Since Monday was Memorial Day and I spent the weekend with family and friends I didn't do my multicultural post this week. Today I am going to share some of the resources I have to explore Japan. I know Japan will be a popular country to look at this summer with the Olympics being held in Tokyo. We will start with All About Japan by Willamarie Moore and illustrated by Kazumi Wilds.
Tie-dye can be so fun and always seems to come back on trend. We have had fun making our own tie-dye shirts and more. Today we are going to share note cards and gift wrap that both have tie-dye designs. Let's start with the Tie-Dye Note Cards.
It is hard to believe it is June. Summer is basically here. For many this school year was a mess. I know many parents are worried about how much their kids learned with all the remote learning the past two years. Every summer kids lose some of what they have learned. This summer it will be more important to keep our kids reading and learning. I am going to be sharing books that will give you extra resources to keep the kids learning all summer long in fun ways starting today. Today I am sharing part of Dover Publication's My First Science Book Series and at the end there will be a giveaway!!
Today I am sharing a new picture book with you from Kathleen T. Pelley. It is a sweet, religious picture book. It is Five Little Angels. After my review I will share some angel crafts to go with this book and there is a giveaway as part of the blog tour!
Today I am going to share another 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle. It is a beautiful photograph from Japan. It is the Samurai Castle and Cherry Blossoms 1,000-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle.
Today I am participating in a Virtual Book Tour for Six Thousand Doughnuts by Thomas Tosi. The book is being released next week, June 4, 2021. It is a middle grade novel with some illustrations throughout it. It is recommended for ages 8-12.
So I had big plans to start reviewing books on Japan. I have quite a pile. However they are going to wait until next week and into June because I found one other Asian country to cover on my bookshelf. Today I am going to share with you Story of the Mongolian Tent House by Dashdondog Jamba, retold by Anne Pellowski and illustrated by Beatriz Vidal. Before I begin my review, I would like to add that there are not a whole lot of books about or from Mongolia or many crafts or resources for kids. When I did a search for craft ideas most of them were adult crafts and for sale. I think this is a topic that needs a bit more exploring and I am going to share what I did find.
It is hard to believe summer is fast approaching. What a year we have had. We have made huge strides fighting the world pandemic. Our state is going to open up fully on the 29th. The vaccines seem to be working. We have been lucky. Hazel's age is approved for the vaccine so she will be fully vaccinated a couple of weeks into her summer vacation. She has also been in school in person all year. However I know many schools were not in person. Many kids are a bit behind so this summer it will be even more important to have them reading and learning. Today I am going to share three fun, useful and interesting books that kids will love learning from this summer. All three are from National Geographic Kids which means they are pretty easy reads without long stories or chapters and more fun facts and photos. We will start with the National Geographic Kids Almanac 2022.
I said it. Today's book is one of the best Christian books I have ever read! Now I am always intrigued by a book about women of the Bible. I have looked at several of the women in some detail here on this blog. Women like Mary, Esther, and Mary Magdalene. I have shared versions of the Bible as well as devotionals including my go-to devotional that I reread every year! Today I am going to share a book that can be used as a devotional though each chapter is a bit long for a short read that delves into the stories of ten women of the Bible and relates their stories and their prayers to your everyday life. What amazes me most about this book besides that it really hits home is it is written by a man. The book is When Women Pray by Bishop T. D. Jakes.
This week I thought we would look at Korea through a craft and food. So far this month we have looked at China and Vietnam. We will also begin looking a Japan but I will continue the Japan resources into June with the Summer Olympics in Tokyo coming up in July! So today we look at Korea. Now over the years we have explored Korea with books, stories, crafts and food. We even have looked at the Korean language. Now I have had Korean Patchwork Quilting by Choi Yangsook sitting on my shelf for awhile. I have been meaning to share it for Crafty Sundays but haven't gotten around to it because I am fascinated with discovering bojagi. I have not tried any of the projects yet but plan to. Then when I was looking for something to make for dinner tonight with ground beef, I found this recipe for Korean Ground Beef and Rice Bowls. I figured it was the day to share the book and look at Korea! First here is our Korean Ground Beef and Rice dinner. My family LOVED it!! I only used half the red pepper because we don't like too much heat.
