Carmela Dutra's Blog - Posts Tagged "fun"

It may seem surprising but true; in today's technology-dependent world, little focus is being placed on the importance of reading to kids. When in reality it should be the exact opposite! Getting children book selections and reading to kids is important now if the children are to develop a desire for reading in the future or for the long term. Reading teaches children how to do new things, how to handle life situations, keeps their curiosity alive, the list can go on forever.

While it is true that the Internet is becoming a learning resource for children, it is equally true that a good reading ability is needed to actually harness the educational offerings on the Internet. Thus, book reading should come first, and an appreciation of the Internet and technology should come second.

If we want our little ones to have this love of reading, and a desire to read then we need to take that first step by showing them how to do so. Unplug from the world and curl up with a good book, cup of cocoa (or favorite beverage) and your little one to not develop a love of reading, but to make lasting memories.

I know for myself those are some of the fondest memories I have is when my father would read to me my Looney Tunes books before bed. Something that was so simple and easy to do really made a lasting impression on me. An impression that I know will also make a long lasting one on your children too.

Have an adventurous day!

Carmela Dutra author of
The Adventures of Lorenzo the Bear
http://www.lorenzothebear.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lorenz...
https://twitter.com/LorenzotheBear

Summer is just around the corner! One of things that teachers encourage over the summer vacation is to READ, READ, and READ! What can be done to help ensure that happens?

One thing my mother did every summer was, enrolling me in a reading contest at the local library. The goal was to out read everyone else in the program, and the top three winners would win a medal (resembled an Olympic medal). Each week we would go to the library and fill out sheet of how many books we read that week; and what they were about. At the end of the two months everyone gathered together to the top three winners were announced. It was a healthy competition, and if I made it into one of the top three spots my mom would give me an extra prize. I would get to pick where the family went to dinner that night to celebrate, being a typical kid I always picked Chuck E Cheese.

Why not check and see if your local library offers a program similar to the one that my mother enrolled me in. 20years later and I still remember it well, I bet your child will too.


Have an Adventurous Summer!

Carmela Dutra

Author of The Adventures of Lorenzo the Bear

www.lorenzothebear.com

facebook.com/lorenzothebear (like me!)

twitter.com/lorenzothebear @lorenzothebear

TODAY IS NATIONAL CHOCOLATE ELCAIR DAY! In honor of this WONDERFUL day what better thing to do celebrate it (other than eating a chocolate éclair of course) than to write a blog about chocolate!

Before I get started, I'd like to give a big thank you to Nelson Suit who tagged/nominated my friend Karen Hall, who then tagged/nominated me to join and participate in the chocolate blog book tour. Nelson has his own chocolate blog book tagged here. http://www.inkspokes.com/ Karen Hall has her chocolate blog here http://peachyemma.blogspot.co.uk/ to quote my friend Karen “It was too chocolately and deliciously irresistible to turn down.”

In order to be right frame of mind I had to buy some chocolate for muse. I also had to think about my favorite books and think ‘which chocolate best describes this book?’ Needless to say I did not mind this scrumptious task! Let the Chocolate Book Blog commence!
My number one pick for children’s literature would be

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum

In it, a girl’s dream world comes to life as the cyclone lifts Dorothy from Kansas, depositing her in the enchanted land of the Munchkins. Her and her dog Toto befriend the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion and seek the out the might Wizard of Oz for help to return her home. This is a sweet and simple story, one that has been beloved by many over the years. When I think of the Wizard of Oz I liken it to a Hershey Bar, this is also something sweet and simple beloved by many.

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The book that started it all! Little House in the Big Woods is the first book in Laura Ingalls Wilder's treasured Little House series, which is based on her life growing up as an American pioneer. My mother use to read me a section of this book every night until I would fall asleep, once this book was finished we started the next in the series. Little House in the Big Woods will always hold a special place in my heart.

