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You walk into a book store in December and before you is a display of Christmas themed books. Why should you buy a book about the holiday that already is taking up a large amount of time before December 25th even arrives? You love to read great books and on the table are books of real value. Children also learn from the books read to them when an influencing person takes the time to have a conversation concerning the book. For those who value the celebration of Christmas, consider an excellent book as your most valuable resource.

This is a book review for A Wish to Be a Christmas Tree by Colleen Monroe. The ISBN is 1-58536-002-3. To gain the most from the reading of this book, I present to you some simple steps.

• Read the book quietly and alone for your own enjoyment first.
• Then, choose a time and place in which you will have your child’s attention.
• Be prepared to engage your child in a conversation about your values concerning Christmas.

The Summary of this book: An old tree laments that he will never be cut down for a Christmas tree. The animals of the forest help him discover that he has been a gift to them in a different way, that he had a different purpose just as important.

When reading a book to children there are three opportunities to learn about your child’s understanding of the book. I have suggested a prompt for discussion before the book is read, during the reading, and after the reading. Asking your child a question before the reading helps set the expectation of the book’s message. Asking the child a question during the reading helps the child focus on the ideas being presented. After the reading allows the child to connect the story to themselves more directly.

• Before reading: What are some ways a pine tree is used?
• During reading: What are some of the gifts the forest animals receive from the pine tree?
• After reading: Why is it important for us to give gifts to others?

Challenge for Parents: Help your child identify the way others give to them. And, allow your child to be creative in how to give something of themselves to others. Stretch the thinking beyond the things done recently during the holiday season.

During the holidays many messages are being sent to your children. What do you want the most important message to be? To be an influence in our children’s values and beliefs, conscious steps must be taken to guide our children. Why not use a beautifully written and illustrated book?

To gain additional free suggestions and resources to strengthen the values of your children, visit KJ’s Cottage owned by Kelly Eveleth. Kelly shares her expertise from the perspective of being a Life Coach and Professional Educator. http://www.kjscottage.com

Author: Kelly Eveleth
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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School is nearly out, and parents everywhere are beginning to wonder what the heck to do with the summer looming before them. Here’s an idea: Start a kids’ book club. As it happens, I know just where to send you for information on how to do it.

Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp have taken the concept from their first book, “The Book Club Cookbook,” and gone nuts with it in “The Kids’ Book Club Book,” creating what will probably always stand as the definitive book on organizing a kids’ reading club. It covers the how-tos of starting a book club for children, ways to spice up meetings, and includes lists of suggested books for certain age groups.

Then they take these ideas and show you exactly what they’re talking about, taking a suggested book and breaking it down for you. A timid book club organizer could take this book and work with it for a good chunk of time without having to come up with a single original idea. By the time he finished, he’d be a pro and wouldn’t have any trouble continuing on his own.

Example: The break-down of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”:

• A brief synopsis of the book.
• A couple of pages of “tidbits” on author Roald Dahl, including biographical notes and a discussion of racism in the original depiction of the Oompa-Loompas.
• A recipe for Wonka’s Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight, a recipe created by Dahl himself with his wife, Felicity (with a warning that it’s extremely sweet).
• A “candy inventing” activity.
• A candy bar guessing game.
• Discussion questions for the kids.
• Sadly, no ideas on how adults can cope with a book club full of kids hopped up on sugar. Luckily, it’s a rare book that has this much candy in it!

Gelman and Levy Krupp interviewed something like 500 kids’ book clubs around the country, and it shows. This book is PACKED with book ideas, activities, recipes, discussion questions and more. I can’t imagine a homeschool group, especially, that wouldn’t get a great deal out of it.

Lynn Siprelle is the editor of The New Homemaker (http://www.thenewhomemaker.com)–a secular source of news and support for stay-at-home parents and caregivers since 1999. The New Homemaker covers parenting, homeschooling, elder care, managing money, home cooking, healthy living, crafts and more, and hosts one of the most caring, supportive and FUN communities on the Internet. Come join the conversation!

2002-2007 Lynn Siprelle, some rights reserved under Creative Commons, Attribution-No Deriv 3.0: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/

Author: Lynn Siprelle
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Books are necessary in a child’s life. Books are introduced in the life of a child early in life to encourage the child to develop a good reading culture since there are different levels of learning that takes place through reading books. Children literature is very simple and easy to understand basing on the level of brain development and concentration they have.

