Valarie Budayr's Blog, page 49

A Roundup of Courage and Bravery Books for Girls

The world seems more tuned in to the intention of tolerance, bravery, kindness, inclusion, understanding and courage these days. And I am incredibly glad they are.

I love seeing people rising up, pulling together and “going high” when others “go low.” I love seeing people actively working to build a bridge of compassion and love to push back the negative feelings and actions of those who think it is OK to persecute others for being who they are.

All of this mindfulness makes me happy and does my heart good. At this tumultuous time in U.S. history we do indeed need to band together and support each other. This message needs to be passed on to our children as well and there is no better way to do that than to not only lead by example, but supply our kids with books that emulate that message as well.

As I look back into the Jump Into the Books archives I seen some amazing books that I have reviewed that educate and facilitate bravery and courage in this nation’s (and the world’s) young girls. What a wonderful time to check these books out, borrow from a friend or buy from your local bookstore and share with the future leaders of our world. Enjoy.

Margarita Engle’s new book Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music is an inspiring story based on true events.

Girl’s didn’t drum. That’s just the way things were in Cuba. Men were meant to be drummers. But then one little Drum Dream Girl decided to change all that. She lived, breathed, and dreamed drumming. Her fingers would start tapping beats without her even realizing it. Little Drum Dream Girl was meant to be a drummer. But no one would listen to her. They just told her that drumming was for men.



 Read the full post HERE and enjoy some Upcycled Pringles Can Drum compliments of The Taylor House as well!

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr. As the story goes, the author revisited Hiroshima i 1963 and saw the statue of Sadako in the Hiroshima Peace Park. Impressed by the stories she heard about Sadako’s talent for running, courage when faced with cancer, and determination to fold one thousand paper cranes, Eleanor was inspired to find a copy of Kokeshi, Sadako’s autobiography. The book inspired her to create a biography of Sadako Sasaki, on that American children could read and enjoy.

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes has been translated into many languages and has moved both children and adults to write plays, perform ballets, compose songs, and collect money for peace statues-all celebrating Sadako and her wish for peace. Read the full books review HERE and indulge in some paper crane origami activities.

She Stood for Freedom: The Untold Story of a Civil Rights Hero by Loki Mulholland is a unique story explores the life of Joan Trumpauer Mulholland; an ordinary girl from the South who just did the right thing.

The Civil Rights Movement was an extremely tragic yet absolutely necessary piece of American history. Both black and white people made great strides in human rights and equality in our country. Many people seem to forget that African-Americans were not the only people standing up for equality. White, Indian, Asian–people of every heritage were standing together. Joan Mulholland was one of these people. Read the full review HERE and learn more about an awesome image that simplifies the Declaration of Human Rights created by the United Nations

Wilma Rudolf  and The Quickest Kid in Clarksville written by Pat Zietlow Miller and illustrated by Coretta Scott King winner Frank Morrison, is a charming story about wanting to be the fastest kid in Clarksville. It’s also about determination, dreams, and the friends we meet along the way.

The Quickest Kid in Clarksville has a powerful message and that is to run after your dreams. It is beautifully told and illustrated. I love the lay-out of the book and the fun fonts that are used. Story, illustrations, and graphic design work in tandem to create one keeper of a book. This book is slated to become a classic! It’s so well done.  Read the entire review HERE and learn more about the bravery courage of Wilma Rudolf as well.

Capstone Young Readers has published the most beautiful book called For the Right to Learn: Malala Yousafzai’s Story written by Rebecca Langston-George and illustrated by Janna Bock. The words and deeply colorful illustrations work together in concert to tell the story of a young teenage girl whose courage has become legendary.

“One Child, one teacher, one book, and one pen can change the world. ” -Malala Yousafzai

For the Right to Learn tells the story to young readers in a non-violent way that engages them into constructive conversations and inspires them to take action. Read the review in its entirety HERE and learn more about the sad truth behind the fact that 60 million girls worldwide are unable to get a school education.

