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Tuesday Tales – Potty Animals (Giveaway!)

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

One of the hardest things that I have done as a parent is to potty train my youngest son. I should know, we are almost ready to say he is officially potty trained after the adventure began last Wednesday. That same night, when we were starting the process, I took out a book to read with the boys. The book was Potty Animals by Hope Vestergaard. I figured a little lesson learning about potty etiquette would be fitting given what we would be doing over the next few days. This is another of the books that I had received from Sterling Children’s Books.

Rather than explain what the book is about in my own words, I think Hope Vestergaard and illustrator Valeria Petrone did a fabulous job with their Book Trailer for Potty Animals. Make sure your volume is turned up and get ready for a lesson in What to Know When You’ve Gotta Go!

While the little guy was off playing between reminders to head to the potty, NHL read Potty Animals to me. As an almost seven-year old, he is pretty good with his potty etiquette. He laughed at the scenarios and we talked about why these things are important for little kids to learn, especially once they go to school. We both liked when we read about Arnold and his troubles being accurate with his aim in the bathroom and reminder to lift the seat. There really was something profound about seeing Wilbur, Wilma, Freddie and friends make the wrong choices and then get reminded about things. Of course, as the girl in the family I secretly wished there was a reminder to put the seat back DOWN when finished. You can see NHL reading the story to me here.

A little while later, we were trying to calm JSL down. He was upset about using the potty and did not want to bother. I sat next to his little Winnie the Pooh potty and read him Potty Animals. He laughed at the reminders at the end of each section. I was not sure if he really understood some of the items. He will be going to nursery school in September and I think at that time it will be more relevant to him. Still, a day or two later when he was using the potty, he reminded me several times of the items we had read about in the book. He told me he had to wipe each time, to close the door when he was using the big potty, and not to forget to flush. Even at three, the fun rhyming verses with colorful characters on each page had made an impact.

More about the book from Sterling:

Meet Wilbur, who won’t wash his hands after going potty. Wilma, who waits too long…and sometimes doesn’t make it in time.  And Freddie, who’s afraid to flush. These are just a few of the preschool animals who need a little help with their bathroom etiquette!   With wit and good humor, Hope Vestergaard presents a unique “toilet basics” guide for toddlers.  It covers everything from lifting the seat and closing the door to planning ahead when you’re on a trip.  All told in cheerful rhyme, with hilarious illustrations, it’s a fun way to handle a serious subject.  PLAN AHEAD!     DON’T WAIT TOO LONG!    GO POTTY BEFORE YOU SLEEP!     EXCUSE YOURSELF!     KNOCK FIRST!     BE SURE TO LIFT UP THE SEAT!     CLOSE THE DOOR!     DON’T LOLLYGAG!     NEVER FORGET TO WIPE!     WASH YOUR HANDS!     ZIP AND FLUSH!     ALWAYS TURN OUT THE LIGHT!

Sterling Children’s Books sat down with author, former preschool teacher and toilet training expert, Hope Vertgergaard, who gives us the bottom line (ha ha!) on her unique and lighthearted guide to bathroom manners and some useful tips for parents and kids. Read the Q&A

And download a free copy of the Potty Animals Bathroom Poster: it’s the perfect way to remind everyone about the “dos and don’ts” of bathroom behavior. 

Potty Animals (Sterling Children’s Books; On Sale March 2010; $14.95; Ages 4+; ISBN: 1-4027-5996-7

We enjoyed Potty Animals and will be reading it again with JSL as we continue on our potty using adventure. I will also be asking JSL’s teachers if they would like to borrow it. I imagine it would be a great addition to read aloud to the children in the first few weeks of nursery school (and even into 1st grade) where many of the kids will be new to the social etiquette involved in potty time at school. There are even some adults that may benefit from some of the gentle bathrooms manners reminders within the book. As a teacher, I could tell you stories involving the bathrooms in kindergarten and first grade classrooms that would scare you!

Giveaway:

Thanks to Sterling Children’s Books, FIVE lucky readers will each win a coupon for a copy of Potty Animals and a bottle of "Potty Animals Hand Sanizer" to go with it.

Rules for Giveaway:

• MAIN RULE – Answer the following question: What was your favorite part of the Book Trailer for Potty Animals?
  

