Every week as I prepare to write my blog, I’m reminded HOW WONDERFUL children’s books ARE~…. I would love to convince one and all that if you are having a blah day, give yourself 30 min. to drop by a library and read a few children’s picture books. I guarantee you will find yourself smiling after a few minutes interacting with a picture book. 

But onto this week’s BEELOVED Book of the week~

With the cooler weather back, Bashful Book Bee wonders if we will have any more snow in our area this year. I love snow and love cold weather… Thinking of cold weather made me think of SNOW books.  When reviewing several snow books I discovered the sweetest series…Snowmen… by Caralyn Buehner with her husband Mark’s illustrations, she has created a series of books around a young boy’s imaginary tales of his friendship with his snowman.  The stories are all rhyming tales, but the fun added bonus for young readers is that the illustrator has hidden pictures in each page of the books.  The words are simple, yet creative.  Teachers will be able to use the stories to incorporate the math and science of weather. 

Caralyn Buehner’s Snowmen…

• Snowmen at Night
• Snowmen at Christmas
• Snowmen at Work
• Snowmen all Year

Random Pay it Forward Acts of Kindness

This week Bashful Book Bee has found another great book encouraging “paying it forward.” As we start the New Year it is always a time of reflection and new beginnings.  I loved throughout the holidays seeing all the posts and reports of “random acts of kindness.”  My faith in fellow man is always lifted when I see people doing good deeds for strangers.  This Week’s book spreads that message…

 

Bashful Book Bee’s “BEELOVED” book of the week is

 

“Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed” by Emily Pearson.

This is a book of inspiration.  Mary is just a normal little girl that does a good deed.  The person she gives the good deed of kindness to decides to share with 5 more people.  Each person receiving a good deed gift then passes it on to 5 people who pass it on to 5 more people, and so on and so on.  The added lesson of the book is at the end when the book shows how the math adds up quickly and you begin to multiply the deeds by 5.  Teachers and parents alike will share great lessons with children when sharing this book.

Bashful found 3 other books with great stories to share this week.

·         Icky Little Duckling by Steve Smallman… great story of how sharing love always makes you happier.

·         If you were a Panda Bear by Wendell and Florence Minor…a precious rhyming book educating young readers in some interesting facts of 8 different species of bears.  The back of the book gives educators additional facts to use for teaching.

·         Roly Ply Pangolin by Anna Dewdney….sweet story to encourage shy students to reach out to friends.

For more information and comments, please email us at bashfulbookbee@gmail.com Remember when teachers order, they receive 15% off cover price.

Bashful Book Bee "BEELIEVE'S" in sharing the love of books and reading with everyone. But her primary goal is to introduce books to children, teachers, educators, parents and grandparents.

 

The Classics are best

This week Bashful Book Bee is remembering 2013, but excited for the good things of 2014.  In a reminiscent mood, I want to share “Classics” with my readers.  I’ve been known to say “there is too much to read, and too little time.” Yet I think even though there are MORE children’s books being published now than ever, I think we can’t forget some classic stories great for children.  In my experience we must use caution with students who are reading above grade level.  Today’s authors often write events that pertain to today’s lifestyles and pushing the limits of challenges to entice young readers. However, coming from a conservative community, many of my peers would not want their young 2^nd and 3^rd graders to read some of the content in 5^th grade and up reading level books.  Classics are usually content safe.  Classics come from days gone by when we kept our youth as innocent as possible. Today’s children are exposed to so much more due to today’s media sources… television, movies, and books.  So Bashful Book Bee hopes you will use this list to help your children pick some great classics.  I have also included Accelerated Reading levels to help you know which books are right for your children.  Happy 2014 ReadingJ.

This Week’s Bashful Book Bee’s Book of the week is…

                                                       

“A Wrinkle in Time” by Madeleine L’Engle.  “A Wrinkle in Time” to me will be a book that children of today will love, even though it was published in 1962.  It has all the magic and mystery of today’s novels, yet unbeknownst to children also has biblical analogies.  Parents cannot go wrong with letting their children read this great book!

Its reading level is 4.7.

This week I consulted some friends who are avid book lovers, and great and picking great children's books too…. This week’s list was compiled from their suggestions~

• ·         Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe series by C.S. Lewis reading level 5.7
• ·         Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers reading level 6.1
• ·         Wind in the willows by Kenneth Grahame reading level 8.2
• ·         Box Car Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner reading level 3.9
• ·         Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George reading level 5.8
• ·         Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin reading level 1.6
• ·         Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson reading level 3.2
• ·         Minnie and Moo series by Denys Cazet reading levels 2.0 +

For more information and comments, please email us at bashfulbookbee@gmail.com Remember when teachers order, they receive 15% off cover price.

Bashful Book Bee "BEELIEVE'S" in sharing the love of books and reading with everyone. But her primary goal is to introduce books to children, teachers, educators, parents and grandparents.

