yet another batch of baby fox kits who have taken up residence at my house. As summer starts picking up steam, I want to do my part in providing booklists, activities and giveaways to keep the whole family pulling books from shelves and stories from pages.
Speaking of giveaways, did you know I have TWO wonderful ones running Right.Now??!! One is a Linda Sue Park Booklist Giveaway. Linda Sue Park has written many children’s books, many of which one lucky reader will win! You can view the booklist and giveaway HERE.
The second giveaway is my Book-Jumper Summer Reading Series Secret Garden Booklist giveaway. More chances to win great books! Read the booklist and view the giveaway HERE.
Here are more great booklists and links that I have discovered this week. Enjoy!
12 Empowering Children’s Books To Add To Little Girls’ Bookshelves
Superhero Summer Reading – a great booklist at Growing Book by Book
ABC’s of American History: W is for George Washington from Thaleia at Something2Offer
Children’s Books about Ninjas, Samurai, and Karate – via Leanna at All Done Monkey
African Animals Yoga from Kids Yoga Stories that includes a wonderful resource list for teaching kids about Africa.
Three books for children that take bullying by the horns at Scroll.in
50 Inspiring Children’s Books with a Positive Message « Positively Positive
Making a game out of science fiction for 8-12 year-olds from Zoe at Playing by the Book
The Best Books to Read at the Breakfast Table from KCEdventures
What good booklists did you find this week?
Looking for a unique way to keep your kids busy this summer…and engaged with nature? The At-Home Summer Nature Camp eCurriculum is available for sale!
This 8-week eCurriculum is packed with ideas and inspiration to keep kids engaged and happy all summer long. It offers 8 kid-approved themes with outdoor activities, indoor projects, arts & crafts, recipes, field trip ideas, book & media suggestions, and more. The curriculum, now available for download, is a full-color PDF that can be read on a computer screen or tablet, or printed out. Designed for children ages 5-11, it is fun and easily-adaptable for all ages!
The At-Home Summer Nature Camp eGuide is packed with ideas & inspiration to keep your kids engaged all summer long. This unique eCurriculum is packed with ideas & inspiration from a group of creative “camp counselors.” Sign up, or get more details, HERE
The post Weekend Links: Discovering the Best BookLists of Summer for Kids appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
Hooray for good news! After 2 1/2 grueling years, our son is cancer free! My husband retires today! And I have a new book! The padded board book edition of Baby Says "Moo!" is here, and you could win an autographed copy for you or your favorite baby.
You can read more about
Baby Says "Moo!" in
this interview with the VCFA Launchpad, the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults blog. Enter below to win an autographed copy. The giveaway runs through June 22. We'll announce the winner on June 26. Good luck!
Today's Poetry Friday Roundup is at
Jama's Alphabet Soup. Enjoy!
JoAnn Early Macken
a Rafflecopter giveaway 
Enter to win a copy of Cast Off, written by Eve Yohalem.
Giveaway begins June 11, 2015, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends July 8, 2015, at 11:59 P.M. PST.
Enter to win a copy of Butterfly Park, written and illustrated by Elly MacKay.
Giveaway begins May 19, 2015, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends June 18, 2015, at 11:59 P.M. PST.
By:
Carmela Martino and 5 other authors,
on 5/18/2015
Blog:
Teaching Authors
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JacketFlap tags:
Inspirational Quotes,
Eleanor Roosevelt,
Henry Ford,
Bobbi Miller,
Yvonne Ventresca,
Rebecca Colby,
Laurie J. Edwards,
Marcia Strykowski,
Christina Banach,
Fred White,
Mark Twain,
Book Giveaway,
Add a tag
 |
| Thomas Edison, 1921. |
Title adapted from Laurie J. Edwards’ discussion on inspiration. Thank you!
And don’t forget to enter to win a copy of Stefanie Lyon’s YA novel in verse, DATING DOWN. You can enter here between now and midnight, May 15, 2015.Fred White blogged in 2010 that “Being inspired smacks of amateurish, daydreamy passivity, the notion that some supernatural presence must appear before us before the words can flow. And we’re reminded to death of Thomas Edison’s overquoted words about invention demanding 99 percent perspiration and 1 percent inspiration, perhaps not realizing that without that primal 1 percent jolt from the gods, Edison might not have been driven to sweat out the hard work or to cope with a zillion things going wrong.”
Inspiration is important for any creative activity. In fact, some argue that art made the world (See Nigel Spivey’s
How Art Made the World, 2005). When early humans produced art over 77,000 years ago, they crafted tools and embellished it with color, but
the defining element that made it stand above their Homo habilis ancestors using tools is found the singular capacity of using the imagination. From these humble beginnings, civilizations were born.
And inspiration fires the imagination. I’ve asked some of my favorite people about their favorite inspirations, and include them below.
All photographs are from the Library of Congress, used with permission. From Laurie J. Edwards, YA author extraordinaire:
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Henry Ford, 1924. His first car and his ten millionth car.
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“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eye off the goal.” ~ Henry Ford
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| Bamboo Gardens, China, 1900. |
From Rebecca Colby, author of It’s Raining Bats and Frogs and other picturebooks:"The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it." ~ Chinese Proverb
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| Martha Graham, Age 67, 1961. |
F
rom Marcia Strykowski, author of Call Me Amy:
"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one ofyou in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost." ~ Martha Graham
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| Eleanor Roosevelt, 1946. |
From Yvonne Ventresca, author of Pandemic:“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. . . .You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
And because it's Mark Twain:
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| Mark Twain, 1903. |
“
Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” ~ Mark Twain
From Christina Banach, author of Minty and other YA fiction: “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” ~ Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird.
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| Historic mural depicting the Harper Lee novel, "To Kill a Mockingbird" located in Monroeville, Alabama. 1961. |
“
Inspiration matters because it prods us to traverse the full spectrum of human experience. An important part of what it means to be a writer is to become so turned on to the business of being alive, to be so completely inspired by life, that you will harvest ideas for writing everywhere—from books, from people, from music and other art forms, from the natural world, and most of all from your own inner resources.” ~
Fred White, 2010
What inspires you?Bobbi Miller
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Robin Yardi is releasing her first picture book this week, They Just Know: Animal Instincts. The combination of the whimsical and real life come together perfectly with Laurie Allen Klein’s art as readers learn how some animals don’t need mom and dad to show them the way, they just know!
What was your incentive to write this particular book? 
(hint, Laurie answers these questions on Nonfiction Nook, but see if you can find them yourself)
