Valarie Budayr's Blog, page 59

If You Had $20 Would You Buy A Bear? {Finding Winnie}

Well if I did have $20, and it was a bear that would later go down in history as Christopher Robin’s best friend, then yes I sure would!

Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear  is a wonderful children’s picture book by Lindsay Mattock and illustrated brilliantly by Sophie Blackall is not only charming in every way but completely captivating.

Before it won the Caldecott Medal 2016, I had seen it sitting on a variety of bookstore shelves but hadn’t picked it up yet. Honestly I’m glad I waited because this book was like receiving the best gift. This is the kind of children’s picture book that you’ll always remember when you read it first, who you read it to or with, and that you always want to have this book near.

Did you know that Winnie-the-Pooh was fashioned after a real life bear and that Christopher Robin really existed ?

Before Winnie-the-Pooh, there was a real bear named Winnie. And she was a girl!

In 1914, Harry Colebourn, a veterinarian on his way to tend horses in World War I, followed his heart and rescued a baby bear on the train platform. He named her Winnie, after his hometown of Winnipeg, and he took the bear to war.

Harry Colebourn’s real-life great-granddaughter tells the true story of a remarkable friendship and an even more remarkable journey–from the fields of Canada to a convoy across the ocean to an army base in England…

And finally to the London Zoo, where Winnie made another new friend: a real boy named Christopher Robin.

This book is a heart felt story by Harry Colebourn’s great grand-daughter Lindsay Mattick. Even making it more engaging are the beautiful illustrations by Sophie Blackall. I love her use of color and her very inventive way of telling the story through art. One of my favorite pages is when the train is moving from Winnipeg across Canada. She captured this movement in a very unique way. Sophie also illustrated the Ivy and Bean series.

There are also some very unique storytelling features in this book such as the conversation between Lindsay and her son Cole. It captures perfectly what reading with children is like and brings and authentic air to the story. We felt as if we were right on that bed with Lindsay and Cole being told Harry Colebourn’s story.

Once Winnie was in Europe with Harry it became apparent that there was a war going on and that the bear had to be placed somewhere safe. There really wasn’t a safer place than the London zoo. Winnie was so tame that when A.A. Milne took his son Christopher to the zoo, Christopher at one point was allowed to go into the enclosure with the bear and play with him. Christopher had a stuffed bear at home who he didn’t know what to name. Because of his friendship with Winnie, he decided to name his stuffed friend Winnie-the-Pooh. His father wrote about all of their exploits both the stuffed version and the zoo version of Winnie in his classic Winnie the Pooh books.

Here’s an upclose look from Lindsay Mattick

Something To Do

There are so many wonderful things to explore and discover in Finding Winnie.

Family Tree

One of the most charming illustrations in the book is the one of their Family Tree. A great activity is to create a 4 generation family tree with your child.

To create a family tree one always starts with themselves. Here are some great tips and links to creating your family tree.

Family Stories

Lindsay Mattick chose to tell one of her family stories in Finding Winnie. Have your child or the children in your library or classroom share verbally a family story. What family stories have they been told ? Many children like to tell stories they’ve heard about when they were a baby. PBS has a great series called Story Corps. Have a look and find a story to share with your child that will inspire them to tell a story of their own. Also feel free to share a family story that you love or that is funny. For my family the “miserable” camping stories always win out. You just can’t beat a family camping story complete with bugs, and cooking in rainstorms.

Mapping Winnie’s Journey

As Harry leaves Winnepeg map his journey via Google Earth to see just how far he went and how many miles he traveled. He had to take a train, a boat, and then a car to get Winnie to the London Zoo.

The Real Winnie-the-Pooh

I’ve always loved that Winnie-the-Pooh was a real bear. I’ve never looked into it further and have very well worn, read, and loved copies of all the Winnie-the-Pooh series. Let’s look a little further into the history of this most famous bear.

In collaboration with Harry Colebourn’s family, Ryerson University Library and Archives has a wonderful online exhibit called The Real Winnie, which includes some of Harry Colebourn’s diary pages, maps, photographs, essays and his vet kit.

The White River Heritage Museum has this interesting and short post on Harry Colebourn called The History of Winnie the Pooh

Here’s a video from the London Zoo about the bear that inspired Winnie-the-Pooh.

While you continue to explore Winnie-the-Pooh and the true story that inspired it, have a look at Sally Walker’s book Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh.

Behind the Scenes

Want to go into artists Sophie Blackall’s studio and see how she research and puts together her illustrations ? I found her blog to be so fascinating and her process intriguing . May it inspire you!

***Some of these links are affiliate links. If you click a link and buy a book, I will get a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. I use this money for book shipping supplies and giveaways.

From Bears to FOXES!

Experience the magical story of a family of foxes that took up residence right in the front yard of the author and publisher, Valarie Budayr. The Fox Diaries: The Year the Foxes Came to our Garden offers an enthusiastically educational opportunity to observe this fox family grow and learn together.



From digging and hunting to playing and resting, this diary shares a rare glimpse into the private lives of Momma Rennie and her babies. Come watch as they navigate this wildly dangerous but still wonderful world. Great to share with your children or students, The Fox Diaries speaks to the importance of growing and learning both individually and as a family unit. It is a perfect book for story time or family sharing. Not only can you read about the daily rituals of this marvelous fox family, there is an information-packed resource section at the end of the book that includes lots of facts and even a few “fox movies” that you can enjoy with your family. Grab your copy of this beautiful and inspiring book HERE.

