Today we’re on a quest for the Spirit Bear with twins Gannon and Wyatt in the Great Bear Rainforest up in Alaska.
Have you ever imagined traveling the world ? Not only have we imagined it, we’ve done it. Can you imagine how happy we were to discover this wonderful book series Travels with Gannon & Wyatt by Patti Wheeler and Keith Hemstreet about twin brothers Gannon and Wyatt who tour the world with their flight attendant mom and their international businessman father.
In Great Bear Rainforest we go in search of the mythical spirit bear. Surviving in the unforgiving wilderness of British Columbia Canada can prove more challenging than both Gannon and Wyatt could ever have imagined. When members of the expedition go missing, the brother bravely set out on a search and rescue mission. Soon the find themselves lost in a forest teeming with grizzly bears, wolves, and mysterious gunmen. Guided by a very wise and smart Native American teen, Gannon and Wyatt uncover a sinister plot and must risk everything to save those who are missing and restore balance to the Great Bear Rainforest.
This book is well written and gave us insights to a region of the world we don’t know at all. The storyline was exciting and captivating. I greatly appreciate the layout of the book as it lends well to young advanced readers such as 8 year-olds with a middle school reading level.
The story also deals with real life conservation issues being done to preserve bears, salmon and the whole region from oil pipelines going thru this pristine and vast wilderness.
Written in the tradition and style of historic journals kept by explorers such as Lewis and Clark, Dr. David Livingstone, and Captain James Cook, Travels with Gannon & Wyatt holds great moments of adventure as well as beautiful photographs, maps, and nuances to keep it interesting. Other books in the series are Egypt, Greenland, Iceland, Tanzania, Ireland, The American West and Botswana. Filled with fun and adventure we love this series and are so glad to have discovered it.
Something To Do
This adventure planted seeds of inspiration to discover more about the Great Bear Rainforest. Let’s go exploring and see what we can discover.
Where is the Great Bear Rainforest?
The Great Bear Rainforest is a remote region of temperate rain forest in Canada, on the British Columbia Coast between Vancouver Island and Southeast Alaska.The Great Bear Rainforest is one of the largest remaining tracts of unspoiled temperate rainforest left in the world.
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Great Bear Rainforest Wildlife
The Great Bear Rainforest is home to some very impressive wildlife both on land and in the sea.The area is home to species such as cougars, wolves, salmon, grizzly bears, and the Kermode (“spirit”) bear, a unique subspecies of the black bear, in which one in ten cubs displays a recessive white colored coat.
Kermode or The Spirit Bear
Spirit bears are rare black bears with white or creamy fur, brown eyes, dark nose pads, and nearly white claws. They are not polar bears or albinos. Less than a thousand exist.
Legend of the Spirit Bear
“For many years, the Spirit Bear was considered a legend of the Gitg’at and Kitasoo Native Peoples. Their legends told of a time when the glaciers finally receded, and it was Raven who made everything green. Raven also decided to make one in ten black bears white, to remind him of the time when the world was white with snow and ice. Raven decided to set aside a special area of the world for these bears – now known as the Great Bear Rainforest. It was a remote paradise where the bears were to live in peace forever.” David Burrell
More facts about the Kermode Bear:
- Average litter size is 2, although 1 to 3 cubs is possible. Newborn cubs weigh up to a pound.
- Lifespan: 20 to 25 years in the wild.
- Weight: about 250 to 300 pounds for males. Females weigh about 125 to 175 pounds. Length is approximately 5 to 6 feet.
- The population of the Kermode bear is estimated to be under 1300.
- Due to the remote and unspoiled territories that these bears live in, they are neither accustomed nor fearful of man.
- The major threat to this species is loss of pristine habitat from ongoing logging operations. Global warming is a long term threat that alters their balanced ecosystem. Reduction of salmon supplies by man made activities (e.g.: over fishing, pollution, etc.) also threaten the Kermode spirit bear.
More about the Gitga’att Tribe
In Travels with Gannon and Wyatt Great Bear Rainforest, we are introduced to the Native American Gitga’tt Tribe. A teenage girl named Alu helps the boys on their long journey to find their parents.
