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Of course the big news this week was the occurrence and success of Multicultural Children’s Book Day on 1/27. This huge online nation event continues to grow and be successful beyond our wildest dreams. As you can imagine, it is a monumental amount of work for myself, co-founder Mia Wenjen and our support team of Becky and Susan M. It is such an important event and such a rewarding project. Read more about our mission here.

I love this wonderful video that Platinum Sponsor StoryQuest Books was kind enough to create for the event.

There were SO MANY amazing book review with activities offered up by our review bloggers in honor of this event. In fact, if you visit our MCCBD Link-up, you’ll see over 250 multicultural book reviews from several hundred reviewers.

Here are some of my top picks.

Trinitoga: Stories of a Life in a Roughed Up Tough Love No Good Hood Shout Mouse Press book review from Squishable Baby

I love the graffiti project that Lisa did as a book extension with this review to help her kids understand the complex characters in the book.

Drum Dream Girl: A Book Review and fun drum-making craft from Here Wee Read

Do You Have a Thinking Girl or Boy? It’s time for a Goosebottom Booklist

Picture Books About Japan from Mama Smiles

Hot Air Balloon Craft For Kids Inspired By The Stories I’ll Tell from Playdough & Popsicles

I also adore this delightful hot air balloon craft that goes along with the book!

Spanish Places Vocabulary: Book and Writing Activity from Spanish Playground

The Case of the Missing Museum Archives by Capstone Young Readers review and companion activities from Wise Old Owl Factory

Feb 8th, Year of the Monkey! Chinese New Year Crafts, Books and More from Pragmaticmom

Does Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2017 sound like something you would like to get involved in? Sign up for our free newsletter and stay in the loop on contests, book reviews, author visits, event details and giveaways!

The post Weekend Links: The Thrill of Multicultural Children’s Book Day appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

Multicultural Children’s Book Day is nearly here!

MCCBD2016 Sponsor and multicultural publisher Lee and Low, since it’s inception, has been committed to multicultural and diverse literature for children. We are honored to have them as a Silver Sponsor of this year Multicultural Children’s Book Day

What if the objects we love most in our lives i.e. blankets, stuffed animals, dolls, toys etc could be creatively used, recycled, and treasured so that they’d never leave us?

Maya’s Blanket by Monica Brown and illustrated by Caldecott winning artist David Diaz is such a tale.

This is a bilingual book. The left hand page is in English with some key Spanish words, and the right hand page is in Spanish. David Diaz does a magnificent job in portraying the story in his artwork of vibrant colors and wonderful character drawings.

From the loving hands of her grandmother, Maya receives a magical blanket that keeps bad dreams away. As she loves and uses her blanket, it becomes frayed so Maya and her grandmother transform the blanket into a dress which she ends up spilling red juice on. From here Maya’s blanket is progresses through a series of other items such as a skirt, shawl, scarf, hair ribbon, and finally a bookmark. When at last even the magical bookmark is lost, all that is left are her memories of her magical blanket and all of it repurposed glory. So Maya wrote a book to capture and hold her treasures in.

Maya’s Blanket is a Junior Library Guild Selection. We’re honored to have the Junior Library Guild sponsor this year’s Multicultural Children’s Book Day Classroom Challenge. Teachers, we’re giving away a beautiful FREE hard-covered book to your classroom. Have a look here to find out how you can bring a Junior Library Guild Selection to your classroom.

Something To Do

Please join us on January 27th as we celebrate multicultural, diverse and inclusive books for kids for Multicultural Children’s Book Day. To help us with our mission to get diversity books into the hands of children, we are giving away a TON of books.

Please join us for our Twitter party where we will be discussing children’s books and giving away packages of diversity books for kids every 5 minutes!

Multicultural Children’s Book Day Twitter Party

Win Packages of Diversity Books for Kids

Wednesday, January 27th

9:00 pm -10 pm EST

Hashtag: #ReadYourWorld

We will be discussing:

Q1: What diverse, multicultural and inclusive books are you reading with your kids? #ReadYourWorld

Q2: What diversity/multicultural/inclusive topics are you having trouble finding? #ReadYourWorld

Q3: How do you feel about mixed race characters in books? Are there enough? #ReadYourWorld

Q4: Would you read a book about a race or culture that isn’t yours or your child’s? Would you buy this book? #ReadYourWorld

Q5: Are there certain diverse characters that you see too much of … say studious Asian Americans? #ReadYourWorld

Q6: What diverse characters would you like to see? (I’d love to see an Asian American in a dance picture book!) #ReadYourWorld

Q7: Do you follow KidLit awards that are specific to an ethnicity like the (Pura) Belpré Medal? #ReadYourWorld

Q8: With racist political rhetoric in the media, how do you teach your kids compassion and understanding towards Muslims (or any other group)? #ReadYourWorld

Q9: Who are your favorite authors of a diverse nature? #ReadYourWorld

Q10: What are your favorite diversity books? #ReadYourWorld

Q11: Do you have a new author discovery that you are excited about? #ReadYourWorld

Q12: If you were to buy one children’s book of a diverse nature, what would it be about? #ReadYourWorld

12 Diversity Book Bundle Prizes, 1 Prize handed Out Every 5 Minutes!

Multicultural Children’s Book Day Grand Prize Diversity Book Bundle

Thank you to all the authors and publishers who donated books! They are noted next to each book.

• Quickest Kid In Clarksville-Chronicle Books
• Mystery of the Thief in the Night-Pack-n-Go-Girls
• The Peace Tree-Lee and Low
• Sunbelievable-StoryQuest
• Hands Around the Library-Karen Leggett and Susan Roth
• Never Say a Mean Word Again– Wisdom Tales
• Just Like Me Climbing a Tree-Wisdom Tales
• Don’t Judge a Bird by it’s Feathers-Tori Nighthawk
• Poetry Friday Anthology-Pomelo Books
• Call Me Tree– Lee and Low
• Hoodie Hero– Shout Mouse Press
• In The Forbidden City-The China Institute

Q1 Prize: Diversity Picture Books, Ages 4-8

• I wonder, I wonder-Valerie Christopher
• Centipede Dragon-Alice Y Chen
• Kai and the Magic Jacket-Tricia Chinn Campbell
• Sade & the Golden Shoe-Shahara Ruth

Q2 Prize: Diversity Advanced Picture Books, Ages 6-9

• Papa Lemons Little Wanderers-Lehman Riley
• Indonesian Children’s Favorite Stories-Joan Suyenaga
• The Green Musician-Mahvash Shahegh
• The Remembering Day-Pat Mora
• Francisco’s Kites-Alicia Z Klepeis

Q3 Prize: Diversity Picture Books, Ages 4-8

Q7: Diversity Young Adult, Ages 12 and up

• Anahita’s Woven Riddle-Meghan Nutall Sayres
• Patalosh-Z. Altug
• Chronicles from the Chateau Moines-Evelyn Holingue

Q8: Diversity Advanced Picture Books, Ages 6-9

• Mystery of the Golden Temple-(Pack-n-Go Girls)
• Ellis and the Magic Mirror-Cerece Murphy
• Favorite Indonesian Stories-Tuttle Books
• The Legend of Robert Cofresi-Janet Balletta
• Once Upon a Time in Japan-Tuttle Books

Q9: Diversity Picture Books, Ages 4-8

SIGN UP TO WIN!
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The post Ready for the Multicultural Children’s Book Day Twitter Party? appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

It’s nearly time, yes ….it’s nearly time for Multicultural Children’s Book Day on January 27th!

We’ll be having a huge and ginormous celebration which I’ll tell you a little more about later. We wouldn’t be able to share in the joy of diverse and multicultural books and publishing if it weren’t for our generous sponsors. I have the extreme pleasure of introducing Capstone Young Readers with you who is one of our Silver Sponsors this year.

There has been a young woman who has greatly inspired me over the past few years. Her name is Malala. Though much has been written about her over the past several years, it has usually been for the young adult to adult audiences given the nature and violence of her story.

Capstone Young Readers has published the most beautiful book called For the Right to Learn: Malala Yousafzai’s Story written by Rebecca Langston-George and illustrated by Janna Bock. The words and deeply colorful illustrations work together in concert to tell the story of a young teenage girl whose courage has become legendary.

“One Child, one teacher, one book, and one pen can change the world. ” -Malala Yousafzai

For the Right to Learn tells the story to young readers in a non-violent way that engages them into constructive conversations and inspires them to take action.

Malala lived in the Swat Valley in Pakistan which is right on the border of Afghanistan. One day the Taliban moved into the Swat Valley and her little city and forced their ideas on the people living there.

As time progressed the Taliban became more severe. They grew stronger every day using violence and intimidation. As their strength grew they announced that girls could not go to school. Malala loved school . Her father was a principle of a school and Malala loved to learn more than anything else. This was devastating news for her. The Taliban said that girls who attended school actually brought shame to their families.

