Valarie Budayr's Blog, page 100

Weekend Links: Nature Crafts That Will Make You SMILE

Welcome back to weekend links! This is my chance to share fun and informative links and kid-friendly fun that I have encounter in my weekly Internet travels. The cooling temps seem to be a signal that the hot days of summer are behind us. BUT, there’s no reason families can’t enjoy nature and the great outdoors in these waning days of summer. Here’s some simply delightful crafts and activities from some of my blogging friends-all guaranteed to make you SMILE.

KCEdventures had a great round-up of fun nature activities HERE.

An Invitation to Explore and Paint with Nature at Crayon Box Chronicles

Leaf rubbing and other Outdoor Fun from Making Boys MEN.

(My personal favorite) The League of the Leaf People at Play Dr Mom

Reminder

We are really loving the endless choices from the book subscription service for kids called BookBoard. If you are looking for a fun fresh way to keep your little readers engaged and reading-BookBoard is a perfect solution.

Bookboard’s goal is to create motivated readers, and we do this by re-imagining story time for today’s digital age. As kids read, they’re rewarded by unlocking new books to add to their collections. This will encourage your kids will keep coming back to unlock the next story again and again.

Check out their free trial HERE and take a look at their fun weekly “book shelf” of reading ideas!

**these links are affiliate links

As you know International Talk Like a Pirate Day was September 19th, but if you want to keep the pirate fun brewing the rest of the month as well, we’d like to help!

For a limited time you can get our Treasure Island Pirate Day Activity Guide FREE. This guide is 50+ pages filled with all sort of pirate-y fun like how to talk like a pirate, crafts to help you “get the gear” and look like a pirate, pirate games, pirate recipes, pirate facts, and even a little history about the Treasure Island book as well. Simply add your email info below and grab your copy while it’s available!

Grab Your FREE Pirate-Themed Treasure Island Adventure Guide!
* indicates required
Email Address *

First Name

Last Name

Email Format

html
text
mobile

var fnames = new Array();var ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';fnames[1]='FNAME';ftypes[1]='text';fnames[2]='LNAME';ftypes[2]='text';
try {
var jqueryLoaded=jQuery;
jqueryLoaded=true;
} catch(err) {
var jqueryLoaded=false;
}
var head= document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0];
if (!jqueryLoaded) {
var script = document.createElement('script');
script.type = 'text/javascript';
script.src = '//ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/...
head.appendChild(script);
if (script.readyState && script.onload!==null){
script.onreadystatechange= function () {
if (this.readyState == 'complete') mce_preload_check();
}
}
}

var mce_preload_checks = 0;
function mce_preload_check(){
if (mce_preload_checks>40) return;
mce_preload_checks++;
try {
var jqueryLoaded=jQuery;
} catch(err) {
setTimeout('mce_preload_check();', 250);
return;
}
var script = document.createElement('script');
script.type = 'text/javascript';
script.src = 'http://downloads.mailchimp.com/js/jqu...
head.appendChild(script);
try {
var validatorLoaded=jQuery("#fake-form").validate({});
} catch(err) {
setTimeout('mce_preload_check();', 250);
return;
}
mce_init_form();
}
function mce_init_form(){
jQuery(document).ready( function($) {
var options = { errorClass: 'mce_inline_error', errorElement: 'div', onkeyup: function(){}, onfocusout:function(){}, onblur:function(){} };
var mce_validator = $("#mc-embedded-subscribe-form").validate(options);
$("#mc-embedded-subscribe-form").unbind('submit');//remove the validator so we can get into beforeSubmit on the ajaxform, which then calls the validator
options = { url: 'http://jumpintoabook.us6.list-manage1...?', type: 'GET', dataType: 'json', contentType: "application/json; charset=utf-8",
beforeSubmit: function(){
$('#mce_tmp_error_msg').remove();
$('.datefield','#mc_embed_signup').each(
function(){
var txt = 'filled';
var fields = new Array();
var i = 0;
$(':text', this).each(
function(){
fields[i] = this;
i++;
});
$(':hidden', this).each(
function(){
var bday = false;
if (fields.length == 2){
bday = true;
fields[2] = {'value':1970};//trick birthdays into having years
}
if ( fields[0].value=='MM' && fields[1].value=='DD' && (fields[2].value=='YYYY' || (bday && fields[2].value==1970) ) ){
this.value = '';
} else if ( fields[0].value=='' && fields[1].value=='' && (fields[2].value=='' || (bday && fields[2].value==1970) ) ){
this.value = '';
} else {
if (/\[day\]/.test(fields[0].name)){
this.value = fields[1].value+'/'+fields[0].value+'/'+fields[2].value;
} else {
this.value = fields[0].value+'/'+fields[1].value+'/'+fields[2].value;
}
}
});
});
$('.phonefield-us','#mc_embed_signup').each(
function(){
var fields = new Array();
var i = 0;
$(':text', this).each(
function(){
fields[i] = this;
i++;
});
$(':hidden', this).each(
function(){
if ( fields[0].value.length != 3 || fields[1].value.length!=3 || fields[2].value.length!=4 ){
this.value = '';
} else {
this.value = 'filled';
}
});
});
return mce_validator.form();
},
success: mce_success_cb
};
$('#mc-embedded-subscribe-form').ajaxForm(options);

