Valarie Budayr's Blog, page 46

It’s Here! The Multicultural Children’s Day eBook is FREE until 1/31/17!

Starting Thursday, January 26th, through Tuesday, January 31st, our Multicultural Children’s Book Day ebook will be FREE on Amazon!

Jump Into A Book.

Resources to Celebrate Multicultural Children’s Book Day All Year (guest post from Mia Wenjen)

Four and half years ago, Valarie Budayr of Jump Into a Book and I started Multicultural Children’s Book Day, an online holiday celebrated on January 27th to showcase diversity in children’s books. Our motivation was three fold:

Literacy: We believe that if children can see themselves in books, particularly at that crucial period of time when they are learning to read independently, they will be more motivated to read.
Empathy: On the opposite note, children are the most open to new ideas. Kids need to learn about others who are not like them and books provide that window into different experiences and minority points of view.
Discovery: The biggest hurdle for teachers and parents, we found, is finding those great multicultural and diverse books. Our holiday is about bridging that knowledge gap. In addition to free resources to find that perfect diversity children’s book, we also give FREE diversity children’s books to teachers and parents.

Diversity Children’s Book List Resource: FREE January 26 – January 31st!

This year we created a resource of book lists from 20 children’s book bloggers and 2 children’s book authors to help parents, caretakers, educators, librarians, KidLit lovers find the exact perfect diversity book they need. We are giving away our eBook FREE from January 26 through January 31 on Amazon. Our Kindle ebook, Read Your World: A Guide to Multicultural Children’s Books for Parents and Educators, is $4.99. One hundred percent of proceeds goes to fund our Classroom Book Program where we gift free diversity children’s books to teachers for their classroom libraries.

Jump Into A Book.

A Super 2017 ALA Book Awards Celebration Round-up

Wow, what a morning full of reasons to celebrate. I got up early today to watch the ALA book awards LIVE on Facebook. There I sat at my dining room table literally applauding, hooting and hollering for all of those authors and illustrators I’ve read and adored all year long. I look forward to this day every single year. It’s the academy awards of books.

Today is a day of GREAT celebration! As the nominees and winners were read, I noticed a fantastic line-up of diversity and multiculturalism that is reflective of the country we live in.

Today is also a win for the hard work we’ve tirelessly put in over at Multicultural Children’s Book Day over the last 4 years to bring awareness to multicultural and diverse children’s book titles published recently and in the past. To create an annual celebration around these titles, to create a large resource for parents and teachers, as well as putting hundreds of books into multicultural and diverse books into kids hands who need it most through our classroom and book bundle giveaways.  More importantly it’s about acknowledging that diversity exists and we all have the right to see ourselves within the pages of the books we read. We also have the right to embrace difference from ourselves and create different lenses to  worlds, both real and imagined that we spend time in.

I’d like to personally thank the ALA and the great efforts to acknowledge and award the incredible talents and diversity in storytelling. For honoring all of those who have made us laugh, cry, get angry, and smile through their captivating stories and engaging illustrations.

Also huge thanks continues to go to the authors and illustrators who feel inspired to share their stories with us.

And all of you for making your voice heard on what books are important to you and what you love reading!

Here are just a few of today’s big winners. I’ve shared this from their press release.To see a full list please go here. 

John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature:

“The Girl Who Drank the Moon,” written by Kelly Barnhill, is the 2017 Newbery Medal winner. The book is published by Algonquin Young Readers, an imprint of Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, a division of Workman Publishing.

Three Newbery Honor Books:

“Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life by Ashley Bryan,” written and illustrated by Ashley Bryan and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.

“The Inquisitor’s Tale: Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog,” written by Adam Gidwitz, illustrated by Hatem Aly and published by Dutton Children’s Books, Penguin Young Readers Group, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

“Wolf Hollow,” written by Lauren Wolk and published by Dutton Children’s Books, Penguin Young Readers Group, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children:

“Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat,” illustrated by Javaka Steptoe is the 2017 Caldecott Medal winner. The book was written by Javaka Steptoe and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Four Caldecott Honor Books also were named: “Leave Me Alone!” illustrated and written by Vera Brosgol and published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership.

“Freedom in Congo Square,” illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, written by Carole Boston Weatherford and published by Little Bee Books, an imprint of Bonnier Publishing Group.

“Du Iz Tak?” illustrated and written by Carson Ellis, and published by Candlewick Press; and “They All Saw a Cat,” illustrated and written by Brendan Wenzel and published by Chronicle Books LLC.

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award, recognizing an African-American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults:

“March: Book Three,” written by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, is the King Author Book winner. The book is illustrated by Nate Powell and published by Top Shelf Productions, an imprint of IDW Publishing, a division of Idea and Design Works LLC.

Two King Author Honor Books were selected:

“As Brave as You,” written by Jason Reynolds, a Caitlyn Dlouhy Book, published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.

“Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life by Ashley Bryan,” written and illustrated by Ashley Bryan, a Caitlyn Dlouhy Book, published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award:

“Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat,” illustrated by Javaka Steptoe, is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book is written by Javaka Steptoe and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Three King Illustrator Honor Book were selected:

“Freedom in Congo Square,” illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, written by Carole Boston Weatherford and published by Little Bee Books, an imprint of Bonnier Publishing Group.

“Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life” by Ashley Bryan,” illustrated and written by Ashley Bryan, a Caitlyn Dlouhy Book, published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.

“In Plain Sight,” illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, written by Richard Jackson, a Neal Porter Book, published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership.

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award:

“The Sun Is Also a Star,” written by Nicola Yoon, is the Steptoe author award winner. The book is published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement:

Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop is the winner of the Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of beloved children’s author Virginia Hamilton.

Dr. Bishop is a winner of numerous awards and has served as a respected member of many book awards committees over the course of her long and distinguished career. Her influential writing, speaking, and teaching articulates the history and cultural significance of African-American children’s literature. Her globally cited work, “Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors,” has inspired movements for increased diversity in books for young people, and provides the basis for the best multicultural practice and inquiry for students, teachers, writers and publishing houses.

Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience:

“Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille,” written by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Boris Kulikov and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, wins the award for young children (ages 0 to 10).

“as brave as you,” written by Jason Reynolds and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division, is the winner for middle grades (ages 11-13).

“When We Collided,” written by Emery Lord and published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books is the winner for teens (ages 13-18).

Laura Ingalls Wilder Award honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.

The 2017 winner is Nikki Grimes, whose award-winning works include “Bronx Masquerade,” which won the Coretta Scott King Author Award in 2003, and “Words with Wings,” the recipient of a Coretta Scott King Author Honor in 2014. In addition, Grimes received the Virginia Hamilton Literary Award in 2016 and the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children in 2006.

2018 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award recognizing an author, critic, librarian, historian or teacher of children’s literature, who then presents a lecture at a winning host site.

Naomi Shihab Nye will deliver the 2018 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture. The daughter of a Palestinian father and an American mother, Naomi Shihab Nye grew up in St. Louis, Jerusalem, and San Antonio, Texas. The author and/or editor of more than 30 books for adults and children, her latest for young people, “The Turtle of Oman,” was chosen as a 2015 Notable Children’s Book by the ALA. She has received four Pushcart Prizes, was a National Book Award finalist, and has been named a Guggenheim Fellow, amongst her many honors.

Pura Belpré Awards honoring a Latino writer and illustrator whose children’s books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience:

“Lowriders to the Center of the Earth,” illustrated by Raúl Gonzalez, is the Belpré Illustrator Award winner. The book was written by Cathy Camper and published by Chronicle Books LLC.

Two Belpré Illustrator Honor Books were named:

“Esquivel!: Space-Age Sound Artist,” illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh, written by Susan Wood and published by Charlesbridge.

“The Princess and the Warrior: A Tale of Two Volcanoes,” illustrated and written by Duncan Tonatiuh and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS.

“Juana & Lucas,” written by Juana Medina, is the Pura Belpré Author Award winner. The book is illustrated by Juana Medina and published by Candlewick Press.

One Belpré Author Honor Book was named:

“The Only Road,” written by Alexandra Diaz and published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers/A Paula Wiseman Book.

Stonewall Book Award – Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award given annually to English-language children’s and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience:

“Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor,” written by Rick Riordan and published by Disney Hyperion, an imprint of Disney Book Group, and “If I Was Your Girl” written by Meredith Russo and published by Flatiron Books, are the 2017 recipients of the Stonewall Book Awards – Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award, respectively.

Three Honor Books were selected:

“When the Moon Was Ours,” written by Anna-Marie McLemore and published by Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press.

“Unbecoming,” written by Jenny Downham and published by Scholastic Inc. by arrangement with David Fickling Books.

“Pride: Celebrating Diversity & Community,” written by Robin Stevenson and published by Orca Book Publishers.

One More Thing- Be sure and check out our robust and extensive Diversity Book Lists & Resources for Teachers and Parents!

The post A Super 2017 ALA Book Awards Celebration Round-up appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

Poetry For Kids: Emily Dickinson

Recently I’ve received many new poetry and prose books to review and want to share a few of them here in our new feature called, “The Poetry Corner.”

 

Just like our favorite books, poems are friends we can return to again and again.

Born in Amherst, Massachusetts on December 10th 1830, Emily Dickinson lived a poet’s life which was both quiet and busy. Some of her favorite past times were baking both bread and cookies, gardening in her massive garden, writing letters to family and friends, she wrote over 10,000 of them, and using massive word play in her poems.

She died at the age of 55 in 1886, and left behind 1800 unpublished poems. Her first volume of poetry was published in 1890, after her death.

Author Susan Snively has chosen 35 poems by the famed writer, guiding us through the seasons and into new landscapes through the magic of words.

This is an enchanting and delightful book which is graced by the colorful and captivating illustrations of Christine Davenier from Paris. Each illustration brings the poem to life and creates a space to contemplate it in.