Malala and her father became very vocal against the Taliban and their rules. They were brave and not frightened. In December 2008 came the news that All girls schools would be closed and starting January 15th no girls would be allowed in any schools. Then the Taliban started raining bombs down on the villages and cities destroying all schools within sight.

But bombs could not silence Malala. The British Broadcasting Corporation wanted to know what life was like for a girl in Pakistan in the Swat Valley. Malala took a pen name, Gul Makai and would read her blog post to the BBC reporter over the phone over the following two months. It first appeared in Urdu and then was translated into English. Her blog became very popular as she and her family continued to speak out against the Taliban. They created such an uprising that the Taliban agreed to let girls 10 years old and younger go to school. Malala was 11. So older girls wore the clothes of younger girls, hid their books under their shawls and snuck their way to school. Anyone caught would be killed on sight.

After much fighting, a stint in a refugee camp, Malala and her family returned home thinking the Taliban were gone. Malala had become very famous at this point and even the Bishop Desmond Tutu had nominated her for a Nobel Peace Prize. Malala returned to school and soon discovered that the Taliban were not gone. One day while riding a school bus, the Taliban entered and shot Malala in the head and two of her friends. All of them survived but Malala had a very long road to recovery.

Nearly on the verge of dying, Malala was flown out of Pakistan to Birmingham England where she has recovered fully from her attack and lives to this day with her family.

Malala however, has taken her attack by the Taliban and has come thru it and continued it forward to start a global movement for girl’s education. She and her father continue to speak about education. She has started a fund called the Malala Fund which gives money to fund education in Pakistan and other third world countries.

She is the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and is a role model for all of us regardless of age that one voice with action can make all the difference in the world. She promises to continue to work toward “peace in every home” and “education for every boy and every girl in the world.”

For the Right to Learn is a story which inspires us all to be brave. I firmly believe that along with the best stories written our bookshelves need to be filled with the real life stories of those who are remarkable and extraordinary. This book qualifies as such.

Something To Do

31 million primary school aged girls are not going to school currently in the world. 32 million more girls are missing out on secondary education. In total more than 60 million girls world wide are out of school today.

When we educate a woman she ends up helping 5 or more people in her family. When we educate girls they grow into the matriarchs who not only raise a family but support a community and a region. Education for girls is one of the more important task for our planet currently along with food and clean water.

Writing Your Name:

Certain things we take for granted such as our names. Can you imagine if you didn’t know what your name looked like written down or not even be able to write your name ? How do you prove you exist if you can’t read or write your name ?

I remember growing up one of those red letter moments was when I learned to write my name. I shared in that memory and joy once again which each one of my children in turn learned to write their names.

Taking beautiful colors, and paper, maybe even some glitter, write your name beautifully and celebrate the fact that you can. 

If you should happen to sponsor a child from another country, make a beautiful poster or picture of just their name and send it to them.

The Malala Fund

Inspired by co-founders Malala and Ziauddin Yousafzai, Malala Fund’s goal is to enable girls to complete 12 years of safe, quality education so that they can achieve their potential and be positive change-makers in their families and communities. We work with partners all over the world helping to empower girls and amplify their voices; we invest in local education leaders and programmes; and we advocate for more resources for education and safe schools for every child.

Discussion Questions:

1. Who is Malala and Where is she from ?
2. What was Malala fighting for the right to do ?
3. Her desire to go to school nearly cost Malala her life. Why do you think she took the risk ?
4. Should everyone have the right to go to school ?
5. Do you think children should be protected ?
6. What right and protections do you think children everywhere should have ? Make a list.
7. Discover and discuss in what ways children around the world are sometimes denied those rights.
8. Would you be able to do what Malala did ?
9. What can we do about it. Look at Malala’s example. Just one young girl, one voice, and a pen has changed the world. What are you willing to do ? What small thing can you contribute something to change the world. What will you say with your one voice?

10 Lessons to be Learned from Malala

This is an excerpt of an article from the Canadian Huffington Post

1. Never hesitate to raise your voice.
This message rings out loud and clear from the 16 year old humanitarian. If you don’t raise your voice, it is unlikely that anyone will hear you. And I bet you have something (or many things) to say. Share your thoughts, ideas and passions with the world.

2. Dare to dream, and let your dreams drive your actions.
Never think for a moment that any dream is too large, or too unrealistic. My friend Adam Braun says “the single most powerful element of youth is our inability to know what’s impossible.” I couldn’t agree more. Here’s my challenge to youth: don’t lose that admirable quality as you transition into adulthood.

3. Don’t hate or seek revenge.
Malala was shot on her way home from school. The Taliban gunmen attempted to kill her, and revenge is the last thing on Malala’s mind. Since I was a little kid, my mom has always said that hating is just a waste of energy. It doesn’t benefit anyone and it’s a waste of time.

4. Never give up.
For the love of all that’s good in this world, please never give up. If you care about something, or someone, no matter what happens, refuse to quit! Never give up, and seek motivation to fuel your drive. If anyone can do it, you can. Surround yourself with people and messaging that keep you going, and encourage you to never give up or lose hope.

5. Be compassionate.
If hating is the worst way to exert your energy, love is the best way to use your energy. The more you give, the more you get. Be compassionate. Tell those you love that you love them.

6. Be humble.
July 12 was declared Malala Day by the United Nations. This past summer, Malala spoke at the UN headquarters and opened with this: “Malala Day is not my day. Today is the day of every woman, every boy and every girl who have raised their voice for their rights. There are hundreds of human rights activists and social workers who are not only speaking for human rights, but who are struggling to achieve their goals of education, peace and equality. Thousands of people have been killed by the terrorists and millions have been injured. I am just one of them.”

7. Always be thankful.
Don’t take anything for granted. Your life. Your family. Your home. Your pencil. There’s a lot to be thankful for. Try your best not to complain about the things you may not have, and instead be thankful for all that you have, and all that you are.

8. Strive to help others.
I have a secret for you. The more good deeds you do, the better you will feel yourself. So in fact, helping others may turn into quite a selfish activity if you do it right. Before you know it, you will be stuck in a cycle of helping others, and feeling good, and helping others more, and feeling even better… Don’t believe me? Try it. I dare you.

9. Replace weakness with strength, and fear with courage.
This may appear to be one of those things that is easier said than done, but sometimes it’s just a matter of perspective. Don’t let negativity shut you down. Strive to be the strongest, best, most positive person you can be. The things you can accomplish are mind boggling!

10. Never doubt your ability to impact the world.
We live in a world of over 7-billion individuals. Each person is different. Each person on earth has something unique to offer the world. What’s your gift? What wonderful things do you have to offer? Don’t ever doubt for a second the power you have to make a difference.

Nobel Peace Prize Winner

Malala won the Nobel Peace Prize for what she endured and how she made that tragedy into a movement to help others.

Investigate and discover about the Nobel Peace Prize and past winners and then have a look at an excerpt of Malala’s acceptance speech.

A Great Video to Watch

There is a wonderful documentary called He Called Me Malala. It is beautifully done and tells the story with out alarming and disturbing video. It is a great resource to use along with For the Right To Learn. You can find it on Netflix and Amazon.

What do you admire most about Malala?
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The post What Would You Do For The Right To Learn? Malala Yousafzai’s Story appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

Such an exciting week this week with great awards, reviews and victories! As you can imagine, much of my focus has been on the upcoming Multicultural Children’s Book Day Event (1/27) and all the excitement surrounding this national event. Bloggers are frantically reading books and publishing their reviews and activities. Here an example:

Great review on multicultural children’s books from Lil’ Libros at @espanolita #ReadYourWorld!

All Sorts of awards and victories this week too! Here are a few notable ones:

2016 Newbery and Caldecott Winners  via @imaginationsoup

MCCBD now has it’s official poster thanks to the huge talents of Robert Liu-Trujillo! Sqqquueeeee! LOVE this poster!
FREE Downloadable Multicultural Children’s Book Day!

I was the first Featured Expert for 2016 on KidLit TV!

Booklists To Investigate
11 Inspiring Multicultural Biographies For Kids from I’m Not The Nanny

The Ultimate List of 2016 Children’s Picture & Board Books! at Here We Read.

Fond Memories of Katie Woo & 3 Book #giveaway via @PragmaticMom

Diverse Winter Books for Children-via @Multicultural Kids

A Snowy Kidlit Booklist at Jump Into A Book

Sadly, the book world lost a very bright star recently Godspeed Andrea Cheng Read the interview we did with her last year and also Lee and Low’s wonderful tribute post as well Remembering Children’s Author Andrea Cheng.

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Follow Valarie Budayr @Jump into a Book’s board Jump Into a Book Kidlit Booklists on Pinterest.

Follow Valarie Budayr @Jump into a Book’s board A Year In The Secret Garden on Pinterest.

The post Weekend Links: Multicultural Links, Awards and Updates appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

My Take on the Diversity Gap in Children’s Literature

I’m really excited to have a feature article in the February 2016 issue of Story Monster’s Ink – a terrific magazine all about children’s books. The topic coincides with Multicultural Children’s Book Day happening on January 27, 2016!