});
}
function mce_success_cb(resp){
$('#mce-success-response').hide();
$('#mce-error-response').hide();
if (resp.result=="success"){
$('#mce-'+resp.result+'-response').show();
$('#mce-'+resp.result+'-response').html(resp.msg);
$('#mc-embedded-subscribe-form').each(function(){
this.reset();
});
} else {
var index = -1;
var msg;
try {
var parts = resp.msg.split(' - ',2);
if (parts[1]==undefined){
msg = resp.msg;
} else {
i = parseInt(parts[0]);
if (i.toString() == parts[0]){
index = parts[0];
msg = parts[1];
} else {
index = -1;
msg = resp.msg;
}
}
} catch(e){
index = -1;
msg = resp.msg;
}
try{
if (index== -1){
$('#mce-'+resp.result+'-response').show();
$('#mce-'+resp.result+'-response').html(msg);
} else {
err_id = 'mce_tmp_error_msg';
html = '

'+msg+'

';

The post Weekend Links: Nature Crafts That Will Make You SMILE appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

View more on Valarie Budayr's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on September 22, 2013 04:08

International Talk Like A Pirate Day: Port Side Pirates from Barefoot Books

International Talk Like A Pirate Day is celebrated in more than 40 countries worldwide. It is a fun day that involves people talking like pirates. Some people dress in pirate costumes as well. It is celebrated among fans in countries such as Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.

International Talk Like a Pirate Day receives media attention closer to and around September 19 each year. Some communities work with organizations such as Childhood Cancer Support and Marie Curie Cancer Care to raise funds or increase awareness of cancer support and research.

Port Side Pirates from Barefoot Books!

Travel the high seas with a lively band of buccaneers as they enjoy a melodic adventure aboard their galleon. Includes fun information about historical pirates, pirates around the world, and even a helpful chart naming the parts of a ship

Pirate’s Code Of Conduct

What follows is the strict and solemn code of the crew and of the good ship.

{Rule 1} Everyone must obey the commands of the captain.

{Rule 2 } Everyone shall have a share of any treasure, but for every piece of gold a member of the crew is given, The captain will be given one and a half.

{Rule 3} If any one steals or gambles, they will be marooned, with only a bottle of water and a foam dagger.

{Rule 4} Anyone who encourages a new pirate to join the crew, without everyone else’ agreement, will suffer whatever punishment the captain and the crew think fit.

{Rule 5} Anyone that strikes another crew member while these rules are in force, shall receive punishment as the captain sees fit.

{Rule 6} Anyone that raises their weapon when not in battle, or leaves a lighted candle unguarded, will suffer the same punishment as in rule # 5.

{Rule 7} Anyone that doesn’t keep their weapons clean, or in any other way is not ready for action, will not receive their share of any treasure, and will suffer what further punishment the captain and the crew think fit.

{Rule 8} If anyone loses a finger or toe in battle, they shall be given 400 pieces of eight, and if they lose and arm or a leg they shall have 800 pieces of eight.

The above code of conduct was a true and valid document signed and witnessed by one of the greatest and most notorious pirates ever, Sir Henry Morgan, loyal sea raven both. Everything in it is true except the foam dagger part.

Something to Do:

Download our FREE PDF on creating your own Treasure Island Inspired Pirate Day! This 50+ page PDF contains pirate crafts, activities, food ideas, “pirate lingo,” pirate games, and much more! The perfect way to encourage family fun with an educational pirate theme! Simply sign up below, and your Treasure Island Pirate Adventure begins!

The post International Talk Like A Pirate Day: Port Side Pirates from Barefoot Books appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

View more on Valarie Budayr's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on September 19, 2013 03:47

Read Around the Continents: North America/United States

Welcome back for our third installment of our series Read Around the Continents. So far we’ve read our way through Africa, South America and now North America.

North America is a such a large continent that we’re dividing it into three sections. Today let’s read around the United States but first a little background on North America as a continent.

Did you know that North America is a continent entirely within the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. North America covers an area of 9.540,000 square miles or 24,709,000 square kilometers. North America has 600 million people living there and represents 8% of the worlds population.

North America is surrounded by water therefore given the name by native Americans “Turtle Island”. In the north it is bordered by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the West and south by the Pacific Ocean, and to the southeast by South America, the Caribbean Sea.

The United States is 3.79 million square miles or 983 million square kilometers. With 315 million people living inside it’s borders, the United States is the world’s most ethnically diverse and multicultural nation. As well as it’s people, the geography and climate of the U.S. are equally diverse, with deserts, plains, forests, and mountains that are home to a wide variety of wildlife.

With our map and library card in hand it’s time to read around the beautiful continent of North America.