The following Bonus Entries may also be done. Please be sure to leave separate comments for each that you complete below to make sure you get the right number of entries.

• 1 Bonus Entry –  Who will this book be for and why is it perfect for them?
  
• 1 Bonus Entry – Tweet about the giveaway on Twitter. Be sure to include @TheAngelForever and Potty Animals Book Giveaway in the Tweet.  Please leave a direct link to your Tweet in a separate comment for each daily entry. Example Tweet (feel free to use): Tuesday Tales from @TheAngelforever is all about Potty Animals. The best part, 5 will #win the book in #giveaway http://bit.ly/c5tcA2
• 1 Bonus Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment.
• 1 Bonus Entry – Leave a comment on any of my non-giveaway posts from the month of June/July (Be sure to check out my other Tuesday Tales posts). Leave a comment here to let me know which one. This Bonus entry may be done only twice per person.
• 3 Bonus Entries – Add my blog button to your website and leave a link with the location. Be sure to give yourself 3 comments for credit.
• 5 Bonus Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog about the giveaway. Be sure to leave 5 comments about this to get credit for all of your extra entries.

To enter, please follow the rules above within the comment section. Contest starts today July 27 and ends at 10:59 EST on August 13 , 2010. You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but must leave a valid e-mail address for me to contact you for mailing address once the giveaway is over. I will select the winner using random.org and contact you via e-mail. You will have 48 hours to claim the prize. If there is no response, another winner will be selected. Open to U.S. and Canada residents only. 

Disclosure: I received this book complimentary of Sterling Publishing in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was given. The opinions expressed in the review are my own. Sterling Children’s Books are also providing the giveawsay items to my readers.

Ramona and Beezus – The Movie!

Friday, July 23rd, 2010

As much as I love to read now, I was a reluctant reader as a child. I did not like teachers telling me that I had to read so many books each month, or a specific title. Thankfully, there were books out there that made me want to read and keep at it. Beverly Cleary is an author that saved me for years. Thanks to her books, I was able to find characters that would keep me engaged in reading and laughing while I went. If you are not familiar with the name Beverly Cleary, you may remember her infamous Ramona Quimby. Ramona was the Junie B. Jones of my generation – only she keeps on giving. Ramona and her family and friends continue to keep generations of kids reading to see what quirky adventure she will go on. I have secretly been wishing and waiting for NHL (almost 7) to be ready to read the Ramona books to share the experience with him.

Several months ago, I heard that they were finishing up a movie called Ramona and Beezus. I had mixed emotions. Movies that are based on books often do not live up to my expectations (see Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs – my favorite picture book). Of course, the Harry Potter movies have created a new level of book to movie phenomena. While teaching, I also did comparisons of books and Hollywood versions with my students (perfect Vehn Diagram opportunity for pre-writing). I knew that I had to see this movie.

Time went by and I heard bits and pieces about the movie. Then out of the blue, we were invited to a pre-screening of Ramona and Beezus (rated G) last week (it opens TODAY). The boys and I went, along with my Aunt S and grandmother to see Ramona and Beezus on the big screen. Thanks to the quick nature of this, I did not have time to reread the books, so my memories of Ramona are sketchy at best. When the movie began, I was instantly brought back to my childhood. Here was Ramona, Beezus, Picky Picky, Henry Higgins and the rest of the gang in front of my eyes. Thanks to Selena Gomez (Beezus in the movie), I have the official Ramona and Beezus Trailer to show you. Sit back, relax and enjoy!

What we thought:

Let me begin by saying that I really enjoyed the movie. Every time a new actor came onto the screen as a familiar character, I was taken a bit more into the wonderful and wacky world of Ramona Quimby. While watching the movie, I made a mental note that I had to find my old copies of the books to reread. The story of Ramona and Beezus is classic. There are two sisters realizing the important family bond as they move through some struggles in life to save their home. The movie really lives up to the tagline:  "A Little Sister Goes A Long Way."

Joey King was Ramona and did a fabulous job in the role. She was cute, spunky and had the Ramona timing down. It really is hard to believe that this is her first motion picture appearance. The chemistry between Ramona and Beezus was also special in this film. Selena Gomez takes on the role of big sister Beezus and plays the perfect teenage counterpart to King’s Ramona. The two young ladies without a doubt brought the world of Ramona from the pages to the big screen.