A big thank you to Moon Dance Publishing a division of Quarto knows for supplying a review copy.

Somethings To Do

Create a Word Bubble

On each page of Poetry for Kids: Emily Dickinson there are words which were commonly used in Emily’s time but may not be widely used in our time. Emily Dickinson has such an inventive way of using words. At the bottom of each poem are the words with their meaning. Take the following list and create a word bubble. As you look at the word bubble see if you can remember what each word means. Feel free to use the book to discover the definition. Have fun learning new words to put in your writing or use in every day conversations.

There are a couple of really nice resources to use to create word bubbles the first is word cloud. The second is wordle.

Words to make cloudy:

livelong,bog,seam, flakes, stars, perished, seamless,repulses, quibbled, maize, burr, shaft, cordiality, zero, exhilaration, statement, prairie, revelry,helmsman,ecstatically, gentian, obviate,prudent,moor,heather, chart,brittle, ethereal, imperial,leisure,civility, cornice,alabaster, resurrection, scoop, firmaments, diadems, doges,leaden, sieves,unperceived,plies,caught,insubstantial, tapestries, sophistries,oppresses, imperial affliction, adversity, vista, sorcery, compensate,  hooked,deputies,lathed,Mechlin frames, duties, eider, unique, sd, troubadour, betrays, pensive, punctual ,abash,sore, extremity,pilgrim,menace,livid, quartering,down,frigate,coursers,traverse, oppress,and,frugal.

Weather Watching

Emily Dickinson was an avid weather watcher.

Activity: Pick a time of day for a week, or a month and jot down the weather in a journal. 

Along with watching the weather, Emily observed the seasons, in fact this entire book is created from her poems about the seasons. Choose your favorite seasons and write a poem about it.

Over many days, weeks, and maybe even months, can you see how the weather and seasons are changing.

Create an Herbarium

Emily loved to cut and press the flowers, herbs, and plants from her garden and put them in a book she called and herbarium. Here is a view of Emily’s actual Herbarium. What a great idea. Why not create one of your own?

Gingerbread Recipe

Though Emily Dickinson never married and never had any children of her own, she loved to bake gingerbread for the neighbor children. Here’s her very own recipe from the Emily Dickinson Museum.

Your Friend Emily

Oh my goodness, what would it be like to have a poem writing friend like Emily ? A nature loving, gingerbread cookie baking, gardening friend like Emily Dickinson ? Write a letter introducing your great and creative friend Emily Dickinson. Feel free to leave it here in the comment section. I’d love to get to meet her too.

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Looking for Kindness Classroom books and activities for your students?
Multicultural Children’s Book Day’s Downloadable Kindness Classroom Kit for Educators, Caregivers and Homeschoolers is OUR gift to YOU.

Our FREE Classroom Kindness Kit from Multicultural Children’s Book Day includes:

– Diversity Kindness books for ages 4-12

– Classroom Kindness activities, both quick and project based

– Be A Hero Be Kind poster by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

– Multicultural Children’s Book Day poster by DEMI

Go here to download and Be Kind, Be a Hero today!

The post Poetry For Kids: Emily Dickinson appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

Discover, Discuss and WIN Multicultural Books at the MCBD2017 Twitter Party!

Please join us for our Multicultural Children’s Book Day

Win 1 of 12 Book Bundles! Giving away Book Bundles every 6 minutes!

Twitter Party

Friday, January 27th

9 pm to 10 pm EST

Hashtag: #ReadYourWorld

We will be discussing the state of children’s book publishing and giving away diversity book bundles every six minutes! We invite EVERYONE to join us: authors, publishers, parents, caregivers, librarians, KidLit lovers. You don’t have to be an author or publisher sponsor to join us! Let’s talk about our favorite multicultural and diverse children’s books, authors, and illustrators!

How do you join the Twitter party? Just use hashtag #ReadYourWorld to find us. When you tweet, use the hashtag so everyone can find you!
Register below to be able to win!!

2017 Multicultural Children’s Book DayTwitter Party Book Bundle GIVEAWAYS

Question 1 (9:00pm): Scholatic’s research on top trends in children’s literature found that LESSONS ON KINDNESS WILL BE KEY. What is your top concern?

MCBD Book Bundle Giveaway #1:

Early chapter books and chapter books for ages 6 and up

MVP-Gold Medal Mess by David A. Kelly
Brooklyn Bat Boy by Geoff Griffin
The Curse of the WereHyena by Bruce Hale
Camp Nerd by Elissa Brent Weissman
Zapato Power-Freddie Ramos Rules New York by Jacqueline Jules
Mermaid Tales by Debbie Dadey

Question 2 (9:05 pm): One new controversy in children’s book publishing is who should write from a minority point of view? What do you think?