The post If You Had $20 Would You Buy A Bear? {Finding Winnie} appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

American Chocolate Week: Wonka Chocolate-Covered Pretzel Recipe

It’s American Chocolate Week!

When I think of Chocolate, I think of Willy Wonka. When I think of Willy Wonka, I think of the children’s classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Do you remember the first time you read Charlie and The Chocolate Factory as a child?

Do you recall the thrill of discovering that magical gateway into Willy Wonka’s world inside the pages of a book? A world with geese that laid golden eggs, squirrels that could sort nuts, and colorful little people called Oompa Loompas?

Would you like to re-live that experience with one of the greatest children’s books of all time like never before? 

Then come along on a magical adventure into The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!  I created this book several years ago with the help of the super-talented Roscoe Welply. Together we created an interactive ibook that is a chapter by chapter exploration all of the wonders of Willy Wonka’s World. And give you all the tools you need to play along!

I thought I’d get you started inside the wonderful pages of this interactive guide with our Willy Wonka Chocolate River Chocolate-Covered Pretzels as a taste of what’s in this ibook.

Ingredients

24 pretzel rods
12 oz. of semi-sweet chocolate chips
An assortment of your favorite sprinkles
1 tbsp. shortening

Cooking Utensils

waxed paper
Non-metal spatula or spoon
Double boiler, or a pot and a non-reactive heat-proof bowl.

Step 1: Tempering Chocolate

Set a long piece of waxed paper on your work surface. (if it slides too much, place a damp paper towel or dish towel beneath it.)

Place the chocolate chips and the shortening in a double boiler or in a non-reactive bowl set on top of a pot containing an inch or so of simmering water. It’s very important to make sure the double boiler insert or bowl does not touch the water. Stir the chips and shortening until completely melted and well blended.

Note: Some people may prefer to melt chocolate in a microwave but it is much more difficult to evenly control the heat. Remember, tempering is about heating chocolate very slowly. In a microwave, the chocolate may get too hot in spots and turn into a big clump of unmanageable goo. If you decide to use a microwave, stir the chocolate every 20 seconds or so to more evenly distribute the heat.

Step 2: Dipping the Pretzels

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. If you don’t have a cookie sheet, just place a sheet of waxed paper on your work surface.
Take a pretzel rod and hold it by one end.
Starting at the top of the chocolate River, roll the pretzel down toward the bottom. Repeat until the pretzel rod is well-coated.
Place the coated pretzel on the waxed paper to cool.
Continue with the remaining pretzel rods.
shake your favorite sprinkles all over them quickly before they dry or they won’t stick.

**This book is not affiliated or associated with the author, publisher, or distributors of Roald Dahl’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

More About The Enhanced Digital E-book The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!

Chapter by chapter we explore the world of Willy Wonka. Charlie is a 185 page step-by-step guide with over 20 activities and crafts that lets readers really delve into the story of Charlie and the Chocolate factory in many fun and innovative ways. Charlie was #1 on iTunes 31 times in 2012 and 2013!

I admit to being “all in” while exploring the entire world of Charlie, Willy Wonka and his mysterious Chocolate Factory while creating this amazing ebook. Readers will get to float down the chocolate river and learn how chocolate is made in South America.
 
Inside the pages of Charlie, I explore the world of mazes as the chocolate factory, play games with Oompa Loompas and engaged in a few moments of fun with the squirrels and their keen memory. Last but not least, Willy Wonka told us how to get one of his hats with a fun and kid-friendly Willy Wonka hat craft. This ebook is chock full of Wonka magic and hours of explorations and activities.

P.s-this is also available in PDF form as well.
What We Encountered Along The Way

We won our own golden tickets by sheer wit.
We entered into the jungle to learn how chocolate and gum were made and even got to make some of our very own.
We met Oompa Loompas and even had a wardrobe exchange. We’ve never truly been right since then as they have very short legs.
We learned the true secrets of gobstoppers. We’d tell you but our mouths are full.
Willy Wonka’s factory is a masterwork of mazes. We had to utilize our skill at them to work our way through this enchanting chocolate factory, including but not limited to the ever famous scissor maze where we walked clean through a piece of paper. Of course we haven’t kept that info to ourselves but have happily shared it with all of you.
After all that we were truly thirsty and so very glad to discover that fizzy lifting drinks are real. Not only that but we came away with many new recipes for you to try as well as the science behind them so you can make up your very own fizzy concoctions. The best part is the burping of course.
Square candies looking round aren’t just for the Chocolate Factory but they can look round your very own home or classroom too.
One of our more hilarious encounters happened to be made in the Nut Room where a bunch of very ingenious squirrels taught us a very fun snatching game. We still play it all the time. No special occasion needed.

All of these adventures we’ve taken together and now you can too. Although The Ultimate Guide to Charlie is a beautifully illustrated PDF, the entertainment comes from doing the crafts, recipes, and games once the book is shut. It’s good old fun -21st century style. We loved creating a balance between the virtual world and the actual world. Magic comes from our inspirations and imagination. The Ultimate Guide to Charlie will lend itself to hours of fun again and again.

To purchase your Charlie iBook in iTunes, go HERE. To learn more about this enhanced digital e-book that is fun for the whole family, go HERE.

