Valarie Budayr's Blog, page 63
December 29, 2015
Cold Weather Activities Wrapped Around Reading
The holidays are over and with a combination of sadness and relief, our thoughts are now turning to the winter months. This can bring about a feeling of excitement for many parents, or a robust feeling of dread! As the temps dip and the days get shorter , families tend to move from an outdoor focus to more of an indoor one. The result is a LOT of “togetherness” and a LOT of time to fray mom and dad’s nerves!
But, no matter where you live,the colder seasons are perfect for reading old classic books and enjoying new ones. As much as we love reading at Jump Into a Book, we are also always looking for ways to turn reading from a solitary act to one the whole family can get involved in.
If you follow JIAB, you’ve heard me speak of the act of “bookjumping” often. Bookjumping is about pulling books off shelves and stories off of pages. Basically, bookjumping is a “Valarie-ism” that describes creating book extensions for virtually any children’s story as a way to bring the story to life, make reading more fun, teach new skills and bring families together.
So as the frost begins to form gorgeous patterns on the window of my study, and the fluffy whiteness of winter begins to flitter down from the sky, I think it’s time to share some Cold Weather Activities Wrapped Around Reading.
Get into the Kitchen:
Bread baking has always been a favorite in our family and the comfort and warmth of smelling bread baking in the oven is hard to beat. Recently we dusted off the rolling pin and whipped up a batch of Saffron Buns/Lussekattor (pronounced “Lucy cat-tor”) in honor of my Swedish heritage and the Swedish Christmas books that are family favorites.
Before that, reading Roald Dahl books inspired us to make some Fizzy Lifting Drinks and Wonkalicious Chocolate Covered Pretzels!
Mama Panya’s Pancakes makes for a fantastic read aloud. The text is written in little boxes making it easy for young readers to follow along or take a turn reading out loud themselves. Make a batch of Mama Panya’s Pancakes
Check out my recipe for Happy Sun Bread and Dragon Bread and the books they are based on.
Fall In Love With a New Series:
Booklists, Book-Jumps and Activities “Books Like Percy Jackson” Booklist. Like I mentioned in my recent Janet Allison Boys Alive interview, the Percy Jackson series is God’s gift to all parents who have boy reluctant readers. If this series strikes a cord with your reluctant reader, check into some of these other “Percy-like” books series!
Create a Craft that Knocks Their Socks off!
The Book-Jumper Summer Reading Series: A Day with Pippi Longstocking is a great way to read a classic tale and create a simple and fun moment in time creating your very own “long stockings.”
Word Games & Brain Teasers:
The brain is a muscle and it needs work out too. Create time to play fun word games, try trivia, practice your story re-telling skills and enjoy good, clean jokes for kids.
Play with Paper
My good friend Marilyn Scott-Waters has some simply delightful paper toys to help readers create their own Horse adventure around their favorite horse-themed books. What better way to stimulate young minds than with some pretend play. Marilyn has some wonderful downloadable paper toys on The Toymaker and a few suggestions to create your own stable of pretty ponies:
How about some paper crafts in step with the winter season? Paper craft lovers will love this 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.
Learn About our History: Despite what some young readers might think, history is not dry and boring. Family-friendly reenactments of moments in our history make for excellent learning experiences while keeping the cold weather boredom monster at bay. Great JIAB posts that are rich in history would include this one about the Good Ol US of A, life during the “buffalo days” , celebrating our 4th of July traditions, and exploring the lives of inspiring people like Helen Keller.
Play with Nature: Even when the weather is cold, nature still can be a great teacher. Reading books based on nature helps to bring the outside IN and keep young mind stimulated. No matter what time of year it is, there are always stars in the sky. Practice learning and studying the night’s sky or bring the outside in with some fun fort building activities.
Engage in some Pretend Play:
Books and pretend play seem to go hand-in-hand for readers of all ages. Who wouldn’t want to read a few pirate books and then spend the day delving into all sort of pirate activities?!
To the Moon! The anniversary of the first Moon-Walk doesn’t occur until July, but that’s no reason to not have your young readers “blast off” with The Moon Landing Book List and some great book extensions!
Kids and mysteries go hand-in-hand and what better way to pass the time on a dreary day than with your home-grown version of a “whodunit!” Lucky for parents, there are so many wonderful kidlit mystery books out there. Discover the mysteries of Camp Green Lake in the book Holes, enjoy some intrigued from The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, and delve into some super sleuthing of K.C. Corcoran and her pal, Marshall Li in Ron Roy’s Capital Mystery series.
**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!
Would you like to create a afternoon of sleuthing, mysteries and mysterious adventures? Grab a copy of our FREE Secret Codes, Mysteries and Adventure downloadable PDF Activity Guide! This guide is19 pages of fun including activities like Creating and Deciphering Invisible Messages, baking “I Spy” Cookies and learn more about the US President who was a master decoder! Click the image below to get your free copy!
Multicultural Children’s Book Day Classroom Reading Challenge-
Get a FREE Diversity Book for Your Classroom Library!
Teachers! We want to help you build your classroom library with diverse, inclusive and multicultural books! Here’s how to get a free book through Multicultural Children’s Book Day on January 27th.
LATEST EXCITING UPDATE! Junior Library Guild has agreed to sponsor this portion of the MCCBD 2016 event and donate up to 200 books for classrooms and teachers!
