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Witches and Ballet

Hazel is a second grader in Southern California and lives with her two fish, Bruce & Carl, her three dogs: Betsey, Roma and Luvey (pictured), her sister Katie and brother Sam. Along with reading, Hazel loves to skateboard, cheerlead, and is looking forward to starting acting classes. Lately, she has been helping her parents in their garden. Unfortunately, she has no time to clean her room.

Rumblewick’s Diary #1: My Unwilling Witch Goes to Ballet School by Hiawyn Oram.

Hi my name is Hazel and this is my first book review for Good Reads With Ronna.

This book is about a witch named Haggy Aggy, also known as HA for short, who wants to go to ballet school. In this story, a black cat named Rumblewick, also known as RB, is HA’s caretaker. RB wants HA to be a normal witch. The high hags are the witches who hired RB to make HA a good, mean witch like all witches are supposed to be, but RB is not doing so well in her efforts to make HA into a normal witch.

HA wants to be an Other Sider. Other Siders are fancy ballet dancers. Ha was afraid the school would not allow a witch to audition, so she acted like she was homeless. She thought they would feel sorry for her and it worked! Before the audition she went into the bathroom and changed into a raggedy dress. She took off her shoes and put dirt on her face. At the end (oops I almost ruined it for you by giving away the plot) Haggy Aggy was so happy, but you will have to read the book to find out why. When the story is over, HA decides she want to be a normal witch after all, but not that bad of one!

I liked this book because I think it is a funny idea of a witch going to a ballet school. RB was my favorite character because he was so funny. I think you should read this book to see if you agree with me.

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Meet Rebecca, The Newest American Girl

Meet Rebecca, An American Girl by Jacqueline Dembar Greene and illustrated by Robert Hunt, with vignettes by Susan McAliley.

Today’s Guest Reviewers are playwright/screenwriter Jennifer Maisel, whose work includes the critically acclaimed plays The Last Seder and There or Here (www.dogear.org) and the hit web series Faux Baby, and her almost 7 year old daughter, Julia, a first grader who is a big fan of American Girls, and just may be a singer-songwriter when she grows up.

As a child I was a big fan of Sydney Taylor’s All-of-a-Kind Family series, about a Jewish family with five daughters living on the Lower East Side of New York at the turn of the century; recently Julia dug up one of my dog-eared copies of the book and we started in, pleased the writing held up for a new generation for readers. It seemed to be a nice synchronicity when the news came of American Girl’s newest history doll launching May 31 – 9 year old Rebecca Rubin, a Jewish girl living on the Lower East side with her four siblings in 1914 – and Meet Rebecca landed on our doorstep. And indeed there are marked similarities between the two series, both giving vivid pictures of the life of Jewish immigrant girls, yet not getting too much into the gritty details of the period.

As in other American Girl books, our main character faces a personal moral dilemma that is steeped in the historical milieu of the time. Rebecca’s family has close relatives that need to leave Russia but do not have the money to do so, and Rebecca’s family cannot easily afford to bring them over. Rebecca, however, is most concerned with being considered too young to light the Sabbath candles and searches for a way to stand out amongst her four siblings – something children of any generation can relate to. Rebecca hits on an ingenious way to earn money to buy her own candlesticks, but realizes, as time goes on, that perhaps the objects she longs for will not satisfy her as much as helping others could.

It’s a sweet story and Dembar Greene portrays the inner workings of a nine year old’s mind in a relatable way that kept my daughter eager for the next chapter. Julia thinks the person who thought this character up is our own “Clever Karina” (you’ll have to read the book to find out.) There are a lot of religious and cultural mores that Dembar Greene, for the most part, manages to deftly cover while keeping Rebecca’s journey in the forefront. I wished, however, that she had addressed the generational clash of concerns about the father in the family working on the Sabbath despite the grandparents’ disapproval more extensively – it was covered better in the Looking Back, America in 1914 chapter after Rebecca’s story was completed. But any book that opens my daughter’s eyes to trials her great grandparents went through when they came to this country and gets her slacker parents to celebrate Shabbat (at her insistence) has something going for it.

And for those Mommy fans of All-of-a-Kind Family – there is a doll just for us.
NOTE: This Sat., June 6 at 4:30 p.m. is American Girl at the Egyptian Theater. Call 877-247-5223 for more info.

