Category: Holidays

Resolve to read (aloud) more in 2021

1/4/2021

*Note: this post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Any purchases made via the links provided go to support our literacy efforts.

A new year invariably means new year resolutions. We all make them because…well, that’s the thing you do at the beginning of a fresh year, right? But how many of us stick to our resolutions? I would guess most of us can keep the momentum and enthusiasm going for maybe the first month after the ball drops. And then it’s just downhill from there.

If there is one thing that 2020 taught us, it’s that life is completely and totally unpredictable and the only constant we can reply upon with absolute certainty is change. No matter what else goes on, something is bound to change…especially when we least expect it. And as parents we know all too well that the unexpected is lurking around the corner, just waiting for us to let our guard down long enough for it to sneak up behind us and yell, “BOO!” As parents, we never know when something will be the last time because our children are growing and maturing at such an alarming rate, we can’t really keep up. One minute you’re helping tie their shoes, then you blink and they’re driving off to college. There is one thing, however, that you can do for and with your child no matter how old they are and that’s read.

Read aloud to you child.
Listen to your child read aloud to you.
Read the books that your child loves.
Share your own reading life.
Discuss what you’re reading.

Books have the power to bring people together, particularly a parent and child. Through books, lasting bonds are created, nurtured and memories are made. So, I challenge you now to resolve to make 2021 the year of the book. I’ll help you get started:

I resolve...

to read more in 2021.
to read aloud to my child every day, even if I’m tired.
to do all the silly voices when I'm reading, even I feel really awkward doing it, because it makes my child smile.
to not roll my eyes when my child asks to read that same book for the hundredth time.
to choose books based on more than their literary value.
to share my favorite books with my child and be open to having their favorites shared with me so we can lose hours to long discussions.
to 'fill my home with stacks of books...in all the crannies and all the nooks.'
to make more use of my public library and to do my best to remember to bring the books back on time, without any bite marks or baby drool marring them.

Read One Dad's Reading Resolutions for the New Year from Brightly.

Happy reading all year long!

-Kate @ BTBL

Author

We are three generations that seek a way to get back to basics. It’s not that we eschew technology, but sometimes simpler is better, especially in raising our children. Mom was a reading teacher, Amanda is an early childhood educator and Kate a children’s literature specialist and former school librarian along with the latest additions, a daughter (now 5) for Kate, and two sons (now 3 and 1) for Amanda. We advocate reading aloud, the simple toys that use imagination and encourage creativity and learning in the kitchen, which can be a fun mess but also teaches life skills. Join us in raising healthy, happy, inquisitive and intelligent children.

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December Is Made for Baking!

11/29/2020

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Let the snow fall and the baking begin!

*Note: this post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Any purchases made via the links provided go to support our literacy efforts.

Winter starts off with a month of baking and cooking for Christmas and Hanukkah! December is the National Egg Nog and Fruit Cake month, along with many National Day‘s for various baked goods (Pie Day, Cookie Day, Brownie Day, Pastry Day and others.) My First Baking Book by Rena Coyle and the DK cookbook, Mommy & Me Bake, are great beginner baking books. And don‘t forget to share all of your own favorite holiday recipes! Consider sharing these baking themed stories: The Baker‘s Dozen: A Saint Nicholas Tale by Aaron Shepard, Hanukkah Cookies with Sprinkles by David A. Adler, or one of Jan Brett‘s Gingerbread stories (Gingerbread Baby, Gingerbread Friends, Gingerbread Christmas). So, get busy in the kitchen and bake some goodies to share. Bring a plate of delectable treats to your neighbors and those who can’t bake for themselves or live alone. Teach your children to pay it forward by spreading the kindness of the season and then snuggle up and read together!

