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The Wii Storybook Workshop Contest

The Best Stories Told Are The Ones That Come to Life!

Good Reads With Ronna is giving away one copy of this fun new Wii educational game from Konami, a must-have for all you electronically inclined families.

One lucky winner will receive this “E” rated game with a value of $39.99. Enter now by clicking here, and remember to write STORYBOOK in the subject line. For rules click here. Hurry, because this contest ends on Monday, April 19th.

* 16 Classic Fairy Tales and 4 sing-along songs

* Become storybook characters using the microphone (included)

* Record your readings and playback later

Enjoy Little Red Riding Hood, The Ugly Duckling, Old MacDonald, The Happy Prince, The Golden Goose, and more.

Attention: Hours of fun await you! Parents and children can read along together or alone, record and play back readings of favorite stories, including the most beloved tales from Hans Christian Andersen, the Brothers Grimm, Aesop and around the world. The coolest feature kids will love: Storybook Workshop’s unique microphone functionality will even magically change your voice to sound like the characters in the stories, including fairies, giants and robots!

In addition to all the wonderful reading attractions with Storybook Workshop, kids are able to create memories and tap into their creativity simply by using the sound of their voice and “painting” colorful masterpieces that they are able to display on their own personal virtual easel. With all this and more, Storybook Workshop will transform family story time into a wonderfully memorable, fun and enriching experience with your pre-schooler.

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Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) Needs Your Support

Let’s Keep Everyone Reading!

The government’s 2011 proposed budget will cut funding for Reading is Fundamental. As you probably know, RIF is a longtime kids’ program that provides free books to millions of kids. RIF receives 80% of its funding from the government.

The deadline for Senators to sign RIF’s Dear Colleague letter is this Friday, April 9th!

Currently, the organization is rallying parents, educators and the community with a ‘write your politician campaign’ on the internet – already thousands have offered their support. You can just click here and sign your name – that’s it!

Without federal funding, more than 4.4 million children and families will not receive free books or reading encouragement from RIF programs. Let’s keep giving books to those who yearn to read and learn! Thanks for your help.

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Tombstones, Tea and Sympathy

Rebecca is a 12 1/2 year old girl from Virginia. She enjoys reading, playing the piano and violin and is currently writing her own book. She is on a competition dance team and during the summer she is enrolled in a theater group.

Tombstone Tea (Running Press Kids, grades 6-9) written by Joanne Dahme is the story of a girl named Jessie. Jessie has always been sort of a strange girl. She senses people that are not there. When she moves to Philadelphia she will do anything for friends. A chance for friendship is offered and she takes it. However it means she must take a dare to spend a night at the local graveyard and collect rubbings from 10 different tombstones. There she meets a boy named Paul. Paul tells her she is just in time of the rehearsal of Tombstone Tea. He explains it is where actors gather and play the role of the dead. Jessie notices there is something odd about the actors; it seems like they’re really trying to convince her the dead person’s lives they are “playing” are real. Jessie wonders if her life is at risk.

This was a great book! I couldn’t wait to finish it. It had me hanging on every word. I love how Jessie had to deal with real life problems-moving, meeting new people, a new school all while trying not to be different. If you asked me to describe this book in one word it would be brilliant! I would recommend it to everyone eager for great, edge-of-your-seat entertainment.

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Fun Flap Books

These books were reviewed by Heather, a physical therapist and former L.A. mom recently relocated to Manhattan. Daughter Kieran is 2 1/2 years old and new big sister to Brendan. One of her favorite activities is storytime with mommy and daddy and she especially likes to the question “Why?” with each turn of the page.

Who Is It? is a series of three, fun flap-style books by Helen Jackson (Hodder & Stoughton/Hodder Children’s, ages 3-5) that will keep your toddler guessing!