When thinking about bravery and courage, it’s almost certain that the name Helen Keller will pop into the mind. A few years ago I decided to honor Helen Keller, and her determined teacher, Annie Sullivan, but creating a Helen and Annie booklist. It is because of Annie’s help that Helen Keller grew up to be the advocate for special needs people and a most accomplished woman of her time. Read the whole booklist review HERE and also participate in some activities to learn more about the struggles and challenges of the blind and deaf.

It was my Head Elf, Becky, who spotted this wonderful Facebook post from A Mighty Girl about a young, and often overlooked female hero.

“In celebration of Independence Day, we remember a little known hero of the American Revolutionary War, 16-year-old Sybil Ludington. At approximately 9 pm on April 26, 1777, Sybil, the eldest daughter of Colonel Henry Ludington, climbed onto her horse and proceeded to ride 40 miles in order to muster local militia troops in response to a British attack on the town of Danbury, Connecticut — covering twice the distance that Paul Revere rode during his famous midnight ride.”

Read more about this amazing young woman, learn about her legacy and discover some great kidlit books written in her honor HERE.

What Courage and Bravery Books for Girls have you discovered lately?

ONE MORE THING…

This holiday season, give your children the gift that will nurture a lifetime of positive habits; give the gift of a book.



As parents, we want/need quality books with extension activities to help our young ones unplug and create memories. Pulling books from shelves, and stories from pages, is also an important act that will aid in them being life-long readers. Quality books with companion book extension activities are not only work to create special family time, it allows kids to solve the world’s problems without major consequences.

A Year in the Secret Garden is just such a book. This delightful children’s book from authors Valarie Budayr and Marilyn Scott-Waters offers unique and original month-by-month activities that allow readers to delve deeper into the classic children’s tale, The Secret Garden! With over 120 pages, with 150 original color illustrations and 48 activities for your family and friends to enjoy, learn, discover and play with together.

This book will make a great gift and be the catalyst of many hours of family growth, learning and FUN! Grab your copy ASAP and “meet me in the garden!” More details HERE!

The post A Roundup of Courage and Bravery Books for Girls appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

Weekend Links: Booklists that share, Empathy, Thankfulness and Kindness

It seems that, where ever I look, I see people rising up, pulling together and “going high” when others “go low.” This makes me happy and does my heart good. At this tumultuous time in U.S. history we do indeed need to band together and support each other. This message needs to be passed on to our children as well and there is no better way to do that than to not only lead by example, but supply our kids with books that emulate that message as well.

Erica at What Do We Do All Day has a wonderful post that shares 30 INSPIRING PICTURE BOOKS ABOUT FEAR AND COURAGE

To know where we are going as a Country, we need to remember where we’ve been. A Book Long Enough has a great booklist on Everyday American Civil Rights Heroes: Kids Books About Regular People Who Dared to Stand Up

Becky at Kid World Citizen has has teaching tools on WHAT IS MINDFULNESS, and also an excellent booklist that teaches mindfulness as well.

A Day In Our Shoes has a unique and touching list of books for kids about inclusion and acceptance

 This 21 Books about Kindness has been one of my most reviewed posts since I created it almost exactly two years ago.

Mia from PragmaticMom pulled together a wonderful list of Top 10: Books That Teach Kids Compassion (ages 2-14)

Melissa from Imagination Soup has pulled together TWO create lists to promote and teach empathy. Books That Promote Empathy: Immigration 

and Books That Develop Empathy: Physical Disabilities

What will YOU do this month to promote Empathy, Thankfulness and Kindness?

ONE MORE THING

This holiday season, give your children the gift that will nurture a lifetime of positive habits;

{click image to view Dragons Are Real and others or go HERE}

The post Weekend Links: Booklists that share, Empathy, Thankfulness and Kindness appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

An Important and Timely Message About the Diverse World we Live in.

I am sure that I am not alone when I say the events of days and weeks surrounding this Presidential Election has been upsetting and concerning. Now more than, we need to band together, in strength and understanding, in a united race; the human race.