Now go eat some chocolate

The post American Chocolate Week: Wonka Chocolate-Covered Pretzel Recipe appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

The 4 magic words that will make your kids happier in the long run

Wouldn’t it be great to have “4 magic words” that would put an end to all of your parenting worries and woes?? It would be…well…MAGICAL!

Though I don’t have an extra special “abracadabra” spell, I do have four words that could make all kids happier in the long run.  The words are simple; “Get outside and PLAY!”

It’s no secret that kids are spending less time outside in the sun and fresh air and more time indoors plugged into devices. Countless studies have shown that today’s children are suffering from “nature deficit syndrome” {a phrase coined by Richard Louv in his 2005 book Last Child in the Woods} and the lack of something  as simple as Vitamin D from the sun can lead to a variety of health concerns.

For me, the solution is simple; start actively creating opportunities for the whole family to unplug and head outside. Nature walk together, bike ride, explore parks, cultivate a garden or better yet, create your own special Secret Garden! The idea of an extra special garden filled with wonder, beauty and joy was introduced in the 1910 classic tale The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I remember crafting my own special secret garden as a child and that fascination continues with me to this day.

It’s also what inspired me to team up with co-author Marilyn Scott-Waters to create A Year in the Secret Garden; a modern spin on a timeless 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 is an opportunity to introduce a new generations of families to the magic of creating special learning and play times outside in nature. This book encourages families to step away from technology and get into the kitchen, craft room and garden.

So if your family is suffering from “couch-itis,” consider this colorful and delightful children’s book your guide to rediscovering the wonders of nature and family time. Get instant access HERE.

Meet you in the garden!

 

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Here’s another screen-free activity for young readers and one that lets them tap into their  “inner sleuth!” The Secret Codes, Mysteries and Adventures Activity PDF for kids will keep young minds percolating for HOURS!

Inside young super detectives will discover:

*19 pages of sleuthing fun for your family to enjoy.

*Use Pilot Frixion Pens and craft paper to create Invisible Secret Notes!

*Make I Spy Cookies!

*Discover a President of the United States who was a Master Code Creator!

This free activity guide is a great way to encourage kids to pull books off of shelves, discover the power of imagination and build a new excitement and anticipation for reading. Fill out the info below and grab your FREE copy. Enjoy!

My free gift to YOU!
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First Name


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The post The 4 magic words that will make your kids happier in the long run appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

Are You a Competitive Book Reader? It’s time for BOB (Battle of the Books)

Well if you are then it’s time for BOB Battle of the Books !!!

While much of the world is engaged in college basketball heaven with March Madness, School Library Journal has a bit of their own March Madness going on with Battle of the Books aka BOB to those of us in the book world. From March 7-30th we have a healthy dose of competitive reading going on !!

Now in its eighth year, the virtual book-themed contest pits the previous year’s best children’s and young adult books against one another for a winner-takes-all literary tournament.

This year’s contenders are:

THE BOYS WHO CHALLENGED HITLER by Phillip Hoose

CHALLENGER DEEP by Neal Shusterman

DROWNED CITY by Don Brown

ECHO by Pam Muñoz Ryan

GONE CRAZY IN ALABAMA by Rita Williams-Garcia

GOODBYE STRANGER by Rebecca Stead

THE HIRED GIRL by Laura Amy Schlitz

I CRAWL THROUGH IT by A. S. King

THE MARVELS by Brian Selznick

MOST DANGEROUS by Steve Sheinkin

MY SENECA VILLAGE by Marilyn Nelson

NEST by Kenneth Oppel

NIMONA by Noelle Stevenson

RHYTHM RIDE by Andrea Davis Pinkney

SYMPHONY FOR THE CITY OF THE DEAD by M. T. Anderson

X: A NOVEL by Ilyasah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon

On March 7th started the first matches between chosen contenders.

Round 1, Match 1:The Boys Who Challenged Hitler vs Challenger Deep

To see who won click on the link!

Round 1, Match 2: Drowned City vs Echo

Which one would you choose? To find out the winner of this match click on the title link.

Round 1, Match 3: Gone Crazy in Alabama vs Goodbye Stranger

I love both of these books so much. They are completely and totally different and truly speak to the wide breath and depth of Middle Grade reading. Click on the title link to see who goes onto the next round.

Round 1, Match 4: The Hired Girl vs I Crawl Through It

This round was really hard for me because I love both of these books and both of these authors. I don’t know if I would have been able to choose this one. Can you choose ? See who won this round by clicking on the title link.

Looking at the contenders list above which books would you choose to move onto the next round ? I love this competition so much. It puts a lot of great books into readers hands, heads, and hearts while teaching them to think critically and most importantly building a wide range of reading moments.

I will keep updating everyone here on the blog. For a little more information on BOB (Battle of the Books)

Have a look here. 

Want to have your own version. Be sure to download “the brackets” which will let you and those readers you engage with vote between each match. Happy Competitive Reading and may you always have a page to turn!

***Some of these links are affiliate links. If you click a link and buy a book, I will get a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. I use this money for book shipping supplies and giveaways.

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Concerned that your kids aren’t getting enough “outside time?”