This week is National Wildflower Week! The other day I shared a post on Facebook about dandelions. A friend had posted it and I assumed it was true but wanted to know for sure. I decided to investigate the common wildflower, dandelions, and wow, what an interesting plant. First, did you know dandelions are in the same family as the sunflower and aster? Whether you see wishes, food or weeds, there is something here for you including where they came from, how to harvest them and how to rid your yard of them if you really want to (fun fact 11).
It is hard to believe the end of the school year is upon us. We have been lucky this year. Hazel's small private school has been open all year so she has been in person since the day after Labor Day. When I was a teacher this was the time of the year where we were trying to cram in what we had left to cover and then get the kids ready for finals. As a student I hated final exams. There was just so much to learn and remember for them. And if you struggled with some topic it was sure to show up on the final exam. Today I am going to share with you three books from a series of books that are perfect for helping kids in middle school and high school ace hard classes. I have already shared the geometry one with you (since you know I'm a sucker for math books). Then Hazel's fifth grade teacher shared that she was using some of the middle school books to prepare lessons for her on-line classes and she loves the books. (She left the school and is only teaching on-line now.) I decided to give the books another look. Today I am going to share the middle school book on computer science and the high school books on biology and chemistry. All three books are really well written and explain the topics in simple terms that kids will be able to understand. I'm really hoping they come out with a physics one so I can really learn physics after awful experiences with it in high school and college.
A few months ago I reviewed The Ambassador to Nowhere, Texas. I discovered it was a sequel to another book, When Zachary Beaver Came to Town, both by Kimberly Willis Holt. The Ambassador to Nowhere, Texas was set in the era of 9/11 and told the story of a middle school girl in Antler, Texas and how she and those around her dealt with all that was happening. During the book she and a friend begin to try to find out about Zachary Beaver because of a photograph of him and her father and his best friend from when they were about her age. Having not read the first book I was thrilled with the mystery, but it also left a yearning to read the first book, so today I am sharing with you the first book! It is set in 1971 with the Vietnam War going on. Seeing how I turned one in 1971 I was curious to read about this era.
May is Asian American Heritage Month. Last week we focused on Vietnam and this week we will focus on China. I have two books to share with you today. One of them I reviewed an older edition several years ago. The other is a book of children's stories from both China and Tibet. I began to wonder about Tibet. Tibet was taken over by the Communist Chinese Government in 1949. The leader of Tibet prior to that was the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama escaped to India and lives there in exile with over 100,000 Tibetan refugees. (Source) We will start with Favorite Children's Stories from China and Tibet by Lotta Carswell Hume and illustrated by Lo Koon-chiu.
I have been very lucky to be able to get products to review from Tuttle Publishing. Since their company focuses on Eastern countries I always find their products perfect for sharing in May (though I share them all year long). Besides books they have other products including jigsaw puzzles. I thought it would be fun to share some of the puzzles I have from Tuttle this month. I have shared others previously. Plus since the puzzle is of the Borobudur Temple, I thought I would share some fun facts about the temple.
Today I get to share with you a dystopia adult novel. It will have your mind thinking about the roles and rights of women and men in our society. The book is Sins of Our Mothers by Nicole Souza.
Have you lost your job? Perhaps your home? Or other major life change? Or perhaps it is just getting through this pandemic? Are you fearing life going back to "normal"? I know the idea of crowds does not excite me any time but especially as the mask mandates are beginning to go away. Today's book is just what we need. It is Time to Reset by Karen Brown Tyson.
Yesterday we kicked off our celebration of Asian-American Heritage Month. Today's book features a young Filipino-American girl so it is perfect for this month. The book is Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey by Erin Entrada Kelly. Today is the release day of this book!! The book is recommended for ages 7 to 12 but I think the sweet spot is for 6 to 9. This is definitely an emerging reader novel thanks to the pictures throughout and larger print size.
May is Asian/Pacific Islander-American Heritage Month. Last May I focused on Japan and I thought this year I might try to do that with Vietnam, but as I looked at my resources this year I decided I would do one post on Vietnam and posts about other Asian and Pacific Island countries. Today we will focus on Vietnam and I will share two books--a cookbook and a picture dictionary. At the end I will share a round-up of some activities and books on the topic of Vietnam and the culture.
