Friend-A-Palooza!

I am SO excited for our first ever Friend-A-Palooza! 

THIS Monday we are having a Friend-A-Palooza! It's an all-day, no-pressure, come-n-go private Fb event to learn more about the business of Usborne Books & More! We'll share all about the sisterhood, what we get to do, places we get to go, what we can make & so much more! There will be LOTS of GIVEAWAYS! If you are a book lover and/or would love to learn more about working for a children's publishing company, let me know and I will put you on my invite list! Also send me a friend request on Facebook (April Starkey) (if we're not already friends) because it's a private event! SOO excited! 

4th Annual Summer Reading Club!

GET READY!!!!

Are you excited? You should be because my 4th Annual Summer Reading Club is going to start soon! Watch my business page and join my VIP group page for more details!

It's FREE!

6 weeks long!

Your child can earn FREE books!

FREE books are also donated to local children in the foster care system!

You can do it along with other Summer Reading programs!

Reading can change a child's life!

"Reading activates and exercises the mind. Reading forces 

the mind to discriminate. From the beginning, readers have

to recognize letters printed on the page, make them into 

words, the words into sentences, and the sentences into

concepts. Reading pushes us to use our imagination and 

makes us more creatively inclined. - Ben Carson



Did you know as a child, Dr. Ben Carson's mother, who 

could not read herself, had her boys read two books a week

and give a book report on them, to her? Through the years

Ben said he grew to love books because no matter his life 

situation, books took him to whole other worlds and helped

him explore and learn so much more than he ever could  have

without them. He went on to be the leading Neurosurgeon in 

the world and now is running for President of the United 

States of America. That is HOW MUCH reading can have an

impact on your children's lives!

Why Reading Aloud to your children is so important (with tips to help it be fun)

 THIS is why reading aloud to your children is so VITAL! 

So now that we see just a few of the many amazing reasons why it's so important to read aloud to our children, how about some tips for helping making it a successful time and a fun one too!

Always stop for the day at an intense part – you want your children to beg for more. Don’t feel like you have to stop at the end of a chapter. (This is great for children old enough where you are reading chapter books with them)

Always allow busy ones to do something with their hands – I allow the younger ones to color or play quietly with a small toy on the floor.

Always bring your book on errands – I can’t tell you how much we have enjoyed a book while in waiting rooms or simply at a park on a beautiful day.

Always enhance the book with a project or field trip – we have often made ethnic meals, visited a location, or just looked online (pinterest) for crafts or other ideas to do along with the book!

- Begin reading to your children as soon as possible! 

- Read books with rhymes and songs to stimulate language and listening. Begin with simple black-and-white illustrations at first with babies, and then boldly colored picture books to arouse children’s curiosity and visual sense.

-Repetition, Rhyming, Predictable are all great things to look for in books for the younger years when reading aloud. 

- Remember the art of listening is an acquired one, it doesn't happen overnight. It takes time and must be taught and gradually acquired!

-Invite the child to turn the pages for you.

-Keep them engaged by occasionally asking questions like "What's going to happen next?"

-Keep a basket of books in the restroom, by the breakfast table, in their room and in the living room! The more accessible, the more they will want to read!

- Lead by example! Make sure your children see you reading for pleasure as well.

-Get the father's involved! A father's early involvement with books and reading can do so much to elevate the importance of them to their children!

-Don't just read at night before bed (although if that's the only time you can fit it in, please at least do that), find another time during the morning, day or evening and read 10-15 minutes and make a tradition mid day activity! 

JUST 15 MINUTES OF READING A DAY CAN HAVE A TREMENDOUS IMPACT ON YOUR CHILD'S LIFE!

Ok now that we've read about the importance and learned some tips on reading aloud....here are some of our favorite read alouds. I will start from baby and work up from there. 

1. Baby's Very First Black and White book set! I LOVE this set. It's very durable and comes with four precious little books perfect for baby hands to hold and grasp and even bite! The pictures are amazing, vibrant and bold thick black and white lines making it easier for baby to see and learn! Click here to buy!