Told from four-year-old Laura's point of view, this story begins in 1871 in a little log cabin on the edge of the Big Woods of Wisconsin. Laura lives in the little house with her Pa, her Ma, her sisters Mary and Carrie, and their trusty dog, Jack. Pioneer life is sometimes hard for the family, but it also is filled with joy.
Chunky Bar is what comes to mind when I think of this story, the reason? It’s not always a sweet bite when reading, sometimes it’s a little bitter and hard to chew; but the end is sweet.

The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe

I know what you are thinking, yes it is a little on the darker side, but that’s what I love about it! It’s my favorite poem by Edgar Allen Poe. Nothing pairs better with a dark poem, than a dark chocolate bar.


Ozma of Oz by Frank L. Baum


Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum is the third story in the fic¬tional series tak¬ing place in the land of Oz. While cer¬tainly not as pop¬u¬lar the first story in the series the rest are very imag¬i¬na¬tive as well. I think of sixlets when I think of Ozma, because when you first eat a sixlet you don’t fully know what to expect.

Oh the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss




Ok I know this one isn’t “technically” chocolate, but it is candy! You could even get chocolate Salt Water Taffy if you prefer, there you go problem solved! This has always been my favorite Dr. Seuss book, it’s fun the perfect send-off for children starting out in the world, be they nursery school, high school, or college grads! When I think of Dr. Seuss I think of fun candy, and for me that is Salt Water Taffy.

That does it for me, and now I will pass the Chocolate Book Blog Tour on to the following nominees. Drum roll please…… Beth Angelone @BethAngelone Beth is a Children's book illustrator / writer. US Army Sgt Paratrooper Veteran of Foreign War, focusing now on being a soldier for love and promoting peace from within.

Stephanie Ward http://stephaniemward.com/blog/ Stephanie has been writing in various forms for the last 20 years. After traveling around the world for a year, visiting all seven continents and over 30 countries, Stephanie decided to focus on writing stories for children about amazing places around the world. Wally the Warm-Weather Penguin, A Galapagos Islands Story is her first children’s book.

Rhonda Pagila http://rhondapaglia.blogspot.com/ Rhonda is retired elementary teacher, who is now a Book writing, Tap Dancing, Story Telling Super Grammy.

Last but defiantly not least Rhonda Patton http://about.me/rhondapatton Rhonda is a mother and author of Children's book writer of Ted and Raymond Stories

Wishing you an Adventurous Day!

Carmela Dutra
Author of the Adventures of Lorenzo the Bear series

www.lorenzothebear.com

http://www.facebook.com/lorenzothebear (like us!)

http://www.twitter.com/lorenzothebear

Visit http://www.lorenzothebear.com/colorin... for free downloadable coloring pages for you kids to enjoy! You'll be Beary Gald you did!

Wishing you an Adventurous Day!

Carmela Dutra
Author of the Adventures of Lorenzo the Bear series

www.lorenzothebear.com

http://www.facebook.com/lorenzothebear (like me!)

http://www.twitter.com/lorenzothebear

Do you like Children’s Literature? I do! I even managed to tract down some of the old books from my childhood, and yes I have reread them. Children’s literature is amazing! It’s so simple, and yet complex. The depth of the dialog, and colorful vivid illustrations are often times over looked. Sadly some have come to think of children’s literature as just that, CHILDREN’S literature. It’s for kids, and not of any interest to me as an adult.

Do you remember though what it was like to read those stories you had growing up? The carefree fun you had. Exploring, playing, and learning with them. You likely had your favorite book that had to be read over and over and over (you get the point) time and again. Likely you loved that book just as much as your favorite toy (in some cases perhaps it was your favorite toy).

Children’s literature is more than just fun. It’s a powerful tool to teach children about the world, themselves, and others.