This realization has also made me incredibly grateful to be part of an initiative like Multicultural Children’s Book Day…and here’s why:

Now more than ever…

Now more than ever, a message of hope, compassion, empathy and understanding is needed.

Now more than ever, children need to see themselves reflected in the pages of the books they read. Readers of all ages need to be able to “read their world” to both see themselves, and those are who different, whether by culture, religion, sexual orientation, special needs or ethnicity.

Now more than ever, we need to come together as a nation of beautifully diverse people.

Multicultural Children’s Book Day is proud to offer an initiative and holiday that encourages discovery, hope, acceptance and exploration through the pages of diverse children’s literature.

As our fourth Multicultural Children’s Book Day holiday approaches on January 27, 2017, we are thrilled to have you as part of our amazing community of supporters! With enthusiasm, optimism and hope, we are preparing for MCBD 2017 and hope you will, again, join our celebration of diversity through children’s books.

Ways to Get Involved with MCBD 2017

Here are a few ways you can participate in Multicultural Children’s Book Day:

1. {Authors/Publishers} Donate Books. For our last MCCBD we had over 200 well-established bloggers reviewing multicultural books on their blogs with a huge link-up the week for the event. We also welcome quality multicultural children’s books to donate to libraries, organizations and classrooms. Learn how to donate a diverse children’s book HERE.

2. {Parents/Librarians/Teachers/KidLit Lovers} Free Book. MCBD offers a free diverse children’s book to parents, grandparents and educators that are willing to write a review and this year we are not limiting reviewers to just bloggers. Just share on your review on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or your blog. More on thatHERE. We also are giving diversity books to teachers for their classroom library HERE.

3. {Everyone} Be a MCBD 2017 Sponsor:Sponsorship is not only a great way to support this event; it is an excellent way to get your name (and your books) in front of thousands of readers. We’ve attached sponsorship info to this email and our Sponsorship levels range from Platinum to Author Level and “Friends of MCCBD” to fit any budget.4. Connect with us on social media and share, share, share! Our official hashtag is #ReadYourWorld

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

– Twitter: https://twitter.com/MCChildsBookDay

– Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pragmaticmom/multicultural-books-for-kids/

We also have Multicultural Children’s Book Day Free Resources, Booklists, and Extension Activities for Teachers and Parents HERE.

 

Thank you so much for your support!

Mia, Valarie and Becky

 

The post An Important and Timely Message About the Diverse World we Live in. appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

A Jump Into a Book Roundup of Native American Heritage Month reads

The month is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people. Heritage Month is also an opportune time to educate the general public about tribes, to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges.

As always, the amazing authors and bloggers have gone above-and-beyond in sharing the best-of-the best in quality Native American booklists, activities and reviews. I’ve share a few of my top picks here along with some great posts from the JIAB archives:

Over the years my family has enjoyed reading a variety of “great flood” tales from our local Blount County Library. This month found us enjoying the Creek Indian version called, The Otter, the Spotted Frog and the Great Flood by Gerald Hausman and beautifully illustrated by Ramon Shiloh.

In this version, spotted frog announces to the world that a great flood is coming which will destroy all of their homes. All of the animals ignore spotted frog’s warning, except an otter named Listener.

Ridiculed by all the other animals, Listener heeds spotted Frog’s warnings and begins to build a raft to try and survive the coming flood.

As the story progresses and Listener survives the flood, he learns via a mosquito and a fish about his future wife who becomes “First Woman”.

Listener the Otter, and First Woman the mosquito turned fish, both become the first two-legged beings to walk on earth.

From that time on, the earth was good to them and they always listened to Spotted Frog, who everyone knew was the frog who saved the world by singing.

Our family and friends alike have greatly loved this book. First because the story is told brilliantly by Gerald Hausman. It uses simple and concise language while sharing the story in a simple manner. Also part of this storytelling adventure are the exquisite paintings and illustrations of Ramon Shiloh. There is a nice even flow between story and text forming a single cohesive unit of storytelling magic.