Go HERE for more details or to sign up your classroom and earn a FREE handcover multicultural children’s book!
The post Cold Weather Activities Wrapped Around Reading appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
December 27, 2015
Santa Lucia Morning in Sweden Book Review (and some Glögg)
This beautiful book about the Swedish holiday Sankta Lucia has become a read-a-loud favorite in this house.
This beautiful book has become a read-a-loud favorite in this house. Ewa Rydåker and illustrator Carina Ståhlberg have truly captured the spirit of “living” the Lucia tradition each year. The book tells the old story of Sankta Lucia through the eyes of three children living in this time period. Set in Sweden, the story follows the adventures of Sofie, Louise, and Carl as they prepare for Lucia Day on December 13th.
On that day, many Swedish people celebrate the legacy of Lucia and the coming of the light with coffee, saffron buns, ginger snaps, and wonderful singing. In addition to the story of the Svensson children, the book also includes the Lucia Song, recipes for ginger snaps and saffron buns, a short story of the Lucia legend, plus two patterns for the Lucia gown and star boy outfit.
This story focuses on one family preparing for the holiday. The two girls and the boy help make pepparkakor cookies and the Lussekat buns the night before. They next morning they celebrate with their immediate family.
I love the illustrations, they are wintry and festive looking!
Author Ewa Rydåker is happy to announce that the book is now available for iPad! (Or download it to read on your computer or iPhone). Find it in the iTunes Store.
Something to Do
Recipes for Lucia Buns and Ginger Cookies
Glögg
Glögg is a hot spicy drink which is drank throughout the whole holiday season but a huge pot of it is always brewing on my stove top for Lucia.
Glögg instructions:
· 4 cups of apple or grape juice
· ¼ cup of sugar
· 18 whole cloves
· 8 whole cardamom pods
· 1 cinnamon stick
· 1 piece of fresh ginger 1 inch long
· Serve with raisins and almonds
In a cooking pot pour your juice of choice and add all of the spices. Turn the heat onto medium and cook until the sugar has melted. Cover and leave it standing for an hour. Strain off the spices. Right before serving reheat and place in a thermos, glögg pot or slow cooker to keep it warm. For serving place into a cup or mug and top with raisins and almonds.
How does your family celebrate Sankta Lucia?
If you would like more information about the Santa Lucia holiday traditions, Santa Lucia inspired crafts and even more Swedish treat idea, grab my FREE pdf download HERE. Even though the official Santa Lucia holiday is passed (December 13th) there’s no better time than the present to share these ideas, traditions and treats with your family. Consider it my gift to you this holiday season. Thank you and ENJOY.
The post Santa Lucia Morning in Sweden Book Review (and some Glögg) appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
December 26, 2015
Shout Out to Your Favorite Author: Friends of MCCBD
MCCBD co-founder Mia Wenjen and I have been working with the brilliant and creative Susan Raab of Raab and Associates for Multicultural Children’s Book Day. Susan came up with the idea for anyone to recognize their two favorite diversity, inclusive and multicultural authors and illustrators. You don’t have to be an author or illustrator to participate.
It works like this:
The Friends of MCCBD $25 Shout Out and Recognition of Author Friends
Gift a shout-out to two author friends who have books with diversity themes. MCCBD will not only acknowledge your shout-out on social media, we will create a blog post with these authors/books naming you as the gift-giver.
Nominate and Donate HERE to support the cause and nominate two authors for virtual Shout-Outs!
Here are examples from some of Multicultural Children’s Book Day C0-Hosts!
Thien-Kim Lam blogs at I’m Not The Nanny. Her two favorite diversity books are:
Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match by Monica Brown
Mixed: Portraits of Multiracial Kids by artist and photographer Kip Fulbeck
Follow Thien-Kim on Twitter @thienkim
Jodie Rodriguez blogs at Growing Book by Book. She wants to recognize:
Bee Bim Bop by Linda Sue Park (for the little ones)
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena (one of my favorites from 2015)
Follow Jodie on Twitter @growingbbb
Becky Morales blogs at Kid World Citizen. She has so many favorite books, this is a real challenge. Her first favorite would be …
Finders Keepers? A True Story in India by Robert Arnett
Her second favorite (because her daughter had her read it every single night for years) is
Te Amo, Bebé, Little One by Lisa Wheeler
On her daughter’s first birthday, she refused cake and wanted more beans and rice just like the baby in the book (true story:).
Follow Becky on Twitter @kidworldcitizen
MaryAnne blogs at Mama Smiles. She says, “Two I am loving right now are
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanha Lai
The Peace Tree from Hiroshima by Sandra Moore
My all-time favorite book growing up was a multicultural one – Children of the River by Linda Crew. Sadly, that last one seems to now be out of print?”
Follow MaryAnne on Twitter @mamasmiles
Carrie of Crafty Moms Share has 2 favorite multicultural books to share:
The Rescue Princesses Series by Paula Harrison
The Last Kappa of Old Japan by Sunny Seki
What are two of your favorite diversity children’s books?
———————————-
Review Bloggers! We Need YOU! MCCBD 2016 Review Blogger Sign-up is OPEN
It’s not too late to sign up as a review blogger for Multicultural Children’s Book Day! We have a plethora of simply amazing diversity children’s authors who are offering up a free book to bloggers who would like to do a review in honor of this January 27, 2016 online event!
