new posts in all blogs
Viewing: Blog Posts Tagged with: Summer activities, Most Recent at Top [Help]
Results 1 - 7 of 7
How to use this Page
You are viewing the most recent posts tagged with the words: Summer activities in the JacketFlap blog reader. What is a tag? Think of a tag as a keyword or category label. Tags can both help you find posts on JacketFlap.com as well as provide an easy way for you to "remember" and classify posts for later recall. Try adding a tag yourself by clicking "Add a tag" below a post's header. Scroll down through the list of Recent Posts in the left column and click on a post title that sounds interesting. You can view all posts from a specific blog by clicking the Blog name in the right column, or you can click a 'More Posts from this Blog' link in any individual post.
By:
Valerie,
on 8/18/2015
Blog:
Jump Into A Book
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Summer activities,
Northern Lights,
Book Review & Activities,
Bookjumper Summer Reading Series,
alethiometer,
Golden Compass inspired activities,
kidlit,
Philip Pullman,
book review,
activities,
Add a tag
It’s winding down! Summer may slipping away, but the Jump Into a Book team is always looking for creative ways to showcase amazing kidlit authors while also offering up companion activities to keep families reading and “jumping” into the pages of their favorite books.
This week I would like to focus in
The Golden Compass; a wonderful book by author Philip Pullman.
In the world of Jordan College at Oxford, Lyra Delaqua’s life is more than simple. She shares many adventures with her daemon Pantalaimon and her best friend Roger. She occasionally learns from the scholars, but only when she’s in the right mood. She’s neither a peasant nor a noble child.
However, this simplicity only lasts until she catches the Master of Jordan trying to poison her nobleman uncle, Lord Asriel. This sets off a series of events that wrenches Lyra from her careless life at Oxford.
Lord Asriel is the first to introduce the aspect of Dust to her, something that he believes can only be found in the north, the place she desires to go more than anywhere else on planet. Thoughts of the great, white north race through her mind on a daily basis. This could be her chance—to travel to the north with her scholarly uncle to help him discover this so called dust.
But events are set in place to keep this from happening. Children are disappearing from Oxford. No one knows where they go or what happens to them once they are gone. All they know is who is taking them—the Gobblers. But the gobblers are faceless, and day by day, more children and their daemons are disappearing from all over the world.
After Lyra’s uncle has departed for his journey into the north, Lyra is introduced to the charming and graceful Mrs. Coulter, who intrigues Lyra so that she agrees to go with Mrs. Coulter and her eerie golden monkey to become her assistant, learn the ways of traveling, and venture into the north.But before Lyra leaves Jordan College, she is called to the Master who gives her a curious device called an alethiometer—a truth measurer. He gives her no information—not how to read, nor why he is giving it to her. He only emphasizes the great need to keep it secret.
For the first few weeks with Mrs. Coulter, Lyra’s life is drastically improved. She dresses well, bathes frequently. She learns about geography, cartography, and every other “ography.” But dark secrets are soon revealed—secrets of Dust, something called the Oblation board, and possibly what is happening to the children snatched up by the Gobblers. Lyra escapes from Mrs. Coulter just barely, and on her journey to find truth and her friend Roger, she encounters and learns more than she could ever imagine including Lord Faa and Farder Coram of the water-bound gyptians, Lee Scoresby the hot air balloon pilot from Texas, Serafina Pekkala—queen of a tribe of witches–, and Iorek Byrnison, an exiled bear prince from Svalbard. Together this ragtag band of determined allies travel into the north, discover the secret of the Gobblers, and many more secrets that even the alethiometer kept hidden.
The Golden Compass was one of the most interesting, intriguing books I have read in awhile. Everything is different about this book. Pullman has his own style, his own view of the world. The introduction of the idea of daemon’s as a person’s external soul is a very beautiful idea to me, especially since I am such an animal lover. There are so many unique, intricate ideas weaved into this book that you must read closely to catch them all. I am thoroughly intrigued and can’t wait to finish out the series with
The Subtle Knife and
The Amber Spyglass.
**Some of these links are affiliate links
Golden Compass Inspired Activities at Copalette.com. Enjoy a plethora of fun activities inspired by the book including Serafina Pekkala’s Mini Bow and The Golden Compass Game Spinner:
Make a pouch to hold your own
alethiometer at Special Collections Learning:
What are the Northern Lights?