This beautiful book is one we will come to again and again.

Looking for some fun and educational activities to go along with the book? Read the complete post with book extension activities HERE.

Whispers of the Wolf by Pauline Ts’o.

Whispers of the Wolf is a beautifully illustrated story for children ages 5 and older.  Set among the Pueblo Indians before their contact with Europeans, it tells the story of a young Pueblo boy named Two Birds, coming to know himself through the friendship he has with a small wolf pup that he found while out hunting and gathering herbs with his grandfather. Two Birds who before the wolf pup entered his life was very much a loner. The wolf pup however became an ice breaker and helped Two Birds interact with his peers. During their time together, Two Birds becomes an impeccable story-teller using his wolf as the vehicle to do this. In time, the wolf hears the cries of his fellow wolves in the wild and longs to be with them. Two Birds loved the wolf and understood is desire and let him go.

Whispers of the Wolf is a beautiful picture book set around 500 years ago among the Pueblo Indians of the desert Southwest. A heartwarming piece of historical fiction, it weaves together themes of community, tradition, self-esteem, and respect for all life, creating a realistic portrait of a culture that continues to exert a vibrant, living influence today. -Amazon

Read the rest of my original post HERE.

Michael Oren Fitzgerald in his new release Children of the Tipi, Life in the Buffalo Days assembles a collection of Plains Indian proverbs and photographs to answer the question, what was it like for children to grow up in the world of the pre-reservation Plains Indians during the Buffalo Days?

“Our games were feats with the bow and arrow. We had foot and pony reaches, wrestling and swimming. We imitated the customs and habits of our fathers.”  Charles Eastman (Ohiyesa), Wahpeton Dakota

Read the post in its entirety HERE.

Joseph Bruchac, Abenaki descent, newest book “The Hunter” It’s an informative blog posting with “The Hunter’s Promise” a book summary, link to an interview with the author, some teacher resources and two recipes that tie in with the book at Ever Ready.

“The egg of the thunder bird in The Thunder Egg was actually inspired by geodes. The Thunder Egg book extension and review.

Custer’s Last Battle by Paul Goble {A Wisdom Tale’s Book} book review.

Tipi: Home of the Nomadic Buffalo Hunters by Paul Goble is creative and sacred journey into the world of the Native Americans of the Plains and the art and craft of constructing tipis. For the Plains Indian tribes, building tipis were more than just building a home but an expression of their religious beliefs as well.

The Wisdom Tales website has wonderful tipi patterns for book extension activities. See what happened when we downloaded them and created a village!

Be sure and visit my last Weekend Links and discover all sorts of great book ideas and activities surround Native American Heritage Month!

 

{click image to view Dragons Are Real and others or go HERE}

The post A Jump Into a Book Roundup of Native American Heritage Month reads appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

Weekend Links: Celebrating Native American Heritage Month with #DiverseKidlit

November is Native American Heritage Month, or as it is commonly referred to, American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month.

The month is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people. Heritage Month is also an opportune time to educate the general public about tribes, to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges.

As always, the amazing authors and bloggers have gone above-and-beyond in sharing the best-of-the best in quality Native American booklists, activities and reviews. Here are a few of my latest finds and exciting books.

Multicultural Kid Blogs has a great Native American Heritage Month + FREE Trilingual Printable

Carrie at Crafty Moms Share has a wonderful review of yet another amazing Wisdom Tales Press book, Indian Boyhood.

LNM Tree has great classroom ideas for Celebrating Native American Heritage Month with Free Resources and Free Activities

What Do We Do All Day has a wonderful list of 20+ Native American Folktale Picture Books for Kids 

Mia from PragmaticMom always has exceptional book picks and this list is no exception: Top 10:  Native American Children’s Books (ages 2-16) 

That’s just a few of the many I have discovered and I predict there will be many more great resources to pull from as the month of November progresses.

ONE MORE THING

This holiday season, give your children the gift that will nurture a lifetime of positive habits; give the gift of a book.