There are different types of books suitable for the different ages of children. The books written for children use languages and animations like cartoons and pictures to help the content of the articles memorable as they read. The books are always accompanied with colorful drawings and art work that interest children. Children between the ages of four and eight have books that have fewer words and more pictures. As they grow this is reduced and the words are increased. The titles are also interesting and their covers given good colors to encourage the kids to want to read.

When shopping for books for your children, it is advisable to shop with them and allow them to choose the books they want unless they have been requested by the teachers. This will encourage them to read the books they chose. You can look at the best books on the Internet and check whether they are available in your stores. There are books that can be found online to ensure your child gets the books that are necessary for their growth. Read along with the young kids and guide the ones who can read on their own. The story books are the children’s best books followed by fiction and magic, games and activity books, and the schools books. Develop the child’s reading culture early and be an example to them by reading your own books or their books together. Create a friendly environment for reading by reducing noise, having enough books for the children to read and encouraging them to read.

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Author: Jim Johannasen
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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That’s it. You’ve finished creating your children’s book. It has a moral, it has a good story, it uses no polysyllabic words yet still comes across as readable. It is time to get your children’s book published. To do so, unfortunately, can be a long and grueling process. But the result is well worth the wait.

Before you Begin: Myths about Publishing Children’s Books

Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to have your book illustrated in order to submit it for publication. In fact, most publishing companies do not want the books illustrated because they have artists they contract to help create the finished product. This can save you a great deal of time, but it is disappointing for some people who have a particular artistic vision for their manuscripts. If you want to illustrate the children’s book yourself, you should look for either a publishing company that encourages illustration or consider self-publishing

Another myth is that publishing companies look to publish any good book that comes their way. This is not true in the slightest. Most children’s book publishing companies have very specific categories, morals or guidelines that must be followed if they are even to look at your manuscript, let alone publish it.

Steps for Publishing

1) The first step is to research every publishing company you can find – sending dozens of manuscripts to every company is a poor idea, and most companies will not even read your manuscript unless they feel it relevant to their products. Go online to the “Children’s Book Council” and find out which publishers are relevant to your topic and how they accept their submissions.

2) Send a letter. This letter should include:

o A cover letter (with your background, why you wrote the book, its purpose, etc.)

o A query letter indicating what the book is about and why it should be published, asking the publisher whether or not they wish to read it.

o A small portion of your manuscript.

o A Self Addressed Stamped Envelope – This is vital. No publisher should ever have to pay to send you a yes or no, no matter how good your children’s book is. Add an extra stamp in case they have documents to send you.

3) Now wait. You may receive a response within a few weeks or a few months, or you may not receive a response at all. Still, it is best to wait and give the publisher some time before reviewing alternative options.

4) If you receive a yes, send your manuscript immediately. Again, wait a while for a response as you may not get a response even to a book that the publisher is willing to publish for several months. Your manuscript should be readable and follow the guidelines given to you by the publisher.

5) If you receive a no, try another publisher and look to see if there is a reason that the publisher refused.

6) Remember: Rejection is part of the game. Few manuscripts get accepted the first round. Continue to try other publishers and consider getting feedback from friends and family about how your children’s book can have more appeal.

7) If you do not hear from the publisher after two or three months, consider sending the manuscript elsewhere and notify the publisher that has not written you back that you are doing so. There is no need to tell the publisher that they cannot still consider your book (they may simply not have gotten to it yet) but it is a good practice to at least notify them that you are sending it elsewhere, so that if they are interested they will write you back. Only notify them that you are withdrawing your book from consideration if you expect it to be published with a different company.

By following these simple instructions, you have a chance of achieving your goal of becoming a children’s book writer. Once you have a single book published, it opens the door for several more.

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Author: Dwayne Whiting
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Originally posted 2010-01-11 06:44:53. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Children’s educational books offer numerous resources to teachers to incorporate balanced literacy into classrooms. The books should be collaborative, and it should support comprehension, fluency, as well as reading skills. These books that teach the basic skills to the children should make learning fun for them. Teachers should approach the subject they are trying to teach in a fun and engaging way. This is what most educational books on children emphasise.

