Category Archives: children’s books

Is It Too Early To Begin Planning For The New School Year?

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Group of children in a primary school in ParisImage via Wikipedia

I know that summer has just begun.  Many of us are thinking of poolside parties and frozen pops and Fourth of July parades.

But if your child is starting school in August, or if there were problems adjusting to the classroom routine last year, it’s not too early to think about how you can insure a smooth transition from home to school.  This holds true for older children as well as for those of preschool age.

What can parents do during the summer to prepare for the new school year?

1.    Have an upbeat, matter-of-fact, positive attitude about school.

2.    If your child has not been there yet, arrange for a visit before school starts.

3.    Connect with parents of other children in the class and have play dates with your child’s classmates…children feel more at ease when they see friendly faces in the classroom.

4.    If you don’t have a routine in place for bedtime and getting-ready-for-the-day-in-the-morning time, put them in place now.  Make it a habit to discuss plans for the next day in the evening and lay out clothes and anything else needed the night before.  When school starts, your child will be used to getting things ready and you won’t have that last minute rush in the morning to find the missing shoe or backpack.  Regarding bedtime, please make sure you are allowing plenty of time for your child to get ready (brush teeth, wash, lay out clothes and necessary items, story-time, etc.) and still be getting to bed at a reasonable hour.  I know that it is tempting to let young children stay up later, especially in the summer, but when school starts, it will be a difficult habit to break…and young children need more than 10 hours of sleep at night.

5.    Make sure your child is eating a good breakfast in the morning…when school starts, this will be even more important.  And what is a good breakfast?  My younger son loved pizza for breakfast.  Some children might prefer eggs and toast, cereal with fruit and milk, French toast and bacon or pancakes with fruit toppings.  How about peanut butter and banana on whole wheat bread for a highly nutritious breakfast?

Do you have some super breakfast menus that your children love?  Please share!  We all need fresh ideas.

Many times, children who are fussy eaters become better eaters when you let them help out in the kitchen.  If you are looking for some easy child-friendly recipes, Show Me How! has one hundred of them and teams each cooking activity with a picture book suggestion and an easy eco-friendly arts and crafts project.  Head on over to my website to take advantage of the Jump Into Summer Special…50% off the cover price.  The book makes a great gift for any parent, grandparent, expectant parent, babysitter, nanny, daycare provider, preschool teacher…and there is an additional discount if you buy two copies…only $20 per copy!  You will be getting two copies for less than the cover price of one!  And, if you order by June 30th, we are including a bonus sheet of self-stick gold stars that can be used on goal charts and more! 

Studies show that the quality time you spend with your young children now has a positive impact on their school performance in later years.  This is a great opportunity to get a wonderful resource you can use on a daily basis, year after year.  Show Me Howis an award-winning book endorsed by parents, teachers and national organizations such as the JDRF.  To be in your children’s memories tomorrow, you need to be in their lives today.  This is a book that makes it easy and fun to be in your children’s lives today!  It is the ONLY book you will need to buy to plan educational, self-esteem building activities for your preschoolers.  Don’t put it off until tomorrow!

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Top Ten Books You Were Forced to Read in School: Should You Read Them Again Now?

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Steacie Science and Engineering Library at Yor...

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On Sundays, I usually review and recommend (or not) a movie that I think parents would enjoy.

Today, I was online and happened to see some lists of the top ten in many categories.

I was intrigued by the following list: Top Ten Books You Were Forced To Read in School. Top Ten Books You Were Forced to Read in School

Scrolling through the list, it occurred to me that almost every one of them was a depressing tale of the darkest sides of man’s nature.

I’m not surprised that many high school students don’t want to read!

Here’s the list…what do you think?

1.    To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

2.    Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

3.    A Separate Peace by John Knowles

4.    The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

5.    Animal Farm by George Orwell

6.    Lord of the Flies by William Golding

7.    The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

8.    A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

9.    The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

10.Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Are these great works of fiction?  Yes, they most certainly are.  But they portray the worst of what we can be and only a few also show the better side of human nature.

It’s been so long since I’ve read these books.  Many, if not all, have been made into movies.  I believe it is time for me to revisit these classics in literature.  I plan to start at the top and work my way down the list.  Most of these books are probably available at the local library and I’m sure the film versions are available there as well.  Perhaps next Sunday, I’ll be able to give you a movie review of To Kill a Mockingbird and I’ll let you know if it was true to the story as written in the book. 

I’m not sure I agree that surrounding our junior high and high school students with depressing reading material is the right path.  I think I’d prefer to see some book choices for them with a more positive slant on life and our journey through it.  What are your thoughts?

If you are looking for positive stories and activities for your preschoolers, please check out Show Me How!, my award-winning book.  You can get a copy for 50% off right now on my website.  Summer is just around the corner and this great resource will provide you with story, craft and cooking activities that are easy, inexpensive and fun!