Read Around North America: United States

Happy Birthday America by Mary Pope Osborne

John, Paul, George, and Ben by Lane Smith

Stars & Stripes: The Story of the American Flag by Sarah Thomson

This Land is Your Land by Woodie Guthrie

We the Kids: The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States by David Catrow

Our 50 States by Lynne Cheney

Smart About the Presidents by Jon Buller

Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin by Gene Barretta

A is for America by Devin Scillian

I Pledge Allegiance by June Swanson

M is for Majestic: A National Parks Alphabet by David Domeniconi

Tennessee Trailblazers by Pat McKissack (since we’re based in Tenneessee)

Magic Tree House #22: Revolutionary War on Wednesday by Mary Pope Osborne

Magic Tree House Companion Guide #11: American Revolution by Mary Pope Osborne

Go, Go America: 50 States of Fun by Dan Yaccarino

Little Miss History travels to Mount Rushmore by Barbara Ann Mojica

Little Miss HISTORY Travels to The Statue of Liberty (Volume 2) by Barbara Ann Mojica

What are your favorite North America books for kids?

**some of these links are affiliate links.

The post Read Around the Continents: North America/United States appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

View more on Valarie Budayr's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on September 17, 2013 04:52

Weekend Links: Upcoming Adventures, Perks and Deals from JIAB

Adventures!

We are really loving the endless choices from the book subscription service for kids called BookBoard. If you are looking for a fun fresh way to keep your little readers engaged and reading-BookBoard is a perfect solution.

Bookboard’s goal is to create motivated readers, and we do this by re-imagining story time for today’s digital age. As kids read, they’re rewarded by unlocking new books to add to their collections. This will encourage your kids will keep coming back to unlock the next story again and again.

Check out their free trial HERE and take a look at their fun weekly “book shelf” of reading ideas!

Deals!

Dog goes woof….

Cat goes meow….

No, I haven’t had the attack of the sillies, I was just reflecting on that crazy song from two Norwegian brothers that ponders the thought, “but what does the Fox say?”

Well, since I have had four generations of Fox family inhabiting my yard over the years, I can tell you exactly what a “fox says”…

…but starting 9/19, the Foxes will be saying TIME FOR A SALE!

From 9/19-9/21 readers can get my best-selling book The Fox Diaries: The Year The Foxes Came to Our Garden for only .99 on Nook and iBooks!

Perks!

As you know International Talk Like a Pirate Day is coming on September 19th. So if you are planning to create a little “pirate fun” at home or school-let us help you! For a limited time you can get our Treasure Island Pirate Day Activity Guide FREE. This guide is 50+ pages filled with all sort of pirate-y fun like how to talk like a pirate, crafts to help you “get the gear” and look like a pirate, pirate games, pirate recipes, pirate facts, and even a little history about the Treasure Island book as well. Simply add your email info below and grab your copy while it’s available!

Grab Your FREE Pirate-Themed Treasure Island Adventure Guide!
* indicates required
Email Address *

First Name

Last Name

Email Format

html
text
mobile

var mce_preload_checks = 0;
function mce_preload_check(){
if (mce_preload_checks>40) return;
mce_preload_checks++;
try {
var jqueryLoaded=jQuery;
} catch(err) {
setTimeout('mce_preload_check();', 250);
return;
}
var script = document.createElement('script');
script.type = 'text/javascript';
script.src = 'http://downloads.mailchimp.com/js/jqu...
head.appendChild(script);
try {
var validatorLoaded=jQuery("#fake-form").validate({});
} catch(err) {
setTimeout('mce_preload_check();', 250);
return;
}
mce_init_form();
}
function mce_init_form(){
jQuery(document).ready( function($) {
var options = { errorClass: 'mce_inline_error', errorElement: 'div', onkeyup: function(){}, onfocusout:function(){}, onblur:function(){} };
var mce_validator = $("#mc-embedded-subscribe-form").validate(options);
$("#mc-embedded-subscribe-form").unbind('submit');//remove the validator so we can get into beforeSubmit on the ajaxform, which then calls the validator
options = { url: 'http://jumpintoabook.us6.list-manage1...?', type: 'GET', dataType: 'json', contentType: "application/json; charset=utf-8",
beforeSubmit: function(){
$('#mce_tmp_error_msg').remove();
$('.datefield','#mc_embed_signup').each(
function(){
var txt = 'filled';
var fields = new Array();
var i = 0;
$(':text', this).each(
function(){
fields[i] = this;
i++;
});
$(':hidden', this).each(
function(){
var bday = false;
if (fields.length == 2){
bday = true;
fields[2] = {'value':1970};//trick birthdays into having years
}
if ( fields[0].value=='MM' && fields[1].value=='DD' && (fields[2].value=='YYYY' || (bday && fields[2].value==1970) ) ){
this.value = '';
} else if ( fields[0].value=='' && fields[1].value=='' && (fields[2].value=='' || (bday && fields[2].value==1970) ) ){
this.value = '';
} else {
if (/\[day\]/.test(fields[0].name)){
this.value = fields[1].value+'/'+fields[0].value+'/'+fields[2].value;
} else {
this.value = fields[0].value+'/'+fields[1].value+'/'+fields[2].value;
}
}
});
});
$('.phonefield-us','#mc_embed_signup').each(
function(){
var fields = new Array();
var i = 0;
$(':text', this).each(
function(){
fields[i] = this;
i++;
});
$(':hidden', this).each(
function(){
if ( fields[0].value.length != 3 || fields[1].value.length!=3 || fields[2].value.length!=4 ){
this.value = '';
} else {
this.value = 'filled';
}
});
});
return mce_validator.form();
},
success: mce_success_cb
};
$('#mc-embedded-subscribe-form').ajaxForm(options);

