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!!

Jumpstart Fun!!

Ever since my boys were little - we have been big Jumpstart fans!! Their computer learning games are were "hits" with our boys - and I loved it that they were learning while they were playing. Now, we have Chloe, and she is enjoying them as well. We were introduced to their line of "virtual games" that you can interact and play online. Chloe just LOVES this!! It is great fun and yes, learning at the same time! But there is so much more available than just games for kids - they have wonderful resources for parents and teachers as well - I enjoy the Jumpstart Blog and the “Fun for Parents” section of the website as well.We have been so impressed by the quality of their programs. AND your kids are safe while playing online. Kids LOVE their software - all four of ours have - they are fun and educational - gotta love that!! I would encourage you to check it out.
Now - the BONUS - one lucky winner will enjoy a FREE three-month membership to Jumpstart Online compliments of Jumpstart. All you have to do is leave a comment with your email so that I can get back to you. For extra chances you can Twitter about this and/or do a blog post on it - directing people here to enter. I am thrilled to offer this! I think you will LOVE it!! All comments will end on June 13 so enter fast!!

The Help

I just finished Kathryn Stockett's The Help and wish I weren't done. This is one of those books that just drew me in and kept me to the very end. The Help refers to black slave women being "the help" around large southern plantation homes. I love the honesty in this book - what the black women may have felt being treated as they were by wealthy white women. It was very touching, the black ladies weren't considered even CLEAN by some of their white "owners" but the white children never questioned it - they loved these black women sometimes more than their own mothers. The storyline was powerful - what happens when "the help" each write their own story and it becomes published for all to read?? So honest, so powerful - not to miss!!

Martha Doesn't Say Sorry

Martha Doesn't Say Sorry is PERFECT!! Samantha Berger, the author, and Bruce Whatley, the illustrator, have combined to form the perfect children's book! EVERY child will relate to this one - not wanting to say Sorry - but knowing it's what has to be done to patch everything up. It is just perfect - I am still smiling over it!

Global Wonders

I absolutely LOVE Global Wonders - their DVD's have been checking out like crazy at our library and my own daugther begs me often to bring another one home!! SO when they sent me their CD: Around the World Music - I was thrilled. It DOES NOT disappoint - the music is fun and gives a nice feel for music from other cultures. Don't miss this one! It is planned to be a series, and I am excited about that!

Here is what Global Wonders says:

Global Wonders™ Unveils ‘Around the World Music,’ Bringing Children and Families an Authentic Global Musical Experience Just in time for World Music Day

* * *

Available Exclusively Beginning May 19^th on iTunes and May 26^th on Amazon.com

Features Emmy Award Winning Composer and Culturally Authentic Musical Performances Creating a Fun and Educational Experience

Global Wonders: Around the World Music. Featuring authentic cultural styles, original compositions and fun sing-a-long songs, the album helps parents nurture cultural awareness in their children by exploring new rhythms and musical genres from around the world.

Global Wonders is an award-winning brand of children’s cross-cultural entertainment and education. The new album follows the successful launch of the Global Wonders DVD series and iTunes children’s video podcast, which shot to the top 10 in iTunes’ Kids & Family category.

Global Wonders: Around the World Music is produced and composed by Emmy Award winner Jim Latham, whose work includes original songs, themes and scores for a variety of children's programming (JoJo's Circus, Dragon Tales, and Disney Princess: A Christmas of Enchantment). For Global Wonders, Latham leveraged his broad musical experiences to meet the challenge of creating an album that was kid-friendly, culturally authentic and educational.

The first album in what will be an ongoing series , Around the World Music includes the Global Wonders Theme Song (A Great Big World) featuring a catchy sing-along chorus with layers of instruments from eight different countries, including an Indian Sitar, Australian Didgeridoo, Japanese Koto, a Ghana log drum and a Scottish Bagpipe. In Global Wonders Hello, children are introduced to words and phrases to say “Hello” in 10 different languages.

The album includes 19 songs covering cultures and musical styles from India, Italy, Greece, Mexico, Argentina, Japan, Ireland, Cuba and the United States (New Orleans Jazz, and Hawaiian Tiki). Highlights include a unique version of Vande Mataram, (India’s national song and the second most popular song in the world, per the BBC), incorporating a children’s choir into the chorus; Go Go Greece, a get-up-and-dance traditional Greek song; Banda Dance from Mexico; the Bollywood style India Celebrations; and America The Beautiful in a gospel vibe.