History: The ancestors of the present Gitga’at people lived at their ancestral home Laxgal’tsap (Old Town) in Kitkiata Inlet, on the northwest side of the Douglas Channel.
Society: The Gitga’at are members of the Tsimshian cultural group which is a matrilineal society. Clans affiliation, crests, names, and resource gathering areas are inherited from the mother’s side of the family.
Resource Use: Each House Group had specific territories for harvesting resources. As well, they share communal gathering places such as salmon rivers at Lax Galtsap (Old Town) and seaweed sources near Kiel, the spring camp.
Language: The Gitga’at originally spoke Sguuks or Sguumxs (Southern Tsimshian), but adopted the more widely spoken Sm’algyax (Coast Tsimshian).
Governance: Gitga’at society is sophisticated and complex, with intricate rules and norms that guide social relations, governance and economic activity.
Let’s Learn A Little Gitga’tt
Gannon and Wyatt share a little Giga’tt in their book Great Bear Rainforest. Why don’t you give it a try ?
Here are some common phrases from Great Bear Rainforest.
How are you ? Nada will wall ?
I am Fine. Aam wila waalu.
What is your name? Nay di wan?
My name is… di away…
Where are you from ? Nadir di will waiting?
Thank you, sir/madam Tooyxsut nuun
I’m hungry Kwdiinu
I’m thirsty Luguungwaga’nu
I like Anoogi
I don’t like Akadi anoint/anoogu
I want Hasagu
I do not want Akadi hasagu
Where is….Ndaayut?
Let’s Meet Gannon & Wyatt
I’ve saved the best for last. Let’s actually meet Gannon & Wyatt in the Great Bear Rainforest. They share their actual adventures from their book in their own voices. Plus we get to meet singing whales, spirit bears, eagles and many more wonderful special moments. It’s really fun and the views are simply stunning.
Happy Reading and I hope you enjoyed our adventure today.
If you are in the mood for another and inactive story, check out the enhanced digital eBook for kids, The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and The Chocolate Factory!
The Ultimate Guide To Charlie And The Chocolate Factory is a step by step roadmap to this magical world. Just some of the fun includes:
- A story filled with beautiful graphic illustrations including tantalizing Treasure Maps and vibrant tutorials.
- Over 20 Crafts and activities that not only entertain, but educate.
- You get to jump inside the book and enjoy creating the adventures yourself (Templates, maps, and more are included.)
- Ever wonder where chocolate comes from? Or how gum is made? Wonder no more. Now you get to make your own.
- Conduct activities in the areas of crafting, cooking, and game-playing as well as exploring many facets of candy production.
- The option to take Charlie’s journey over the course of several days or take shorter journeys if you wish.
- The creation of a new ritual of reading time with your family and the opportunity to experience the reading of this imaginative tale as a group activity, not a solitary event.
Go HERE to learn more and grab your copy from iBooks!
The post Let’s Take an Adventure into the Great Bear Rainforest appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
Roald Dahl Day was 9/13…but we are still partying over here at JIAB!
In honor of Mr. Dahl and the Giveaway I am offering (ends today! See details below) I thought I’d give your family some ideas for chocolate-y fun pulled right from the pages of my The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and The Chocolate Factory interactive ebook for kids with our Chocolate River Covered Pretzels. Enjoy
Ingredients
- 24 pretzel rods
- 12 oz. of semi-sweet chocolate chips
- An assortment of your favorite sprinkles
- 1 tbsp. shortening
Cooking Utensils
- waxed paper
- Non-metal spatula or spoon
- Double boiler, or a pot and a non-reactive heat-proof bowl.
Step 1: Tempering Chocolate
Set a long piece of waxed paper on your work surface. (if it slides too much, place a damp paper towel or dish towel beneath it.)
Place the chocolate chips and the shortening in a double boiler or in a non-reactive bowl set on top of a pot containing an inch or so of simmering water. It’s very important to make sure the double boiler insert or bowl does not touch the water. Stir the chips and shortening until completely melted and well blended.