Continue reading Children of Color in Picture Books at Story Quest.

Please meet Multicultural Children’s Book Day illustrator Robert Liu-Trujillo!! He designed our FREE downloadable poster: Multicultural Children’s Book Day FREE Downloadable Poster.

Download this free poster via Dropbox here.

Robert Liu-Trujillo was born in Oakland, California and raised all across the Bay Area. He’s a visual artist and came to us because his mission is the same. He wants his son to see himself in books. He also does hand painted commissioned children’s portraits like this one:

If you want to inspire your child to read, he also have this lovely poster for $20.

His books include:

Furqan’s First Flat Top by Robert Liu-Trujillo

Furqan Moreno wakes up and decides that today he wants his hair cut for the first time. His dad has just the style: a flat top fade! He wants his new haircut to be cool but when they get to the barbershop, he’s a bit nervous about his decision. He begins to worry that his hair will look funny, imagining all the flat objects in his day to day life. Before he knows it, his haircut is done and he realizes that his dad was right — Furqan’s first flat top is the freshest!

I Am Sausal Creek by Melissa Reyes, illustrated byRobert Liu-Trujillo

I Am Sausal Creek is a bilingual Spanish and English picture book about the environmental and cultural history of Oakland told through the voice of a local waterway. It is being published under the Little Nomad children’s book imprint of Nomadic Press.

On the first page of the book, the creek introduces herself and invites the reader to sit and listen to her story. As she winds through memories of watching the Ohlone move freely around her shores, the arrival of people in search of gold, streets being paved, and more, she reminds us that through all of this, her water still flows.

A Bean and Cheese Taco Birthday / Un Cumpleanos Con Tacos de Frijoles Con Queso by Diane Gonzales Bertrand,Robert Liu-Trujillo, Gabriela Baeza Ventura

On Ariel’s birthday, the boys are happy to go to the park rather than their usual after-school program. The day is full of surprises, from Ariel’s birthday present—a remote-control sailboat they enjoy playing with at the pond—to an empty playground and even a kind park ranger who offers a tour in his Jeep. Who would have thought an afternoon at the park with family and bean and cheese tacos could be so much fun?

To examine any book more closely at Amazon, please click on image of book.

NOTE: I am an Amazon affiliate which means if you buy anything through my blog, I get a very small kickback at no cost to you. I use this money to pay for postage and handling for my giveaways.

Review Bloggers! We Need YOU! MCCBD 2016 Review Blogger Sign-up is OPEN

It’s not too late to sign up as a review blogger for Multicultural Children’s Book Day! We have a plethora of simply amazing diversity children’s authors who are offering up a free book to bloggers who would like to do a review in honor of this January 27, 2016 online event!

We’ve extended the deadline for sign up to January 9th and we still have a few spots left. This is great way for bloggers to get involved in an important national initiative and gain new visitors to their site! All participating bloggers will be invited to add their book review to a Huge Linky on 1/27/16 that will ultimately become a valued resource for parents, teachers and librarians. Sign up ASAP!

The post A Colorful Freebie for Multicultural Children’s Book Day appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

MCCBD co-founder Mia Wenjen and I have been working with the brilliant and creative Susan Raab of Raab and Associates for Multicultural Children’s Book Day. Susan came up with the idea for anyone to recognize their two favorite diversity, inclusive and multicultural authors and illustrators. You don’t have to be an author or illustrator to participate.

It works like this:

The Friends of MCCBD $25 Shout Out and Recognition of Author Friends

Gift a shout-out to two author friends who have books with diversity themes. MCCBD will not only acknowledge your shout-out on social media, we will create a blog post with these authors/books naming you as the gift-giver.

Nominate and Donate HERE to support the cause and nominate two authors for virtual Shout-Outs!

Here are examples from some of Multicultural Children’s Book Day C0-Hosts!

Thien-Kim Lam blogs at I’m Not The Nanny. Her two favorite diversity books are:

Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match by Monica Brown

Mixed: Portraits of Multiracial Kids by artist and photographer Kip Fulbeck

Follow Thien-Kim on Twitter @thienkim

Jodie Rodriguez blogs at Growing Book by Book. She wants to recognize:
Bee Bim Bop by Linda Sue Park (for the little ones)

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena (one of my favorites from 2015)

Follow Jodie on Twitter @growingbbb

Becky Morales blogs at Kid World Citizen. She has so many favorite books, this is a real challenge. Her first favorite would be …
Finders Keepers? A True Story in India by Robert Arnett

Her second favorite (because her daughter had her read it every single night for years) is

Te Amo, Bebé, Little One by Lisa Wheeler

MaryAnne blogs at Mama Smiles. She says, “Two I am loving right now are
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanha Lai

The Peace Tree from Hiroshima by Sandra Moore

My all-time favorite book growing up was a multicultural one – Children of the River by Linda Crew. Sadly, that last one seems to now be out of print?”

Follow MaryAnne on Twitter @mamasmiles

Carrie of Crafty Moms Share has 2 favorite multicultural books to share:
The Rescue Princesses Series by Paula Harrison

The Last Kappa of Old Japan by Sunny Seki

What are two of your favorite diversity children’s books?

It’s time! Time for The Audrey Press Holiday Book Sale!! Giving Young Readers the Gift that they can Open Again and Again!

As the holiday season approaches, consider adding the gift of books to your shopping list. There are many wonderful booklists available for parents looking to give their child the gift of reading and adventure. A book makes a great gift because they are meaningful, beautiful, portable, appealing, and inexpensive and it’s a gift that can be opened again and again. Books are the perfect gift for any age and a gift that doesn’t require batteries or sizing instruction!

If you would like to get started on your family reading adventure, or would just like to add to your family bookshelf, Audrey Press has some special deals on their catalog of books to get readers and gift-givers on their merry way. From November 30^th to December 15^th, give the gift of reading, adventure and education at extra-special Black Friday prices!

Discover the joys of delving into this timeless children’s literature classic and see the Secret Garden through new eyes and a modern twist! Kids and nature go hand-and-hand and enjoying the bounty that the great outdoors brings is not just a “summer thing.” A Year in the Secret Garden is a delightful children’s book with over 120 pages, with 150 original color illustrations and 48 activities for your family and friends to enjoy, learn, discover and play with together. Grab your copy ASAP for the Holiday Book Sale price of $15.00 More details HERE!

Do your young readers love nature and all of nature’s critters? The Fox Diaries: The Year the Foxes Came to our Garden offers an enthusiastically educational opportunity to observe this fox family grow and learn together. From digging and hunting to playing and resting, this diary shares a rare glimpse into the private lives of Momma Rennie and her babies. Grab your copy ASAP for the Holiday Book Sale price of $12.00 HERE.

The Waldorf Homeschool Handbook is a simple step-by-step guide to creating and understanding a Waldorf inspired homeschool plan. Within the pages of this comprehensive homeschooling guide, parents will find information, lesson plans, curriculum, helpful hints, behind the scenes reasons why, rhythm, rituals, helping you fit homeschooling into your life. Discover The Waldorf Homeschool Handbook: The Simple Step-by-Step guide to creating a Waldorf-inspired homeschool will makes a great gift so grab your copy ASAP for the Holiday Book Sale price of $17.00

The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Enhanced Digital eBook is an entertaining and educational children’s book enhanced with animations, games, recipes, videos, and more providing hours of fun for kids and parents alike. Based on the beloved story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory this interactive children’s e-book is filled with action and adventure. With over 20 crafts and activities (including creating Gobstopper Gum and Chocolate Rivers, golden tickets, handmade Willy Wonka hats, etc.), this beautifully illustrated e-book re-lives the wonder and amazement through Willy Wonka’s world of magic. Download your copy ASAP for the Holiday Book Sale price of $3.99

Don’t have an Apple device, but still want to experience the thrill, activities and magic of The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? This entertaining and educational children’s book based on the beloved story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is available in PDF form! With over 20 crafts and activities (including creating Gobstopper Gum and Chocolate Rivers, golden tickets, handmade Willy Wonka hats, etc.), this beautifully illustrated PDF re-lives the wonder and amazement through Willy Wonka’s world of magic. Download your PDF copy ASAP for the Holiday Book Sale price of $5.00!

Review Bloggers! We Need YOU! MCCBD 2016 Review Blogger Sign-up is OPEN!

***Review Bloggers-Sign up is HERE (Sign-up is open until December 31, 2015. There are no guarantees everyone will be matched with a book donator)

• Our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MulticulturalChildrensBookDay
• -Our  Twitter https://twitter.com/MCChildsBookDay
• -Our hashtag #ReadYourWorld.)

The post The Audrey Press Holiday Book Sale! appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

What a whirlwind November has been! From national events like Native American Heritage Month, The Polar Express 30th Anniversary Edition Book Review & Giveaway and my week+ adventure doing author appearances at the Frances Hodgson Burnett Sesquicentennial Event, November has been an exciting and “book-filled” month! Here’s a quick recap of the highlights of November.

Native American Heritage Month links and booklists:

November is Native American Heritage Month, or as it is commonly referred to, American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month.

