July Fun!

I REALLY would LOVE to win this - I think I'd look RATHER classy on it!!!!

The Great Call of China

Cynthea Liu has written The Great Call of China. This is in her S.A.S.S. Series (Students Across the Seven Seas). They do not necessarily tie together but they are all about teen girls traveling the world with the S.A.S.S. program. I enjoyed this title - it is about an adopted teen, Cece, that has an opportunity to go back to her homeland, China, for an anthropology program during her summer break. I guess this really hit home to me having a daughter from China - it made me put myself in her shoes, as an adoptive child, and feelings she may have as a teen. It is definitely geared to teens - as adult, it wasn't "deep" enough for my tastes - but I think teens will enjoy it - and I am thrilled to find a book that is even pointed toward adopted girls - a rare find indeed!

I Would Die for You - Blog Tour

This summer is starting out with a blog tour for Brent and Deanna Higgins' book, I Would Die for You. What a powerful book - I read it in just a few hours, and I am recommending it to young and old alike. BJ's life is recorded in this book through his own words, others' words about him, and even through blog comments. This story is amazing and will challenge all who read it. This is what has been said about this book:

(Tulsa, OK) - "It's an honor just to be nominated": familiar words for Emmy and Grammy nominees. Still, Brent and Deanna Higgins never believed the phrase would pertain to their family. Outreach magazine has recently honored the Higgins' book, I Would Die for You, with a nomination as Outreach Resource of the Year.

That nomination, however, came with a great cost. I Would Die for You chronicles the life and death of their young son, BJ Higgins; along with his faith; his passion for missions and his love for God. Compelling excerpts from personal notes, blog entries school assignments and journals reveal his clear calling and enthusiasm for sharing the gospel of Christ. BJ's challenging words and example combine to inspire readers of all ages.

After returning from his second short-term international mission trip at the age of 15, BJ became seriously ill. Six days before his sixteenth birthday, he died. His story lives on throughout the pages of his parents' book.

In spite of the inevitable grief , Brent and Deanna share their son's message of selfless sacrifice through both I Would Die for You and Awe Star Ministries, the nonprofit ministry that coordinated his mission trips. Their prayer? That countless others will embrace BJ's vision and give their all for the cause of Christ.


What Teenagers are Saying:

BJ was just a year younger than me, and in his short life he had such a full life and could die with no regrets. He had a sense of urgency in telling the story of the gospel and its transforming power to others. He didn't worry about what they thought or if he would be rejected.
--T. Buse

It is THAT good - I challenge you to read it. AND if you leave a comment here before June 23, you may be eligible to win your own copy.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows goes Paper!

July 7 - the BIG day for the paperback version of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a breathtaking finish to a remarkable series. The final chapter to Harry Potter’s adventures will be released in paperback July 7^th! It all comes down to this - a final face off between good and evil. You plan to pull out all the stops, but every time you solve one mystery, three more evolve.

And to celebrate this BIG EVENT - Scholastic has allowed me to give away BIG prizes to all of you!!
Five (5) Winners receive a paperback prize pack:

Book 5 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Book 6 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Book 7 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows!

Now, I bet you want to know what to do to win!?!? All you have to do is leave a comment with your email so I can get in touch with you! Want another chance to win? Then Twitter about it as well! And for a third entry, become a follower of my blog!! That's all you have to do!!
You may enter until July 7 - the day of the paperback release - that is the day I will use Random Generator to choose a winner!

Click HERE to visit Scholastic's Harry Potter page and learn more!

Sarah's Key

Tatiana de Rosnay's Sarah's Key is a book that opened up a whole new aspect of the treatment of Jews in 1942. You knew the Jews were persecuted - that was well-known, but I had no idea that they were even loaded up and put on trucks in France as well. This is event is remembered every year as the Vel' d'Hiv' roundup. The story follows 10 year old, Sarah, as she is one of the thousands of children rounded up in that event. She leaves her brother "safely" locked up in a cupboard in their home so he will escape the roundup. Julia Jarmond, an American Journalist, is covering the 60th anniversary of the roundup and comes across Sarah's story. What unfolds is a tender story of what happens when one person becomes involved in the life of another and follows her heart to find the family of Sarah - all of these years later. I enjoyed the book - it was an interesting read and one where I learned some history along the way - can't beat that!

Sign Babies

I was so pleased when Sign Babies sent me some of their newest additions. I already am SOLD on signing to babies - we used it with our boys and Chloe and found it valuable everytime. BUT I insist on ASL signs and that is what Baby Signs specializes in!

More Please! First Words Board Book by Nancy Cadjan is a very fun tool. It has adorable illustrations and then gives you signs to string together on a two-page-spread so that you can sign a phrase or sentence with your little one. AND if that's not enough, they also have suggestions on each page for other signs you could do that would go along with the ones on the pages. VERY nice - this will be popular at our library.

The other book they sent me to look at was Baby Signing 1 2 3 by Nancy Cadjan. This is an excellent resource for parents. It is user-friendly and illustrated. It is truly a comprehensive guide - what are the most important signs to teach your baby? What can you expect at each stage of your child's development? It even includes a sign language dictionary. Parents will find this invaluable - what a great tool! Wish I'd had this 14 years ago!

To learn more about Nancy Cadjan and the system she used to work with her children on sign language go to Sign Babies.

Hip Hop Baby!

I was sent this DVD to view - Hip Hop Baby! Get Healthy Get Fit! (Video 2) This DVD is geared for ages 2-6 and is said to "Teach children through hip music and energizing dance numbers." I would say that summarizes this DVD perfectly! I really enjoyed it - it's catchy, fun, and WILL get kids moving while learning what is good to eat and other healthy tips. I would recommend these DVD's even after only seeing one. I KNOW my Chloe would LOVE it!!