I am a believer in graphic novels as a legitimate way to read and tell a rich story. This genre is new to me so I had an assist by a Mom friend with a decent library of them. Thanks Lynn!
I think that when a book series is different and successful such thatnit creates its own mini genre that this is only a good thing. Just like Harry Potter which broke publishing notions that kids won’t read very, very thick books, Diary of a Wimpy Kid series also got kids wildly excited to read. And though the lead character is a boy, girls were also reading this series in droves. I also think that the graphics helped to legitimize graphic novels from comic book status to it-counts-for-your-reading-log status. In any case, if your child needs more Diary of a Wimpy Kid but has read all the books, here are more options including some that skew younger and older.
Sorry, moms and dads, but it’s your job — not the schools’ — to find books to get your kids reading and to make sure they read them…and other great advice by author James Patterson on how to get your child to be a voracious reader.
Simple Skip Counting Songs to Learn Multiplication and Division. Fun free multiplication games to play on the computer.
Reading list for boys, grades 1-6. I love to find books that excite reluctant readers. The key is to find that magic intersection that marries your child’s just-right level with content that matches their interest and a layout that is visually appealing (small chunks of text broken by pictures, larger font size, etc.). Alas, this is a moving target. I have an actual person that I select these books for, my youngest son’s best friend’s older brother who is a 4th grader with my oldest. My mom friends have had success with these books for their reluctant boy readers and suggests you try them. If you want to purchase a book, click on the image of the book to buy at Amazon.com.
Your child insist on chapter books but isn’t ready for Newbery Award authors? Sick of low quality series about weird schools or fairies? Here are suggestions beyond the obvious ones. Mom and teacher approved.
I am thrilled that she is loving to read and now that she is cranking through book series, I am noticing a pattern: she loves fast paced, fantasy adventure books, particularly those in which the main characters possess special powers. I asked her for her Top 5 Series recommendations and all fit the bill except for The Mysterious Benedict Society. These series also have unisex appeal as I have noticed that she is lending out her books to both male and female classmates. Finally, these books are appropriate for a wider audience beyond 5th grade, I’d say the range is grades 3rd through 8th.
The Geisel Award is given annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English in the United States during the preceding year. It was founded in 2004 and the first award year was 2006, so it’s a fairly new award. That’s great because it’s a list that is actually plausible to work through! What Easy Readers have you and your kids enjoyed? Let’s add it to the list!
A list of favorite picture books that are not widely known.
Tips, Tricks, Do’s and Don’ts to Getting an Athletic Scholarship
My oldest daughter is lucky in that she has the best Middle School librarian who really cares about finding books that make kids excited to read. He posted this list on our school eNewsletter which is how I found it. I think that by Middle School, students pretty have a good sense of the types of books that they like to read so his list, by genre, is particularly helpful. His list includes: Adventure/Mystery, Realistic Fiction, Humorous, Historical Fiction, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Horror/Supernatural, Science Fiction, Biographies/Non-Fiction, and Poetry. There is something for any tween or teen on his list!
What is your tween/teen enjoying? Please share! And what is your librarian recommending? They always have great recommendations!