Simply stated, director Elizabeth Allen created Ramona’s world in this film. She did a great job going from the serious scenes about the family losing their house, to Ramona’s day dreams and back to the silly water fight and lemonade scenes.

In addition to Joey King and Selena Gomez, the cast of actors in Ramona and Beezus helped this classic book come alive for fans of all ages. I am a long time fan of John Corbett and enjoyed seeing him as Robert Quimby. He showed his softer side and really had nice chemistry with Joey King, especially during the drawing scene with her. Bridget Moynahan was Dorothy Quimby. She played a serious mom, who could see the humor in a the antics of her quirky little girl. One of the best surprises in the movie was Ginnifer Goodwin in the role of Ramona’s beloved Aunt Bea. As a big fan of Big Love, it was nice seeing her spread her wings and show more of the comedic timing that is sometimes hinted at when playing Margene. Josh Duhamel as Hobart is a great counterpart to Goodwin and works well with the kids in the film. One other big surprise to me was Sandra Oh (Dr. Cristina Yang on Grey’s Anatomy) as Mrs. Meacham. As a teacher, I loved her portrayal of the straight-laced and slightly sarcastic Mrs. Meacham. Of course, I have to admit, I did see hints of Dr. Yang coming into the role – especially when she rolled her eyes a certain way.

Overall, I really enjoyed the movie. I do believe that Ramona fans of all ages will appreciate the book coming alive in front of their eyes. On the flip side, my almost seven year old son now wants to read the Ramona books. He had never heard of Ramona before the movie and is now excited to read more about this quirky little girl. Today, I will be heading out to get a copy of the book to use as the perfect summer read aloud now that we have seen the movie. Oh, I am purposely not telling you my favorite scenes from the movie since I do not want to spoil anything for you when you go and see it.

I highly recommend the movie Ramona and Beezus to people that grew up with Ramona and new fans alike (also a great summer family movie). The storyline and acting will help keep you in the land of Ramona Quimby and begging Beverly Cleary for more wonderful literary creations.

Disclosure: I received complementary passes for my family to see the pre-screening of Ramona and Beezus from the PR agency releasing the movie. No other compensation was given. All opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine. All pictures used with permission. Photos by Alan Markfield.
2010 Twentieth Century Fox and Walden Media, LLC. Was given special permission to use these photos after viewing the pre-screening of the movie as a member of the media.

Tuesday Tales – The All-American Jump and Jive Jig

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

Summer time reading is crucial in our house. NHL is about to enter second grade and adores to read books. I have to admit that I am quite lucky not to have a reluctant reader. If he sees a book that does not have chapters in it and has pictures, he immediately picks it up to read.

Recently, we received some books from Sterling Children’s Books. One of the books included was The All-American Jump and Jive Jig by M.P. Hueston.

The book immediately intrigued NHL and myself. The two of us decided to pick it up and plunk down on the couch to read it. We were transported to places across the United States where we learned things about the states via fun dances. As we read along with the easy flowing rhyming lines, NHL started to ask questions. He wanted to know where all of the places were located in relation to us in New York. This is where my teacher brain started to kick into high gear. This book would be fun to use in a read aloud with a map of the USA. Student volunteers could help to map all of the locations in the book to make sure that we had indeed gone from state to state. Another interesting option would be to map out the route traveled and see how many miles the adventure takes you on. When NHL heard me mention this, he was curious and we may try this on a rainy day once I dig out a better map of the United States to use.

We both enjoyed the book, especially with our timing. NHL and I read it on July 3 and I have to say it really made us think about the country that we live in. NHL adored the fun illustrations by Amanda Haley. He was fascinated with the page about the hula in Hawaii. I think this is thanks to It’s a Small World at Disney World. He kept asking me questions about the different states and facts mentioned within the book. It lead to a good discussion and some fun after reading. On another day,  the book caught the eye of JSL. Here he is enjoying it: 

More about the book:

Come along on a joyful journey across America, where children from east, west, north and south show off their coolest moves in The All-American Jump and Jive Jig (Sterling Children’s Books; On Sale June 2010; $14.95; Ages 4-7; ISBN: 978-1-4027-5143-1).