Looking for more children's cookbooks? Find our favorites at the bottom of our book list:
Baking, Cooking, Gardening & Food Related Books

December
National Eggnog and Fruitcake Month

1st: National Pie Day

Peyton Picks the Perfect Pie by America's Test Kitchen Kids

Porcupine's Pie by Laura Renauld

All for Pie, Pie for All by David Martin

I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson

Ugly Pie by Lisa Wheeler

The Perfect Pumpkin Pie by Denys Cazet

The Apple Pie that Papa Baked by Lauren Thompson

A Apple Pie by Kate Greenaway

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman

How to Make a Cherry Pie and See the U.S.A. by Marjorie Priceman

4th: National Cookie Day

Cookies!: An Interactive Recipe Book by Lotta Nieminen

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff

The Cookie Fiasco (Mo Willems' Elephant & Piggie Like Reading) by Dan Santat

The Duckling Gets a Cookie!? by Mo Willems

The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson

7th: National Cotton Candy Day

Fairy Floss: The Sweet Story of Cotton Candy by Ann Ingalls

Cotton Candy Clouds by Sara D. Moore

Captain Bad Breaker and the Cotton Candy Ship by L.L. Faer and E. Raven

8th: National Brownie Day

If You Give a Mouse a Brownie by Laura Numeroff

Clark the Shark: Too Many Treats by Bruce Hale

9th: National Pastry Day

10th: Hanukkah Begins

Hanukkah Cookies with Sprinkles by David A. Adler

Meet the Latkes by Alan Silberberg

12th: National Gingerbread House Day

The Gingerbread House by Laura Gia West

Gingerbread Mouse by Katy Bratun

Charlie's Gingerbread House by Melissa Ivey Staehli

A Year of Gingerbread Houses by Kristine Samuell

Gingerbread Houses by Christa Currie

Don't forget about Jan Brett's Gingerbread series as well (see above)!

13th: National Cocoa Day

From Cocoa Beans to Chocolate by Bridget Heos

15th: National Cupcake Day

Pete the Cat and the Missing Cupcakes by Kimberly & James Dean

If You Give a Cat a Cupcake by Laura Numeroff

Little Mouse and the Big Cupcake by Thomas Taylor

Fancy Nancy and the Delectable Cupcakes by Jane O'Connor

Camilla the Cupcake Fairy by Make Believe Ideas Ltd.

16th: National Chocolate Covered Anything Day

17th: National Maple Syrup Day

Maple Syrup from the Sugarhouse by Laurie Lazzaro Knowlton

Almost Time by Gary D. Schmidt & Elizabeth Stickney

The Sweetest Season by Elissa Kerr

From Maple Tree to Syrup by Melanie Mitchell

M is for Maple Syrup: A Vermont Alphabet by Cynthia Furlong Reynolds

25th: Christmas Day

Christmas Cookie Day! by Tara Knudson

The Christmas Cookie Sprinkle Snitcher by Robert Kraus

A World of Cookies for Santa by M. E. Furman

For a more complete list of Christmas titles, look at our Holiday Books list.

26th: National Candy Cane Day

The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg

Katie the Candy Cane Fairy by Thomas Nelson

28th: National Chocolate Day

No Monkeys, No Chocolate by Melissa Stewart and Allen Young

Margret & H. A. Rey's Curious George Goes to a Chocolate Factory

From Cocoa Bean to Chocolate by Robin Nelson

This year of focusing our blogs on our Bookworm Bakers division, where we blend baking, cooking and gardening with literacy, has come to an end. We hope that you will embark on filling your children’s growing years and beyond with memories of baking, cooking and gardening. These offer the best way to learn math and reading naturally through real world, hands-on experiences, building life skills and creating lasting memories that will hopefully be cherished and passed down to future generations. That is why we encourage you to write down family recipes and your own memories of childhood, for all too soon they will be forgotten and disappear forever. I think about the stories my mother has shared about my grandmother and her cooking and the get-togethers with other families who came to this country with her. I never had the chance to meet my grandmother, but I do have my mother’s memories and photos, and my grandmother’s own cookbook and handwritten recipes, so I do feel a sense of connection to my past. If we don’t document our life, past and present for our children, a bit more of our heritage will be lost and we will be unable to reclaim it in the future.

Happy holidays from our family to yours!

-Kate @ BTBL

Author

We are three generations that seek a way to get back to basics. It’s not that we eschew technology, but sometimes simpler is better, especially in raising our children. Mom was a reading teacher, Amanda is an early childhood educator and Kate a children’s literature specialist and former school librarian along with the latest additions, a daughter (now 5) for Kate, and two sons (now 2 and 1) for Amanda. We advocate reading aloud, the simple toys that use imagination and encourage creativity and learning in the kitchen, which can be a fun mess but also teaches life skills. Join us in raising healthy, happy, inquisitive and intelligent children.

