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Paper Craft Activity Books

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papercraftbooks

‘Tis almost the season when parents everywhere begin looking for special activities and fun things for their children to do while they are on summer vacation. We home school in Oregon year ’round. That means that while we aren’t necessarily focused on special activities for summer, we’re always on the lookout for something fun to do when it’s raining. Indoor activities are a big deal to us!

Recently I was sent a copy of Paper Craft Crazy Critters and Paper Craft Dinosaurs to try out with my kids.

Now, these books happened to arrive on our doorstep on a sunny day in the Spring (rare!) so I thought we’d build one of these  3D models while sitting outside and soaking up some Vitamin D. We gathered up our glue sticks, choose a crazy critter, easily popped out the model and began putting it together.

Here is where I should mention that my children are ages six and four. My six year old was quite excited and ready to conquer the models all by himself but they didn’t work as well for him as he might have liked. The card stock at the models are printed on is nice, thick and strong. Ihe pieces for each model are very easy to pop out and manipulate as needed. Our problem was primarily with the glue sticks. These models will not hold together with your common glue stick. You really ought to use regular glue which is what is recommended by the manufacturer and suggested in the book. Secondarily, we had issues with the tiny little tabs which need folding and holding down and that was impossible for my four-year-old and difficult for my six-year-old. (In fact, the book is flatly not recommended for kids under 4.) That said, the quality of the paper, the bright, bold colors and silly designs of the animals make these models hugely attractive to the kids.

I have nothing but positive things to say about these books. I think the 3D models are well designed and given age and proper gluing agents, would be easy for kids to put together. My six year old agreed that these were lots of fun but that we should likely put them away for another year or so. He enjoyed doing it with me but it’s just a bit outside of his personal reach at this moment. (That or I’m just not crafty at all and haven’t given him adequate opportunities to glue tiny things. Take your pick!)

I would recommend these 3D models to any kid age 7 & up who can glue and manipulate small items for themselves. Each model will take time to build, but the end result is a cute little critter, such as this one, to play with:

critter

Many thanks to Peter Pauper Press for sending these models our direction. My kids truly did love the look and feel of them. We completed one model (which had larger tabs) as a team and it held together well and brought much enjoyment. I’ve no doubt that in another year or so these will be a huge hit as a personal project and so we’ll tuck it away for a bit for optimal enjoyment.

Carrie is not crafty at all and is therefore always on the lookout for books such as these to give her kids a chance to do something “artsy” every once in awhile. She blogs about her creative finds over at Reading to Know. And mostly she blogs about books which she and her children read with some regularity, there being plenty of time in Oregon available to read!

The Altogether Unexpected Disappearance of Atticus Craftsman

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5M4B disclosure

The Altogether Unexpected Disappearance of Atticus Craftman is a delightful book, warm, humorous, with plot twists galore and yet very satisfying as well. I’ve read it twice now. Last summer, I was experiencing something of a personal crisis, and although I read the book I never got around to writing up a review. When I received the paperback version unexpectedly in the mail, I was thrilled. I reread it to have it fresh in my mind, and if anything might have enjoyed it more the second time around. In short, I highly recommend this book! It is nearly perfect, except for a small sour note that I won’t even go into detail about as it will give it too much weight in your mind, and might not even bother you at all.

When the book opens, Atticus Craftsman has been missing for 6 months in Madrid, and his father has come looking for him. Craftsman Publishing is a family affair, with all family members named after famous characters in literature. Several years earlier, the company started literary magazines in several European cities. All are turning tidy profits except for the Madrid one, which is deep in the hole. Atticus is sent to shut down the magazine, close up shop, and fire the women who run it. He never travels without an electric kettle and an ample supply of Twinings tea, which he believes cures anything, and his very special mug. That sums him up right there.

The women who run the magazine, recognizing what’s about to happen, take matters into their own hands. They’re a tight-knit group (and the feminine metaphor is very appropriate), and they are determined to save their jobs. There’s the editor, Berta, a single, maternal woman in her 50s, plump and romantically-minded; there’s Asuncion, whose weight gain is due entirely to menopause and not at all to her habit of bringing in hot chocolate and croissants to team meetings; there’s Gabriela, desperately in love with her husband but just as desperate to conceive; there’s Maria, with a lazy husband and an ever-expanding brood of children who are quite often in need of day care and brought to the office; and there’s Solea, young and enchanting, with blue eyes, long seductive hair, and a tiny waist. They put their heads together and come up with a plan, one that will involve an entire village before it’s through, and cause agony on at least 2 continents and one island.

Why is this such a great book? I think because it’s got everything–mystery, romance, travel, friendship, great kisses, adventure, literature, and above all, humor. It’s full of colorful characters, from Solea’s grandmother, who rises from her deathbed when she gets what she wants, to the uptight and organized Moira Craftsman, come to look for her son, to Inspector Manchego, who enlists his boyhood friends to help him catch a thief. There’s plenty of magic realism, but it’s treated gently and humorously. I’ve been recommending it to everyone. Warning: It will make you want to travel to Spain, but is that so bad?

 

 

Book and a Craft: A Book of Kisses

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With LOVE in the air this Valentine season, we’ve been reading the children’s story A Book of Kisses by Dave Ross and Laura Rader. This story gives kisses all around, sharing why we give kisses and who we give kisses to. It even tells us how to say “kiss” in every language!

A Book of Kisses

To celebrate this story and it’s many kisses, we made Giant Rice Krispie Treat Candy Kisses! These are fun and easy treats to make, helping to share a kiss with your loved ones!

Supplies for Giant Krispie Kiss:

  • Ingredients for Rice Krispies
  • tinfoil
  • wax or parchment paper
  • black permanent marker

Make your favorite Rice Krispie recipe and let them cool poured out onto wax paper. Then pick out a handful and start to form it into a tear drop shape (this works great if you spray your hands with vegetable spray first!) It should look like a Hershey’s Kiss when you’re done.