Adventure/Mystery
The Girl Is Murder by Kathryn Miller Haines
Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey
Death Cloud by Andrew Lane
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
Tunnel Vision by Susan Shaw
The Secret of ROVER by Rachel Wildavsky
Realistic Fiction
Then I Met My Sister by Christine Hurley Deriso
Tall Story by Candy Gourlay
The Summer I Learned to Fly by Dana Reinhardt
Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt
Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley
Now Is the Time for Running by Michael Williams
Humorous
The Accidental Genius of Weasel High by Rick Detorie
The Absolute Value of Mike by Kathryn Erskine
Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
Withering Tights by Louise Rennison
The Fourth Stall by Chris Rylander
Historical Fiction
City of Orphans by Avi
Strings Attached by Judy Blundell
Jefferson’s Sons: A Founding Father’s Secret Children by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Five 4ths of July by Pat Raccio Hughes
Bird in a Box by Andrea Davis Pickney
Small Acts of Amazing Courage by Gloria Whelan
Graphic Novels
Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol
Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge
Around the World by Matt Phelan
Bad Island by Doug Tennapel
I Love Him to Pieces by Evonne Tsang
The Last Dragon by Jane Yolen
Fantasy
Chime by Franny Billingsley
Entwined by Heather Dixon
Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter
The Floating Islands by Rachel Neumeier
Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
Horror/ Supernatural
The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong
Flip by Martyn Bedford
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
The Poisoned House by Michael Ford
This Dark Endeavour: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein by Kenneth Oppel
The Chronicles of Harris Burdick: Fourteen Amazing Authors Tell the Tales by Chris Vall Allsburg
Science Fiction
Ultraviolet by R. J. Anderson
Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky
Human.4 by Mike A. Lancaster
Invasion: A C.H.A.O.S. Novel by Jon S. Lewis
Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories by Kelly and G. Grant Link
Blood Red Road by Moira Young
Biographies & Non-Fiction
Mysterious Bones: The Story of Kennewick Man by Katherine Kirkpatrick
Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom by Sue Macy
How to Cook: Delicious Dishes by Maggie Mayhew
Into the Unknown: How Great Explorers Found Their Way by Land, Sea and Air by Stewart Ross
Wideness and Wonder: The Life and Art of Georgia O’Keeffe by Susan Goldman Rubin
Poetry
Hidden by Helen Frost
Planet Middle School by Nikki Grimes
Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall
Orchards by Holly Thompson
Unlocked by Ryan G. Van Cleave
The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic by Allan Wolf
To view any book more closely at Amazon, please click on image of book.
Saved Money on Car Insurance? Reward Yourself and Your Family
By Dale Cooper
When buying a new car, finding affordable car insurance isn’t always a priority. Drivers often get caught up in the excitement of a new vehicle, not realizing that comparing several automobile insurance quotes can save just as much money over time as comparing several vehicle quotes before choosing the best price. Shopping around for car insurance when buying a new car can free up money every month to be spent on other vehicle expenses or fun family activities. Here are just a few ways to take advantage of the money you save after shopping around for car insurance.
Road trip: Take your family on a weekend getaway to a local attraction or campground. If you’re looking for road trip destination ideas, check the tourism website for your state. You can find information on state parks, museums and other points of interest. Road trips are easy to plan and relatively inexpensive. They’re a great way to get the family out of the house for a while, and explore the area near where you live.
Roof or bike rack: If your family is the outdoorsy type, you may want to use your car insurance savings on a roof rack or bike rack for the car. Depending on the type of rack you buy, you’ll be able to haul equipment such as kayaks, canoes, skis and snowboards. Bike racks, which fit either on the trunk or on the roof of a car, allow you to take the family bikes to a nearby park or biking trail. These inexpensive devices open up a world of outdoor family activities to enjoy.
Car entertainment: If your family spends a lot of time in the car, you may want to look into a few media upgrades. If you listen to music on road trips, the vehicle’s factory speakers and stereo system may not provide the best experience. Investing in a stereo upgrade can make a considerable difference for the audiophile in the family. Traveling with small children can be a challenge, but portable DVD players provide a welcome distraction for kids when they get antsy.
Car repairs: Sometimes it’s best to spend your savings on something practical. If there’s a car repair that you’ve been putting off, now may be the time to take care of it. When left unchecked, many car problems can cause further damage to your vehicle, resulting in repair costs exceeding the price of the initial repair. Whether you need a replacement clutch or new suspension system, using the money you saved on car insurance to fix your vehicle can save you and your family a headache later on.
My Dad Friend James has been checking out alphabet phonics apps lately so I asked him for a summary of his findings as my kids are well past this stage. Here’s what he says…
ABC Shore for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch.
* focused specifically on upper-case alphabet/letter recognition – not the related but different skills of reading, spelling, vocabulary, writing, lower-case, cursive, etc.
* able to be used by even very young kids independently – perfect on mom’s iPhone in the backseat of the car. No need for mom to adjust settings, worry about advertising or branded characters, help kid navigate levels, etc. No inappropriate content.
