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 Back to Basics

Reading and cooking with kids

October, The Color and Flavor of Fall

9/26/2020

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*Note: this post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Any purchases made via the links provided go to support our literacy efforts.
     Fall continues in October with National Apple, Caramel, Chili, Cookie, Dessert, Pasta, Pizza, Popcorn Poppin‘, Pork, Pumpkin, Seafood and Tomato month. We in Michigan think of it as the time to head to the farmer‘s market, cider mill and apple orchards as well as the pumpkin patch. Share a non-fiction book about apples, such as Apples for Everyone by Jill Esbaum or Apples by Gail Gibbons, and then consider going apple picking. Search cookbooks for tasty recipes in which to use your apples. Think about making your own applesauce, which you can then use instead of oil in your baked goods. When picking out your pumpkin for Halloween, grab some pie pumpkins as well for baking and share Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin, Pie by Jill Esbaum. Now is a great time to also include a book about fall while partaking of one of those delectable desserts that you and your child(ren) have baked or pop some corn out around a bonfire and tell your favorite story.
     This is also a great time to use fall and all its natural splendor to enhance home learning through cooking and baking and identification, using the leaves, apples and pumpkins of fall. Cooking and baking utilizes math and reading skills, and you can use the different varieties of apples and leaves for identification. For younger children, count the apples you pick, count the seeds from the pumpkin, measure the circumference of the pumpkin and collect leaves and discuss the different colors and shapes. Search online for craft ideas using leaves, apples, pumpkin seeds etc. Read a fall storybook and then extend the learning with a craft.  
Refer back to our previous blogs to find fall book recommendations:
Fall Into Books!
Autumn is almost here!
Good-bye Summer, Hello Fall!

-  -  -
October
National Apple, Caramel, Chili, Cookbook, Cookie, Dessert, Pasta, Pizza, Popcorn Poppin‘, Pork, Pumpkin, Seafood & Tomato Month
National Apple Month
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Hello, World! How Do Apples Grow? by Jill McDonald
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Applesauce Day by Lisa J. Amstutz
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Apples A to Z by Margaret McNamara
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From Apple Trees To Cider, Please! by Felicia Sanzari Chernesky
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Secrets of the Apple Tree: A Shine-A-Light Book by Carron Brown
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Ten Apples Up On Top! by Theo. LeSieg (Dr. Seuss)
     Use this book as part of a math lesson:
           -Count from 1 - 10 by ones
           -Count by tens
           -Practice Addition
     You can also draw, color or cut out apples from red paper and stack them just as the animals do (dot markers would also fun to use). Expand this into a science lesson by attempting to stack real apples, whether on a table top or your head!

For even more books about apples, take a look at our blog:
Back to Basics at the Orchard
National Chili Month
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Armadilly Chili by Heather Ketteman
National Cookbook Month
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Grandpa's Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Cookbook by Judi Barrett
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The Great Fairy Baking Competition by Thomas Nelson
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The Tasha Tudor Family Cookbook
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Start to Cook by Abigail Wheatley
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The Bake-A-Cake Book by Marie Meijer
     "Come bake a cake with the cake-bakers!"
     We found this title at a used book sale some time ago and it has been a favorite ever since. Truthfully, we have not actually made the cake that the two bakers in the book make, but we have used this book countless times during imaginative play in my daughter's little kitchen. She gathers all of the utensils, tools and ingredients together and then carefully follows each step as the little bakers create a most scrumptious looking cake. It is a wonderful learning through play experience!

