Bea Reviews Read To Your Toddler Every Day by Lucy Brownridge & Illustrated by Chloe Giordano

Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date:
Buying Links: Amazon* | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository*  | iBooks* |
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Science tells us that young children develop best when they are read to. In this follow-up to Read to Your Baby Every Day, soothe your toddler with retellings of traditional folk tales, fairy tales and fables from around the world paired with images of Chloe Giordano’s charming hand-embroidered illustrations on cloth.

Every tale is the perfect length to read aloud to your toddler before bedtime and carries a message of empathy, friendship and care for the world around us. Bond with your toddler and help them grow as you read to them these timeless stories:THE THREE WISHES, Scandinavia

THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER, Ancient Rome

BRER RABBIT AND THE WELL, North America

HOW THE BEAR LOST HIS TAIL, Iroquois

THE MAGIC PEAR TREE, China

WHY THE BANANAS BELONG TO THE MONKEY, Brazil

THE FISHERMAN AND THE GENIE, Syria

THE STONECUTTER, Japan

THE RAINBOW SERPENT, Indigenous Australia

THE CLEVER LITTLE TURTLE, Mexico

THE SCRUFFY DUCKLING, Denmark

THE LION AND THE THORN, Ancient Greece

ANANSI AND THE TURTLE, Caribbean

KING MIDAS, Ancient Greece

A BAG FULL OF STORIES, Cambodia

THE MICE AND THE ELEPHANTS, India

SNOWFLAKE, THE SNOW CHILD, Russia

WHY CATS CHASE MICE, Nigeria

HOW THE WREN BECAME KING OF THE BIRDS, Ireland

THE FEAST, Mali

Make Every Child a Reader this #GivingTuesday, November 28th

Last week I shared a post about First Book and Chronicle Books donating books to children this holiday season. Today I want to share how you can help children get books via another organization, Every Child a Reader.

Every Child A Reader is dedicated to inspiring a love of reading in children and teens across America. They support all those who inspire children and teens to enjoy reading— parents, educators, librarians and booksellers across America — year-round as well as through their popular and long-running national programs which include Children's Book Week (every year I review only children's books on the blog during that week), Children's & Teen Choice Book Awards, National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, the Reading Without Walls Challenge, and the Anna Dewdney Read Together Award. Every Child A Reader works to connect young children and teens with books that they love and create lifelong readers. They aim to give children books that reflect their world.

Every Child A Reader reaches out to schools, libraries, and communities across the US. Every little bit of support helps in furthering their mission and reaching children in all walks of life.

Want to help? Donate directly, any time during the year and not just at the holidays, at http://everychildareader.net/donate/ Then spread the word and share this campaign with your friends, family, and colleagues. Use #GivingTuesday and #MakeEveryChildaReader in your social media posts and link to the url: http://everychildareader.net/donate/

Every little bit will help, and a donation of $20 will help:

Ship children's books to a health clinic (Every child who comes in for a check-up gets a free book from Every Child a Reader)

Print and mail  word puzzles and draw-your-own story pages to 10 rural and urban schools and libraries across America.

Produce online and downloadable voting ballots for our 4 book prizes, the only national awards voting on only by kids and teens. 

BUY A BOOK, GIVE A BOOK Campaign Update:

I got an email from Chronicle Books concerning their campaign -

This weekend, for every book you buy on our website, we'll donate three to a child in need through our non-profit partner First Book.

And don't forget our Friends + Family sale, get 35% off with free ground shipping on everything with code GIVEBOOKS

Now, go share your love of books with a child! 

Bea Reviews ABCs of Physics And ABCs of Mathematics by Chris Ferrie

Series: Baby University
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: October 3rd, 2017

Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

The ABC's of Physics introduces a new physics concept for every letter of the alphabet, all the way from Atom to Zero-point energy.

A Home Without Books, Can You Help? A Guest Post by Author Linda Poitevin

Today I'm delighted to have one of my favorite ladies and authors, Linda Poitevin, on the blog. Linda Poitevin is a writer possessed of both a light side and a dark one. On the dark side, she’s the author of the Grigori Legacy, an urban fantasy series featuring a hard-as-nails cop caught up in the war between Heaven and Hell. In her lighter moments, she writes the sweet and funny Ever After contemporary romance series. And when she’s not plotting the world’s downfall or next great love story, she’s a wife, mom, friend, coffee snob, gardener, walker of a Giant Dog, minion to the Itty Bitty Kitty, and avid food preserver (you know, just in case that whole Zombie Apocalypse thing really happens).

Today, though. she's not here to talk about a book, well, not one of her books. Let me turn things over to Linda and she'll explain.

Calling All Readers and Authors: Help A School, Donate Books!

 

This article about a school library has been all over my Facebook feed this week and I decided to share on here for those of you who may not have seen it.