MCBD Book Bundle Giveaway #2

Sponsored by Pack-n-Go Girls: travel adventure mysteries for girls 6 and up

Mystery at the Christmas Market by Pack-n-Go Girls
Mystery of the Ballerina Ghost by Pack-n-Go Girls
Mystery of the Golden Temple by Pack-n-Go Girls
Mystery of the Min Min Lights by Pack-n-Go Girls
Mystery of the Troubled Toucan by Pack-n-Go Girls
Mystery of the Thief in the Night by Pack-n-Go Girls

Question 3 (9:10 pm): What diversity topics in children’s books do you wish there were more books on?

MCBD Book Bundle Giveaway #3:

Picture Books for ages 4 and up

She Stood for Freedom by Loki Muholland
Rice & Rocks by Sandra L. Richards
Mountain Chef by Annette Bay Pimentel
Ava Dreams of Water by Nancy Moss
Three Years and Eight Months by Icy Smith
Soccer Star by Mina Javaherbin

Question 4 (9:15 pm): I’m noticing characters in stories that happen to be diverse, but that’s not the point of the story. How do you feel about that?

MCBD Book Bundle Giveaway #4:

Board Book Bundle

What Can I See (Child’s Play) by Annie Kubler
When I Wake up by Ming & Joanna Lin
Little Artists Mini Board Book Sets from Kane Miller Publishing
Ladoo & Pooja Day from Ladoo Books
Ladoo & Chai Time from Ladoo Books
Baby Ply by Carol McDougall & Shanda LaRamee-Jones

Question 5 (9:20 pm): Do you have a preference for traditional books versus ebooks? Does it change for children’s books versus adult books?

MCBD Book Bundle Giveaway #5

100 Fun & Easy Learning Games for Kids by Amanda Boyarishnov and Kim Vij
A Charmed Life by Gladys E. Barbieri
Excellent Ed by Stacy McAnulty
Aiden the Soccer Star by Suzan Johnson
Journey to Appleville by Veronica Appleton
10 Little Ninjas by Miranda Paul

Question 6 (9:25 pm): Self published books versus big publishing companies. What makes you buy a self published book?

MCBD Book Bundle Giveaway #6

One Plastic Bag by Miranda Paul
Destiny & Faith’s Summer Adventures by Teddy O’Malley
Destiny & Faith Get Stuck in the Country by Teddy O’Malley
Let’s Celebrate Diwali by Anjali Joshi
Amal’s EID and Hanuman & The Orange Sun by Amy Maranville
Here We Go: A Poetry Friday Book from Pomelo Books

Question 7 (9:30 pm): What diversity children’s books, authors and/or illustrators do you think deserve more recognition? Let’s give them a shout out!

MCBD Book Bundle Giveaway #7

Catherine’s Pascha by Charlotte Riggle
Here We Go: A Poetry Friday Book from Pomelo Books
Cixi The Dragon Empress by Natasha Yim
PoPo’s Lucky Chinese New Year by Virginia Loh-Hagan
Ellis & The Hidden Cave by Cerece Murphy
No Limits-No Boundaries by Natasha Moulton-Levy
If You Were Me and We Lived In Ancient Greece by Carole P. Roman

Question 8 (9:35 pm): What do you think is the best way to get more diversity and multicultural children’s books published?

MCBD Book Bundle Giveaway #8

Sponsored by Carole P. Roman

Includes one of each of the “If You Were Me and We Lived In…”

Hungary, Brazil, Peru, Portugal, Russia, Israel, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Australia, Turkey, Norway, Poland, India, Mexico, South Korea, Kenya and China

Question 9 (9:40 pm): What diversity topics in children’s books are you having trouble finding?

MCBD Book Bundle Giveaway #9:

Barefoot Books Sponsored Bundle

To Be Announced

Question 10 (9:45 pm): Scholastic top trends in children’s books also shows that “FUNNY” IS STILL NUMBER ONE. What gets your kids reading?

MCBD Book Bundle Giveaway #10:

Chronicle Books Sponsored Book Bundle

Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns by Hena Kahn
Josephine by Patricia Hruby Powell
Loving vs Virginia by Patricia Hruby Powell
The Quickest Kid in Clarksville by Pat Zeithow Miller
Lowriders in Space by Cathy Camper

Question 11 (9:50 pm):What are the diversity children’s picure books and chapter books that you and your kids recommend and why?

MCBD Book Bundle Giveaway #11:

The Last Cherry Blossom by Kathleen Burkinshaw
Naji and the Mystery of the Dig by Vahid Imani
Obstacles by Greg Ransom
Malala Yousafzai: Warrior of Words by Karen Leggett
Ayo’s Money Jar by Smart Choice Nation
ABC Adoption and ME by Gayle H. Swift
Celebrate Durga Puja With Me by Shoumi Sen
Lump Lump and the Blanket of Dreams by Gwen Jackson
Nonnie & I by Savannah Hendricks
Trainbots by Miranda Paul
I’m Trey Jones by Monica-Matthis Howe
A Journey to Appleville by Vernonica Appleton

Question 12 (9:55 pm): What is the message you want to tell publishers and authors with regard to diversity in children’s books?