As parents, we want/need quality books with extension activities to help our young ones unplug and create memories. Pulling books from shelves, and stories from pages, is also an important act that will aid in them being life-long readers. Quality books with companion book extension activities are not only work to create special family time, it allows kids to solve the world’s problems without major consequences.

A Year in the Secret Garden is just such a book. This delightful children’s book from authors Valarie Budayr and Marilyn Scott-Waters offers unique and original month-by-month activities that allow readers to delve deeper into the classic children’s tale, The Secret Garden! With over 120 pages, with 150 original color illustrations and 48 activities for your family and friends to enjoy, learn, discover and play with together.

This book will make a great gift and be the catalyst of many hours of family growth, learning and FUN! Grab your copy ASAP and “meet me in the garden!” More details HERE!

The post Weekend Links: Celebrating Native American Heritage Month with #DiverseKidlit appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

#ReadKidsClassics November-Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath

It is simply amazing to me that we are the homestretch for my #ReadKidsClassics project. It all started back in March of this year. It dawned on me that throughout the years I’ve read old classics, discovered new ones and shared them all here on Jump Into a Book. So my goal became to discover/rediscover classic children’s books and present one classic that I just can’t live without to my readers.

Several fellow bloggers and book lover joined in on the fun and two in particular stuck with me every month while they shared their own classics. Here is Susan Ready’s latest ReadKidsClassics post in honor of Little Women, and blogger/author Barbara Ann Mojica’s post on Flip and the Cows.

And now, here’s my ReadKidsClassics pick for November-Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath

Who was to know that the results of a typhoon which hit the coast of British Columbia would have such an impact on Primrose Squarp’s life.

Her father, a fisherman, was late bringing in his boat so her mother went out in a skiff to find him.  They never returned but only Primrose still believes they are alive.

It is from this place that Everything on a Waffle begins and Primrose is placed in the care of Miss Perfidy, her old babysitter, who by the way smells of old mothballs and has lost her marbles. Trying to help in this devasting situation is the school counselor who talks only about herself and her own travels.

The Coal Harbour town council tracks down her Uncle Jack and appoints him as her guardian. Uncle Jack, a navy man, is not prepared at all for raising a child.

There is some hope for Primrose however, and that comes in the form of Kate Bowzer, a local restaurant owner, who serves everything on a waffle(fish lasagna etc.) because”she liked to give the customer a little something extra.” Kate teaches Primrose to cook. At the end of each chapter there is a great recipe. Many things happen to Primrose as the story continues but I will leave that for you to discover on your own.

Something To Do

I’ve been dying for a chance to share my recipe for waffles and all of the yummy things I place on them. Sometimes I put syrup on my waffles but at other times I put shrimp, salmon,dill,onions,and sour cream on them. We refer to these as dinner waffles. I also like berries and cream ….yum! You see……everything does taste better on a waffle.

What do you like on your waffles? Just leave your answer in the comments section.

This is my families recipe for traditional heart shaped waffles. You can use a traditional waffle iron as well but honestly I need my heart shaped waffle iron when I make waffles.

                      

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon of ground cardamom

3 eggs

¼ cups of sugar

2/3 cups of sour cream

3 tablespoons of melted butter

Butter for brushing the waffle iron

Powdered sugar

Jam and fresh berries to serve with your waffles

Mix flour and cardamom together and set aside. In a small bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together at a high speed for 10 minutes until the mixture is forming ribbons when you pick your beaters up. Take your flour mixture and sprinkle it over you sugar and egg mixture. Stir the sour cream until it is really smooth and then add it to your flour and egg mixture until your batter is smooth. Take your melted butter and fold it into the batter.

                     

Heat your waffle iron on a medium heat until a drop of water sizzles on the waffle grid. Brush the grid with butter and spoon in the batter. Close the waffle iron until golden brown. Please read your waffle irons manufacturer’s instructions for length of time until done.

Serve immediately.

                       

      

       

                       

                                                              

     

There, aren’t you hungry now?!