Then take a 1×15 inch piece of wax paper and write a fun phrase on it like, “I Love You” “UR My Sweetheart” in black marker. Then place the wax paper strip under your Kiss, letting the ends be longer than the actual Kiss. Now wrap your whole Kiss and wax paper strip in tin foil, ending with the top, letting the paper come out of the top. It’s now ready to give someone a KISS with! Happy Valentines!

Marie, who loves to read with her kids, is crafting up a storm at her blog, Make and Takes. She is also the editor of Blissful Kids, where you can find more kid-friendly fun.

A Book and A Craft: Is That You Winter?

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I love the children’s story Is That You, Winter? by Stephen Gammell. Stephen Gammell is the both the author and illustrator of this magical tale. His splashes of paint make for a perfect snowy day, especially as my house is covered in 8 inches of snow.

Is That You Winter?

This story is about Old Man Winter and how he gets up in the morning to make it snow. His truck flies off, trailing snow out the back. The whimsical flurry of snow makes me want to ride along.

For a fun activity and to enhance the story, my kids and I painted our own snowy scene using an old toothbrush and some paint.

Supplies for Winter Time Snow Paint:

  • old toothbrush
  • white craft paint
  • art paper
  • paper plate
  • newspaper & apron – for paint splatter
  • Optional: glue, paper, scissors, markers – for an object on top of painted snow

Cover your area with newspaper. Pour paint onto the plate. Dab a little paint onto your toothbrush. Then using your finger, flick the toothbrush close to the paper, and you’ll see the paint makes fun splashy spray marks onto the paper. (You may want to practice flicking your toothbrush with water first.) After flicking paint some, my kids wanted to scrub the paper with the toothbrush. I think it added to the snow flurry.

While you let your paint dry, create an object that can be glued in your snow scene. We have a red sled and a silly snowman. Once the paint is dry, glue the object onto your paper. Now you have a fun Wintery Wonderland.

Marie, who loves to read with her kids, is crafting up a storm at her blog, Make and Takes. She is also the editor of Blissful Kids, where you can find more kid-friendly fun.

Woman With A Secret

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5M4B disclosure

Woman with a Secret is a riveting psychological thriller by Sophie HannahNicki Clements is utterly incapable of making a good decision, even when it is life threatening. That’s why she’s a Woman with a Secret in the novel by Sophie Hannah. She’s been having a secret online relationship with someone she knows only as Gavin, but there is far more to it than that.

She wants to be a good mother, and she loves both her children Sophie and Ethan and her husband Adam. She’s just not capable of finding enough in her life as it is and has to find someone, somewhere to spill her secrets.

Unfortunately, in the same town, a famous newspaper columnist has been brutally murdered, and Nicki’s suspicious actions as the police are investigating outside his home – which happens to be on her way to her children’s school – cause her to be drawn into the investigation. And since she can’t make a good decision, of course she lies to the police about her actions, even though they – we believe – had nothing to do with the murder of Damon Blundy.

As the police investigate, the husband in charge of the case tasks his wife who is on another duty with unofficially running down leads and investigating. They are both raw characters, as well – impatient, rude, and arrogant in many respects, but finding the truth is still what drives them in the end.

The thriller races along with no character that you truly like. And as odd as it sounds, though I wanted to reach in and shake most of the characters in the novel, this was a book I kept picking up every free moment I had to read “just a little more” because I wanted to see where on earth it was headed.

I always think that I enjoy books because I relate to the characters and get in their heads. I root for them and cheer them on. Then I pick up something like Woman with a Secret and realize there is a whole other aspect of books that are just as compelling where the characters can be somewhat repellant and yet still crafted in a way that draws you in.

Sophie Hannah has done a fantastic job in creating this second kind of novel. It isn’t one that I would want to read sitting down at the pool to relax, but a psychological thriller isn’t meant to be a light beach read. Through the many plot twists and turns, the true story slowly comes out, and you realize how much bigger the murder of Damon Blundy actually is.

The novel flashes between the present and columns written in the past by Damon Blundy, the controversial murdered columnist, and others. This helps explain some of the relationships and antipathy amongst the characters, particularly Blundy who from the start has already been murdered in his home. This knowledge helps explain the motivations that so many suspects have for murdering him – his ex-wives who he’s savaged in his column, a former MP who his columns were partial reason she was forced to resign, an athlete banned for life for doping, the drug using author who he compared with the athlete, another columnist he butts heads with, and more.

Sophie Hannah does an amazing job with her character study, leaving no one as the paragon of virtue in any way. And yet the conclusion is satisfying in its own way, as somewhat abruptly as it occurs.

Written by Michelle of Honest & Truly! who adores the internet, but not what some do with it. See how she makes her own home on it via her blog Honest & Truly! and on Twitter where she is also @HonestAndTruly.

Gentle Fiction: What It Is and Why I Write It

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We are pleased to welcome guest contributor Jeff High, author of the Watervalley series of books (linked to Jennifer’s reviews).

Some of my favorite Southern authors, William Faulkner, Flannery O’Conner, Thomas Wolfe, and James Dickey, just to name a few, all have one thing in common: they didn’t write gentle fiction. They wrote Southern gothic.

Southern gothic focuses on the depravity of our beloved South and typically has characters that are deeply flawed, eccentric, and…usually violent. Every southerner has read about some of these people in the newspaper. Several of us may even know a few. (Heck, I’m probably related to a couple.)

Nevertheless, we learn from these novels. They hold up a mirror to parts of our culture and ourselves that we would rather not discuss or think about. But we read them because they represent some great literature. Albeit, after we’re done we typically contemplate sticking our head in the oven.