* fun for kids without sacrificing educational benefit – much more enjoyable and likely to be used than flashcard-style “drill ’til you kill” apps. Not so silly that kids don’t learn anything.
* economical – not free, but cheaper than similar apps
* timely – who doesn’t want to play on a beach as winter approaches 
. $.99
Alphabetic for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch.
A challenging letter search game, most suitable for slightly older children due to its settings/features and frantic pace. It has a “chat with other players” feature which makes me nervous and seems out of place in an app for young kids. They also encourage you to buy their other apps from within the app itself. $1.99
iWriteWords a handwriting game for iPhone and iPad.
A fun app but more focused on writing the alphabet and numbers than learning to recognize them. They’re related but different skills as you know. If kids like “connect the dots” style tracing, they’ll enjoy this one. $1.99
Shape-O ABC’s for iPad.
Uses cute puzzles to teach spelling of simple words. Spelling seems like a higher-order skill than letter recognition so this app would seem more suitable for a child with more advanced literacy skills. $1.99
Super Why for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch.
From PBS, so you know it’s fun and based on their educational research. The app has 4 games within it so there’s good value for money. Young kids will like it, but it emphasizes spelling and literacy skills like rhyming and letter writing. Recommended! $2.99
Dr. Seuss’ ABCs for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch.
Pricey but one of the all-time best and most recognized kid alphabet apps. Emphasizes letters but also vocabulary, spelling, picture-word matching. Delightful artwork and narration. $3.99
Alpha Writer for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch.
Very pricey app for kids learning to read by forming words. If you teach spelling with phonetics, you’d like this one since it reinforces letter sounds, especially when they’re combined. Needs a parent involved to explain some complex phonemes. $4.99
To view any app at the iTunes store, just click on image of app.
Now accepting nominees for our third annual Mom Congress on Education and Learning Conference!! One outstanding mom from every state to receive an all-expense paid trip to Washington, DC to attend Parenting’s 2012 Mom Congress on Education and Learning conference April 29-May 1, 2012. The 51 lucky winners will be celebrated at a three-day event where they’ll connect with the nation’s leading education experts and moms across the country to exchange ideas about the best ways to improve our nation’s schools.
All nominees can be submitted online at: http://www.parenting.com/
The deadline for entries is February 15, 2012.
Do you have questions about bullying? Are you worried your child is being bullied, or that your child may be a bully? Bullying doesn’t end in school. Do you have to deal with a bully at work?
The Detroit Free Press is taking your questions about bullying this week.
Post your situation or question on this blog.
We’ll ask Tara Michener, founder of Professionals Against Bullying, as well as other experts for advice, and report back on Friday.
To get my middle daughter to write this post, I had to do two things:
1) Plug her blog called Picky Kid Pix in which she reviews the few items in her life that make her cut.
2) Just type exactly what she says.
These are her words, not mine:
I think that every book is boring in the beginning. Maybe the second or third chapter is when it starts getting good. Just keep reading.
This is her advice to any kids who read these books, or any chapter book in general.
p.s. The book are in no particular order.
Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech
I didn’t like the book until the kids got to Ruby Holler and then I loved it.
The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall
It’s just a really good book. The beginning was very boring until they got to the vacation house and met a boy named Jeffrey. Then it started to get good.
Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall
Once I knew the first book was good, I just read it because I knew this one would be good too.
Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall
This was a very interesting book because it’s when Jeffrey finally meets his dad but doesn’t know it.
Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater
The movie and the book are totally different. Nothing similar about it at all.
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
It’s a lot of little books that make a big book and a talking monkey.
Matilda by Roald Dahl
This book was one of my favorites because Matilda had a very bad life and then a very good life after she gets adopted.
Clementine series by Sara Pennypacker
I like Clementine because this series is funny and she just made a new book called The Family Meeting. I bought it with my Christmas money and I know that it’s going to be good.
No Cream Puffs by Karen Day
It’s interesting that a girl plays baseball on a boys’ team and she’s one of the best players, if not the best.
To view any book more closely at Amazon, please click on image of book.