There's a school in Nevada that hasn't had a working library for about a decade; they haven't had any new books for eight years. None. Not one. I have a hard time fathoming that. I was fortunate with my school libraries and am fortunate now with my local libraries. They had/have budget issues but there are always new materials. Now, this school's library is being restarted and they need books, movies, and music. From the article -

We need racially diverse books. We need graphic novels. We need women’s studies. We need science. We need series. We need film. We need comics. We need music. We need biographies of important people. Looking for Young Adult. Classics. We want zines! Contemporary. Poetry. Everything that would make a difference in a young person’s life. Writers send us YOUR BOOK.

They have an Amazon wish list, or you can send them something that you think will spark a teen's mind, have relevance to them. It can be brand new or a gently loved item from your own collection. Please, nothing in poor shape. Don't send them your trash.

I've gone through my collection of unsolicited YA review books and will be shipping them out, probably on Monday. Want to save some money on shipping and you're in the US? Check out the postal service's media mail option. It's how I send books. It can take several weeks to ship but it can be significantly cheaper than shipping first class.

Also, I love that the students have a say in the new library and are an active part of designing the space. How awesome is that? Their input is wanted and solicited and they'll be more invested in using and taking care of the space. Just wonderful. <3

ETA: All the information you need about the school and donating can be found in the original article, here.

A final word from the article -

So here’s what I’m asking. Will you donate a book? A real book. Something literary or fun—something that speaks to your truth, their truths. Something that teaches them something about the world. Makes them feel less alone?

I’m not asking for money. I’m asking for you to send a new book or film or cd to us to help us build a library we can be proud of. Just one book.

Bea Reviews Thirty Million Words: Building A Child's Brain by Dana Suskind

Publisher: Dutton
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: 
Challenges: NetGalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | OmniLit* | iTunes | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

The founder and director of the Thirty Million Words Initiative, Professor Dana Suskind, explains why the most important—and astoundingly simple—thing you can do for your child’s future success in life is to talk to him or her, reveals the recent science behind this truth, and outlines precisely how parents can best put it into practice.

The research is in: Academic achievement begins on the first day of life with the first word said by a cooing mother just after delivery.

A study by researchers Betty Hart and Todd Risley in 1995 found that some children heard thirty million fewer words by their fourth birthdays than others. The children who heard more words were better prepared when they entered school. These same kids, when followed into third grade, had bigger vocabularies, were stronger readers, and got higher test scores. This disparity in learning is referred to as the achievement gap.

Professor Dana Suskind, MD, learned of this thirty million word gap in the course of her work as a cochlear implant surgeon at University of Chicago Medical School and began a new research program along with her sister-in-law, Beth Suskind, to find the best ways to bridge that gap. The Thirty Million Word Initiative has developed programs for parents to show the kind of parent-child communication that enables optimal neural development and has tested the programs in and around Chicago across demographic groups. They boil down to getting parents to follow the three Ts: Tune in to what your child is doing; Talk more to your child using lots of descriptive words; and Take turns with your child as you engage in conversation. Parents are shown how to make the words they serve up more enriching. For example, instead of telling a child, “Put your shoes on,” one might say instead, “It is time to go out. What do we have to do?” The lab's new five-year longitudinal research program has just received funding so they can further corroborate their results.

The neuroscience of brain plasticity is some of the most valuable and revolutionary medical science being done today. It enables us to think and do better. It is making a difference in the lives of both the old and young.  If you care for children, this landmark book is essential reading.

Bea Reviews Reading Magic by Mem Fox

Publisher: Harvest Original
Format Read: paperback
Source: borrowed from a co-worker
Release Date: September 4, 2001
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Bestselling author and literacy expert Mem Fox reveals the incredible emotional and intellectual impact reading aloud to children has on their ability to learn to read.

All parents want and expect their children to learn to read, but few realize they can get their kids on the road to reading long before they start school simply by reading aloud to them every day. With passion and humor, acclaimed author and internationally respected literacy expert Mem Fox tells readers how she herself became aware of the astonishing effects that reading aloud and bonding through books have on very young children.

She speaks of when, where, and why to read aloud and demonstrates how to read aloud to best effect and how to get the most out of a read-aloud session. She walks readers through the three secrets of reading which together make reading possible. She gives guidance on defining, choosing, and finding good books and closes with tips on dealing effectively with the challenges that sometimes arise when children are learning to read.

Filled with practical advice, activities, and inspiring true read-aloud miracles, this book is a must for every parent-and for anyone interested in how children learn to read.

This Holiday, I Pledge to Give Books

I am always happy to give books as gifts and the holidays are no exception. Thanks to Read Now Sleep Later for the heads up about this book donation campaign. Anything that involves children and books is right up my alley and I think that First Book does wonderful work.

Chronicle Books and First Book have teamed up this holiday season to give books to children. Share your love of reading, support your local book store, and help promote literacy! For every #GiveBooks tweet, pin, and online signature, Chronicle Books will donate a book to a child in need through First Book. The goal is to donate 10,000 books by December 15. I've signed the pledge, pinned about the campaign, tweeted, and shared on facebook. What will YOU do?

This holiday, I pledge to GiveBooks! Take the @ChronicleBooks @FirstBook pledge at http://ow.ly/ptMuP or RT to be counted! #GiveBooks

Want to purchase books from Chronicle Books? Use discount code GIVEBOOKS to get 30% off and free ground shipping - http://www.chroniclebooks.com/

You can also donate to First Book.