But the problem with Southern gothic is this: the gothic viewpoint is not a complete and true picture of the South. Growing up in rural Tennesee, I saw plenty of prejudice, exclusion, and ignorance perpetuated by a host of bugger-eating morons hanging off every rung of the social ladder. But I also knew a richer, kinder South; one that was permeated by an abiding sense of community, a love of the soil, and a devotion to family, friends, and faith. There was also an unquenchable desire to find laughter in the ordinary day. Admittedly, much of the South has changed, but the values of that agrarian culture are still firmly rooted.

more things in heaven and earth

So, here’s the difference. I write about the same South that Faulkner, Wolfe, and Dickey wrote about…the same quiet, ordinary people with the same sins, joys, sorrows, and hopes we all share. But I’m inclined to write about the more redemptive aspects of Southern life, of how flawed people -sometimes willingly and sometimes reluctantly- make courageous choices based on the enduring values that are embedded within them and in their culture.

And I do this under the prose style of gentle fiction.

In truth, gentle fiction is actually an approach to writing that crosses multiple genres. The characters tend to be likeable and redemptive, relationships are a central focus, and the stories generally have an upbeat or positive ending despite the pitfalls of real life and real conflicts.

What you won’t be getting in gentle fiction is a lot of icky blood and guts or graphic sexual descriptions detailing plumbing and positions. Don’t misunderstand; these things can occur in the story because, well, people are people. But effective and elegant writing can invoke the reader’s imagination much more explicitly than tawdry narration or sleazy dialogue.

And, ironically, even though gentle fiction stories are typically infused with quite a bit of wit and laughter, (shucks, I know mine are) they also have the powerful capacity to invoke deep emotions and genuine tears.

The gentle fiction approach to writing is nothing new. Let me offer a few examples: Jane Austin, Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, James Herriot, James Fennimore Cooper, Mark Twain, Louisa May Alcott…and the list goes on and on. As well, many present day writers broadly fit within the boundaries of gentle fiction, including: Maeve Binchy, Francis Macomber, Patrick Taylor, Lisa Wingate, Ann Bates Ross, and, of course, Jan Karon.

But there is one huge problem with writing gentle fiction. The ranks of the critical literati don’t much care for it, particularly in Southern literature.

Wiley Cash’s wonderfully crafted and highly lauded 2012 novel, A Land More Kind Than Home, is an excellent example of modern Southern gothic and has received dozens of accolades from the literary press including The New York Times Editor’s Choice Award.

Conversely, you won’t find a single Los Angeles Times or New York Times Book Review on any work of Jan Karon, who has historically been a number one best seller and has sold millions upon millions of books. Gentle fiction is not seen as having literary significance and the aforementioned critics seem to like southern literature best when we handle a snake or two, smoke Marlboro’s on the porch in our mumu and curlers, and drop the occasional shout-out to Sun-drop. For them to take notice… not only do you have to leave the laundry dirty, you have to hang it in the front yard.

But ultimately, I am convinced that novels such as the Watervalley Series more accurately reflect the contemporary culture that truly exists in the South, stories that celebrate the everyday challenges, the comic frustrations, and the eccentricities of ordinary people.

In the end, I’d like to believe that the stories of Watervalley are a needed breath of fresh air. These glass half-full tales are my love letters to small town life. With each of them, (More Things in Heaven and Earth, Each Shining Hour, and The Splendor of Ordinary Days –to be released 10/15) the reader experiences the delightful possibility of not just being entertained, but of being transported; of being reminded… if only for a few sublime hours, of a life that is rich and wise and wonderful.

Now, go drink a Sun-drop and fry something! (Hey, the critics might be reading this…so, I’m covering my bases.)

I’m Jeff High…and for now in Watervalley, that’s pretty much the high point.

5 Rules for Engaging Readers of Young Adult Fiction {Friday’s Five}

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We welcome guest contributor, author Regina L. Brooks, with an excerpt from her book Writing Great Books for Young Adults: Everything You Need to Know, from Crafting the Idea to Getting Published. Learn more about Regina in her bio at the end of the post.

Before you even start putting pen to paper (or finger to keyboard), there are some issues that need to be addressed. A lot of writers out there think writing YA fiction is easy. It’s not. Some mistakes you might make will condemn your book to languish on the slush pile forever. So before we even talk about the nitty–gritty of how to shape your book—-character, plot, setting, point of view—-we need to talk about the five key elements that can make or break you as a YA writer.

YA Fiction Rule #1: The life of the story depends on the writer’s ability to convince readers the protagonist is one of them

Writing Great Books for YAThe Holden Caulfield rule: Don’t Be a Phony: Imagine traveling to a planet where your survival depends on hiding out among the inhabitants, where being recognized as a phony would mean instant annihilation. In that situation, you’d want to study the locals until you knew just how to look and sound and respond like them. It is the same in YA fiction. In this case, sudden death occurs when the reader, stumbling upon a false image, loses interest. The book closes with the splintering sound of a fatal bullet.

It’s no exaggeration.

Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of J. D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, was always railing against the phoniness of other people, particularly adults. The enduring popularity of Catcher in the Rye demonstrates that teens today are the same way—-they despise fakes.

YA Fiction Rule #2: Don’t be condescending to your readers

Avoid the Preach ‘N Teach: Young people won’t abide stories that suggest that their turmoil or idealism will pass when they “grow up.” Brent Hartinger, author of Geography Club, says, “I’m a big believer that kids are smarter than we think they are.…I think kids can handle complexity and nuances, and the advantage to writing that way is that the book appeals to both teenagers and adults.”

Many adults read fiction as an escape—-teens are no different. Imagine spending a long day in school, learning boring lessons ’cause you’re supposed to, having everyone from parents to teachers to employers telling you what to do, how to think, what to wear, then picking up a novel and having someone else trying to shove another lesson down your throat! I can’t imagine a bigger letdown.