The deadline to sign up is December 31st and we still have a few spots left. This is great way for bloggers to get involved in an important national initiative and gain new visitors to their site! All participating bloggers will be invited to add their book review to a Huge Linky on 1/27/16 that will ultimately become a valued resource for parents, teachers and librarians. Sign up ASAP!
The post Shout Out to Your Favorite Author: Friends of MCCBD appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
December 23, 2015
A Holiday and Winter-themed Booklist for Kids
As the temps cool and I hear reports from friends that Old Man Winter has already come’a callin’ to their zip code, it makes me think about all of the books our family has read in the past that have something to do with snow, winter, and holidays. With that in mind, I decided to create A Holiday and Winter-themed Booklist for Kids.
Some of our favorite books happen to be written for Winter , when it’s the darkest outside and a perfect occasion to crawl up with a good book.
Can you Whistle, Johanna ? A Boy’s Search for a Grandfather– Ulf Stark. There are plenty of old men who would do as a grandfather at the retirement home, Ulf suggests, when Berra wonders why he doesn’t have one. They go there together to find a grandfather-ideally one who eats pig’s trotters, invites you to tea and who can teach you how to whistle. This is a warm and funny story about a friendship between two boys and an old man. A gentle account of companionship.
Christmas Treasury – Jan Brett
I can’t imagine winter reading without Jan Brett’sstories and tales full of Scandinavian traditions. The Mitten, The Hat, and Christmas Trolls are our favorites, but I just found this treasury with a few more pulled together as one holiday collection.
Lucia Morning in Sweden–Ewa Rydåker: Peek inside the busy Svensson house in Sweden, where Sofie, Louise, and Carl are getting ready for Lucia Day, December 13. Follow their adventures through the day and learn how to create your own Lucia Day celebration. This wonderful book includes recipes for Lucia buns and ginger snaps, words and music to the Santa Lucia song, and patterns for a Lucia gown, plus the legend of Santa Lucia. We have a full post about this book two posts ago.
Annika’s Secret Wish– Beverly Lewis: A beautiful book that has become part of our family’s Christmas heritage. Annika has wished for ten long years to find the almond in her Christmas rice pudding. Will this be her year ? Beautiful illustrations by Pamela Querin.
The Tomten-Astrid Lindgren: I have loved this book for over 40 years. The copy I have was printed in Sweden a long time ago but I am very glad that this story is available as a nicely affordable paperback because it’s such a sweet and comforting tale that lots of children will love. The beautiful illustrations capture perfectly the crisp, cold, snowy atmosphere of a still winter’s night as the Tomten, a small spirit and guardian of a humble farm homestead goes about on his secret rounds doing his caretaker duties in his gentle, loving way. He whispers encouragement to the sleeping animals and children. He has seen many hundreds of winters and so he knows that “winters come and winters go, summers come and summers go” and the wheel of the year turns on and on. I encourage you to read this to children to help them feel safe and cozy and snug in their beds on a cold, dark winter’s night…maybe try it this Winter Solstice and be sure to keep a look-out for tiny footprints in the snow around your home.
The Tomten and the Fox-Astrid Lindgren: Same as the above book. You can’t have one without the other. Moonlit scenes of the farmyard under snow show Reynard the fox prowling near the henhouse. He’s hungry, but Tomten, the kindly old troll who guards the henhouse at night, shares his porridge with the fox and the hens are safe–for another night.
Snow– Uri Shulevitz: This classic is simple and sweet and beautiful. When the snow starts to fall around here we grab this book. It’s great for new or early readers. It has many repetitive phrases that you will find yourself quoting whenever the white stuff falls from the sky.
Ollie’s Ski Trip and Peter and Lotta’s Christmas – Elsa Beskow
Two wonderful stories by one of my favorite author/illustrators. Every time it snows or we get ready to go skiing this book comes to mind – full of magic and wonder at the winter season. Peter and Lotta’s Christmas is equally as beautiful as Beskow’s other stories.
The Story of the Snow Children – Sibylle Von Olfers
Is there anything more magical than the thought of staring out the window at the snowflakes and having them turn into little snow children that carry you away on a magical winter adventure? Oh my. So much delight and goodness. The illustrations in this are simply stunning.
Christmas in Noisy Village – Astrid Lindgren
This tale of Christmas contains all that I hope my children will remember from their own childhood holiday seasons – handmade gifts, baking, singing, celebrations with friends and family, and much joy.
The Christmas Wish
The Christmas Wish by Lori Evert and the most stunning photography by her husband Per Breiehagen is mesmerizing and sure to become a family classic.
Can you imagine living “…so far North that you never have to put away your winter clothes?”
Such is the case for Anja who’s greatest wish is to go to the North Pole and become one of Santa’s elves.
Before she leaves in search of Santa, Anja helps the old woman down the street by catching her cat, decorating the gingerbread house they had baked together and sweeps out her sauna as well as finds a small pine tree for her to enjoy.
Next thing on her list before she departs is to deliver cards and presents to all her friends.
After studying the map on the school room wall, Anja is ready to go and find Santa Claus with the help of a red cardinal who helps her find her way. Anja makes her way through the snow on wooden skis until she comes to a horse.