If you have a classic children’s book you’d like to share or see reviewed in December, leave your thoughts in the comment below!

**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!

Here’s another book inspired by a classic…

With over 120 pages, with 150 original color illustrations and 48 activities for families to enjoy, learn, discover and play together, A Year In the Secret Garden brings the magical story to life while also enjoying nature and the great outdoors.

With fascinating historical information, monthly gardening activities, easy-to-make recipes, and step-by-step crafts, designed to enchant readers of all ages. Each month your family will unlock the mysteries of a Secret Garden character, as well as have fun together creating the original crafts and activities based on the book. Our goal is to not only raise awareness for the necessity of families spending more quality “unplugged” time together, but to also share monthly activities that incorporate nature and the outdoors as well. Get your kids moving, exploring and playing today. Get access to this wonderful children’s activity book here.

Meet you “in the garden!”

The post #ReadKidsClassics November-Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

Weekend Links- a Roundup of Kidlit Pinterest Boards I Love

Welcome to the first Weekend Links of November! Hard to believe Black Friday and all the related holiday shopping is just weeks away. I was just getting used to it transitioning from summer to fall

Something Very Special from one of my Favorite Author/Illustrators (Demi)

It’s no secret that author Demi is one of my favorite multicultural Children’s book authors.

Her books have sold over half a million copies and her work has been appreciated by many diverse people across the globe, such as the Dalai Lama and the Pope. The Empty Pot, her best-selling title, was selected by former First Lady Barbara Bush as one of the books to be read on the ABC Radio Network Program Mrs. Bush’s Story Time, sponsored by the Children’s Literacy Initiative. Demi’s book Gandhi was named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book and received an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award. To read Wisdom Tales Press’ extended biography about this amazing and talented lady, go HERE.

Over the years, I have reviewed many of Demi’s wonderful books; most of which I included in this wonderful Demi booklist I did a while back called 19 Books Celebrating China with Author Demi.

As co-founder alongside Mia Wenjen of Pragmatic mom, we have both been fans of Demi’s work for many years. As you can imagine, the we were thrilled and overjoyed when Demi agreed to create a breath-taking signature poster for our 2017 event!

NOW…it’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for! Time for the 2017 MCBD 2017 Reveal!

Click on the image to download or visit this DropBox file to grab your copy of this amazing artistry from Demi for MCBD2017!

Many thanks to Demi for her graciousness and passion for supporting children’s books and literacy.

Connect with us on social media and share, share, share! Our official hashtag is #ReadYourWorld

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

– Twitter https://twitter.com/MCChildsBookDay

-Reminder: The hashtag for this event is #ReadYourWorld

If you would like updates and notifications of future event, activities and Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2017, please sign up to receive our newsletters and email updates. Thank you!

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The post Something Very Special from one of my Favorite Author/Illustrators (Demi) appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

Adventure Books for Kids- Travels with Gannon & Wyatt: Hawaii

In the tradition of historic explorer journals kept by explorers such as Lewis and Clark, Dr. David Livingstone, and Captain James Cook, the Travels with Gannon and Wyatt series takes us around the world in grand explorer style. You’ll never know where twin brothers Gannon and Wyatt will end up next or what they’ll encounter on their next adventure.

I’m a huge fan of this series because it opens up new worlds, cultures, and adventures all of which is manageable by the reader. It’s a how-to live an exciting explorer’s life guide which inspires it’s readers to look for an adventure wherever they are.

Another journey we’ve taken with Gannon & Wyatt was to British Columbia to explore the habitat and world of the Spirit Bear.

Today’s adventure takes us out into the Pacific Ocean to the islands of Hawaii where we experience a high-altitude blizzard, lava rivers, and raging surf beaches.