Don’t deal with young people by trying to push them in one direction or another. Deal with them where they’re at now.

YA Fiction Rule #3: Read, read, read today’s YA fiction

Soak it up! A word of caution: don’t emulate your favorite authors, but learn from them. You’ll want to create work that is truly your own. In the resource guide at the back of the book, you’ll find listings for websites that recommend great YA fiction, along with details such as schools that offer writing degrees with a YA focus.

The benefits to reading what’s already on the market are phenomenal. It will familiarize you with what’s selling, how kids today talk, what they wear, what issues concern them, and so on. If you don’t have easy access to a teen, reading books meant for teens is probably the next best thing to having a teen personally tell you what he or she would like to read.

YA Fiction Rule #4: Silence your worries about commercial considerations

Ideals first, meals later: Writing a successful book that aims to attract the widest possible audience should be every writer’s goal, shouldn’t it? The answer is yes and no. It helps to have a general audience age in mind, but you don’t want to be consumed with thoughts about how and whether you’ll sell your work.

This allows you to concentrate on your primary objective, which is to tell your story. If a nagging inner voice surfaces or someone discourages you, rather than pulling on earphones and listening to music as a teenager might, transform the voices through the power of your imagination into “white noise.” This is the all–frequency sound emitted from machines that imparts a feeling of privacy, calming you and allowing you to focus on that world you’re creating. Keep your artistic integrity—-your ideals—-ahead of how commercially successful—-your meals—-you want your book to be. If you focus on writing the best possible book, commercial success will follow later.

As your manuscript develops while you work through the guidelines provided in the ensuing chapters, your audience will become as clear to you as if you were speaking on a stage and looking into an auditorium full of people. If you subsequently work with an agent, the two of you can determine whether the manuscript should be pitched to editors specializing in YA, adult fiction, or both. But the fate of your manuscript will still be up in the air. Editors, who are invested with the power to buy or decline a manuscript, will ultimately determine to whom the book will be marketed.

The significant rise in the success of YA novels has opened the way for a multiplicity of categories, and just to give you an idea, I’ve listed some alphabetically: adventure, chick lit, comical, fantasy, fantasy epics, futuristic, gay–themed, historical, multicultural, mystery, religious, romantic, science fiction, sports, and urban. If your story idea doesn’t fit into any of these categories, you may have to invent one. Consider it an opportunity.

YA Rule #5: In your new world of YA fiction, erect no concrete barriers, instead forge new paths

The Undiscovered Country: From this point on, let your creative spirit be guided by YA Rule #5.The YA field welcomes innovators. Encapsulating the newness of the time, YA novels are being published in nontraditional formats. Three YA authors banded together to compose a novel. Another entry is an interactive book with websites that combines reading with the world of Internet gaming. What will your contribution be? Think fresh.

Remember that young people are trendsetters—-they’re always looking to differentiate themselves from others. It’s how teens forge their own identities. Don’t be afraid to push the boat out as well. Coming up with a fresh idea will set you apart from the pack and might be the thing that sparks an editor’s interest in your work.

Okay, consider yourself warned. Now that you know what not to do, it’s time to learn how to craft the next YA bestseller. Step by step, this book will walk you through the mechanics of what makes a great YA novel.

Find out more in my book Writing Great Books for Young Adults: Everything You Need to Know, from Crafting the Idea to Getting Published.

regina brooksAbout the Author: Regina L. Brooks is the founder of Serendipity Literary Agency and has been developing award-winning authors and books for over a decade. She has been highlighted in several national and international magazines and periodicals, including Poets and Writers, Essence, Writer’s Digest, and Sister2Sister, Forbes, Media Bistro, Ebony, and Jet. She lives in New York City.

Connect with Regina:
@serendipitylit
facebook.com/serendipitylit
serendipitylit.com 

 

Stasiland, a 5-Star Read

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When I was a child in the 70s, I used to sometimes lie awake at night and worry about the Communists. All the stories I’d heard terrified me, and I had nightmares about my parents being shot by them; why exactly was unclear. When the Berlin Wall fell, I was amazed. It seemed to have happened so quickly. I read in the papers about the incredible reach of the Stasi, the Secret Police, and how pretty much everyone informed on everyone else, no detail too small or insignificant for their ever-reaching glare. My fascination was rekindled after watching the excellent movie The Lives of Others. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it—it’s one of my favorite movies.

Australian writer Anna Funder was also fascinated. She lived in West Berlin during the 1980s and obsessed a little about what was behind that wall. In 1994, 5 years after the wall fell, she lived for a while in Leipzig, and later returned to live again in Berlin. She interviewed many East Germans and has written their stories in Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall. The subject matter is endlessly fascinating, and Funder interviews both regular citizens and former Stasi officers. What takes the book up a notch, however, is her writing ability. The book is as easy to read as a novel, as beautifully-crafted as literature. It feels very personal, as the author shares her own thoughts and reactions to people and places.

She interviews Miriam, who nearly escaped to West Berlin as a 16-year-old and was caught and punished brutally, who later was let out of prison and happily married for only a short while, until her husband was taken in for questioning and died in a Stasi remand cell. Her life since liberation has been spent trying to find out what happened to him. The rumours are that the Stasi buried an empty coffin, that her husband hanged himself, that he escaped and is still somewhere. Miriam only wants the truth. She tells Funder of the “puzzle women” in Nuremberg. When the Stasi finally fell, they quickly shredded incriminating documents, but left the shards in huge garbage bags. Volunteers are now painstakingly piecing together these documents. Maybe, Miriam dreams, they will put together something about her husband Charlie, and she can finally be at peace.

Funder, a couple of years later, visits the “puzzle women” and finds both men and women working in pleasant offices, windows wide open. It takes hours to piece together a single sheet of paper, and there are millions. It’s a hopeless, Sisyphean task.

