One of the really fun things about blogging is all the people you “meet.”  Recently a former Unplugged Project participant, blogger and now published author Gwynneth Beasley (hooray Gwynneth – congrats!!) contacted me to see if I would be interested in hosting a giveaway of one of her books.  When she mentioned that it was about the very unplugged activity of camping (unless you are in a 40 foot RV with satellite TV of course, LOL) I was definitely sold.

One night at dinner Zeke announced, ‘I have made a decision everybody.  We are going camping this weekend and no one is bringing the computer, the phone, their mobile, the TV or the DVD.’

- quote from p.1, Zeke, Ky, and the Mountain Stream

Yes, Zeke, Ky and the Mountain Stream is perfect for an Unplug Your Kids review and giveaway!

Gwynneth kindly sent me two copies all the way from Australia, one for my family to read, and the other to give away to an Unplug Your Kids reader.

I wasn’t able to show the book to my children right away since they were camping for a few days with their father.  A happy coincidence I thought!  When the kids returned from a fun camping adventure of their own, they were ripe to read the tale of Zeke and Ky’s camping trip.  They all enjoyed the book and I found them picking it up and rereading it on their own later, even my older children.

Zeke, Ky and the Mountain Stream has a large, easy to read font and the vocabulary is fairly basic which would make it a good choice for younger readers who are just transitioning to “chapter books.”  Each page contains just a few sentences of text and a simple photo illustration.  The book length (18 pages) is also great for younger children with short attention spans.  It would make a wonderful read-aloud book too and could inspire lots of conversations about camping, nature, the power of positive thinking, and the value of unplugging once in a while!

Gwynneth Beasley is also the author of five other Zeke and Ky books, all of which involve nature and typical childhood, “unplugged” experiences.  We’ll be getting a few more of these!

You can check out the links to them all below.  Also, be sure to visit Gwynneth’s blog: www.gwynnethbeasley.typepad.com for some inspiring posts and crafty ideas.

GIVEAWAY

• To enter the giveaway for my free copy of Zeke, Ky, and the Mountain Stream, simply leave a comment with a quick summary of a favorite outdoor or camping activity that you do with your children (or grandchildren, nieces, nephews, etc.).

• For an additional chance(s) to win this book, you can subscribe to Unplug Your Kids (link is in upper right sidebar), and/or to Gwynneth Beasley’s blog (link is in her sidebar).  Just leave another comment here to let me know.

• The giveaway ends on Wednesday, July 28th at 8:00PM PST.  I’ll select a random winner based on all entries, and announce the winner on Thursday, July 29th!

Comments are now closed. Winner to be announced tomorrow (July 30th). Thank you all!!

Do you have a reluctant math student? Unfortunately I have two of them.  My 7 and 9 year-old are stuck in that very tedious phase of math where everything seems to be all about drilling problems.  According to her recent parent-teacher conference, my 4 year-old on the other hand, currently spends much of her time in the “math environment” of her Montessori classroom.  As her proud Mom, I have of course already planned out her future career as an engineer!

The foundation of math can be pretty boring.  I remember that from my school days.  Fortunately I ended up loving math later, and even took it in college.

I keep thinking, if only there was some way to make it clear to them that math can actually be really cool later on, then perhaps they’d be willing to slog through this early stuff until the light bulb comes on for them as it did for me.

Fortunately I recently discovered the math stories by Theoni Pappas.  I bought Fractals, Googols, and Other Mathematical Tales (that’s some of the cool stuff!) and The Adventures of Penrose the Mathematical Cat (my kids love cats).

I have begun reading the fractals book out loud with my oldest daughter. We have read several chapters and she keeps wanting more!  Each short chapter has an easy and creative explanation of a different complex, mind-bending concept presented in story format.  Often there are related activities to do, or puzzles to solve.  At the end of the chapter is a highlighted box with more complete information about the concept, usually involving history or practical applications.

The Möbius strip was one of the real WOW chapters that we have read so far (see our photo above).