With subtitles such as It’s a Princess!, It’s a Spaceman! and It’s the Three Little Pigs!, there is a book to please every little tot. While my toddler hasn’t been introduced to many mainstream characters or the storylines presented in the latter, identifying Snow White or Cinderella is still a bit of a challenge. She subsequently gravitates to the other two books, which feature more generic characters such as a ballet dancer or a pirate. Each page provides five short clues with simple illustrations leading to the identity of the mystery character. Kieran loves to tap her chin as she ponders each clue, such as “She eats a bowl of porridge,”“He wears an eyepatch” or “She wears a golden halo.” Each set of clues leads to the flap that she enjoys opening to reveal them. It also features textures such as the tulle of a tutu, the velvet of Little Red Riding Hood’s cloak and the scaly green skin of an alien to further peak my little one’s interest.

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Loveable and Lethal: The Lunch Lady

Serving Justice! And Serving Lunch!

The Lunch Lady series of graphic kids’ books by Jarrett J. Krosoczka from Knopf has “TV series” written all over it (but according to his blog, Krosoczka says it’s in development for a feature film which is so cool) and given that opportunity, my son, Coleman, would be glued to the tube watching it. He’s devoured each book about a half dozen times and his face lit up just recently when I brought home the latest release. He took the book from me and finished it in one sitting and then proceeded to re-read it all over again, grinning and giggling all the while.

If you have any reluctant readers at home, this is the series for them. They’ll not only get hooked, they’ll get hysterical over the Lunch Lady’s shenanigans because she is no ordinary monitor. She combats forces of evil that threaten to wreak havoc on her school and she is no match for mortal man or Cyborg for that matter!

To date there have been three titles published with the fourth (Lunch Lady and The Summer Camp Shakedown) due out in May and I can tell you right now your child will want them all. Coleman has read the first three books which, in order of publication, are Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute, Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians, and Lunch Lady and the Author Visit Vendetta.

Editor’s Note: If you’re planning on attending the L.A. Festival of Books on April 24, you can see Krosoczka there.

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An Angel and A Dove at Easter

How does a parent explain Easter to a youngster? By introducing them to an angel and a dove. These two characters, coupled with charming watercolors, help author Sophie Piper and illustrator Kristina Stephenson achieve their goal of sharing the significance of this holiday to pre-school and kindergarten-aged children. In The Angel and The Dove: A Story For Easter ($12.99, Lion Children’s, an imprint of Lion UK, distributed by Trafalgar Square Publishing from Independent Publishers Group) little ones learn about life, rebirth and the return of Jesus on a miraculous spring day.

Through beautiful imagery of butterflies, flowers, new baby chicks and changing weather, along with sensitive text, parents can show their children that with every ending comes a new beginning and the very first Easter.

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National Geographic Educates Kids of All Ages in Many Creative Ways

Debbie Glade has looked at 5 different National Geographic books and reviews them all here today.

Everyone adores National Geographic, including me! So I was thrilled to dive right into a stack of National Geographic Kids books. We’ll start with the two short, paperback, Easy-to-Read books for Curious Kids. Trucks! (Level 1 reader, $3.99) by Wil Mara will satisfy the interests of the child(ren) you know who can’t stop playing with and talking about trucks. Slick, the truck driver, teaches kids about all kinds of different trucks, from cement trucks to mixers and from haulers to big rigs. The book has large photographs rather than illustrations and adds simple copy ideal for the early reader.

Mummies (Level 2 reader, $3.99) by Elizabeth Carney is a little bit creepy in all the right ways. There are both photographs and illustrations of mummies, plus basic information that a young reader wants to know. (The book is not for the faint of heart because it mentions bodies decaying, removing organs for mummification and other gory, but fascinating facts.) I like that this book introduces kids to ancient Egypt and the origin of mummification. At the back of the book is a simple fill in the blank page so readers can use the science words they learned.