April is Autism Awareness Month. I have a close friend who has a son on the spectrum. It is through them that I truly became aware of autism and what it is. Her son is highly functioning, but I know the difficulties he can have. When he was young I was one of the only people she allowed to pick him up from school besides herself or her husband. I feel blessed to have learned more about autism from him and I feel blessed to share these two amazing books with you. These books come from the REED Foundation for Autism. Inside each cover jacket it says: "The 'One Big Canvas' book series is an initiative of the REED Foundation for Autism. The series will feature a growing number of titles, characters, and storylines centered on understanding, accepting, and demonstrating kindness to all." The REED Foundation for Autism is committed to providing individuals with autism the opportunity to learn, live, work and thrive at every stage of their lives. For more information, please visit https://www.reedfoundationforautism.org.
The past year has been full of many things. There have been so many upsets in our society. We are living through a worldwide pandemic. We saw citizens attack the Capitol Building. And then there is George Floyd. The verdict is in and his killer has been found guilty. Now we await the sentencing. But his death caused a spark in our nation and probably the world to look at systemic racism. These are some of the thoughts I entered this book with and what an amazing book. The book is It Doesn't Take a Genius by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich. It is a new middle grade novel.
I have a confession to make. I have been meaning to share today's book with you for over a month but I keep picking it up and then reading something else because of time constraints. However I am very excited to share it with you. I will admit I have not completely finished it and will do so because it is so interesting. The book is Wabi Sabi: The Wisdom in Imperfection by Nobuo Suzuki.
April is almost over so that means it is almost Mother's Day here in the US. Today I am going to share two books that are perfect gifts for kids to make for their parents for Mother's or Father's Day, or birthdays. Each book is created for the child to write, draw, and fill in about their parents. Since Mohter's Day is fast approaching we will start with A Book About Mom with Words and Pictures by Me written by Workman Publishing and illustrated by Irena Freitas.
Earth Day is Thursday. I have been sharing books each week to use as resources for it and today the books I share work for Earth Day but two of them work with a twist. All three books are picture books recommended for preschool and early elementary (ages 3-8). We will start with the book that is perfect for Earth Day. It is Once Upon Another Time by Charles Ghigna and Matt Forrest Esenwine and illustrated by Andrés F. Landazábal.
Did you know the first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970? Earth Day is 51 years old this year. It was started to make people aware of the devastation to Earth that pollution, technology and more were causing. One great worry was the deforestation and extinction of wildlife. (Source) With that concern I am sharing today's picture book as an Earth Day resource. The book shares a tale that is set in Somali and shares a bit about the endangered cheetahs. The book is Spirit of the Cheetah: A Somali Tale by Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed and illustrated by Julia Cairns.
Earth Day is this week. How are you celebrating? I have been sharing books that are great to use with kids for a few weeks now. Today I am going to share a craft book that is perfect for Earth Day. This book is all about making things with rips and stains usable again. The book is Mending with Love: Creative Repairs for Your Favorite Things by Noriko Misumi.
Yesterday I felt like I wanted to work on a puzzle. I went to my puzzle pile and decided to put together Dare to Dream 1,000-Piece Puzzle by Astrid van der Hulst, Irene Schmidt, and Editors of Flow Magazine. I chose this puzzle because I thought I could put it together pretty quickly and wanted to review it today.
Hazel loves to write. She is in the middle of writing multiple books though I never get to read them. She also loves creating artwork. In fact she is signed up for an Art Masters Program this summer at her school. I'm so excited she is willing to try it. She usually says no to any summer program, but her art teacher talked her into it. I think one of the hardest things for her is putting her work out there for others to see. Her class does daily writing prompts and she comes home sharing what others have written for them but when I ask if she shares her writing she always says no. I want to encourage her to share her creativity with others including myself. Her work is beautiful and everyone who has read her writing is impressed with it. Today I am sharing a book written for someone like Hazel. It is Courageous Creativity: Advice and Encouragement for the Creative Life by Sara Zarr.
It is hard to believe Earth Day is next week! I feel like April is flying by and as a former teacher once April hits--well April vacation (next week)--I feel like the school year is basically over. Hazel's new school has a different vacation schedule so she had two weeks off in March, but I know the public schools are off next week so the feeling is still there. Today I am going to share an other set of books that are great for Earth Day. These books range for ages 4-7 and 7-12, so basically books perfect for elementary grades. We will start with Sunrise Summer by Matthew Swanson and illustrated by Robbi Behr.
