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SCARLETTA PRESS accept submissions ONLY during their reading period (September 1 to June 1).

SUBMISSIONS ARE CURRENTLY OPEN.

They use Submittable.

While they seek to publish new voices missing from the literary world, they also want to make sure your manuscript will fit their genre community. The books they choose to publish are intellectually stimulating, adding relevant knowledge to readers’ minds. Their Junior Readers and Kids imprints focus on literature and picture books with educational twists, exciting illustrations, and engaging plots.

Genres they focus on include:

• Children’s Fiction
• Middle-grade Fiction
• Educational Fiction/Nonfiction
• Picture Books

They do not publish plays, screenplays, short story collections, or poetry.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Filed under: Artist opportunity, authors and illustrators, chapter books, Middle Grade Novels, need to know, opportunity, picture books, Places to Submit, publishers, submissions Tagged: Scarletta Press

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Today, Kid Lit Reviews is pleased to welcome Dr. Ellen Prager, Scarletta Press author of The Shark Whisperer, June 8th–this Saturday–is World Oceans Day and Dr. Prager will be speaking. But before she can speak there, she has to speak here. I asked her a few questions about her book series, her writing habits, and what kids could do to help the oceans of the world. Here is what she told me:

Hi, Dr. Prager. What prompted you to write The Shark Whisperer?

While promoting my last popular science book (Sex, Drugs, and Sea Slime: The Ocean’s Oddest Creatures), I was repeatedly asked if I had anything specifically for middle grade students (8 to 12 years old). The answer was no. My previous books are either illustrated children’s books for younger kids or High School and above popular science books. I then investigated (did my homework) to see what type of books kids of that age like to read. The answer was crystal clear – fun fiction series, such as Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. I was particularly taken with Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series and how he combined Greek mythology with adventure and totally sarcastic, creative humor. I became a huge fan and thought: Hey, what if I could do something like that with the ocean and sea creatures. What a great way to get kids engaged in reading and learning about the sea at an age where so many love marine animals and the ocean.

Many of the things that occur in the story are true. Can you tell us about one or two  fascinating facts?

In the book, one of the main teen characters develops the ability to change the color of his skin (later the shape of his fingers as well….teaser for book #2) to mimic other creatures or his surroundings. This is modeled after the octopus (and squid and cuttlefish), which is the best and fastest camouflage artist on the planet. They are also smart, have excellent eyesight, and can squeeze through amazingly small openings (the Houdinis of the sea). Truly amazing creatures!

After a series of events, the main characters go to the Exuma Islands in the Bahamas where they attempt to rescue some kidnapped teens and outwit a shark killing, coral reef blasting villain. In the Bahamas they confer in a cave, swim through coral reefs and over stromatolites, and come upon giant underwater waves or dunes of sand made up of small white beadlike grains called ooids. These are all based on my real experiences when I lived in the Exuma Islands and worked as the director of a small marine laboratory on tiny Lee Stocking Island.

Will Tristan be a central character in each book of the series? How many books will comprise The Shark Whisperer series?

Yes, Tristan will be the main character, accompanied by his friends Hugh and Sam. Right now we are planning for five books!

What was the hardest task involved in writing the book and how did you handle it?

Writing the book was the fun part. I love writing these books. The hard part was finding a publisher. Because I am a scientist and had not written a fiction series like this previously, I think publishers were hesitant to take it on. In addition, the combination of an entertaining fiction story with ocean science was also somewhat of a novel idea, so that also presented an obstacle for publishers. I received numerous “soul sucking” rejections and was nearly ready to throw in the towel, when Scarletta Press thankfully picked up the series. I am extremely grateful to them for taking a chance with the books and me. And hopefully, given the wonderful response so far from readers they are happy as well!

Sometimes I took the rejections as a challenge and was ready to fight for the book. At other times I went running, swimming in the ocean or jumped into my kayak to ward off the self-doubt and depression that occurred. And I had great friends and family who kept telling me to keep at it. The fact that my test readers LOVED the first book also gave me confidence that I had something worth publishing.

Of all the abilities the kids have in The Shark Whisperer, (such as Tristan understanding sharks and talking to them), which skill would you want to be a real thing and why?

Now that’s a tough question. I would definitely like to be able to talk to sea creatures, especially sharks, dolphins or eagle rays. Sam’s ability to echolocate is pretty cool too. Then again, developing webbed hands and feet and being able to swim fast and stay longer underwater would be fantastic. I just can’t choose!

