Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina

This was a well written read by Meg Medina that is perfect for 4-5th graders. Younger readers might enjoy it as a read aloud, however the serious topic of Alzheimer's Disease will need to be touched upon. I enjoyed the character Merci very much. Merci is finding herself with new school challenges and learning how to cope with mean Edna, as she learns of something very serious happening with her grandfather.Understanding her role in the family is something she struggles with and is very relateable.  She has spunk very similar to Ramona Quimby and loves her family dearly. Medina is a very skilled children's author who is descriptive in her word choice and entertaining at best.

Your Tween or Teen Doesn't Like to Read?

Hello parents and friends,
Lately I have been hearing from several patrons that their child just isn't interested in reading. This is hard for me to hear, especially since as a young girl, I often had my nose in a book. Sometimes it was a book, I was not supposed to be reading. My older sister Jacque often had a Harlequinn romance novel or the title, "Elvis and Me," on her nightstand and the ever curious child, I would take a look.
My mom never discouraged this completely, she would just say... "You're too young to read that book." Parents, you can make the judgement call on this, but be aware... wouldn't you rather have then see it in a book then actual live it or watch it on television?
Here are a few tips for those of you with teens/tweens who do not like to read:

1. Ask your child what movies they like and select a book similar to this movie. You can also select the movie adaptation of a book they are wanting to see.

2. Have the child choose their own books. Pick four or five books that you know are their reading level and let them have at it. Insisting that they must choose one.

3. Take your child to a local bookstore. Make a day of it! Barnes and Noble and other small chain bookstores often have a small cafe inside. Snack on a cookie or sip on a fresh lemonade while browsing for books.

4. Ask your friendly librarian!

5. Comment on this post for some suggestions.

Here are some of my favorites for reluctant readers of all ages: 

1. Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick; Grades 4-7

2. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous; Grades 9-12 * Parental advisement on this one for content! 

3. I, Funny by Patterson; Grades 4-8th

4. If I Were You by Leslie Margolis; Grades 5-6th.

5. And of course the tried and true, Captain Underpants, Rainbow Magic Fairies, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
COMMENT BELOW FOR IDEAS AND THOUGHTS!

St. Patrick's Day School Age Craft and Storytime

Top of the mornin' to ya! We are gearing up for St. Patty's Day early and I have a fun easy craft for you to host with children ages 4 and up. Read stories such as:
The Story of the Leprechaun by Katherine Tegen
The Gingerbread Man and the Leprechaun Loose at School by Laura Murray

You can create a fun cut out leprechaun as well.
For this craft aka art activity, I found a leprechaun template online, pasted him to green cardstock and will be adding small strips to the bottom with crepe paper in various colors: red, blue, green, yellow to create a windsock effect with tape attached to the back of the leprechaun.
* You can find the template here:
https://www.turrtle.com/leprechaun-template-printable/

I also found a template on Pinterest, "What's Your Leprechaun Name?" 
You can ask kids to take a look at the first letter of their name and birth month, according to the chart to create their leprechaun name. My name happens to be Ruxbin O'Wee!



Enjoy and comment below if you have questions
#stpattysday #leprechauncrafts #LauraMurray #KatherineTeganbooks #StPatricksdaycrafts

What am I reading this March and why you should care?

March is here, can you believe it? The weather is still cold and rainy, so what a perfect time to head to your local bookstore with a coffee and shop for books. Or.... perhaps you would prefer sitting at home, curled up with books you borrowed for free at the library. Well here are a few fun titles to try this month whatever your  preference may be.:

Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Award Winning Author Meg Medina for tweens
The audio book is great by the way! 

Past Perfect by editor queen Leila Sales for grades 8-12

29 Dates by Award Winning Teen Author Melissa de la Cruz for older teens

Why should you care? Comment on this post, subscribe to my blog, and you will be entered into a contest to receive a free book!