Now on to the two paperback Picture the Seasons books by Jill Esbaum. Being an avid gardener myself, I treasure books like these that teach young readers a bit about what it takes to grow food. Seed Sprout, Pumpkin, Pie ($5.95, ages 4-8) is a simple book all about pumpkins and squash. From planting, flowering and growing to how the vegetables are used in our food (and as jack-o-lanterns), Pumpkin Pie will introduce early readers to the world of pumpkins. Apples for Everyone will take the reader on a journey from planting to harvesting and from bobbing to eating apples. I learned what I had already suspected; apples are eaten in America more than any other fruit. I eat at least one a day and so should you! The photographs are wonderful in both of these straightforward books.

Being an author myself, who wrote a book about bugs, I am fascinated with Science Fair Winners: Bug Science ($12.95, ages 11-14) by Karen Romano Young. This book is for middle readers who need ideas for their science fair projects. The book has cute illustrations by David Goldin and contains 20 different workshops for getting acquainted with bugs and using what you learned for a science fair project. I was instantly attracted to Workshop #4 “Honey Help Me with this Hay Fever,” because I have lessened my own allergy symptoms by eating a lot of local honey. Honey contains pollen, and eating local pollen is said to be similar to getting allergy shots. Among the many other great lessons in Bug Science are: trying to make an ant get lost, learning what color a butterfly likes best, composting with worms, studying spider phobias and many others. At the end of the book is a short chapter about presenting your findings. I love Science Fair Winners: Bug Science. It’s fun and educational, and it gets kids thinking creatively when it comes time to do their rite-of-passage science fair projects. I wish we had this book when my daughter was doing her science fair project years ago trying to prove that mint repels ants. (And it does!)

Debbie Glade, today’s guest reviewer, is the author, illustrator and voice talent of the award-winning children’s picture book The Travel Adventures of Lilly P Badilly: Costa Rica, published by Smart Poodle Publishing. She visits South Florida schools with her reading, writing and geography programs. For years, Debbie was a travel writer for luxury cruise lines. She writes parenting articles for various websites and is the Geography Awareness Editor for WanderingEducators.com. She blogs daily at smartpoodlepublishing.com.

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Our Forest Friends

“Animal lovers will love to read this book day or night,” says guest reviewer Debbie Glade.

Kids aren’t the only ones who enjoy books with foldout pages and detailed illustrations of animals. Parents can be thoroughly entertained by this too. Day and Night in the Forest by Susan and Peter Barrett introduces readers to how the entire ecosystem of a forest works including the life forms that vary between day and night.

The book starts out with a simple page that tells you how to best use the book. Following the two fabulous foldouts of the Daytime and Nighttime Forest (with keys to help you identify the animals) are pages separated by Conifer Forests, Dense Forest, Mixed Forest and the Forest’s Edge so that readers can understand how and why different animals live in different forest locations during either the daylight or nighttime hours. Each page has illustrations of animals along with short descriptions of its habits and survival techniques. There is a helpful index in the back of the book along with a glossary of terms.

What I like about the book is that many of the animals described are those that children are familiar with and have seen in their backyards or local parks – butterflies, chipmunks, squirrels, woodpeckers, owls, deer, raccoons and more. It is wonderful that the readers can learn about these creatures’ homes and the importance of preserving our forests for their survival. It is obvious that the Susan and Peter Barrett spent a great deal of time researching and writing this valuable book to educate young readers. The only thing that could have made Day and Night in the Forest even better would have been the use of brighter colors for the incredible illustrations.

Editor’s Note: This book is recommended for ages 7-10. If you like this, there’s also Day and Night in The Swamp.

Debbie Glade, today’s guest reviewer, is the author, illustrator and voice talent of the award-winning children’s picture book The Travel Adventures of Lilly P Badilly: Costa Rica, published by Smart Poodle Publishing. She visits South Florida schools with her reading, writing and geography programs. For years, Debbie was a travel writer for luxury cruise lines. She writes parenting articles for various websites and is the Geography Awareness Editor for WanderingEducators.com. She blogs daily at smartpoodlepublishing.com.