--- I hope everyone has enjoyed a look at my latest blog on the topic of Children's Literature. I invite you to pop over to my blog page to finish reading the rest! Please feel free to leave a comment while you are there.

http://ablogforyourthoughts.com/

It’s February 2016 and so those of us on the Gregorian calendar get to enjoy an extra day in the month! What will you do in those 24 bonus hours? How about learning something new, like making a new dish? Or trying something outside of your comfort zone? Take a day trip somewhere, or just indulge your inner sloth and laze the day away.



What I would love to do with an extra day is make it a me day! Focusing on giving myself some pampering, relaxation etc. Here are my ten suggestions—OK, eleven! It is a leap year, so it’s a leap list:





Sleep in! Provided Levi allows me to do such a thing….

Enjoy my favorite breakfast while enjoying some classic morning cartoons from my youth. Let’s see if you can guess…. I’m the terror that flaps in the night! Did you guess which cartoon I’m quoting from?? Hint think very early 90’s. Leave your answer in the comment section below!

Take Levi and go outside for nice mid-morning stroll, snapping some pictures along the way.

A little bit of yoga is good for the soul!
Grab lunch out with David and Levi for an all you can eat, yet still healthy lunch at Sweet Tomatoes.

Enjoy my one, and only favorite outdoor activity, gardening.

After all that planting of flowers and veggies it’s time for mani pedi!

JUST DANCE 2016! Woot woot!!

Prepare Davids favorite dinner. OK, that one isn’t just for me, but I do enjoy cooking so it kind of is. Besides, it’s the least I can do since he will have taken Levi for most of the day.

After putting Levi to bed with a story and song, I’ll watch my favorite movie of all time. What movie? It one that I just happen to know all of the lines to. TREMORS! I can watch that movie in any language and recite every line word for word. Do I have too much time on my hands? Perhaps… But it’s Tremors! So who the heck cares!

Lastly, ending the day with a game of either Settlers of Catan, or D&D either way it’s a perfect end to the perfect day.


So there you have it, my perfect Leap Year Day. What does your Leap Year Day look like? What are something you would like enjoy?



Oh by the way, did you guess the cartoon? If not here’s the answer in this picture, enjoy!!



For some other lap-tastic blogs check out

Cat Michaels

10 Things to do on Leap Day

Julie Gorges

Eight Fun Ways to Spend Leap Day

Nelson Suit

Five Fun Ways to Nourish Your Soul on Leap Day

Well it’s that time of year again folks! School is coming to an end, or at some schools it has already ended. Summer is just around the corner and the adventures are soon to begin! This past school year has been a blur! It feels like just yesterday I was watching commercials for school supplies at the local Target. I’m sure all of you parent’s reading this are nodding your heads in agreement.

While this school year feels like it just started, it’s already coming to a close! For me, it was a very different type of school year. It wasn’t the normal collecting box tops for education to send to my niece and nephew, or even sending them notebooks and pencils. This year I was privileged to visit a variety of classrooms.



Each visit was a different experience, the grades ranged between first and third. There were English and bilingual students. I had a few combo classes, I was even working with a few special needs students. Each class came with its own challenges, some of which were the various sizes of the classes. Some school have the 20 -1- rule, and others did not. In the end, all of them were filled with a buzz of energy! I enjoyed every second I had with the students, and I cannot wait for the new school to begin so I can start them all over again!

Lately I have been getting several messages/e-mails that look something like this.

“I just got invited for my very first author visit, and I wanted to see if you had any advice since you have done these types of visits before. I will be reading to (insert grade level), what advice do you have regarding handouts, activities, selling books, etc.?”

I thought this would be a fantastic blog opportunity, to break down what goes into a classroom visits. Everything I discuss will be in reference to my series The Adventures of Lorenzo the Bear. However, the same idea can be used with any book. I will be applying these same techniques when my new series Little Katie comes out June 3rd. That’s right everyone, The Adventures of Lorenzo the Bear will not be my only series! I’m so excited so share Little Katie with everyone! She has been over a year in the making. Eek! So excited!! Okay, back on topic now.