});
}
function mce_success_cb(resp){
$('#mce-success-response').hide();
$('#mce-error-response').hide();
if (resp.result=="success"){
$('#mce-'+resp.result+'-response').show();
$('#mce-'+resp.result+'-response').html(resp.msg);
$('#mc-embedded-subscribe-form').each(function(){
this.reset();
});
} else {
var index = -1;
var msg;
try {
var parts = resp.msg.split(' - ',2);
if (parts[1]==undefined){
msg = resp.msg;
} else {
i = parseInt(parts[0]);
if (i.toString() == parts[0]){
index = parts[0];
msg = parts[1];
} else {
index = -1;
msg = resp.msg;
}
}
} catch(e){
index = -1;
msg = resp.msg;
}
try{
if (index== -1){
$('#mce-'+resp.result+'-response').show();
$('#mce-'+resp.result+'-response').html(msg);
} else {
err_id = 'mce_tmp_error_msg';
html = '

'+msg+'

';

The post Weekend Links: Upcoming Adventures, Perks and Deals from JIAB appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

View more on Valarie Budayr's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on September 15, 2013 04:54

The Saturday Book Club Linky Party Has Begun!

It’s TIME! The Saturday Book Club Linky is starting NOW

');

The post The Saturday Book Club Linky Party Has Begun! appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

View more on Valarie Budayr's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on September 14, 2013 02:55

Anatole by Eve Titus and A Look At School Lunches in France

This month Little Passports has taken us to France by way of their little famous suitcase.

Like every month, Little Passports creates wonderful adventures for us to take.

Quick recap of Little Passports:

Little Passports is your child’s ticket to an exciting global adventure. Inspire a love and understanding of the world as your child learns about a country’s geography, history and culture in a fun and memorable way. This winner of the Parent’s Choice Awards they introduce country and culture to kids every month. It’s a way to offer the world to your kids within a budget that most parents can work with.

Little Passports intro package includes an adorable suitcase, a large and colorful world map, a postcard and letter from Sophia and Sam (the little explorers who are taking a magical adventure around the globe on a transporting scooter) explaining what Little Passports is all about, a passport to document our travels, stickers, and a fun worksheet (called a boarding pass) filled with letter puzzles and activities to learn more about Sam and Sophia’s adventure.

To add to all this fun I thought I’d pull out an old family favorite about a mouse called Anatole.

Anatole is a mouse living in Paris with his wife Doucette and their six children (Claude & Claudette, Paule & Paulette, Georges & Georgette). Anatole is a highly principled and honest mouse who discovers that sneaking food from the people of Paris has left them with a rather nasty impression of mice. Appalled to be thought of in this manner, Anatole resolves to find a more honest and respectable manner of acquiring food for his family. So he heads for the tasting room at the Duvall Cheese Factory. On each cheese, he leaves a small note–”good,” “not so good” or “needs orange peel”–and then signs his name.

When workers at the Duvall factory find Anatole’s notes in the morning, they are perplexed, but they realize that this mysterious “Anatole” has an exceptional palate and they decide to take his advice. Soon Duvall is making the best cheese in all of Paris! They would like to give Anatole a reward–if only they could find him.

Anatole this mouse I can honestly say is a dear friend to this family. This is the first book in a series of ten and all are simply brilliant, but this one always holds a soft place in my heart.

Something To Do

All of this talk about cheese has made us hungry. It’s also made us curious as to what do French children eat ? Though we’ve been to Paris, France before, we were just merely American’s eating in Paris. To find out what French children are eating we had to do a little detective work.

Did you know that French children enjoy a 3 or 4-course meal that is made from high-quality ingredients and is mostly made from scratch? The children all sit in the same eating area or the cafeteria. An interesting fact is that there are no vending machines in schools, because they’re banned due to the high sugar and fat content of the treats they carry. Typical school lunches in France can have a variety of dishes and ingredients, such as grilled fish, salad, red beans, seasonal vegetables, garlic sausage, fruit salads and chocolate flan (just to name a few). Another perk is that the food is served on plates and eaten with real silverware!

After learning this now we were really hungry. I think this adventure will have to do with food.

Anatole Cheese Tasting

There are over 500 cheeses in France. Needless to say, we can’t taste them all but wouldn’t it be lovely if we could? We chose a few different cheeses in a variety of consistencies to sample.