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SO NOT HAPPENING

Juli Barry is a mother of three – two of them teenagers – and an avid reader of popular and historical fiction as well as biographies on famous women throughout history. She also reads poetry on a regular basis to keep her Spirit blossoming. She reviewed So Not Happening (A Charmed Life Novel) by Jenny B. Jones from Thomas Nelson Publishing.

A teenage girl named Bella moves from the big city to a small hick town where she meets many unusual characters and experiences a series of strange mishaps. Sound familiar? Well, that’s where the similarities end between So Not Happening and that other book people are reading. There are no vampires nor werewolves in Truman, Oklahoma, but Bella Kirkwood feels as if she has entered an equally less-than-human world that has, “…no fashion. No style. No Starbucks,” when her ex- New York socialite mother marries a farmer/factory worker that she met over the internet. Bella is suddenly torn away from her NYC existence to join her mother, stepfather and two stepbrothers in a rundown Oklahoma farmhouse, trading her prep school status, favorite clubs and shopping haunts — even her room!! – for public school and pickup trucks, pet cows and mud, mud, mud.

Our snobby heroine immediately alienates herself from most of her new classmates when a blog she writes back home is circulated around Truman High. But Bella has a veritable Marc Jacobs bag full of pluck and perseverance as well as a humorous hotline to God as she navigates her way through this small town life and her role within her new family.

As the newest member of the school newspaper she pays her dues with a story on the school’s lack of a recycle conscience – landing her both in the trash cans and onto a bigger, darker story involving members of the Truman High School football team. She also gets in deep with her editor, the nerdily gorgeous (gorgeously nerdy?) Luke Sullivan while still trying to hold on to her New York guy, Hunter. The novel conveys both humor and suspense with LOL scenes interspersed with eerie cult aspects and real danger. Who knew life in Oklahoma could be as exciting as the Big Apple!

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Horrors Galore!

Here for the first time is today’s guest reviewer, Adam, a 9 year-old from Glendale, currently in the 3rd grade.

I liked Welcome To Camp Slither by R.L. Stine because it was very exciting. You don’t know what’s going to happen next. First it’s a regular summer camp but then it turns into a nightmare!

I had some favorite parts, too. The first one was when the mice attacked the main characters. The second one is when the snake did something really unexpected. I think you’ll be surprised. You don’t know who is causing the problem at the camp. You don’t even know what the problem is!

I think the Horrorland books are even better than the Goosebumps books because in the Horrorland books some people’s enemies from Goosebumps books come back to get their revenge. There are also some new enemies and new problems (like this one). I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery.

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Writing Contest For Kids

Smart Poodle Publishing Announces the:

I Love Costa Rica’s Rain Forest!

Young Travel Writers

and

Artists Contest

Smart Poodle Publishing, publisher of The Travel Adventures of Lilly P. Badilly: Costa Rica, is pleased to announce its national children’s travel writing and art contest. Children from Kindergarten through 5th Grade are invited to submit original stories and artwork to the “I Love Costa Rica’s Rain Forest!” Contest, based upon a real or imaginary travel adventure in the Costa Rican rainforest. For an entry form and complete contest rules, visit smartpoodlepublishing.com or Click here to enter today!
All prizes donated by Rand McNally’s online store at www.RandMcNally.com.

“Smart Poodle Publishing is on a mission to do its part to help improve geography education in the US,” said publisher and author Debbie Glade. “We are thrilled to be able to offer exciting prizes directly related to geography education this year, all of which have been generously donated by Rand McNally’s online store at www.RandMcNally.com.”

A total of nine winners will be chosen. There will be First, Second and Third Place Winners in three grade categories: 5K-1st grade, 2nd-3rd grade and 4th-5th grade.

First Place Winners will each receive (Value listed):
– Rand McNally Personal Journeys World Pinable Wall Map ($84.99)
– Rand McNally Hard Bound World Atlas ($24.95)
– Kids’ Travel Activity Bundle ($15.80)

Second Place Winners will each receive (Value listed):
– Rand McNally Traveler Series Kids Illustrated Wall Map ($64.99)
– Kids’ Travel Activity Bundle ($15.80)

Third Place Winners will each receive (Value listed):
World Knowledge Bundle ($22.90)

This contest is free. No purchase necessary. The deadline to enter is September 30, 2009. Entries will be judged by a panel of travel and education experts. Winners will be announced on October 15, 2009. Winners’ stories will be published on www.smartpoodlepublishing.com as well as on www.RandMcNally.com.