This time Gannon and Wyatt are teaming up with fellow explorer Alana Aukai on their book Travels with Gannon and Wyatt: Hawaii. When an ancient map is found on a drowning archeologist, the explorers shift their focus to the secrets the map holds and go on an adventure to rarely visited parts of the islands of Hawaii. As the story takes a turn when they discover that the secret the map holds is to the secret burial site of King Kamehameha the Great. The adventure takes a turn as they learn that someone is after the map at any cost, even to them and their lives.

A HIGH-ALTITUDE BLIZZARD, BUBBLING RIVERS OF LAVA, AND BEACHES WITH RAGING SURF; one thing’s for sure: The Hawaiian Islands offer no shortage of adventure! Teaming up with fellow explorer, Alana Aukai, thrill-seeking twins Gannon and Wyatt begin an expedition to study rarely visited parts of this Pacific paradise. When an ancient map is found on a drowning archeologist, the explorers shift their attention to uncovering the map’s secrets. To their astonishment, they discover that it might lead to one of Hawaii’s most puzzling mysteries—the burial place of the islands’ most-revered ruler, King Kamehameha the Great! Adding danger to an already perilous journey, someone else is after the map—someone who seems willing to do just about anything to get it.-Amazon

This is a great adventure read for middle grade readers. The whole series is a collection of engaging adventures that will have you and your kids reading around the globe.

Somethings To Do

Hawaii is a beautiful state, in short it is a small paradise that if you can ever get there, I highly encourage it.

We learned a lot from this book. One of the greatest and funnest facts we discovered that the highest mountains peak in the US isn’t Mt. McKinley in Alaska but Mauna Kea which boasts a summit of 13,976 feet. The big island of Hawaii boasts five major climate zones on ONE island. Everything from tropical to polar. Let’s do a little exploring on our own.

The Big Island of Hawaii

The big island of Hawaii is the youngest and biggest in the island chain. It’s home to one of the most active volcanoes in the world, Kilauea which is still spewing lava, creating a hot, flowing river fire which runs into the ocean.

Mauna Kea

Mauna Kea is one of the few places in the world where you can drive from sea level to a 14,000 ft summit. Altitude sickness is something greatly to be considered if you’re planning to visit. Mauna Kea is also home to the world’s largest observatory for optical, infrared, and submillimeter astronomy.

Gannon & Wyatt while on the peaks of Mauna Kea got caught in a blizzard and had to build a snow cave. Just so you’re prepared, here’s how you do it.

Snow Cave Building 101

The most important thing to know about snow caves is that you have to build them correctly or you could be injured or worse.  Follow this step by step tutorial as well as having a look at this diagram complete, with air vent you will have some very enjoyable hours in your snow cave.

 

Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is on Hawaii Island (the Big Island). At its heart are the Kīlauea and Mauna Loa active volcanoes. The Crater Rim Drive passes steam vents and the Jaggar Museum, which features volcanology exhibits and a viewpoint overlooking Halema’uma’u Crater. Thick ferns mark the entrance to the Thurston Lava Tube (Nāhuku). The Chain of Craters Road weaves over lava. Trails crisscross the park.

https://www.nps.gov/media/video/view....

King Kamehameha The Great

In ancient Hawaii, legends told of a day when a great king would unite all the Hawaiian islands. The sign of his birth, kahuna (priests) claimed, would be a comet. And so it goes that Kamehameha was born in 1758, the year Halley’s Comet made an appearance over Hawaiian skies. Kamehameha was born in Paiea on the Big Island of Hawaii. His father was said to be Keoua, a grandson of Keaweikekahialiiokamoku, who once ruled a large portion of the island. Translated, Kamehameha means “the lonely one.”

Another legend tells of a kahuna who prophesized that the man who moved the 7,000-pound Naha Stone would become the greatest king of Hawaii. When Kamehameha was 14, the story goes, he moved the massive rock, and then lifted it and turned it completely over.

Kamehameha grew up in the court of his uncle, Kalaniopuu. When Kalaniopuu died in 1782, his power was divided between Kamehameha and Kalaniopuu’s natural son, Kiwalao, who inherited his father’s throne. Civil war broke out, however, and Kamehameha emerged as the Big Island’s ruler.