The horse let’s Anja sleep in his barn and lets her ride him for one day and one night. The horse takes Anja to a cave where her next helper friend awaits.
Back Story
Inspired by his native Norway and his snow loving daughter, Anja, award winning photographer Per Breiehagen created a series of striking images of Anja dressed in traditional Norwegian clothing and Sami reindeer shoes.
The photos show Anja interacting with reindeer and other Arctic animals. The response to these images on Per’s website was beyond expectations. People from all corners of the world wanted to see more.
Lori Evert, Anja’s mother, was so inspired by the beauty and magic of the image of Anja and the reindeer that she wrote a narrative about who they might be and why they were there. The family then created more pictures to illustrate the story.
The Christmas Wish, which began as a family Christmas card, has evolved into a beautifully crafted book for children.
Somethings To Do
Make one of those incredible red hats that Anja is wearing. Here’s how we did it !!!
We couldn’t very well read a book about a Norwegian elf and not have a hat to wear like hers. This simple and fun version I created so that children could knit this without any problem. You can knit this flat or on circular needles. Either way it comes out just fine.
Supplies
Yarn : I used a chunky 5 baby alpaca yarn
Needles size 10
Yarn needle only if knitting flat
Gauge: 4 X 4 14 sts over 20 rows
Cast On 65 stitches
Work in rib stitch for two inches. Rib stitch is: knit 2, purl 2
Work in Stockinette stitch for 16 rows. Stockinette stitch is knit a row, purl a row.
*On row 16 start decreasing: This is a knit row. Knit 1, K2together. Knit as usual until you get to the last three stitches at the end of this row. K2together, K 1.
Nest Row: Purl *
Continue this pattern until you have 5 stitches bind off. Gather tightly to close if you are working in the round.
If you knitted this flat, block, and sew together.
Is that cute or what? If you create this fun hat in your house, please share the details in the comment area below!
**Disclosure: 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!
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 A Holiday and Winter-themed Booklist for Kids appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
December 21, 2015
Celebrating Swedish Christmas Traditions and Foods
On any given day, you may hear as many as six different languages spoken in my home.
My life and household has been diverse and multicultural for as long as I can remember. As the daughter of parents who emigrated from Sweden, I have been immersed in Nordic culture since childhood. So as you can imagine, Celebrating Swedish Christmas Traditions and Foods, and also recognizing Santa Lucia has been a huge part of my holiday traditions since childhood.
AND…FOOD is a big part of that celebration as well so I thought I would share our tried and true family recipe for saffron buns. If you get the wrong recipe the buns turn out to be like stones. The recipe in the book is similar to ours but we do some prep work that guarantees the success of our buns. It seems I’m a little biased about Lucia buns. I want everyone to have a postive and beautiful experience.
Saffron Buns or Lussekattor pronounced “Lucy cat-tor”
Lucia Saffron Buns
Ingredients:
·1 package of dry yeast
·¼ cup of warm water
·¾ cup of milk
·1 ½ cup stick of butter
·1 tsp of saffron threads
·½ cup sugar
·¼ tsp of salt
·1 cup of raisins
·2 eggs
·31/2 to 4 cups of flour
·1 beaten egg
Directions
1. In a bowl place one cup of raisins in warm water covering the raisins. This is called “plumping”.
2. In a large mixing bowl dissolve the yeast in warm water.
3. While the yeast is proofing, in a pot scald the milk and then add the butter into the milk and heat gently until it has melted. Once melted, take off the burner and let it cool until it is luke warm.
4. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Lay the saffron threads on a pieces of parchment paper and place on a cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet in the oven for about 5 minutes. Once the saffron is toasted, take it out of the oven, fold the parchment paper over and roll over the saffron with a rolling pin until the saffron is in a powder form. Add the saffron to the milk and butter mixture.
5. Add the milk,butter,saffron mixture as well as the sugar, salt, eggs and drained raisins to the yeast mixture. In your kitchen aid or other mix master, beat until blended. It should be smooth and satiny.
6. Mix in half of the flour. Once it is blended add the remaining flour gradually until each addition is blended well. After all of the flour has been mixed in, let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
7. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board. Knead for 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and satiny.
8. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl , cover with a dish-towel and let raise for until doubled. This will take about 1 hour.
9. Place parchment paper on two large cookie sheets.
10. After the dough has risen, punch it down and divide it into 32 equal pieces.
11. Cover all pieces with a dish-towel .
12. Taking a piece of dough, roll it into an 8 inch rope. Shape it into a bun, S shape, snail or pretzel.
13. To make even fancier shapes take two 8 inch ropes and make crosses, butterflies, or twisted ropes.
14. As you finish each shape place it on the cookie sheet. Once a sheet in completely full, cover with a dish-towel to let it rise for 35 minutes.
15. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
16. Beat and egg in a bowl. Using a pastry brush paint the egg wash over the buns completely.
17. Sprinkle with pearl sugar (optional)
18. Place in oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
19. Buns are done when they are golden brown.
20. This recipe makes about 20 buns.
Don’t those look yummy?
If you would like more information about the Santa Lucia holiday traditions, Santa Lucia inspired crafts and even more Swedish treat idea, grab my FREE pdf download HERE. Even though the official Santa Lucia holiday is passed (December 13th) there’s no better time than the present to share these ideas, traditions and treats with your family. Consider it my gift to you this holiday season. Thank you and ENJOY.