From the Juneau Jitterbug to the Hawaiian Hula, the Brooklyn Boogie to the Miami Mambo, these jubilant, creative and boisterous dances will entice children to gather their friends, get up, and groove. Which will be their favorite – Maine’s Rockland Sock Hop or Michigan’s Mackinac Milkshake? The Lubbock Line Dance or the Rockies’ Elevation Celebration? Every dance is irresistible fun, and will set happy feet in action!

A perfect way to celebrate the U.S.A. and the 4th of July holiday, M.P. Hueston’s witty, rhythmic verse and Amanda Haley’s colorful, vibrant pictures make following along easy….and encourage kids to come up with their own choreographic creations!

Here is NHL’s favorite part of the book as I read it to JSL. Sorry about the moving camera, it’s tough filming, reading and wrangling a wiggly three year old.

We truly enjoyed this book. Books that educate while putting a smile on a child’s face are crucial and this book hits that mark. We will definitely be looking for other stories by M.P. Hueston.

So what have you read recently? Please be sure to link up to your Tuesday Tales and/or leave a comment below. Include something you read on your own, with a child or someone else. Tuesday Tales are all about spreading the love for books.

Disclosure: I received this book complimentary of Sterling Publishing in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was given. The opinions expressed in the review are my own.

Introducing Tuesday Tales

Tuesday, July 13th, 2010

I have a confession, I am addicted to books. These are just some of the books that our boys have. Some were mine from teaching, others ones we have bought or received over the years. There are many other chapter books and adult books in storage for another day.

Of course, this is not really surprising since I am a teacher, but something you may not really know about me. My favorite class while getting my undergraduate degree in Elementary Education was Children’s Literature. Where else could you spend an entire semester talking about favorite childhood books, characters and authors? In addition to reading a lot of children’s books for the class, we also had to do a presentation on a picture book author and one on an author that writes for older children.

Who would you have picked for each of these?

For the first of mine, I wrote about Arnold Lobel. He is the author behind the long time favorites Frog and Toad. While Lobel is possibly most famous for the stories about this famous duo, he also won the 1981 Caldecott Medal for his book Fables. I learned a lot about his career and grew to love Frog and Toad even more.

My second presentation was on Lois Lowry. When I was in elementary school, I adored the Anastasia Krupnik. They were the books that I went to when I was older and had finished reading Beverly Cleary’s Ramona series. While in college, I found another book of Lois Lowry’s that will forever be one of my favorite books, Number The Stars. This historical fiction book about the Holocaust won the 1990 Newbery Medal. It is a powerful book that teaches children about the topic on a level that is perfect for them. I adored this book so much that I did several projects in college about it and then did a unit on it when teaching Language Arts a few years back. After looking over her website, I now see that I need to catch up on some of her latest books.

For many years, all I read were books for college, my classroom, and my own children. Even when I had time over the summer, I would sit down with a children’s chapter book to see what my students had been reading – you know like Harry Potter, The Series of Unfortunate Events and the list goes on. These days I do stop and read my own books by Debra Macomber, Mia King or dive into a little vampire life with a Sookie Stackhouse book, but the teacher in me always moves toward books to read with my children.

So now each Tuesday, I hope to bring you some books that we have read. Whether they are old favorites, newly released or something a little different we will be sharing them with you via:

 I hope you will join me each week to share a favorite story and link up what you have been reading, whether with your children, at school or on your own. All books are welcome. See you next Tuesday when we share with you The All-American Jump and Jive Jig by M.P. Hueston.

Summer fun at the library

Friday, June 18th, 2010

Wednesday was a miserable and rainy day. JSL was going stir crazy and kept asking to get out of the house. Eventually, I asked him if he wanted to go to the library to get some things and play. Yes, I said play at the library. They were open at that point and I knew they had just gotten some puzzles for kids and had a LEGO table with several types of building blocks. I also thought about taking his library card so he could use their computers to try some things on kid websites.

When JSL and I arrived at the library, it was pretty empty. First, we went to get some DVDs and then settled into the kids area. JSL took out a puzzle and then decided he wanted to check out the blocks and build some items. He was playing very nicely all alone. I will spare you the details about what happened when two girls suddenly arrived without any adults. Thankfully, JSL kept playing and was letting the girls take a ton of the items away from him.