The grade levels that I tend to stick with are between 1-3, this is my target audience, but I do not limit myself to these grades. I have recently been asked to start visiting both fourth and fifth grade as well, so we’ll have to get more creative there. Before each visit there are several, and I mean several phone/e-mail/text and sometimes in person conversations between the teacher(s) and myself. Any parent knows that each of their children are unique, needing things tailored just for them. Same goes for each classroom I visit.

The needs of each school, classroom, teacher, and student’s vary. That is why I spend so much time communicating with the teacher(s) to address the needs of their student’s. I often ask what they are focusing in school? Do they want an activity that will focus on writing, or art? With their feedback, I work with them to create a custom classroom visit. I usually e-mail a few activities for them to choose from, and then we go from there.


There is a basic structure to the visits; I come introduce myself, read my story, Q&A, activities, handouts, and say goodbye. But each visit varies based on the needs of the class. Sadly, some schools I visit had their funding for Arts cut. Since I am also an illustrator, I inform the teacher(s) that I can offer art as an activity to focus on. Sometimes I’ll show a video to the class showing them how Lorenzo the Bear comes together, then I help the students to draw Lorenzo themselves. The steps they learn when drawing Lorenzo the Bear, can be then applied classroom draw any animal they desire.

Other classrooms are wanting to focus on writing, especially plot and character development. Or, writing a story with your audience in mind. In this instance I offer an activity that focuses on writing, usually a story prompt.

For the really little ones simplicity is key! I like to keep it as short and as simple as I can! I aim to keep in them engaged as much as possible. This is where we will usually play a game together, make bear hats, or color.

Sometimes teachers who just want their student’s to have fun! When this is the case we play something like MadLibs, or Word search. Regardless of the activity that is chosen, each one is custom made by myself, and ties in with the book I read to the class. There is always a theme I stick with, and that is my books. Oh and most importantly, I make it a point to personally work with each and every student in the class.


Despite what some of the kids may say, they all LOVE to color! So I am sure to always bring along coloring pages for them. These are kept as a backup to use, if we fly through the planned activity. Otherwise they get these at the end of the visit to use later in class, or to take home.

I really appreciate the enthusiasm of the teachers. They often ask: “How long can we keep you!?” I explain that it depends on how many classrooms I will be visiting that day. Overall my visits are usually 60 min. especially if I have back to back classrooms. Sometimes my visits are a little shorter for first and kindergartner’s, it just depends.

Here is the big question everyone wants to know “If you sell your books, how do you go about it?” I have to give all of the credit to my publishing house here. My editor sent me a flyer they give to all of their children’s authors to help them sell their books in schools. It’s known as a give back program. The students are sent home with a flyer allowing them to purchase the book from me directly at a discount, then a portion from each sale goes back to the school library. This is approved by the principal, and then sent home with the students. This has been very effective in selling books.

In addition to sending home book order flyers, each student receives a parting gift to commemorate our visit. Usually it’s a book marker, but sometimes it’s a printable activity like a bear and or pirate hat. The student’s seem to get most excited over the donation of a book to each classroom I visit, so they will always have it to read over and over again.

So there you have it! A breakdown of an author visit with me, Carmela Dutra. I hope this helps any of you who might be starting off with author visits. Best of luck. You will rock your author visit! Are you an author who has visited a classroom before? Please leave a comment sharing your experiences!

Are you a teacher or Librarian? Would you like to schedule your own author visit? Please, visit the link below to set one up. Do live out of state? Or perhaps out of the country? That’s OK we can schedule a Skype visit too!

Besides being a fun break from the classroom routine, an author or illustrator visit introduces students to the processes of writing, developing characters, and expressing one’s creativity. It gets readers excited about books, and it provides an opportunity to encourage young writers. All of my visits are free, as I believe strongly in giving back to schools. So schedule one for you today!

CarmelaDutra.com