Scientifically known as Aurora Borealis, the northern lights are electrically charged particles from the sun that collide in earth’s atmosphere. So basically it’s these tiny particles that are really excited and in turn create these beautiful colors in the sky. SO..Where is the best place to see the northern lights?
- Remote Islands in Norway
- Scotland
- Canada
- Greenland
- Finland
- Iceland
- Sweden
(and my Head Elf, Becky, tells me that Northern Minnesota should be added to this list! 
****
Follow me on Pinterest!
Follow Valarie Budayr @Jump into a Book’s board Jump Into a Book Kidlit Booklists on Pinterest. Follow Valarie Budayr @Jump into a Book’s board A Year In The Secret Garden on Pinterest.
*****
Do your young readers love nature and all of nature’s critters? Experience the magical story of a family of foxes that took up residence right in the front yard of the author and publisher, Valarie Budayr. The Fox Diaries: The Year the Foxes Came to our Garden offers an enthusiastically educational opportunity to observe this fox family grow and learn together.
From digging and hunting to playing and resting, this diary shares a rare glimpse into the private lives of Momma Rennie and her babies. Come watch as they navigate this wildly dangerous but still wonderful world. Great to share with your children or students, The Fox Diaries speaks to the importance of growing and learning both individually and as a family unit. It is a perfect book for story time or family sharing. Not only can you read about the daily rituals of this marvelous fox family, there is an information-packed resource section at the end of the book that includes lots of facts and even a few “fox movies” that you can enjoy with your family. Grab your copy of this beautiful and inspiring book HERE.
The post The Golden Compass Book Review and Activities for Young Readers appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
by Sally Matheny |
| photo courtesy of Wikipedia |
The lazy days of summer are about to plop on the sofa. As comfy as it is, we know it's not healthy to veg out all day. It's time to plan some fun activities for the children. Here's an idea that'll make your kids smile.
If you've ever watched The Beverly Hillbillies,you may remember musicians Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt. Occasionally, they sauntered through the Clampetts’ mansion door pickin’ and grinnin’. If you missed their appearances, you didn’t miss out on their music. Scruggs and Flat also performed the theme song for the show.
You can share the history of the toe-tapping, bluegrass music with your children by visiting a wonderful museum in western North Carolina. The Earl Scruggs Center, which opened in January 2014, is located on Lafayette Street in Shelby, North Carolina.
My local homeschool group recently visited the museum, housed in the former 1907 Cleveland County Courthouse. An array of activities provided opportunities for learning the history, music, and cultural traditions of western North Carolina.
Presented with complimentary ear buds upon arrival, each visitor is encouraged to plug in and participate throughout the museum. Receiving a set of ear buds, to keep as their own, brought immediate delight from the children in my group!
At the museum, you’ll learn about the legendary banjo player, Earl Scruggs, known for popularizing the three-finger playing style. Through live demonstrations, short films, and exhibits you’ll discover how Scruggs continually stretched music boundaries by learning new techniques to grow with the changing times.
 |
| The Common Threads Table |
The museum is definitely pushing the edge with fascinating technology. One of the most popular, interactive exhibits is the Common Threads table. Touch screens, the size of your dinner table, make different instruments, various music styles, and musicians come to life. The students in our group found the hands-on learning extremely fun!
Another exhibit allows participants to adjust the speed of a banjo picking visual so they can actually see the placement of each finger and the sound it produces. Very cool.
In addition to the evolution of banjos and playing styles, the Earl Scruggs Center also houses exhibits on other aspects of N.C. history, such as the cotton industry, cooking, and the advancements of technology.
I want to go back and read all the interesting tidbits I missed. Someone, excited to go see the next exhibit, kept tugging me away. I know Earl Scruggs recorded some Christian bluegrass at one time. I'm curious to see if there is anything posted about how his faith influenced his music.
All ages will find things of interest at the Earl Scruggs Center. The exhibits are best suited for children over age five, but those under five get in free.