Funder hears tales of live behind the wall; of state-owned television, of underground rock stars (she drinks with the former frontman of a rock band who was once told to his face that he “no longer existed” by a Stasi officer). She sees first-hand the unrepentance and callousness of the former Stasi officers, some of whom act as if the state never died. She meets a woman separated from her sick baby by the overnight building of the wall, and meets that baby, now an adult, raised by doctors and nurses in a hospital ward because his parents were trapped in East Berlin. And over and over she asks the question: is it better to know what happened and bring it all out in the open, or is it better to bury the dead past and begin anew? She doesn’t answer the question per se, but instead leaves it hanging, allowing it to percolate in the reader’s mind as we meet people who have answered it in different ways in their own lives.

Stasiland is an excellent book. It won the Samuel Johnson prize for nonfiction (prestigious prize in UK. I had never heard of it either) and has been translated into many languages. I am also giving it my first ever 5-star rating. It’s that good. I highly recommend it.

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Elizabeth is an avid reader who loves well-written books on a variety of subjects. Learn more at her blog Planet Nomad.

Fabulous Flowers by Klutz, Review

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Having a few Klutz craft/activity books on hand has become a given for me. As a parent, I enjoy that everything is included, and the instructions are thorough enough for kids to generally tackle the projects on their own.

When we were given the opportunity to review the new Fabulous Flowers by Klutz, Amanda and I jumped at the chance.

The age recommendation is 8 and up. I usually find the Klutz recommendations to be accurate, but my very crafty 12 1/2 year old daughter Amanda was a little daunted. She said that they seemed complicated. I asked why, and she said that you had to glue and hold.

When I looked at the set with my eager 7-year old son, I saw that you did have to let the glue dry on the first step of making the flower center, but honestly, there’s not much complicated about it at all.

The directions are very clear, and do require some fine motor skills, but not much skill beyond that.

The book contains punch-out pieces and instructions to guide you in making Zinnias, Daisies, Poppies, Daffodils, Larkspur and more. I love that they are real kinds of flowers and are called by their names.

Kyle and I made a zinnia, so realistic it practically smells good. Well, maybe not, but it was fun, and it is pretty:

You can buy Fabulous Flowers at the Klutz site, amazon.com or your local retailer that carries Klutz books.

Two of you (U.S. addresses only) will win your own copy! Just leave a comment, and we’ll announce the winners here on June 22. The giveaway is closed.

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Jennifer Donovan isn’t so good about creating projects and crafts, so she especially appreciates these sort of kits that make it easy to take a little craft break. She blogs about life with her 7-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter at her blog Snapshot.

The Long Song

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On occasion I read books that I feel wholly unqualified to review – I don’t have an English degree, I’m not a teacher or a librarian, I just love books. The Long Song by Andrea Levy, a 2010 Man Booker Prize finalist now out in paperback, falls into this category.

The Long Song opens with a note to the reader from Richard Kinsman, a Jamaican printer whose mama has decided she wants to get her story down on paper. Her story starts with a slave named Kitty giving birth to a baby girl on a sugar plantation; she first tells the story of legend, involving July falling out of her mama as she continues to hack away at the sugar cane, and then tells of the actual birth in Kitty’s tiny shack. It then jumps ahead to Kitty and July, now 9 years old, walking down the road when the plantation owner and his sister Caroline, newly arrived from England, come upon them. Caroline thinks July is “adorable” so she takes her home to be her personal slave, where she decides July is not a real name and starts calling her Marguerite. The house slaves and the field slaves never come in contact with each other, so July is ripped apart from her mama. We jump forward again one more time to July at age 19, and also the beginning of the end of slavery in Jamaica. July’s position is a pretty good one, as her mistress never beats or whips her, and she quickly learns the crafty skills needed to serve her mistress. A new overseer gains the attention of both Caroline and July and sets forth events in motion that alter both the plantation and July’s life forever.

It doesn’t take long for the reader to realize that July is Richard’s mama, and the story she is telling is her own. What’s not so obvious is who the reader is intended to be. July is telling her story for several reasons: for her son to learn some details of her life she’s never been able to tell him; so she can reach closure before her life ends; for others to know what she considers the truth. The novel switches voice, starting with Richard telling the reader why the book is to be written, then to July telling the reader not to mind her son, finally to July telling the story. July is an unreliable narrator, making it difficult to separate the true story from July’s exaggeration.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Long Song and have added it to our Five Star Reads. July’s voice is unique, charming and humorous, both while telling her story and in her descriptions of living with her son and his family. The book ends in a sort of cliffhanger and I have high hopes that a sequel is soon to follow.

Nancy is a fan of historical fiction that takes her out of her comfort zone. She writes about her boys, books and life in Colorado at Life With My Boys and Books.

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Celebrating National Poetry Month with Kenn Nesbitt and Scholastic Book Clubs

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Each month when you get those wonderful newspaper-y flyers from your child’s teacher, you might notice some sort of special focus. I was happy, and not at all surprised, to see that the April focus is National Poetry month.

I looked over the SeeSaw selections online (Did you know you can now place an order online through Scholastic Book Clubs**, still through the classroom? If your teacher hasn’t set up an online account, ask her to look into it) and found a title that I knew my first-grader Kyle and I would love: Kenn Nesbitt’s My Hippo Has the Hiccups and Other Poems I Totally Made Up.

One thing I love about ordering through Scholastic is they offer special book club versions that are less expensive. For example, this title is generally only available in hardcover, but their paperback version costs several dollars less. To be able to order a couple of books for under $4 each and to benefit the classroom in this age of budget cuts is an opportunity I’m ashamed I haven’t taken better advantage of, so when I got Kyle’s classroom order I did just that!

We enjoyed Kenn Nesbitt’s The Tighty Whitey Spider last April, so it was only appropriate to check out his other collection of poems, and My Hippo Has Hiccups has not disappointed in the least.