A Soft cheese: Brie
Hard cheese: Ementhal and comte
Blue Cheese
Goat cheese

We took a 5 x 5 index card and made four categories so we could rate our cheeses. It’s important to note that we did not use crackers when cheese taste testing but merely tasted the cheese itself and wrote our notes. We love comte and simply can’t get enough of it.

French School Lunch

Photo by Karen Le Billion

“Kid’s food” doesn’t exist in France. Meals are taken at fixed times with wholesome food choices and there is NO snacking between meals. After having lived in France and Europe for a majority of my adult life I can attest to this. Here’s what we had for our “French School Lunch” :

Grilled Pesto Salmon and Asparagus

Roasted Green Beans and Peppers

French Viking Coleslaw

And of course a nice table setting and chilled fruit for dessert.

For more ideas on what to serve for “French” lunch have a look at Karen Le Billon’s site. It is loaded with French school lunch menus from all over France. Karen has written a very wonderful book called French Kids Eat Anything. My friend Sarah Jane did the illustrations for it. Just thought I’d share that, because I’m so proud of her.

What are your thoughts about French School lunches? What types of cheese would you pick if you were to do a “Anatole cheese sampling?” Share your thoughts in the comments below! I’d love to hear your options.

**some of these links are affiliate links

The post Anatole by Eve Titus and A Look At School Lunches in France appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

View more on Valarie Budayr's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on September 12, 2013 04:21

Pirate BookList: 22 Non-Fiction Pirate Books for Kids!

Last week we talked about our Pirate Chapter Book Booklist that I created specifically for our upcoming Saturday Book Club Linky Party coming up Saturday the 14th. It was (and still is) my hopes to provide Saturday Book Club participant with some books they can review and create activities around.

Quick Review: Our first club meeting/Linky Party will be September 14th where we’ll be reading and creating our way through a Pirate book theme and since I didn’t want to leave everyone hunting for pirate books to jump into, I decided to create a resource list that our Saturday Book Club Linky participants can use if they’d like. You can find the Pirate Chapter Books Booklist HERE.

BUT, what about those of you who prefer non-fiction books for your family?

Pirate Non-Fiction Book for Kids

Imagine You’re a Pirate by Meg Clibbon

The Short and Bloody History of Pirates by John Farman

The World of the Pirate by Val Garwood

Pirates: Robbers of the High Seas by Gail Gibbons

Lafitte: The Terror of the Gulf by Cathering Troxell Gonzalez

The Book of Pirates by Michael Hague

Read Pirates: Over 20 True stories of Seafaring Sculduggery by Clare Hibbert

Everything I know about Pirates by Tom Lichtenheld

The Pirate’s Handbook by Margarette Lincoln

Pirate by Deborah Lock

The Sea Rovers; Pirates, Privateers, and Buccaneers by Albert Marrin

Pirates! Raiders of the High Seas by Christopher Maynard

Piracy & Plunder: A Murderous Business by Milton Meltzer

Pirates by Greg Nickles

Pirates by Will Osborne and Mary Pope Osborne

The Pirate Princess and Other Fairy Tales by Neil Phillip

Pirates and Treasure by Saviour Pirotta

Pirate by Richard Platt

Pirates by Stewart Ross

Daring Pirate Women by Anne Wallace Sharp

Pirates by Phillip Steele

The Ballad of the Pirate Queens by Jane Yolen

See any favorites?

Did we miss any?

Don’t forget to join us on Saturday (the 14th) for even more fun pirate, books, ideas, activities, and FUN!

**some of these links are affiliate links.

Want to create your own Pirate-Themed Adventure??

For a limited time I am offering my pirate-theme Treasure Island Day Adventure Guide! 50+ pages of Treasure-Island inspired fun like pirate crafts, how to talk like a pirate, special pirate games and much, much more. This guide is FREE simply by signing up below. Ahoy matey!

#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; width:300px;}
/* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block.
We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */

Grab Your FREE Pirate-Themed Treasure Island Adventure Guide!
* indicates required