About Smart Poodle Publishing
Smart Poodle Publishing is the publisher of The Travel Adventures of Lilly P. Badilly: Costa Rica (ISBN 978-0-9800307-9-2) and the Ask Lilly Badilly All About the World Geography Q and A video program. Award-winning author Debbie Glade visits schools with her reading and geography programs. Smart Poodle Publishing recently sponsored the “What I Wish Everyone Knew About Librarians” national writing contest for librarians.

About Rand McNally
From America’s number-one-selling Road Atlas, The Thomas Guide®, FabMAP® and Goode’s World Atlas to StreetFinder® Wireless and IntelliRoute® trucking database, Rand McNally has been an industry leader in the mapping, routing, geographic reference and trip-planning tool marketplace for more than 150 years. With More Roads-Better Directions™, the Company’s products are sold in more than 50,000 retail outlets and distributed to 98% of schools across the U.S. Rand McNally is the premier resource for online travel planning as well as maps and directions. For more information, please visit www.RandMcNally.com, call 800-333-0136 or buy maps and travel gear online at http://Store.RandMcNally.com.

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When Royals Wore Ruffles

Move over Immelda, here comes Gabriella

Gabriella is an 8
year-old 2nd grader from Los Angeles who loves
play dates with friends, playing games, soccer, swimming and
reading. She also loves clothes and shoes!

I enjoyed reading the book When Royals Wore Ruffles: A Funny and Fashionable Alphabet! by Chelsey McLaren and Pamela Jaber
because I liked learning about all of the clothes people wore back in time. It was a fun and funny
book with great illustrations that kept me turning the pages. I also liked seeing what
people did throughout history, like the twist. I learned that people have liked shoes and perfume
for a very long time. And that’s something that has not changed
although I am very glad women no
longer have to wear bustles!

NOTE: From Cleopatra to flapper, from goth to grunge, this BOWdacious book is a great introduction to the trials and tribulations all fashionistas must endure from A-Z.

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Literally Healing at CHLA

HELPING TO HEAL

My colleague, Terresa Burgess, asked us in the editorial department if we had any spare books we’d like to donate to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles since she was heading over with a donation. The response at L.A. Parent was a resounding, “YES!” Once we review books we frequently find ourselves giving them away to charities around Los Angeles. When we learned about the Literally Healing Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, we jumped to be involved, dropped everything and got a box together that day for Terresa to bring over.

Several months after Terresa’s request, Carolyn Graham and I made it over to CHLA to meet with Claire Austin, the program’s awe-inspiring Director and this is what I learned. A Children’s Bibliotherapist, Austin runs the Literally Healing Program at CHLA with her heart and soul. Faces light up when they see her strolling a corridor. And rightly so because what she does for children and their families is truly a blessing.

Literally Healing has both a therapeutic and a literacy arm.

Austin created a ‘Therapeutic Library’ comprising a collection of over 1,000 titles that ‘speak directly’ to patients, and their siblings, to help them better understand and master the sensitive issues they face on a day to day basis. The wide assortment of therapeutic books they have on hand addresses the key challenges that may result from specific medical conditions. These therapeutic books for children provide a comforting, non-threatening way to discuss difficult topics such as adjusting to hospitalization; overcoming ridicule or exclusion because of a medical condition; and, coping with disability or death.

As part of Literally Healing’s commitment to literacy promotion, the program created a ‘Gifting Library.’ Each day that a patient is hospitalized they, and their siblings, are eligible for a free book. The program gifts over 17,000 children’s books annually.

Literally Healing has been around 8 years and continues to grow under the caring, committed and watchful eyes of Austin and her dedicated assistant and volunteers.

If you’ve ever been to the lobby of the hospital, you might have seen a Story Time in session in the Saban Story Corner or perhaps you caught fleeting glimpse of the Book Moo-bile. Both are initiatives to promote literacy and lift the spirits of children at the hospital. Highly trained volunteers, Bedside Readers, use these cow colored carts to deliver books to patients.

The Literally Healing program welcomes donations of children’s books from the public. A wish list of needed titles is posted on the hospital’s website www.childrenshospitalla.org under the ‘Giving’ tab. However, the hospital’s infection control standards require that all gifted books must be new. Space in the hospital to store these much needed books is now at a premium, so they suggest you consider donating “Gift Cards” instead of actual books. Gift Cards also allow the program to be more flexible. The program can make “on-demand” purchases to better meet patient requests as well as therapeutic books that may be integral to the child’s healing. The program welcomes Gift Cards from Barnes & Noble, Borders, Children’s Book World (310.559.2665) and Vroman’s (626.449.5320).