I love reading poetry aloud to my kids for many reasons:

  1. It’s quick and easy. I can read one poem in 90 seconds or take 15 minutes and read several.
  2. The fact that it’s poetry screams for it to be heard aloud, rather than read.
  3. When a child reads a poem aloud, it’s easy for them to predict because of internal clues like rhyme. I love hearing that sweet 6-year-old voice sharing a poem with me!
  4. And if it’s Kenn Nesbitt, in addition to sharing sweet mother/child time, we are likely to share a laugh or a snort as well.

This collection has poems about things that kids can relate to (of course with a silly spin), such as big sisters, boredom, pets (the hippo in question as well as another unlikely pet — a banana — and a whole menagerie that drives his sister crazy), school, collections, and even one noting “My Nostril Smells Awesome” — enough said.

This edition includes a CD where Kenn Nesbitt reads many of the poems aloud and also encourages kids to write their own poems. This CD has been in the car, because my son is demanding it any time we go anywhere. He brings along his copy of the book and follows along with the CD.

If you’re looking for some silly poems to read in honor of National Poetry Month, I highly recommend checking out Kenn Nesbitt’s My Hippo has the Hiccups.

**5 Minutes for Books is pleased to be partnering with Scholastic to review books available in their bookclubs each month. Other than receiving a couple of books that we select, we have not been compensated in any way. As always our opinions are our own.

Jennifer Donovan can make things rhyme.
Although she usually doesn’t make time
to craft her byline in a poetic way
it’s an exception she’s gladly making today.

She manages 5 Minutes for Books and blogs at Snapshot.

New York, New York!

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You caught on that Jennifer and I will be attending the big Book Expo in NYC at the end of May, didn’t you? We’re also planning to be at the Book Bloggers Convention so we can see and be seen. (Is that the point? Maybe not. We’re going to learn about the industry and meet and greet our book blogging friends!) And no, I’m not the least little bit excited about it.

In preparation for this upcoming trip, (that our husbands are being oh so very encouraging and supportive of), I’ve been reading and looking at books on New York with my children. Can you guess the first publisher that I checked in with, to see if they had books on New York? If you guessed anything other than Sleeping Bear Press you would be very wrong! When it comes to educating children on exciting and new places, while still keeping things fun, Sleeping Bear Press cannot be beat!

To that end, I took a look at the following books with my kids:

Sleeping Bear Press is probably most well known for their state alphabet books. They are in the process of releasing a new series of board books featuring the individual states. They kindly let us take a look at Little New York which is full of rhymes and riddles for little ones to solve. Of course, each riddle relates to the state in some form or fashion.

Here’s a question for you:

What is the one food that Carrie is most excited to try when she flies out to New York?

Simple and easy to follow and understand, these new board books are a great way to teach youngsters about their own home state. Their collection of states is growing so keep an eye out. So far you can find Little Maine, Little New York, Little Michigan, and Little Pennsylvania.

E Is For Empire: A New York Alphabetintroduces the reader to the state of New York. As I have never been there before, I was curious to read through this book for myself! From A is for the Adirondacks to Z is for Zoot suits, I found this book delightfully entertaining and informative. Apparently New York state is home to the oldest cattle ranch. I didn’t know that. The back of this book also has twenty questions for the reader to answer.

Here’s your next question:

Who is one of Carrie’s favorite U.S. Presidents who happened to be born in New York City?

Times Square: A New York State Number Book is fun and festive looking. I’m almost tired out already just from looking at the illustrated crowd on the front cover! I’m not a big city girl, but nevertheless, I’m looking forward to experiencing it (with Jennifer!) and then being able to leave it and come home again (with more books!) In this book we count cornhusk dolls, apple trees from the Catskill Mountains as well as baseballs and beavers. (I didn’t realize the beaver had such notoriety in New York. Maybe I won’t feel so far away from home after all!)

Here’s your last question:

How many cupcakes is Carrie planning to eat a New York City bakery and how many calories is she going to have to force herself not to think about?

These books have provided a very fun way for my kids and family to learn about the state where mommy will be going here in the near future. We’ve been looking at maps and talking a lot about it. Thanks, Sleeping Bear Press, for being a part of the fun and for providing so much information for us! We sure do appreciate you!

Jennifer also previewed a fun new book that will appeal to those who love New York, as well as those who might be interested in architecture or wire crafting. Wow! New York City: Imagine a City Built with a Paper Clip has really incredible and original art, created by bending copper wire to fashion the cityscape, with pages devoted to Central Park, the Statue of Liberty, the subway and more. The text itself is very simple — easily digested for any preschooler, but I think that the artwork will appeal to much older readers as well. The last two-page spread is called “Boy + Metal = Art” and tells how Rey David Rojas got into wire art. At the end of the book there is also more advanced information like stats and dates and numbers.

Jennifer has a question for you too: How excited is she to be able to experience the fun and wonder of BEA and the Book Blogger Con AND get to hang out with Carrie for 3 days in the city that she has adopted as her own in these last five years???

Read some of Jennifer’s suggestions about what to do in NYC.

Carrie comes by her book obsession honestly, having descended from a long line of bibliophiles. She blogs about books regularly at Reading to Know and Reading My Library.

Good Earth Art

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Even if you aren’t one to Go Green, Good Earth Art: Environmental Art for Kids is a great way to gather new ideas for crafting with kids. This book focuses primarily in using (and reusing) unused and recyclable goods to create art and foster imagination in young minds. (And just in case you were wondering, the book itself is printed on recycled paper!)