Email Address *

First Name

Last Name

Email Format

html
text
mobile

var mce_preload_checks = 0;
function mce_preload_check(){
if (mce_preload_checks>40) return;
mce_preload_checks++;
try {
var jqueryLoaded=jQuery;
} catch(err) {
setTimeout('mce_preload_check();', 250);
return;
}
var script = document.createElement('script');
script.type = 'text/javascript';
script.src = 'http://downloads.mailchimp.com/js/jqu...
head.appendChild(script);
try {
var validatorLoaded=jQuery("#fake-form").validate({});
} catch(err) {
setTimeout('mce_preload_check();', 250);
return;
}
mce_init_form();
}
function mce_init_form(){
jQuery(document).ready( function($) {
var options = { errorClass: 'mce_inline_error', errorElement: 'div', onkeyup: function(){}, onfocusout:function(){}, onblur:function(){} };
var mce_validator = $("#mc-embedded-subscribe-form").validate(options);
$("#mc-embedded-subscribe-form").unbind('submit');//remove the validator so we can get into beforeSubmit on the ajaxform, which then calls the validator
options = { url: 'http://jumpintoabook.us6.list-manage1...?', type: 'GET', dataType: 'json', contentType: "application/json; charset=utf-8",
beforeSubmit: function(){
$('#mce_tmp_error_msg').remove();
$('.datefield','#mc_embed_signup').each(
function(){
var txt = 'filled';
var fields = new Array();
var i = 0;
$(':text', this).each(
function(){
fields[i] = this;
i++;
});
$(':hidden', this).each(
function(){
var bday = false;
if (fields.length == 2){
bday = true;
fields[2] = {'value':1970};//trick birthdays into having years
}
if ( fields[0].value=='MM' && fields[1].value=='DD' && (fields[2].value=='YYYY' || (bday && fields[2].value==1970) ) ){
this.value = '';
} else if ( fields[0].value=='' && fields[1].value=='' && (fields[2].value=='' || (bday && fields[2].value==1970) ) ){
this.value = '';
} else {
if (/\[day\]/.test(fields[0].name)){
this.value = fields[1].value+'/'+fields[0].value+'/'+fields[2].value;
} else {
this.value = fields[0].value+'/'+fields[1].value+'/'+fields[2].value;
}
}
});
});
$('.phonefield-us','#mc_embed_signup').each(
function(){
var fields = new Array();
var i = 0;
$(':text', this).each(
function(){
fields[i] = this;
i++;
});
$(':hidden', this).each(
function(){
if ( fields[0].value.length != 3 || fields[1].value.length!=3 || fields[2].value.length!=4 ){
this.value = '';
} else {
this.value = 'filled';
}
});
});
return mce_validator.form();
},
success: mce_success_cb
};
$('#mc-embedded-subscribe-form').ajaxForm(options);

});
}
function mce_success_cb(resp){
$('#mce-success-response').hide();
$('#mce-error-response').hide();
if (resp.result=="success"){
$('#mce-'+resp.result+'-response').show();
$('#mce-'+resp.result+'-response').html(resp.msg);
$('#mc-embedded-subscribe-form').each(function(){
this.reset();
});
} else {
var index = -1;
var msg;
try {
var parts = resp.msg.split(' - ',2);
if (parts[1]==undefined){
msg = resp.msg;
} else {
i = parseInt(parts[0]);
if (i.toString() == parts[0]){
index = parts[0];
msg = parts[1];
} else {
index = -1;
msg = resp.msg;
}
}
} catch(e){
index = -1;
msg = resp.msg;
}
try{
if (index== -1){
$('#mce-'+resp.result+'-response').show();
$('#mce-'+resp.result+'-response').html(msg);
} else {
err_id = 'mce_tmp_error_msg';
html = '
'+msg+'

';

The post Pirate BookList: 22 Non-Fiction Pirate Books for Kids! appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

View more on Valarie Budayr's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on September 09, 2013 04:00

Weekend Links: Recaps, News & Updates

It’s time for Weekend Links and OH, what a busy week it’s been. So much going on at JIAB and so much on the way. So this time I thought I would get creative and do a “round-up” of everything that’s going on with Jump Into a Book/Audrey Press!

RECAP

Of all the book-related blog posts that I have done lately, I have three lately that are true stand-outs. The books are unique, inspiring and something that is a “must read” for families. The accompanying crafts and activities have been a hit too!

Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95 by Phillip Hoose

Meet a bird known as a rufa red knot, named B-95 aka Moonbird. Scientists call him Moonbird because in his lifetime this robin sized shore bird has flown the distance to the moon and halfway back again.

Read about Moonbird HERE.

Children of the Tipi: Corn Husk Dolls

We’ve spent another pleasant moment in a great resource called “Children of the Tipi:Life in the Buffalo Days” by Michael Oren Fitzgerald. This book is a treasure of what it was like for children to grow up in the world of pre-reservation days. Taking archived photos, this book gives us a first hand look into the buffalo days of the Plains Indians. This book was amazing, and we had fun making corn husk dolls.

Read Children of the Tipi HERE.

A Misty of Chincoteague Field Trip

One of my favorite books as a little girl was Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry. This year will mark the 88th year that the Pony Swim has been celebrated. Just off the coast of Virginia lies two islands Assateague and Chincoteague. The last Wednesday and Thursday of July the annual Pony Penning is held and the goal is to move around 150 horses from Assateague to Chincoteague and then back again. 10,000 spectators show up every year to see the pony swim and participate in the pony auction before they swim the ponies back to Assateague island.

Read Misty of the Chincoteague HERE

NEWS

Bookboard is an online book subscription service that has a goal of creating motivated readers and they achieve this by re-imagining story time for today’s digital age. As kids read, they’re rewarded by unlocking new books to add to their collections. This will encourage your kids will keep coming back to unlock the next story again and again.

As your kids’ interests and reading level changes, Bookboard suggests other stories based on what your kids have been reading, right when they’re most interested. The service is designed to grow with your kids, with new books added all the time.

Go HERE to check out BookBoard’s endless and extensive collections including their Bookshelves of the Week.

UPDATES

Join The Club! The Saturday Book Club, that is.