The post Celebrating Swedish Christmas Traditions and Foods appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
December 20, 2015
Weekend Links- Swedish Christmas Booklists and More!
It’s time for Weekend Links!
On any given day, you may hear as many as six different languages spoken in my home.
My life and household has been diverse and multicultural for as long as I can remember. As the daughter of parents who emigrated from Sweden, I have been immersed in Nordic culture since childhood. As a child I attended German/English schools and as an adult I continued learning even more languages for a grand total of six (English, Swedish, French, Arabic, German, Japanese, plus working knowledge in a few others.) So you can imagine, a Swedish Christmas has always been a part of my life from childhood to adulthood.
So as usual, my week has been filled with the discovery of wonderful booklists, activities and ideas from amazing blogger, authors and moms. Here are some of my favs:
Want to load up on your Holiday reading list? Check out this great Holiday booklist from Library Adventure
CHRISTMAS BOOKS ROUNDUP-PART ONE from Good Reads with Ronna
G is for Gingerbread Man -Sue from Sock Fairies has an absolutely delightful book review, craft and gingerbread baking activity project for kids! Love this!
Do We Do all Day has a Swedish Christmas and Holiday Picture Book list that is near and dear to my heart!
I had to smile and giggle when my Head Elf (assistant and project manager) told me she had never even heard of a Tomte until she met me! Is there really is such a thing as a Winter Tomte? Yes! This time of year especially we have many eager children waiting for the Jul Tomte to come on Christmas Eve bring sack full of presents, chocolate and good fun.
The Tomte in Sweden and Nisse in Norway and Denmark is a Scandinavian myth. Tomtes are small, bearded men who wear red colored caps and are rarely, if ever seen by humans. Since we are talking about Winter Tomte I have to also share that you’ll only see the menfolk as the women and children are home making merry and getting ready for the great celebrations ahead.
Sharing this family tradition, along with a robust booklist, made my An Exceptionally Magical Winter Tomte Booklist! even more special.
Speaking of Swedish Christmas, it’s something near-and-dear to my heart because my parents were from Sweden. Every December 13th, we continue a long family tradition of celebrating St. Lucia. In the darkest hours of the morning a young girl with a wreath of candles on her head brings hope, warmth and light to the darkest, coldest time of the year. I have taken all of our favorite recipes, activities and books that celebrate this event, along with the history of Santa Lucia as well, and created a very special color pdf for the holiday season.
The Celebrating a Santa Lucia Christmas pdf guide is my gift to you and simply click the image below to enjoy these fun family-friendly activities. Click this link or click the image below to grab your copy and create some new traditions in your own family! Thank you!
JIAB Recap Of the Week!
It always delights me that, despite the fact this post was written quite some time ago, it’s still one of my most viewed post. Have you seen/read this one? What do think it is that makes this post so popular?
Grandfather Tang’s Story: Storytelling with Tangrams
Don’t Forget
Review Bloggers! We Need YOU! MCCBD 2016 Review Blogger Sign-up is OPEN
We still could use a Few Good Bloggers! Review bloggers, that is 
As the Co-founder of Multicultural Children’s Book Day is can’t even begin to tell you how thrilled I am at how this event continues to GROW. If you are unfamiliar with this very special online event that is coming January, 27, 2016, go here for the full scoop. In the meantime, we could really use a few more book reviewers.
It’s not too late to sign up as a review blogger for Multicultural Children’s Book Day! We have a plethora of simply amazing diversity children’s authors who are offering up a free books to bloggers who would like to do a review in honor of this January 27, 2016 online event!
The deadline to sign up is December 31st and we still have a few spots left. This is great way for bloggers to get involved in an important national initiative and gain new visitors to their site! All participating bloggers will be invited to add their book review to a Huge Linky on 1/27/16 that will ultimately become a valued resource for parents, teachers and librarians. Sign up ASAP!
The post Weekend Links- Swedish Christmas Booklists and More! appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
December 17, 2015
An Exceptionally Magical Winter Tomte Booklist!
It’s an exceptionally magical time of year. As I was pondering this the thought of my friend the “winter tomte” or “jul tomte” popped into my mind. Is there really such a thing ? Ah yes there really is such a thing as a winter tomte and this time of year especially we have many eager children waiting for the Jul Tomte to come on Christmas Eve bring sack full of presents, chocolate and good fun.
The tomte in Sweden and Nisse in Norway and Denmark is a Scandinavian myth. Tomtes are small, bearded men who wear red colored caps and are rarely, if ever seen by humans. Since we are talking about Winter Tomte I have to also share that you’ll only see the menfolk as the women and children are home making merry and getting ready for the great celebrations ahead.
The word tomte actually means “homestead man” and the word Nisse is the nickname for the name Nils which means Nicholas as in St. Nicholas. So a tomte is a little man who resides on the farm and on Christmas, plays the roll of St. Nick and Santa all rolled into one.
Traditionally, tomtes live on farms, back yards, and maybe even under the pantry at your house. They stay out of sight during the day, and come out at night to do chores, and help out around the house, farm , and garden. They help farms, gardens, and homes to prosper and be successful. We never get something for nothing, so in return they ask that the land, garden, forest and animals be treated kindly and respectfully.