MCBD Book Bundle Giveaway #12 Grand Prize Bundle:

Sponsored by Scholastic

The Case for Loving by Selina Alko
Elephant in the Dark by Mina Javaherbin
Zen Socks by Jon J. Muth
Under the Same Sun by Sharon Robinson
The Granddaughter Necklace by Sharon Dennis Wyeth
Unidentified Suburban Object by Mike Jung
Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks
The Hero Two Doors Down by Sharon Robinson
Moving Target by Christina Diaz Gonzalez
Making Friends with Billy Wong by Augusta Scattergood

 

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The post Discover, Discuss and WIN Multicultural Books at the MCBD2017 Twitter Party! appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

Bright ideas for Celebrating Appreciate a Dragon Day (1/16/17)

As you can tell from my past blog posts and books I have written…I LOVE Dragons!

To me, Dragons are not the scary, fire-breathing beasts that fiction makes them out to be. The Dragons from my childhood were a fun-loving lot who craved sweets, loved to dance and the only thing they devoured was BOOKS

So imagine my excitement when I found out there was an actual DAY for Dragons called Appreciate your Dragon Day created by Donita K. Paul.

Donita’s site is filled with Dragon-y activities like this one:

Make a Dragon Mask

Many of her links lead to sites with even more links to activities! What I thought was missing was the “book” part since we now know Dragons LOVE to read. So with that in mind, I am sharing some Dragon booklists and also an excerpt from my FREE downloadable Dragons Are Real Activity Book. Enjoy!

An Extra Special #DragonsAreReal Booklist for Beginning Readers

A Special #DragonsAreReal Dragon Booklist for Middle Readers

Something Dragon-y To Do

Dragons Love Riddles

Telling riddle goes hand-in-hand, or paw-in-paw….or claw-in-claw…with the fact that Dragons love to laugh as well. But riddles are much more to their fancy. If you ever meet a Dragon, chances are he will test you with a riddle to see if it’s safe for him to talk to you.

First, let’s make sure we understand what a “riddle” is. The definition of a riddle is this: A question or statement intentionally phrased so as to require ingenuity in ascertaining its answer or meaning.

So let’s practice our riddle telling and guessing!

What has two hands, but can’t tie a shoe or open a door?

Answer: A clock!

My life can be measured in hours,

I serve by being devoured.

Thin, I am quick

Fat, I am slow

Wind is my foe.

What am I?

Answer: A candle!

On my way to St. Ives I saw a man with 7 wives. Each wife had 7 sacks. Each sack had 7 cats. Each cat had 7 kittens. Kitten, cats, sacks, wives. How many were going to St. Ives?

Answer: Just one, me!! (I saw a man…).

While some months have just 30 days, others have 31 days. How many months have 28 days?

Answer: All months have 28 days!

Almost everyone needs it, and yet almost nobody takes it, even when it is available. What is it?

Answer: Advice!

(This Riddle Poem is by J.R.R. Tolkien.)

It cannot be seen, cannot be felt

Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt.

It lies behind stars and under hills,

And empty holes it fills.

It comes first and follows after,

Ends life, kills laughter.

Answer: Darkness

 

Would you like more Dragons Are Real Activities? Grab my FREE Downloadable Activity Guide HERE:

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The post Bright ideas for Celebrating Appreciate a Dragon Day (1/16/17) appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

Multicultural Children’s Book Day Sponsors, Freebies, Booklists and MORE

MCBD Sponsorship has officially closed so we are ready to share the final line-up along with a few “FAQ’s”

MCBD is a non-profit that is in its fourth year
Our official hashtag is #ReadYourWorld.
MCBD was created by Valarie Budayr from Jump Into A Book and Mia Wenjen from PragmaticMom
The Big Giant Linky: The much anticipated review linky will not be live until the morning of 1/27/17 and will be located here on the MCBD site and also on all CoHosts’ sites. This link-up is a compilation of 400+ books multicultural book reviews and activities that will create a robust online resource for parents, grandparents, educators, caregivers and librarians. A separate Linky will be available for those reviewing on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
MCBD offers many FREE resources for those looking for information on diverse books for young readers including our Classroom Kindness Kit and our Diversity Book Lists & Activities for Teachers and Parents.
Our 17 CoHosts are made up of powerhouse moms, bloggers, writers and reading advocates. Our CoHosts are:

A Crafty Arab,  All Done Monkey, Books My Kids Read, Crafty Moms Share, Colours of Us, Educators Spin on it, Franticmommy, Growing Book by Book, Imagination Soup,  Kid World Citizen, Mama Smiles, Multicultural Kid Blogs, Randomly Reading, Spanish Playground, The Jenny Evolution,The Logonauts and Youth Literature Reviews

Multicultural Children’s Book Day‘s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in home and school bookshelves while also working diligently to get more of these types of books into the hands of young readers, parents and educators.

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. Using the Multicultural Children’s Book Day holiday, the MCBD Team is on a mission to change all of that.