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'Tis the season to be reading!

11/26/2019

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*Note: this post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Any purchases made via the links provided go to support our literacy efforts.

The winter season begins with the last month of the year and the celebration of several holidays, depending upon culture. This is the time of year when families gather from far and wide around the table to celebrate the season and the joy of the holidays. It is also when time honored family recipes emerge to once again take center stage. This is not the time to relegate the children to the play room but to include them in the preparation of the family meal. Cooking is a wonderful way to engage all of the senses, producing memories that resurface with the scent of certain foods and is also a wonderful way to boost reading and math skills in children without them even knowing it. Cooking also builds self-esteem, confidence and teaches life skills. Planning menus, choosing and reading through recipes and writing out a grocery list all involve reading and as a meal is prepared, math and science skills are engaged (to further enhance these skills, double or cut a recipe in half).

Cooking, especially during the holidays, is a cross-cultural experience that helps us explore our own heritage as well as other cultures and allows for an opportunity to learn where our food comes from and the people involved. To support this idea consider including the following books along with your traditional holiday favorites:

For additional baking/cooking and holiday related stories, take a look at our book lists.

What's happening in December?

1st: Author Jan Brett’s Birthday - Brett has numerous books that lend themselves well to the winter season. Her beautiful illustrations offer detailed depictions of animals and people from various locales and cultures. Consider The Mitten, Annie and the Wild Animals and Home for Christmas as well as the classics The Twelve Days of Christmas and The Night Before Christmas.

5th: Walt Disney’s Birthday - Need we say more? Disney is an industry unto itself. Read about the man himself in the Who Was? series Who Was Walt Disney? by Whitney Stewart or another Disney biography. You can then further explore the wonderful world of Disney through the many Disney characters we all know and love.

7th: Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day - Take this opportunity to search online, visit your local library or bookstore for age appropriate books to learn about this day in American history.

10th: Poet Emily Dickinson’s Birthday - Share Dickinson’s poems with your child. Consider Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson by Frances Schoonmaker Bolin or Poetry for Kids: Emily Dickinson by Emily Dickinson and edited by Susan Snively. Also, look out for Jane Yolen's picture book biography Emily Writes: Emily Dickinson and Her Poetic Beginnings coming out in February 2020.

Melvil Dewey’s Birthday - A great time to teach children about the Dewey Decimal System and visit your local library to see it in action. Consider Do You Know Dewey? by Brian P. Cleary and The Great Dewey Hunt by Toni Buzzeo.

11th: Author William Joyce’s Birthday - Think Rolie Polie Olie and The Guardians of Childhood. Consider our personal favorite The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore and look for the short film on YouTube.

30th: Author Mercer Mayer’s Birthday - Known for his Little Critter and Little Monster series. With hundreds of books to choose from it shouldn’t be difficult to find one or more to read to your child.

31st: New Year's Eve - Celebrate the ending of the old year and the beginning of the new with Natasha Wing's The Night Before New Year's.

Remember to take this time at the end of the year to build fond memories with your children as you celebrate family traditions of old as well as introduce new traditions. Try to always include a book at the end of the day or at the beginning of a meal or even while waiting for those cookies to come out of the oven.

“Most of our childhood is stored not in photos, but in certain biscuits,
lights of day, smells, textures of carpet.”
Alain de Botton

We want to pass along a word of thought. As we discuss family time and building memories, we just want you to keep in mind that those warm and fuzzy moments that you remember with your own mother or grandmother will never be passed down if you don‘t teach your own children to cook and bake and value time spent together. Grandma‘s timeless recipes will be forgotten and a little bit more of your heritage will be lost. Give your children an appreciation of their ancestors and family history while building memories that they in turn will want to pass along to the next generation.

Happy holidays from our family to yours!

Author

We are three generations that seek a way to get back to basics. It’s not that we eschew technology, but sometimes simpler is better, especially in raising our children. Mom was a reading teacher, Amanda is an early childhood educator and Kate a children’s literature specialist and former school librarian along with the latest additions, a daughter (now 4) for Kate, and two sons (now 1 and a newborn) for Amanda. We advocate reading aloud, the simple toys that use imagination and encourage creativity and learning in the kitchen, which can be a fun mess but also teaches life skills. Join us in raising healthy, happy, inquisitive and intelligent children.