Note: Some people may prefer to melt chocolate in a microwave but it is much more difficult to evenly control the heat. Remember, tempering is about heating chocolate very slowly. In a microwave, the chocolate may get too hot in spots and turn into a big clump of unmanageable goo. If you decide to use a microwave, stir the chocolate every 20 seconds or so to more evenly distribute the heat.
Step 2: Dipping the Pretzels
- Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. If you don’t have a cookie sheet, just place a sheet of waxed paper on your work surface.
- Take a pretzel rod and hold it by one end.
- Starting at the top of the chocolate River, roll the pretzel down toward the bottom. Repeat until the pretzel rod is well-coated.
- Place the coated pretzel on the waxed paper to cool.
- Continue with the remaining pretzel rods.
- shake your favorite sprinkles all over them quickly before they dry or they won’t stick.
I am also offering a super-duper deal on the PDFversion of The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and that deal ends TODAY. Get the fun and activity packed PDF version of this book for only $7.95
BUY NOW
**This book is not affiliated or associated with the author, publisher, or distributors of Roald Dahl’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
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Happy Roald Dahl day!
Roald Dahl Day takes place every September 13th, the celebrated birthday of one of the world’s favorite storytellers. There are celebrations happening all over the world and Jump into a Book is no different. To get started go have a look at some of these fun activities to not only prepare for your party but have fun jumping into some of the most well known books of all time.
As you may already know, Mr. Roald Dahl holds a special place in my heart. You also know that my award-winning enhanced digital e-book The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory got it’s started as a thought….an idea, from a note by Willy Wonka inside an old book at the yard sale.
From there the adventure began into one of our all time favorite books, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” Chapter by chapter we explored the world of Willy Wonka.
What We Encountered Along The Way
- We won our own golden tickets by sheer wit.
- We entered into the jungle to learn how chocolate and gum were made and even got to make some of our very own.
- We met Oompa Loompas and even had a wardrobe exchange. We’ve never truly been right since then as they have very short legs.
- We learned the true secrets of gobstoppers. We’d tell you but our mouths are full.
- Willy Wonka’s factory is a masterwork of mazes. We had to utilize our skill at them to work our way through this enchanting chocolate factory, including but not limited to the ever famous scissor maze where we walked clean through a piece of paper. Of course we haven’t kept that info to ourselves but have happily shared it with all of you.
All of these adventures we’ve taken together and now you can too. Although The Ultimate Guide to Charlie is a beautifully illustrated interactive e-book, the entertainment comes from doing the crafts, recipes, and games once the book is shut. It’s good old fun ,21st century style. We loved creating a balance between the virtual world and the actual world. Magic comes from our inspirations and imagination. The Ultimate Guide to Charlie will lend itself to hours of fun again and again. Check out the Ultimate Charlie website for extended details of crafts and activities.
It’s been over a year since our “Charlie” hit the virtual shelves of the iTunes iBookstore and what fun adventure it’s been! We have much to celebrate:
- We’ve seen “Charlie” top the charts to #1 on the iTunes iBookstore no less than 7 times in the months of November/December.
- We won the coveted QED award for innovative design.
- We won a Bronze medal in the E-Lit Book Awards.
AND now…announcing a very crazy, exciting, “Wonkalicious” deal!
AND The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is on sale at the App Store for $3.99!!!
AND…For non-iPad/iPhone/iPod users, get the PDF version for $7.95 HERE.
WIN ONE!
Here’s your chance to WIN a PDF copy of The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and The Chocolate Factory!! We will be giving away one copy to one lucky winner. Contest runs from September 13 until Midnight on September 15th. Must be 18 years old or older to enter.
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We’ve honored Roald Dahl by jumping into some of his many books too. Here’s a few:
“This is not a fairy tale. This is about real witches.” -The Witches by Roald Dahl
“We is in Dream Country.” the BFG said. “This is where all dreams is beginning.”