Special events occur at the center on a regular basis—from southern cooking demonstrations to outdoor performances. You can find out what’s taking place as well as the hours and prices on the website: www.earlscruggscenter.org
 |
| That's me with my fifth cousin, Earl Scruggs. |
Allow plenty of time for your visit. We went with a group of sixty people and stayed about three hours. We still didn’t feel like we explored it fully and look forward to returning.
Pull the kids off the sofa. They may not be guitarists or banjo-pickers, but I'm confident they'll leave the Earl Scruggs Center grinning.
It may be summer, but learning doesn’t have to go on hiatus. There are all sorts of fun and educational opportunities for kids on vacation or even in their own hometowns. Here is a list of museum exhibits, most of them only temporary, that could grab your child’s attention and teach them more about the world.
Melting Glaciers
It seems like everywhere these days we’re hearing about melting ice caps and global warming. A new exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York aims to teach 
visitors about climate change by showing physical melting glaciers. The glacier chunks have been frozen for about 800 years and broke off from an actively melting glacier in Europe. This exhibit will be open at MoMA PS1 in Queens until Sept. 2.
Build Your Own ‘Bot
Have you ever watched R2D2 roll around and beep in the Star Wars movies and wished you could build your own droid? The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, CA has a new exhibit in which kids can create their very own robot. Visitors design, build, and program original robots using the technologies at the exhibit.
CSI
America is hooked on cop shows, and at some point, every kid has wanted to be a cop or detective. Now you can at Fort Worth Museum of Science and History in Texas. Their new exhibit CSI: The Experience allows visitors to solve crimes just like the characters on CSI, doing everything from collecting evidence to conducting autopsies. The exhibit is open through Sept. 2.
What About Whales?
The Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine in Portland has an entire exhibit dedicated to a sea creature that will capture the hearts of any child who visits. What About Whales? is an interactive exhibit which educates children about whales by letting them climb in and out of an inflatable life-size humpback whale. Other activities include a whale-watching boat, a Feed a Whale ballgame, and much more.
Treasure Hunting
The Discovery Center Museum in Rockford, IL has an exhibit for any kid who has ever wanted to hunt for treasure, whether as a pirate from the 1600s or a modern-day treasure hunter. The Treasure! exhibit allows visitors to try treasure hunting tools, view artifacts from treasure sites, and learn about the history of and people involved in treasure hunting.
Rain Room
For those of you in the New York area, be sure to check out the Museum of Modern Art’s “Rain Room.” Located in the lot directly adjacent to MoMA, the Rain Room uses digital technology to make it rain except wherever it detects human presence. Visitors can stand in one spot and remain dry while they watch the rain fall all around them. The Rain Room is on exhibit until Jul. 28.
Whether you check out these exhibits or a museum closer to home there is so much to be explored!
Greg Pincus, father of the Fibs poetry form at his blog GottaBook and social media tour guide at Happy Accident, penned an ode to summer with a new poem, "At the Beach - a beach poem" last week. His poem inspired me to pick up Margie Blumberg's book Sunny Bunnies
from the review stack.
A rabbit family packs up the car and heads to the beach where they play in the waves, fly a kite, enjoy a picnic lunch and build a sand castle. Blumberg's story rhymes along with a pleasant read-aloud rhythm. She hits all the activities a child enjoys at the beach. June Goulding's bunnies are picture book sweet and she fills the page with nice details including a sumptuous picnic with foods young children will recognize. At the end of the day, jars of lightening bugs glow while the family toasts marshmallows around a campfire. She also keeps the geography of the beach consistent in the different views. Her end papers are a map of Carrot Cake Park where the family has spent the day. I really like presenting maps to young children. Blumberg and Goulding hit the mark with the book's last pages as the children, who are still not tired, jump out of bed to check on their parents and find them completely zonked, sound asleep from their big day at the beach.
Sunny Bunnies, written by Margie Blumbert, illustrated by June Goulding, MB Publishing, 2008
BookPeople Bookstore in Austin, Texas, is such a great bookstore. They are the home of the original Camp Halfblood Day Camp. Over the years, the program has grown and they are now a licensed day camp with the great state of Texas.
In past years, BookPeople Literary Camps, have hosted a Kiki Strike camp and this year a new Ranger's Apprentice Camp, based on John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice series was introduced. So much cool stuff to learn here!
Imagine being able to drop into your favorite book like this and hang out with other kids who love the books too.