Despite data that shows that 80% of natural vitamin D comes from the rays of the sun, many children, roughly only 23% are spending enough time outside and welcoming the sun’s rays. Most children do not get enough vitamin D from food alone and are at risk of deficiency if they are spending prolonged periods of time indoors. Valarie Budayr from Jump Into a Book and Marilyn Scott-Waters from The Toymaker have combined their respective talents to not only create a clever solution, but also an amazing guidebook to help parents help their children regain their interest and love of nature.

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!”

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How about some Pi? (a Pi Day Booklist and fun Pi activities)

Today, my friends, is a double header….yep you heard me right.

First, look at the date; it’s 3.14 which is the written form of the mathematical symbol known as Pi. How cool is that ? Pi is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. The ratio is ALWAYS 3.14! 3.14 is the day people all over the world irrationally and irreverently celebrate this important mathematical constant. It’s the only number with its own holiday.

Most scholars consider Pi to be the most important and fascinating number in all of mathematics. Technically, the mathematical constant pi is an irrational, or never ending number, created by dividing the circumference of a circle by its diameter. It is a number that begins with 3.14 but then goes on and on never repeating itself for infinity.

Here’s a fine little guy who can recite pi up to 100 place points past the decimal. WOW.

NEXT
Today is also Albert Einstein’s Birthday! Happy Birthday Albert!

I’m a huge Albert Einstein fan and never cease to be amazed. Recently a wonderful book came out that I reviewed on Jump into a Book called On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein. There’s lots of fun science and physics play and it’s the perfect way to celebrate Albert Einstein.

Something To Do: Pi Celebration

Let’s be corny, I think we need to make a pie. Sorry I had to go there. I just can’t stop myself. It’s round and we can measure the circumference before we eat it and then after as it gets smaller in size. It doesn’t matter if it’s an apple pie, a cherry pie, or a chocolate pie. It’s just time to eat in the round. But remember that I’m quite a giver so with that I’m going to share the Best Ever Chocolate Chip Pie recipe.

The Best Chocolate Chip Pie Ever

Around these parts it’s known as Courtney Orr’s Chocolate Chip Pie and now you’re fortunate enough to know about it too. It’s the perfect start to Pi Fest.

Ingredients

1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell *

2 large eggs

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup (6 oz.)  Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

1 cup chopped nuts

Sweetened whipped cream or ice cream (optional)

Instructions

PREHEAT oven to 325° F.

BEAT eggs in large mixer bowl on high speed until foamy. Beat in flour, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat in butter. Stir in morsels and nuts. Spoon into pie shell.

BAKE for 55 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between edge and center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm with whipped cream, if desired.

* If using frozen pie shell, use deep-dish style, thawed completely. Bake on baking sheet; increase baking time slightly.

Pi Fun

Some of us make pie and other people, like math and science game wizard Cy Tymony focus on teaching people fun ways to enjoy and learn more about science and mathematics. Cy is the author of the young adult educational book series “Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things”. These books are packed with cool math and science games and projects for kids and teens to play.

This year Cy created www.PiDayFun.com – an educational website dedicated to making Pi Day math memorable with free tips on how kids can have lots of fun using discarded items and without special tools. The site contains 5 Free ‘Pi’ and Math Projects.

There’s a free download for a whole set of Pi Cards, and directions on how to create a Sneaky Pi Detector, and instructions on how to make a Sneaky Pi Quizzer.

A huge thank you to Cy Tymony for making my Pi Card and for sending a Sneaky Pi Detector along with it. We’re having so much fun with Pi. Cy will be back on Jump into a Book a bit later with his new Sneaky Math book.

Want to learn how to recite Pi to 100 digits in 4 minutes or less? Common, who’s Brave? 

It’s time to be on a memory mission. Did you know that the more digits of pi you memorize the easier it will be for you to learn math ? It’s true. Research from Harvard shows that the more you memorize pi, the better your brain works mathematically.

Pi Day Carols

In honor of Pi Day I think we need to gather around the piano, or pull out the guitar or something and sing these favorite Pi Day tunes such as:

Oh, Number Pi (to the tune of ‘O, Christmas Tree’)

Ludolph the Mathematician (to the tune of ‘Rudolph’)

Pi Day Time (to the tune of ‘Silver Bells’)

Ring the Bells (to the tune of ‘Jingle Bells’)

You can find words, music, and sing along sheets here.

 

The Pi Day Booklist

The History of Pi by Petr Beckman

The Joy of Pi by David Blatner

A Biography of Pi  by Alfred S. Posamentier

Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi  by Cinday Neuschwander

Sir Cumference and the First Round Table by Cindy Neuschwander

Why Pi?  by DK Books

Pieces of Pi by Naila Bokhari

What will you do to celebrate Pi day?

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Ready to get your “sleuth” on? My Secret Codes, Mysteries and Adventures Activity PDF for kids will keep young minds percolating for HOURS!

Inside young super detectives will discover:

*19 pages of sleuthing fun for your family to enjoy.

*Use Pilot Frixion Pens and craft paper to create Invisible Secret Notes!

*Make I Spy Cookies!

*Discover a President of the United States who was a Master Code Creator!

This free activity guide is a great way to encourage kids to pull books off of shelves, discover the power of imagination and build a new excitement and anticipation for reading. Fill out the info below and grab your FREE copy. Enjoy!

My free gift to YOU!
* indicates required
Email Address *




First Name


Last Name

The post How about some Pi? (a Pi Day Booklist and fun Pi activities) appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

Weekend Links-booklists that help kids understand the Presidency.

