"Graham Cracker Kid" & More on Kid Lit Giveaway Hop

I'm very pleased to be donating 7 books (4 autographed) for The Kid Lit Giveaway Hop! It is open May 13 to 19th, 2013 in honor  of Children’s Book Week and hosted by Mother Daughter Book Reviews, Youth Literature Reviews and others. Over 90 children’s book or teen literature bloggers, authors, publishers, and publicists are giving away copies of fabulous books, gift cards, cash, or other prizes. What better way to celebrate Children’s Book Week than GIVEAWAYS! Here is what I am offering to a lucky winner in the US or Canada:

Country Music Legend Tommy Overstreet 
7 No. 1 Hits, 26 Top Ten Singles

1. The Graham Cracker Kid and the Calico Girl, by the songwriting team, country music legend Tommy Overstreet and the late Dale G. Vest, is a touching and timeless story about two charming children in the Old West. The poetry is beautiful and endearing. This is a book to be treasured by generations of young folk but adults will enjoy it too. There is humor and suspense and a host of delightful characters that add joy and delight to every page rendered beautifully in oil on canvas by artist Jesse Anderson. (PreK to 2nd). eBook only $3.99.
 
2. The Fabulous Flying Flag Farm by Nancy Robinson Masters. (Ages 7-10.) Autographed. Ed Roy Odom was different. He kept squirmy things in his notebook. He put ketchup on everything he ate—even ice cream. He thought girls were dumb. Each time we said the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, Ed Roy would have the hiccups. On purpose. Nancy Robinson Masters is the author of over 40 books. A flag is included with this book.

 
3.  The Cotton Gin by Nancy Robinson Masters was published by Scholastic for Inventions That Shaped the World series. Autographed. Readers learn about the mechanics of the machine that Eli Whitney is often credited with creating and receive an overview of various models of the gin. Young readers will gain an appreciation for how new technology often affects history, economics, and society as they learn how the gin made removing seeds from cotton easier and faster - and the effects on the Southern plantations and the textile industry. (Elementary)

4. Extraordinary Patriots of the United States of America: Colonial Times to the Pre-Civil War by Nancy Robinson Masters. Daring! Defiant! Determined! Discover the extraordinary contributions of many well-known, little-known, and unknown American patriots who established a new nation unlike any other. Each of these brief biographies will inspire today's citizens to become the extraordinary patriots of the future. (Teens thru adults.) eBook only $2.99.

Nancy Robinson Masters
Recipient of the Scottish Rite Masons’
Stephen F. Austin Distinguished Service Award

5. In Grandma's Day by Paul Humphrey. Steck-Vaughn Company's Read All About It series inviting children to explore "first information" book. While visiting their grandma, two children learn about what life was like when she was young. Beautiful illustrations with only a few words on each page. (PreK to K.)

6. What about Hearing? Raintree Steck-Vaughn Published the What About Series presenting topics simply and directly. Both striking photos and art in a bold style support the clean, concise text. Captions add further information about this science subject. (Elementary)

7. The Happy Mommy Handbook: The Ultimate How-to Guide on Keeping Your Toddlers and Preschoolers Busy, Out of Trouble and Motivated to Learn by Katie Norris and Susan Case. Autographed. Okay~I realize this book is for moms - but you deserve it! And there are reading tips included to help your child enjoy the magic of reading. In this unique book, Mommy with Selective Memory presents parenting dilemmas, then I give child development explanations behind our activities so that you can play an active role teaching your child with hands-on discoveries and movement. A bestseller. eBook only $3.99.

The rafflecopter runs from May 13th through 11:59pm May 18th. Only US and Canada entrants please. But there are 90+ bloggers participating in this monumental book giveaway and some are World Wide giveaways. Please feel free to hop around all you want, but I hope you will come back and visit soon!

I am having problems getting the Rafflecopter option Pin It to show an image or description - but you can easily click on this post's Pin It button above to pin. Thank you very much.
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway




Happy Hopping to Great Giveaways!