One of the greatest signs of good luck is to have a tomte living at your house, in your garden or on your farm. To make sure that they stay with you, always give them a bowl of porridge topped with butter and maybe even some brown sugar on Christmas Eve. They’ll be so happy. (Recipe Below)
Warning:
It wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t warn you though, that tomtes have very bad tempers and are very strong. If you make them angry or offend them they’ll wreak havoc around the house and farm. Things to expect are all horses and cows tails tied together. All of the cereal boxes turned upside down in the cupboard. Silverware placed in the freezer, glasses turned upside down so you can’t pour milk or water into them. If everything is going backwards at your house or it’s just in complete chaos, you may have a disgruntled tomte.
Enough of warnings…..would you like to know more about winter tomte and all of the great magic they bring ? Have a look below for some great tomte adventures.
The Winter Tomte Booklist
The tomte, who speaks the “tomter” language, is a good-natured elf-like creature who lives only on farms and is very busy during the winter while adults and children sleep. These people have never seen him, but they do see his tiny tracks in the snow. The invisible “tomten” also visits all the farm animals, speaks with them in his language, and brings them straw if they are cold.
The Tomten and the Fox by Astrid Lindgren
A beautifully illustrated tale adapted from an old Swedish poem. The Tomten, who looks after the farm at night, meets a hungry fox and agrees to share his supper with him if the fox promises to leave the hens alone. A very gentle, friendly story. It is refreshing that he understands that the fox is hungry and needs to eat – rather than the ‘nasty fox’ approach.
The Yule Tomte and the Little Rabbits: A Christmas Story for Advent by Ulf Stark
Grump the Yule Tomte lives all alone, which is exactly how he likes it! He’s waiting for Christmas to arrive when all of a sudden a gust of wind steals his mittens from the washing line and his hat from his head. That’s the last straw — he won’t be the Yule Tomte any more! Binny and Barty, the rabbit children, live with their family in the forest. They’ve never heard of Christmas, or the Yule Tomte, until the wind brings them some strange gifts…All the animals in the forest prepare for the arrival of Christmas. They make presents, bake sweet treats and even write a song. But will the Yule Tomte ever bring Christmas to the big forest? This charming and funny Christmas story of a grumpy tomte and the hopeful little rabbits is told over twenty-five chapters — one for each day of Advent — with delightful festive illustrations. Perfect for families to share together.
The Tomte’s Christmas Porridge by Sven Norquist
Every Christmas Eve, the Master puts out rice pudding for the tomtes to say thank you for their help around the house throughout the year. But recently the Master has forgotten, and Mama tomte knows he’ll forget again this year. The elves hatch a plot to steal a bowl of Christmas pudding, without being seen, so that Papa tomte doesn’t get upset. This charming story is based on an old Swedish Christmas tradition. It is illustrated with great humour and is full of delightful detail, as the tomte family scurry around their Master’s house one busy Christmas Eve.
Little Tomte’s Christmas Wish by Inkeri Karvonen
Little Tomte lives happily in his cosy house beside a beautiful tree. When winter arrives, he’s worried that Christmas won’t come — until he makes a special Christmas wish. He embarks on a candle-making plan which will help make his wish come true. A heartwarming festive tale drawn with gentle humour by acclaimed Finnish illustrator Hannu Taina.
The Christmas Tomten by Viktor Rydberg
On Christmas Eve, Vigg is invited to accompany the Christmas tomten on his rounds which include a stop at the Hall of the Mountain King.
Winter frost by Michelle Houts
An ordinary Danish Christmas turns extraordinary when a family overlooks an important folkloric tradition.
Christmas has come, and with it a sparkling white winterfrost over the countryside. But twelve-year-old Bettina’s parents have been called away unexpectedly, leaving her in charge of the house, the farm, and baby Pia. In all the confusion, Bettina’s family neglects to set out the traditional bowl of Christmas rice pudding for the tiny nisse who are rumored to look after the family and their livestock. No one besides her grandfather ever believed the nisse were real, so what harm could there be in forgetting this silly custom? But when baby Pia disappears during a nap, the magic of the nisse makes itself known. To find her sister and set things right, Bettina must venture into the miniature world of these usually helpful, but sometimes mischievous folk. A delightful winter adventure for lovers of the legendary and miraculous.
The Gnome Craft Book by Thomas and Petra Berger
In English, tomte are known as gnomes. I thought maybe, just maybe all of this reading about tomte might have you wanting to make a few of your own. This is a fantastic book with really great totes?gnomes to make and tomte/gnome crafts.
Gnome crafts offer a wealth of possibilities for activities with children, appealing to their imagination in a vivid and entertaining way. Thomas and Petra Berger show how to make gnomes out of walnuts, twigs, wool and paper, as well as from a variety of other media. There are plenty of different types of gnome to keep children amused for hours. Any of the characters in the book would be at home on a seasonal nature table. Includes instructions for making Astrid Lindgren’s classic gnome the Tomten.
A Magic Porridge Recipe
Now that you know a little more about the Winter Tomte and what magic he brings. Let’s leave him something in return for his kindness. Make sure you taste a lot of it to make sure it’s just right for our kind friend. ~God Jul~ which means Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays in Swedish.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
2 cups of water
1 cup of arborio rice. This is a short grain rice used in Risotto. You can find it in any grocery store.