Current Sponsors:  MCBD 2017 is honored to have some amazing Sponsors on board. Platinum Sponsors include Scholastic, Barefoot Books and Broccoli.

Other Medallion Level Sponsors include heavy-hitters like Author Carole P. Roman, Audrey Press, Candlewick Press,  Fathers Incorporated,

KidLitTV, Capstone Young Readers, ChildsPlayUSA,

Author Gayle Swift, Wisdom Tales Press, Lee& Low Books, The Pack-n-Go Girls, Live Oak Media, Author Charlotte Riggle, Chronicle Books and Pomelo Books

Author Sponsor include: Karen Leggett Abouraya, Veronica Appleton, Susan Bernardo, Kathleen Burkinshaw, Delores Connors, Maria Dismondy, D.G. Driver, Geoff Griffin,  Savannah Hendricks, Stephen Hodges, Carmen Bernier-Grand,Vahid Imani, Gwen Jackson,  Hena, Kahn, David Kelly, Mariana Llanos, Natasha Moulton-Levy, Teddy O’Malley, Stacy McAnulty,  Cerece Murphy, Miranda Paul, Ammi-Joan Paquette, Annette Pimentel, Greg Ransom, Sandra Richards, Elsa Takaoka, Graciela Tiscareño-Sato,  Sarah Stevenson, Monica Mathis-Stowe SmartChoiceNation, Andrea Y. Wang

Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with is on social media and be sure and look for/use their official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.
Connect With Us!

– Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MulticulturalChildrensBookDay

– Twitter https://twitter.com/MCChildsBookDay

-Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/25970...

FREEBIES!

Be sure and grab your Free Kindness Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians and Educators!

Free Diversity Book Lists and Activities for Teachers and Parents

Visit the MCBD Blog and discover all sorts of diverse booklists and giveaways during the CBC’s Book Jam January!

 

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The post Multicultural Children’s Book Day Sponsors, Freebies, Booklists and MORE appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

51 Things to Make (out of egg carton, cardboard tubes and more!)

If I’m being really honest….by the end of this post you’ll have 204 things to make from items lying around the house such as paper plates, egg cartons, cardboard boxes and cardboard tubes.

Fiona Hayes has so may creative ideas filling the pages of these books. They are an invitation to create new worlds, take an adventure of your own making, or even tame things on the wild side.

Each book contains 51 activities to make fun animals and objects out of everyday items.

Each activity is clearly photographed and vividly illustrated in an appealing and colorful style. Included are easy to follow step by step instructions.

This book series lends itself wonderfully to young readers and the act of reading and following instructions. It’s a great way to teach reading comprehension via directions which have a step by step format and need immediate follow through .

One of the great things about the Craft Makes series is that it provides fascinating facts about recycling in the home as well as hints and clever tips to aid in the construction of these crafts. The crafts are perfect for ages 6-9 .

51 Things to Make with Paper Plates transforms unused paper plates into angels, rabbits, flying saucers, fun animal masks, puppets, necklaces and much more.

51 Things to Make with Egg Cartons creates a menagerie of fun and interactive animals, trucks, cars, and jewelry. Very colorful and much to entertain oneself with.

51 Things to Make with Cardboard Tubes from spotty snakes and snappy crocodiles, to rockets and tractors, getting crafty with toilet paper and paper towel tubes has never been so fun.

51 Things to Make with Cardboard Boxes Personally one of our favorites, what is it about cardboard boxes and all the possibilities they conjure up? This craft book gives ideas to those possibilities by transforming boxes into monsters, robots, pirates ships, and much more.

Why not match recyclables with an afternoon of creative play? There are so many ideas and possibilities with this series. A win for everyone.

 

****Some of these links are affiliate links. That means if you click and buy, I may get a very small commission. This money goes towards postage and supplies to keep books and ideas in the hands of young readers!

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The day has come! The much-anticipated release of Ascension by Hannah Rials is finally HERE!

Enter this world of vampires, set in the south, and realize you are being pulled in more—and deeper—with each page.



Steeped in the mystery, intrigue and rich history of New Orleans and the secretive world of the Deuxsang, teen vampire, Cheyenne, and her forbidden love, Eli, embark on a very different, and vastly more dangerous, journey as the net of betrayal tightens around them. This intense and fresh novel is enchanting, engrossing and impossible to put down right up to the cliffhanger ending. Remember, the end is not the end.

What an extraordinary debut novel with new and intriguing twists on vampires—a strong female protagonist as one. I already can’t wait for book two.-Jill Murphy Long, author of The Conduit

This book is by the far the BEST YA/Adult fiction that I’ve read in a very long while. So exciting!-Rebecca F

The wait is over-Ascension is here! Thrilling and entertaining, like the experience on a crazy roller coaster. Hannah has grown into the most amazing writer. Watching her journey has been as much fun as holding the book in my hands. A “must read” for YA and thriller fans!-Valarie B

Grab your copy of Ascension HERE and visit Hannah on Facebook, Twitter and on her website.