For further queries please e-mail Ms. Austin at: caustin@chla.usc.edu.

I’m also excited to share the news that Claire Austin will contribute reviews to
‘Good Reads With Ronna’ so readers can learn more about the diverse and
often sensitive subjects Literally Healing handles with children’s best
interests at heart. If her reviews are even half as dynamic and passionate
as the woman herself, you will not want to miss a single one.

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Are You Just Dying For A Slice?

From today’s guest reviewer comes a decidedly delectable good read:
My name is Vinny. I am twelve years old and I live in the the San Gabriel Valley. In my spare time, when I am not doing things like homework or studying, I enjoy reading different books. I truly enjoy horror, mystery, thriller and suspense books, rather than dull and boring ones. I also enjoy riding my bike around the neighborhood because this gives me a sense of freedom that I cannot have enough of.

The book Killer Pizza, by Greg Taylor, was a fantastic story that went in-depth to explain a boy named Toby’s experience with the monsters of the night; he always thought to be non-existent. Quickly after applying for a summer job at a run-down pizza shop, he and his two co-workers find that although the given surroundings may seem very convincing, it’s all a lie. Little does Toby and his two co-workers know, it’s all a front for the headquarters of an elite monster hunting organization. And as the three co-workers share an unbreakable bond of friendship, through thick and thin, mostly thin, their skills and abilities always seem to get them out of the worst. I thought this book served up a blazing hot slice of drama, with a cool side of suspense, and thanks to the brilliant writing of Greg Taylor, I found it more likeable. I would one hundred percent, definitely, recommend this book, without a doubt.

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A CURIOUS COLLECTION OF CATS

Abigail is a third grader from Los Angeles who absolutely loves to read, and often is the last one at the dinner table because of a book she can’t put down. She also is a pianist and is busy preparing her recital pieces for June. When she is not reading or playing piano, Abigail can frequently be found in the pool, or planning her next move in a chess game, or enjoying time with her family and friends. She also can do a perfect split.

I was instantly amused while reading A Curious Collection of Cats by Betsy Franco from Tricycle Press. The author combines simple poetry and thoughts into a gathering of cat pieces that are humorous, clever and creative. Often, the words overlay the pictures as part of the poem’s message. I think I could even put some music to her poems. They seem to have rhythm and bounce, and remind me of the playfulness of cats, and of how impatient I am with my parents to give me the pleasure of a cat as pet. The inventive illustrations by Michael Wertz involve collages of bold colored shapes that seem to practically jump out of the page.

I wonder how Betsy has come up with so many original ideas for her cat poems. On the book jacket, Betsy herself credits her cat with inspiring her writing. Hear that, Mom and Dad?

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A Difficult Question To Ask

Jessica Smith is back again, this time reviewing a Charlesbridge book addressing a very import ant topic in many families.

The book Emma’s Question arrived at our home just before a very tumultuous time, and was like a small port in the storm for me as a mother. Written by Catherine Urdahl and illustrated by Janine Dawson, the book takes us through a young girl’s curiosity and sadness upon the hospitalization of her grandmother.

Being a mother of young girls, I am always looking for ways in which to explain the “tough stuff” in life to them. I find that through books such as these, I’m better equipped to explain certain situations and help them understand in a way that makes sense to them.

We were drawn in to Emma’s Question by the soft watercolor-like illustrations and the friendly intricacy of the character’s features. Emma, a kindergartner, looks forward to her Grandma reading to her class the next day, only to find out that her much-loved Grandma has fallen ill and needs to stay in the hospital for a while. Emma has a burning question that “scratches at her throat” as she goes through the ins and outs of the next couple of days, worried about her Grandma and wondering what will happen.

When Emma’s mother finally takes her to see Grandma at the hospital, Emma is frightened and can’t bear the weight of her question anymore. “Are you going to die?” she bursts out. “Not today,” answers Grandma. As they begin to talk about the things in the room that help Grandma—the IV fluids, the medicines, the special hospital bed—Emma becomes more comfortable and sees that her Grandma is just the same as she always was, and still just as special. They talk about going out for bagels again, having tea parties and making up silly stories, just as they’ve always done.