Uniting the Hawaiian Islands

Having gained control of his home island, Kamehameha turned to the other Hawaiian islands. Using weaponry purchased from American and European traders, the king conquered Maui and Molokai, then turned his attention to Oahu. In 1795, Kamehameha invaded the shores of Waikiki beach and led his army to Nuuanu, where a bloody battle with Oahu chief Kalanikupule ensued. Hundreds of Oahu’s warriors were killed, driven over the valley’s Pali cliffs.

In 1810, Kaumualii, the king of Kauai, peacefully surrendered his island to Kamehameha to avoid further bloodshed. With that, Kamehameha fulfilled his destiny of uniting all the Hawaiian islands under one rule.

Kamehameha’s Reign

The Hawaiian kingdom enjoyed a period of peace during Kamehameha’s reign. The king unified the legal system and used taxes to promote trade with the Americans and Europeans.

Kamehameha died in 1819, and his son, Liholiho, took the throne. Kamehameha’s bones were hidden by his kahuna. Today, his final resting place remains a mystery. (text excerpted from aloha-hawaii.com)

Hawaiian Language

I actually lived in Hawaii for a few months when I was 13 and the I loved learning a few words of the language and honestly I just love the entire Hawaiian culture. It’s a very warm community who is very supportive and kind. Just to get you ready for your Hawaiian adventure with Gannon and Wyatt let’s learn a few words.

Good Morning : Aloha kakahiaka

Good afternoon : Aloha ‘auinala

Good evening: Aloha ahiahi

Goodbye : A huihou kakou

You’re welcome: ‘A’ole pilikia

What is your name?: ‘O wait koi ion?

Thank you: Mahalo

Thank you very much: Mahalo no loa

Good Luck: Laki Maika’i

We are truly blessed/frotunate: Pomaika’i loa kakou

Turtle: Honu

Foreigner, Caucasions: Laki Maika’i

Land:’Aina

Family: ‘Ohana

Child: Keiki

To adopt: Hanai

An adopted child: Keiki Hanai

Parent: Makua

Grandpa, or Grandma: Tutu

Youth Exploration Society

Gannon and Wyatt have taken us on yet a wonderful adventure. Want to be a world traveler, explorer and adventurer just like them ? Check out their Youth Exploration Society  where the world is your classroom.  It’s a vast resource of countries, maps, cultures, videos, books and book lists,  certificates,writing and video competitions and much much more. A great time is had by all over there. It’s a very vibrant community so be sure to stop by and check them out.

**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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If adventure is what your young reader seeks, then your family will love my enhanced digital e-book, The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and The Chocolate Factory!

The Ultimate Guide To Charlie And The Chocolate Factory is a step by step roadmap to this magical world. Just some of the fun includes:

A story filled with beautiful graphic illustrations including tantalizing Treasure Maps and vibrant tutorials.


Over 20 Crafts and activities that not only entertain, but educate.
You get to jump inside the book and enjoy creating the adventures yourself (Templates, maps, and more are included.)
Ever wonder where chocolate comes from? Or how gum is made? Wonder no more. Now you get to make your own.


Conduct activities in the areas of crafting, cooking, and game-playing as well as exploring many facets of candy production.
The option to take Charlie’s journey over the course of several days or take shorter journeys if you wish.
The creation of a new ritual of reading time with your family and the opportunity to experience the reading of this imaginative tale as a group activity, not a solitary event.

Go HERE to learn more and grab your copy from iBooks!

The post Adventure Books for Kids- Travels with Gannon & Wyatt: Hawaii appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

Weekend Links-Prepping for Halloween Fun!

It’s time for Weekend Links! This is my chance to share all the fun, inspiring and amazing kid-friendly links I have discovered in my Internet travels. As you would suspect, this week has been filled with discovering all sorts Halloween-related ideas, reads and activities. Here are a few of my favs:

Pumpkin Booklist! KCEdventures shares their pumpkin round-up — fiction & nonfiction titles — what do you read before you carve?