As JSL was using his imagination, I sat next to him on the floor and was knitting my current small project. It was nice and quiet, so I could knit and watch the little guy play.

While there, I also realized that in just a few short days both of the boys will be home for the summer. NHL will be going to camp part of the time, but JSL will be home with me until he starts nursery school part time in the fall.

So my questions to you today:

1. When was the last time you went to the library and what did you do or get while you were there?

2. Aside from spending time at the park, playing outside and visiting the library, what other ideas do you have to keep two kids busy during the summer that will not break my bank?

_____________________________________________________________________________

Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the MckLinky there if you are participating.

Aloha #104

Melvin the Magnificent Molar

Monday, May 17th, 2010

A few weeks ago, NHL went to the pediatric dentist for his six month visit. While the boys were busy playing with the video games and other items, something else caught my eye. There was a shelf filled with books. The books were not on just any subject. No, these were all about teeth and going to the dentist.

As a parent and teacher, I understand the importance of specialty books for children. Reading to kids about topics that are unknown and potentially stressful may help to ease anxiety. This is especially true when you talk about doctors/dentists, new siblings, potty training, losing teeth, surgery and especially death.

Not long after our appointment, I read about an opportunity from TwitterMoms to review a new book called Melvin the Magnificient Molar! by Julia Cook and Laura Jana, MD. I immediately asked to be a part of the group. Dr. Laura wrote me back and asked for our information and what we wanted inside the book since it was going to be signed by both of the authors.

About Melvin the Magnificient Molar!

Written by Julia Cook & Laura Jana, M.D.
Illustrated by Allison Valentine
All ages (2 and up), 32 Pages

Meet Melvin, the lovable tooth. Through Melvin’s view of the world, this book encourages children in a fun-loving, unique way to actually want to brush their teeth. By promoting brushing, flossing, and regular visits to the dentist, Melvin shows readers young and old how to make sure they will have happy teeth and healthy smiles that will last them a lifetime!

Melvin the Magnificent Molar! can be purchased directly from Julia Cook’s website for $9.95. When ordering from there you can also have the books autographed and personalized at no extra charge.

Dr. Laura recently did an interview about the new book on ABC News that can be viewed here. She talks about Childrens’ oral health and how to form good habits early.

What we thought:

When you open up Melvin the Magnificent Molar, the About This Book page really caught my eye. Julia Cook and Dr. Laura Jana write about the importance of taking good care of your teeth. They explain that teaching this lesson to children is often difficult to do. What they decided to do was have Melvin speak to children from a tooth’s perspective. The main character takes you on a journey as he explains all things that are involved with keeping a healthy smile. Melvin tells children to visit their dentist every six months from one years old on, caring for their baby teeth, using fluoride toothpaste, flossing and what to expect when you visit your dentist.

My boys loved listening to the story of Melvin and his friends. At six, NHL knows how we stress taking good care of his teeth. Still, being reminded by a friendly character is always helpful when we inevitably have an argument about brushing teeth, or having x-rays at the dentist. NHL enjoyed the cheerful, fun groupings of the words on the pages. He especially liked the different sized and color fonts that help to tell the story about the sleeping scummies that turn teeth green.

As a parent and teacher, I love the details that go into Melvin the Magnificent Molar. Cook and Jana really cover all of the bases for kids learning about oral health. Thank to Allison Valentine’s wonderful illustrations, we are all able to enter Melvin’s world from his point of view. Kids learn more about Mister Thirsty (my boys love him), Scaler, Miss Tickles, Magic String and getting a Coat of Fluoride. I also think that Melvin helped my son to be less anxious about losing his teeth. While at the dentist, he found out that two more teeth are starting to wiggle and is pretty anxious about this. I think that Melvin reminded him that it is part of his teeth’s journey to be like this story telling molar.

Thank you to Julia Cook and Laura Jana, MD for putting this book together for kids of all ages. I know that I am a fan and am looking forward to reading their next collaborative book entitled It’s You and Me Against the Pee. My boys also loved the sweet message inscription to them on the inside of their book. A very nice touch indeed!

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a Twitter Moms RAMBO alert campaign. I received a copy of the book from the authors to facilitate my candid review and no other compensation was given. 