Would you like a glimpse into Kindergarten? See Kindergarten: Tattle-Tales, Tools, Tactics, Triumphs and Tasty Treats for Teachers and Parents (ebook $2.99). Moms of Preschoolers - let us help save your sanity, one project at a time with The Happy Mommy Handbook: The Ultimate How-to Guide on Keeping Your Toddlers and Preschoolers Busy, Out of Trouble and Motivated to Learn (ebook $3.99). Both are bestsellers and also available on Barnes & Noble and Kobo. 

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How can we enhance children's
reading this summer?

Teach Kids to Tie Bows and Make a Beautiful Wreath

Are you trying to teach a child to tie their shoes? Here is a fun way for children to practiced tying bows while making a wreath from material scraps. Children will feel a sense of accomplishment as they tie long strands of material around a wreath circle. Or you can make a wire circle using a coat hanger. My grandson Brody made a wreath using wire that held a bail of straw together to make an upcycled gift that cost nothing - and helped him learn to tie bows. What a great gift to a mom or teacher - learning how to tie shoes!

Planting Seeds of Science: Gardening with Kids

"This roly poly is tiggling me."

Gardening provides magical opportunities for children to learn through hands-on science as they explore the outdoors and watch a seed grow into food. They can learn about the life cycles of seeds and critters, how to respect our environment, the seasons, weather and much more.

The Happy Mommy Handbook: Now on Sale for 2 Days for only $.99

The Happy Mommy Handbook is currently No. 1 in Parenting and is only $.99 thru 4-9-13! The price will be $3.99 after that. You can purchase the ebook from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo. It is also in print for $9.24 and makes a wonderful gift for moms and teachers of preschoolers.

Katie Norris, Mommy with Selective Memory, and a mom with common dilemmas, has co-written this book with me, a former Kindergarten teacher, to help moms of preschoolers. Our book can help save your sanity - one fun, inexpensive project at a time. You'll learn the child development explanations behind the activities as your preschooler becomes better behaved while learning. This book is also helpful to prepare your child for kindergarten, homeschoolers, and those who have children with special needs.

The Happy Mommy Handbook has been a number 1 bestseller in several categories  and has many 5 Star reviews. Here is an example:

5 Things Parents Should Avoid Saying to the Teacher

Of course, parents want to believe their child behaves perfectly at school and many parents think their child is gifted. As a former teacher, I feel like I've heard and seen most everything. But here are statements parents say that can make a dedicated teacher cringe.

Reasons to Read Aloud & Personalized Book Giveaways!

I See Me Personalized Books

Children whose parents read aloud to them become better students. They are stronger readers, have a broader vocabulary, listen better, become better writers, have a better imagination, and have more confidence - all of which leads to a better performance in school. The priceless bonus is that they have bonded with their parents through a love of books.


I'm going to share a personal story with you. When my daughter was three, I was told she was mentally retarded and had autistic tendencies. I just couldn't believe that she wouldn't learn to read - coming from parents who had read thousands of books. I did not have a teaching certificate then - only a strong desire to help her in any way I could. We shared books together every night. I still cherish Big Bird Goes to the Park and taped it numerous times to hold it together because we read it so many times. We looked at ABC books and talked about the letters and made their sounds. We read books of all subjects: Silly books, rhyming books, science books for young children. And as an adult, she now reads at a 5th grade level - higher than many adults. How can this be?

The Facts about Recess and Academics

Recess is being scaled back or eliminated from many elementary schools. Among the reasons are increased pressure for higher academic scores. 

But at what cost? Are scores increasing as recess decreases? 

No. In fact, studies are concluding that physical activity can improve cognitive learning, increase neuron connections, and decrease inappropriate behavior in the classroom, as well as the obvious benefit of improving physical health.

Remember when we had three recesses a day - one in the morning, one after lunch and one in the afternoon? Esther Entin, M.D. states "Since the late 1970's children have lost 12 hours a week in free time, a 25% decrease in play and 50% decrease in unstructured outdoor activities." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's physical activity guidelines recommend that children do an hour or more of moderate-intensity to vigorous activity a day. The Institute of Medicine advises that at least 30 minutes, or about half the daily physical activity, be done during the school day. Yet only about 11 percent of states and 57 percent of districts require elementary schools to provide students with regularly scheduled recess, according to CDC.
 
Research confirms that recess can play an important role in the learning, social development, and health of elementary school children.