Global Wonders: Around the World Music will be available exclusively for download on iTunes beginning May 19, and for order at Amazon.com as of May 26; suggested retail price is $9.99. A music video, Global Wonders: Hello, also is available on iTunes .

Ten Days and Nine Nights

Ok, so I'm bawling over here - maybe because this momma's heart is raw right now - but after 3 years of waiting and knowing our daughter is now OURS - I am ready for her to come home. So, when I read this book tonight at the library - I was just a bawling. Chloe's going to LOVE it!! As we are all waiting for our little one to come home! And that is exactly what the little girl in this story is doing too - counting down the DAYS and NIGHTS until her little sister, also adopted, comes home to be with them. You are going to love it - SUCH a beautiful book!! Ten Days and Nine Nights: An Adoption Story by Yumi Heo. (It's one of those books that we can't just leave at the library - we are GOING to have to buy this one for home!)

Squawking Matilda

Get ready to sing! (I know, a bit odd, but this title just makes me want to break into song!!) Squawking Matilda by Lisa Horstman is just a riot!! Matilda is not your ordinary chicken - she has TONS of attitude, and not only that, she is also proud, dignified and a scrapper!! Matilda is sent to Aunt Susan's niece, Mae. It is Mae's job to take care of Matilda because she has not been happy on the farm. And thus the hilarious adventure of Matilda and Mae begins. I just love this story - it made Chloe and I laugh but it was also very tender. The illustrations are amazing! Horstman - this is A GEM!!!

The Forest of Hands and Teeth

Carrie Ryan's first novel, The Forest of Hands and Teeth is TAKE-YOU-OFF-GUARD GREAT!! I was so surprised that I would even like this book - the whole storyline was not really a typical "Becky" read, but I truly enjoyed it. The Sisterhood, the Guardians, and the Unconsecrated come together to challenge everything Mary has even known. She starts to question truths she has been taught and believed ever since she was a child. And it all begins with "the ocean" - so good. Throw in some "vampire-like" creatures, some romance, teen angst and there you have it - our teens are going to LOVE this one!

Making Work at Home Work

As a young mom, there was never a doubt - will I stay home with my kids or will I continue to work? We always knew I would stay home as long and as much as I could. And that is exactly what I have done - now, have I always been able to just be a Mom?? Nope, I've had to divide my time between being a mom and working from home. SO, I sure wish I would have had this book YEARS ago!!

Mary M. Byers’ new book, Making Work at Home Work, would have been my "bible" during those early years of staying at home AND trying to make an at-home job work together! I needed this kind of advice back then, but am even benefiting from it now!

In Making Work at Home Work, Byers offers work-at-home moms practical advice about combining the role of being a mom and a successful business woman. She covers things like:

Deciding why you are working at home - how much of your time do you really NEED to give to your job?

Making time to relax.

Setting boundaries in order to protect your family and yourself.

How do develop a plan for childcare.

Organizing your business.

How do deal with all the stuff life throws at you and still have an organized business and life.

Here is one of my favorite things that Byers' has done with this book. All throughout the book are interviews with real work-at-home moms who share their stories - what has worked for them and what hasn't. You can read their stories and be challenged and encouraged. Byers offers great insight for work-at-home moms who want to juggle it all and juggle it well!

Don't leave yet - you need to know that the author, Mary M. Byers, is currently hosting a contest on her blog. The winner will receive a copy of the book AND a $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com! Visit the book’s blog tour headquarters for more information.

Fireflies In December

Jennifer Erin Valent's Fireflies in December is a winner of Jerry B. Jenkins' Christian Writer's Guild Operation First Novel Contest - and I can see why! I adored this book. It is the story of Jessilyn Lassiter, a young girl growing up in the south in 1932. She deals with racial tensions and the Ku Klux Klan, young love, her best friend being a young black girl, and so much more in this tender story that only leaves me wanting more. Valent is wonderful and I am watching for more from her!

do you love me?

There are hardly words to tell you HOW much I LOVE this book! Joost Elffers is always a treat-of-author, but his latest, do you love me?, is one that my daughter and I can not get enough of. She keeps begging me to read it again, and I can see why. Simple, simple text - but then, that's all you need to get this point across! "Do you love? Always, dear," begins this sweet story - with large, beautiful illustrations that only add to the "endearment" of this book!! HIGHLY recommend it! (I'm buying my own copy, see how much I LOVE it!??!)