When my own grandmother was recently hospitalized, I noticed that my Kindergartner, too, had questions. I thought back to the gentle way in which Catherine Urdahl pens Grandma handling Emma’s confusion and worry and channeled it to my own situation. After leaving the nursing home one day after a visit, I asked my daughter, who is very close to her great-grandmother, “Do you want to talk about Grammy?” “Will Grammy die?” she asked, eerily similar to little Emma’s inquiry. “Well…” I said. “Yes. Someday. But not today.” We walked on together, and I hoped she was thinking of all the fun things we usually do with Grammy and remembering, just as Emma did, that her great-grandmother is just as special as always.

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Puppet, The Story of The Last Blood Libel Case

Talia is a 7th grader who lives in the Los Angeles area with her parents and younger sister Mica. Her older sister Adrienne now lives in New York City. Talia enjoys basketball, food, travel, music, learning, and television. She believes Puppet was an intriguing novel and you should read it as well. Read on for more of what our guest reviewer has to say below:

Puppet, written by Eva Wiseman, is a riveting novel about the real last blood libel case, in 1882. Before reading this book, my knowledge of the term “blood libel” was nonexistent, but now I know more than I might want to about it. For many centuries, Christians have accused Jews of killing Christian children to use their blood as a ritual for making a holiday bread (called matzo). This has never been true but Jews have suffered serious consequences from these accusations, especially in places and times where the Christians have been uneducated, poor and needed a scapegoat.

In a rural town called Tisza-Eszlar in Hungary, Jews were held accountable for the disappearance and death of a young servant, Esther Solymosi. In court, a Jewish boy named Morris Scharf was brainwashed by the local police to testify against his own people of the village: the Jews. The story’s narrator is Julie Vamosi, a peasant girl who is juggling the difficulties of life while also trying to find the real murderer of her close friend Esther. Unlike all the other peasants of Tisza-Eszlar, Julie doesn’t follow the crowd in accusing the Jews. While also dealing with her mother’s illness, worry about her baby sister and facing an abusive alcoholic father, Julie is lost in a frenzy of lies, evil and mystery.

Due to the graphic nature of the blood libel story, Puppet is well suited for teenagers ages 12+. Deep consideration should be taken about deciding whether you should read this book or not, because it does include blood, crude words, and a sophisticated plot. It is an easy read, as long as the reader is prepared for the painful subject.

Puppet is fascinating and unstoppable, a mixture of mystery, drama, action, and friendship. Pick it up and surely it will never be set down, due to the enthralling story. Look beyond the shockingly graphic journey of Julie and the Jews of Tisza-Eszlar and read the spectacle on paper, Puppet.

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Prepare for Pokémon Battle Dimension

PIKAWHO?

My son, Coleman, is obsessed with all things Bakugan and Pokémon and perhaps your son is too. If your home is anything like mine, not a day goes by without one or the other being mentioned over dinner or at bedtime and honestly, I cannot follow or keep up with it all. On the other hand, my husband and my dad have had to learn all the different names involved in addition to the characters’ respective powers in order to bond over various DS, Wii and card games along with the television show. It’s at times like these that I am grateful for being the mom because, were you to ask me to name a Pokémon besides Pikachu, I would lose that battle hands down! And speaking of battles, this is what Coleman had to say about Scholastic’s latest release …

The book I just finished is called Pokémon Battle Dimension: Triple Trouble (available from bookstores nationwide) based on the T.V. episode, “The Thief That Keeps on Thieving.” This book was very exciting because it shows how teamwork is better than just a single person fighting evil. The bad guys are Jessie, James and a talking Pokémon, Meowth. The good guys (and girl) are Ash, Dawn, Brock and Tyler. Tyler is trying to catch a Yanma, but team Rocket (a.k.a. the bad guys) catch it. If I say any more I will spoil the story for you. But I can truly tell you it’s a good book if you are a Pokémon fan like me!

NOTE: This a Reader 2 level book.

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Freckleface Strawberry

Freckleface Strawberry And A Whole Lot Moore!

I must confess right now that I have always wanted freckles. While those who found themselves ‘afflicted’ with those darling dots might have taken to wearing ski masks, I was dreading school daily because of my unruly, frizzy, and very curly hair. I ranked rainy days total torture and would have traded places with Julianne Moore in a heartbeat! That’s why I absolutely adored both Freckleface Strawberry and the newer Freckleface Strawberry and the Dodgeball Bully, 2 books from Bloomsbury by 4 time Academy Award nominee, Julianne Moore, illustrated by the always excellent LeUyen Pham.