Welcome to Weekend links! All of the drama affiliated with politics and the election can drive some of us nuts, but it is also a wonderful opportunity to share the world of American Presidents with your young readers. Here are some great book picks and booklists that help kids understand the Presidency and politics.

Check out this past blog post of mine that encourages parents, homeschoolers, teachers and librarians to take A Look back at Past President’s Day Booklists and Activities!

President Squid is a hilarious picture book from Caldecott award winner Aaron Reynolds. With a good deal of tongue and cheek it explores the ideal qualities of a good president. One resident of the sea, Squid, feels he would be perfect for the job. Why you ask ? Well because he lives in a big house, know a lot about lots of things, does all the talking, bosses people around, but mostly importantly, he wears a tie. That’s all anyone needs to be president right?

Back in November 2012 of  I created a very fun booklist in honor of the upcoming elections season.

Monster Needs Your Vote is a hardcover children’s book with vibrant illustrations from Wendy Grieb that is a great book about teaching kids to take a stand and fight for what they believe in.

When Monster learns he is too young to vote, he runs for president instead! Through trial and error, he rallies his community together to save his local library from closing. This picture book features people of all ethnicities and religions coming together in the name of education, democracy and reading-a trifecta of awesome! Read the full review here.

Dog and Cat for President: The narrator asks the intriguing question all Americans want answered: Who would win if a cat and dog ran for President of the United States? Cat and dog lovers will both agree that this is a fun rhyming tale with a political heart. Both sides of the campaign are humorously depicted in a clever way that young readers will relate to and understand. The illustrations are rich, bold and colorful. “Cat or Dog for President” will keep readers engaged and laughing from beginning to end. Read my full review here.

Here’s the link to the Presidential Fun Kit to create all these fun Election-themed activities.

I am very excited to be an ambassador for Tinker Crate! Kiwi Crate/Tinker Crate delivers fun hands-on experiences every month. Tinker Crate is for the 9-16+ crowd and a monthly crate will contain 2-3 themed projects designed by our experts to be fun and educational. I love this service because it not only inspires young makers with tools for learning and discovery; it also encourages them to explore science, engineering and technology. I’ve always been an advocate for using imaginations via books or play so this company is a perfect fit for my book-ish passions.

Go HERE to view all of the amazing exploration, activities, science projects and use specific promo code JUMPBOOK30 at Kiwi Crate for 30% off your first crate subscription!

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Read Kid’s Classics Challenge: March’s Selection (#readkidsclassics)

Hello and Welcome to our first installment of the Read Kid’s Classics Challenge! I’m so glad you’re here and I can hardly wait to see what you’re reading as well. As many of you already know, I am a huge fan of children’s classics and over the years my family has actively read old classics and discovered new ones. In 2016 one of my many goals is to discover even more classics and share them with you, my valued readers.

So from now on, every month during my Read Kids Classic Challenge, I am going to present one classic that I simply can’t live without!

Joining me in this book-ish and fun campaign is a handful of powerhouse bloggers who are excited to share their very own #readkidsclassics picks!  Please feel free to visit these five #ReadKidsClassics bloggers to see what classic book reading fun they have created.

Jodie at Growing Book By Book
Author Barbara Ann Mojica
Cindy at Too Cool for Homeschool
Lisa at Squishable Baby
Susan at Sock Fairies/Ever Ready

I don’t think it will surprise anyone what my first Read Kid’s Classics Challenge pick is going to be, and I have a very good reason for that! I picked this book because it was my first kid’s classic and it became my favorite friend and companion throughout my childhood, ….no, throughout my life.

What could that incredible book be? Why The Secret Garden of course.

It was such a favorite book that I even wrote an activity guide to bring the entire book alive, month by month. What I would have done to be Mary and to live at Misselthwaite Manor but most of all to enter that garden.

OK, so knowing this about me, can you imagine my excitement this past November when I got to meet the author of the Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett) great grand-daughter? Oh it was really incredible. I had a little fan girl moment but then again so does her great grand-daughter Penny Dupree. Frances was just the most remarkable person and Penny has dedicated her life to getting her great grandmother’s story out.

While writing A Year in the Secret Garden I discovered that Frances Hodgson Burnett (FHB) started her writing career here in East Tennessee where I live. Last November was the 150th anniversary of her move from England to America and I was honored to be invited to participate with all of the fine folks of New Market, and Jefferson City.

So Let Me Share a Little About Frances Hodgson Burnett (FHB)

Now that you’re in my inner reading circle we’ll always refer to Frances as FHB. So reading friend I have to share with you that FHB was a most remarkable woman. At the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century, FHB was accomplished woman. She started writing to support her family who had just immigrated to the United States. From the moment she penned and published her first word, she was never turned down by a publisher. At the time of her death she had over 1000 magazine articles, 55 books, and several plays.

In her lifetime she was very well-known and admired as a writer as well as very wealthy. She was an adventurer crossing the Atlantic ocean round-trip 33 times. We owe a lot of thanks to FHB because she is the person who established copyright laws. Another writer tried to steal her story Little Lord Fauntleroy by turning it into a play. FHB wasn’t having any of that, she rewrote her own story into a theater piece and opened up directly across the street from the man who had stolen her story. She ended up running him out of business. Because of this she said that nobody should be allowed to steal another person’s work and so she established the preliminary copyright laws we now hold very dear. At the bottom of that statue are the signatures of some of the most famous writers of the time in the United States.