Mumsi Meets a Lion

Kim Stegall sent me a copy of her book, Mumsi Meets a Lion - illustrated by Kimberly Batti. This is a wonderful book set in Kenya about a young boy learning the finer points of life in his land and how to be a strong hunter, but also how to deal with fear on his way to becoming a man. The illustrations just add so much authenticity to this story. Books set in other cultures are great for our readers too - I love that about this book too. I enjoyed it and I think kids will too - especially boys - and I'm always on the lookout for great "boy" books!

Lucky Breaks

Susan Patron's latest - Lucky Breaks - is another winner in my book. I SO enjoyed The Higher Power of Lucky and was hoping to be as enamored with this one - and I was! I just love the - the coming of age - grappling with life - in such an innocent style. Patron's books make me laugh out loud and then, in the next page, even feel a tear starting - they are just THAT good. I love Lucky - she is, I am sure, a carbon copy of myself at that age. :) (I'll have to talk to Patron about that sometime!) She is spunky, full of fun, and yet can see the faults in herself so clearly as well - and best of all, she knows how to say "I'm sorry." I am just SO glad that this sequel lives up to the first.

Toon Books

You know from previous posts that I adore Toon Books - I love the whole concept - using graphic novels with beginning readers! So - when they sent me their latest titles - Luke on the Loose and Benny and Penny in The Big No-No! I was so excited! Luke on the Loose is by Harry Bliss - yes, none other than our wonderful illustrator for our Summer Reading Program this summer. Benny and Penny in The Big No-No! is by Geoffrey Hayes - a continuation in his Benny and Penny series. I just can hardly tell you how much I like these books - I guess the proof would be to tell you that they are RARELY in our library - they are always checked out!

Sylvan Dell Goodies

I have had these for while now and haven't posted on them - IT IS TIME!!
I do love a Sylvan Dell Box - you just know the quality is superb AND they are always wonderful for science and math - which I just can't promote enough! Their website is a treasure-trove for teachers - Teaching activities to accompany each story, Related websites, audio readings in English and Spanish, part of the Accelerated Reader Program - I am telling you - they are WONDERFUL!

One Wolf Howls by Scotti Cohn and illustrated by Susan Detwiler - brilliant - a great way to use the months of the year and numbers, 1-12, to teach children about wolves and their behavior. I think kids will LOVE this one!

Henry and the Impatient Heron by Donna Love and illustrated by Christina Wald - How often can you find a book about a heron!?!?! Not very - that's another reason I like this one! A great lesson on the subject of camouflage and the importance of being still - I love it!

Ocean Hide and Seek by Jennifer Evans Kramer, illustrated by Gary Phillips - what a great book - of course it's wonderful for that ocean unit or storytime, but also perfect for your animal lovers too!! There are hidden creatures on every page which even makes it more fun - kids love those at our library!

Paws, Claws, Hands and Feet by Kimberly Hutmacher and illustrated by Sherry Rogers - I think this one would be SO fun for story hour - you get to move along with the animals in the story - tons of fun and different actions to do with them AND then it ends with everyone sleeping after their long day! This will be a good time!!

Where Should Turtle Be? by Susan Ring and illustrated by Laurie Allen Klein - I love books about turtles, and this one is very nice. Everyone is trying to tell turtle where to live, but he just doesn't feel at home in those places. But look out when he finds his place - so nice! The illustrations are magnificent in this one too!

Thank you Sylvan Dell for another wonderful box full of books!

Worthwhile Books

Once in awhile you see something new - and you just have to share it with the world. Ok - I will admit it - I've never heard of Worthwhile Books - but now that I have - I am sharing it with all of you!!! I got a package today and in it was Carl the Frog. David N. Weiss wrote this book and Pete Whitehead illustrated it to perfection. This book had me laughing out loud - I am NOT kidding. It is hilarious! What's a frog to do with his enormously long tongue that he can't seem to control?!?!? It just eats all of his friends!! My favorite part that had me out loud laughing??? "Bouncing behind a bus, with a belly full of friends, can make a frog feel very ill." You will get it when you read it - and YOU BETTER read it!!


Then there's Michael Recycle Meets Litterbug Doug by Ellie Bethel and illustrated by Alexandra Colombo. LOVED this one too - just in time for Earth Day this year! It is all told in rhyme and yes, it is SO fun! Even some spreads that you have to hold vertical to read - I love it when they do that! And the illustrations?? Well - it is just an all-around great pick! Another winner - thank you Worthwhile Books!!