This coming Saturday September 14th will be Jump Into a Book’s first ever Saturday Book Club Linky Party. We invite and encourage all book bloggers, teachers and parents to join us on the JIAB blog and link up their book-inspired crafts, activities and recipes. This month’s theme (in honor of International Talk Like a Pirate Day) is PIRATES! So grab your favorite pirate book and whip up some high sea book-inspired adventures. Need some ideas on wonderful pirate books to read? Check out my booklist of 32 Pirate stories HERE. For more details on this fun linky party, go HERE. Hope to see you soon!

The post Weekend Links: Recaps, News & Updates appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

View more on Valarie Budayr's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on September 08, 2013 04:28

The Pirate Booklist : 32 Chapter Books about PIRATES!

I’m so excited about our new book club linky party appropriately called The Saturday Book Club.

Our first club meeting/Linky Party will be September 14th where we’ll be reading and creating our way through a Pirate book theme. Since I didn’t want to leave everyone hunting for pirate books to jump into, I decided to create a resource list that our Saturday Book Club Linky participants can use if they’d like.

So with a hearty “Arrrggghhh Matey!” here is my nearly complete Pirate Booklist. If you have a pirate book you don’t see on this list please share it with me so we can add.

Pirate Chapter Books

The Three Investigators-The Mystery of the Purple Pirate by William Arden

Captain Grey by Avi

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry

Legend of Captain Crow’s Teeth by Eion Colfer

How to Be a Pirate by Cressida Cowell

Mice of the Westing Wind by Tim Davis

The Secret of Pirate’s Hill by Franklin Dixon

Horrendo’s Curse by Anna Fienberg

The 13th Floor: A Ghost Story by Sid Fleischman

The Ghost in the Noonday Sun By Sid Fleischman

The Giant Rat of Sumatra: or Pirates Galore by Sid Fleischman

Violet and the Mean and Rotten Pirates by Richard Hamilton

Under the Black Flag by Erik Christian Haugaard

Tom Cringle: The Pirate and the Patriot by Gerald Hausman

The Dark Frigate by Charles Boardman Hawes

The Buccaneers by Iain Lawrence

Uncle Pirate by Douglas Rees

The Pirate’s Son by Geraldine McCaughrean

Pirates Past Noon by Mary Pope Osborne

The Mystery of Hermit Dan by Peggy Parish

Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor by Mervyn Peake

Pirate Diary: The Journal of Jake Carpenter by Richard Platt

The Twins, the Pirates, and the Battle of New Orleans by Harriette Robinete

The Not-So-Jolly Roger by Jon Scieszka

Camp Buccaneer by Pam Smallcomb

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Shipwreck on the Pirate Island by Geronimo Stilton

Heart of Steele by Brad Strickland

Dragon’s Plunder by Brad Strickland

Mutiny! by Brad Strickland

The Barefoot Book of Pirates by Richard Walker

The Mystery of the Pirate’s Map by Gertrude Chandler Warner

See any favorites?

See any we missed?

Be sure and check back next week for our non-fiction Pirate Book List for kids!

ALSO, would you like to create your own pirate-inspired fun for your family? For a limited time I am offering my 50+ Treasure Island Day Adventure Guide or FREE!

This fun book contains all sort of pirate-y fun like how to talk like a pirate, crafts to help you “get the gear” and look like a pirate, pirate games, pirate recipes, pirate facts, and even a little history about the Treasure Island book as well. So grab your copy simply by signing up below and sail off on a grand adventure!

#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; width:300px;}
/* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block.
We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */

Grab Your FREE Pirate-Themed Treasure Island Adventure Guide!
* indicates required

Email Address *

First Name

Last Name

Email Format

html
text
mobile

var mce_preload_checks = 0;
function mce_preload_check(){
if (mce_preload_checks>40) return;
mce_preload_checks++;
try {
var jqueryLoaded=jQuery;
} catch(err) {
setTimeout('mce_preload_check();', 250);
return;
}
var script = document.createElement('script');
script.type = 'text/javascript';
script.src = 'http://downloads.mailchimp.com/js/jqu...
head.appendChild(script);
try {
var validatorLoaded=jQuery("#fake-form").validate({});
} catch(err) {
setTimeout('mce_preload_check();', 250);
return;
}
mce_init_form();
}
function mce_init_form(){
jQuery(document).ready( function($) {
var options = { errorClass: 'mce_inline_error', errorElement: 'div', onkeyup: function(){}, onfocusout:function(){}, onblur:function(){} };
var mce_validator = $("#mc-embedded-subscribe-form").validate(options);
$("#mc-embedded-subscribe-form").unbind('submit');//remove the validator so we can get into beforeSubmit on the ajaxform, which then calls the validator
options = { url: 'http://jumpintoabook.us6.list-manage1...?', type: 'GET', dataType: 'json', contentType: "application/json; charset=utf-8",
beforeSubmit: function(){
$('#mce_tmp_error_msg').remove();
$('.datefield','#mc_embed_signup').each(
function(){
var txt = 'filled';
var fields = new Array();
var i = 0;
$(':text', this).each(
function(){
fields[i] = this;
i++;
});
$(':hidden', this).each(
function(){
var bday = false;
if (fields.length == 2){
bday = true;
fields[2] = {'value':1970};//trick birthdays into having years
}
if ( fields[0].value=='MM' && fields[1].value=='DD' && (fields[2].value=='YYYY' || (bday && fields[2].value==1970) ) ){
this.value = '';
} else if ( fields[0].value=='' && fields[1].value=='' && (fields[2].value=='' || (bday && fields[2].value==1970) ) ){
this.value = '';
} else {
if (/\[day\]/.test(fields[0].name)){
this.value = fields[1].value+'/'+fields[0].value+'/'+fields[2].value;
} else {
this.value = fields[0].value+'/'+fields[1].value+'/'+fields[2].value;
}
}
});
});
$('.phonefield-us','#mc_embed_signup').each(
function(){
var fields = new Array();
var i = 0;
$(':text', this).each(
function(){
fields[i] = this;
i++;
});
$(':hidden', this).each(
function(){
if ( fields[0].value.length != 3 || fields[1].value.length!=3 || fields[2].value.length!=4 ){
this.value = '';
} else {
this.value = 'filled';
}
});
});
return mce_validator.form();
},
success: mce_success_cb
};
$('#mc-embedded-subscribe-form').ajaxForm(options);