Good Earth Art has around 200 arts and craft projects which make good use out old t-shirts, leaves, outdated film, tin cans and even roofing! Everything is broken down into the following categories: Painting and Drawing, Sculpture and Mobiles, Collage and Printing, Weaving and Crafts, and crafts which are Homemade by Hand. Towards the end of the book there are even instructions for young kids to make their own potpourri, natural dyes and perfume! It’s pretty thorough. Furthermore, it spans a wide variety of ages, offering craft ideas for ages 1 and up. This is a craft book that you and your family could make very good use out of for some time.

I’d particularly recommend this book to parents of children who like creating things with their hands and are inclined to gather up household items to put masterpieces together. The instructions and processes for creating the various crafts are straight forward and easy to comprehend. Some materials would need to be purchased in order to fulfill the crafting requirements, but not all.

This is the kind of book that is perfect for the young artist who enjoys exploring the world around them and beyond the price of the book for the ideas, you’ll find few other expenses, if any.

Would you like to win a copy of this book for you and your family to use? Gryphon House has generously agreed to give away one copy of this book to one of our readers. In order to win, you must be a U.S. Resident and simply leave a comment below! Good luck and have fun creating!

We’ll announce the winner May 31.

Other giveaways still open: Asian Heritage Month package, Latino Books Month package

The winners of Rose House are
#25 Ann
#21 Shelly

Carrie comes by her book obsession honestly, having descended from a long line of bibliophiles. She blogs about books regularly at Reading to Know.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss (with Giveaway)

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When I was in 5th grade, we had to do book reports as part of our reading curriculum. I still clearly remember that we had to do at least one of each type of book report: oral, written, and creative. I also remember that we had to read different kinds of books: fiction, non-fiction, biography, and how-to. I made a pinata for my creative report on a how-to craft book, but by far the most frequent fulfillment was an oral book report (no preparation required) of a fiction book.

And the vast majority of those books were Trixie Belden mysteries. The dun-colored paperback books with the distinctive type lined my bookshelves at home. I don’t remember checking them out from the library. I remember buying them any chance I got, and also exchanging them with my friends — the “other Jennifer,” and Sharon.

The fact that three fifth grade girls in one class were reading all fifty books in the series and giving oral book reports made the others in the class (especially the boys) dread it when one of us got up to share about the latest misadventures of Honey, Trixie and the boys. They dreaded it, but I looked forward to reading a new Trixie Belden with great anticipation, and re-reading books brought feelings of comfortable familiarity.

On March 2nd of each year, in honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, the National Education Association sponsors a Read Across America day, calling for every child to be reading in the company of a caring adult.

Since I anticipate being snowed in, I think that there will be lots of reading going on in my home — by the four-year-old, the ten-year-old, and the thirty-(ahem)-year old. I’ll try to be a “caring adult,” but you know how it can be when you are snowed in, right?

In addition to the joy of reading together, we are offering a prize package, sponsored by Cameesa.

In the spirit of Read Across America (and Dr. Seuss’ birthday) talk about the books or series you loved to read as a child. Describe how you got the books, and tell us how reading them made you feel.

Here’s how you can win:

  • For your first entry, leave a comment — or write a post on your own blog — answering the question above (if you write a post on your own blog, leave the link in your comment). My answer is in the first paragraph.
  • For two extra entries, link to this contest on your own blog. If you link to the contest (either within the answer post, as described above, or in a separate post), leave two more comments. You must provide the link to your mention of the contest.
  • Comments that do not contain the answer to the question or a link with the answer post on your own blog, or a link with your mention of the contest will be deleted.
  • Each person can earn one to three entries as listed above.
  • The contest runs March 2 to March 8, ending at 10:00pm Eastern time, at which time a random winner will be selected.

We will randomly select one winner who will receive either a Fiction versus Nonfiction shirt (pictured above) or a Take Me to Your Reader shirt. Then Cameesa will select a grand-prize winner from among all the participating blogs. The grand prize winner will receive their choice of a book (under $100) in addition to their choice of T-shirt.

This giveaway is CLOSED. Thanks for your great comments. The winner is #20 Amy at Hope is in the Word.

Managing Editor Jennifer Donovan also blogs at Snapshot about life with her tween daughter and preschool son.

The Little Hands Art Book

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The Little Hands Art Book from Ideals Books is a top-notch art idea book as far as I’m concerned. Designed for kids ages 2-6, it lays out craft ideas and supplies needed in a simple and easy-to-understand format. I’ve browsed through a lot of craft books for kids and I haven’t seen another that I liked quite so much as this one. I like it because it is simplistic in nature. There’s not a lot on the page. The instructions are straight forward. Yet while the ideas are simple, I wouldn’t have necessarily come up with them on my own.

I am a Wanna-Be-Crafty-Person, not a natural. I like to think I have a healthy imagination (and I do!) but when it comes to creating something that would please a child, I need help! I liked this book very much because it isn’t condescending to me as a parent, in that they don’t go into a lot of detail as to why painting, glueing and cutting is essential to the child’s brain development, etc. I understand that encouraging children to be creative is important. I just need encouragement for me to actually do that with my kid. This book was great. They even provide the recipes for things like homemade playdough, finger paint and flour paste in the back of the book. I think that is particularly helpful as I hate scrolling through a half dozen recipes online wondering which person’s “swear by” playdough recipe is the best. Everything I could possibly need for craft ideas is in one simple place — this book. All I was required to do was go out and buy paperplates and my son had a rousing good time.

My son is 2 and so I thought he’d be a pretty good tester of this book. I let him look through the book with me and we choose a few of the crafts to do that I thought would be age-appropriate. His favorite craft out of this book was the paper spider. (We’re big spider fans thanks to Charlotte’s Web.) After he made his spider he carted it all over the house for the next few days. Great idea! And I would never have thought of it. I’ll let our picture speak for itself. This book is great!

Carrie comes by her book obsession honestly, having descended from a long line of bibliophiles. She blogs about books regularly at Reading to Know.

