BEACONS OF LIGHT

Remember the whimsical scene "Brazzle Dazzle Day" from the 1970's Disney movie, Pete's Dragon?  Pete, an orphan boy, is helping Lampie (Mickey Rooney) - an old lighthouse keeper - and his daughter Nora (played by Helen Reddy) - clean up the lighthouse, Disney-style: dancing all the way.


I recalled this scene during our recent trip to Hawaii, where we stopped by a beautiful lighthouse on the island of Kauai.  This Kilauea Lighthouse has been standing sentry out on a point as a lone beacon to ships since May, 1913.

Kilauea Lighthouse on Kauai.

The old (which needs refurbishing)
 and the modern new signal light.

The grounds around this lighthouse are home to many species of birds, including the "Wedge-tailed Shearwaters", which make their nests by tunneling down into the dirt, below the ground cover plants that are all around the point.  We saw many of them nesting along the pathways...

CHILDREN'S BOOKS ABOUT LIGHTHOUSES:
There is something safe and hopeful about lighthouses, that children really relate to. Below I've shared two of our family's favorite books about lighthouses.  The first is a picture book and the second a historical easy-read chapter book...

The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge, by Hidegarde H. Swift, illustrations by Lynn Ward. This lovely book about a "fat and red and jolly" little lighthouse and a great gray bridge was first published in 1942.

source here

Interesting true story about this particular lighthouse:
In 1921 it was relocated from Sandy Hook New Jersey (where it had been built in 1880) to Fort Washington Park, on the New York bank of the Hudson, where it became "Jeffrey's Hook Lighthouse" - the only one on the island of Manhattan.  When the George Washington Bridge opened in 1932, the lighthouse was decommissioned.  In 1951 public outcry prevented it from being sold at auction, and it was given instead to the city of New York.  It eventually fell into disrepair and its light was left dark. It was restored in the 1980s and was designated as a city landmark in 1991. Then in 2002, marking the sixtieth anniversary of the publication of this book, the lighthouse, dark since 1947, was outfitted with a new lens, allowing its beacon of light to shine across the waters of the Hudson River again.

Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie, a well written and nicely illustrated "Beginning to Read" book by Peter and Connie Roop, illustrated by Peter E. Hanson. This simple but true story brings new meaning to the concept of duty. It's about a courageous young girl - Abbie - who is determined to keep her father's lighthouse lamps burning while he is away on the mainland.  She is resolute about her responsibility, despite of the fact that a terrific storm threatens to sweep her family's little house into the sea, the fact that her mother is in bed sick and must be kept warm, and that even the fate of their chickens is in her hands. (Based on a true story of an 1856 storm off the coast of Maine.)

HELPING YOUR CHILD BECOME A STRONG INDEPENDENT READER

Just a few more days to enter my SEPTEMBER GIVEAWAY!  Bob Books SIGHT WORDS set for Kindergarten and First Grade is the gift.  To enter, leave a comment, start following my blog, or "like" my Facebook page by September 29th.  Winner will be announced on September 30, 2011.  CLICK HERE for more info. CONTEST OVER.

SEPTEMBER REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY: BOB BOOKS "SIGHT WORDS" SETS

I discovered BOB BOOKS years ago, through homeschooling, when I used the BEGINNING READER FOUNDATION SETS as a supplement to the phonics curriculum we were using.  


These awesome little books helped me guide my children, step by step, to the next level: actually reading books by themselves! Which is the reason I am so enthusiastic to I announce that Scholastic has graciously agreed to sponsor my SEPTEMBER GIVEAWAY by offering this double set of Bob Books Sight Words - the newest set of the series - to the lucky winner of my drawing.  (More about that at the end of my post.)


BOB BOOKS are such an important piece in the learning-to-read puzzle. They give new readers confidence as they're discovering word recognition and beginning to put letter sounds together. You can learn more by visiting their WEBSITE HERE, or...
WATCH this helpful video about BOB BOOKS from Scholastic:


ABOUT THE GIVEAWAY BOOKS: 
Sight Words are words that are recognized by sight rather than sounded out, in order to achieve reading fluency. They are the most frequently used words in the English language, and are often unable to be read phonetically (“was”, “are”, and “out” are examples). Sight Words are words that are recognized by sight rather than sounded out, in order to achieve reading fluency. They are the most frequently used words in the English language, and are often unable to be read phonetically (“was”, “are”, and “out” are examples).

I love the subtle humor these books use to get sight word recognition across!  For example, in "THE JET" (from the Kindergarten Sight Words set), one of the words your child will learn is "fly"...as in "A bug can fly" (and of course the bug shown is a fly).  They will learn that a bird can fly, a car cannot, a jet can fly, and you can fly in a jet.
Bob Books Sight Word Kindergarten Set contains stories with basic three letter words, consistent vowel sounds, and simple stories. Children are challenged by sight words that must be memorized, but encouraged because all of the sight words in this set are less than four letters.  The Sight Word First Grade Set continues with simple words and stories, but introduces longer and more complex sight words. This set builds fluency in the more demanding sight words and reinforces decoding skills.

Sight Words - Kindergarten

Sight Words - First Grade

Each Sight Words box includes 10 original books that are about 12 pages each, 30 flashcards, and a parent guide.  My GIVEAWAY consists of BOTH sets.


HOW TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY:
1 - Leave a comment after any of my blog posts dated between September 20 and September 29, 2011.
2 - "Like" my GOOD BOOKS FOR YOUNG SOULS FACEBOOK PAGE by September 29, 2011.
3 - Post a comment on my FACEBOOK page between now and 9/29/11.
4 - Comment as many times as you like, your name will be entered for each comment.
GIVEAWAY ENDS 9/29/11 at Midnight WITH A RANDOM DRAWING, AND THE WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2011. CONTEST OVER


ONE GIVEAWAY NOT ENOUGH?? Visit the Bob Books BLOG, to enter their Giveaway for their Reader Sets 1 & 2.  Hurry - it ends Sept. 23, 2011. CONTEST OVER

Full disclosure: I was provided a set of books at no cost to review and the prizes for the giveaway, but no compensation for this post, nor was I influenced, directed or told what to post.  This review is based on my actual experiences with the product.

"I READ THE WHOLE BOOK BY MYSELF!"

That declaration is music to a parent's ear.  Especially if you have a child who has struggled with learning to read.  As a parent who home-schooled my children, hearing that phrase elicited feelings of not only relief, but gratification.  I was very lucky to have been directed to some wonderful little readers that got my kids off on the right foot...they're called "BOB BOOKS".

"Bob Books" were first introduced 35 years ago.

I'm excited to announce that BOB BOOKS and SCHOLASTIC Publishers have graciously agreed to sponsor my SEPTEMBER GIVE-AWAY!  Stay tuned to see what the free gift will be.  The post review will go up in the next few days.  TELL YOUR FRIENDS!  The drawing will be on September 30, 2011.

CONTEST OVER!
You can enter my SEPTEMBER GIVEAWAY by:
1 - Leaving a comment here on any of my blog posts dated between today (9/20) and September 29, 2011.
2 - "Liking" my GOOD BOOKS FOR YOUNG SOULS FACEBOOK PAGE between today and September 29, 2011.
3 - Posting a comment on my FACEBOOK page between today, 9/20/11 and 9/29/11.

These fun little books were created by Bobby Lynn Maslen for her preschoolers when she discovered she couldn't find early readers that were interesting.

The first BOB BOOKS were individually hand-drawn. When it became too cumbersome to make books for each child, Bobby Lynn persuaded the school to print 300 copies. This eventually led to more sets - starting a cottage industry and self-publishing.  Bobby's husband, John, illustrated them. The series, first adopted by homeschoolers and Montessori teachers, was picked up by Scholastic.

Today, BOB BOOKS are still very much a family-run business with management being handed down to the eldest daughter, Lynn, who has been involved with the BOB BOOKS right from the beginning. She started out with paste-up and lettering of the first edition in the 1970’s, but later spent several years in other ventures. Lynn then returned to the family business as her own daughter was beginning to read. That was when she gained true appreciation for the simplicity, fun, humor and easy success of Bob Books. Her daughter now joins the millions of kids that happily exclaim, “I read the whole book!”® Lynn lives in Seattle with her daughter and husband.

SCHOOL DAYS OR SCHOOL DAZE?

Which will it be?  Parents and teachers hope for the former: which for young children, hopefully involves focus as well as fun.

School Days by Jessie Wilcox Smith

But some children find themselves starting school in a daze...

