Let Halloween Continue in your Household!!!

Even though the hustle and bustle of Halloween and trick-or-treating may be over with for this year, allow your child the opportunity to make the distinction between forming healthy choices, by encouraging him to trade in some of his/her candy for a healthier habit - reading! By trading in some Halloween candy for one of these spooky (and fun) Halloween books, Halloween will last just a bit longer in your household!

Tegen, Katherine.
The Story of the Jack O'Lantern.
July 2010.
HarperCollins.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

This cute tale shares with children how the jack o'lantern came to be. While the story is presented in a fictional manner, there is a non-fictional note at the end that allows readers to delve deeper into the actual story of the jack o'lantern. Very fun and creative, while at the same time somewhat educational, as it will definitely allow children to gain a better understanding of this trick-or-treating holiday!

Brown, Lisa.
Vampire Boy's Good Night.
July 2010.
HarperCollins.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Vampire Bela and Witch Morgan are likely to surprise readers in this Halloween night tale! The two team up and set about just as the darkness of night sets in, eager to see what the children are up to. Readers will likely appreciate the different viewpoint of what Halloween looks like to an outsider - if you could technically call a vampire and a witch outsiders to Halloween!

Schaefer, Lola M.
Happy Halloween, Mittens.
July 2010.
HarperCollins.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

A companion to Biscuit, Mittens will join young readers on an adventure as they prepare for Halloween. However, Mittens owner, Nick finds Mittens more of a pest than anything... that is, until he finds Mitten helping out by making the ghost scarier. This is a very simple story, but captures nearly all aspects of Halloween in a manner that readers can relate to, while also encouraging independence in reading (through simple, repetitive text)!

Meddaugh, Susan.
Martha Speaks: Haunted House.
September 2010.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Children are sure to love the mystery in which Martha, TD, and Helen partake in this adventure! Martha the talking dog returns in this Halloween green light reader, allowing beginning readers the opportunity to join their favorite characters on a holiday adventure, in the hopes of attracting little ones to reading by capturing their attention on a topic of which they're sure to love! This is a must have, especially if your little one is a fan of Martha and her other adventures!

Berenstain, Jan and Mike.
The Berenstain Bears and the Haunted House.
July 2010.
HarperCollins.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

When Brother Bear and Sister Bear's kitty Gracie turns up missing, the two set forth on a hunt to try and find her. As they opt to look for her within the walls of a haunted house, what they find just may shock you! While the 'haunting' is not enough to scare, it's just enough for your little Berenstain Bear fans to enjoy without too much of a spooking! Definitely a great choice - and a different take on a Berenstain Bears' story!

Brown, Jeff.
Flat Stanley and the Haunted House.
July 2010.
HarperCollins.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Once again, Flat Stanley's flatness works to everyone's benefit! When Stanley and his family attend the Halloween party at his school, Stanley and brother Arthur are less than thrilled with the non-scary haunted house. However, they find the opportunity to provide a bit of scaring on their own, coming to the rescue of friend who's been bullied . Together, they team up to scare the bully and shock their parents, resulting in what is apparently the only scare of the haunted house! Fans of Flat Stanley are sure to enjoy the latest in the series, especially since it incorporates a favorite among holidays with children!

Brown, Calef.
Hallowilloween: Nefarious Silliness.
September 2010.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Enjoy Halloween 14 times over, with the wickedly silly Halloweenish poems by Calef Brown. The rhyming, lyrical text, children will spend story time chuckling with laughter at the funniness portrayed throughout! This would make for a wonderful bedtime sharing story starting two weeks before Halloween come next year!



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!

The Berenstain Bears Go Out to Eat

A great reminder for kids about manners and healthy choices when eating out!

Berenstain, Jan & Mike.
The Berenstain Bears Go Out to Eat.
December 2009.
HarperCollins Publishers.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Just like today's families, the Berenstain Bear family is a very busy family, that occasionally likes to take a trip out for dinner to avoid the hassle of having to not only cook a meal, but also clean it up afterwards. In The Berenstain Bears Go Out to Eat, the Berenstain family heads to the Bear Country Grill for a Friday night meal out. However, the meal goes as one would typically expect when taking three children (in this case, bear cubs) out to eat! However, Mama Bear does her best to be prepared, and luckily they get through the meal without too many problems!

As is typical with the Berenstain Bear books, children will learn a lesson in this new story! Here they are given gentle reminders of the importance of using your manners when out to eat, as well as remembering to keep nutrition in mind (by ordering broccoli instead of french fries). Not only does the book teach children a few lessons, but parents, too, will likely pick up on the importance of being prepared for a wait at the restaurant! The Berenstain Bears are well-loved characters who always have much to offer, and this book is no disappointment on that front!