Roald Dahl had amazing wit and wisdom and some of his quotes are among the most frequently shared on the Internet. Here are a few of my personal favorites {Please feel free to Pin to Pinterest!}
**The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and The Chocolate Factory book is not affiliated or associated with the author, publisher, or distributors of Roald Dahl’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
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This year marks the 50th anniversary of the beloved Roald Dahl book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Like most families reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, we were mesmerized and enchanted by the adventure into Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.
As my family closed the book for the third time on Charlie and Willy, as they’ve become known here, a litany of questions followed.
“Mom, can we please jump into Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?” This brought about a bit of a problem for me as “Charlie” was one of those “untouchable” books. A book so captivating that it’s better to let it rest in the mind and imagination instead of disappointing by not meeting up to the “enchantment” standards.
“Mom do you think a place like Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory could really exist ? Is it possible or is it just too made up to even be realistic?”
It was the answer to that question which sent me down a path, not unlike the yellow brick road, with Willy Wonka in hand to create an enhanced e-book adventure of Wonka size proportions.
Little did I know that on the journey into opening up the magical world of Willy Wonka that we would need to find our own golden tickets, no admittance allowed without one is what the sign said. That we would venture into South American jungles to discover where chocolate comes from and how gum is made. Soon we would taste the banks of the chocolate river and learn the secrets to making delectable Swudge, the minty grass which grows on the banks of the Chocolate River.
As we raced a pack of clothes changing Oompah Loompah’s down the croquet lawn, we can absolutely verify that they exist. I can also attest that hot chocolate definitely tastes better churned by waterfall.
Oompah Loompah’s are great game players. While the rest of the world is trying to let their gobstopper’s last forever, Oompah Loompah’s never put their gobstoppers in their mouths. Instead they play a series of games which occupy their “off” hours. My family and friends play these games often and prefer to save their gobstoppers forever so that we can eternally play our favorite games.
One cannot explore Willy Wonka’s incredible factory without knowing a thing or two about mazes to keep ones bearings. Again gobstoppers came to our rescue with a clever shoe box maze game, as well as learning how to walk through a piece of paper by cutting a scissor maze. Like Charlie we found ourselves stopping in the Fizzy Lifting drink room and gave our hand at making a few of our own fizzy concoctions and of course burping incredibly loud. We wouldn’t want finger prints on the ceilings would we?
We are the creators of magical moments, magnificent candy, fun and nonsense, fizzy drinks, makers of Swudge, maneuverers of mazes, tower builders, but mostly adventurers at heart. To grab your copy of The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory enhanced digital e-book for kids, go to iTunes or to our Ultimate Charlie site to learn more about the making of this memorable adventure!
Tweet: Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places- Roald Dahl
The post 50 Years of Charlie: A Celebration of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
The official Read an E-Book Week may be almost over, but we are taking advantage of the month-long version to celebrate the beauty and benefits of today’s children’s e-books. First, a bit about this unique event:
First conceived by author Rita Toews more than nine years ago as a response to the stagnant acceptance of electronic reading, Read An E-Book Week has slowly built a strong international following among digitally published authors and readers alike. This year’s event, which began March 3th and carried through to March 8th, brought authors from eleven countries together for a week of e-reading. Many organizations continue to celebrate this event all month long with e-book reading events and activities.
Read an E-Book Week works to educate and inform the public about the pleasures and advantages of reading electronically. Authors, publishers, vendors, the media and readers world-wide join in the effort to spread the love of e-books with families everywhere. Read more about the history of this event and the history of e-books HERE.
FREE eBOOK: Everyone loves a freebie and our friends at OceanHouse Media are offering a bunch of children’s e-books for free during this March event. Our top pick is The Berenstain Bears and The Golden Rule. Grab your copy HERE.
Then of course we have to mention our own top picks from the Audrey Press line-up! Our best-selling e-books for kids include:
The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Ever wanted to explore a chocolate river or create gobstopper gum? The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a front row seat to a delightfully illustrated and fabulously written children’s digital e-book.
This year will mark the 5th “fox spring” at the Budayr home. Read how it all began with this sweet family of foxes. The Fox Diaries: The Year The Foxes Came to Our Garden is available in e-book form for the Nook.
How are you celebrating Read an eBook Month?
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