Make Your Own Interactive Memory Book

This year, after visiting my nephew for three weeks, I left with him a 'memory book'. This book I have left blank spaces under each of our amazing things that we have done, for him to fill in the pictures. His drawing has improved so much over the year. He now makes representational shapes that really match the object he is drawing. He made an incredible Beluga Whale this summer that will now hang in my office. Hopefully over the days, until I see him next, he will make pictures that match the things that we did. Fortunately, I also snapped a few photos that I can bring and paste into the memory book as well. But why not make it interactive!

Hope you are enjoying your summer with the kids in your lives!

Reading Journeys

I have been reading the blog- La Bloga! This is a post about Rene Colato Lainez's new book for children. He is children book author writing about his life stories in Spanish and English. This is not his first book. He has many good ones to check out. In My Shoes is the story about how he came and traveled to the United States form El Salvador.

Julia Alvarez also has a story about families who travel between countries in order to provide for their families.

Julia explains why and how she got the idea and decided to write this story. We are an ever-connected world. We need to find ways to understand the lives of others to help us understand ourselves and how to make the world better for all. This novel pushes you to question and wonder and to challenge norms. I think I am going to give this book to AB for birthday in April!

Enjoy the read and rich conversations with the kids in your life!

Give a Poem and Say, "I Love You"

I love reading poetry! I love sharing poems with kids- all year long. I love giving the gift a poem. Yes just one, wrapped with a beautiful ribbon. One year I gave AB a poem that I had written for her birthday. She hanged it on her bulletin board above her desk. Just imagine snuggling up with your little person and reading, Honey I Love, By Eloise Greenfield. What a delicious moment to share! For my brother's wedding a read a poem, by Maya Angelou. I gave him and his wife that poem, in a frame. Mentor Mommy S and her family send cards once a year in December or January. They always include an inspirational quote instead of a holiday greeting. It feels so poetic- celebrating important words! Baby C's Nanas send a card with a poem. I remember one year they sent a Mary Oliver poem to everyone. What a gift!

I also love to read an anthology. Some many wonderful books with beautiful themes for kids. Maybe you want a theme about the Earth. I just got for my little fellow, The Tree That Built Time. It comes with CD so he can both read the book and listen to the poetry. It is truly a beautiful collection. You may want to just read an anthology by one author like Georgia Heard's amazing book, Creatures of Earth, Sea and Sky. What a love and reverence for nature these poems hold. Her poems will fill you with love! You may want an anthology that includes poems, songs, raps, and celebrates the spoken word- Hip Hop Speaks To Children is a beautiful one to share with those you love (it also includes a CD inside)

Make this a poetic year! Give a gift to your love ones and make it a poem. Celebrate the written word. Celebrate the spoken word. Celebrate poetry all year long!

Other great poets and poems for kids of different ages:
Angela Johnson: The Other Side
Janet Wong: A Suitcase of Seaweed, Night Garden
Naomi Shihab Nye: Honeybee, Salting the Ocean, 19 Varieties of A Gazelle, And an edited volume from poets from around the globe: This Same Sky
Nikki Giovanni: Spin a Soft Black Song, The Sun is So Quiet
Georgia Heard: This Place I know: Poems of Comfort, Songs of Myself
Eloise Greenfield:Nathaniel Talking, In the Land of Words, Friendly Four