My middle school’s school nurse just sent this out and I thought this was great information.
Here are concussion symptoms from The Mayo Clinic:
The signs and symptoms of a concussion can be subtle and may not be immediately apparent. Symptoms can last for days, weeks or even longer.
The most common symptoms after a concussive traumatic brain injury are headache, amnesia and confusion. The amnesia, which may or may not be preceded by a loss of consciousness, almost always involves the loss of memory of the impact that caused the concussion.
Signs and symptoms of a concussion may include:
Some symptoms of concussions may be immediate or delayed in onset by hours or days after injury:
Symptoms in children
Head trauma is very common in young children. But concussions can be difficult to recognize in infants and toddlers because they can’t readily communicate how they feel. Nonverbal clues of a concussion may include:
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Each winter, hundreds of thousands of young athletes head out to ice and ski slopes to enjoy, practice, and compete in a wide variety of winter sports. There’s no doubt that these sports are a great way for kids and teens to stay healthy, as well as learn important leadership and team-building skills. But there are risks to pushing the limits of speed, strength and endurance. And athletes who push the limits sometimes don’t recognize their own limitations-especially when they’ve had a concussion.
A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury-or TBI-caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or by a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth. This sudden movement can cause the brain to bounce around or twist in the skull, stretching and damaging the brain cells and creating chemical changes in the brain.
While most athletes with a concussion recover quickly and fully, some will have symptoms that last for days or even weeks. A more serious concussion can last for months or longer.
No one technique or safety equipment is 100 percent effective in preventing concussion, but there are things you can do to help minimize the risks for concussion and other injuries.
For example, to help prevent injuries:
If you suspect someone may have a head injury, be sure to remove the person from play and have him or her evaluated by the health care professional. Let the health care professional know how the injury occurred, if the person lost consciousness and for how long, and if the person experienced any memory loss or seizures.
The injured person should stay out of play until a health care professional says they are symptom free and it’s OK to return. A repeat concussion that occurs before the brain recovers from the first can slow recovery or increase the likelihood of having long-term problems. In rare cases, repeat concussions can result in brain swelling, permanent brain damage and even death.
For more information about head injury, contact the School Nurse or visit www.cdc.gov/Features/
Adapted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Here are the rest of the 2012 Children’s and Young Adult book awards…”The American Library Association (ALA) today announced the top books, video and audiobooks for children and young adults – including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Printz awards – at its Midwinter Meeting in Dallas.”
p.s. The rest of the 2012 ALA awards are here.
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children.
Winner
Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade by Melissa Sweet
Sibert Honor Books
Black & White: The Confrontation between Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene ‘Bull’ Connor by Larry Dane Brimner
Drawing from Memory written and illustrated by Allen Say
The Elephant Scientist by Caitlin O’Connell and Donna M. Jackson, photographs by Caitlin O’Connell and Timothy Rodwella
Witches!: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem written and illustrated by Rosalyn Schanzer
Stonewall Book Award
Stonewall Book Award -Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award given annually to English-language children’s and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience.
Winner
Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy by Bil Wright
Honor Books
a + e 4ever drawn and written by Ilike Merey
Money Boy by Paul Yee
Pink by Lili Wilkinson
with or without you by Brian Farrey
William C. Morris Award
William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens.
Winner
Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley
Finalists
Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard
Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults
YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults, ages 12 – 18, each year.
Winner
The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery by Steve Sheinkin
Finalists
Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom and Science by Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos
Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition by Karen Blumenthal
Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way) by Sue Macy
Music Was It: Young Leonard Bernstein by Susan Goldman Rubin
To view any book more closely at Amazon, please click on image of book.
Congrats to all the authors, illustrators, publishers, friends and family who helped in the creation of all these wonderful books! Which books have you and your kids read and which ones do you recommend? Please share!
p.s. I also posted on the Silbert, Morris, Stonewall and Non-Fiction YALSA here.
John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature.
The 2012 Newbery Medal winner is Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Breaking Stalin’s Nose by Eugene Yelchin
2012 Caldecott Winner
Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children.
