I posted this piece a while back…
With my son’s 4th grade year coming to an end, I find this information more timely than ever.
I love picture books, and I often write about them. In my post, Top 10 Reasons Picture Books Rock, I touch upon the importance of continuing to read aloud to your child even AFTER he/she is able to read independently. Please note that although children may be ready for early readers and chapter books, I implore parents to continue reading picture books with/to your children. There is no better way to connect at the end of a hectic day than to get lost in a picture book together. This ritual is one you can continue well into their teen years (yes, really, I promise). A child should not be denied this sacred time with you, just because he has “grown up”. Reading and/or revisiting picture books is a comforting ritual for children, and picture books have a magical way of opening dialogue and accessing feelings that older children may not otherwise share with you. So, crack open a picture book and enjoy!
If you are making this transition, you may find the following articles helpful.I hope you’ll discover something to enhance your family’s shared reading experiences.
Suggested articles:
7 reasons why reading aloud to older kids is still very important
1. Children listen on a different level than they read.
2. Life Lessons.
3. Enjoyment.
4. Reading aloud with older children helps builds vocabulary.
5. Physical closeness.
6. Sense of security.
7. Sense of belonging.
The hidden benefits of reading aloud – even for older kids
Here is another great resource for reading to your older child. This article includes an extensive list of recommended books.
Reading Aloud With Children Twelve & Older
Do you read aloud with your older child? I’d love to hear about your experience.
WARNING-
This post contains a shameless plug for my new children’s picture book…
What’s cuter than kitties in bunny costumes?
My new picture book! And it makes a much more practical Easter gift. For a chance to win a copy, head over to my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/michelleeastmanbooks/
Post your favorite bunny picture on my Facebook page, and you are entered to win a free hard cover book and the audio book CD (US residents).
Meanwhile, the real Easter bunny will be kissing winter good-bye…hello razors!
I can certainly brag about this guy!
Kevin Richter is the talented illustrator of my very first children’s picture book, AND he is currently working on the second book in the Dust Fairy series.
Dust Fairy Tales: Absolutely Aggie should be ready for release this fall. If you are not familiar with Dust Fairies, they are the little sprites responsible for the dust, crumbs, and other debris we try so hard to remove from our homes. Yep, they come out while we sleep and hold crumb-spitting contests, sprinkle dust, and leave behind their dust bunnies. It’s true-I read it in a book!
Aggie would love nothing more than to join the fairy band and play music while the Dust Fairies frolic and play. But, she has a hard time fitting in with the more dainty, girlie, Dust Fairies. Will she ever be good enough? Can she fit in AND stand out? Oh, did I mention she plays the bagpipes? You can follow Aggie’s progress and all things Dust Fairy at https://www.facebook.com/michelleeastmanbooks
Waiting for the illustrations is both torture and bliss-I am like a little kid at Christmastime. Thankfully, Kevin is kind enough to let me peek into his creative world before the book is finished. Here are a few of his whimsical designs.
Don’t be shy, leave a reply. What are you bragging about? I’d love to hear about your work.
Goodreads Book Giveaway
The Legend of Dust Bunnies, a Fairy’s Tale
by Michelle R. Eastman
Giveaway ends July 04, 2015.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
Celebrate summer with a great new kids’ book-for FREE. The Goodreads giveaway is now live. https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/141587-the-legend-of-dust-bunnies-a-fairy-s-tale
I hope you all have a wonderful summer filled with magic and laughter!
WARNING-Shameless Plug to follow…
I’m celebrating the 6 month birthday of my first published children’s book. The whole experience has been more than a bit surreal. I never dreamed I’d see my self-published book on the shelves of libraries and bookstores, let alone that people would ask me to sign copies. I also never thought I’d come up with another idea for a book. But, Kevin Richter and I are currently working on book #2 in what has now become a series of Dust Fairy books. Needless to say, I am blessed.
The star of our newest book is Absolutely Aggie. She longs to join the fairy band, but she is too loud, too bold, and just too much for the more dainty fairies in the group. Aggie follows her heart, and she eventually discovers you don’t have to be perfect to find your perfect fit. You can read the latest Dust Fairy updates on Facebook.
I’m also blessed to enjoy the company of my awesome blogging buddies. Your support and encouragement means a lot to me.