2. That's Not My Owl, is one of over 30 in our That's Not My touchy feely series! My boys are obsessed with these books and I am fine with that! They teach so much with the simple text, mouse on each page they have to find and the tactile on each page that they can feel and associate with the word they are reading and realize that the word "bumpy" is what that texture feels like! We have many gender neutral, boy and girl ones! Click here to buy!

3. Dan the Taxi Man! Oh this is a family favorite for sure. Isaac even asked Daddy to read it in his preschool class on Daddy's Day! His preschool teacher really liked it so we got it for her as a gift as well! It's a sing song, rhyming and repetitive book so it's just the perfect read aloud book to keep your children engaged. I have the whole book memorized because of how much fun it is. The children and I LOVE to do instrument motions and sounds with our hands and voices as we read along! Click here to buy!

"Here's Dan BEEP BEEP, the taxi man, going to the show and picking up the band. Climb inside while you still can with Dan BEEP BEEP the taxi man. STOP! Here's come Maureen with her tambourine! Shake a Shake crash ...shake a shake crash!" ...(and the story just keeps getting better)

4. A Tale of Two Beasts!

This is a BRAND NEW title and we are loving it! Since we got it in about 3 weeks ago, Isaac has asked to read it everyday almost! It's really fun, has great illustrations and has a twist that most stories do not tell! This book has a part 1 and a part 2 and each part shares a different side of the story! The first part is from the girls perspective and the 2 part is from the little critters perspective! Click here to buy!

5. Big Book of Little Stories! This is one of my son's favorites because of all the stories in it and the amazing illustrations! He will ask for the same stories over and over again from this one! I have to say this is one of my favorites as well because its a good mixture of classic and new stories and the illustrations are so awesome! There are 15 different stories in this combined volume and it comes with a ribbon bookmark to keep your place! Click here to buy!

 

6. Bear's Don't Read! 

Or do they? :) Once upon a time, there was a large brown bear who found a book lying under a tree… This exquisite new picture book from renowned creator, Emma Chichester Clark, is a magical story of friendship to power the imagination and encourage children (and bears!) towards a lifelong love of reading! This is the 2nd BRAND NEW title that Isaac has requested almost every night since we got it a few weeks ago! He loves it and so do I! 

7. This next set of books are our Illustrated story books! We have MANY of them but I will just briefly share about a few of them! Illustrated Stories for Children, Illustrated Stories for Boys and Illustrated Stories for Girls! These books are beautiful, plush covers, ribbon bookmarks and have MANY stories inside each of them! Perfect books to sit around together as a family and read! Click here to buy!

After this age there are some more Illustrated stories that are less pictures and more words and then after that I recommend start reading chapter books with your children! No matter their age, read a chapter book with them! If you decide to let them only read by themselves once they learn how to read, it will become homework to them and they will lose interest in it. So now matter how old your children are, take time and read with them! Middle and High schoolers, just pick different chapter books to read out loud together as a family activity and also each of you take turns reading to the younger kids in the home! Here is a link to our amazing chapter books and if you need help picking out a particular one please let me know! 

Elementary Fiction

Middle & High school fiction

It's the month of LOVE...help your kids fall in LOVE with books!

Love notes, red roses, chocolates and candlelit dinners. It must be February – the month of love. Many people think of Valentine’s Day as a day to celebrate the romance between two people. But, did you know there are several theories on how the holiday originated, and few of them have much to do with romance?

Isn’t it funny how traditions transform over time, simply because people decide to do things differently? What if we continued that same transformation with Valentine’s Day, and redefined the kind of love it represents to include love for activities we enjoy, and which make us whole, like reading?

This Valentine’s Day, help a child fall in love and develop a relationship with reading. Instead of chocolates and flowers, take them on an adventure or introduce them to a new character by giving a book. Let your heart flutter as you share a story and quality time with your little love. It could be your family’s new Valentine’s Day tradition!

Usborne Books & More are MADE to where your kids will want to DEVOUR them! From LOTS of pictures and words spread throughout in bite size chunks to not overwhelm them, to our amazing sticker, activity and wipe clean books that make learning fun to our Internet linked books that allow them to follow safe links online that might help them create a Viking ship adventure or tour the pyramids. Once you look at an Usborne book you will know why everyone else who has Usborne books are in LOVE with them and want them all for their children! Peter Usborne really knew what he was doing when he started Usborne Books 40 years ago! Want to earn some FREE books for your family? Email or message me today to find out our current hostess incentives for Facebook and Home parties! :) aprilcstarkey@gmail.com 

Here is a fun PRINTABLE you can print off and color with your children, it's from one of our activity books! 