Christmas

This week Bashful Book Bee is celebrating Christmas!  In today’s  society and politics we have begun to have challenges to the name of Christmas.  Now I am a simple person, I never claimed to be a rocket scientist… but I like to think of myself as an older “child”… and you know the saying Out of the mouth’s of babe’s come words of wisdom… well this babe’ doesn’t understand the challenges…. The name of the holiday is Christmas….Merriam-Webster’s dictionary says:Christmas is a Christian holiday that is celebrated on December 25 in honor of the birth of Jesus Christ or the period of time that comes before and after this holiday.  Wikipedia defines it as Christmas (Old English: Crīstesmæsse, meaning "Christ's Mass") is an annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ and a widely observed cultural holiday, celebrated generally on December 25.  Now those are two non-religious sources definitions.  So my confusion is why would we want to no longer call the holiday Christmas, if it’s whole meaning is associated with that WORD.  Are we going to change the name of Kwanza, Hanukkah, Cinco de Mayo, or Ramadan…. Well no of course not…. The names of the holidays are the definition of what it is. So with that said, if you don’t want to celebrate Christmas, that is your choice. But changing the name will not change the holiday!

With Christmas on my mind, Bashful Book’s Bee’s Book of the week is the Gospel of Luke’s account Of the original Christmas story: Luke 2:9-14

"An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Other accounts from other books of the Bible

·         Matthew 1:20-25

o   20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us."24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

·         Isaiah 9:6-7

o   6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

Our prayer for you this season, is to have a Merry Christmas!

For more information and comments, please email us at bashfulbookbee@gmail.com Remember when teachers order from Peppermint Pig  they receive 15% off cover price.

Bashful Book Bee "BEELIEVE'S" in sharing the love of books and reading with everyone. 

But her primary goal is to introduce books to children, teachers, educators, parents and grandparents.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

Twas the Night Before Christmas is on Bashful Book Bee’s bloggy brain…. To be more specific, A Christmas Classic is on my mind this week.  After a little research I discovered Clement C. Moore’s famous poem was written in the early 1800’s, around 1822, as a poem for his children.  A family friend in Dec. of 1823, submitted the poem to the editor of the Troy Sentienel (New York) where it was first published.  The title however, was “A visit from St. Nicholas”.  She didn’t submit Mr. Moore’s name as the author of the poem, because he never intended it to be published.  So, it was not until 1844 that Mr. Moore himself acknowledged the poem.  It was at the request of his children that he finally published the poem in a volume of his poetry entitled “Poems”.  Nearly 200 years later many would claim that Mr. Moore’s poem, now known as “The Night Before Christmas”, is still the most published, most-read,

 most-memorized and most-collected Christmas book of all~ 

Bashful Book Bee has a definite favorite copy, that being…

Mary Engelbreit’s illustrated  2002 version.

However, many many books have taken Mr. Moore’s pattern and set about creating new and different tales.  From Librarians, to Texans, to Dinosaurs…one and all have

excited anticipation on Christmas Eve.  I hope you and your children, will find lots of time by the fire place, or even the space heater (as we hillbilly’s do) to have some cuddle time to read together.

• ·         Librarians Night before Christmas by David Davis
• ·         Texas Night Before Christmas by James Rice
• ·         Dinosaurs Night Before Christmas by Anne Muecke
• ·         Texas Night Before Christmas by E.J. Sullivan
• ·         Night Before Christmas in Texas That Is by Leon A.Harris
• ·         Dinosaurs Night Before Christmas by Jim Harris

I’ve never been a History buff… but with the research I’m doing for this blog, I’m finding some bits of History I loveJ… Happy Reading…

For more information and comments, please email us at bashfulbookbee@gmail.com Remember when teachers order, they receive 15% off cover price when ordering from Peppermint Pig. 

Bashful Book Bee "BEELIEVE'S" in sharing the love of books and reading with everyone. But her primary goal is to introduce books to children, teachers, educators, parents and grandparents.

School Closing

BashfulBook Bee hopes everyone uses this cold weather as time to stay in the house and Read!!!!

Christmas Gift Time

Christmas Time is in the air.  If you are around children, their excitement is contagious.  God surely knew when he gave us the Christ child, that CHILDREN would love the holiday.  I am excited to see more children knowing the True meaning of Christmas.  The birth of our savior is exciting.  And while the gift giving sometimes gets out of hand, I think the Wisemen gave us a great example to give Him gifts.  I believe it is because of love within us, that gift giving then must extend to our giving gifts to others we love as well…of course~  This Bashful Book Bee, loves giving gifts.... and most of the time they are books, of course, ~ 

My number one gift book for children is one of my all-time favorite books.

                         The Velveteen Rabbit  by Margery Williams was written in 1922.   

However, this classic tale still will be loved by all…from young children to adults.  The sweet little story is of a young stuffed rabbit given to a young boy at Christmas. While the story is primarily of the loving relationship the boy develops with his toy, the toy also meets many new animals  in the nursery.  These new acquaintances give the young rabbit the brutal truth that "he" is not "real".  The toy rabbit's greatest desire is to become real. However, through the sincere love the rabbit has for the boy, he learns the awesome lesson of selfless love, which proves to be the magic of being truly REAL.

Bashful Book Bee’s other great Christmas book recommendations:

• ·         The Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and The Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood.  Every child that Bashful has given this book to, reports it is STILL their favorite book~
• ·         A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
• ·         The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

Each of these books will bring smiles and warm fuzzy feelings to all of their readers.

Bashful Book Bee "BEELIEVE'S" in sharing the love of books and reading with everyone. But her primary goal is to introduce books to children, teachers, educators, parents, and grandparents.