Barefoot Books for Earth Day and beyond

Saturday, April 10th, 2010

Blogging has allowed me to "meet" so many wonderful people. Several years ago, I found Susan’s original blog and we became friends. The two of us would write comments on each others posts, we would e-mail each other and even chat on Twitter. Our oldest boys are both the same age, so we help each other virtually as we sent our boys off to kindergarten in September 2009. I also recall Susan mentioning more than once that she wanted to take a step into the business world. Recently, Susan made this dream a reality with her Barefoot Books Marketplace.

I first heard about Barefoot Books through Susan when she started to do her research. The books looked fabulous. As a teacher ,I am a book addict. I dare say I have a collection of picture books that I started when I was in college, even before I did my student teacher. My Children’s Literature course made me really appreciate the talents of various authors and the gifts that the illustrators add to their books.

Susan asked me if I would like to see and review a Barefoot Book gift set. I immediately said yes because it is always wonderful to help out a fellow mom. Just before Passover, we received a Barefoot Books box. The boys immediately wanted to see what was inside. Here is what we found:

We received the Barebook Books for Baby Gift set. Here is more about it:

A perfect ‘welcome home’ for a new baby

Welcome a new baby into the world with a hardcover edition of Baby’s First Book, featuring Clare Beaton’s exquisite hand-sewn collages. Paired with a cuddly White Bunny Rabbit puppet, this gift set makes the perfect present and is presented in an eco-friendly, reusable green shopper tote with a gift tag to personalize.

National Geographic Kids – Weird But True (Review/Giveaway)

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

Have I mentioned lately how we love books? Seriously, we are constantly getting new books,going to the library and reading something with the boys. NHL is in first grade and likes to read books with history, science or things to learn. Yes, our first grader is slowly warping very nicely into a mini-Geek!

When we were asked by Family Review Network to review the new National Geographic Kids: Weird But True! 300 Outrageous Facts book, we jumped at the opportunity. As a teacher, I had many National Geographic Kids books in my classroom, so I knew it would have amazing photos to share with my boys.

About the book (from their website):

At last, all those weird but true facts that readers of National Geographic Kids love so much are collected into a fun-filled book that you’ll come back to again and again!

Weird But True is based on the hugely popular magazine page of quirky, fun facts that many readers of National Geographic Kids magazine turn to first. Why? Well did you know that…

• Peanut butter can be converted into a diamond?
• The world’s oldest pet goldfish lived to be 43 years old?
• The world’s longest soap bubble was as long as four school buses?
• On Neptune, the wind blows up to 1,243 miles an hour?
• An elephant’s tooth can weigh as much as a bowling ball?

All of the facts in this handy book will amaze friends and family: Animals Superpowers, Chills and Thrills, Eat or Be Eaten, Mini and Mega, Wild and Crazy, and much, much more. Adjacent pages for such facts present a one-paragraph explanation of how that fact is possible or why it is so.

Purchase your copy for $6.95.

What we thought:

Both of the boys are fascinated with the photos within Weird But True. Yes, even my 2 year old will sit with the book for an extended time looking at all of the photos. JSL will chat away and call out all of the items that he recognizes. NHL, in first grade, will read the facts to me and then talk with me about what it says. Our conversations actually made me think about ways to use this book in the classroom. (I am always a teacher, even when on hiatus.) I could see the fun facts in this book being used as a prompt for classroom discussion and/or a writing exercise. In addition to this, the facts could easily create interest in a subject for kids to do more research on. Anything that excites children to learn gets a thumbs up from me.

Giveaway:

Thanks to National Geographic Kids, one lucky reader will win a copy of National Geographic Kids: Weird But True! 300 Outrageous Facts for your family.

Rules for Giveaway:

• MAIN RULE – Answer the following questions: What is one weird fact about you that you are willing to share with others?
  
• 1 Bonus Entry –  Who will this book be for if you win and why would they love to have it?
  