The post 51 Things to Make (out of egg carton, cardboard tubes and more!) appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

Weekend Links: screen-free winter fun activities and reading

Blustery skies and cooler temps seem to be blanketing the U.S which mean people are spending more time indoors instead of out. If your youngsters have you frustrated by their version of boredom busting (electronics) maybe it’s time to introduce some screen-free, book-inspired winter fun activities. Enjoy!

There is nothing better than a message crown to make one feel like winter-y royalty. Check out this message crown activity I posted a few years ago that is still a popular one!

Educator’s Spin on It has a great post on Winter Activities for Kids 

Living Montessori Now has some great January Themed Activities for Kids 

The Story of Snow by Mark Cassino celebrates the magic of snow through science, math, language arts, music, and visual art activities.  The Story of Snow uses a brilliant balance of incorporating photographs of crystals, pen & ink drawings, text for 3 different reading levels, and uncovering the mystery of snow. It serves equally as both a fascinating non-fiction journey and an inspiring nature art book. For those who love snow, The Story of Snow opens the door of awe and wonder of the magnificent wet stuff and takes us on a personal journey and loads of ideas for fun things to do.

Paper Snowflakes

When I think of snowflakes, I think of being a small child and cutting my very own out of paper. As a family we’ve spent countless hours doing the very same thing.

A Resource of snowflake patterns:

For small children who are learning how to use scissors or have just learned how to use scissors go to the snowflake creator here.

Here are eight simple snowflake patterns for ages 7 and up.

Here are 5 snowflake patterns good for ages 8 and up.

Here are 10 complex snowflake patterns for ages 9 and up.

Affirmation Snowflakes:: Letters from the Sky

 

The Story of Snow ends with a quote from Japanese scientist Ukichiro Nakaya: “A snow crystal is a letter from the sky.”

Scientifically this is a true statement. Each snowflake will tell you what the temperature was when it was formed. How much moisture is there, and how it grew as it froze etc. All of the these great details are in The Story of Snow.

The ides of messages or letters from the sky got us thinking,wouldn’t it be great if we could catch snowflakes and save them for later ?

If we could, what would our messengers from the sky tell us?

Cut a few snowflakes from the instructions and templates above. Open up each snowflake and write a little message on it. I’ve given you some ideas below. Next fold them back up and put them in a jar. Each day pull out a snowflake and read it’s special message. You can also do this in reverse. Each day cut a snowflake and write a message then put it in the jar to pull it out again one day.

Affirmation Ideas:

I am awesome
I am very intelligent.
Learning is fun and exciting.
I have many gifts and talents.
I am unique and special.
My family, friends, and teachers love me for who I am.

Telling Time With Snow

12 x 12 white or  off white scrap-book paper or a paper plate.
Pencil and Ruler
Puffy Paint


If using the scrap-book paper, trace a dinner sized plate onto the paper.
Starting with the number 12 and then moving onto 1, draw the numbers like a clock in the circle.
To make a 6 sided snowflake we need to draw 6 guide lines. Draw one line from 12 to 6, another from 10 to 4, and the last line from 8 to 2.
Using puffy paint in the color of your choice.  Draw over the guide lines. Cover the ends of the lines in the center by making a little circle of puffy paint. Make a triangle at the top of each one and then some snowflake like designs working towards just under the triangle.
Let dry.
Hang on the wall, bulletin board, or fridge. Now we can honestly say it’s snow time.

Catch Your Own Snow Crystals

“Once a snow crystal lands, it starts to wither away. Snow crystals can’t keep growing after they fall from the clouds and soon breaks down. This means if you want to see a snow crystal, you need to catch it in the air,….”

You will Need:

A piece of dark cardboard of foam board. It should be about 8 x 10 inches. Make sure the cardboard is stiff enough to stay flat when held by one edge.
A magnifying glass so you can see the snow crystals better.

During the Snow Crystal Catching

Put the cardboard or foam outside for at least ten minutes before catching snow. The board needs to be cold or else the snow will melt the second it hits the board. Make sure the board stays cold and dry.
Gripping the board by one edge, hold the board out flat and watch as snow lands on it. If it’s snowing hard stand under a porch or patio so less snow falls on the board.
Look at the smaller pieces of snow that land on the board. This is where you’ll find individual snow crystals. Use your magnifying glass to look at them closely.
Once you’ve looked at them, shake off the board and try again.

Snow Storm in a Jar

What happens when you get a lot of snowflakes? A snow storm. Doing all of these snowflake activities had a wishing for a very large snow storm. Since one isn’t in the neighborhood, we decided to make one in the kitchen instead.

What you’ll need: 

A tall or fat glass jar or something similar
Baby oil
White paint
Water
Iridescent glitter
Alka Seltzer

Fill the jar 3/4 of the way with baby oil. In a bowl mix together very warm water and white paint to make white water. In a bowl place enough warm water that will almost fill the top of the jar. Add white paint to the warm water and stir well.  Once mixed pour the white water into the jar. Sprinkle in the glitter. Then wait for the glitter and water to settle at the bottom of the jar.

