*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...
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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*Note: this post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Any purchases made via the links provided go to support our literacy efforts.
Spring begins with March, National Reading Month and as we’ve stated before, all baking and cooking involves reading so spend the month making some yummy dishes with your children. Since March 2nd is also Dr. Seuss‘s birthday why not get creative with cooking and read a Seuss classic like Green Eggs and Ham or The Butter Battle Book? Math can also be included this month along with a slice of pie that you have made with your children on the 14th, Pi Day. Consider reading Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi by Cindy Neuschwander and perhaps make a pizza pie or meat pie for dinner. To include some history and cultural cooking, cook up some traditional Irish fare on St. Patrick‘s Day and include either a fiction or non-fiction story about the day.
March
National Flour, Frozen Food, Noodle, Nutrition, Peanut, & Reading Month
National Reading Month
-Read whatever is at hand, anywhere you can and as much as you can! 
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce
**Check out our book lists for recommended titles, particularly our list of Stories about Books, Reading & Libraries or browse your local library or bookstore for ideas.**
National Noodle Month
National Peanut Month
Let's Go Nuts: Seeds We Eat by April Pulley Sayre
**Think outside the box and choose some recipes (and read some comics) from The Peanuts Family Cookbook: Delicious Dishes for Kids to Make with Their Favorite Grown-ups by Weldon Owen.**
2nd: Dr. Seuss‘ Birthday (Read Across America Day)
**Take a look at the article from Cook‘n & Eat‘n that offers some simple ideas for
combining books and food: Read (and Eat!) Across America.**
4th: National Pound Cake Day
6th: National Oreo Cookie Day
The Oreo Cookie Counting Book by Catherine Lucas
7th: IHOP Pancake Day
14th: Pi Day (3.14)
Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi by Cindy Neuschwander
17th: St. Patrick‘s Day and National Corned Beef & Cabbage Day
Jamie O‘Rourke and the Big Potato by Tomie dePaola
20th: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Day
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle calls to mind snacks such as celery stuffed with peanut butter or soft cheese topped with fresh or dried fruits and/or nuts or apple slices (with the skin) or grapes laid out to create an edible caterpillar.
20th: National Ravioli Day
23rd: Fannie Farmer’s Birthday
Farmer’s cookbook The Boston Cooking School Cook Book (1896) was the first to utilize standard measuring cups and spoons thus creating the first recipes to feature standardized, precise measurements.
Fannie in the Kitchen: The Whole Story from Soup to Nuts of How Fannie Farmer Invented Recipes with Precise Measurements by Deborah Hopkinson
23rd: National Chip & Dip Day
3rd week: American Chocolate Week
26th: National Spinach Day
Sylvia‘s Spinach by Katherine Pryor
Happy reading and baking!
-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. Sometimes when life changes, we find inspiration.
*Note: this post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Any purchases made via the links provided go to support our literacy efforts.
As we work to grow our business, we look for inspiration and ideas to lead us. Quotes such as Alexander Graham Bell’s “when one door closes, another opens” and the saying “when opportunity knocks on your door, always be willing to take a chance, because you never know how perfect something could turn out to be” keep us moving forward, always open to new ideas and looking at the opportunities that are presented to us.
Recently, this got us to thinking, especially with another year of school having begun. Just what do children do with ideas and opportunities and do they recognize them as such? Many successful people say that they received their inspiration, ideas or passion in childhood and still many others lost theirs along the way. So how do we help children to find their passion and recognize the opportunities and not give up? Inspiration from a book! We love the What You Do Matters series of books from Kobi Yamada:
What You Do Matters boxed gift set
Telling a child not to give up and to take a chance may not take hold but reading about someone else having the same qualms, just might resonate and that epiphany that struck, if nurtured, could in fact be BIG. We think these books are also wonderful because they can inspire all of us, both young and old to be true to ourselves and overcome obstacles in order to follow our passions.
So, bring inspiration into your child’s life through a book. Perhaps even get a journal where they can either write down their thoughts or draw an idea. Just remember to empower both boys AND girls to help them see the possibilities that life has to offer.
Read what others have to say about Kobi Yamada's series in this article from Brightly:
Kobi Yamada on Embracing Our Ideas and the Chances That Come Our Way. 
Find even more inspiration with Usborne Books & More!
The Inspiration Collection (Paint Me a Picture, Build me a Home, Play Me Some Music)
Read, create and be inspired!