Wonderful!
As promised, here are top ten nine suggestions for fun activities that families can enjoy during a Montreal summer. Recommended by John Symon and Annika Melanson, this diverse group of activities is sure to captivate families and promises to provide an enthralling summer experience!
TOP TEN
- The annual Just for Laughs festival (July 10 to 20) will be hosting children’s activities at the Just for Kids space, located next to the UQAM church bell tower on St. Denis St. (between St. Catherine St. E. and de Maisonneuve Blvd.). Non-stop entertainment will be available for children, including puppet shows, clown workshops and treasure hunts. These activities will be offered from Monday to Friday, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and weekends from 2:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. For more information, call 514.845.2322 or visit the Just for Laughs web-site.
- La Fête des enfants (August 15-17) celebrates its 10th annual edition in 2008. This event is designed for the 12 years and under crowd. The venue will be Parc Jean Drapeau and many of the activities will take place at the Biodome, the Stewart Museum and at the Aquatic Complex of Ile Ste Helene. Fireworks, workshops, performers, inflatable toys, miniature trains, and emergency vehicles will all be there. Also to celebrate the event, there will be free admission to the Botanical Gardens, Biodôme and Insectarium on Saturday August 16 and Sunday August 17. The site is easily accessible by public transit (Jean Drapeau metro) and by bicycle from Montreal. For more information, call 514 872-0060 or email [email protected].
- Going down the Lachine Rapids has long been described as “the best tourist attraction around Montreal.” Not only do participants get a thrilling ride through the waves (plan to get wet, even under raincoats) but they also get a brand new perspective on the city including unusual and breathtaking skylines. Two companies presently offer such trips, these being Sauté moutons, which leaves in jet boats from the Clock Tower Pier in Montreal’s Old Port, and Descentes sur le Saint-Laurent which primarily uses rafts to go down the rapids from its put in on LaSalle. Blvd. Reservations are required for both.
- Tree top obstacle courses are becoming increasingly popular around Montreal. Minimum ages vary, but participants must usually be able to lift their arms up at least six feet (1.8 metres). Youths under 16 years must generally be accompanied by an adult. A certain degree of coordination and athletic ability are required for these tree-top obstacle courses. My 10 and 12 year-old had a blast doing the Drummondville course in 2007. The various companies involved include: Acrobranche; Arbre en Arbre; Arbraska; and Arbre Aventure. Reservations are required and these sites are difficult to access without a car.
- The two big zoos near Montreal, Granby Zoo and Parc Safari both offer good summer fun. Here you can view exotic animals, including many from Africa. Granby is a more rational style zoo whereas Parc Safari lets you drive your car through the animals’ habitat where my kids enjoy feeding the animals. Parc Safari sometimes even offers the chance to ride the elephants. Afterwards, you can jump in the aquatic park at either site. The water parks are typically shut down in the event of thunderstorms, however. Car access is essential for both sites.
- The Biodome is a good rainy day destination. This large indoor zoo features bioclimatic zones from the Amazon rainforest, the Laurentian Mountains north of Montreal, the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the world’s Polar Regions. Nearby are the Botanical Gardens, which incorporates the Insectarium—a bug museum almost unique in the world. While the Botanical Garden is popular with all ages, some programming is also offered for younger children (generally in French only). The stadium used for the 1976 Olympics is also adjacent. Access is by car (pay parking), by public transit (Viau metro) or by bike.
- The Quays of the Old Port remain one of the most popular tourist destinations for all ages in the Montreal area. (Montreal Science Centre, Pointe a Calliere Museum, quadricycle rental, Shed 16 Labyrinth, step aboard a three-masted barque from the last 19th century, look at the ships, or just go for an ice cream... This site is best accessed by public transit (Champs de Mars metro) or by bicycle.
- Mount Royal Park covers the mountain that gave Montreal its name. This popular park has long been a favourite destination of Montrealers and today features a large playground, woodland trails, paddle boating, nature watching and views of the downtown. Bring a picnic or eat in the restaurants there. Access is by car (pay parking) or by public transit (bus 11 from Mont Royal metro) or by bike.