 Click here to download FULL size printable!

Roses are red, violets are blue, February hostesses get pampered, would you like that too?

February, the month of LOVE! I have decided in honor of Valentine's Day, to give a special present from myself to EACH of my February Facebook and Home party hostesses! We just came out with a BRAND NEW Cupcake Kit ($19.99) and it will be perfect to make Valentine's Day cupcakes with your kiddos or give to them as a gift! 

Email me at aprilcstarkey@gmail.com or message me on Facebook with your date you'd like to book in February! Below are the awesome hostess specials we also have for February! February is THE one to have your Children's book party! Our parties are one of a kind, so much fun and informative! Our Facebook parties includes videos, games, a drawing and more! Our home parties include a drawing for a free book, reading tips for families and lots of titles to get your hands on and look at! 

Have a GREAT February everyone! Stay warm, cuddle up and read some books! 

www.UsborneBookswithApril.com 

www.Facebook.com/UsborneBookswithApril

All things FALL!!!

Oh Fall, beautiful Fall! You are my FAVORITE season! I know Fall is here when the air starts to get a little breezy and chilly, or when I start wearing a jacket or sweatshirt, or even when I suddenly start wanting some warm apple cider or hot cocoa. I love sitting around a campfire singing or roasting marshmallows with those I love dear. I love going on hay-rides and carving pumpkins! One of the things I love to do year round and not just in the Fall, is reading with my boys. This fall, I have bought some new Fall books that I cannot wait to read with them. I'm also excited to sit together with a flashlight and shine it on the pages of "The Secrets of the Apple Tree" and see what hidden wonders are revealed when we shine a light on it, as we learn all about the apple tree! We also just found a BIG toad tonight that has now become our pet, at least for the time being (eeek) and his name is Croaky. My 4 year old keeps thinking it is a frog, so now I am excited to read our book we have tomorrow with him that talks all about frogs, toads and tadpoles and the differences and similarities!

HOWEVER, when my husband thinks about Fall he thinks about football...so for all you FOOTBALL loving fans out there, here are some JUST for you!

 
 One more thing I wanted to share concerning Fall is actually a great, simple article I found on helping your kids "FALL" (ha ha get it) in love with reading! I am a BIG advocate for helping kids fall in love with reading MORE than just making sure they are top notch readers that can read 8 grades above their reading level. (Ok maybe that is exaggerating but seriously, I have had some parents that have said similar things). While it's great if our children can read wonderful and even a bit above their level, I also think if they get too far above their reading level, its just not going to be as fun of a read for them and more than likely, will be too mature for them also. So why not just let your kids have fun and fall in love with reading first! The rest will eventually come! :) 5 ways to help your child fall in love with reading!

At the end of the article, they shared their top 5 favorite kids books so I wanted to do the same! Here are my top 5 favorites right now that I LOVE reading with my boys!

1. Dan the Taxi man - Oh how I love this book. We really get into it and I almost sing it. We make noises and motions for each instrument too!


2. Big book of Little stories - This is a new title and a NEW favorite in our household. Isaac wants me to keep reading story after story. There are 15 stories combined in this one volume. Many new and old classics with beautiful and captivating illustrations!

3. Secrets of the Apple Tree - Our Shine a Light series is amazing and we LOVE shining a flashlight or our phone behind each page to reveal the hidden wonder. There is also a seashore one and a Rainforest one coming soon!

4. Look Inside the Airport - This book is so much fun! I got it for my boys this summer when I knew I was going to be flying on an airplane, so that daddy could read it with them while I was gone. Since then, my preschooler has also taken it in for show in tell when it was the letter A week! It has flaps that lift up and help explain every single aspect of an airport and what happens there!

5. Muddle and Match Adventure - I love this book! There is also a girl version called Imagine. Each page is a thick board book type page that is split up in three sections so you can mix and match the pages and either read along with each page as it is and learn all about each character or you can mix up the pages to make funny different characters and plots for the story!