So, here comes the plug.
In honor of the 6 month anniversary of my book, I am offering the Kindle version for 99 cents for 6 days. If you enjoy picture books with colorful pictures and subtle, yet sincere take-away messages, you won’t be disappointed in The Legend of Dust Bunnies, a Fairy’s Tale.
Thanks to Chris, The Story Reading Ape for pointing out that I previously did not include the Amazon link. Be sure to check out his blog. It’s like Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory for Indie authors! He is amazingly generous (not sure he’ll let you eat his dishes, though).
Here is the US Amazon link to get your .99 cent Kindle book:
The Legend of Dust Bunnies, a Fairy’s Tale http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NT6MXM0/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_awdm_KZKvvb1XC9JFF via @amazon
Here’s a preview of the book I created using Animoto:
Happy reading!
Are you celebrating something special? I’d love to hear about it. Don’t be shy, leave a reply!
WARNING-
This post contains a shameless plug for my new children’s picture book…
Something DUSTY is going on!
Head over to my Facebook page for the details. https://www.facebook.com/michelleeastmanbooks
I am offering a special Easter GIVEAWAY. You can enter for the chance to win The Legend of Dust Bunnies, a Fairy’s Tale and an official Dust Bunny adoption kit. In this book, dust fairies come out at night and create all sorts of messes in our homes. The naughty nymphs hold crumb-spitting contests and fire soot from their slingshots. And they have a “fairy” good time doing it!
To enter to WIN, simply LIKE my Facebook page, and ANSWER the following question in the FB COMMENTS.
What messes do you blame on dust fairies?
Or simply like or comment below to win a PDF version of the book.
Why would anyone want to put a picture book in prison? I’ll give you 2.7 Million reasons why…
The number of kids with incarcerated parents has increased nearly 80% in the last 20 years, according to data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. More than 2.7 million children have a parent who is incarcerated, and parents of another 10 million children have been incarcerated at some point. The experience can be profoundly difficult for children, increasing their risk of living in poverty and housing instability, as well as causing emotional trauma, pain, and social stigma. http://www.americanlibrariesmagazine.org/article/reading-inside
But, through programs like the Visiting Nurse Services of Iowa Storybook Project, some of that stress melt away when kids are able to visit their parent and read a special book together. Through an audio-tape reading program wherein imprisoned parents/grandparents read books to their children/grandchildren on tape, family bonds are strengthened and literacy skills improve as they encourage their children to read with them and in their absence.
The Storybook Project recruits, screens and trains volunteers to work with incarcerated parents and/or grandparents at the Iowa Correctional Institute for Women (ICIW) in Mitchellville, Iowa and the Newton Correctional Release Center (CNRC) in Newton, Iowa. Once per month, volunteers work with the mother, grandmother or father. The parent/grandparent and volunteer choose a book from the Storybook library that is appropriate for the child. The parent or grandparent reads the book while the volunteer records the reading onto a digital voice recorder. The book and CD are mailed to the child.
How can you help? Donate a book. Visit https://www.facebook.com/PBPiO
The Storybook Project serves children Birth-17 years. They welcome donations of board books, picture books, early readers, graphic novels, chapter books, novels, non-fiction, etc. The sky is the limit!
Throughout the month of March, Picture Book Pass it On is launching a special initiative called “MARCHing Books to Kids”.
We encourage book lovers to donate a favorite children’s book, and we invite children’s authors to donate signed copies of their books to the Visiting Nurse Services of Iowa, Storybook Project.
To participate in MARCHing Books to Kids, please follow the 3 calls to action:
#1 Pledge to donate a new picture book/s to Visiting Nurse Services of Iowa, Storybook Project. Authors are invited to sign their books. Please include a note stating that your book is part of the Picture Book Pass it On/MARCHing Books to Kids initiative. Books may be mailed to:
VNS of Iowa, Storybook Project
c/o Tabby Kuehl
1111 9th Street
Suite 320
Des Moines, Iowa 50314
#2 Post your pledge on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/PBPiO. Share it on your blog and on social media. Please include our badge and #PBPiO, and #MARCHingBookstoKids
#3 Pass it on. When you post about your pledge, challenge one or more friends to join your #PBPiO giving chain. Encourage them to take the pledge and keep passing it on…
If distance prohibits your ability to mail books to the Storybook Project, please consider donating books to children in need in your own community. Oh, and be sure to share your giving story on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/PBPiO We love to see how books are reaching kids all over the globe. So far, we have people “Passing it On” in the US, the UK, Australia, and Greece!