Will these books turn my children in to math-lovers?  Who knows, but they are fun!

I get tons of offers to review all sorts of odd things: snack foods (no thanks), prenatal vitamins (not pregnant), infant video games (did you read the title of my blog?), celebrity this and celebrity that (my interest in celebs = ZERO).  Do any of these marketers actually READ my blog first? I rarely accept a review offer.

Well, a while ago I got a very nice email about a publication that sounded pretty good and well-matched to Unplug Your Kids.  Blue Lake Children’s Publishing wanted to know if I would be interested in reviewing their bi-monthly “magazine” (really more like a little book) for 2-6 year-old pre and early readers.  The magazine is called Tessy & Tab, and after checking out their website, I decided that my 4 year-old and I might like to give it a try.

The verdict?  We love it!

As I mentioned before, Tessy & Tab is more like a small stiff paperback book than an actual magazine. This is helpful if you have destructive little-ones!   But as Heather of Blue Lake explained, “kids like the word ‘magazine.”  Your preschooler will love getting their own “magazine” twice a month in the mail.

The main characters of Tessy & Tab are a duck named Tessy and a kangaroo…obviously named Tab.  Each 14 page issue features Tessy and Tab doing fun things that children will enjoy learning about, or are perhaps familiar with.  My packet included issues about flying kites, ice skating lessons, learning to write, making pizzas, a yoga lesson, and crafting jewel mugs.

The subject matter was very interesting to my 4 year-old and the bright and simple illustrations were fun for her too.  The text is basic and the font is large, dark, and easy to read.  My daughter was pleased that she could sound out some of the words herself, and LOVED the part where she got to do an “I Spy” finding different pictures and words that appeared throughout the story.  I think she sat quietly on the sofa for at least half an hour working on her packet of Tessy & Tabs.

From a parent point of view, I like the following:

• Each issue is based on the Six Skills for Early Literacy:  1) Print Motivation (kids LOVE getting mail!)  2) Print Awareness (a word in the text always appears somewhere in the illustration) 3) Building Vocabulary (learn words by recognizing pictures) 4) Narrative Skills (…a beginning, a middle, and an end…)  5) Letter Knowledge (a featured letter every month) 6)  Phonological Awareness (emphasis on syllables and rhymes).

• I can do more than just read the content aloud.  There are also a few activities, some of which my 4 year-old can do on her own.

• The featured letter and number are useful bi-monthly teaching tools that might especially be helpful for homeschoolers.

• There are three “Story Questions” at the end of each issue.  The questions check to see if your child remembered and comprehended the story (there are visual hints too).  A good introduction to the idea of “reading for comprehension” which they will face for many, many years to come in school.

• Twice a month is ideal in my mind for publications geared to children so young.  Although it flies by for us grown-ups, a full month’s wait is a Very-Long-Time when you are 4ish.

• The website has printables, learning games, and activities that go along with each issue.

And last, but DEFINITELY not least!!!

• Tessy & Tab has no advertising.  I don’t have to endure tortured requests for Disney princess fruit snacks or Sponge Bob sneakers after we read an issue.

I have subscribed.

If you decide to subscribe and like this magazine, please tell your friends about it.  If you have a blog, please write about it.

Blue Lake Publishing is a low budget operation and it does not accept advertising.  I really respect this attitude and I wish them well.  I also thank them for bringing Tessy & Tab to my attention!

LINKS:  How does the Tessy & Tab Reading Club Work?

Olivia the pig is in a play…does she earn the lead role of Fairy Queen?  Umm, no.  Much to her dismay, she is cast as Cow Number Two!

I recently agreed to review Simon and Schuster’s new Olivia book, Olivia Acts Out.  When my copy arrived in the mail, we were all very excited.

Although my children and I love all the original Olivia books by Ian Falconer (we own them all!), this one is different.  It is adapted by Jodie Shepherd and based on a screenplay by Pat Resnick (illustrated by Patrick Spaziante).  Screenplay?  It’s based on a TV show!  Having no TV, I didn’t even realize that Olivia was now a show on Nickelodeon.