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A TALE OF TWO SEDERS

A Tale of Two Seders by Mindy Avra Portnoy
Illustrations by Valeria Cis
($17.95, hardcover, $7.95 paperback www.karben.com, ages 5 to 9)
Splitting the two nights of Passover between her parents’ two houses after their divorce isn’t easy, but the main character in this poignant picture book finds something positive about the experience. Over the course of three years, she attends six seders and watches as her mom and dad move on with their lives in different ways. Author Mindy Avra Portnoy uses the seders to convey the little girl’s feelings as she adjusts to new people and new traditions. I liked Portnoy’s use of charoset (a varying mixture of apples, nuts, cinnamon and wine representing the mortar used by Jewish slaves when building cities for the Egyptian Pharaoh) at her dad’s apartment, her mom’s home and at the synagogue as a way to show that families also vary in composition. The girl’s mom explains: Some are sweeter than others. But each one is tasty in its own way. The end pages contain four charoset recipes and a handy glossary.

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More Than Just A Pretty Cover

Last Sunday Catherine Linka of Flintridge Bookstore and Coffeehouse in La Canada and I had the pleasure and privilege of co-hosting an awesome author event for tweens, billed as a Speed Dating With Authors Mother/Daughter Book Party. All I can say is we sure know how to grown ’em here in SoCa! Lucky for us, these six seriously talented authors (pictured at left) happen to live locally and love to encourage reading. The response from attendees was overwhelmingly positive and the atmosphere was electric due to the good vibes given off by these wonderful women writers.

Avid reader and La Canada mom, Juli Barry, said her her daughter, 9-year-old Julia Claire, found it thrilling to be able to meet authors and have them sign her books. “I learned from Lisa Yee that it was okay to read books about boys,” remarked Julia Claire.

Taking a turn at every author’s table, I also learned that you cannot tell a book by its cover (although there were lots of gorgeous covers). It was great having the opportunity to get up close and personal, learning about the motivation behind the books and what makes each writer tick. I especially enjoyed getting the lowdown on tempting plots a plenty plus colorful, charismatic characters. I strongly recommend you visit these authors’ Web sites or their publishers’ sites to get acquainted with this super selection of books for your voracious or reluctant reader.

Sally Nemeth – The Heights, the Depths and Everything in Between;

Heather Tomlinson – Toads and Diamonds, The Swan Maiden, Aurelie: A Faerie Tale;

Victoria Forester – The Girl Who Could Fly;

Diane Leszezynski – Fern Verdant & The Silver Rose;

S. Jones Rogan – The Daring Adventures of Penhaligon Brush, The Curse of The Romany Wolves

Lisa Yee – Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally), Absolutely Maybe, Millicent Min, Girl Genius, So Totally Emily Ebers, Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time

clockwise l to r: L.A. Parent's Christina Elston, me, Catherine Linka and Jill Sayre

These fab photos come courtesy of Gemma, my teen reader and Deb Littel, a local mom who truly captured the excitement of L.A. Parent’s new “By The Book” series. Watch this space for reviews of these books and dates of more “By The Book” events coming soon.

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A Little Seuss Goes A Long Way

Head over to your closest Kohl’s so you can stock up on books or give them as birthday presents. Either way, at $5 for a book or exclusive plush toy or both, you can’t lose.

Now through the end of April, for only $5, you can buy a copy of the best-selling and beloved Dr. Seuss books The Lorax, The Foot Book, Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! and If I Ran the Circus. There are also adorable stuffed animal plush toys to accompany each book and, at such an incredible value, why not get a set or two?

At more than 1,000 Kohl’s stores nationwide (or online at Kohls.com), your purchase can make a positive difference in the lives of children which the Kohl’s Cares for Kids program helps support. The program contributes 100% of the net profit to benefit children’s health and education initiatives nationwide.

As we approach Earth Day, there’s also an important lesson about caring for our environment that children can learn from reading the The Lorax and at the same time, parents can take something away with the New York Times Bestseller The Green Book, by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen, also available for just $5! This book is bursting with info about how to be eco-friendly and gives you the big picture all the way down to the little picture for things you can do right in your home. There’s also great reference tools and anecdotes from celebs such as Jennifer Aniston, Ellen DeGeneres and Will Ferrell about what they do to make a difference to the environment.

