Ugly Pie

A great read/activity combined for some Autumn fun!

Wheeler, Lisa.
Ugly Pie.
July 2010.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Ugly apples,
raisins, too,
sweet molasses, nuts -
WA-HOO!

Got an itch to satisfy.
Gonna bake some Ugly Pie!

When Ol' Bears hankerin' for a pie provides less than satisfying results, he collects the necessary ingredients to create an Ugly Pie of his own (which closely resembles our Apple Pie).

Delightfully funny rhymes and song lyrics will have children laughing to no avail! It's very likely that your child(ren) will be joining in with the singing once he/she catches on. The story is great fun and provides a great activity for parents/teachers to complete with children - baking an Ugly Pie of your own!

Learning/Reading Activity:

• Use the recipe provided at the back of the book to create an Ugly Pie of your own! If you really wish to challenge your child, substitute some different ingredients for the apples and raisins! See what kind of "ugly" combination you can come up with!
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Guardians of Ga'hoole - Review, Movie Promo and GIVEAWAY!!!

Encourage your child to read by offering the viewing of Guardians of Ga'hoole after he/she reads the book!

Lasky, Kathryn.
Guardians of Ga'hoole: The Capture
August 2010.
Scholastic, Inc.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Soren, a barn owl, is forced out his nest by an older (obviously much more aggressive) brother. Rescued from imminent death by agents from St. Aggies, a school for orphaned owls, Soren must quickly learn to accept and adjust to his new life. As Soren strikes up a friendship with Gylfie, a fellow owl at St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls, the two plot together, hoping to learn how to fly to escape the camp in which the leader is using the orphaned owls to achieve her own goals.

Readers will quickly find themselves surprised as Soren and Gylfie find freedom and set forth on an adventure alongside fellow orphaned owls. It's very likely that children will quickly become engaged in the plot, eager to keep reading and find out what happens next. When you couple the engaging text and plot with the likeable characters, children will (hopefully) be begging you for The Journey, the second title in the Guardians of Ga'hoole series.

Encourage your child to read this book by enticing them with the opportunity to see the movie once he/she has completed reading the story! In the meantime, get them started out with this movie trailer promo!

Big Honcho Media has graciously offered a giveaway prize pack for TWO of my lucky readers! The package includes

• A copy of Guardians of Ga’hoole: The Capture by Kathryn Lasky
• A copy of the first book in Kathryn Lasky’s new series -- Wolves of the Beyond: Lone Wolf

HOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:

• Leave a comment on this post sharing your child's book/movie combination to date.
  
• Be sure to leave an email address along with your comment.
• Deadline to enter is Wednesday, September 29th at 11:59PM EST.
• For an extra entry(or three):
  1. Become a subscriber/follower of my blog (+1)
  2. Blog about this giveaway on your own blog and leave a link in your comment (+1)
  3. Leave a tweet on your Twitter page and then leave a link in your comment (+1)
• Contest is open to U.S. Residents only, sorry for any inconveniences!
• Winner will be selected at random by random.org and will receive a copy of Guardians of Ga'hoole: The Capture and Wolves of the Beyond: Lone Wolf.

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Review and Giveaway: Wolf Pie

Teach children not to "judge a book by its cover" with new, unexpected characters based on a longtime childhood fairy tale.

Seabrooke, Brenda.
Wolf Pie.
June 2010.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

The three Pygg brothers get an unexpected visitor one day shortly after they move into their sturdy, new home. What you (and children) expect to play out doesn't... and you just might be surprised at how the story does end! Together, the unlikely foursome team up together to play a trick on a large pack of wolves, surprising everyone with their creativity in the process.

The story will definitely impress upon readers that you really shouldn't judge someone based on just their "cover!" Children will likely easily catch on to this. The book itself is quite lengthy... but definitely ideal for a family (or classroom) read-aloud over the course of a week or so. I do think that it will capture the attention of the youngest of readers, so long as they are previously introduced and familiar with the story of the Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf.

Learning/Reading Activities:

• Read a version of the Three Little Pigs and Wolf Pie aloud with your child(ren). After reading, have your child complete a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the similarities and differences between the two different stories. With older children, you could also ask them to write an essay upon completing the Venn diagram. Venn diagram can be downloaded here.
• Work with your child(ren) to create "Wolf Pies" of your own for dinner one night! They're really just vegetable pot pies... a fairly simple recipe can be found here!

HOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:

• Leave a comment on this post sharing your child's favorite fairy tale.
  
• Be sure to leave an email address along with your comment.
• Deadline to enter is Saturday, September 25th at 11:59PM EST.
• For an extra entry(or three):
  1. Become a subscriber/follower of my blog (+1)
  2. Blog about this giveaway on your own blog and leave a link in your comment (+1)
  3. Leave a tweet on your Twitter page and then leave a link in your comment (+1)
• Contest is open to U.S. Residents only, sorry for any inconveniences!
• Winner will be selected at random by Saturday, October 2nd and will receive a copy of Wolf Pie.

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Winner of 3-Pack Travel Activity Kits

Hey readers! I want to apologize for my lack of posts lately... life has kept me from posting as frequently as I'd like, but I am trying to get back into the swing of blogging now, so we'll see how that goes!

In the meantime, I'd like to announce the winner of my 3-pack travel activity kits giveaway from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Congratulations to wmmahaney!!! I've emailed you regarding this, but if you happen to see the post first, please email me your snail mail address so I can get these out to you this week!



If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Chavela and the Magic Bubble

Travel on a magical journey with the help of a little bubble gum!

Brown, Monica.
Chavela and the Magic Bubble.
May 2010.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Chavela is a little girl who loves chewing gum - chicle, as it's known in Latin America. After visiting a store one day, she discovers a new, mysterious kind of chicle that takes her on the adventure of a lifetime - sending her deep into the rainforests of Mexico to discover the tree that produces the sapodilla that is the secret ingredient to chewing gum.

This unique story allows children the opportunity to enjoy a magical moment while at the same time learning a bit about Latin American culture - from language, to popular jobs and beyond. The story of Chavela and the Magic Bubble will also inspire children to be creative and find enjoyment in simple things! In ways, Chavela and the Magic Bubble reminds me of Mathilda and the Orange Balloon, in that is takes a simple, nearly-every day objects and shows how with a little imagination they can be so much more!



If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

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1.03.01

Dodsworth in Paris

Dodsworth continues on his world-wide travels, this time visiting Paris!

Egan, Tim.
Dodsworth in Paris.
May 2010.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

As Dodsworth and the duck embark on an adventure to Paris, of course they get more than they bargained for, as is typical with the duck, he finds trouble! The duo travel around to all of the different famous Paris landmarks, allowing readers to gather just the slightest bit of information about Paris and all there is to be seen!

The Dodsworth series is wonderful if you'd like your children to experience the concept of traveling abroad without all of the involved expenses! The illustrations are fun, yet mostly accurate in their detail regarding different aspects of Paris. Coupled with the illustrations, the characters (Dodsworth and the duck) are enjoyable and will likely easily engage most children. In Dodsworth in Paris, your child will be exposed briefly to:

• French language
• culture (paintings, jugglers, dancers, berets, mimes)
• French currency
• Chateau de Paris
• Eiffel Tower
• Notre Dame Cathedral
• Seine River
• Tou de France
• Louvre Museum
  
• City of Lights
  

Learning/Reading Activity:

• As you (and/or your child) read Dodworth in Paris have him/her take notes about all the different places mentioned that are related to Paris (places, culture, etc). After you have worked to come up with a list (see references above), have your child create a scrapbook of Dodsworth's Paris vacation! The activity directions can be found here!
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!