Back to School Again by Jessie Wilcox Smith

For my readers who may have preschool aged children (or grandchildren) who are learning at home or just starting school this year:  I'll be doing a SEPTEMBER GIVE-AWAY that is sure to help your kids have fun as they focus on learning to read.  How do you know if your child is ready to read?  The website for my GIVE-AWAY books (revealed soon!) says this:

Every child is different, so there is no specific age when your child will be ready for reading. Instead, look for signs and signals that may indicate reading readiness. Because young children learn so much at a very rapid rate, you may not even be fully aware of how much they already know. Some children grasp reading concepts and are able to sound out simple words as early as age 3; others may not start until age 5 or 6. Learning to read is very much a process; as your child’s first and most important teacher, he or she will need your patience, as well as your encouragement, every step of the way.

What should I look for?

As an involved parent, you have most likely been looking at alphabet books together or have magnetic letters on the fridge. Answers to the questions below can help determine where your child is in terms of reading readiness:

-Does your child know the alphabet?

-Can she or he recognize most of the letters (including both uppercase and lowercase letters?)

-Can your child recognize letters on everyday objects such as S T O P on a stop sign?

-Does your child know that letters are associated with sounds and can he or she demonstrate a fair number of those sounds?

-Can your child spell his or her own name?

INSPIRED BY CRAZY HATS!

Theodor Seuss Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, loved to wear crazy hats to parties. When he was having a hard time coming up with rhymes, he would sometimes put on one of his many “thinking caps” for inspiration.  This tidbit of author trivia reminded me of the pink poodle in the beginner reader book, GO DOG, GO! -- which happens to have been written by a protege of Geisel: author and illustrator P.D. Eastman.  It's about all these zany dogs: green dogs, yellow dogs, big dogs, little dogs. Dogs who drive cars, dogs who ski. Where are they all going?  To a treetop dog party, of course!

Whether you use them as beginner readers or as read alouds, your and your children will love these enduring classics by Eastman as well:

ARE YOU MY MOTHER? A baby bird is hatched while his mother is away.  Fallen from his nest, he sets out to look for her and asks everyone he meets, including a god, a cow, and a plane: "Are you my mother?"

THE BEST NEST Mr. and Mrs. Bird's search for a "better" nest leads them to some peculiar spots.

SAM AND THE FIREFLY When Sam, the owl, teaches Gus, the firefly, to write words in the sky, cars crash, movies are free, and hot dogs are cold.

EASY READERS HAVE COME A LONG WAY SINCE "DICK AND JANE"!

Today I thought I'd step out of the world of Read Aloud Books for a bit, in order to investigate some Beginner Books for kids just starting to read (generally ages K-2). My goddaughter, Charity, works in early education with Latino kids who are learning English as their second language.  Since most of their parents don't speak English and work long hours, the children are often not read to at home.  We were discussing the importance (not just for ESL students, but for all children) of finding worthwhile easy readers that make kids WANT to read and stick with it.

According to Anita Silvey (Editor of THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO CHILDREN'S BOOKS AND THEIR CREATORS), the challenge for writers, illustrators, and editors in their quest to produce easy readers is that the books need to be "appealing, well-written, and factual books, often only thirty-two pages long, on a level easily read by the beginning reader...illustrations are essential."  Here are some of her recommendations in different genres that I'm sure kids, as well as parents and teachers, will appreciate:

THE CLASSICS THAT STARTED IT ALL:
DR. SEUSS books
  

LITTLE BEAR books by Maurice Sendak
      


HUMOR BOOKS:
BENNET CERF'S BOOK OF RIDDLES


A MAD WET HEN AND OTHER RIDDLES by Joseph Low


AMELIA BEDELIA books by Peggy Parish


WACKY WEDNESDAY  by Dr. Seuss  Also: FOX IN SOX
  

FOX AND HIS FRIENDS by James Marshall. Also: FOX ON WHEELS, FOX ON THE JOB.
    

FAMILY & FRIENDS:

FROG & TOAD books by Arnold Lobel

   

HENRY AND MUDGE books by Cynthia Rylant

   

MYSTERY BOOKS:
NATE THE GREAT books by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat.


BIG MAX by Ken Platt


HISTORICAL FICTION BOOKS:
WAGON WHEELS by Barbara Brenner


THE WHITE STALLION by Elizabeth Shub


NONFICTION BOOKS:
THE LISTENING WALK and A DROP OF BLOOD by Paul Showers
  

THE PLANETS IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM by Franklyn M. Branley


BIBLICAL STORIES:
STEP-INTO-READING BOOKS, BABY MOSES and NOAH'S ARK by Linda Hayward.
  
DAVID AND THE GIANT by Emily Little


POETRY BOOKS:
SURPRISES by Lee Bennett Hopkins


RAINY, RAINY SATURDAY by Jack Prelutsky