Please feel free to contact me at www.michelleeastmanbooks.com
Thank you for making the difference in the lives of children and families!
Please consider sharing this message on social media to help spread the word about #PBPiO and #MARCHingBookstoKids.
UPDATE-Children’s authors are giving BIG!
MARCHing Books to Kids launched just over a week ago, and children’s authors are already making a big impact. Thanks to all of you who have blogged or re-blogged about the initiative. And thank you to every person who has donated a book to help a child and an incarcerated parent connect through the power of reading. If you’d like to learn how you can help get books to kids in need visit Picture Book Pass it On (https://www.facebook.com/PBPiO)
The number of kids with incarcerated parents has increased nearly 80% in the last 20 years, according to data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. More than 2.7 million children have a parent who is incarcerated, and parents of another 10 million children have been incarcerated at some point. The experience can be profoundly difficult for children, increasing their risk of living in poverty and housing instability, as well as causing emotional trauma, pain, and social stigma. http://www.americanlibrariesmagazine.org/article/reading-inside
But, through programs like the Visiting Nurse Services of Iowa Storybook Project, some of that stress melt away when kids are able to visit their parent and read a special book together. Through an audio-tape reading program wherein imprisoned parents/grandparents read books to their children/grandchildren on tape, family bonds are strengthened and literacy skills improve as they encourage their children to read with them and in their absence.
The Storybook Project recruits, screens and trains volunteers to work with incarcerated parents and/or grandparents at the Iowa Correctional Institute for Women (ICIW) in Mitchellville, Iowa and the Newton Correctional Release Center (CNRC) in Newton, Iowa. Once per month, volunteers work with the mother, grandmother or father. The parent/grandparent and volunteer choose a book from the Storybook library that is appropriate for the child. The parent or grandparent reads the book while the volunteer records the reading onto a digital voice recorder. The book and CD are mailed to the child.
How can you help? Donate a book. Visit https://www.facebook.com/PBPiO
The Storybook Project serves children Birth-17 years. They welcome donations of board books, picture books, early readers, graphic novels, chapter books, novels, non-fiction, etc. The sky is the limit!
Throughout the month of March, Picture Book Pass it On is launching a special initiative called “MARCHing Books to Kids”.
We encourage book lovers to donate a favorite children’s book, and we invite children’s authors to donate signed copies of their books to the Visiting Nurse Services of Iowa, Storybook Project.
To participate in MARCHing Books to Kids, please follow the 3 calls to action:
#1 Pledge to donate a new picture book/s to Visiting Nurse Services of Iowa, Storybook Project. Authors are invited to sign their books. Please include a note stating that your book is part of the Picture Book Pass it On/MARCHing Books to Kids initiative. Books may be mailed to:
VNS of Iowa, Storybook Project
c/o Tabby Kuehl
1111 9th Street
Suite 320
Des Moines, Iowa 50314
#2 Post your pledge on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/PBPiO. Share it on your blog and on social media. Please include our badge and #PBPiO, and #MARCHingBookstoKids
#3 Pass it on. When you post about your pledge, challenge one or more friends to join your #PBPiO giving chain. Encourage them to take the pledge and keep passing it on…
If distance prohibits your ability to mail books to the Storybook Project, please consider donating books to children in need in your own community. Oh, and be sure to share your giving story on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/PBPiO We love to see how books are reaching kids all over the globe. So far, we have people “Passing it On” in the US, the UK, Australia, and Greece!
Please feel free to contact me at www.michelleeastmanbooks.com
Thank you for making the difference in the lives of children and families!
Knowing that the future of our country is inextricably linked to our skills in literacy, and you can make a difference immediately. We have known for as long as we have had written language that literacy is the vehicle for other learning. When children have access to books, we empower them to develop a lifelong love for learning, which strengthens us all. http://www.americanliteracynews.com/reading-fundamentals/americas-literacy-crisis-an-overlooked-epidemic
If you are into sling-shot toting fairies and dust bunnies, you can get the Kindle version of my new children’s picture book, The Legend of Dust Bunnies, a Fairy’s Tale, for FREE until Friday.