The month is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people. Heritage Month is also an opportune time to educate the general public about tribes, to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges.

As always, the amazing authors and bloggers have gone above-and-beyond in sharing the best-of-the best in quality Native American booklists, activities and reviews.Go HERE to view some of my top picks along with some great posts from the JIAB archives.

The Polar Express 30th Anniversary Edition Book Review & Giveaway

Has it really been 30 years since that magical Christmas tale of a train pulling up into a young boys front yard and hurling him over hill and dale until he reaches the North Pole? To my astonishment, it’s true. Thirty years later, The Polar Express has become a holiday Caldecott Medal-winning classic leaving children all over the world laying quietly in their beds on Christmas Eve, hoping to catch a ride on that magical train. For 30 years author/illustrator Chris Van Allsburg has inspired us to “believe.”

In honor of this event, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has released a 30th anniversary edition complete with a new jacket design, expanded interior layout meaning we get to see and experience more goodness, a letter from Chris Van Allsburg, a downloadable recording of the story read by none other than renowned actor Liam Neeson and a gorgeous golden keepsake ornament. AND….I get to give one copy away to one lucky winner thanks to this The Polar Express 30th Anniversary Edition Book Review & Giveaway!! Go HERE for details and to enter-to-win.

Author Appearances at Frances HodgsonBurnett Sesquicentennial Event:

You may remember my mention of the upcoming Frances Hodgson Burnett Sesquicentennial Event Celebration. If you read that post you know how excited I was to celebrate an author who has touched my life in so many ways, and also one who is from my home state of Tennessee.

This year the New Market/Knoxville areas are celebrating 150 years since Frances Hodgson Burnett’s moved to the United States in 1865. On hand will be her great grand-daughter Penny Deupree, as well as her great great grandchildren. Penny Deupree, Frances Hodgson Burnett’s great-grand daughter, is coming from her home in Texas to give three free public presentations and display some of Burnett’s personal belongings. You can see all the places I made author appearances here.

As you can imagine, this event was absolutely spectacular and it was such an honor to be invited by Frances Hodgson Burnett’s family! Here are some pictures and highlights from this memorable event:

I was fortunate enough to meet, and spend time with, Frances Hodgson Burnett’s great granddaughter, Penny.

The young readers at the New Market School were some of the many groups that enjoy book extension activities from my book A Year in the Secret Garden.

What were some of your November highlights?

Attention K-8th Teachers! Get a FREE Diversity Book for Your Class!

2016 Multicultural Children’s Book Day Classroom Reading Challenge begins November 1, 2015!

Multicultural Children’s Book Day Classroom Reading Challenge is a special project connected to Multicultural Children’s Book Day (1/27/16) that gives classrooms the opportunity to earn a FREE Diversity Book for their class!
Teachers: We want to help you build your classroom library with diverse, inclusive and multicultural books! Here’s how to get a free book through Multicultural Children’s Book Day during the month of January. Teachers and classrooms can also win a Skype author visit with a children’s book author and the drawing will be made from the pool of teachers who signed up before 1/27/16. {author to be announced} This special project is free of charge to all teachers and schools and helps MCCBD achieve their mission of getting multicultural books into the hands of young readers and teachers.

What is it:

The Classroom Reading Challenge is a new project for us but it is a way for teachers to sign up, read up to four multicultural books in their classroom and earn a free multicultural book from us.

All Books are pre-screened and approved by the Junior Library Guild: Having Junior Library Guild on board assures that the free book that classrooms earn from MCCBD is a pre-screened, library-quality book that maps to Common Core. This is a HUGE and exciting benefit for this project.

The MCCBD team would like to take a moment to say a huge “Thank You!” to Junior Library Guild, for allowing us to tap into their collection of library-quality books for kids. Their development and book review service relied upon by thousands of schools and public libraries and we are grateful they are sponsoring Multicultural Children’s Book Day Classroom Reading Challenge by donating the books for the classrooms!
The Junior Library Guild editorial team reviews more than 3,000 new titles each year, in manuscript or prepublication stage. They have a keen sense for finding the best of the best. Over 95 percent of their selections go on to receive awards and/or favorable reviews.

Go HERE to view some of the books that teachers can earn and win as part of our Multicultural Children’s Book Day Classroom Reading Challenge and sign your classroom up to earn a few book!!!!

The post Weekend Links: The Highlights of November appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

I’m really excited about the MCCBD Classroom Reading Challenge: January 27, 2016! Sponsored in part by Junior Library Guild, the Reading Challenge is designed to help TEACHERS build their classroom libraries with diverse, inclusive and multicultural books. It’s a fantastic opportunity for schools, teachers and students!  Teachers read up to four multicultural books in their classroom and earn a FREE multicultural book from MCCBD. Having Junior Library Guild on board assures that the free book is a pre-screened, library-quality book that maps to Common Core. PLUS Junior Library Guild will donate up to 200 books for classrooms and teachers!

Continue reading MCCBD 2016 Reading Challenge at Story Quest.

Winners – Big Multicultural Back to School Library Book Giveaway

In September KidLit TV launched our first ever Big Multicultural Back to School Library Book Giveaway! We partnered with Pragmatic Mom, Jump into a Book, Franticmommy and Multicultural Children’s Book Day, to give parents, teachers, and librarians a chance to win a multicultural book bundle for their school library. The results are in!

Congratulations to the winners of our very first Big Multicultural Back to School Library Book Giveaway! KidLit TV will be shipping off books to the libraries below, in the name of each winner.

WINNER: Margaret Barham

LIBRARY: The Exploris School (Elementary Campus) – Raleigh, NC

WINNER: Johana Castillo

LIBRARY: North Grade Elementary – Lake Worth, FL

WINNER: Twila Claycomb

LIBRARY: Oswayo Valley Middle School – Shinglehouse, PA

WINNER: Kelly Gesser

LIBRARY: Potowmack Elementary School – Sterling, VA

WINNER:  Margaret Hufstedler

LIBRARY: Alton Elementary School – Alton, MO

WINNER: Lauren Lim

LIBRARY: Myford Elementary School – Irvine, CA

WINNER:  Becky Morales

LIBRARY: Colony Meadows Elementary School – Sugar Land, TX

WINNER:  Alison McKinney

LIBRARY: Round Hill Elementary School – Washingtonville, NY

WINNER:  Jennifer Verbrugge

LIBRARY: Expo Elementary School – St. Paul, MN

WINNER:  Anjanette Young

LIBRARY: Donner Springs Elementary School – Reno, NV

We put out a call for diverse books and publishers listened. We’d like to thank the publishers below for donating books to the giveaway.

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

HarperCollins

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Candlewick Press

Abrams Books

Dreamscape Media

Dial Books

Lee & Low Books

Charlesbridge

Books featured in the giveaway bundle include:

The Whale in My Swimming Pool by Joyce Wan

Beauty and The Beast by H. Chuku Lee, illustrations by Pat Cummings

The Truth About Twinkie Pie by Kat Yeh

Gone Crazy In Alabama by Rita Williams-Garcia

The Seeds of Friendship by Michael Foreman

Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh

Mama’s Nightingale: A Story of Immigration and Separation by Edwidge Danticat

Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match / Marisol McDonald no combina by Monica Brown, illustrations by Sara Palacios

The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred by Rafael López, illustrated by Samantha R. Vamos

Malala Yousafzai: Warrior with Words by Karen Legg, illustrated by L. C. Wheatley

We urge parents, teachers, and librarians to support publishers who have a diverse roster of authors, illustrators, and titles.

You don’t have to wait until next year to enter our giveaway (yes, we’ll be doing this again!). There are many school and local libraries in need of new, or used books in great condition. Please consider donating a book or creating a book drive to support your local schools and libraries.

ABOUT
Pragmatic Mom
Pragmatic Mom was born of several circumstances; one child’s lackluster academic year, a mishap during a reading session, and realizing it was okay for a mom to love kid lit more than adult fiction. Mia Wenjen chronicles her family’s journey through education, parenting, and children’s literature via Pragmatic Mom. Mia is a leader in literacy and parenting. She is one of the co-founders of Multicultural Children’s Book Day.

Connect with Pragmatic Mom on Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, and Twitter.

Jump into a Book
Jump into a Book (JIAB) is a site about the love of children’s books and how they can be incorporated into our everyday lives through play, crafting, cooking, movies, games, traveling and author visits. At JIAB, they strive to pull books off shelves and stories off pages to create reading experiences for families. Amazon and iTunes best-selling author and founder of Audrey Press, Valarie Budayr is a play and reading advocate, whose mission is to inspire children, families, and communities to experience and create a world together through books while having fun.

Connect with Jump into a Book on Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.

Franticmommy
Rebecca Flansburg (a.k.a Franticmommy), is a freelance writer, blogger and virtual assistant. Franticmommy.com, is filled with laughter and love about the joys of parenthood. Rebecca is also committed to helping women realize their work-from-home dreams, enjoying life beyond the cubicle, and find clarity in the work/life/family balance.