- Jean Drapeau Park is situated on two islands in the St. Lawrence River. Here you can find la Ronde (a major amusement park with roller coasters), a swimming beach on Ile Notre Dame, the Stewart Museum (a 19th century fort built to protect Montreal from an American invasion), the Biodome (a museum dedicated to water and housed in the former American pavilion from Expo ‘67), beautiful gardens, swimming pools, playgrounds, boat rentals and more. Despite its close proximity to downtown, parts of the park remain remarkably quiet, making this a great spot for a picnic. The park is easily accessible by public transit (Jean Drapeau metro) and by bicycle from Montreal.
- La Petite Ferme at Angrignon Park (514-280-3744) is a perennial favourite for families with young children. Kids will be thrilled to get up close to chickens, cows, donkeys, ducks and sheep. The farm also has emus, llamas, peacocks, pheasants, and pigeons. There are coin-operated machines let you feed the goats and sheep. Animators are on hand to present different farm themes, mainly in French, to young children every week. This destination also features a great playground. The site is located within easy walking distance of the Angrignon metro station, pay parking is also available. A bike path along the aqueduct is nearby. Unfortunately, Le Petite Ferme is "fermé " (closed!) until 2010. But there's enough delicious attractions in this list to keep families busy for the summer!
STATUS: I’m still riding high from yesterday’s news!
What’s playing on the iPod right now? (SITTIN’ ON) THE DOCK OF THE BAY by Otis Redding
And the good news just keeps coming.
And Hank isn’t my only client garnering nominations from RT.
DOWN HOME ZOMBIE BLUES by Linnea Sinclair has also been nominated for a
Reviewer’s Choice Award in the Futuristic/Fantasy romance category.
Sheesh. I’m going to have high expectations for the beginning of next year.
And sorry in advance for the public service announcement but if you live in Colorado and want to hear me speak (or if you just want to come up and say hello—that’s cool too), here’s an event that my author Kim Reid and I are participating in at the Boulder Bookstore in about two weeks.
The Women’s Voices Series
“So, You Want to Write a Book”
January 20, 2008 - 3-5 p.m.
BOULDER BOOKSTORE (Boulder, Colorado)
Two authors, a literary agent, a publishing house acquisitions editor, and a publicist discuss the process from concept to published book and marketing. This is an outstanding opportunity to discover the inside story about book writing, from dreams to reality! Panelists will be:
Kim Reid, author of the narrative nonfiction memoir No Place Safe (Kensington 2007), her story of a childhood shaped by her cop mother's investigation of an Atlanta serial killer in the early 1980s.
Kristin Nelson, literary agent, who established the Nelson Literary Agency in 2002. Since then, she has sold more than 65 books to such publishers as Random House, Hyperion, Harlequin, Simon & Schuster, Hachette/Warner and the Penguin Group. Her authors are RITA-award winners and New York Times and USA Today bestsellers.
Michelle Dally, author of the novel A Highly Placed Source (Ghost Road Press 2007), a satire that targets Colorado politics, media, and the religious right. She holds a JD from Georgetown, was part of the Denver Post team that won a Pulitzer for its coverage of Columbine, and has worked as a legislative aide to Senator John Chafee (RI), and a lobbyist for a children’s mental health hospital.
Jennifer Coffee, acquisitions editor at Sounds True, a multi-media publisher of tools and teachings for personal and spiritual transformation based in Louisville, Colorado. She holds a BA in Music and Religious Studies and an MA in Buddhist Studies and Tibetan Language from Naropa University.
Bella Stander, promotional consultant and producer of workshops for authors of commercial trade books, is an author’s best friend. She is also a program organizer for the Virginia Festival of the Book and a long-time contributing editor at Publishers Weekly. Her book reviews have appeared in such publications as Entertainment Weekly, People, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post.
Moderator: Rosemary Carstens, freelance writer, author, and marketing consultant. Rosemary Carstens is the editor of the quarterly e-zine FEAST, about books, art, film, food, and travel. She is the author of DREAMRIDER: Roadmap to an Adventurous Life (2003) and co-author of Sustaining Thought (2007). She has been published in regional and national magazines and is an avid adventure traveler. When not writing or hosting presentations and workshops, two of her favorite leisure activities are surfing the ‘Net and riding crosscountry on her motorcycle, the Road Goddess.
cute!