-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.  Hopefully the showers of April have brought you May flowers, which also puts me in the mood to plant my own garden; flowers to bring me joy and herbs and vegetables for yumminess. I love being able to walk out to my backyard garden in the summer to gather what I need for a salad. We even keep pots of herbs on the deck, which my daughter loves to water and cut to use when we cook together. Be sure to include the little ones in decision making and in planting and don’t forget the fairies. They love their own garden and children enjoy creating them.  This last month of spring is Get Caught Reading month. Many schools reward students when they are “caught” reading this month but on the flip side, those same students are often reprimanded for reading when they shouldn’t be throughout the school year (I know, I was one of them.) Be supportive of and encourage your child’s reading habit and, if possible, snap a photo when you catch them reading and share it with us on our Facebook page. The first week of the month is the 100th anniversary of Children’s Book Week. Read your child’s favorite book with them or share one of your favorites from childhood. For ideas and further suggestions, check out the book lists on the BTBL website. This is also a great time to support local authors. Ask your librarian or local book seller who would be on the list. Last but not least, the second Sunday in May is Mother’s Day. Celebrate the day reading with your children, your mother and your grandmother if you are so lucky to have them all in your life. Including the generations fosters a sense of continuity and builds lasting memories. Special Dates in May *Note: this post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Any purchases made via the links provided go to support our literacy efforts. 4th: Star Wars Day (May the 4th be with you!) - Need we say more? There are many Star Wars books to choose from, from board books to graphic novels. For a fun read choose a title from Jeffrey Brown’s Darth Vader series. If your child has other interests, get creative. Read under the stars, read about space exploration or extraterrestrials, and so on.
5th: Cinco de Mayo - Though officially the date is in celebration of a battle victory for the Mexican army in 1862, today in the U.S. it has become a celebration of Mexican culture. Read one of Roseanne Greenfield Thong’s books. Another fun option is Dragon’s Love Tacos by Adam Rubin or choose a book from the Skippyjon Jones series, a cat who thinks he’s a Chihuahua, by Judy Schachner.
16th: Author/Illustrator Margret Rey’s Birthday - Best known for the Curious George series she created with her husband, H.A. Rey. Read one of the many stories about the world’s favorite monkey and also read about the Reys’ harrowing journey to bring their beloved stories from war torn Europe to the United States in The Journey That Saved Curious George: The True Wartime Escape of Margret and H. A. Rey by Louise W. Borden.
24th: Queen Victoria’s Birthday - The longest reigning British monarch until Queen Elizabeth. Besides a biography, there are several interesting and fun books you can read. Queen Victoria’s Bathing Machine by Gloria Whelan and The Queen’s Knickers by Nicholas Allan. An interesting title, especially for older children might be The Adventures of Alice Laselles, written by Queen Victoria herself when she was 10 years old.
Poem “Mary Had a Little Lamb” published in 1830 - Great time to read the poem with your child and sing the song. For older children who are already familiar with the poem, check out Mary Had a Little Lamp by Jack Lechner and Mary Had a Little Lab by Sue Fliess for laughs and perhaps use the Internet to find and listen to Thomas Edison reciting the first lines of the poem on the original phonograph. A great learning opportunity that also makes a connection to a historical event.
May is also a month for remembering our fallen heroes who died while serving in the armed forces. Armed Forces Day is the third Saturday in May and Memorial Day is the last Monday. Look for ways to celebrate our freedom and to honor those currently serving our country as well as our veterans.
Happy reading! -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 editions, a daughter for Kate (now 3) and a son for Amanda (now 1.) 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. 
*Note: this page contains Amazon Affiliate links. Any purchases made via the links provided go to support our literacy efforts.
Nursery rhymes originated as part of a long oral tradition of storytelling and remain an ever-present part of children’s literature today. Though nursery rhymes vary, most are noted for their use of rhyme and rhythm, which makes them easy to remember and so continue to be passed from one generation to the next. Experts agree that hearing nursery rhymes aids in language acquisition and also with speech development. Nursery rhymes also help children to develop auditory skills, discriminating between the different sounds and patterns as well as developing an ear for the music of words. Hearing, reading and singing nursery rhymes inspires natural learning as children sing along and learn the rhymes, committing them to memory.
*Disclaimer: Usborne Publishing Ltd. (UK) has no connection with these pages and does not sponsor or support their content.
I am an Independent Consultant with Usborne Books & More. To purchase UBAM books visit: https://s7598.myubam.com/
Introducing the repetition and rhythm of nursery rhymes can aid in:
For those of you who don’t know the rhyme I’m referring to, this is the version I learned as a child:
Who stole the cookies from the cookie jar? (Child's name) stole the cookies from the cookie jar. Who me? Yes you! Couldn’t be! Then who? (repeat with name of next person) 
I also want to note that there may be several versions of a rhyme and no one is correct. Whichever one you learned and wish to pass on to your child is the correct one for you. If you are feeling nursery rhyme challenged, we recommend the book Humpty Who? by Jennifer Griffin. It is billed as “a crash course in 80 nursery rhymes for clueless moms and dads” complete with a sing-along CD.
We also recommend considering the following books to share with your youngster:
For even more recommendations take a look at our Nursery Rhymes & Poetry book list.
So, embrace the rhymes of Mother Goose to share with your little one but remember to keep it organic and fun and resist making it academic. Your little one will naturally come to know these rhymes and their rhythms and the benefits will be numerous with the rhymes staying with them for a lifetime waiting to be shared with yet another generation.
Happy rhyming! -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 editions, a daughter for Kate (now 3) and a son for Amanda (now 1.) 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. |
AuthorWe are mom Sandra and daughters Amanda and Kate, all with backgrounds in literacy and education, who want to share our philosophy of taking the basics of life; books, simple toys that encourage play, imagination and creativity, and using cooking and baking to teach math and real life skills to raise happy, inquisitive children. Join us in exploring the old and the new and sifting through the myriad of research to consider what is best for our children. Archives
February 2021
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