On Reading: A Time of Her Own

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Whenever I’m asked advice by a newbie writer, one of my first responses is always “read, read, read.” Every writer, I believe, must be a reader too. It is from reading we really learn the tricks of the trade, such as what makes great dialogue, how to transition into a flashback, or how to craft great, compelling plots. Also, for anyone wanting to get published, it is wise to know the genre you wish to write in inside out – whether it’s mystery or thrillers or romance or literary fiction. This means you must read (and read and read!) as many books in your genre as possible.

Yet every time I dole out this advice, I wince a little because I know how hard it can be to “read, read, read.” As a stay at home mom with a five year old son I’m all too aware of how tricky it can be to fit in reading time. Between preparing dinner, doing the laundry, entertaining a fun-loving and curious boy, and trying to work on my next novel, it’s often hard for me to find those quiet moments to select a book, let alone get down to reading one.

But here are my two little secrets for reading time: the ipod and the bathroom!

First off, I’ve discovered the wonderful world of downloadable books. Audible.com is my favorite site and for a little less than a price of a paperback I can download all kinds of new, fun, and classic novels. When I work out at the gym, I listen. When I shuttle about town running errands, I pop my earphones in my ears. It’s amazing how much I’ve “read” in this way, from chick lit to Austen, from Naomi Klein to stories in the New Yorker. The audiobook has really opened up my reading world.

Second, I always keep a novel in the bathroom. If you really want to factor in some reading time, bathroom-reading is essential! Every time I go – yes, every time – I try and read a few paragraphs, ideally a page. It leads to a herky-jerky feeling with the novels I pick, but I have finished a good few books while sitting on the throne, getting those delightful red marks on the back of my thighs and a slightly chilled behind!

So that’s how I do it. I’d love to hear about how other people sneak in reading time. . . .


Joanne Rendell was born and raised in the UK. After completing a PhD in English Literature, she moved to the States to be with her husband, a professor at NYU. She now lives in faculty housing in New York City with her family. Joanne’s second novel, Crossing Washington Square, will be released next summer by NAL/Penguin.

Jennifer recently reviewed her first novel The Professors’ Wives’ Club at 5 Minutes for Mom.

On Reading — We’re Wild About Harry

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Back when the Harry Potter books began to gain popularity — or perhaps I should say that they began to become inescapably popular — I was often faced with the “To allow it or not to allow it” question. Amanda was too young to be interested in them on her own, and I felt that seven or eight was too young, but being the little bookworm that she is, I knew that the Harry Potter question would come up in our household at some point.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about the witchcraft issue of it. We’re not talking about Glinda the Good Witch as portrayed in the Wizard of Oz. Witchcraft, or Wicca, is real these days. In fact, each time I saw those tables set up in bookstores inspired by the Harry Potter craze about casting spells and charms, I shuddered. I knew that Harry Potter was a young boy who was sent to a school to learn witchcraft. I’m not sure I want my daughter to be so charmed by witchcraft, I thought.

So, when the discussions came up, mostly with Christian parents of children older than mine, I generally leaned to the side of “I don’t really like it.”

But. But. But what about the Wizard of Oz? What about Narnia for that matter? Or the Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings fantasy? These people who were taking a hardline stance against the magical world of Harry Potter would often endorse, allow, and even encourage entry to these magical worlds.

I had other Christian friends who had fallen in love with Harry, as adults. I had read reviews all over the blogosphere and witnessed the excitement when a new book was released. So a few years ago, I purchased years one and two, in trade paperback (my favorite binding). I decided to find out for myself if I thought these books would be appropriate for Amanda. (And to be honest, I was looking forward to being captivated myself, regardless of whether or not I decided to let Amanda read them).

Honestly, the first one didn’t really capture my heart. In fact, were it not for the declared love of the franchise from friends and reviewers whom I trust, and the fact that I had already bought Year 2, I may have just left it at that. But oh, book two. With each subsequent year, I became more impressed with J.K. Rowling’s skill of telling a great story, building suspense, and developing characters.

I decided that she could certainly read the first two books when she was ready. Finally at the end of fourth grade, she began to ask. Since she was 9 1/2 at the time, and Harry was 11 in the first book, I thought it was perfectly age appropriate. I let her begin the series, with the stipulation that I would not let her read any books that I hadn’t yet read, and that I could tell her to stop at any time.

As expected, she zipped through the first book and desperately wanted to read the second one. I made her wait a month or two, and then let her read book two. Since it was summer, she devoured that one even more quickly and begged for year three. I again made her wait a bit, knowing that I still hadn’t read book five myself. She ended up reading books three and four over the summer, and I read book five on our vacation.

At that point, I decided that she should take a little Harry break. He and his school pals are teenagers, and I generally like her to stay in an age-appropriate content level. The stories are still magically (no pun intended) wonderful, but the language is a bit harsher, and the emotions are a bit stronger.

You see, had she begun reading the books ten years ago (I mean, if she had been her present age, not a one-year old prodigy), she would have had to wait a year in between books since Rowling was still writing them. She would have grown up along with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. But being a voracious and fast and competent reader, she has the ability to polish off the whole series in less than half a year. I think it’s best for her to wait.

I’ve enjoyed sharing them with her, and I’m sure that I’ll let her read another one within this next year. But I think I’m doing her a favor. Just as I have chosen to draw out the series myself (originally with the intent of waiting for the trade paperbacks’ releases), she has the beauty of knowing that more adventure awaits her. While she waits, we’ll probably enjoy watching a few more of the movies, and perhaps I’ll encourage her to read the earlier books again if she’d like.

There’s no rush. I’ve no doubt that Harry and his friends will live forever and ever and ever. Amanda will be able to share them with her children at the time that she deems appropriate as some of her favorite childhood books.

Managing Editor Jennifer Donovan is a contributing editor at 5 Minutes for Mom. She has been blogging at Snapshot for over two years.

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