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The Mad Holiday Rush

11/13/2019

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*Note: this post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Any purchases made via the links provided go to support our literacy efforts.

As the mad holiday shopping rush begins, we like to think that parents will choose gifts wisely, but that’s not often the case. Today’s media has a grip on our children, showing them an endless array of useless, mind-numbing gadgets that seem to serve no purpose but to make someone money and when our children see these, they feel they “need” them. “But mom, I need that” is the phrase I often hear from my four-year-old. How quickly they learn. But children need to play, and not only on a digital device.

Play is essential to the developing child because it contributes to cognitive, physical, social and emotional well-being. Play is also essential for healthy brain development and is the best way for children to explore the world around them. The simplest way to encourage play is by providing plenty of toys. So, understanding that play is the work of children, it is essential that we as parents provide them with toys that stimulate the imagination, build creativity and promote problem solving skills. The nonprofit, National Association for the Education of Young Children, asked two researchers about what their work tells us about toys, children and play. Jeffrey Trawick-Smith (Professor of Early Childhood Education at the Center for Early Childhood Education at Eastern Connecticut State University) states that one trend that emerged from the studies is that “basic is better,” meaning toys that are open-ended and can be used in multiple ways, such as building blocks, vehicles and construction toys. He also found that the highest scoring toys were those that “prompted problem solving, social interaction, and creative expression in both boys and girls. Interestingly, toys that have traditionally been viewed as male oriented—construction toys and toy vehicles, for example—elicited the highest quality play among girls.” So be sure to set aside any preconceived notions you have about toys and gender and sometimes even about the recommend age (though remember to keep safety at the forefront) and choose toys that force children to think outside the box and utilize their imagination and creative energies. Perhaps even let them play with the box, which always seems to be the most fun.

An observation and thought I would like to share with you is the dismay I feel when I see kids who live in a totally digital world because I don’t know what it will be that will generate their memories in the future. I’m one of those pack rats that saved all my toys and today I love sharing my Fisher Price Briarberry Bears and accessories, Polly Pockets, Barbies, Beanie Babies, Puzzle Place set and others with my four-year-old. She loves to see what I played with as a child. Even though some of those toys still exist, they generally are not in the form that I had. When I get them out for her they bring back my own memories and show her what the world I grew up in was like. With the Christmas Wish Book and toy stores a thing of the past, I see children with less actual physical toys and instead games that are downloaded. What will they have to look back on and what will they share with their children? Just keep in mind that what is happening in their life today will be the memories that they will look back upon. What memory would you like your children to have in the future and what memories and toys will they be able to share with their own children?

Happy play and memory making!

-Kate @ BTBL

Author

We are three generations that seek a way to get back to basics. It’s not that we eschew technology, but sometimes simpler is better, especially in raising our children. Mom was a reading teacher, Amanda is an early childhood educator and Kate a children’s literature specialist and former school librarian along with the latest additions, a daughter (now 4) for Kate, and two sons (now 1 and a newborn) for Amanda. We advocate reading aloud, the simple toys that use imagination and encourage creativity and learning in the kitchen, which can be a fun mess but also teaches life skills. Join us in raising healthy, happy, inquisitive and intelligent children.

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October, the color of Autumn

9/27/2019

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*Note: this post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Any purchases made via the links provided go to support our literacy efforts.

Autumn is in full swing and though most of us welcome the vibrant colors of the season, some find this time of change difficult. Consider sharing the story Fall is Not Easy by Marty Kelley with your child but also take the time to get outdoors and enjoy the changes taking place, perhaps even sitting among the trees and reading a story or perhaps try some storytelling. Children always love a made-up story and you can never get it wrong. Stories began with the oral tradition and were then passed down through the generations. Telling your children stories allows you to pass on your values while also increasing focus and attention as you both maintain eye contact with no pages to turn or illustrations to peruse. Children must engage their senses to make the story come to life. Engaging children in storytelling is also a way to help support oral language and vocabulary development as well as listening skills while also increasing imagination and strengthening confidence as they use elements from their life to tell their story. Just remember there is no right or wrong so have fun with it even if the story gets crazy and doesn’t make any sense. To add some fun to the idea, read The Prince and the Witch and the Thief and the Bears by Alastair Chisholm.