For even more cookbook recommendations, take a look at our list:
Baking, Cooking, Gardening and Food Related Books
National Cookie Month
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Who Put the Cookies in the Cookie Jar? by George Shannon
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The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson
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The Cookie Fiasco (Elephant & Piggie Like Reading!) by Dan Santat
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The Duckling Gets a Cookie!? by Mo Willems
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Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar? by Bonnie Lass & Philomen Sturgess
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Cookies!: An Interactive Recipe Book (Cook in a Book) by Lotta Nieminen
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If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
National Pizza Month
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Pete the Cat and the Perfect Pizza Party by Kimberly & James Dean
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Pizza!: An Interactive Recipe Book (Cook in a Book) by Lotta Nieminen
Find even more pizza books, as well as related activity ideas in our previous blog:
Pizza, Pizza!
National Popcorn Poppin' Month
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Tomie dePaola's The Popcorn Book
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Popcorn! by Elaine Landau
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Popcorn Country: The Story of America's Favorite Snack by Cris Peterson
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Popcorn by Alex Moran
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The Popcorn Shop by Alice Low
National Pumpkin Month
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The Very Best Pumpkin by Mark Kimball Moulton
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From Seed to Pumpkin by Wendy Pfeffer
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How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? by Margaret McNamara
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Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White
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How Big Could Your Pumpkin Grow? by Wendell Minor
National Tomato Month
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I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child
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Fruit Bowl by Mark Hoffmann
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Too Many Tomatoes by Eric Ode
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Alien Tomato by Kristen Schroeder
1st: National Homemade Cookie Day
     Refer to 'National Cookie Month' above.
4th: National Taco Day
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Tacos!: An Interactive Recipe Book (Cook in a Book) by Lotta Nieminen
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Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin
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Dragons Love Tacos 2: The Sequel by Adam Rubin
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Little Taco Truck by Tanya Valentine
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This is a Taco by Andrew Cangelose
4th: National Pumpkin Seed Day
     Refer to 'National Pumpkin Month' above.
6th: National Noodle Day
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Everybody Brings Noodles by Norah Dooley
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Tony Baroni Loves Macaroni by Marilyn Sadler
8th: National Pierogi Day
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Every Culture Has a Pierogi by Lorraine Krusinski
9th: World Egg Day
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An Egg is Quiet by Dianna Hutts Aston
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Chickens Aren't the Only Ones by Ruth Heller
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Egg: Nature's Perfect Package by Robin Page & Steve Jenkins
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Egg by Kevin Henkes
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The Good Egg by Jory John
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Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss
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Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
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Scrambled Eggs Super! by Dr. Seuss
10th: National Cake Decorating Day
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Decorate Cakes, Cupcakes and Cookies with Kids by Autumn Carpenter
12th: National Farmer's Day
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Before We Eat: From Farm to Table by Pat Brisson
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On the Farm, At the Market by G. Brian Karas
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A Farmer's Life for Me by Jan Dobbins
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On the Farm by David Elliott
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The Farm that Feeds Us by Nancy Castaldo
For more information on farmers and farming, refer back to our previous blogs:
Celebrate National Farmers Market Week!
How Does Your Garden Grow?

17th: National Pasta Day
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The Pasta Family (Goes to Marinara Beach) by Cory & Laureen Tilson
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The Great Pasta Escape by Miranda Paul
18th: National Chocolate Cupcake Day
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Pete the Cat and the Missing Cupcakes by Kimberly & James Dean
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If You Give a Cat a Cupcake by Laura Numeroff
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Cupcake by Charise Mericle Harper
22nd: National Nut Day
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Let‘s Go Nuts!: Seeds We Eat by April Pulley Sayre
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Who Stole the Hazelnuts? by Marcus Pfister
24th: National Food Day
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How Did That Get In My Lunchbox?: The Story of Food by Chris Butterworth
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Peanut Butter, Apple Butter, Cinnamon Toast: Food Riddles for You to Guess by Argentina Palacios

For more recommendations, browse through our past blogs about food by looking under the 'Bookworm Bakers' tag. Also, look at our book list: Baking, Cooking, Gardening & Food Related Books.
26th: National Pumpkin Day
     Refer to 'National Pumpkin Month' above.
27th: National Breadstick Day
28th: National Chocolate Day
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No Monkeys, No Chocolate by Melissa Stewart and Allen Young
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Margret & H. A. Rey's Curious George Goes to a Chocolate Factory
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All About Chocolate by Madison Spielman
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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
29th: National Oatmeal Day
30th: National Candy Corn Day
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Julius's Candy Corn by Kevin Henkes
- - -
“The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.”
A quote from Marcus Aurelius, a Roman Emperor and philosopher who lived from 121 AD to 180 AD yet the sentiment still applies today. Let’s do our best to keep our thoughts positive as we go through these challenging times and teach our children to favor others with kindness and respect as we are surrounded by the beautiful colors of fall.
Happy fall!

-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 10 months) 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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    Author

    We 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.

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  • Home
  • About Us
    • Back to Basics
    • Contact Us
  • Reading Aloud
    • Research
    • Book Lists >
      • Ballet Books
      • Board Books
      • Alphabet Books
      • Number Books
      • Interactive & Sensory Books
      • Manners & Etiquette Books
      • Stories about Books, Reading & Libraries
      • Fables, Folktales & Fairy Tales
      • Nursery Rhymes & Poetry
      • Holiday Books
      • Graduation Books
      • Baking & Cooking Books
      • Gardening & Farm Books
      • Nature Books
      • Thankfulness & Gratitude Books
      • Pirate Books
      • Books Discussed in Our Handbook
    • Workshops
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  • Bookworm Bakers
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