Summer Reading - Family Fun

One of life's greatest pleasures for me is reading a good book. This has been a constant joy in my life since I was in second grade. As a child, a trip to the public library "beat" a trip to the local park or even to the community pool. I still have to endure my family sharing how when we went to the drive-in movies as a family, I would have a book in my hands. Okay, maybe I was a bookworm...proud of it!

Today's public libraries are awesome! You can check-out DVDs, surf the Internet, or pause and read the latest edition of your favorite magazine. And, the offerings for children are delightful! Most branches offer special story hours for preschoolers at least once a week. With summer comes the always fun (and literacy promoting) "Summer Reading Club". If you've never included this in your child's summer fun, then start NOW! It's a great way to get children of all ages "interested" in leisure reading, and you can never start too young OR too old.

If you are scoping out some "fun" reads for your youngster to take along on summer vacation or to summer camp, here are a few age-ranked offerings:

For ages 8-12:
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey (Mysterious Benedict Society)
by Trenton Lee Stewart

Goosebumps HorrorLand #1: Revenge of the Living Dummy
by R.L. Stine

For ages 9-12:
Six Innings
by James Preller

For ages 12-17
Audrey, Wait!
by Robin Benway

All of these treasures, and many more, can be purchased and/or explored through the ChildCares.com Amazon store (click here).

Additionally, here is a helpful link to 2011 Summer Reading Lists:
http://childrensbooks.about.com/od/forparents/tp/summer_reading.htm

One of my very favorite Mary Engelbreit "sayings" is:
"Books fall open, you fall in."

For me, this always has, and still does, say it all...

Early Literacy Programs

I'm an avid reader, and have been since I learned to read. I grew up spending many hours each week in my small town library. I vividly recall one of my favorite gifts ever. I was in 4th grade when I received a book club subscription to Nancy Drew books. I could not wait for each new book to arrive in the mail. Many years, and many book clubs later, I still have a passion for both reading and for owning my own books. This love for reading, along with my career in education, spurred me to become a literacy advocate.

Dolly Pardon has always been a gem in my eyes, but I imagine (pun intended) her literacy project, Imagination Library, has made her a gem in the eyes of many non-country families around the globe.

Dolly grew up in east Tennessee in Seiver County. Back in 1996, she decided she wanted to foster a love of reading for the preschoolers, and their families, in her home county. Dolly wanted children to be excited about books and to feel the magic that books can create. She wanted to insure a program that would get books into every preschooler's hands, regardless of family income - her Imagination Library was born.

The program, that started in Seiver County, now encompasses the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. A brand new, age-appropriate book is mailed out to each child in the program every single month, up to the age of 5, with Look Out Kindergarten Here I Come being the final book to be delivered. Imagine the joy a child feels each month when they receive that new book in the mail!

The Dollywood Foundation partners with community organizations around the globe to provide this program to preschoolers. For all the details, please visit their site:

http://www.imaginationlibrary.com/

This could be an excellent literacy resource for your community - good luck!

Great New Preschool DVD Series

Lots To Learn is an award-winning DVD series for preschoolers. The series introduces preschoolers to the world of nature, the world of animals and the world of music. It is original and refreshingly different. Children join Buster and Gato in fun explorations, such as counting in Spanish and singing along with a kazoo. Each volume of the series includes singing, dancing and exercising. There is imaginative live-action video and colorful, interactive animations. The only problem will be how your preschoolers will want to "do it again"!

Summer Reading Fun

One of life's greatest pleasures for me is reading a good book. This has been a constant joy in my life since I was in second grade. As a child, a trip to the public library "beat" a trip to the local park or the community pool. I still have to endure my family sharing how when we went to the drive-in movies as a family, I would have a book in my hands. Okay, maybe I was a bookworm...
Today's public libraries are awesome! You can check-out DVDs, surf the internet, or pause and read the latest edition of your favorite magazine. And, the offerings for children are delightful! Most branches offer special story hours for preschoolers at least once a week. With summer comes the always fun (and literacy promoting) "Summer Reading Club". If you've never included this in your child's summer fun, then start NOW! It's a great way to get children "interested" in leisure reading, and you can never start too young OR too old.

If you are scoping out some "new" reads for your youngster to take along on summer vacation or to summer camp, here are a few fun offerings:

For ages 8-12:
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey (Mysterious Benedict Society)
by Trenton Lee Stewart

Goosebumps HorrorLand #1: Revenge of the Living Dummy
by R.L. Stine

For ages 9-12:
Six Innings
by James Preller

For ages 12-17
Audrey, Wait!
by Robin Benway

All of these treasures, and many more, can be purchased and/or explored through the ChildCares.com Amazon store (click here).

One of my very favorite Mary Engelbreit "sayings" is:
"Books fall open, you fall in."

For me, this always has, and still does, say it all...

CraigsList.com

I only discovered this awesome resource in the last couple of years, and as I mention it to others, I realize that a LOT of people out there still are unaware of its existence. This is an especially great resource for those of us who work in the education arena. The domain is www.craigslist.com and it is available pretty much all over the country which means you can check it out specifically to your "neck of the woods". I love it. There are no fees involved.

Here's an example: You can search for teacher supplies by way of doing a "search" for teacher supplies in "garage sales" or do a broad search in ALL "for sale" categories. It works both ways: if you have equipment for sale, etc., then list it on CraigsList at no charge, AND, no fee even when you actually make the sale.

Needing to hire someone or looking for a new position? Then why not check out CraigsList as a possibility???!!! You can even post your resume at no charge.

Needing to expand your children's library with gently used books at reasonable cost or maybe even at no cost? This site is an excellent resource for just that type of thing.

So, what do you have to lose? Check it out; you can thank me later. : )

Kids Dart. Drive Smart.

Kids dart into streets without checking for oncoming traffic. And because their depth perception isn't fully developed, young children can't accurately judge the distance of an approaching car.

Riley Hospital for Children partners with the community to remind motorists to slow down and take extra precautions as children return to school OR as they are out and about for the summer - both times of the year when more children are injured while playing and bicycling.

To find out how you can get involved in Riley's Kids Dart. Drive Smart. campaign, visit www.ACallToChange.org.

Life's Seasons

I meant to add this to the earlier post:

"Childhood is the most beautiful of all life's seasons."

— Anonymous