Although we were unaware of the television connection, I really did like the book as a book (rather than just a tie-in), and so did my children.  It’s cute, it has humor, and Olivia is the same old funny, competitive, full of character piggy.  There is no need to make a connection to a TV show to enjoy this book.

The format of the book is different from the original ones.  Olivia Acts Out is a large board book.  The cover is solid, and the pages are sturdy cardboard.  This sturdiness is ideal for younger children.

The other new element that stands out are the illustrations.  The book is in full color!  The originals were mostly black, white, and red (red is clearly Olivia’s favorite color).  Although I loved the simplicity of the original books, these illustrations are also very engaging.  Olivia still likes red clothes and accessories, but multicolor makes the characters look more realistic.  There is a texture to some of the drawings which should add extra interest for very young children.  The cover is flocked for some fuzzy-texture enjoyment too.

Olivia Acts Out seems like a great book for younger Olivia fans.  The humor is not quite as subtle as in the originals, and the colorful, textured illustrations add lots of extra interest for little ones.  My kids enjoyed it.

Thank you Simon and Schuster!

2010 WINNER – When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

2010 HONORS –

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip M. Hoose

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin (YIPPEE!! Bought this for my 9 year-old for Christmas!)

Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick

2010 WINNER – The Lion & the Mouseby Jerry Pinkney

2010 HONORS –

All the World illustrated by Marla Frazee, written by Liz Garton Scanlon

Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski, written by Joyce Sidman

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!!

PS: How well do you know your children’s book awards? If you can’t tell your Theodor Seuss Geisel Award from your Pura Belpré Award, then you can read up on them all here.

A few more Halloween candy ideas:

• Do science experiments with it!  (Be sure to click the link – I LOVE this website, it is such a nerdy, Mom Unplugged thing!)

• Send it to troops overseas for them to pass out to local children.  For more info, go to the Operation Gratitude website, but basically just send your candy (plus an optional but very welcome $11 to cover the cost of shipping overseas) before December 8th to:

Operation Gratitude/California Army National Guard
17330 Victory Boulevard
Van Nuys, California 91406
ATTN: Charlie Othold

You can also send it anytime to Operation Shoebox at this address:

Operation Shoebox
8360 E Highway 25
Belleview, FL 34420

(Keep in mind that soft or chocolate candy might not travel so well, especially to a hot climate.)

• Find a local dentist who is participating in a Halloween Candy Buyback program.  Participating dentists give your kids $1/pound of candy and then they send it to troops overseas!  Go to the Halloween Candy Buyback website to do a zipcode search for participating dentists in your area. Consider encouraging your children to donate their dollars to a charity that interests them.

• Save it to use on a holiday gingerbread house.  Check out the Flickr Gingerbread House Showcase for inspiration.

• Some food pantries, soup kitchens and homeless shelters accept candy.  Be sure to call first to find out if yours wants it.

• Buy inexpensive cellophane party favor bags and make pretty little candy packages.  Tie the top with a scrap of ribbon or yarn and donate them to your local charitable thrift store for them to sell.  Great stocking stuffers for someone!

• According to this article in the Wall Street Journal Online, some Ronald McDonald Houses accept candy donations.  Call your local Ronald McDonald House to find out.

• Of course you can always do a Candy Bank too, and then use one of these ideas as the final destination for your traded candy!

If you like multicultural children’s books, then I hope you are familiar with the books published by the Global Fund for Children.  The Global Fund for Children recently discovered my review of their wonderful Global Babies board book and contacted me regarding a review of a brand new book, Nasreen’s Secret School.

I am very picky when it comes to requests to review books, most queries end up in my email trash.   But I just knew that this book would be of great interest to us, and to many of you who read Unplug Your Kids, so I accepted this particular request.  Soon I was sent a free review copy of Nasreen’s Secret School.