Connect with Franticmommy on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.

Multicultural Children’s Book Day
Multicultural Children’s Book Day’s (MCCBD) mission is to not only raise awareness for the kid’s books that celebrate diversity, but to get more of these of books into classrooms and libraries.Children’s reading and play advocates Valarie Budayr from Jump Into a Book and Mia Wenjen from Pragmatic Mom have teamed up to create an ambitious (and much needed) national event.  On January 27th, 2014 Jump into a Book and Pragmatic Mom presented the very first Multicultural Children’s Book Day as a way of celebrating diversity in children’s books. The results and support overwhelming as authors, publishers, parents, teachers, bloggers and librarians joined forces to offer up an online event designed to shine the spotlight on diversity in children’s literature.

Connect with Multicultural Children’s Book Day on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.

KidLit TV
KidLit TV is a community of authors, illustrators, educators, and parents all working together to bring great books to kids. We hope to reinforce an appreciation of reading that children will carry with them for the rest of their lives. Click here for more.

Connect with KidLit TV on Facebook (page), Facebook (group) Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube. Sign up for the newsletter too!

The post Multicultural Back to School Library Book Giveaway WINNERS appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

Attention K-8th Teachers! Get a FREE Diversity Book for Your Class!

2016 Multicultural Children’s Book Day Classroom Reading Challenge begins November 1, 2015!

Multicultural Children’s Book Day Classroom Reading Challenge is a special project connected to Multicultural Children’s Book Day (1/27/16) that gives classrooms the opportunity to earn a FREE Diversity Book for their class!
Teachers: We want to help you build your classroom library with diverse, inclusive and multicultural books! Here’s how to get a free book through Multicultural Children’s Book Day during the month of January. Teachers and classrooms can also win a Skype author visit with a children’s book author and the drawing will be made from the pool of teachers who signed up before 1/27/16. {author to be announced} This special project is free of charge to all teachers and schools and helps MCCBD achieve their mission of getting multicultural books into the hands of young readers and teachers.

What is it:

The Classroom Reading Challenge is a new project for us but it is a way for teachers to sign up, read up to four multicultural books in their classroom and earn a free multicultural book from us.

All Books are pre-screened and approved by the Junior Library Guild: Having Junior Library Guild on board assures that the free book that classrooms earn from MCCBD is a pre-screened, library-quality book that maps to Common Core. This is a HUGE and exciting benefit for this project.

The MCCBD team would like to take a moment to say a huge “Thank You!” to Junior Library Guild, for allowing us to tap into their collection of library-quality books for kids. Their development and book review service relied upon by thousands of schools and public libraries and we are grateful they are sponsoring Multicultural Children’s Book Day Classroom Reading Challenge by donating the books for the classrooms!
The Junior Library Guild editorial team reviews more than 3,000 new titles each year, in manuscript or prepublication stage. They have a keen sense for finding the best of the best. Over 95 percent of their selections go on to receive awards and/or favorable reviews.

Here are some of the books that teachers can earn and win as part of our Multicultural Children’s Book Day Classroom Reading Challenge:

Multicultural Children’s Book Day Classroom Reading Challenge BOOKS YOU CAN EARN (Partial List)
A New Year’s Reunion by Yu Li-Qiong
This poignant, vibrantly illustrated tale, which won the prestigious Feng Zikai Chinese Children’s Picture Book Award in 2009, is sure to resonate with every child who misses relatives when they are away — and shows how a family’s love is strong enough to endure over time and distance. [picture book, ages 2 and up]

Martina una cucarachita muy linda: Un cuento cubano by Carmen Agra Deedy
A sweet and witty retelling of the Cuban folktale, you’ll never look at a cockroach the same way again. [bilingual in Spanish picture book, ages 4 and up]

Abuelos by Pat Mora
In this delightful story two young children, Ray and Amelia, discover an old New Mexican tradition — ‘los abuelos’ — for the first time. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

The Magic Horse of Han Gan by Chen Jiang Hong
A well-known painter himself, Chen Jiang Hong introduces Han Gan, a ninth-century Chinese artist, who painted horses so realistically, they seemed to jump off the page. In this story, they really do come alive [picture book, ages 4 and up]

Yatandou by Gloria Whelan
Yatandou lives in a Mali village with her family and neighbors. And though she is only eight years old and would much rather play with her pet goat, she must sit with the women and pound millet kernels. [picture book, ages, 6 and up]

How Tía Lola Learned to Teach by Julia Alvarez
Tía Lola has been invited to teach Spanish at her niece and nephew’s elementary school. But Miguel wants nothing to do with the arrangement. He hasn’t had an easy time adjusting to his new school in Vermont and doesn’t like living so far away from Papi, who has a new girlfriend and an announcement to make. On the other hand, Miguel’s little sister, Juanita, can’t wait to introduce her colorfully dressed aunt —that is, if she can stop getting distracted long enough to remember to do so. Before long, Tía Lola is organizing a Spanish treasure hunt and a Carnaval fiesta at school. Will Miguel be willing to join the fun? [chapter book, 8 and up]

Pemba Sherpa by Olga Cossi
An exquisitely illustrated story of a brother and his younger sister facing a life-threatening and life-changing landslide. Pemba and his younger sister Yang Ki both yearn for roles as guides and porters to the high country of the Himalayas. While such a goal is well within Pemba’s reach, his seven-year-old sister faces an obstacle, mainly because girls aren’t encouraged, let alone accepted, as porters or guides. When he and Yang Ki are caught in a landslide, both brother and sister reach beyond their perceived limitations to regain safety as well as alter viewpoints about societal roles. [picture book, ages 7 and up]

The Dragon’s Child: A Story of Angel Island by Laurence Yep
Ten-year-old Gim Lew Yep knows that he must leave his home in China and travel to America with the father who is a stranger to him. Gim Lew doesn’t want to leave behind everything that he’s ever known. But he is even more scared of disappointing his father. He uses his left hand, rather than the “correct” right hand; he stutters; and most of all, he worries about not passing the strict immigration test administered at Angel Island. [chapter book, ages 10 and up]

Mexican Immigrants in America by Rachael Hanel
Everything in this book happened to real people. And YOU CHOOSE what side you’re on and what you do next. The choices you make could lead you to survival or to death. In the You Choose Books set, only YOU can CHOOSE which path you take through history. What will it be? Get ready for an adventure. [nonfiction, ages 10 and up]

Blessing’s Bead by Debby Dahl Edwardson
Two distinct teenage voices pull readers into the native world of northern Alaska in this beautifully crafted and compelling debut novel. [young adult, ages 12 and up]

My Name Is Not Easy by Debby Dahl Edwardson
Luke knows his Iñupiaq name is full of sounds white people can’t say. So he leaves it behind when he and his brothers are sent to boarding school hundreds of miles away from their Arctic village. Here, speaking Iñupiaq—or any native language—is forbidden. And Father Mullen, whose fury is like a force of nature, is ready to slap down those who disobey. Luke struggles to survive at Sacred Heart. But he’s not the only one. There’s smart-aleck Amiq, a daring leader— if he doesn’t self-destruct; Chickie, blond and freckled, a different kind of outsider; and small, quiet Junior, noticing everything and writing it all down. They each have their own story to tell. But once their separate stories come together, things at Sacred Heart School—and the wider world—will never be the same. [young adult, ages 12 and up]

How to Get Started:

Multicultural Children’s Book Day: Diversity Classroom Reading Challenge for Teachers was created to be a streamlined and simple way to encourage the reading of diversity titles while earning a special multicultural book for your classroom. GO HERE for what to expect and to sign up your classroom.

– Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MulticulturalChildrensBookDay

– Twitter https://twitter.com/MCChildsBookDay

-Reminder: The hashtag for this event is #ReadYourWorld

Thank you so much for your support!

The post Teachers! Earn a FREE Multicultural Kids Book for Your Classroom! appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

We have many things to be grateful for here at Multicultural Children’s Book Day headquarters because there are a ton of exciting things in the works right now!

• Join us as an Author Sponsor for MCCBD 2016 which includes 2 guest posts on MCCBD blog, banner ad on the Author Sponsor Page, social media shares, and reviews by bloggers.
• Our Book Review Blogger Sign-Up for MCCBD 2016 just started as well! We’ll give you a FREE book so you can post on your blog on January 27th!

For anyone interested in Sponsorship opportunities, our Early Bird Sponsorship Sale ends OCTOBER 31, 2015.

• We are thrilled to have two powerhouse multicultural children’s book publishers is joining us as Platinum Sponsors for 2016!

• Capstone Young Readers and Lee and Low are two of our Silver Sponsors.

We have just 1 Platinum spot left!

Why 2016 will be AMAZING

26 social media shares last year! Wow! Thank you everyone!

Our 2015 event was wildly successful and thanks to 9 co-hosts and 2 co-founders, over a dozen sponsors and a 200+ of review bloggers, the event generated 26 million social media shares over a span of 7 days during the Multicultural Children’s Book Day celebration.