• 1 Bonus Entry – Tweet about the giveaway on Twitter. Be sure to include @TheAngelForever and National Geographic Kids Giveaway in the Tweet.  Please leave a direct link to your Tweet in a separate comment for each daily entry. Example Tweet (feel free to use): Chance to win National Geographic Kids – Weird But True book from @TheAngelForever http://bit.ly/9YBplK
• 1 Bonus Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment.
• 1 Bonus Entry – Leave a comment on any of my non-giveaway posts from the month of January/February/March. Be sure to leave a comment here to let me know which one. This Bonus entry may be done only twice per person.
• 3 Bonus Entries – Add my blog button to your website and leave a link with the location. Be sure to give yourself 3 comments for credit.
• 5 Bonus Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog about the giveaway. Be sure to leave 5 comments about this to get credit for all of your extra entries

To enter, please follow the rules above within the comment section. Contest starts today March 10th and ends at 10:59 EST on March 24, 2010. You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but must leave a valid e-mail address for me to contact you for mailing address once the giveaway is over. I will select the winner using random.org and contact you via e-mail. You will have 48 hours to claim the prize. If there is no response, another winner will be selected. Open to U.S. residents only. 

Disclosure:  This post was written for Family Review Network as part of a program for National Geographic, who supplied the book  for review and giveaway. No other compensations was given. The opinions expressed in the review are my own feelings about the product.

Knitting while I read

Friday, January 29th, 2010

Call it the teacher in me, but I really like to read. In recent years, I have fallen behind on reading books that are for me. When I was teaching, it was materials for the classroom. I read a lot of chapter books to keep up with Children’s Literature. Then, it was reading to my boys. I could tell you all about the latest adventure of Jack and Annie in the Magic Treehouse books, but I could not keep up with books on the NY Times Best Sellers list.

I would sit and read my friend Nancy’s blog about all of the books that has read and wish I had read more of them. Yes, I could have read if I really wanted to. After all, I read all of the Harry Potter books, Twilight Series and others since I had my boys. The dilemma that I had over the last two and a half years since having JSL is I found another past time that I love. That passion is for knitting. Hearing the clicking and clacking of my needles as I work on a project is therapeutic. I love making things for my family, friends and others.

A solution was to find books on CD and listen to them while knitting. I even used an audio book in my classroom once and the kids loved this different strategy to literature (great for listening comprehension skills). I tried listening to books on CD, but did not like them while knitting. Hauling my computer was a pain and I still heard everything else in the background. 

The other day it dawned on me. There are MP3′s of books that I can get from our library. Duh, I have an MP3 player and can put them onto it. Sunday, I put The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs onto my MP3 player. I sat there and heard chapter after chapter as I knitted away on my soon to be born nephew’s blanket. As I type this, I only have a few chapters left to listen to and the blanket is onto the third skein. I already have my next MP3 book waiting to "read" while I multitask. 

Since I am so behind on must-read books for adults, my question for this week is:

What book(s) do you recommend for me to try to get on MP3 to "read" while knitting? Thanks in advance for any suggestions, I really appreciate it.

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Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the MckLinky there if you are participating.

Aloha #84

Helping Children with Joy Berry Books

Thursday, December 17th, 2009

There are often times as an adult when you are not entirely sure how to talk to a child about a certain topic. As a teacher, and especially now as a parent, I have learned to turn to books for assistance. Whether trying to help a child understand about a new sibling, moving, or even death, books offer an amazing resource for children of all ages.

When my grandfather was very ill, in the winter/spring of 2007, NHL was only three years old. NHL loved going to see Papa S. They would make animal sounds together, eat ice cream and just watching  people come and go outside in the courtyard. As Papa S’s health declined quickly, we knew that we had to talk to NHL about death. The first thing I did was e-mail my librarian friend to see if she could recommend book titles to use with NHL. We picked up a bunch of books at the library just in time to read them when my grandfather passed away. These books were beyond helpful. They not only broached the subject that was hard, but opened up the lines of communication. To this day, NHL still recalls items from those books.

We have also used books to help with emotions/behavior in the past. Recently, I was contacted by Joy Berry Enterprises and asked if I would like to review some of Ms. Berry’s books with my children. As an educator, I had seen some of her books in classrooms, but had never used them with my own children.

 Here is a little more about Joy Berry:

Joy Berry, pioneering educator, trusted child-development and parenting specialist, is the bestselling author of Joy Berry books for children with more than 250 titles and 85 million copies of her books sold. Joy Berry’s lifelong mission is to help kids help themselves by providing he information and motivation children need to lead responsible lives. Simply put, Joy Berry knows kids!