Nasreen’s Secret School by Jeanette Winter is subtitled “A True Story from Afghanistan.”  It is published by Simon & Schuster for the Global Fund for Children.  The author based this book on a story told to her by an organization supported by The Global Fund for Children that aided secret schools for girls during the reign of the Taliban (1996-2001).

This is the powerful tale of young Nasreen, a little Afghan girl who has not spoken since her parents’ disappearance.  The narrator, Nasreen’s grandmother, is determined to get her out of the house and into school, but girls are not allowed to attend school in Afghanistan:

“The Taliban soldiers don’t want girls to learn about the world, the way Nasreen’s mama and I learned when we were girls.”

There were “whispers” about a secret school for girls behind a green gate.  Nasreen and her veiled grandmother hurry down alleyways to towards the green gate, hoping not to be seen by soldiers (women were not allowed to leave the home without a male relative):  “Please Allah, open her eyes to the world” prays her grandmother.

My 7 and 9 year-old loved this book and I still often come across them reading it and rereading it in quiet corners of the house.  My daughter (age 9) said she liked that it was a true story and how it showed that not all children have the same life she does.

Although the book is written in a simple picture book format, it is recommended for ages 6 to 9.  On every page you will find a vibrant acrylic illustration (also by Jeanette Winter) and just a few short sentences.

Despite its colorful picture book appearance, I would agree that this is not a book for very young or sensitive children due to the serious subject matter.  Nasreen’s father is taken away by soldiers and her mother never returns home after going off to try and find him.  Although mention of these events is brief, it could be distressing for littler ones.

The ultimate feel of the book though, is very uplifting.  It celebrates the strength of ordinary people (particularly women) to overcome adversity and carry on.  It is a wonderful lesson for older children in the value of education and how an education opens windows to the world, and that knowledge is always with you, “like a good friend.”

We also liked the tidbits of Afghan culture that are sprinkled throughout:  Nasreen’s ancient city Herat was once a beautiful place where music and learning “flourished.”  When a soldier demands to enter the school, he finds only a room full of girls reading the Koran, which is allowed (the girls hid their schoolwork).   The women wear a burqa and are completely covered while out in the streets and the girls wear headscarves.  This book offers lots to discuss and discover about Afghan culture, history and politics.

There is additional interesting information about Afghanistan in an author’s note.  Teachers and parents might find it helpful as a starting point for teaching about modern Afghanistan.

Thumbs up from us for this beautiful and educational multicultural book!

LINKS:

• Buy Nasreen’s Secret School from Global Fund for Children
• Global Fund for Children:  Gives small grants to to community-based organizations helping vulnerable children world-wide and also creates and promotes books (plus films and documentary photography) that help increase multicultural understanding.

Have you ever fallen asleep while talking out loud?

I have and it happens most often when I am putting my three year-old to bed, reading her a bedtime story.

My voice gets softer, my words become garbled and trail off, my mouth gapes, my eyes roll up into my head, my neck flops, and just as I begin to drool on my daughter’s head (I know I am painting quite an attractive picture) – I am rudely brought to attention by an indignant cry of “WAKE UP MOMMY!!”

Maintaining my eyes focused and the words flowing freely is absolute torture! An exhausted mommy at the end of her day + warm toddler on lap + boring book = SLEEEEPPPP…….zzzzzzzzzzzz.

Let’s face it.  Some young children’s books are downright BORING.  What my three year-old loves, is often mind-numbing for me.  Even things that seem sweet and charming and lovely when I am awake, are hideously horrible to read when all I want is to have my head on a soft, downy pillow.

I spend a lot of time reviewing books that my children like, but in this post I want to focus on me.  ME ME ME ME – it’s all about ME!!!!!!

Here are a few books that I recommend for those extra-tired bedtime reads:

FUNNY

• Anything by the wonderfully talented and funny Sandra Boynton.  Cute pictures, quick-paced rhyming text, a sense of humor (and mercifully short).  One of my favorites is Hippos Go Berserk which always makes me laugh out loud (kind of reminds me of my college days, or is that TMI?). In fact we read it last night, which is what inspired this post.