When given lemons you’re supposed to make lemonade, right? This story does one better, it turns DUST into DUST BUNNIES. The Legend of Dust Bunnies is the story about how and why a misfit Dust Fairy turns dust into cuddly dust bunnies and the joyful aftermath that follows. It will have families looking at dust bunnies in a new light, and may actually give kids an excuse NOT to clean their rooms. Read more of the review at http://thepicturebookreview.com/
November is Picture Book Month, an international literacy initiative that celebrates print picture books during the month November. I am a picture book fanatic. I love picture books so much that I recently wrote my own called The Legend of Dust Bunnies, a Fairy’s Tale. To celebrate Picture Book Month, and the launch of my very first book, I am giving away 15 FREE copies on Goodreads
Throughout the month of November, I’ll post tips, links, and articles pertaining to my favorite genre. I hope you’ll discover something to enhance your family’s shared reading experiences.
I think sharing picture books is one of the most loving gifts a parent can bestow upon a child. The good news is that it doesn’t take any special training to read aloud with your child. If you are reading with your child, you are doing it right! The great thing about picture books is that everyone, no matter how busy, can set aside 5-10 minutes a night to share a picture book. There is no better way to unplug from a hectic day than getting lost in a good story. Creating a daily or nightly ritual of reading with your child is powerful way to connect with each other. I’ll get into this in greater depth in a forthcoming post, but parents should NOT stop reading picture books to their children when they become independent readers. Children should be allowed to continue to enjoy this sacred time with you. My son is almost nine, and we still come home with a heaping bag of library books each week, and they are all picture books. He reads chapter books at school and at home, but picture book time, is OUR time. Sometimes I read with him, and other times my husband takes the lead. But we never go to bed without at least one picture book story. Okay, now I’ll come down from my soap box and share some practical advice for getting the most out of your read-together time.
Here are a few articles I found interesting:
http://rochester.kidsoutandabout.com/content/picture-books-why-not-rush-your-kids-out-them/
http://www.rif.org/us/literacy-resources/articles/getting-the-most-out-of-picture-books.htm
The following suggestions and additional resources can be found at http://www.readingrockets.org/article/read-aloud-daily-practical-ideas-parents/
Read Aloud Daily: Practical Ideas for Parents
By: Texas Education Agency
When children hear books read aloud, they come to understand why learning to read is important. They learn that people read for different reasons – books that tell a story can be read for pleasure; books full of facts and information can be read in order to learn new things. Children learn a great deal when they listen to books read aloud – they hear new words, learn new ways of saying things, and are introduced to new ideas, different people, and faraway places
When reading a book with your children, you can:
- Let them hold the book and turn the pages.
- Talk about different parts of the book such as the front, back, title page, first page, and last page.
- Take your time reading. Do not rush.
- Point to the words as you read. Help them to see that there are spaces between words, that you read from the top of the page to the bottom, and that you read from left to right.
- Ask them to think about the story as you read it.
- Point to the pictures and talk about them.
- Read expressively: talk the way the story’s characters would talk; make sound effects and funny faces; and vary the pitch of your voice throughout the story to make it more interesting.
- Encourage them to ask questions about the story’s characters and events.
- Talk about the story and relate it to their personal experiences.
It’s Raining Books, Hallelujah It’s Raining Books! At long last, the first shipment of The Legend of Dust Bunnies, a Fairy’s Tale books has arrived! Is it wrong to dance around, in the garage…in my pajamas? The doors are closed, so what the heck? I am dancing with joy, and a whole lot of relief, since I scheduled my book launch party before I actually had books in hand. The hardcover books are still in route, so I am not entirely out of the woods. But, the paperback books are beautiful! Please check out my free book giveaway on Goodreads or get your copy at Amazon
If you’d like to learn more about my self-publishing journey, check out this short book preview video:
![539284_2760626228489_1224200914_n[2]](https://michelleeastmanbooks.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/539284_2760626228489_1224200914_n2.jpg?w=350&resize=350%2C262#038;h=262 "539284_2760626228489_1224200914_n[2]")
Michelle Eastman Books 