In 2016, we expect a broader social media reach … and here’s why:

• We are adding more Co-Hosts who will bring with them a significantly enhanced social media reach.
• Susan Raab of Raab Associates will be handling our public relations!
• We’ve created a Classroom Reading Challenge so teachers can earn a FREE diversity book for their classroom libraries!
• The Junior Library Guild is donating the books! Up to 200 books for classrooms and teachers!

The Classroom Reading Challenge is a new project for us but it is a way for teachers to sign up, read up to four multicultural books in their classroom and earn a free multicultural book from us. Having Junior Library Guild on board assures that the free book that classrooms earn from MCCBD is a pre-screened, library-quality book that maps to Common Core. This is a HUGE and exciting benefit for this project. (More details to come on the MCCBD Classroom Reading Challenge)

Curious about the available Sponsorship spots, benefits and details? Go HERE to review the options and the Early Bird Pricing. Looking forward to working with you!

– Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MulticulturalChildrensBookDay

– Twitter https://twitter.com/MCChildsBookDay

-Reminder: The hashtag for this event is #ReadYourWorld

Thank you so much for your support!

Valarie, Mia and Becky

The post The Latest Scoop on Multicultural Children’s Book Day Sponsorships! appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

My word of the week is “fantastical”… Not sure why….maybe because it sounds like a Willy Wonka-type word! The official definition of “fantastic” is: conceived or appearing as if conceived by an unrestrained imagination. That exactly how I feel about my Weekend Links picks this week. Enjoy!

Minds in Bloom: 6 Ways to Teach Kids about the World -a guest post from the wonderful Becky Morales of KidWorldCitizen.

The Children Shall Lead Us: Top 7 Children’s Books on Leadership for Social Justice
via @blackvoices

4 Early Chapter Book Giveaway! #ScholasticBranches  via @PragmaticMom

Excellent Nonfiction Books To Get Kids Reading  via @imagination soup

13 Children’s Books that Encourage Kids to Love Black Hair  via @ForHarriet

Fantastical News

There are so many exciting things in the works right now. If you missed it, we recently did a special post on becoming an Author Sponsor for MCCBD 2016 AND we announced the opening of our Review Blogger Sign-up for MCCBD 2016 as well. Pass the word on both please!

But another thing we are tickled about is the fact that we have two powerhouse multicultural children’s book publishers joining us as Platinum Sponsors for 2016. Wisdom Tales Press is joining us for a 3^rd year and newcomer Story Quest Books will be a crowd pleaser too.

Capstone Young Readers and Lee and Low and have stepped forward and filled out two of our Silver Sponsorship spots and we have quite a few awesome Author Sponsors as well so please take a peek. There are many Sponsorship opportunities still available (one Platinum left along with Gold, Silver and Bronze) so if you know of an author or publisher who would like to be part of the growing event, have them check out our Sponsorship Level page ASAP. The Early Bird Sale on the top three levels of Sponsorship ends 10/31/15.

Final Fantastical Thoughts: Here are a few of my “Fantastic” blog posts from the past!

The Fantastic Adventures of Krishna by Demi: In this elegant read, we ventured into the world and land of India, the God Krishna, and Hinduism in the book The Fantastic Adventures of Krishna by author/illustrator Demi.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore harkens back to the days of silent films with the grander of those first technicolor movie classics such as the Wizard of Oz. Each page as a hidden piece of magic embedded to be discovered by those who journey through this soon to be classic.  Something may look familiar to you during your time with this app and that is because of the brilliant work done by William Joyce.

Your Fantastic Elastic Brain is more than just an ebook for children, parents and educators…The app goes above and beyond the concept of a children’s book in digital format. Embedded lesson plans offer activities designed to build an understanding of neuroanatomy, the brain’s primary functions, and how to stretch and shape the brain to its full potential. I have a sneaking suspicion we could all use a refresher course in brain function, so parents and teachers might find this feature interesting as well… Go forth, young parents, and download.” ~ Leslie Rasimas, Appy Awards

Have a Fantastic week!

The post Weekend Links: Fantastical Reading Finds appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

It’s TIME

Review Bloggers! We Need YOU! MCCBD 2016 Review Blogger Sign-up is OPEN!

Our 2015 event was wildly successful and thanks to 9 co-hosts and 2 Co-founders, the event generated 26 million social media shares over a span of 7 days during the Multicultural Children’s Book Day celebration. In 2016, we expect far more of a reach, response and success… and here’s why:

• For MCCBD 2016, we have a very special Classroom Reading Challenge planned that will target and engaged 200 classrooms in reading diverse books. (more details to come!)
• We are adding more Co-Hosts who will bring with them a significantly enhanced social media reach.
• We have hired Susan Raab of Raab Associates to do our PR for six weeks leading up to January 27th, Multicultural Children’s Book Day

With the 2015 event, we had 175+ blogs participating and each blogger was matched with an author or publisher. These bloggers received a multicultural children’s book to review on their blog. They day of the event (1/27/2015) everyone linked up their blog post on a Linky on the MCCBD site to create a giant reading resource for parents, teachers and librarians.

We expect the number of participating review bloggers to grow this year. We can’t predict and exact number, but we won’t be surprised if we get 300 to 400 bloggers this year! Not sure how it all works? Go HERE and get the scoop.

Please note-Our Author Sponsorships are a very affordable $65 and sign-up is as simple as going HERE and choosing the Author Sponsor option. Again, it’s a very effective way for author’s to get recognition and raise awareness for their diverse children’s books.

Please direct questions and inquires to Project Manager Becky Flansburg at [email protected]

That being said, we are excited to announce that the sign-up for review bloggers for MCCBD 2016 is OPEN!

***Review Bloggers-Sign up below! (Sign-up is open until December 31, 2015. There are no guarantees everyone will be matched with a book donator)

• Our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MulticulturalChildrensBookDay
• -Our Twitter https://twitter.com/MCChildsBookDay
• -Our hashtag #ReadYourWorld.

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The post The Multicultural Children’s Book Day Review Blogger Sign-up is OPEN! appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

Can you believe it’s less than 120 days until Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2016!

As time continues to speed forward, the MCCBD planning team continues to create amazing opportunities to get multicultural children’s books into the hands of teachers, librarians, parents and young readers. We are also continuing our quest of shining the spotlight on the many diverse book authors out there as well.

Our 2015 event was wildly successful and thanks to 9 co-hosts and 2 Co-founders, many sponsor and a ton of review bloggers, the event generated 26 million social media shares over a span of 7 days during the Multicultural Children’s Book Day celebration. In 2016, we expect far more of a reach, response and success… and here’s why:

• For MCCBD 2016, we have a very special Classroom Reading Challenge planned that will target and engaged 200 classrooms in reading diverse books. (More details to come!)
• We are adding more Co-Hosts who will bring with them a significantly enhanced social media reach.
• We have hired Susan Raab of Raab Associates to do our PR for six weeks leading up to January 27th, Multicultural Children’s Book Day

With the 2015 event, we had 150+ blogs participating in and each blogger was matched with an author or publishers. These bloggers received a multicultural children’s book to review on their blog. They day of the event (1/17/2015) everyone linked up their blog post on a Linky on the MCCBD site to create a giant reading resource for parents, teachers and librarians. We expect the number of participating review bloggers to grow this year.

As you can imagine this creates a very special opportunity for authors of multicultural children’s books to get their books in front of their target audience; parents, teachers and librarians. Our Author Sponsorship option is a very affordable way for authors to gain visibility before and after this growing event and also get their books into the hands of review bloggers.

Benefits for our Author Sponsors include:

• A 300x 300 image of your book cover, book description in the form of a 300 word blog post, and links to your site from our special Authors/Illustrators BlogRoll Page.
• 2 Tweets and one Facebook update directing readers to the blog post on the MCCBD blog that is highlighting your book(s) and information.
• The opportunity to supply 2-10 books to review bloggers to review for MCCBD 2016.

But wait! We thought we would throw in an extra perk for those authors wishing to lock in an Author Sponsorship before November 30^th!

Any author who purchases an Author Sponsorship between now and 11/30/15 has the option of submitting TWO guest posts on the MCCBD blog! One post will be published before 1/27/16 and the second will be published on a pre-determined date after the MCCBD 2106 celebration is over. All guest posts must follow our guest post guidelines, but it is an excellent way to continue receiving visibility for their published works.

Our Author Sponsorships are a very affordable $65 and sign-up is as simple as going HERE and choosing the Author Sponsor option. Again, it’s a very effective way for author’s to get recognition and raise awareness for their diverse children’s books.

We’d love to have all multicultural children’s books author participate (all genres!) and together we will continue to be the voice championing diversity in children’s books!

Please direct questions and inquires to Project Manager Becky Flansburg at [email protected]

The post The Scoop on Multicultural Children’s Book Day Author Sponsorships! appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

Welcome to Weekend Links! Is summer whizzing by or what?? Reading is always an important part of our children’s lives no matter what time of year it is and so is helping our young readers learn about other cultures, religions and traditions through the pages of these books. Here are some great booklists and resources to help everyone #ReadYourWorld.