Also, if you are local to the Colorado Springs area (Monument, Woodland Park, Denver, Pueblo, etc.), please come by on June 11 from 10am to 2pm at the PBS Kids Fun Fest in Acacia Park in downtown Colorado Springs and say hello to Clifford the Big Red Dog, Curious George and me.  I’ll be doing simple craft projects with children along with many other participants.

And last bur not least, please tune in on Tuesday, May 24 at 10am EST to www.RadioEarNetwork.com.  Lisa Hein, host of Everyday Parenting, will be interviewing me.  We’ll be talking about many topics that are of great interest and importance to all parents.

What’s In Your Child’s Bookcase: Rebecca Dunning – Award-Winning Author

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I’m honored to present our first-ever guest author feature…a post by award-winning author, Rebecca Dunning.  If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be a writer or what obstacles one has to overcome to become an author of a book that gets published, please read her wonderfully candid and informative words.  It takes determination, tenacity and the ability to stay positive and motivated even when obstacles loom before you…Ms. Dunning has all of these attributes and more!  When you are finished, please check out the links at the end of the post so you can visit her website and blog and find out more about her fantastic children’s books, Real Life Princess and Beetle Hunter.

 

A Personal Reflection on Becoming a Writer: by author, Rebecca Dunning

Being a writer is something that has always been with me. It’s not something that happened over time or due to a defining moment like I’ve heard many writers talk about. Now that I’ve said that, I must admit it has been a long journey into sharing my writings with anyone, feeling like I have anything of worth to offer in comparison to the “greats” and overcoming the resistance that stops me as an artist from exercising my gift.

In the early years of my life, writing brought me sanity. For me, processing my emotions on paper is like breathing air – clean air. When I write it is a catharsis. I feel most normal after I’ve given life to something on paper, even if it isn’t that great.

Beginning in early elementary school, I remember writing short stories in mass and, by the time I was in eighth grade, I entered a competition and got third place. I was devastated that I didn’t get first. So there, I’ve let you in on my biggest hurdle to being a writer:  ME.

Before I got married, I regularly journaled and wrote poetry. Then I married an amazing visual artist and thought that my gift paled in comparison to his. It wasn’t until a couple of years into our marriage that I shared with him anything I’d written. My husband told me that he thought I had talent and really should pursue something with it, but I thought he was just being nice and didn’t do anything with it. Then there were kids and I “was too busy” and so on. There was always an excuse.

Four years ago, my husband and I found a group called Greenhouse Artist Community and joined. I was a writer that didn’t write so I felt like a total poser. The group was organized by a now good friend, Christi Bovee, for artists of all mediums and was meant to facilitate the creative process and give an outlet to share bits and pieces of whatever we were putting our hand to. It was a small group which made it comfortable but the sharing was done on a microphone, which at first was a hard thing, even though I’d traveled for years doing public speaking. After someone shared we then gave feedback.

The first time I shared, I cried like a baby because I brought in one of the most vulnerable pieces I’d ever written…maybe not the best idea. Afterwards, the silence in the room was thick; tears ran down a few faces and, in all honesty, the feedback kick started my career.  I guess I needed a group of people to tell me I had what it takes.

Because of this and a book they recommended called The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, I now have two children’s books published and write for various organizations, publications and have a well followed blog.  I’ve just finished my first novel and hope to write for the rest of my life.

I still come up against the big ME sometimes but I have several artists in my life that help me push through it. Getting your most vulnerable writings critiqued by publishers and reviewers can be brutal to the sensitive artistic soul, but it can also be rewarding and has helped me hone my craft.

I get a lot of questions from writers on what to do to get going. There is a lot to say actually but here are a few.

First, write!  Then write some more.

Second, get someone(s) good to edit and critique it. (Not a nice friend who tells you what you want to hear.)

Thirdly, if you want to get published, get a thicker skin than you presently have. When you get ripped apart, learn from it and make yourself get back on the horse as soon as possible. Remember, most people who make it in acting, writing or any other kind of art get a lot more NO’s then yes’s. Get your no’s out of the way so you can get to your yes’s.

All in all, the only way to be a writer is to write.  Period.

 

Rebecca Dunning is an award winning writer who lives in Colorado with her husband and three children. She not only loves to read and write but also enjoys hiking, climbing mountains 14,000 feet or higher, running, biking, traveling the world and about anything else out-of-doors. Rebecca is the author of two children’s books, The Real-Life Princess and Beetle Hunter and just finished her first novel, The Awen:  Book One of the Sacred Oak Series.

Link to The War of Art: http://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/0446691437

Link to The Real-Life Princess: http://www.amazon.com/Real-Life-Princess-Rebecca-Lynn-Dunning/dp/0982667000/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1

Link to Beetle Hunter: http://www.amazon.com/Beetle-Hunter-Rebecca-Lynn-Dunning/dp/0982667027/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1

Link to website: http://www.rebeccadunning.com/

Link to blog: http://www.rebeccalynndunning.blogspot.com/

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I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity to welcome Rebecca to Positive Parental Participation.  In the upcoming weeks, we’ll be visiting with several other children’s book authors…hope you all enjoy hearing their stories.