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Charlie & Lola Contest Winners Announced

Congratulations go out today to Charice Adams and the Bickham family, winners of the Charlie & Lola DVD and paperback book contest here at Good Reads With Ronna. Thank you to everyone who entered. Watch this space for an exciting Wii Storybook Workshop contest courtesy of KONAMI.

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Mother/Daughter Book Party This Sunday!

Join L.A. Parent at the launch of our new BY THE BOOK series.

You’ve seen the promos, now learn more about this exciting Mother/Daughter event L.A. Parent is sponsoring along with the Flintridge Bookstore and Coffeehouse.

Bring the tween readers in your family to the Community Center of La Canada Flintridge from 2-4p.m. this Sunday, March 21.
There will be 7 authors on hand to meet in a fun speed-dating style roundtable format where the authors will pitch their books in the hopes that your daughters will want to read them!

Recommended for Girls in 3rd- 6th Grade and their Moms

Location: The Community Center of La Canada Flintridge 4469 Chevy Chase Dr., La Canada Flintridge

Date: Sunday, March 21 Time: 2- 4 PM

Price: A $5.00 ticket covers both mother and daughter. Use your ticket to save $2.00 off a book purchased at the event.

Share your love of reading with your daughter and introduce her to 7 authors. Find terrific book selections for your Mother/Daughter Book Club. You will meet and talk with these authors: Carol Hughes, Victoria Forester, Amy Goldman Koss, Diane Leszezynski, Sally Nemeth, Heather Tomlinson, and Lisa Yee We recommend that you reserve a place for you and your daughter. Purchase a ticket in advance at the Flintridge Bookstore and Coffeehouse.

We’ll be giving away a portable BOOK LIGHT IN A BOOKCOVER (with a retractable LED light) courtesy of PERISCOPE and a trendy tote bag courtesy of Ecobags (www.ecobags.com) made from 100% Recycled natural cotton fibers to raffle winners! Must be present to win.

Tickets will be available at the door, but space is limited.

Contact: Catherine Linka for more information. catherineL@flintridgebooks.com

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Beware The Ides of March

A Storyteller’s Version of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar,
and The Story of Rome, as told by Jim Weiss on CD
$13.45, www.greathall.com, ages 7 to adult
Beware the Ides of March. From Jim Weiss, winner of countless awards for his unparalleled storytelling, come some excellent additions to the Greathall collection. Weiss has a way of drawing listeners into a story and keeping them thoroughly entertained, and my husband and I are delighted when listening pulls our kids away from less educational electronic distractions. I can’t think of a better introduction to this timeless tragedy by Shakespeare than hearing it brought to life by Weiss with a variety of voice characterizations that keep the story moving. Weiss weaves excerpts from Julius Caesar in such a seamless fashion that kids will think they’ve read the entire classic. The Story of Rome includes background information to help set the scene for Julius Ceasar which follows, and is full of interesting anecdotes and facts I never learned in school. The CD ends with an epilogue called “What Happened Afterward.” There’s no better way to pass a long car journey with children than with Jim Weiss as your companion.

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National Math Day is THIS SUNDAY, March 14th!

In honor of National Math Day, here’s a book that gives new meaning to number crunchers!

Tyrannosaurus Math by Michelle Markel, with illustrations by Doug Cushman ($15.99, Tricycle Press, ages 6-9) is a fun new way for kids to explore mathematics. Fifteen math problems including numbers sentences, skip-counting and symmetry are explained courtesy of T-Math. Counting and problem-solving his way through this colorful book, T-Math makes this often vexing subject look easy (and whoever thought dinosaurs were brainy?). Join T-Math, his family and friends for a lively look at all sorts of math problems. The end page features Tyrannosaurus Math Skills, a handy review page of all the topics covered by the clever, claw-footed creature.