Types Of Books

There are various types of children’s educational books available as resources for teachers. They can be about early learning; about books that encourage reading in children; about health and safety; and math; among various other topics. These books are no longer filled only with pages and the printed stuff. They are no longer only knowledge imparting printed pages, but colourfully illustrated books, making them a source of attractive reading for the young minds.

These wonderful educational books are not only resources for teachers to teach young children, but are tempting enough for adults as well so as they can read them with interest. These lovely books have colourful pop-outs that give snippets of information. There are pull-outs that tell children about the facts and anecdotes about the topic under discussion. These books also offer an interesting, artistic, and colourful way of telling the children how things work.

There are various books teaching them about the earth and the galaxies beyond; books on the animal kingdom; books that impart social and moral values; all accompanied with powerful graphics and wonderful illustrations. This interesting way of educating children has made it very easy for teachers to educate the little ones with utmost care.

Available Online

The resources available for teachers to educate children are available from various online sources. A click on the mouse opens up a colourful world for teachers to browse through the books of their choice. They have to decide on what topic they should go about and what should be the way of teaching them.

Children’s educational books are available as resources for teachers – grade-wise, subject-wise, and activity-wise. There are a variety of books on various topics for children in different grades. Then they are also available according to different activities and games. Teachers can browse through Internet depending upon the subjects they want to know and teach about. There are endless subjects and these educational books make it fun not only for teachers who impart education but also for the children who absorb what they see and learn.

Teaching children is no longer a drab thing to do. These colourful children’s educational books have changed the way how children are imparted education.

When buying children’s educational books there are certain factors that should be kept in mind. For instance, the books should be well written and should help improve the reading skills, comprehension and fluency of the child. Schools should be extra careful while choosing children’s educational books and should not compromise on the quality.

Author: Albertin Abelmont
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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In a world dominated by digital entertainment, books for children must be introduced in the home and in school. Books require minimal money investment but the return on investment are excellent, especially when these are compared to digital entertainment like video games. Indeed, parents and teachers must conspire for the good of their children!

Benefits of Children’s Books

This early, it must be emphasized that the benefits derived from children’s books can only be enjoyed when the parent/teacher encourages their children to read them. You can accomplish this goal by setting a good example of being a book lover yourself and by reading the books to them. After all, children’s books are inanimate objects that need an animate object to move it!

With that said, here are the advantages to be had from reading books for children to your kids:

o It builds familial bonds because you spend quality time with each other.

o It helps your child understand the purpose of the written word in relation to the spoken word and the ways with which each word can be used in everyday conversations.

o It builds vocabulary in fun ways, often by means of shared humor.

o It develops listening skills that will translate itself into better communication skills.

o It promotes a love for literature that, when coupled with your loving guidance, can transform into a love for knowledge.

o It enhances information absorption, a skill necessary to allow your child to function in society.

The greatest benefit of introducing your kids to books for children is opening up worlds to their imagination and exploration. In this way, you provide them with the personal skills to tackle the real world one book at a time!

Appropriate Children’s Books

However, you just don’t read whatever children’s book is on hand! You have to consider the age, reading level and personal interests of your child before selecting a book for them. You want to hold their attention, sustain their interest and whet their appetite for books, books and more books!

Fortunately for parents and teachers alike, most books for children are classified according to the ages of their readership base. Thus, for kids 0-5 years old, books with colorful visuals are best since these stimulate vision, promote identification, and enhance connections to the outside world. You can purchase sturdy board books and picture books for this age group.

For the kids 7-9 years old, story lines with short chapters are best. Of course, the words used are often more complex than those contained in their toddler books. You will observe that these books also incorporate basic character development and plot structure, which can challenge your child’s ability to tell a story in his own words.

Books for children 10-12 years old often deal with more sophisticated content for adolescents. There are fewer drawings and illustrations since the action is on the words themselves.

Also, don’t limit your child’s reading repertoire to fiction books since non-fiction is also a rich source of information. You can mix folktales, poetry, science fiction, biographies, and natural studies. This way, you prevent boredom from setting in with the same stories told over and over again.

Rod and Vicky from Childrens Book Hunter provides help and guidance for you to promote your child’s imagination and attention by reading Childrens Books appropriate to their capacity thus improving it.

Author: Rod Dagan
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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