5 cups of milk 2% is best or whole milk.
2-3 tbsp of butter or margarine
1 tsp of salt
3 tbsp sugar
Sugar, cinnamon, and milk to serve with
Directions
Boil water in a heavy sauce pan or large pot, add rice and salt, and boil with a lid until the rice as absorbed all the water.
Pour half of the milk in and simmer on low, stirring constantly for 15 minutes.
Continue to let simmer and add the rest of the milk, stirring every now and then to keep the porridge from sticking.
Mix in the butter, sugar and add salt and/or more sugar to taste if you choose.
After cooking between 40 and 50 minutes, the porridge is finished. Serve with cinnamon, sage and milk as each person chooses.
Jul Porridge: Remember to leave a bowl out for your Jul tomte on Christmas Eve. Don’t forget the great toppings such as cinnamon and sugar. If you’re Jul Tomte is really happy, he’ll leave one almond in the porridge pot. Whoever gets it in their bowl on Christmas morning will have great good luck and good fortune for the next year.
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Review Bloggers! We Need YOU! MCCBD 2016 Review Blogger Sign-up is OPEN
It’s not too late to sign up as a review blogger for Multicultural Children’s Book Day! We have a plethora of simply amazing diversity children’s authors who are offering up a free books to bloggers who would like to do a review in honor of this January 27, 2016 online event!
The deadline to sign up is December 31st and we still have a few spots left. This is great way for bloggers to get involved in an important national initiative and gain new visitors to their site! All participating bloggers will be invited to add their book review to a Huge Linky on 1/27/16 that will ultimately become a valued resource for parents, teachers and librarians. Sign up ASAP!
The post An Exceptionally Magical Winter Tomte Booklist! appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
December 15, 2015
Exploring the realm of space: Finn’s Rocket Book Review
The world is a place to be explored, and in Finn’s Rocket, Finn and his little Sister Gabriella go beyond the bounds of earth into the little-explored realm of space. But this was not exactly in the plans for these two siblings.
Both Gabi and Finn are very intelligent, which wins them both spots at a space camp at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Gabi gets to learn all about being an astronaut, while Finn gets to play with rocket fuel and explore the mechanics of space travel.
However, neither of them are able to see the evil plot that the camp’s commander, Commander Morton, has been planning, and unfortunately, Gabi fits all of the qualifications for this deranged woman’s experiment. After running a series of tests on the young girl, Commander Morton deems her fit for space travel, unknown to Gabi. In the middle of the night, Gabi is brought to Morton; her sleeping area is cleared out, and a story is created about some serious illness that caused Gabi to leave camp early. Except while Commander Morton has been developing this elaborate plan, she failed to double check that all evidence of Gabi was gone—a young girl would never leave her favorite stuffed penguin or her cell phone. So when Gabi’s new friend Wendy finds them, she realizes that something fishy is going on at the space center.
After news of Gabi’s disappearance leaks, one of the camp counselors shares her theory about Commander Morton’s plot with a terrified Finn. Even with video evidence no one, not even his parents, believes that Morton would send a young, unprepared girl into space without any intention of bringing her home. So Finn has no choice. He has to go to the International Space Station and save his sister on his own. So with his two best friends, Axel and Burrito, Finn travels across the world to Sweden where he is lucky enough to convince an entrepreneur to give him a ride on the first ever tourist space shuttle.
Will Finn rescue Gabi? Will Commander Morton get away with her evil plot? You’ll just have to read to find out!
This was such an exciting book! It has sports, nature, treachery, deranged-wanna-be astronauts, and a couple of awesome, empowering kids! What more could a book need? Finn’s Rocket touches on the power of sibling bonds, the hearing impaired, and the exciting yet terrifying idea of space exploration. Definitely a good read, and I would definitely continue following Finn’s story with Finn’s Ship and Finn’s car. Grab your copy of Finn’s Rocket here.
Author Serena Schreiber has a whole series of Finn books if you liked this one and she writes adult fiction as well. Be sure to visit her site to see all of her offerings and don’t forget her blog. It’s a lot of fun and packed with adventure.
Something To Do:
1. Eating like an astronaut:
It’s very simple really. All you do is put anything that can be consumed through a straw, zip it up in a plastic bag with a straw, an slurp slurp! You’re eating like an astronaut!
2. Build your own soda rocket (from Lemon Lime Adventures)
3. Sign language basics (so you can communicate with Gabi in space)
4. Fun Facts about Space Travel:
~It takes 3 to 5 days for a spacecraft to reach the moon.
~A space suit can weigh between 50 and 350 pounds—on Earth, that is.
~There is no sound in space because of the lack of air.
~Recent technology allows the use of phones in space.
~Since 2000, permanent crews have been living and working in space at the International Space Station.
~You become taller in Space.
~In space, the skin on your feet peels off!
~The word astronaut comes from the Greek word “Astron” which means star and “nautes” which means sailor.
The Russian cosmonaut has a similar meaning from ‘kosmos’ meaning universe and again “nautes” sailor.
5. This fun activity will teach you a little bit about rockets. It is from one of NASA‘s educational websites and the great rocket template you’ll find below is provided by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology. LOVE all the resources on Kitchen Pantry Scientist!