 

Penny Deupree in her presentation also shared somethings that wouldn’t be considered good about her great grand mother such as she smoked, drank, and swore. She also suffered the death of one of her sons which left a huge hole in the family. The story has continued thru her great grand-daughter and now her great great grand-daughter who is writing a book about FHB.

During our time together I gave a copy of my book A Year in the Secret Garden to Penny and her family and they just loved it and were so moved. I have to share that I felt FHB was shining down on me and giving her two thumbs up. It was totally an affirmation. Since our time together in November I have felt her on a couple of occasions, like the idea of building a Secret Garden in the city where I live. I’m so glad that inspiration has led me into the Secret Garden and filled it with a lifetime of memories.

(Photo of Penny Deupree and her grandfather Viven Burnett.)

I wish the very same for you. If you sign-up for our Read Kid’s Classic Challenge, this month I’ve prepared a beautiful Secret Garden PDF with loads of activities. It’s completely free.

What’s the Read Kid’s Classic Challenge ?

Every month during our Read Kids Classic Challenge we are going to present one classic that we can’t live without. We’d like you to join as well.

 

To Participate:We’d like you to share one kids classic that you can’t live without every month. Share it on your blog, vlog and social media using the hashtag #readkidsclassics once a month to let us know what you’ve been reading.

If you should choose to post about your kids classic choice, please let us know the following within your blog post:

WHEN  did you Discover This Classic?
WHY did you Chose to Read It with your Family?
WHAT Makes It A Classic?
WHAT did you Think of This Classic?

Here’s how I classify classics as old or new (this isn’t an official classification it’s just sort of the way I think of it):

Old Kid’s Classics are those books written before 1950. New Kid’s Classics are those books written after 1950.

But that’s not all

When you sign up for the 2016 Read Kid Classics Challenge every month you will get a PDF that you can download which will have loads of activities on the particular book we’ve chosen to share at Jump into a Book. Each edition of Read the Kids Classics will highlight the story, have good things to eat in our kitchen called Table of Contents, give behind the scenes gossip about the author, easy crafts that kids can do on their own in our craftiness section, questions for the curious, explorations into the world of our featured books, as well as further connections via books like this one and topic booklists so you can find more good reads and finally a visit to the word wizard for some word play.

And Still There’s More-Free Books!

Sign up and join Jump Into A Book’s #ReadKidClassics Challenge to participate in our monthly adventure of sharing personal classic children’s favorites and activities.

On the last day of every month, JIAB will go on a book adventure; an adventure that will put participants in the running to win a bundle of book classics to fill your shelves with. This adventure could be in the form of a Instagram scavenger hunt or as easy as commenting here on JIAB. We just want participants to have fun and earn free books!

As part of this fun book-ish adventure, I will be creating free monthly PDFs of a #ReadKidClassics book and book extensions to give to all participants for their own family reading and fun.

We’re so excited about our challenge. Sign up below and we’ll see you there

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The post Read Kid’s Classics Challenge: March’s Selection (#readkidsclassics) appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

Are you a Flâneur? Gosh, I hope so! {The Story of Diva and Flea}

 

What do you get when you gather two of the best storytellers of all times, mix and match them up, and go on a trip to Paris? Well one heck of a great story called The Story of Diva and Flea of course.

I couldn’t believe it! One day I was at the grocery store and there sitting on the end cap was this adorable book with a black and white cat and a little white dog on the cover. I picked it up immediately and then I saw who wrote it……drum roll…… Mo Willems and Tony DiTerlizzi. Two of my favorites.

I’m Facebook friends with Tony DiTerlizzi and I have to tell you every time he posts it likes being in a candy store. He shows us little glimpses of his art as he noodles around. I just love it.

The Story of Diva and Flea is about a cat named Flea who wanders the entire city of Paris.

He is what’s known as a flâneur (\flä-ˈnər\), meaning he wanders around. As chance would have it, one day Flea wanders to a beautiful old apartment building that has a fence and a gate leading into a little garden. There protecting the gate was a little white dog named Diva, who was barking its head off. They strike up a conversation and before you know it, Flea is getting Diva out of her comfort zone and they start wandering to incredible places in Paris. Diva in return gives her friendship to Flea and food and sometimes a nice place to sleep.

The Story of Diva and Flea does not disappoint.This is a beautiful story of opposites attract and the power of friendship to move us past our comfort zones.

Tony does a great job with the illustrations and magically brings Paris,as well as Diva and Flea to life. Mo did a fantastic job of telling the story. This is a well crafted story that uses some French words which are well explained in a non glaring way. This book will easily captive the early reader as well as those who love to be read too. It will also hold the attention of parents who perhaps just like reading Mo Willems and Tony DiTerlizzi books selfishly to themselves. I think I’m in that category. Hope I’m in great company.

This book was born from both Mo and Tony having always wanted to go to Paris. For as long as Mo could remember he has always wanted to live in Paris. When he got there searching for a story it was sitting as his feet by way of the apartment caretakers dog.

Tony had always wanted to visit Paris too. I can’t really tell if he has made it yet but he has lots of ideas about what he wants to do once he gets there. Thanks to Mo Willems and there sweet little book, Tony has gotten to live one of his dreams via illustrating a fantastic story.