Both books, ideal for the 3-8 age range, introduce readers to the sassy star of the Frecklface series. In the first book, Freckleface Strawberry, we realize right away that this young girl will do anything to rid herself of what she considers to be the bane of her existence, the clusters of concentrated melanin marring her face. With crude and insensitive comments coming at her from other kids like, “You look dirty,” or “You look like a giraffe,” Freckleface decides to tackle the problem with some home D.I. Y. After scrubbing them, applying lemon juice and wearing make-up don’t work, her only solution seems to be donning a face mask. It suddenly dawns on our flame-haired heroine, when her friends begin to wonder where she’s gone, that everyone likes her the way she is. And that way, special, unique and freckled, is just fine.

In Freckleface Strawberry and the Dodgeball Bully (new this month from Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books), parents and children alike will recall episodes from their own lives similar to the one Freckleface and her classmates encounter on rainy, indoor days at Early Bird school time. Meet Windy Pants Patrick, the bully who makes Dodgeball on these days, “Scary dodgeball. Hairy Dodgeball,” that often sounds like, “Thwack!” and sometimes like, “Thwock!” but mostly like: “AAAARRGGGHHHHH!” to the kids getting hit by the hard ball blasting right at them. Then someone freckled and unfrazzled makes a bold plan involving a monster and some fast foot action and pretty soon one Early Bird Ball bully is singing a different tune!

If you did not catch Julianne Moore at her recent book signing at Ralph Lauren in West Hollywood, click here to read an interview with her now.

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EA Sports Active Challenge and You!

Get Active!

Have you heard about EA Sports’ amazing new exercise program exclusively for Wii called EA SPORTS Active ? Or maybe you watched ELLEN last Monday go up against host Alison Sweeney as the very publicized EA SPORTS 30 Day Active Challenge drew to an end? Well today you, too, can join the exercise excitement with the release of EA SPORTS Active!

I was first introduced to this D.I.Y. fitness program back in December at EA’s Winter Gaming Wonderland and thought, “Wow! I can do this.” But like most get fit programs of late, let it sadly slide to the back burner. Then last week I had the chance to see it again and this time I tried it out. Okay, I lie, I stood right next to Jen Riley at EA as she demonstrated it for me and was SO IMPRESSED and MOTIVATED by how doable it was.

Now, you, too can embark on the 30 Day Challenge, learn 25 fun and easy exercises and activities or participate in a fitness circuit custom designed just for your individual needs. Whether you seek upper, lower, total body and cardio workouts, you can do it all and even journal your progress as you improve your routine and your health. What I got most psyched about was that it felt like with EA SPORTS Active I’d have my own personal trainer without the financial commitment. Plus, I could exercise when I wanted and wear whatever I wanted (even pajamas) and not be embarrassed about how out of shape I am. Order online today or head over to your nearest Target or Wal-Mart and get your copy before they sell out!

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Reading is Fundamental and Rewarding!

Soar to Great New Heights Today …

by joining the exciting online challenge from US Airways and RIF. It’s as easy as a click here to add yourself to the growing list of readers (including celebrities like Al Roker, Billy Crystal and Jerry Seinfeld), and make your minutes count. As I write this there have been over 2.2 million minutes registered since the campaign’s April 1 launch. And the good news is this challenge continues on through June 30 so there’s not a moment (or a book) to waste!

In the 2008 Read With Kids Challenge more than 16,000 participants nationwide logged over 3.8 milllion minutes of reading and this year the goal is a collective 5 million minutes. New for the 2009 campaign is the ability to create a team of three or more adults if preferable to joining individually. Everyone who gets on board this high flying contest is entered to win a grand prize drawing of a Walt Disney World Resort vacation package from US Airways Vacations, US Airways gift cards, and other great prizes.

Consider also supporting children’s literacy by making a donation to RIF and donors can receive a special edition of Off You Go, Maisy! by best-selling author Lucy Cousins and also be eligible to get up to 5,000 US Airways Dividend Miles.

I don’t know about you, but I am so ready to embark. So pull your kids away from their game consoles, computers or TV shows and get reading now. My comfy chair’s calling.

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