Related articles

• This Holiday, I Pledge to Give Books (chroniclebooks.com)
• This Holiday Pledge to give BOOKS! (tapestry193.com)
• Holiday Gift Guide: MyChronicleBooks Personalized Books #Giveaway #giftguide (ahensnest.com)
• Chronicle Books Holds Bake Sale for Typhoon Haiyan Relief (mediabistro.com)
• Give Thanks, Give Books: An Interview with Illustrator Gemma Correll (chroniclebooks.com)

First Book and Their Big Give Campaign for Children

It's holiday season; last month there was Diwali and this month there's Hannukah and Christmas, oh and winter solstice. The month of January has Kwanzaa and undoubtedly I've missed some. What all these holidays have in common is the tradition of giving; giving your time, your money or an actual physical present. It's also a time of year when many, many organizations of all varieties seek your money.

First Book is no different; they always need money so that they can provide low-cost or free books to children in need. Since I work with young children and I am an avid reader, this organization seems tailor-made for my support. I'm getting ahead of myself; here's some basic info about First Books from the Groupon page:

First Book is a nonprofit that aims to empower children from low-income families in the United States and Canada by improving their reading skills and subsequently their academic success and quality of education by increasing their access to books and educational resources. The organization connects classrooms and programs serving children with brand new books through its First Book Marketplace, where it sells new books online to community programs and schools at a reduced cost, and through the First Book National Book Bank, a clearinghouse for en masse donations from publishers. Since 1992, First Book has distributed more than 100 million books and educational resources in partnership with a network of more than 35,000 schools and programs across North America. After receiving books from First Book, children read more at home and overcome a pervasive barrier to success.

First Book has partnered up with Groupon, the social coupon site, to make it easy for people to donate money to buy books. Please, take a minute, share your love of book and donate to help a child out and make them happy. Thank you. <3

Give the gift of reading to a child this holiday season!

The autumn/winter holiday season has begun and gift giving is on many people's minds. Scholastic Books is also thinking about gift giving and they want your help. This year, Scholastic, The UPS Store and Marine Toys for Tots Foundation are gearing up for the holidays with the READ EVERY DAY holiday campaign to promote the love of reading and encourage all families to help give books to kids who need them most, including those who lost books due to Hurricane Sandy.

Here’s how you can help:

1. Download Storia®, Scholastic’s teacher-recommended children’s ereading app, and help pass on the reading to kids in need. Upon downloading Storia, families will receive five free children’s ebooks (Scholastic chooses them so they may or not be relevant to your kids needs and wants) to start a home digital library. For every additional ebook purchased on Storia now through Dec. 31, 2012, Scholastic will donate a children’s book to a child in need through the Toys for Tots Literacy Program (with a minimum of 50,000 books committed).
2. Visit a participating The UPS Store location across the U.S. now through Dec. 31, 2012 to purchase a donation card to benefit the Toys for Tots Literacy Program, a year-round initiative of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. Every dollar donated helps provide new books from Scholastic for less fortunate children in local communities throughout the U.S. Customers can also donate online at The UPS Store Facebook page.  As part of the longstanding collaboration with Scholastic Literacy Partners, The UPS Store location that raises the most money during the holidays will receive 500 books to share with families in their local community.

This holiday literacy drive is part of Scholastic’s global literacy campaign, Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life, an effort to help all children experience the love of reading and owning a book.
Help us spread the holiday cheer – give the gift of ereading and we’ll donate a book. It’s that easy!

I downloaded Storia and it seems like an okay app, though not the most user-friendly. You have to set up bookshelves when the program first starts up. When you click on a bookshelf, after setting it up, the upper right has a "More eBooks" icon in the upper right. Clicking it gives you a pop up with five more books; however, clicking on the book info does not do anything or take you to the book's page. So, if you want more info about that book, you have to leave the app. Now, that may be so that kids can't accidentally purchase a book when using it but as an adult using the app, it was annoying. I can't use the program in my classroom and I don't have kids of my own so I won't really use the app but I was curious about it. I perused Scholastic's blog and they do have posts on using Storia with children so that's a plus.

Regardless,  I'm pleased that Scholastic is working to help young children and their families. I will definitely be visiting my local The UPS Store location to donate books. Take a few minutes this season, or better, all year long, and give the gift of reading.

Childrens Book Week

This week is apparently Childrens Book Week. Somehow, I did not know this until yesterday afternoon, reading my email and tweets. So, I've moved around some reviews and this week, I will post reviews of childrens books. The first one will be up later today.

Some info: Established in 1919, Children's Book Week is the longest-running literacy initiative in the country. Each year, books for young people and the joy of reading are feted for a full week with author and illustrator appearances, storytelling, parties, and other book-related events at schools, libraries, bookstores, museums, and homes from coast to coast! Fore more information, please go to http://www.bookweekonline.com 

How, how, how did I not know about this before? I teach preschool, I read, I blog. *shakes head*  Oh well. Next year I'll be more on top of it.