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LAST DAY!!!!As the holiday season approaches, consider adding the gift of books to your shopping list. There are many wonderful booklists available for parents looking to give their child the gift of reading and adventure. A book makes a great gift because they are meaningful, beautiful, portable, appealing, and inexpensive and it’s a gift that can be opened again and again. Books are the perfect gift for any age and a gift that doesn’t require batteries or sizing instruction!
If you would like to get started on your family reading adventure, or would just like to add to your family bookshelf, Audrey Press has some special deals on their catalog of books to get readers and gift-givers on their merry way. From November 30th to December 15th, give the gift of reading, adventure and education at extra-special (and extended) Black Friday prices! Go here for the full scoop on the Holiday Book Love Sale!
The post Exploring the realm of space: Finn’s Rocket Book Review appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
December 13, 2015
Weekend Links: Glorious Book Gift Guides
The holiday season is sneaking up fast! Are you still scrambling to find the perfect gift for a certain someone? Hands down, I believe, one of the best gifts that can be given is the gift or reading. Books unlock the magic and wonder of other worlds, cultures and dreams and it’s a gift that can be “opened” again and again. In my online travels this week I have discovered several superb Book Gift Guides for young readers. Here are a few of my top picks:
A Holiday Book Gift Guide for 8-10 year-old girls- chosen and written by a girl who is that age from I Never Grew Up.
The feisty and savvy Pam from Unconventional Librarian puts her own spin on her Book Gift Guide!
Franticmommy also has a great Book Gift Guide for Kids. I see she has some WONDERFUL taste in books in her Picture Books and Middle Readers Gift Guide! 
December 12, 2015
Every town has ghost stories: The Headmaster’s Cave
Every town has their ghost stories and tales of the past that remains mysteries to this day. That’s why The Headmaster’s Cave book review with matching activities was an intriguing journey!
The Headmaster’s Cave Book Review
In D.S. Allen’s book The Headmaster’s Cave, the town of Ballymagee is tainted by a horrible past: the murder of seven students by their headmaster. Descendants of the victims still mourn their families, but they all accept the mystery at face value—that the crazy headmaster kidnapped the kids and murdered them in a cave by the coast.
When friends George, Katie, and Dougie receive a mysterious email asking them to come to Headmaster’s Cave (a dangerous journey), they are both intrigued and frightened. They all three want answers, especially Dougie and George, both descendants of victims, however, George and Katie both recognize the danger of the journey and agree to go on a different, less lethal, adventure. But this isn’t good enough for Dougie. When George and Katie, along with George’s best four-legged friend Flanagan, realize that Dougie has decided to meet the sender of the mysterious emails, they have no choice but to go after their friend and help him.
After encountering many trials along the way—bullies, The Magic Forest, Old Maggie and her pack of bloodthirsty dogs, and bullies again—they are saved by a gentle giant by the name of Leonard who seems to appear out of nowhere. He explains that he can lead them to Dougie, who is already waiting for them at the cave. Little do the friends know (well, maybe Flanagan knew; dogs are intuitive after all), that they are walking right into a trap!
Will they solve the mystery of The Headmaster’s Cave? And most importantly, will they survive to tell the tale?
This is an intense, action-packed adventure, great for both guy and girl readers! The two main characters, George and Katie, are a great pair, both powerful and intelligent in their own ways. I love how important George’s dog, Flan, was to the story mainly because I think that dogs are awesome! This was definitely a riveting story.
DISCLAIMER. This book has some intense material and scenes. This book should be reserved for intermediate – middle school aged kids (Age Level: 8 – 12, Grade Level: 3 – 6). They’ll love the action, mystery, and adventure! Get ready for a couple good ghost stories.
Thanks to the author D.S. Allen and Renee from Mother/Daughter Book Club for providing a review copy.
The Headmaster’s Cave Activities-Something To Do
1. George’s dog Flanagan is very crucial to this story. He’s basically a main character. Are you thinking about getting a four-legged friend? Then here’s a quiz to help you find the perfect, loyal dog breed for you!
2. George prided himself on the fact that he knew how to make a fire, however, he accepted Katie’s help when he realized he might not know as much as he thought. Here’s two fire tutorials: one real and one a nice decoration for the holidays:
3. Interested in learning chess like George and Dougie? Here’s a chess 101 lesson from Enchanted Yankee:
**some of the above links are affiliate links. I was gifted a copy of Headmaster’s Cave and the opinions expressed are purely my own.
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Note from Valarie: As the holiday season approaches, consider adding the gift of books to your shopping list. There are many wonderful booklists available for parents looking to give their child the gift of reading and adventure. A book makes a great gift because they are meaningful, beautiful, portable, appealing, and inexpensive and it’s a gift that can be opened again and again. Books are the perfect gift for any age and a gift that doesn’t require batteries or sizing instruction!
If you would like to get started on your family reading adventure, or would just like to add to your family bookshelf, Audrey Press has some special deals on their catalog of books to get readers and gift-givers on their merry way. From November 30th to December 15th, give the gift of reading, adventure and education at extra-special (and extended) Black Friday prices! Go here for the full scoop on the Holiday Book Love Sale!
The post Every town has ghost stories: The Headmaster’s Cave appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