Middle Eastern and Northern African Heritage Month-via @MulticulturKids

Teens can learn about being Amish through the eyes of Ellie– Children’s Book Review and Giveaway at Kristi’s Book Nook

KidLit TV’s Top 10 Summer Reading Books  @NYMediaWorks

The Most Anticipated Children’s and YA Books of Fall 2015 via @publishers weekly

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr at JIAB

In Memory of Hiroshima Bombing Book List for Kids at PragmaticMom

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Follow me on Pinterest!
Follow Valarie Budayr @Jump into a Book’s board Jump Into a Book Kidlit Booklists on Pinterest. Follow Valarie Budayr @Jump into a Book’s board A Year In The Secret Garden on Pinterest.

The post Weekend Links: Booklists that Help to #ReadYourWorld appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

Wow! what an amazing week!

Mia @pragmaticmom and I started off Multicultural Children’s Book Day with a bang on January 27th!!!

We had a wonderful blogtalk radio interview with Kori Miller from Back Porch Writer. There we discussed why we started Multicultural Children’s Book Day as well as the importance of children having diverse books in their hands, schools, and libraries.

Our MCCBD linky went wild with incredible reviews of books from our publisher and author sponsors as well as people putting up links to reviews and activities they’ve done in the past. If you have a link you’d like to share which deals with a multicultural or diverse children’s book please fill free to link HERE. The linky is up for a couple more days.

Twitter Party! Our first-ever twitter party for MCCBD was a huge success and we had 11 lucky winners win multicultural book bundles including a Grand Prize bundle of 12 children’s books!

I loved seeing comments from party participants like this one:

I don’t think I’ve ever had an hour fly by so fast! We had 11 lucky winners who won multicultural book bundles. Lots of great reading for the winter months Here’s a Storified recap of the MCCBD Twitter Party thanks to the wonderful Kim Vij at Educator’s Spin on It .   Miss the party ? Don’t worry !! Did you know that with Storify you can still interact with everyone on the twitter party as if you were at there with us. Just click reply or retweet and bring this party back to life. Remember to use the hashtag #ReadYourWorld.

Our friends and Platinum Sponsor Wisdom Tales Press celebrated Multicultural Children’s Book Day by having  Wisdom Tales staff do several readings of Pine and the Winter Sparrow by Alexis York Lumbard and Beatriz Vidal at University Elementary School here in Bloomington. Here is our very own senior editor, Roger, telling the story to some eager 2nd graders. We hope everyone had as good a time as they did.

Multicultural Children’s Books Day is such a celebration which has created a vast resource of multicultural books and authors on our website.

LAST CHANCE to grab your FREE gift to YOU. This copy of my Read Your World Multicultural Booklists and Activities for Kids will not be available much longer.

Thank you for all of your support!

The post Weekend Links-A Recap of the Wildly Successful Multicultural Children’s Book Day appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

Are we excited or what!? Today is Multicultural Children’s Book Day and both Mia Wenjen from PragmaticMom and I would love it if you’d celebrate with us.

This is our second annual event and is bigger than ever before. Along with 17 sponsors , 9 blog co-hosts, and 150+ bloggers, we’re reading our world in many amazing and wonderful ways.

Head on over to www.multiculturalchildresnbookday.com/blog and have a look at our linky party. There you will find many great multicultural and diverse books to read.

Twitter Party! Join us for Multicultural Children’s Book Day Twitter Party on Jan 27th 9:00pm EST.

Use hashtag: #ReadYourWorld to win 10 book packages! This Twitter Party is hosted by myself and Mia Wenjen from PragmaticMom! View the prize list HERE.

How it all Began

So many times Mia and I are asked how “it all began” with Multicultural Children’s Book Day so we teamed up to make this video that answers that very question:

Let’s get LINKY! Link up your multicultural children’s book review and let’s create an amazing resource for teachers, parents and librarians!

[inlinkz_linkup id=485122 mode=1]

The post Today’s the Day! It’s Multicultural Children’s Book Day! appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

We are just a few short days away from our second Multicultural Children’s Book Day. I’ve been matched with one of our Platinum Sponsors Daybreak Press and Global Bookstore and a really cleverly written book called Sophia’s Journey by Najiyah Diana Maxfield.

This book is for middle school and above readers.

Sophia’s Journal does a very fine job of weaving. Yes weaving. It takes a 21st century muslim teenager, Sophia, who has a bad fall in a river. This dramatic tumble sends her back to the year 1857 and all that means. This beautifully written book looks at the ideas of race, religion, and bigotry from a multi century view. It gives us a front row seat and a glimpse into pivotal moments in American history as well as what it’s like to be a practicing muslim in the 21st century.

Sophia has to get use to new food and some times the lack of food, new entertainment such as knitting, and a new family. Sophia gets a first hand view at slavery and Native Americans from the year 1857.  The characters in the story are well developed and the sense of adventure and self discovery are greatly inspiring.

One of the things that really struck me as I read this book is that it dispels the “over there” mentally that we can so easily become a participant in. For example: “Muslims are those people over there,…….” Often times being viewed as the enemy. This myth is dispelled as author Najiyah Diana Maxfield intersperses the daily rhythms and gentle practices of the world’s muslims into this thoughtful coming of age tale. This is later reflected when the slave William is also a muslim from Africa.

Often times we look at things from the past as truly history. In Sophia’s Journal we deal first hand with the ideas of slavery, slave owners and the abolition movement as well as the poor view and treatment of Native Americans, there is even a mention or two of the suffragette movement. We could so easily say, that happened then and doesn’t concern us now. Not so. These topics are still very much alive today and currently continue to unfold.

I greatly admire this book and recommend it. First because is gives a positive light to both teenagers and muslims. Secondly because it is a well written story that is so captivating that I couldn’t put it down.

 Something To Do

In the back of Sophia’s Journal are a couple of wonderful recipes as well as two glossaries. One for the 1850’s and the other of Arabic terms commonly used by Muslims around the world.

I our something to do we are going to create a Time Traveler’s Journal where we will write notes about our explorations into 1850’s Kansas as well as Islam.

Take a blank sheet journal, pens, photos that you have printed off the computer and some glue and create a beautiful Common Book Journal about your journey into the world of Sophia.

A Look into Slavery

Slavery in America began in 1607 and continued until 1865. These links tell you more about this controversial but, for a long time, legal practice.

Here are some great book resources as well.

A Look at the Native Americans of Kansas

Kansas, a word readily recognizable as derived from the Native American tribal name Kansa, or “Wind People,” is a state possessing a rich Native American heritage.

The land we now call Kansas had been home to many Native American tribes. The Arapaho, Cheyenne, Comanche, Kansa, Kiowa, Osage, Pawnee, and Wichita are tribes that are considered native to present day Kansas.

To learn more about the traditions of the Kansas Plains Native Americans I find Big Orrin’s website to have many facts geared towards children.

To learn more about these tribes and the history of the region please have a look here.

A Look into Prairie Life in Kansas

Here’s a good look at life on the Kansas prairie in 1850.

Want to know more about Sod Houses and how to build them have a look here.

A fun reading history book list about the prairies.

A Look at Islam

Islam is a world religion practiced by 1.7 billion people.  PBS has put together this fact sheet about muslims and the religion of Islam and here’s another look from CNN.

Another way to meet your world is through literature. Multicultural Children’s Books Day is such a celebration which has created a vast resource of multicultural books and authors on our website.

My Gift to YOU!

Don’t forget to grab your FREE copy of my Read Your World Multicultural Booklists and Activities for Kids.

The post Love to Time Travel? Sophia’s Journal Book Review appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

We are busy as bees over here getting ready for our 2nd Multicultural Children’s Book Day on January 27th 2015. We hope you’ll join us along with our 17 sponsors, 9 co- hosts, 150+ bloggers and many author sponsors to celebrate those books that celebrate multiculturalism and diversity. Please check out the excitement here and “save the date” for our huge Twitter party with oodles of prizes on 1/27/15 (9:00-10:00 ET)

Author David J. Smith and I are kindred spirits.  Both of us promote “world mindedness.”

He says,” This book is about “world-mindedness,” which is an attitude, an approach to life. It is the sense that our planet is actually a village, and we share this small, precious village with our neighbors. Knowing who our neighbors are, where they live and how they live, will help us live in peace.”

In his book If the World Were a Village, he explores the idea of exploring the world as if it were a village. At this time there are nearly 7 billion people on the planet. It’s oftentimes hard to wrap around our brain around this idea. David J. Smith brings it down to size for us. What if we took 100 people from around the world and look at the world as if it is a village.

In this village of 100 people there would be 21 people who speak Chinese, 10 who ear only a dollar a day, 13 who cannot read or write, 28 who have a television in their homes, only 37 would have enough to eat. 83 people would have access to clean water while 17 others would spend most of every day in the search for clean water.