Something To Do

                 {click to tweet}   “The biggest discoveries start with the smallest steps”- Flâneur or The Art of Walking @JumpIntoaBook1

Though I can’t really take you to Paris, though I’d love to, we can do some Paris inspired fun things to do.

Flâneur or The Art of Walking

Recently I saw on social media that “purposeless walking” is suffering a slow death. This is due to a couple of things, first cars and second all of our cell phones, iPods and other wonderful gadgets. Something wonderful happens when we walk with children however; we learn to be present.

Some of my greatest memories of being a mom are of my long discovery walks with my children. Even as an adult one of my favorite things to do is walk, in fact I walk anywhere from 3 to 5 miles daily.

This tendency for walking started when I was about 9 years old and my parents started letting me walk to the library by myself. The library was a good mile or more away but I could do it all on sidewalks and within crosswalks. This of course led to other wanderings “around the library”. The art of walking has served me, the ardent traveler, and my children well.

“Being out on your own, being free and anonymous, you discover the people around you.” Solnit

If one is going to be a true Flaneur, one has to abide by a couple of rules.

Turn off all devices. Stop Texting and mapping.
Walk further and with no fixed route.
Don’t soundtrack your walks.
Go alone or with your children/family.
Find walkable places.
Walk mindfully.

1. Turn off All Devices

Nowadays wherever I walk everyone is walking looking down at their phones or iPods. No one looks up or at you anymore. One of the great skills of a flâneur is to take in the sites, make observations and experience ones surroundings as one is walking, even the weather becomes an experience while walking.

2. Walk Further and With No Fixed Route

The real art of walking insists that one just wanders where one is called. When walking with the children I have a general idea of what area we’ll be walking in but I let the moment and the children dictate exactly where we’ll be walking. Each season, each walk invites us to explore and discover new details and things. One of the most important parts of wandering with children is to make sure that you have a backpack filled with snacks and enough water. Resting periodically is important as well. The more you walk with them, the more endurance they will build up and the further you’ll be able to go and return.

3. Don’t soundtrack your walks

Flâneurs take in all the sights and sounds and wander where they are called. If you’re playing music, listening to the news, or a podcast, you’ll miss connecting with your walk and the place you’ve chosen to walk in.

4. Go Alone or with your Children/Family

To practice the art of walking is to silence the voice inside our heads. One of the things that most creates a sense of nostalgia is that we’ve had an experience with a person, place or thing. Walking and being a flâneur helps us to make a connection to the places we’re wandering in. To make great discoveries and explorations it’s best to go alone, with your children, or in your immediate family unit (mom, dad, kids). Bringing hordes of people or a group of friends on a walk will result in lots of talking about everyday things. It  will turn out the same way listening to music while walking does, disconnected from the place you’re walking in.

5. Find Walkable Places

It’s really important whether walking on your own or with your family that the places you want to wander in are meant for walking. There is one certain mud patch that the kids later referred to as “the bog” that comes to mind. It didn’t look that boggy at the time but boy was it. Even that muddy mess served it’s purpose as a mindful flâneur walk but we probably could have chosen a friendlier site to walk in.

6. Walk Mindfully

The whole idea of being a flaneur is to take in the sites,sounds, and people of the place you’re walking in. To do that one has to be mindful that you are there for that purpose. It’s completely a walk of discovery and exploration or to reconnect with a place you’ve already walked in. There are a couple of types of walks that I love to do with young children.

Listening Walk

Make sure everyone has a partner. You’ll need a blindfold for this. Blindfold one of the children in each pair. Their partner takes them by the hand and leads them gently on the walkway. The person with the blindfold on has to listen for as many sounds as they can.

Another way to do this walk is to not have blindfolds on but simply ask everyone to be quiet and listen for as many sounds as they can.

Yet one more variation on the listening walk is while walking in a city walk to a middle of the block and ask the kids to listen and share what they hear. Then walk down another block and see if it is quieter or noisier. What other sounds can they hear ?

What do you Smell

It doesn’t matter where you’re walking, every place has a smell. Big cities are always fun and just like The Story of Diva and Flea, cities like Paris, New York, London and other cities have certain smells. There is food smells, car and truck smells, water smells, newspaper smells, flowers smell, open air markets, libraries, everything has a smell. Plan a walk where everyone is looking for things that smell.

What do you See

While on this walk discover things that are tall and require that you have to look up, like way up. What things does one see with their head looking straight ahead or within eye range. What things are at feet level? Is it possible to see what’s below ground level. This is when riding subways, digging in the dirt, or taking secret passageways make for great explorations.

Just like Diva and Flea you might be able to walk around the corner and find a tower, as in the Eiffel Tower, just like we did.

I’d love to see where you wander to. Please share on instagram and tag me @jumpintoabook. Happy Wanderings fellow flâneurs.

**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!

Kids and nature go hand-and-hand and enjoying the bounty that the great outdoors brings is not just a “summer thing.” The newest book from children’s book authors Valarie Budayr and Marilyn Scott-Waters teaches families everywhere to enjoy not only the great outdoors with month-by-month activities, but to jump deeper into the classic children’s tale, The Secret Garden! A Year in the Secret Garden is a delightful children’s book 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. Grab your copy ASAP and “meet me in the garden!” More details HERE!