});
}
function mce_success_cb(resp){
$('#mce-success-response').hide();
$('#mce-error-response').hide();
if (resp.result=="success"){
$('#mce-'+resp.result+'-response').show();
$('#mce-'+resp.result+'-response').html(resp.msg);
$('#mc-embedded-subscribe-form').each(function(){
this.reset();
});
} else {
var index = -1;
var msg;
try {
var parts = resp.msg.split(' - ',2);
if (parts[1]==undefined){
msg = resp.msg;
} else {
i = parseInt(parts[0]);
if (i.toString() == parts[0]){
index = parts[0];
msg = parts[1];
} else {
index = -1;
msg = resp.msg;
}
}
} catch(e){
index = -1;
msg = resp.msg;
}
try{
if (index== -1){
$('#mce-'+resp.result+'-response').show();
$('#mce-'+resp.result+'-response').html(msg);
} else {
err_id = 'mce_tmp_error_msg';
html = '
'+msg+'

';

The post The Pirate Booklist : 32 Chapter Books about PIRATES! appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

View more on Valarie Budayr's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on September 05, 2013 04:50

Weekend Links: Showcasing Multicultural Books for Kids Pinners

It’s time for weekend links!

This week I decided to showcase all my wonderful co-Pinners over at our brand new (and very special) Pinterest Board Multicultural Books for Kids. I co-created this board with Mia from PragmaticMom because, despite census data that shows 37% of the US population consists of people of color, only 10% of children’s books published have diversity content. We’d like to change that. The focus of the Multicultural Books for Kids board is to highlight children’s authors and illustrators of color and high quality children’s books with diversity themes and/or characters.

The following links are all from our stellar Pinners from this Board.

All Done Monkey is doing a great series called Around The Word in 12 Dishes. Check out her latest Egypt-inspired Raspberry Lemon Cooler recipe HERE.

Youth Literature Reviews shared some amazing Harry Potter inspired art from the 15th Anniversary Edition her site. Love these!

The Good Long Read always has a treasure trove of great tot and PreK activities on her blog. Here’s a good example: Tot School: Early Literacy Activities – Letter A Exploration Through the Five Senses.

Mia from Pragmatic Mom always has such fun and innovative ideas and blog posts. Here’s her latest: Sticks Toys: A Stick is an Excellent Thing.

Cuteness Overload! Reshama from StackingBooks has this delight book review called Sloths: A little book of a Sloth.

Frances at Discovering The World Through My Son’s Eyes has a awesome post with breathtaking photos about Culebra, Puerto Rico {History, Culture & Familia}

Jackie from Ready-Set-Read shares a great round-up for anyone sending kiddies back to school. Check out her Back-to-School Tips here.

Final Note: I am excited to share that one of our sponsors, Little Passports is having a free shipping special!

Little Passports is one of the best ways to keep your children learning about travel, culture and different cities and countries around the world all while having fun wherever you live! If you start a 6 or 12 month subscription between 8/27-8/31, you can get free shipping on your order if you use the code SHIPFREE, which is a $15-$20 savings depending on the plan you purchase! (If you live in Canada, you qualify for free shipping too. How cool is that??) Be sure to let me know how you and your kids enjoy your Little Passports subscription!

Little Passports Free Shipping with code: SHIPFREE from 8/27-8/31

** Offer valid on new subscriptions only. Excludes back to school merchandise. Cannot be combined with other offers. Order value must be equal to or greater than $50, excluding shipping and taxes to qualify for free shipping. Monthly subscriptions do not meet the minimum price for this offer.

The post Weekend Links: Showcasing Multicultural Books for Kids Pinners appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

View more on Valarie Budayr's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on September 01, 2013 04:55