Learning/Reading Activity:

• Help your child to create an "Out to Eat" bag, packed full with activities that are appropriate for times when the family is dining out. Head to your local craft store and purchase a canvas bag. Allow your child to decorate the bag to his/her liking. Then head out to your local dollar store and pick up a coloring book and crayons. At the dollar store, pick out a few travel games, such as checkers, hand-held pinball, or a small card game. Also add to the "Out to Eat" bag a few books that your child loves and can read by his/herself, as well as an activity book that will keep him/her busy for an extended amount of time, such as Where's Waldo? The Ultimate Travel Collection. Involve your child in the process of picking out the items for his/her bag, as this will spike their interest for the next mealtime at a restaurant!
  

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!

Stan Berenstain's Birth Anniversary

Today, September 29 marks Stan Berenstain's birth anniversary. He was born in Philadelphia, PA in 1923. Stan Berenstain published his first children's book, The Great Honey Hunt, in 1962. He and his wife, Jan, went on to collaborate on more than 200 books featuring "The Berenstain Bears," a lovely family of bears dealing with the everyday problems that children face. The boeloved characters have had their own television show, videos, DVDs and toys, and remain popular today. Berenstain died at Bucks County, PA on November 26, 2005.
-The Teacher's Calendar, 2008-2009

When I was little, the books in "The Berenstain Bears" series were my all time favorite books. I still have a large collection of them today and can see them as a valuable asset to the education of today's children, as they teach very important messages through friendly, funny characters that will appeal to children. I had a hard time picking out the books for todays post, two older ones that I feel portray some of the most important messages and one brand new one - yup! Brand new! Hopefully you and your children will enjoy these books as much as I did (and still do)!

Berenstain, Stan and Jan.
The Berenstain Bears Forget Their Manners.
1985.
Random House.

Summary from Barnes and Noble:

"Mama Bear wasn't quite sure how or why it happened...But the Bear family had become a pushing, shoving, name-calling, ill-mannered mess!" Even Papa bangs on the table at dinner and shouts. Mama finally calls a family meeting and presents her Bear Family Politeness Plan. The plan has a list of all the rude things she wants to stop.

If you're looking to instill the value of using manners in children of young ages, this book is perfect for doing so! Children are sure to love the Berenstain Bears (if they aren't already familiar with the series) and will easily relate to Brother and Sister's behaviors. Couple this with the few books mentioned below, and you'll have a great curriculum for teaching about manners. Children will quickly learn that if they use good manners, they'll make it farther and have an easier time in life!

Other Books that Teach Manners:

• Mind Your Manners, B.B. Wolf, Judy Sierra
• Dude, That's Rude (Get Some Manners)!, Pamela Espeland
• Chicken Fingers, Mac and Cheese... Why Do You Always Have to Say Please, Wendy Rosen
• My Manners Matter: A First Look at Being Polite, Pat Thomas
  

Activities to Use in Collaboration with The Berenstain Bears Forget Their Manners:

• Situation A, Situation B Worksheet (Using Your Knowledge of Manners)
• Manners at School Activity
• Macaroni and Please - 10 Minute Manners for Children Ages 3-7
  

Berenstain, Stan and Jan.
The Berenstain Bears and the Truth.
1983.
Random House.

Summary from Barnes and Noble:

When Brother and Sister Bear accidentally break Mama's favorite lamp, their little lie grows bigger and bigger, until Papa Bear helps them find the words that set everything right again.

I'm not sure why, but many children these days (especially) seem to have a hard time with telling the truth. I guess that's why there's such a need for literature that promotes the idea of telling the truth! This book is ideal for young children as the lie being told is something that children can easily relate to. The important message that children will hopefully catch on to is that if they want their parents to trust them to make some choices for themselves, they must first prove to their parents that they are worthy of being trusted to do the right thing! Again, I would not use this book alone in trying to teach children the importance of telling the truth, but rather alongside some other stories that children will be able to relate to equally.

Other Books that Teach Truth:

• I'm Telling the Truth: A First Look at Honesty, Pat Thomas
• The Boy Who Cried Wolf, B.G. Hennessey
• Ruthie and the (Not S0) Teeny Tiny Lie, Laura Rankin
  

Berenstain, Jan and Mike.
The Berenstain Bears' Sick Days.
September 2009.
HarperCollins.

Summary from HarperCollins:

Sister is home sick from school. Mama wants to take good care of her so she can get well quickly. It turns out that keeping Sister happy all day long is no small job! Soon both Sister and Mama are more than ready for a return to school.

Children will get a taste of their own medicine as they watch Sister Bear on her "sick day!" For kids, sick days mean a day off school, but for Mama's, sick days mean a whole lot of extra running around! Sister Bear finally shows compassion towards Mama at the end of the story when Mama comes down with whatever Sister was sick with! This newest book in the Berenstain Bear series would make a perfect cheer-up, feel-better gift for your sick little one (and will keep then entertained for a bit to give you the few-minute break you need on a sick day)!

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.