A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka
Caldecott Honor Books
Blackout illustrated and written by John Rocco
Grandpa Green illustrated and written by Lane Smith
Me … Jane illustrated and written by Patrick McDonnell
Prinzt Award
Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults.
2012 Printz Award Winner
Why We Broke Up written by Daniel Handler, art by Maira Kalman
The Returning written by Christine Hinwood
Jasper Jones written by Craig Silvey
The Scorpio Races written by Maggie Stiefvater
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book.
Tales for Very Picky Eaters written and illustrated by Josh Schneider, is the Geisel Award winner.
I remember reading A Wrinkle in Time about — dating myself — 35 years ago and how much I loved this book and this author. It was as if entire worlds opened up for me; suddenly science was something mysterious and exciting, as it should be, not something to toil over and memorize.
And yet, I had only a fuzzy recollection of the plot. Much like a dream when you wake up and know that you’ve just had the most pleasant dream ever but can’t remember anything but just the feeling it gave you.
So I really enjoyed the re-read over the December break and fifty years since its publication, the story is as compelling, mind-expanding, suspenseful, and engaging as it was for me more than three decades ago. Is it because it’s a tale of a classic theme of good versus evil; light against dark? No, there is so much more to this book. Madeleine l’Engle is not just a great storyteller, but a scientist, dreamer, and philosopher.
Why is it that tales of epic battles against Evil/darkness/chaos rivet us so? Is it the state of our human condition? Or are we actually continually locked in a battle against sone kind of omni-potent Evil that is the cause for human suffering? Is this the only way we can explain war?
And furthermore, is it possible that our blue planet is shadowed by evil that threatens to take over? If you enter the world of Madeleine L’Engle, anything is possible and plausible.
Here’s another hypothesis: she is simply one who resists IT — a.k.a. The Great Darkness, Evil, the devil. Perhaps she’s a Chosen One. It would not be a far cry in the world of Madeleine L’Engle and, I, for one am glad for her and for it. (Not IT).
“… some of our very best fighters have come right from your own planet, and it’s a little planet, dears, out on the edge of a little galaxy. You can be proud that it’s done so well.
“Who have our fighters been?” Calvin asked.
“Oh, you must know them, dear,” Mrs. Whatsit said.”
… Jesus, Leonardo da Vinci, Michaelangelo, Shakespeare, Bach, Louis Pasteur, Madame Curie, Einstein, Schweitzer, Gandhi, Buddha, Beethoven, Rembrandt, St. Francis, Euclid, and Copernicus.
For those who want to explore more deeply the pantheon of great people in history that are listed in A Wrinkle in Time, They Stood Alone: 25 Men and Women Who Made a Difference by Sandra McLeod Humphrey is a great non-fiction tie it. Many of these 25 are the ”fighters” mentioned above: Leonardo da Vinci, Nicolaus Copernicus, Marie Curie,Albert Einstein, and Mahatma Gandhi. Coincidence? Are there coincidences in the world of L’Engle??
And what is remarkable about the 50 year anniversary of A Wrinkle in Time is how it has stood the test of time. My oldest, now a 6th grader, has recently discovered this book and loved it much like I did 35 years ago. Such is the power of parental love. Madeleine L’Engle knows all about that too.
The Quintet Boxed Set:
And …
A WRINKLE IN TIME 50th ANNIVERSARY EDITION
The 50th Anniversary Commemorative edition features:
* Unique to this edition † never previously published
To view any book more closely at Amazon, please click on image of book.
p.s. Please LIKE the 50th Anniversary A Wrinkle in Time Facebook page.
p.p.s. Here’s the blog tour schedule:
Week 1: Revisiting A Wrinkle In Time
January 16 -20
Week 2: Sharing A Wrinkle In Time
January 23 – 27
Week 3: Characters in A Wrinkle In Time
January 30 – February 3
Week 4: Expressions of A Wrinkle In Time
February 6 – February 10
The J. Sorese Visual Companion
Week 5: Reading A Wrinkle In Time for the First Time
February 13 – 17
I Just Wanna Sit Here And Read
