Valarie Budayr's Blog, page 14

Play, Creativity, and Reading: A winning combination for kids

“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”-Fred Rogers As adults, the word “play” is usually connected to something we do after the kids are raised, and we are nestling into our Golden Years. “Play” is also something we look forward to doing after a long week of working hard

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Spring is Coming! Let’s Make Robin Cakes!

Happy Spring to You! Easter is just around the corner and along the celebrating, feasting, remembrances, and family togetherness; we would like to send out one small reminder… Stock up on Cadbury Milk Chocolate Eggs! Why? Because these little beauties are not only nummy, they are part of a fun “unplugged” activity that the whole family will enjoy. In my co-authored book, A Year in the Secret Garden, readers can

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Adding Backyard Science and Fun to Your Homeschooling Plan

In a time of Social Distancing, there’s one global resource that is available to everyone, at any time–The Great Outdoors! Nature is healthy, safe and free… perfect for kids to continue to grow and learn during these uncertain times. Your own backyard is a great place for your child to get outside in play. In addition to swimming and playing outdoor sports, your child can also use your backyard as

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A brilliant diverse picture that is perfect for Earth Hour 2020

Reading is important. Honoring our Earth is critical. Here’s an amazing idea for how to combine the two! As humans, it’s really, really up to us to change our ways to reverse the environmental issues that are plaguing our planet.  “We can’t save the world by playing by the rules, because the rules have to be changed. Everything needs to change – and it has to start today.”~Greta Thunberg One of many

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Celebrating Audrey Press’ Best Sellers of 2019

As the last days of 2019 tick by, and Christmas is just around the proverbial corner, the Audrey Press Team would like to pause for a moment and just say THANK YOU to the fans, book buyers, educators, authors, illustrators, and behind-the-scenes folks who continue to support this company. We’d also like to take a moment to celebrate the exceptional books that Audrey Press has published over the last year

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Adult Nonfiction titles that will Enhance Mind, Spirit, and Business in 2020

As the holiday season nears, many people are scrambling to find that *perfect* gift for the hard to buy for person. Shelves are filled with tons of present ideas that promise brilliance, relaxation, and self-improvement, but Audrey Press has some gift ideas for adults than no one else has; gifts that will also enhance and improve brains and businesses in the upcoming new year. Books! Non-fiction titles for adults, to

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Easy Solution for Vitamin D Deficiency in Kids (in book form!)

In many parts of the country, people are dealing with the cold winter paired with shorter days. The result, an increase in vitamin deficiency, a loss of motivation, and just over “blue moods.” This affects adults and kids alike. Children’s reading and play advocates Valarie Budayr from Jump Into a Book and Marilyn Scott-Waters from The Toymaker have teamed up to create an innovative (and much needed) option for parents

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BOOKS–The Gift that can be opened Again and Again

Some of my fondest memories as a child include the times spent reading with my parents (specifically, my mother). The gentle cadence of her voice paired with the thrill of crispy white book pages that shared a thrilling story became a nightly ritual. Then I became a parent myself and the love and the magic of reading together every night was something we all looked forward to. As the gift-giving

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Why its More Important Than Ever to #ReadYourWorld

Our mission is to not only raise awareness for the kid’s books that celebrate diversity but to get more of these of books into classrooms and libraries. That was the Mission Statement of a fledgling non-profit over seven years ago. To date,  Multicultural Children’s Book Day (MCBD) has donated over 8000 diverse books for kids and this grassroots initiative has expanded to include worldwide readers, book reviewers, authors, organizations and

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Battling the Diversity Gap in Kids’ Books | Multicultural Children’s Book Day

Books play a huge part in all children’s lives. Numerous studies have also shown that reading to a child as little as twenty minutes per week will not only result in stronger readers but ones who carry a love of literature into adulthood. But just as important as having quality books available for young readers is the ability for them to be able to “see themselves” within the pages of

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