Today I am going to share one of the craft books I am saying is Earth Day related. Now paper crafts in general aren't usually Earth Day crafts unless they are recycled crafts. However today's crafts are making paper wildflowers. My hope is when people see how beautiful the paper wildflowers are they will plant more wildflowers or at least let them grow when they pop up. Many of these wildflowers will attract pollinators to your yard. Plus if they are natural for your area they will help all the wildlife. So now I share A Beginner's Guide to Paper Wildflowers by Emiko Yamamoto.
This past year has been very stressful on everyone. Mental health issues are up everywhere. As a mom and wife I think I have probably had to take the most risks with the virus. I am the one who generally goes to run errands. I am the one who goes to the grocery store. I am also the one that deals with making appointments for vaccines, etc. I don't know about where you are but there is a huge vaccine shortage in Massachusetts. And it doesn't help that the federal government has pressured the states to make everyone eligible by a certain date. Adding more people into the mix has just made it harder for the people who were already qualified to get appointments. Steve qualified almost three weeks ago. Today we were able to get him an appointment for next Friday. It has been very hard and frustrating. I have definitely felt like I need time for myself and I definitely need time to connect with God. One way I do this is by journaling and today I'm going to share a perfect journal for both things. It is The Confident Woman Journal by Joyce Meyer.
Today I get to share with you a middle grades fantasy novel. The main character has Iraqi ancestry and the book has ancient world (think Biblical times) references throughout it. The book is Mesopo by Eva Dietrich. Oh, and there is a giveaway at the end of the post!
Earth Day is in two weeks! There are so many ways you can celebrate with kids. One of my favorite though is sharing books. The range of books can be about the reason for Earth Day, Earth, wildlife, recycling, reusing, etc. This year I have gathered some great ones including some craft books which I will share on Crafty Sundays in the next couple of weeks. I was trying to decide how to share the various books I have gathered and decided to go with publishers. Today's books are both from National Geographic Kids. We will start with one of the most interesting books ever, Beneath the Waves: Celebrating the Ocean Through Pictures, Poems and Stories by Stephanie Warren Drimmer.
April is a month full of things I care about. We just had Easter weekend. April 2nd is World Autism Day. Earth Day is fast approaching, and it is National Poetry Month. I shared the first book last week that is a great one to share on Earth Day and will be sharing more this month. Today I want to focus on a new poetry book. It is You Don't Have to Be Everything edited by Diana Whitney. It was released March 30th.
Can you believe this September it will be twenty years since 9/11? Life was so different twenty years ago. Many homes did not have a computer. Internet was dial up for the most part. And I am guessing you probably remember where you were when you heard the news of the planes going into the twin towers. I know I remember exactly. Do you remember the days after how quiet it was without any planes in the air? I remember looking at coworker as we heard planes flying above our school--it was in the airpath of the military planes. Living outside of Boston where the flights began meant many meaningful stories about that day as well as loss. Today I am sharing a new middle grade book that is set in the era of 9/11. It is The Ambassador of Nowhere Texas by Kimberly Willis Holt. I did not realize until today that it is the second book in a series.
It is hard to believe it is the end of March. This month went by so quickly for me and usually it drags but I guess that is because Hazel's new school has two weeks off in March instead of the February and April breaks. With the end of March I start to think about the events of April. Today I am going to share a fun new picture book that as I read it made me think of Earth Day and I'll share why later. The book is Grace and Box by Kim Howard and illustrated by Megan Lötter.
Today we are going to look at some of the American women who made a difference during World War II. Women's rights had progressed between the two world wars as well as progress in technology. By World War II women were pilots. Computers were introduced to the mix. And of course there were the nurses and spies. Once again my go to book is Heroism Begins with Her by Winifred Conkling. I will be sharing additional sources as well as books (mostly children's) about each of the amazing women I will share.
March is National Craft Month. I have not had much time to craft but did start working on a quilt today, so I decided to share some of the quilt books I have been thinking about trying today as well as the one I did try. We will start with Sew Very Easy Quilt Favorites: 12 Skill-Building Projects from Laura Coia.
Today I get to share with you a fun, soon to be released young adult novel. It will be released on April 1, 2021. It is the second novel by Jenna Guillaume. You can see my review of her first one here. This new novel is a new feminine twist on Weird Science. The book is called You Were Made for Me.