• Once Upon a Time, the End (Asleep in 60 Seconds) by Geoffrey Kloske.  Hilarious!  Mr. Kloske gets it about wide awake kids and parents who are oh so desperately tired.  Just look at the cover, it says it all!

Once Upon a Time, the End retells popular fairy tales EXTREMELY (and very amusingly) briefly. Each tale ends with a not-so-subtle message to the listening child to “GO TO SLEEP!” My older children adore this book too. They laugh out loud, but they know when I reach for it as a bedtime reading choice, that I mean business about getting out of there and into my own bed as quickly as possible.

 
• Pigsty (written and illustrated by Mark Teague), a fast and amusing read about a typical messy boy who won’t clean his room. Mom finally gives up nagging and lets him live with his mess – and the pigs who happily move into his room. The plot and illustrations amuse me, plus I am always hopeful that this story might inspire my children to clean their own personal pigsties.

• Antarctic Antics by Judy Sierra, a collection of funny, informative poems about penguins.  These clever verses make me laugh and alleviate any Mommy Guilt at rushing the bedtime process, since they are actually quite educational.

 
LIVELY

• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (by Bill Martin Jr., John Archambault, and Lois Ehlert) and  Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle) are examples of very lively, almost musical books.  While not really inherently interesting for adults, I find the strong, sing-song rhythm of the text of these stories helpful in keeping me interested long enough to make it through without falling asleep.  Tap your foot, slap your knee, play a maraca to the upbeat tempo of the words.

 

• Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? (Dr. Seuss) is another book with a strong beat to its text, plus it lets you exercise your performing arts skills when you demonstrate to your children all the strange noises you (and Mr. Brown) can make. It’s hard to fall asleep while imitating a hippopotamus chewing gum.

 
MINIMAL WORDS/INTERESTING PICTURES
 

Any short book that is mostly pictures (preferably interesting ones) is also good when I am tired.  They allow me to say as much or as little as I have the energy for.  Two of my favorites are: Global Babies by the Global Fund For Children (interesting pictures of babies from around the world), and Baby Animals of the Southwest by Rising Moon Editors (not your usual baby cows and chickens here).

• If you think can make it through the entire alphabet or the numbers 1 through 21, try Alphabet City (a multiple award-winner, including Caldecott) or City by Numbers both by artist Stephen T. Johnson.  These books have wonderful photographic-quality illustrations of typical city scenes in which a letter (or number) can be found in the natural shape of a detail. It is a fascinating new way of looking at the world that captures my attention, even when sleepy.  The cover art explains it best, what do you see here?

 
 
• Look-Alikes: The More You Look, the More You See! by Joan Steiner is another amazing visual choice. Be careful though, there is so much to see in this book that it could go on all night.  When you are exhausted, use this book wisely. Tell your child to find one particular item in each photo, then you’ll be much better off.  I guarantee that you will find new objects in each photograph every time you look at this book (keeps it interesting for parents).

And of course when all else fails, don’t feel bad about resorting to the old tricks of paraphrasing text and turning more than one page at a time!  WARNING:  Won’t work with older kids.  Good Luck!   ;)

 
PS. What tricks do you have for staying awake at story time? What picture books entertain you?

 

While surfing the “What Others Bought” links at Amazon one day last winter, I discovered the wonderful old book Twig, by author and illustrator Elzabeth Orton Jones (1910-2005).  My 8 year-old daughter really likes tales of fairies and magic and this book sounded perfect.  It WAS perfect.  My daughter adored it and read it in one sitting!

She even chose it for her school book report book, complete with a cute diorama (I wish we had saved that to illustrate this post, but alas, it was taken apart and scattered who knows where).

This 1942 story centers around Twig (which was also the author’s nickname), a lonely little girl who decides one day to make a fairy house out of a discarded old tomato can.  I will let you discover the wonderful adventure that ensues.