Those skills definitely saved our heroes lives.  World Ocean Day is this Saturday, June 8^th. What is most important about this day?

World Ocean Day provides an opportunity for us to recognize the importance of the ocean to the planet, marine life, and especially people. It is a chance to share knowledge of and passion for the sea, and hopefully to foster a greater connection in people of all ages to the ocean and to build lifelong stewards.

What can kids do to help restore and maintain the ocean?

Kids have enormous power! But they don’t hear that all too often. Kids are a huge influence on their parents and other kids. They can get involved in coastal cleanups, ocean camps, programs at nature centers and aquariums, and share they commitment to the ocean with others. They can teach people about marine life and why we all should dispose of our trash properly and recycle so it doesn’t end up in the ocean. Kids can write their local leaders or even the President to tell them we need to take better care of the ocean. They can also ask their parents to only purchase seafood that is fished sustainably (see Monterey Bay Aquarium or the Blue Ocean Institute website for information on this). And they are the leaders and innovators of the future. Kids have power!

Can you give us a little insight into book 2?

If you liked book #1, you are going to love book #2. Tristan and his friends go on a mission to investigate mysteriously dying fish in the British Virgin Islands, an area well known for its pirate history. They will encounter strangely aggressive sharks, spooked manta rays, get trapped, be set adrift at night, and have to deal with an oncoming hurricane. There is also some cool underwater technology in the second book, including a small submersible and a robotic jellyfish.

The teens will explore some of the most beautiful and fascinating real locations in the British Virgin Islands, such as the giant boulder trails and caves of The Baths. And in dealing with a creepy new villain, Hugh surprises everyone in a move that is a real shocker. Also included in the story is a mantis shrimp with anger management problems, some squid, a moray eel, sea turtles, tarpon, dolphins, frigate birds, and more.

There is nothing worse than a fish with a sharp tail and a anger management problem. Let’s shift gears, but just slightly. Describe where do you do most of your writing. 

I write mainly in my office at home. It is light, airy, and overlooks some palm trees. I can even see the ocean in the distance. I like it to be quiet or with just the sounds of nature, such as birds chirping. Sometimes I write while traveling, but I find that harder. Though if the inspiration hits, I suppose I can write just about anywhere!

When you wrote book 1, did you write the first draft straight through before editing anything or did you edit along the way? If you can recall, how many drafts were written before the manuscript was polished enough for submission?

For me, writing is all about re-writing. I try to write pages at a time and then come back repeatedly to edit. And I definitely edit as I go. I’ll work on sections at a time to get them pretty well crafted and then move on. Many, many drafts were done before I submitted the manuscript. No idea on the number, let’s just say lots!

Is there anything you would like to add? Maybe tell us a bit about the upcoming books.

Real world ocean issues are integrated into each book. In the first book the bad guy is shark finning. Tens of millions of sharks are killed each year for their fins, meat, cartilage, and oil. As top predators, sharks are very important to the ocean ecosystem, they help to keep prey populations in check and weed out sick or diseased animals. We need to better protect sharks to protect the ocean and all of its valuable resources we depend on, and so that we as well as future generations can continue to enjoy the sea and sharks. In the second book issues such as marine pollution and overfishing are integrated into the story.

We’ll start the editing process soon for book #2 so that it will be ready to publish early May 2015. And I’m well into writing book #3. Grand Cayman’s Stingray City plays a major role in the story. If people want to learn more about the science in the books or me they can also go to www.tristan-hunt.com.

I love Stingray City. Such a cool place. Just don’t jump into the ocean with a pocket full of squid. They will make you scream as they converge upon you as you hit the water.  But great fun!

Dr. Prager, thank you for being here and answering my questions. I very much enjoyed The Shark Whisperer and will be thrilled when book 2 arrives.

Readers can read a REVIEW of The Shark Whisperer HERE or an EXCERPT HERE.

The Shark Whisperer can be bought at Amazon —B&N—Scarletta Press—at your local bookstore.

Visit Dr. Ellen Prager at her website:  http://www.earth2ocean.net/
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Readers, Thanks for hanging in there! <3

Filed under: Author Spotlight, Interviews, Middle Grade, Series Tagged: author interview, children's book reviews, Dr. Ellen Prager, middle grade novel, novel excerpt, ocean creatures, Scarletta Press, The Shark Whisperer, World Oceans Day

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The Shark Whisperer #1: Tristan Hunt and the Sea Guardians

by Ellen Prager

Scarlett Junior Readers

978-1-938063-44-2

Age 8 to 12        288 pages

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“Things are beginning to look up for clumsy Tristan Hunt. After falling into a pool of sharks, Tristan is invited to an ocean-themed summer camp in the Florida Keys. He soon discovers that he and the other young teens there have special talents when it comes to the ocean. When the camp receives a distress call from ocean animals, Tristan and his new friends get pulled into a daring rescue in the Bahamas. With sharks, dolphins, and quick-escape-artist octopus, can the campers outwit and evil shark-finning, reef-blasting billionaire?”

Opening

“A sudden unnatural hush fell over the crowd. All eyes were fixed on the pool below.”

The Story

Tristan spends his summer at the Florida Keys Sea Park Summer Camp. He and the other campers all have some unusual ability related to the ocean. Tristan can relate to sharks. He hones this ability during most of the summer camp. A billionaire accused of shark-finning holds three older campers hostage on his ship. The simple rescue mission Tristan and the other new campers become involved in turns out to be a more dangerous mission than originally planned. Tristan and the others may not get back to camp before the billionaire’s goonies harm them. This would not go over well with parents expecting to pick up sons and daughters at camp’s end.

Review

The Shark Whisperer takes place in one of my favorite places: waters south of Florida. Each camper has a special ability related to the ocean and its creatures. Tristan found he could relate to and understand sharks after falling into a Sea World-type amusement park’s shark tank. Tristan makes two new friends and the three bond over the summer. Friendship is a big deal in The Shark Whisperer as is loyalty, confidentiality, bravery, and self-sacrifice. The ocean life knowing how to “speak” to humans is a fascinating idea, though made up. Even though the characters and their abilities are not real, it is easy to suspend belief while reading the story.

There is much action in The Shark Whisperer, some of which is funny and a little gross. Birds help the campers with the rescue by pooping on top the billionaire’s goonies, on cue, and throwing . . .  well, that one I’ll let you find out on your own, but trust me it is hilarious, especially when the billionaire goes out on . . . there I go again giving away great moments. I loved the way the ocean and marina animals worked together, even those that are natural enemies. Once the problem is resolved, the natural order of life resumes as if nothing had happened.

Dr. Prager inserts much ocean science into the story, mostly about marine life. In the back of the book, she wrote a short note to the reader explaining what was real and what was not. You may be surprised at some of those that are real. The billionaire’s actions are real. There are those that cut the fin from sharks for a soup considered an expensive delicacy in Asia. Shark finning is especially heinous as are damaging reefs, and blasting the seabed.

The Shark Whisperer takes kids on a journey through the ocean, viewing much of it from the animals’ perspective. This is a science fiction / adventure story with real ocean conservation as the theme. At an awkward age, Tristan cannot keep up with his growing body and tends to trip over his large feet. When swimming, Tristan finds he is a marvel in the water. As his confidence grows so do his abilities. The Shark Whisperer will excite kids about the ocean and preserving it for generations to come. While not the reason for writing the book, it is a wonderful offshoot that may one day return the ocean to the glory it once was.

The author holds a PhD, is a marine scientist, and was once the chief scientist at the world’s only undersea research station in the Florida Keys. The camp is somewhat based on this research station.  All of Dr. Prager’s credentials, degrees, and experience make her one of, if not the, smartest people in ocean science today. Her writing is engaging and interesting. I hope this series has a long run. As it is, The Shark Whisperer has stayed in my head for days after finishing—in good way, if you don’t mind three kids—and one reader—itching to go back to camp.

THE SHARK WHISPERER. Text copyright © 2014 by Dr. Ellen Prager. Illustrations copyright © by Antonio Javier Caparo. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Scarletta Junior Reader, an imprint of Scarletta Press, Minneapolis, MN.

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Lean more about The Shark Whisperer HERE.

Buy The Shark Whisperer at Amazon—B&N—Scarletta Press—your local bookstore.

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Meet the author, Dr. Ellen Prager, at her website:     http://www.earth2ocean.net/

Meet the illustrator, Antonio Javier Caparo, at his website:  http://www.antoniocaparo.com/ 

For more books by the publisher Scarletta Junior Reader, go to their website:  http://scarlettapress.com/

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DON’T FORGET TO ENTER – WIN THE SHARK WHISPERER

How to Enter? – Leave a comment. For more entries, return through the 18^th, comment on the posts, and then again click on the Rafflecopter link here: a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Here are the prizes you can win during Children’s Book Week by leaving a comment and using the Rafflecopter at the above link:

1 of 3 3-month subscription to Farfaria, unlimited stories for your child.

a copy of The Shark Whisperer, the new series from Scarletta Press by Dr. Ellen Prager,

a copy of Josh and the Gumshoe News Crew, the new book by Melissa Perry Moraja,

a copy of Lately Lily, the new book  from Chronicle Books by Micah Player

1 of 3 copies of Bear’s Big Bottom, a new book from Capstone by Steve Smallman & Emma Yarlett,

1 of 3 copies of Lost Little Penguin, a new book from Capstone by Tracey Corderoy & Gavin Scott,

and a Surprise Pack from your host, Kid Lit Reviews.

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Leave a Comment,

Check out the Rafflecopter,

Return Tomorrow, and if you are interested in more giveaways, the giveaway hop has more than 100 great giveaways. If you leave a comment on one of those blogs, let me know in a second comment (too verify) for an extra entry. li

If you are like me and never win a contest or a giveaway, this week could be your turn to win a prize!

Filed under: 5stars, Favorites, Library Donated Books, Middle Grade, Series Tagged: Antonio Javier Caparo, Dr. Ellen Prager, Scarletta Junior Readers, Scarletta Press

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Monster & Me™

Book 2: Monster Needs His Sleep

written by Paul Czajak

illustrations by Wendy Grieb

Scarletta Kids         4/15/2014

978-1-938063-26-8

Age 4 to 8        32 pages

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“In this silly bedtime story, it’s time for bed, and Monster needs to go to sleep. But he just keeps finding more things to stay awake for! It isn’t until Monster admits he is afraid of the dark that he finds a glowing solution to his nightmare problem. In this playful, rhyming story, Monster shows kids that with a little help from a friend, the dark isn’t so scary after all. The Monster & Me™ series helps kids build character, social, and emotional learning skills through entertaining and memorable real life situations”

Opening

“Monster needs to get his sleep. It’s time to go to bed. But when I said it’s sleepy time, he roared, “Let’s play instead!”

Interview with Boy and Monster. If you have not read this, it is worth checking out! Click HERE.

Review

In the first book in the Monster & Me™ series, Monster Needs a Costume, it is Halloween and Monster cannot decide what to wear. He tries on several costumes, all of which are great for Monster, but none of which he wants. In the long awaited follow-up, Monster Needs His Sleep, Monster simply needs to go to sleep. Boy must be exhausted after caring for Monster all day, but he has one more thing to do before tomorrow can arrive: get Monster in bed and asleep.

Monster is stubborn and strong—not to mention large—and knows how to get his way. But Monster is also a kind-hearted soul who loves Boy. Monster is really not a monster at all. Just like most two-year-olds, Monster is a sweet creature that sometimes jumps into his monster disguise. Do these excuses sound familiar: I’m still playing; one more story; I need a snack; I need a drink? Yup, kids will identify with Monster. Boy does a good job of moving Monster along, in much the same way parent’s move their little ones to bed and sleep.

The illustrations are fantastic with oodles of details to delight your child—and you! The rhyming story is fun to read aloud. The words leave your tongue as if they were meant to slid off and amuse your child. The rhyming will help hold kids’ attention while they enjoy this silly story and time with you. Monster and Boy are a great team and Boy a wonderful monster-parent. Monster Needs His Sleep is the perfect bedtime story to help your child close his or her eyes and fall fast asleep dreaming of their own Monster.

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COMING SOON!  Monster Needs a Christmas Tree, September, 2014.

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MONSTER NEEDS HIS SLEEP. Text copyright © 2014 by Paul Czajak. Illustrations copyright © 2014 by Wendy Grieb. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Scarletta Kids, Minneapolis, MN.

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Monster Needs His Sleep is now available from Amazon—B&N—iTunes—Scarletta Kids—your local bookstore.

Meet the author, Paul Czajak, at his website:   http://paulczajak.com/

Meet the illustrator, Wendy Grieb, at her website:   http://wendygrieb.tumblr.com/

Check out Scarletta Kids at the publisher’s website:   http://scarlettapress.com/scarletta-kids/

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Also by Paul Czajak and Wendy Grieb

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Monster Needs a Costume

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ENTER TO WIN a copy of Monster Needs His Sleep from Scarletta Kids!

1. Leave a comment.

2. Enter the Rafflecopter (enters you for all 5 giveaways) Click a Rafflecopter giveaway  (opens @ midnight)

3. Check out a blog or two from the CBW Giveaway Blog Hop, then return here and in this comment section, tell me what blog you left a comment and the blog number (A MUST for verification.)

Click HERE for blog list. Over 100 ways to win in this hop!

1. Return tomorrow for more giveaways!

*** For complete rules, Click HERE.

Filed under: 5stars, Children's Books, Contests-Giveaways, Favorites, Library Donated Books, Picture Book, Poetry, Series Tagged: bedtime, children's book reviews, Children's Book Week celebrations, going to bed and stalling, monsters, Paul Czajak, Scarletta Kids, Scarletta Press, Wendy Grieb

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To help kick off the release of Monster Needs His Sleep, the second book in the Monster & Me series, Kid Lit Reviews is thrilled to have Monster and the young man who keeps Monster on the straight and narrow. This is the fourth stop on the Scarletta Kids Blog Book Tour. On May 12th, the first day of Children’s Book Week, KLR will review this new edition of the Monster & Me series and also be giving away a copy of Monster Needs His Sleep to one lucky winner. 

I know you have tremendous responsibilities right now and many places to get to, so, this will be a quick interview. A mere six questions. We shouldn’t even get below the fold.

KLR Readers, please welcome the stars of Monster Needs His Sleep! 

Welcome. Uh, what should I call you, young man? 

 Boy!

 

Really? Okay. Boy, what is it like have a monster living in your house?

It’s great! Monster and I are best friends, we do everything together. But he can be a handful. Like once we wanted to go camping and– 

Lets go build a tree house! Doesn’t that sound cool? I want to build a 20 story tree house!

Monster, we need to do this interview to help us sell the book. Once we’re done, we can go and build a tree house. Sorry, like I said, he’s a handful, but life is always really fun!

* tree house *

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Let’s get right to story. Monster, why don’t you like to go to bed?

There is way to much to do at night like read books, and play games, and eat, and watch T.V. and–

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Monster… 

What? I like to do a lot of stuff. There is only so much time during the day. When else am I supposed to write a song? Or learn about the symphony? 

Monster…

the dark is creepy.

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Monster, you like to read. That’s terrific! What is your favorite book?

Well…there is a great book out called Monster Needs His Sleep–

Monster! Shameless plug!

What? You’re the one making me do this interview. I wanted to go a build a tree house.

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Okay, Monster’s favorite is Monster Needs His Sleep. What is your favorite book?

Monster is right about Monster Needs His Sleep, but I really like The Dark by Lemony Snicket. Monster has a fear of the dark, just like Lazlo, so reading it to Monster before bedtime helps Monster relax.

You should read me Monster Needs His Sleep.

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Here is the million-dollar question—no, you don’t get a million dollars—what are your plans after getting some sleep? Any new adventures? 

#!

On September 2nd, 2014, look for Monster Needs a Christmas Tree.

Oh I love Christmas! But that time I got worried we weren’t going to have a Christmas tree and Santa wasn’t going to visit!

Yeah, that was a close one. But you came up with a great idea to save the day!

Don’t forget! Halloween will soon be here and I am going to need another costume.

And when spring rolls around again, its time for sports and you’re going to need to exercise!

But I really wanted to learn how to cook. Do you think Mom will let me use her apron? 

Maybe you’ll get one for your birthday, when we throw you a party.

. Does that mean, Monster Needs to Exercise or Monster Needs a Baseball Game and Monster Needs a Birthday Party? Count me in!

This is the last question. Monster, what is your bestest advice to young kids about bedtime?

Don’t drink a lot of water before going to bed—Not a good idea.

And always keep your nightlight close. Remember, he’s your glowing friend!

 

Thank you for stopping by and bringing your best friend, Monster. Good luck on the rest of the blog book tour. Stay out of trouble. And Monster, get a lot of sleep!

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Here is the blog tour—with GIVEAWAYS—for Monster Needs His Sleep, now available from Amazon—B&N—Scarletta Kids—your local bookstore.

Scarletta Kids Blog Book Tour

Monster Needs His Sleep

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“Monster and boy are here once more,
travelin’ along a little blog tour!
So jump right in, discover a treat.
One little click and your day is complete!”

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April 8
Carrie On…
We hear there is going to be a really hilarious video…

April 15
Find Paul HERE on the Scarletta blog!
He’s celebrating publication day by taking over the Scarletta blog!

April 17
Teach with Picture Books
The first giveaway you say? Better not miss it!

April 21  [you are here]
Kid Lit Reviews
Monster always has a lot to say, and this delightful character interview will be no different.