If the World Were A Village shows us who we are, where we live, what languages we speak, how fast we’re growing, and what religions we practice. This well thought out book also asks, “What will our village look like in the future?” Will there be enough food, housing, jobs, money, electricity, water etc.

One of the things I like so much about this book is that it takes a very large concept such as world population and how that effects the planet and the people on it, and brings it down to a very manageable size. The illustrations by Shelagh Armstrong are bold and colorful bringing the diversity on this planet richly to life.

Something to Do

Let’s Map the World

It’s important that kids have a really good sense of how the world is laid out. Make sure you have a current and up to date world wall map hanging up.

One really great way to learn the world is to create it. I’m a huge fan of Mr. Nussbaum. He has this wonderful website and this really great activity called Super Map. Super Map is a new map-making tool on MrNussbaum.com that allows students to custom-make their own maps of the United States, North America, South America, Europe, Africa, or Asia. Students can create map keys, add state or country names, rotate names, change colors of oceans, continents, nations, or states, add longitude or latitude lines, zoom in or out, and add text about each nation or state that appears on the map when it is printed out. Works on touchscreens as well as traditional computers. And then…you get to print it out!

Can you name ?

Playing a roving game of Can you Name helps kids learn and experience the “details” of a region or country of the world.

• Can you name the capitals of every state in the US?
• Can you name the capitals of every country in the world ?
• Can you name the continents ?
• Can you name the biomes in the United States ? In your country ? Around the world ?
• Can you name the language spoken in ( pick a country and/or a region )
• Can you name the religions worshipped in a particular country ?
• Can you name the form of government ?

What’s next to ?

This is a game where one player chooses a country in the world and the person next to them has to name a country next to that one.

Is there Enough ?

Have a conversation with your children while looking at a map and you might like a computer near by so you can search. Pointing to an area of the world ask the following questions. If you don’t the answer to these, look them up.

• Is there enough food ?
• Is there enough clean water ?
• Do children go to school ? What are the requirements for going to school. Many 3rd world countries require that you have a uniform to go to school. Most people are too poor to afford one and so their children do not go to school.

Meet Your World

As important as it is to know how the planet is laid out by countries, capitals, people , religions, languages etc, it’s also equally important to meet different people from a variety of people on our planet. Go to a celebration from another culture near you.

Finding a pen-pal with someone from another country is another way to make a connection with someone else on the planet.

Another way to meet your world is through literature. Multicultural Children’s Books Day is such a celebration which has created a vast resource of multicultural books and authors on our website.

Understanding the geography of the earth, how and where the people on the planet live,  what languages they speak, what religion they believe in, what challenges they face is a starting point into knowing our world better and for teaching our children “world mindedness.”

My Gift to YOU!

Don’t forget to grab your FREE copy of my Read Your World Multicultural Booklists and Activities for Kids.

The post What If the World Were a Village ? appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

Happy 2015!

Doing “best of” lists seems to be all the rage these days so I thought, “Why should JIAB be any different?” We created some amazing bookjumps and book reviews on this site in 2014, had some awesome guest posts and shared a plethora of exciting news as well. Here are some of the highlight.

Top Blog Post and Booklists:

I’ve always thought the best way to teach my kids to be kind is to be kind myself. While that’s a really good start, I can’t be with them all day long and life is filled with opportunities to be both kind and unkind. This got me thinking, what books are out there that teach kindness?

Here’s a look at what I found.

The Kindness Booklist for Kids

To honor and celebrating the first ever cross country mail delivery and a bit of American itself, I created a booklist that takes a look at the Pony Express.

Stargazing & Astronomy Booklist for the whole family.

Love and respect the rainforest? We do too. Here is our Rainforest Booklist roundup in honor of World Rainforest Week (Oct 12th – Oct 18th)

We had a ton of fun with some “snow fun” as well in December. Here’s a recap of JIAB’s Snow Festival:

Snow Festival Day 2:

Snow by Uri Shulevitz

This playful depiction of a snowy day and the transformation of a city is perfectly captured in simple, poetic text and lively watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations.
Plus: Homemade Snow Cream

Snow Festival Day 3:
Story of the Snow Children

Who couldn’t love Poppy in her little red hat going to a winter’s feast?
Plus: Make a Message Crown

 

Snow Festival Day 4:
The Story of Snow (and some Affirmation Snowflakes!)

The Story of Snow by Mark Cassino celebrates the magic of snow through science, math, language arts, music, and visual art activities.
Plus: Paper Snowflakes and Snow Storm in a Jar.

Snow Festival Day-5 Snowflake Bentley and Creating your own Snowflake Exhibit!

Snow Festival Day 6--A Snow Booklist.

Amazing Guests

During the summer months we had some A-List blogger stop by during our Discover Your World Summer Reading Extravaganza. Here are a few of our favorites:

A Chair for My Mother Book Review & Activity {Guest Post from Vicki Arnold}

A Peek into Thailand {Guest Post from Stephanie Kammeraad of Mama-Lady Books}

Discovering The Cree Culture in America-Wild Berries by Julia Flett Review & Activity! (Guest Post from Felicia at Stanley and Katrina)

Cooking with Books: Lucky Birthday Noodles {Guest Post by Jodie from Growing Book by Book}

Read A Book, Travel The World & Make A Wish {Guest Post from Gladys Elizabeth Barbieri}

Kid Writing and Biographies: Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson {Guest Post from The Unconventional Librarian}

Events and News

As everyone may know, I am one of the co-founders of Multicultural Children’s Book Day and our second (upcoming event) has gotten larger and more vibrant than we could have every dreamed! Even though our second event hasn’t occurred yet (1/27/15), our victories in regard to this important initiative still remain some of the top highlights of 2014 for me:

NEWS! Multicultural Children’s Book has is getting BIGGER and gaining momentum more and and more every day! With 9 CoHosts, 17 super Sponsors, over 125 bloggers, and countless authors and publishers donating multicultural children’s books, this wonderful event promises to be bigger and better than ever. Our ultimate goal is to shine the spotlight on multicultural children’s books and offer up resources for parents, caregivers, teachers and librarians to continue to help kids “see themselves” in the pages of a book.You can view our Author Blogroll Sponsor Page HERE, our Virtual Book Drive (through First Book) page HERE and please watch for (and re-tweet!) our event hashtag #ReadYourWorld.)

And…I had a baby! OK. not really. But it kind of felt like it when I “birthed” my newest book with the super creative (and always funny) Marilyn Scott-Waters. Audrey’s Press’ (my publishing house) newest book is A Year in the Secret Garden and I couldn’t be more proud of not only how beautiful it turned out, but how wonderfully book buyers have responded to this book that is inspired by the classic children’s take The Secret Garden.

MCCBD Co-Founder Mia Wenjen from PragmaticMom and myself are super excited to announce that, on February 14th 2015, we will be a co-host for International Book Giving Day! As we get closer to the event I’ll fill in the details.

I know I’ve missed of bunch of things and this list could go on FOREVER. 2014 was an amazing year for me and my team at Jump Into a Book and as always, I want to say “THANK YOU” from the bottom of my heart for your support and readership.

Here’s to an even more exciting 2015!

The post The “Best of ” Jump Into a Book’s Booklists (& More) for 2014! appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

As I sit as my laptop happily typing away and I can’t help reflecting on what a joyous holiday season it has been this year.  There have been so many positive strides and monumental victories this year for me, both personally and as a writer. The weeks leading up to Christmas have been particularly busy so I wanted to share some of my top picks with me readers.

BOOKS! Of course there would be favorite books in my line-up of favs! The Astrid Lindgren’s book The Tomten was inspired by this very famous Swedish poem called The Tomte by Victor Rydberg.  Originally in Swedish, I share it with you here in English so you can be inspired by these little gnome elves. Buzzfeed shared The 23 Best Picture Books Of 2014 and there were some dandies in their list. Readers not only LOVED this review I did of Christmas Wish, the hat craft was quite a hit as well

One of my favorite young authors/writers/bloggers/kidlit book reviewers has to be Erik from This Kid Reviews Books. Erik is not only an inspiration, he just turned 13! Happy Birthday, Erik!

Saturday marked Day One for my week-long Snow Festival here on Jump Into a Book! Snow Festival Day 1: The Blizzard by John Rocco

Enjoy reviews from my favorite winter/snow-themed kidlit along with some yummy activities

On December 21st, our non-profit event to raise awareness for multicultural books for kids was showcased in Publishers Weekly!!!

Next month, more than 100 bloggers affiliated with parenting, education, and children’s blogs will review a selection of diverse and multicultural books on their respective blogs. The reviews will be promoted and shared by Jump Into a Book and the day’s nine “powerhouse” co-[hosts] with more than two million followers total across social media: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Google+. The participating bloggers will also share reviews with their respective followers. There will be giveaways and children’s activities as well throughout the day.

This is the second year January 27 has been designated as MCCBD; it debuted on January 27, 2014. Read the rest of the article HERE.

Here’s to looking forward to a fun and book-filled New Year!

The post Weekend Links: Holiday Festive Books and Fun Milestones appeared first on Jump Into A Book.