I am so grateful to Purple House Press, the publisher of our 2002 edition of Twig, for their wonderful work in reprinting this lost treasure!  The mission of Purple House Press is:

“to revive long lost, but well loved children’s books. Today’s children deserve to read wholesome stories from a simpler time and we know grownups want to revisit with old childhood friends too!”

You can still order Twig from the Purple House Press website, but all they have left are more expensive editions autographed by Elizabeth Orton Jones.  We loved the book so much, that I just ordered an autographed copy to have in our collection of very special, keep always, books.

You can also order new (from Amazon affiliate sellers only) or used copies of Twig from Amazon.  Our copy was a used one from an Amazon seller but it was in like-new condition and far less expensive than the Amazon affiliates’ new editions.

After enjoying Twig, my daughter wanted to read more books by Elizabeth Orton Jones. I searched about and found Big Susan, written in 1947 and also published by Purple House Press in 2002.

Big Susan is about a little girl and her dollhouse (the story is based on the actual doll house and dolls that the author played with as a child).  The dollhouse is in complete disarray on Christmas Eve, the one night of the year where the dolls can come to life.

We read this story together as a bedtime book and I laughed out loud at the descriptions of the poor dolls (Nurse was standing on her head in the bathroom wash basin) and the general state of the dollhouse.  It reminded me of our always-messy dollhouse. It also, sadly, somewhat resembles our own house at times (although I have yet to find myself upside down in a wash basin)!

This is a sweet story all about Christmas magic, love, friendship and giving.  My children and I all loved it and were sorry to see it end.  Although it is more of a girl book I suppose, my 7 year-old son adored it and was actually the most eager to keep reading on every night.

Big Susan is easier to find than Twig.  You can order it directly from Purple House, or from Amazon.

Trust me. These are books you’ll love and want to keep to pass down to your grandchildren!

Here are pictures of the text of Twig, to give you some idea of the reading level (it is 152 pages long) – recommended ages 6 to 12:

Here is Big Susan (a slightly easier reading level than Twig with only 83 pages and lots of sweet illustrations by the author) – recommended ages 6 to 10:

In my never ending quest for good early readers, I recently stumbled upon this “treasure” for pirate-loving boys: Treasure Island – Easy Reader Classics Series.  I bought the first two of the set of four for my 6 year-old son who was in need of some interesting reading material.

My son is currently at that awkward, in-between phase of reading acquisition. Even the most advanced Bob Books and other phonics-style readers are too easy and boring, but full-on chapter books are a bit too hard and could lead to frustration.

This Treasure Island series seemed to be just the ticket. Each book is part of an ultra-simplified and abridged version of the classic adventure tale by Robert Louis Stevenson. They describe the adventures of a boy named Jim who, after finding an old treasure map, winds up on a ship in search of the lost treasure. Of course Jim must outwit the pirates who are also seeking the treasure. Is this not the dream of many young boys out there?

My son LOVED the first two books so much (he read them immediately one after the other), that I had to get online right away and order the last two. I am not exaggerating when I say that he was literally counting the days until his books arrived. When they did, he ripped open the box and devoured them both right away.  Any book that has that sort of effect on my new-reader son gets my 5 star recommendation!!

There are other Easy Reader Classics series too: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Jungle Book, The Story of Doctor Dolittle, and The Wind in the Willows. We’ll definitely be trying another set soon, especially since they are all currently part of the Amazon 4-for-3 promotion (that means you can get all four books in a series for the price of three).

Reading Level Facts:

• Each book is 32 pages long and is divided into four chapters so young readers can feel that they are reading a true “chapter book.”

• The type is fairly large and there are just a few sentences on each page which is a perfect layout for short, young attention spans.

• There are many large, colorful illustrations that I actually found to be somewhat mediocre in quality, but my son didn’t seem to mind.

Here are some photos to help you judge the level of difficulty for yourselves: