Poof....then gone

National Poetry Month is winding down, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get your rhyming on and join the fun! Check out the Academy of American Poets website to find out what events around the country are close to you, plus learn about the origins of this special month and 30 ways you can celebrate the love of poetry! Poetry isn’t just lots of fun to read, it can also be a great tool to teach kids how to read. Reciting nursery rhymes to your kids as infants is one of the first ways they get exposed to the world of literature. The rhythms of the rhymes highlight the sounds and syllables in words—they are the perfect primer for budding bookworms! When your children get a little older, get them on the poetry bandwagon by reading some funny poems that rhyme. Kids love a good belly laugh and there’s no better way to get them hooked on books than to have them laugh out loud! Also consider making poetry time special by bringing out some milk and cookies (or juice and fruit) and having each child read a poem aloud to everyone else. This will help build their confidence and hopefully foster a love of the written word! In honor of National Poetry Month, I've highlighted some great books this week that you can use to teach your child about the fun of words that rhyme. The classic nursery rhyme Jack and Jill gets an update in this version with funny fighting raccoons—but they still go up the hill! Finicky eaters will love Green Goo by Terri Rowe, a tale of a dinner gone wrong.

Another great rhyming tale is the lyrical adventure "If I Could" by Nancy Sweetland, which takes a sweet journey through a child’s daydreams. There are million of poetry resources in stores, on the internet, probably in books you have laying around your own home. Poetry is a fun, quirky way to play with words. It is short, flowing and lots of fun. Integrate poems into your child's reading today. Be blessed and read on.

Poetry month 2012 nearly complete.....

When you learn a poem by heart, it becomes a part of you. You know it in your mind, in your mouth, in your ears, in your whole body. And best of all, you know it forever. From the creators of the bestselling You Read to Me, I'll Read to You series comes this new collection of poems especially suitable for learning by heart and saying aloud. With personal introductions by former Children's Poet Laureate Mary Ann Hoberman -- as well as her own time-tested tips and tools for memorization and recitation -- and vivid illustrations by Michael Emberley featuring his trademark wit and lively characters, Forget-Me-Nots includes more than 120 works from both classic and contemporary poets, from childhood favorites to lesser-known treasures. This anthology will inspire a love of learning poetry!

 Another great book I recommend is "How to eat a Poem: A Smorgasbord of Tasty and Delicious Poems for Young Readers. Here are some poems from the book:



 The First Book by Rita Dove: 


 Open it.
 Go ahead, it won't bite.
 Well....maybe a little. More a nip, like. A tingle.
It's pleasurable, really.
 You see, it keeps on opening.
 You may fall in.
 Sure, it's hard to get started;
 remember learning to use knife and fork? Dig in:
You'll never reach bottom.
 It's not like it's the end of the world-
 just the world as you think you know it.



 Introduction to Poetry by Billy Collins

I ask them to take a poem
and hold it up to the light
 like a colour slide
or press an ear against its hive.
I say drop a mouse into a poem
and watch him probe his way out,
or walk inside the poem's room
 and feel the walls for a light switch.
I want them to waterski
across the surface of a poem
waving at the author's name on the shore.
 But all they want to do
is tie the poem to a chair with rope
and torture a confession out of it.
They begin beating it with a hose
 to find out what it really means.


 How to Eat a Poem by Eve Merriam

 Don't be polite.
 Bite in.
 Pick it up with your fingers and lick the juice that
    may run down your chin.
 It is ready and ripe now, whenever you are.
 You do not need a knife or fork or spoon
 or plate or napkin or tablecloth. 
For there is no core
 or stem
or rind
 or pit
or seed
 or skin
 to throw away.

 Have a joyous weekend. Read some poetry to your kids. Laugh and rhyme together. Let the language flow. Read on in poetry. Blessings.

Keep a Poem in Your Pocket by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers POEM IN YOUR POCKET DAY is TODAY! (print, clip,pocket and share!) Keep A Poem in Your Pocket by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers Keep a poem in your pocket And a picture in your head And you'll never feel lonely At night when you're in bed. The little poem will sing to you A dozen dreams to dance to you At night when you're in bed. So-- Keep a picture in your pocket And a poem in your head And you'll never feel lonely At night when you're in bed. thanks to reader jennybell for suggesting this poem!

Celebrating a true classic

Charlotte's Web is one of my all time favourite books ever. It has touched the lives and hearts of many generations, been made several times into a movie and still has the impact it once had. To think that this timeless classic has been around for sixty years is amazing. This is a book I highly, highly recommend that your kids read. If you have not exposed them to this enchanting tale before, now is the time. Why not bake a cake, decorate it with a spider's web and a little plastic spider and print the words....I can read...on the top. Enjoy the cake while you start reading the book together and then give the book as a gift to your child. As you give a book as a gift you are imparting the priceless gift of reading .... a gift that is life changing. Be blessed and read on.

Brilliant idea (and marketing)

Poem in Your Pocket for Young Poets: 100 Poems to Rip Out and Read is divided into ten sections, each with a title that sometimes comes from a poem, whether it is the first line or the last. How Poetry Comes to Me, The Sweet Earth, Lots of Play, Puppies of Hush, Where You Never Were, Little Fish, The Wild Cheese, There is Rain in Me, They Loved Paperclips and The Grandpa Knee make up the divisions and the poems that Navasky has selected and arranged are wonderful, all touching on things that will be meaningful to children, all filled with beautiful (sometimes terribly beautiful) imagery and language. There are a handful of poems that the youngest listeners will enjoy, but really, I feel like the poems in this book are best appreciated by kids eight years old and up. Please find this book and share it with everyone you think would appreciate it. Keep poetry alive! Look for pocket sized poems from Poem in Your Pocket for Young Poets: 100 Poems to Rip Out and Read this week! I personally am going to buy several copies for my grandkids and family members. I adore this idea. (Wish I had thought of it.) Teachers buy a copy and use it in your classroom! Each day choose a child to come forward, read the daily poem THEN carefully rip out the page and use it throughout the day to read to people she meets in hall, at recess, the school staff, visitors too. Make it very, very special. The child then can take it home and share the poem with family members. Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant! I would probably have a badge made up with "Poem of the Day" or "Poetry Rocks" written on it so each child could wear it while he reads the poem. What fun! How creative! Read on. Read poetry. Poetry month is counting down so get busy.

Become a read-a-holic

I will be a reading addict all my life and I am at peace with that fact. It is so much fun to hunt, troll and browse around to find a really good book to read. We in our society always put a negative spin on the word addict but it can be a positive thing too. I always have one or two books ahead that I know I can reach for when the current book I am reading is finished. There is something wonderful about looking at my night stand and seeing those books waiting to be discovered. I feel so blessed and rich knowing that I have the skills and means to purchase any book I want. Sometimes that means more to me than money wealth....book wealth is a powerful thing. I can learn, travel, create, dream, imagine and explore any land or topic that I wish to. This is something that you can introduce to your kids. Always try to have a new book tucked away for that special occasion, a book surprise night, or a book to tuck into a birthday present as a gift. Highlight a variety of book genres to your kids. Give them a special place of honour in your children's lives. Make reading, giving and receiving books a valuable and noble thing to do. No, being a book addict is a good thing. Make sure you do not cross the line and become a book hoarder though. When you are finished with your piles of yummy reading be sure to sift through to donate, sell or pass on to other family members. I will be .... the first to admit I am a book addict, willing to pass this addiction on to my kids/grandkids, first in line to purchase the next number one best seller to read. Read on always.

Add to your cart....

When you go shopping be sure to make a list of all the things you will be throwing in your cart to tote home for consumption. Have your kids help you add to your list as you record the words neatly on a pad. Read the entire list over together before you strike out on your grocery adventure.

While in the cart you can give your child a pen or pencil and have them cross the grocery item off your list when you drop it in your cart. Your child can then read the next item out loud that you need to purchase. Make it a fun search and plunk game. Add to your cart.....

When you get home and are unloading and putting away your items have your child copy the words from the old list onto a new list or have them put a check mark beside the products that you shelved or put into your cupboard for fridge. This shopping game will enhance sight words and writing skills. Make it fun. Make it simple. When you are all finished sit down together and scoff one of the special items together that was on your list. Smile and read on.

Ahhh...the weekend

Enjoy your weekend. Unwind, relax and read something special. Talk to you on Monday. Weekends are for favourite books! Read on.

Read to your hearts content this weekend

Take time out to read this weekend. Scoop up your kids, gather them under your wing and share a good book together. Life can get busy....even crazy at times but reading has such a calming effect upon your mind, body and spirit. Whether it is a child's favourite or a brand new book please take the time to curl up with each other, still yourselves and read. There are millions of books to be opened and enjoyed. You can purchase online, at a bookstore, borrow from the library ... you name it...books are attainable and within your budget. Be a book hoarder. Be the book mountain climber. Be inspired to read on this weekend. I double-dog-dare you. Read on.

Her first book was such a delight...needed to share

Nana’s Getting Married. Heather Hartt-Sussman. Illustrated by Georgia Graham. Toronto, ON: Tundra Books, 2009. 32 pp., hardcover, $19.99. ISBN 978-0-88776-911-5. Preschool-grade 2 / Ages 4-7. Here an excerpt from this wonderful book: "Nana was the best grandma in the world, until she met Bob. She baked me chewy chocolate chip cookies and let me eat the dough. She knitted me mittens and socks and turtleneck sweaters with snowflakes on them. She told me stories at bedtime that always had happy endings. But ever since she met Bob, everything has changed…" In Nana’s Getting Married, life has thrown the young narrator a truly wicked and completely unanticipated curve. His cookie-baking, socks-and-sweater-knitting, story-telling grandmother has found herself a boyfriend! What a metamorphosis her little grandson has to put up with. Now Nana goes out on dates, dresses in fashionable clothes and even puts on make-up! In fact, every facet of Nana’s exciting new life elicits one of two comments from little Mr. Nose-Out-of-Joint: ”Gross, I say” or ”I, for one, do not approve!” However, none of the six-year-old’s efforts to split up the two works out. Despite the stamping, the pouting the whining and the sulking, Bob keeps coming back for Nana. It takes some hugging and chatting with Nana, as well as a request for her little grandson to be a ring-bearer at her wedding that finally leads him to state emphatically, on the last page: “… I, for one, approve.” Nana’s Getting Married is Heather Hartt-Sussman’s first book, and she has done an excellent job of finding the voice of a six-year-old mightily aggrieved little boy. Her tone is exactly right to convey to young readers the emotional devastation that the young narrator is feeling as he perceives his grandmother’s dereliction of duty. Georgia Graham is an extraordinary artist who has illustrated several children’s books, including another book in which a wedding is central, The Lime Green Secret. Her chalk pastel depictions are bright, bold and decidedly quirky. They bring the characters, setting and action of Nana’s Getting Married to life of in a way which not only complements the subtle theme of the text but also guarantees delight and amusement to readers of all ages. She is particularly adept at portraying the characters’ emotions via their facial expressions. It is a pleasure to find a picture book whose strong message is matched with a light touch. Adults will enjoy repeating the small narrator’s reactions to Nana’s new life (appearing in bold print format on the bottom of most pages) with young listeners. Discussions of grandmothers, growing up and the green-eyed monsters will surely be on the agenda after a reading of Nana’s Getting Married. Highly Recommended. Top honours and Canadian to boot! Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Permission granted to me to use this review and it is an excellent one. Read on, read always.

New book review: "Noni Says No"

Canadian children’s writer Heather Hartt-Sussman is the author of Nana’s Getting Married (Tundra Books, February 2010) and Noni Says No (Tundra Books, February 2011). Here Comes Hortense (Tundra Books), the sequel to Nana’s Getting Married, will be released in April 2012. Hartt-Sussman began her writing career as a copywriter for BCP, a large advertising firm in Montreal, before moving to Los Angeles in 1991 for a career as a top entertainment journalist. She was host of The Gossip Show on E! Entertainment Television, a reporter and assistant international editor for the Hollywood Reporter, and editor-in-chief of international news for TV Guide in French Canada, where she also wrote the popular column Heather Hartt in Hollywood. Hartt-Sussman is a graduate of Brandeis University and is La Sorbonne-educated. Born in Montreal, she now lives in Toronto with her husband and two sons. You may think learning to say "no" is easy. After all we all know what we like and dislike. we all know what we want and do not want. However for some it is not that easy. You may be worried about hurting someones feelings by dissagreeing with them. You may feel you are not being a good friend by saying "no" However the only one who is being hurt is you. Unless you can stand up and say "no" you will have issues. Although this book is geared towards children I know many adults who will benefit from its message also. This book teaches children that you can still be a good friend by saying "no" You can have your own thoughts and opinions. Your friends like you for you. Not for always saying yes all the time to them. Definitely a book I am happy to share with all children at home and in the classroom. This book has been nominated for the Blue Spruce award. The Blue Spruce Awards program brings recently published Canadian children's picture books to Ontario children ages four to seven, from kindergarten to Grade 2. The program promotes reading for enjoyment and begins to develop the reader’s skill in evaluating a picture book based on story, text and pictures. Committees of public and school library practitioners carefully select the 10 nominated titles each year, and students must read a minimum of five of those books to be able to vote for their favourite. Voting is open from Sunday, April 1 to Monday, April 30. The official voting day is Monday, April 23 to acknowledge World Book and Copyright Day. There are many wonderful Canadian authors that need our support and need to be celebrated. If you are indeed a Canadian, the next time you purchase your child some books be sure to include a Canadian author. Who knows? It might be that very book that will spark the hidden author in your own child. Read on and have an excellent day everyone!

New soft look

Must admit the blue phases of my blog were a bit overwhelming. I chose a nice muted green that is soft, warm and inviting. Green means hope. Green means the advice and books I give will inspire you to carry on the torch of the skill and love of reading to your child. Green is savvy and now. Green means life and nourishment. Going green says it all. Happy reading today.

Fun book for you today

Wanda and the Wild Hair Written by Barbara Azore Illustrated by Georgia Graham Category: Juvenile Fiction - Family - Parents; Juvenile Fiction - Girls & Women; Juvenile Fiction - Social Situations Imprint: Tundra Books Format: Hardcover Pub Date: March 2005 Age: 3-6 years Trim Size: 10 x 8 # of Pages: 32 pages ISBN: 978-0-88776-717-3 (0-88776-717-6) ABOUT THIS BOOK Blue-eyed freckle-faced Wanda has a problem: she loves her wild hair dearly, but it drives all the adults in her life to distraction. She loves the way it feels when she touches it. She loves the way it looks when she pats it in front of the mirror. But her mother always nags her to wash it, her father wants to take her to the poodle parlor for a trim, and her teacher threatens to ask the principal to cut it off. What can poor Wanda do? A series of mishaps with a magpie, a cat, and a large English sheepdog finally convince Wanda that her beautiful hair has to be changed. Kids who love their hair will identify with Wanda’s playful solution to make her adults happy. This first picture book by author Barbara Azore is brought to life by the quirky, mischievous, pastel illustrations of artist Georgia Graham. PRAISE “Marvelously and energetically illustrated…Humorous chalk paste illustrations bring hair out of control to exuberant life, practically popping off the page in cartoony splendor.” —Children’s Bookwatch “Entertaining illustrations in chalk pastels make the most of Wanda’s luxuriant hair.” —The Horn Book Guide From the Trade Paperback edition. AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY Barbara Azore was born in England and emigrated to Canada in 1967. From 1970 to 1997 she was employed by the Edmonton Public School Board working in Elementary and Junior High School Libraries. Since retiring, she has had articles published in the Edmonton Journal and Birth Issues. She began writing children’s stories to accompany sweaters that she knit for her grandchildren. Her first published children’s book came about after she entered the Writer’s Union of Canada’s “Writing For Children” Competition in 1999. Barbara Azore lives in Edmonton, Alberta. Georgia Graham was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta and has been hooked on chalk pastels since grade four. She graduated from the Alberta College of Art in 1982 and first used her art to entertain children in her Sunday school class. Her published works include A Team Like No Other, The Saturday Appaloosa, Bibi and the Bull, The Strongest Man This Side of Cremona, Tiger’s New Cowboy Boots and more. Georgia Graham lives with her husband and two children in central Alberta. This comprehensive review came from Tundra Books by permission and I know you will love this book. Read on. Read always.

Book review for you today

I am highlighting the book "Dream Big Little Pig" By Kristi Yamaguchi. It will spark conversations and be an inspiration to all who read it.

Figure skating superstar Kristi Yamaguchi is an Olympic athlete, artist, wife, mother, and philanthropist. In March 2011, she added children’s picture book author to her accomplishments with the publication of Dream Big, Little Pig! In the book, Poppy the Pig has big dreams—lots of them! But following her dreams isn’t always easy, and whenever Poppy thinks it might be time to give up, her family reminds her to “Dream Big!” While on a “pig’s day out,” she has so much fun ice skating that she doesn’t even notice those around her who think pigs can’t skate…and without even knowing it, she achieves her dream while doing something she loves! In this funny and inspiring tale that’s perfect for family read-alouds, Poppy realizes she can succeed at anything as long as she believes in herself and has fun doing it! Kristi Yamaguchi knows about dreaming big. The motto “Always Dream” serves as Kristi’s personal inspiration, as well as the name of her charitable foundation for children. This philosophy has contributed to Kristi’s success on and off the ice, and she aspires to instill it in the hearts of children. Read on and dream big today!

Read on today and always.

D.E.A.R. Friend, I put D.E.A.R. in all capital letters on purpose to get your attention. This Web site is about National Drop Everything and Read Day. D.E.A.R. stands for Drop Everything and Read—get it? I got it ever since I was eight and we started having D.E.A.R. time at my school. D.E.A.R. is a lot of fun and because I know so much about it, librarians [Association for Library Service to Children], teachers [National Education Association], parents [Parent Teacher Association], journalists [Newspaper Association of America Foundation], some people who make books [HarperCollins Children’s Books], and some people who give books [First Book] have asked me—Ramona Geraldine Quimby—to be in charge of telling everyone about National Drop Everything and Read Day on April 12th. April 12th will be a busy day for me since that is also Beverly Cleary’s birthday, but I always can find time to read. I am going to tell everyone in my family to Drop Everything and Read on April 12th. We can do it right at home or to make the day more special, maybe go to the library or a bookstore. I hope that you, D.E.A.R. friend, will be reading too. Everybody can do it! All you need is a book, your family and 30 minutes together. Sincerely, Ramona Q. Beverly Cleary never gets outdated. All her books are the top notch and have been read by thousands of kids. If you are not acquainted with this author you will be delighted with her books. I used to run D.E.A.R. in my school. Everyone would stop what they were doing for 20 minutes a day and read what they wanted. Even our custodian stopped and joined in the reading fun. You can fit D.E.A.R. time into your family's busy schedule. Everyone gets a book, everyone parks themselves, everyone reads. Do it for 15 minutes a day, make it a special, fun time and when it's over get on with what you were doing before. It is a win-win reading experience. Have a blessed weekend and read on.

Fun poems for you

Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It: False Apology Poems, written by Gail Carson Levine and brilliantly illustrated by the very busy Matthew Cordell, is, as you may surmise, inspired by William Carlos William's poem "This Is Just to Say." What Levine brings to this collection is her considerable knowledge of fairy tales and a gleefully wicked sense of humor. Every poem in the book it titled, "This Is Just To Say," (and the last stanza of each poem begins with the same line, "Forgive me") and the table of contents is a very funny jumble of the title over and over in different sized fonts. Six poems into the book we find the Introduction, which turns out to be a "This Is Just to Say" poem with a great illustration of a pointy-toothed, very demented looking Levine. This style of this book echoes the fun and imagination of Shel Silvertein.

I know you will enjoy the wit and humour. Her poems will bring giggles and laughter as you read these poems out loud together. Read on.

Ha ha this could be me out there on the road trucking along with one of my pets. Yesterday I went to pick up my sixteen year old from school. I am the carpool mom and pick him up and two of his buddies. Because of my eye surgery I cannot yet see 100% with my new eye lenses and now wonky prescription of my my glasses because everything has gone south until I can heal and get my prescription renewed. I put on my sunglasses hoping that would help my vision, no. I then put a large wad of tissue on the bridge of my nose and posed my glasses on top of that. My vision was perfect so I thought wow this is cool....my looks not so much. When the boys came near the car you could see their eyes widening and eyebrows going up but all too polite to make a comment. I sat there and laughed until my son broke the silence by explaining I had just had eye surgery and that was a piece of gauze left over from the operation. The guys said..."Oh we hadn't noticed." They accepted my weirdness and we sang and laughed all the way home in the car. Life is fun. Life is an adventure. Have some fun today with your kids or grandkids. Be silly and laugh right out loud. Blessings. Go kiss those pets today.

Perhaps it may seem silly to you that I'm so proud of being a literacy educator when I'm not currently teaching in a classroom? Yet I believe that I teach and reach out to parents and teachers through this blog. Children's literacy, literature and learning are my passions; my dream is to ignite that passion in others. One of the things I love about the Coalition of Concerned Literacy Educators is what they believe, their credo I guess. What I believe, so my credo too. I received permission to reprint it here in its entirety, because I think it makes such good sense, and thought you might like to read it. What We Believe: Learning to read begins at birth as family members read aloud to their infants. Family members have an important role to play in their children’s literacy development by talking with them and demonstrating how print is used at home and out in the community. The only reason for reading is to construct meaning. (Reading does not require the production of sound, but it may.) Readers use a range of strategies to construct meaning. They draw upon the symbols (letters, signs, numbers, icons, etc) and the associated sounds of the language, the grammar of the language and the meanings of the language. Without meaning, the associations between letters and sounds can not be known. Meaning is required to make these associations clear. (For example, no-one can read the word ‘lead’ using phonics alone. Is it ‘leed’ or ‘led’? The word must be in text which gives it meaning.) The teaching of phonics is closely related to the teaching of writing; and the teaching of writing is closely related to the teaching of reading. Reading and writing are inter-related and occur in every-day life practices. Readers read for many purposes: to be informed, delighted, challenged, amused, comforted, entertained and enlightened. In our teaching of literacy, the reasons for reading are highlighted, not forgotten. Reading and writing help children to understand their own world, but also introduce them to wider worlds, both real and imaginary. Real texts invite children to want to read. They foster curiosity, passion, joy and wonder. Real texts include print-based materials and texts on-screen (eg computers, mobile phones, automatic tellers). Print-based materials may include signs in the environment, greeting cards and many other forms of print as well as traditional books. On-screen texts may include still and moving images, voice and music as well as printed words. Reading requires an understanding that no text is neutral in its opinions. When authors create a text, their biases, points of view and prejudices are embedded. Readers need to be aware of how a text positions them or persuades them to the writer's point of view. We call this critical literacy. (It is not 'literary criticism' with which it is sometimes confused.) Ready access to real texts in classrooms, school libraries and community libraries is crucial. We believe it’s essential for school libraries to be staffed by trained teacher-librarians. Decisions about classroom literacy programs and assessment are best made on site by those working with the students. Only then can literacy instruction be tailored to students with different needs. Students learn in different ways – one size does not fit all. Valid, reliable assessment is a continuous process; not a single event. The main purpose of continuous assessment is to inform teaching and improve learning. It is the basis of the most effective communication with parents about their children’s progress. Teachers need to be involved in continuous professional learning. They need to be able to articulate their beliefs and explain their practices to parents and the wider community. Whoever worked this out did such a great job! I love the emphasis on rationality and common sense, yet there are so many points I can and do feel passionate about. Did you catch the part about real texts, and how they invite kids to WANT to read? How about the importance of trained teacher-librarians? Do you agree that valid reliable assessment is a continuous process; not a single event? And that one size doesn't fit all with learning? Oh, wouldn't it be wonderful if all politicians and decision-making bureaucrats espoused these principles too! Think about this and be sure to read on to your little ones! Blessings today.

A special, fun book to share

It's a clever rhyme and a sweet story that teaches a subtle lesson about how doing things for others can ultimately benefit oneself. I also appreciate how everything is not spelled out for the reader and there are some portions near the end that the child has to figure out. Very clever and fun to read aloud. Although the main character is a witch this book is not Halloween-specific. It is definitely appropriate for any time of the year. Here is a snippet of the book: "The witch had a cat and a very tall hat, And long ginger hair which she wore in a plait, How the cat purred and how the witch grinned As they sat on their broomstick and flew through the wind." Author: Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

The well-read child

Does your child like to read? Does your child have access to books? Magazines? Comics? Maps? Newspapers? There is something about the feel and smell of a good book that creeps into your innermost being as you read. As you indulge and digest the words it is almost a magical thing that transpires. It is not only important that your child physically learns to read the printed word but that he/she loves to do it. Our goal is to make and mould lifelong readers. Partner with your child to make this happen. On your journies today look around and see how many people you can catch reading a book. Is it becoming a lost art as iPods and iPads seem to everywhere. Now to be fair people can download books and podcasts but nothing....NOTHING....can replace a good book that you can lovingly curl up with and get lost in its pages!

Perfect day here

We had a perfect day here. It was quiet and peaceful in our family. Because of my surgery I did not attend church today but listened to inspirational radio sermons and read the scriptures. I am very, very grateful to be able to freely worship and even own a Bible. We take so much for granted don't we? Today was a day to be thankful, reflective and to count my blessings. Hope your day was excellent as well!

Have a happy and blessed Easter Sunday! Blessings to you and your family. Enjoy your day together.

Taking some time here on this blog to be with family and friends on this blessed Easter holiday. Recovering from yesterday's eye surgery and am going to relax, heal and surround myself with the love of my family. Will be back next week to assume my beloved duties again. Have a wonderful Easter. Take some photos to document your weekend and put together a simple, Easter 2012, highlighting your family time this holiday. Blessings to one and all. Jesus is Lord!

When you think of spring - green budding trees, flowers pushing gently through the soil, warm sunshine beaming down on your face……what do you do? You close your eyes, revel in the moment, and smile! Happiness has arrived! The featured books for this month are: Title: Smile! Author and Illustrator: Leigh Hodgkinson Ages: 2-6 This is an adorable, uplifting story with fantastic, simple illustrations that truly will make you smile. Mom says,” No more cookies, not even the crumbs” and suddenly little Sunny has lost her smile. She searches everywhere around the house to find it. She even entertains the thought that perhaps her smile was stolen. As she searches under her bed – she inadvertently cleans her room, her pet fish are miraculously fed and then she is able to spend quality time with her much-beloved dog. The story reminds us that everyone gets a little grumpy sometimes and that other people can lose their smiles too! There is a little surprise at the end of the story that little ones can relate to. Read this little treasure, as it is sure to make put a smile on your face! A great read aloud. Have an awesome day and smile as you read on! "Children learn to smile from their parents." - Shinkchi Suzuki

Shel Silverstein...my most favourite kid's poet

I love Shel Silverstein's poetry. When I taught the kids of all grade levels loved what this guy had to say. Adults too love his lyrics, wit and sense of humour. Sadly he passed away and the poetry world lost a mastermind of the rhyming word. I cannot do him justice with my mere words but eagerly and happily direct you to his website which in itself is an incredible experience. It lists his bio, his books, his art etc. I will leave you with some samples of his genius and pray you will stop by "www.shelsilverstein.com" today and play around. Have an awesome day and read on.

He's the man. Enjoy!

April is National Poetry Month here in Canada and other countries too. Celebrate this month by reading poems, writing your own, making books, and rejoicing in the wonderful gift of poetry.

This book features familiar authors whose imaginations and reading experiences make reading the poems fun and exciting. Words and rhyme are celebrated in the wonderful world of poetry. Children do not gravitate to poetry naturally so it is up to parents, teachers, family, friend etc. to expose them to the it. Author Jane Yolen, whose's imagination vivifies the reading experience as "Words/Nudge each other/like bumper cars/at the fair"..while Kristine O'Donnell celebrates the quiet side when she says, "If you have a book...this great new book to read/Who needs a window seat?" Bennett's appendix displays thumbnail biographies of each poet and his selections highlight examples of poetic language such as alliteration, onomatopoeia, simile and metaphor to name a few. All of the examples offer vivid word pictures to delight the mind in a way that only a book can. Read on. Read poetry to your kids this month.

The joy of reading a book together

Books ar meant to be shared. Books are written by a solitary author, in a solitary place, to be released into a world of avid readers who then will read that story, absorb it, process it then expose their understanding to others. Edmund Wilson states: "No two persons ever read the same book." We all come a story with different backgrounds, insights, and experiences. It is through these that we understand and interpret the story that is before us. It is important therefore that we talk about the story from our perspective to others, we read reviews about how the story made others feel and how it affected them, we listen to others opinions to compare and contrast that story within ourselves. Stories enrich our living experiences and are very, very social entities. Talk about the stories you read together with your kids. What did you think about that? Did she make the right choice doing what she chose to do? What would you have done if you had to make that choice? Would you have done something else? What part of the story intrigued you the most? What part did you hate? How did the story make your feel? Should your baby brother/sister read this story or is it for bigger kids like you? If you read this story out loud to grandma the next time she came to visit would she like it? Did they have a computer in the story when grandma was a little girl? Maybe you could ask her what books she read when she was growing up. Etc., etc., etc. Keep the conversation going and the ideas flowing. Internalize and own the stories you read. Be open-minded to other's interpretations and be confident to share how you understood the book. Have fun. Read with a friend, family member but most of all....share the word. Read on.