Speaking of storytelling...one day when walking the trails at a local park, we came across a fire pit surrounded by log seating. My daughter asked my mother and I to sit and she proceeded to tell us a story. She walked around the fire pit and told a spooky story and even acted out some of it by stomping along like a big monster. Of course, once she had told her story, my mother and I each had to get up and tell our own. It became a fun time that we won’t soon forget.

“Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble.”
William Shakespeare

The end of the month brings my daughter’s favorite holiday, Halloween, but it seems to be more the thought of it than the actual day spent trick or treating. It’s reading the stories and watching the movies and specials. It’s running through the pumpkin patch searching for that perfect pumpkin, wandering a corn maze or visiting a haunted house and of course, dressing up. So, celebrate Halloween by dressing up and reading some Halloween stories together and finish it off with a craft. This is a great time to bond and build memories.

October happenings...

5th: Author David Shannon’s Birthday - Celebrate by choosing one of Shannon’s David series books. A fun read with the holidays fast approaching is Too Many Toys.

12th: Columbus Day - For young ones, you can take your own exploration outdoors and make new discoveries. For older children, you can choose a biography from the “Who Was” series or read You Wouldn’t Want to Sail with Christopher Columbus! by Fiona MacDonald.

31st: Halloween - Observed in many countries and in many ways, Halloween in the United States has become known for costumes and trick-or-treating. There are many great picture books in honor of the holiday including Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds (have children make their own creepy carrot), Boris and Bella by Carolyn Crimi and Monster Mash by David Catrow (to add to the fun, play the song Monster Mash by Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett & the Crypt-Kickers.)

For even more Halloween titles, take a look at our previous blog: 31 Days of Halloween Reads! and peruse our Holiday Books list!

Art and Halloween…an artsy book lovers dream!

There are many ways to combine books with a fun art project. Above we mentioned making your own creepy carrots after reading Aaron Reynolds's Creepy Carrots. Another fun book and activity pairing is Monster Needs a Costume by Paul Czajak and/or I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll and then making origami monster bookmarks. These adorable little bookmarks look like they are gnawing on the corner of the book while keeping your place!

Happy reading and creating!

-Kate @ BTBL

Author

We are three generations that seek a way to get back to basics. It’s not that we eschew technology, but sometimes simpler is better, especially in raising our children. Mom was a reading teacher, Amanda is an early childhood educator and Kate a children’s literature specialist and former school librarian along with the latest additions, a daughter (now 3) for Kate, a son (now 1) and another little boy expected this year for Amanda. We advocate reading aloud, the simple toys that use imagination and encourage creativity and learning in the kitchen, which can be a fun mess but also teaches life skills. Join us in raising healthy, happy, inquisitive and intelligent children.

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Back to Basics

Resolve to read (aloud) more in 2021

Author

December Is Made for Baking!

Let the snow fall and the baking begin!

Author

'Tis the season to be reading!

What's happening in December?

“Most of our childhood is stored not in photos, but in certain biscuits,
lights of day, smells, textures of carpet.”
Alain de Botton

Author

The Mad Holiday Rush

Author

October, the color of Autumn

“Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble.”
William Shakespeare

October happenings...

Art and Halloween…an artsy book lovers dream!

Author

Author

Archives

Categories

Back to Basics

Resolve to read (aloud) more in 2021

Author

December Is Made for Baking!

Let the snow fall and the baking begin!

Author

'Tis the season to be reading!

What's happening in December?

“Most of our childhood is stored not in photos, but in certain biscuits, lights of day, smells, textures of carpet.” Alain de Botton

Author

The Mad Holiday Rush

Author

October, the color of Autumn

“Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble.” William Shakespeare

October happenings...

Art and Halloween…an artsy book lovers dream!

Author

Author

Archives

Categories

“Most of our childhood is stored not in photos, but in certain biscuits,
lights of day, smells, textures of carpet.”
Alain de Botton

“Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble.”
William Shakespeare