May 3
Lil’ Blonde Monsters
Sneak a peek at this great images from the book while reading a new review!

May 6
There’s a Book
Missed the first giveaway? Never fear, enter here!

May 12
Kid Lit Reviews
We’re back! This time for a review and giveaway to celebrate Children’s Book Week!

May 14
Sharpread
5,4,3,2,1… Find out the deets on Monster Needs His Sleep in this fast-paced, by-the-numbers interview to wrap up the tour.

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MONSTER NEEDS HIS SLEEP. Text copyright © 2014 by Paul Czajak. Illustrations copyright © 2014 by Wendy Grieb. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Scarletta Kids, Minneapolis, MN.

Filed under: Children's Books, Interviews, Library Donated Books, Picture Book, Series Tagged: afraid of the dark, character interview, friendship, Monster Needs His Sleep, Paul Czajak, remedy for afraid of the dark, Scarletta Kids, Scarletta Press, Wendy Grieb

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Peanuts, Cracker Jack, cotton candy, and hot dogs! Those are my fondest memories of the ball park, and they certainly top my daughters' lists as well. But one equally hallowed tradition of baseball had been fading from the American scene, so I'm glad to see a picture book that's bringing it back.

Betsy's Day at the Game, written by Greg Bancroft and illustrated by Katherine Blackmore, describes a young girl's visit to the ballpark with her grandfather. The book captures all there is to love about baseball, and that's because author Greg Bancroft seems to be a baseball fan first and foremost. His words and Katherine Blackmore's images capture the sights, sounds, smells, and (my favorite part) tastes of the ballpark. Via their narrative, we spend a day vicarioulsy at the park. Simple enough, right?

As the story progresses and the game begins, however, we realize that much more is taking place. Betsy and Grandpa are teaching us, step by step and in plain English, how to keep score. For the those who are as clueless as me, keeping score in baseball goes way beyond tallying runs!

Codes and symbols are entered onto a scorecard, effectively chronicling every offensive and defensive play of the game. From what friends have told me, baseball fans can read a score book and see the entire game played out in their heads in the same way that musicians can read sheet music and actually "hear the song."

So while I started out as a true scoring novice, by book's end I had a pretty good idea of the whole process. And trust me, if I can figure it out, anyone can! Betsy's Day at the Game would definitely score a home run with any young baseball fan. Using the handy scorecards supplied in the back of the book, fans could easily follow along with and score their favorite team at the park or on TV.

You can enter to win a free copy of this book for your fave fan or yourself by simply emailing me at keithschoch at gmail dot com (standard email format) with PLAY BALL! in the subject line. Contest closes at 11:59 PM EST Friday, April 19, 2013.

Want more chances to win? Visit the blog at Scarletta Press to discover more sites featuring book reviews and giveaways.

Some Recommended Baseball Resources:

• Aspiring writers will want to check out Greg Bancroft's 10 Things I Didn't Know Until I Published My First Book. If you're planning on breaking into the book biz, you should read this article! 
• See more of Katherine Blackmore's illustrations at her site.
• Check out a tutorial on scoring if you want more examples, plus the formulas to figure out all the stats you would ever need. The actual scorecard isn't as nice as the one in the back of Betsy's Day at the Game, however.
• The Baseball for Kids site features lots of extras for young fans of baseball.
• Taking your child to the park for the first time? Definitely have a Plan B! We know how attention spans can dwindle as kids become hot, tired, cranky, over-sugared, and all of the above. TeachMama has a fabulous set of suggestions for surviving your outing using Kid-Friendly Learning During Baseball Games. 
• Check out some earlier posts on this site including Going Extra Innings with Baseball Picture Books (books and lots of sites for kids about baseball), A League of Their Own: Women in Baseball, and Girls Got Game (incredible female athletes). Let Them Play, discussed in an earlier post on Black History, is another baseball story from history that kids find incredibly intriguing.
  
• With 42, the Jackie Robinson movie, releasing in theaters this weekend, younger readers might interested in learning more about this courageous hero in baseball history. For readers in grades 2-5, I highly recommend Jackie Robinson: American Hero, written by the star's own daughter, Sharon Robinson. This transitional book features not only the perfect blend of images and text, but also the perfect blend of backstory and biography. Sharon Robinson provides young readers with just enough historical context to understand and appreciate what made Jackie Robinson's accomplishments incredible not only for his time, but for all of time. If you're a teacher hoping to engage your reluctant readers with chapter books, this one is a winner!

 

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