"Children should be 100% responsible for all of their choices and decisions by the time they are 12 years of age." Joy Berry says, "In order for this to happen, parents need to encourage their children to make as many choices and decisions as possible as early in their lives as possible."

Joy Berry Classics is a collection of books from Joy’s works on living skills for children. Her titles have been broken down into 6 age appropriate series for toddler to tweens. The collections along with some example books are below:

• Teach Me About, for Ages 1-3: Mealtime, Bedtime, Potty Training
• Let’s Talk About, for Ages 4-5: Feeling Angry, Feeling Afraid, Being Patient
• Help Me Be Good, for Ages 5-7: Being Rude, Being Messy, Being Selfish
• A Fun and Easy Way, for Ages 7-10: Getting Good Grades, Doing Your Homework, Clean Your Room
• Winning Skills, for Ages 11-12: Get Over It!, Work It!, Go For It!
• Good Answers to Tough Questions, for ages 6-12: Moving, Divorce, Death, Disasters, Trauma, Substance Abuse

Within each of these series, there are 18-29 books that cover most major topics that a child will encounter within that age range.

My Thoughts:

We decided to try the Help Me Be Good Books with NHL.

About this series from Joy Berry’s website:

Replacing Misbehavior with Good Behavior in Children Ages 5-7, Grades K-2

The normal egocentricity of young children often leads to misbehavior that evokes negative responses from others. These negative responses can lead to a destructive cycle of negative action and reaction. The purpose of the HMBG products is to break the cycle of negative action and reaction. This is accomplished by helping children replace misbehavior with acceptable behavior.

Each HMBG book:

1. Defines a misbehavior
2. Explains the cause of the misbehavior
3. Discusses the negative effects of the misbehavior
4. Offers suggestions for replacing the misbehavior with acceptable behavior

Now a 6 year old in first grade, NHL has learned some "interesting" and sometimes negative behaviors that need to be addressed carefully now. As a teacher, I know that if done the wrong way it will only increase the frequency of said behaviors. We were sent the following titles: Being a Bad Sport, Throwing Tantrums, Being Bossy, Showing Off, Interrupting, Overdoing It, and Lying.

I had seen some of Joy Berry’s books in classrooms that I have taught in before. This was the first time I had used them with my own children. I really like the way the books define what the book is about. First, you meet a character and are told that he/she is going to help you to understand and deal with said behavior. The books do just that. On the left page of each book is explanations about what may be an example of lying, being a bad sport, throwing a tantrum or so on. The right page has an illustration using the character you met and often dialogue with others dealing with or fixing said behavior.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, we were at my Aunt and Uncle’s house for Shabbat. They decided to take some games out. NHL was teamed up with Aunt S against Aunt A. The game involved a lot of strategy and planning. NHL is learning about this in chess, but at six is hard for him to understand completely. At one point he had a melt down and wanted to quit the game. He felt he was losing and was done. We all tried to explain to him that you have to do your best and you can not win every time.

That next day, I found the Joy Berry book about Being a Bad Sport and Tantrums and pulled them out. It was the perfect time to address this topic and discuss how it connected to what had happened the previous day. NHL was actively engaged in the book. It allowed for nice ideas to flow from both of us. Rather than a lecture about good behavior, it showed both sides of the puzzle and how a certain behavior looks on your end and the other side. Ms Berry also shows how to change to a positive bahavior and how this will be rewarded with peers and beyond.

I would highly recommend Joy Berry’s books to other parents to use with their children. My only complaint was I wish we had other books from the collection as things have cropped up. If we had had the entire collection we would have been able to use the CD that has the songs at the end of each book. I imagine that they would really help to bring home the message of the books in a catchy and fun way for children. Now we are thinking about purchasing the Do-It-Yourself Potty Training Kits for Big Boys to try with JSL.

Thank you to Ms. Berry for writing these books and helping children (and parents) for over 30 years and many more to come!

Disclosure: I received the 7 Joy Berry books mentioned above complimentary of Joy Berry Enterprises in order to facilitate this review. no other compensation was given. The opinions expressed in the review are my own feelings about the product that I tried.

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