Once the water is settled it is time to make a snow storm! This is our favorite part !!! Take an Alka Seltzer tablet and break it into pieces. Have the kids drop the pieces into the jar and watch what happens.

Stay warm and read lots!

 

The post Weekend Links: screen-free winter fun activities and reading appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

Last Chance to Tap into the Momentum of Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2017

Today is the LAST DAY to tap into the powerful momentum of being a Sponsor for Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2017.

This online holiday that takes place 1/27 every year (we are in our 4th year!) has grown bigger than I could have every imagine and every day I count my lucky stars that I teamed up with Mia Wenjen of Pragmaticmom to make this initiative a reality. Together, along with Head Elf and Project Manager, Becky Flansburg, we’ve worked tirelessly to raise awareness on the ongoing need to include kid’s books that celebrate diversity in home and school bookshelves. We’ve also continued to work diligently to get more of these types of books into the hands of young readers, parents, grandparents, caregivers, organizations, librarians and educators.This team effort takes shape in an online holiday that spans the globe, touches many lives and has a social reach in the millions.

If you are an author or a publisher, this event is amazing way to reach your ideal audience; the kids, parents, grandparents, educator and librarians who are always on the hunt for quality children’s books that allows readers of all ethnic orgins, special needs and cultures to “see themselves” in the pages of a book.

BUT, ALL Sponsorship levels will be CLOSING on January 6, 2017! 

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. Using the Multicultural Children’s Book Day holiday, the MCBD Team are on a mission to change all of that. This event has also proven to be an excellent way to compile a list of diverse children’s book titles and reviews for parents, grandparents, educators and librarians to use all year-long.

Current Sponsors:  MCBD2017 is honored to have some amazing Sponsors on board. Platinum Sponsors include Scholastic, Barefoot Books and Broccoli. Other Medallion Level Sponsors include heavy-hitters like Author Carole P. Roman, Audrey Press, Candlewick Press,  Fathers Incorporated, KidLitTV, Capstone Young Readers, Author Gayle Swift, Wisdom Tales Press, Lee& Low Books, The Pack-n-Go Girls, Live Oak Media, Author Charlotte Riggle, Chronicle Books and Pomello Books

 

Author Sponsor include: Karen Leggett Abouraya, Veronica Appleton, Susan Bernardo, Kathleen Burkinshaw, Maria Dismondy, D.G. Driver, Geoff Griffin,  Savannah Hendricks, Stephen Hodges, Carmen Bernier-Grand,Vahid Imani, Gwen Jackson,  Hena, Kahn, David Kelly, Mariana Llanos, Natasha Moulton-Levy, Teddy O’Malley, Stacy McAnulty,  Cerece Murphy, Miranda Paul, Annette Pimentel, Greg Ransom, Sandra Richards, Elsa Takaoka, Graciela Tiscareño-Sato,  Sarah Stevenson, Andrea Y. Wang

We’d like to also give a shout-out to MCBD’s impressive CoHost Team who not only hosts the book review link-up on celebration day, but who also work tirelessly to spread the word of this event. View our CoHosts HERE.

If you know of someone interested in Sponsorship details, have them go HERE for the scoop. Don’t delay! All Sponsorship levels close 1/6/17!

There are also plenty Author Sponsorships available as well and it is an exceptionally good way for an author to get their multicultural children’s book in front of a captive audience. During our January, 27 2016 event, this initiative garnered over 93 million social media impressions. That is a lot of eyeballs on our diverse kids’ books information, authors and publishers!

But, if this of interest to you or an author you know, don’t delay! The deadline for ALL Sponsorship levels January, 6, 2017. We want to allow plenty of time to share the details of our authors and sponsors before the big day on 1/27/17. Please go HERE to view extended details and benefits of all of our Sponsorship Levels including Author Sponsors.

Being an Author Sponsor for this event gives books and authors visibility, traffic, social media support and an “in” with a vibrant readership and support system for a very affordable rate of $100. We also work very hard to match our author sponsors with book reviewers to give their work even more exposure. Currently we have over 350 children’s book reviewer who are standing by and ready to review books in January. And this year we aren’t limiting reviewers to bloggers only. Those moms and book lovers who have vibrant Facebook, YouTube and Instagram channels will be able to review books as well and share their reviews on these powerful social media channels.

All book reviews will be compiled the day of the event in a huge Linky Party that doubles as a reading and book resource list for parents, teachers, caregivers and libraries. This linky will be present all year along on the MCBD site, on Jump Into a Book and PragmaticMom along will all 17 CoHosts’ sites.

MCBD Links to remember :

Free Multicultural Books for Teachers: http://bit.ly/1kGZrta

Free KINDNESS Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians and Educators:

Free Diversity Book Lists and Activities for Teachers and Parents: http://bit.ly/1sZ5s8i

Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with is on social media and be sure and look for/use their official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.

Thank you so much for your support!

**For questions or inquires, email the MCBD Project Manager at Becky@

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