The post Are you a Flâneur? Gosh, I hope so! {The Story of Diva and Flea} appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

Weekend Links: books celebrating diverse families

Welcome to Weekend Links! This is my chance to share the latest-and-the-greatest in the book-ish discoveries I have found during the past week. This week I am thrilled to report that I noticed many wonderful booklists and books celebrating diverse families. Enjoy!

Allie at No Time for Flashcards shared a wonderful booklist of Picture Book Biographies Of Brave Girls and Women You Should Read To Your Sons and Daughters

One of my favorites, The Logonauts, has a great list of family diversity books

I love this list from Wonderbaby about books that feature visually impaired characters!

Erica ta What do we Do All Day has a great chapter book booklist on diverse families.

Dania at La Familia Cool has a great blog post  about The American Latino: Everything You Need to Know

Nice Image of a young latino Actress with Bowler hat

Some of these links are affiliate links.

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Ready to get your “sleuth” on? My Secret Codes, Mysteries and Adventures Activity PDF for kids will keep young minds percolating for HOURS!

Inside young super detectives will discover:

*19 pages of sleuthing fun for your family to enjoy.

*Use Pilot Frixion Pens and craft paper to create Invisible Secret Notes!

*Make I Spy Cookies!

*Discover a President of the United States who was a Master Code Creator!

This free activity guide is a great way to encourage kids to pull books off of shelves, discover the power of imagination and build a new excitement and anticipation for reading. Fill out the info below and grab your FREE copy. Enjoy!

My free gift to YOU!
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Dr. Seuss’ Fox in Socks and #ReadAcrossAmerica Day 2016

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss! Today in celebration of this wonderful, brilliant man we’re looking at his tongue-twisting book Fox in Socks. This was one of my favorites as a child, purely for the reason that I wanted to master the tongue-knotting lines and almost never could.

NEA’s Read Across America Day is a nationwide reading celebration that takes place annually on March 2—Dr. Seuss’ birthday. Across the country, thousands of schools, libraries, and community centers participate by bringing together kids, teens, and books, and you can too! Incorporate these guides and activities to celebrate reading with young people.

“In cities and towns across the nation, teachers, teenagers, librarians, politicians, actors, athletes, parents, grandparents, and others develop NEA’s Read Across America activities to bring reading excitement to children of all ages. Governors, mayors, and other elected officials recognize the role reading plays in their communities with proclamations and floor statements. Athletes and actors issue reading challenges to young readers. And teachers and principals seem to be more than happy to dye their hair green or be duct-taped to a wall if it boosts their students’ reading.”-NEA website

Fox in Socks

So there’s this fox who wears socks. He meets this guy Knox and decides to play a game of tongue-tanglers, since the fox is the master. The lines become progressively more complicated. I can say “Knox on fox in socks in box” five times fast. But let’s fast-forward to the end of the story: “When beetles battle beetles in a puddle paddle battle and the beetle battle puddle is a puddle in a bottle…” Try saying that at least one time fast without any pauses. You’re going to have to loosen up that tongue.

Dr. Seuss, also known as Theodor Geisel, is one of the great literary minds of the 20th century. He brought charm, unique characters, tongue tanglers, and wonderful stories to the world of Kidlit. Here are some fun facts about this awesome man:

His family pronounced his name as “Zoice” not “Soose.”
He used a pseudonym because he wanted to save his real name for the Great American Novel that he wanted to write.
He was a magazine cartoonist before a children’s author.
His “Dr.” title came from an honorary PHD degree from Dartmouth.
“And to Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street” was his first book published in 1937.
Dr. Seuss and his first wife were unable to have children, and when people asked him how he could write for children when he didn’t have any of his own, he responded with, “You make ‘em; I’ll amuse ‘em!”

Some “Seuss-y” things To Do

1. Make a Tweetle Beetle Battle Bottle at Mad In Crafts

2. Fox Sock Puppets from Paging Supermom

3. Fox Cupcakes at Wilton Fun

or for a healthier option: Fox Bagel at RedTri.com

Lesser Known Dr. Seuss Books

– And To Think I Saw It On Mulberry Street

– The Sneetches

– If I Ran the Circus

– Oh Say Can You Say (another book of tongue twisters)

– Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are

– There’s a Wocket in My Pocket!

So Happy Birthday to Dr. Seuss! We’re so happy that you decided to bless us with your brilliant mind and colorful characters. #ReadAcrossAmerica

**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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More Fox Fun!

Experience the magical story of a family of foxes that took up residence right in the front yard of the author and publisher, Valarie Budayr. The Fox Diaries: The Year the Foxes Came to our Garden offers an enthusiastically educational opportunity to observe this fox family grow and learn together.



From digging and hunting to playing and resting, this diary shares a rare glimpse into the private lives of Momma Rennie and her babies. Come watch as they navigate this wildly dangerous but still wonderful world. Great to share with your children or students, The Fox Diaries speaks to the importance of growing and learning both individually and as a family unit. It is a perfect book for story time or family sharing. Not only can you read about the daily rituals of this marvelous fox family, there is an information-packed resource section at the end of the book that includes lots of facts and even a few “fox movies” that you can enjoy with your family. Grab your copy of this beautiful and inspiring book HERE.

The post Dr. Seuss’ Fox in Socks and #ReadAcrossAmerica Day 2016 appeared first on Jump Into A Book.