Book2Movie Alert: The Tale of Despereaux

Kate DeCamillo’s Newberry Award winning book, The Tale of Despereaux, hits the big screen today!

I’m hearing that in some ways it’s actually better than the book (I can’t believe it!) and in others it’s not as good (isn't that what I always say). I had so much fun reading the book, I’ll have to check it out for myself.

For more reading fun, be sure to read my previous post and visit The Tale of Despereaux movie website.



Enjoy the holidays. I'll see ya in January!

A Christmas Carol is Not Just Another Holiday Book

A Christmas Carol was published on December 19, 1843. We’re still reading that baby 165 years later. That’s some book!

These days there’s a whole boatload of movies too.

Lots of people say this book changed the way we celebrate Christmas. The author, Charles Dickens, focused on the importance of family and the joy of giving.

Before A Christmas Carol there were no Christmas cards, no Christmas turkeys, no Christmas trees in homes, no Christmas lights, and no Christmas presents. Yeah, read this and think of Christmas in a new way. Be thankful in a new way.

I say that’s the ultimate in reading fun.

It’s All About the Gingerbread

Christmas always reminds me of gingerbread houses. Play games here. Find out how to make one here.

Gingerbread houses always remind me of Hansel and Gretel. Find some fun books to read here.

Hansel and Gretel always remind me of… of… Huh. Hansel and Gretel remind me of gingerbread houses. Go figure.

Enter the Harper Holidays Sweepstakes!

Lucky! Ten people will win a Holiday Gift Box of books from HarperCollins. The winners get to choose from six different prize packs. You can enter here.

Naturally, I’d pick the kids books. Cuz… hello… they’re the best!

You’ve got to be 18 years old to be eligible. So, if you’re not, find someone who is. The last day to enter is December 22nd. You can read the other rules here.

Elf Yourself for Free

A dear friend sent this to my family last year—and I just can’t get enough!

Elf Yourself, courtesy of OfficeMax, is crazy fun! Create an emailable, dancing video of yourself and up to four of your friends and family.

When you get done laughing yourself silly and want to have more fun—go read some elf books.

National Poinsettia Day

Apparently today is National Poinsettia Day. I don’t even know what to say about that.

Stop and smell the poinsettias?

Yeah, that’s it.

And while you’re at it… read for fun. Here’s the Best Books of 2008 list from The Horn Book.

And wouldn’t you know it, there are even a few poinsettia books for kids.

Book2DVD Alert: Horton Hears a Who!

Yikes! I missed the release of Horton Hears a Who!

It’s out. Go get it!

And check out the website. There’s Fun and Games and Downloads and all sorts of cool stuff.

I must admit, I am a huge Dr. Seuss fan. He is quite possibly my favorite author.

So, I say after you watch the movie, you should read all his books. Just for fun!

Oh where, oh where has Cheri been?

Lately, the Big Sur Children’s Writing Workshop, school, and Christmas have been getting more of my attention than this blog. I’m glad I put those things first, but I’m itchin to get back you all!

I’ll try to have a little something for you tomorrow.

Oooh. My Inkdeath review appeared on the Well-Read Child last Friday. That’ll keep you busy for a while.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard

I think I said all there is to say about J.K.’s new book in my previous post.

I hope you pre-ordered. If you didn’t, quit waiting around—it’ll be in stores this Thursday. This is reading fun you definitely don’t want to miss!

Book2Movie Alert: Marley & Me

John Grogan wrote Marley & Me about his real-life experience with a wild-and-crazy Labrador Retriever. Now there are a whole slew of Marley & Me books. One for every age group. You should definitely read at least one for fun!

And on Christmas Day there’ll be a movie too. It looks seriously funny.

And cute.

And wild!

And you’ll love it a lot more if you’ve already read the book.

Day After Thanksgiving

It’s the day after Thanksgiving. I’m taking the day off.

Kickin back. Chillaxin.

And putting up my Christmas tree.

I’ll be back Monday.

See ya!

Cheri Williams’s Thanksgiving Advice

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Here is my expert Thanksgiving advice:

Hang out with people you love.
And with people who love you.
Eat good food.
But not too much.
Be thankful.
Be thankful.
Be thankful.
And forget about football.
Read for fun!

Charles M. Schultz Birthday

Charles Schulz, creator of Snoopy and the beloved Peanuts gang, would have been 86 today.

He was the most widely syndicated cartoonist ever. His work appeared in over 2,300 newspapers and he published more than 1400 books. He won both the Peabody and Emmy. Wow. What a legacy.

Read some fun Peanuts trivia and comic strips.



Thank you, Charles!

Christmas Countdown

There’re 30 days til Christmas. And counting.

Do you have books on your Christmas list? Have you let the right people know about these books?

It’s time.

Make a list. Check it twice.

Be precise.

What are you waiting for?

Did you forget how to find fun books to read? Check my past posts here, here, here, and here.

People love to give books for gifts.

If you ask for books, I’m pretty sure you’ll get more presents ;0)

Book Alert: How to Talk to Girls

How to Talk to Girls. Advice for boys of all ages to talk to girls they like. Advice like…

Comb your hair and don't wear sweats

Control your hyperness (cut down on the sugar if you have to), and

Don't act desperate

This picture book sounds like serious reading fun. But the reason I’m totally stoked is because the author, Alex Greven, is nine years old. Yep, you heard me right. Nine.

A nine-year old author.

Sweet.

Alex wrote the book for a school assignment. His teacher gave it to the principal who suggested he have it bound. Then Alex sold it at the school’s book fair, sent a copy to the local news station, and appeared on the news and the Ellen Degeneres Show. Now it’s been published by HarperCollins and is due in stores tomorrow. See the whole story here.

So, I just want to say—kids rock! When we follow our dreams, there’s no telling how far we can go.

But wait... there’s more. Alex also has two books coming out in the spring—How to Talk to Moms and How to Talk to Dads. And, he’s donating part of his earnings to Stand Up 2 Cancer.

This is a kid who’s following his heart and making a difference. What would your heart like to do? You can start now—whether you’re nine. Or ninety.

PW's Best Books of the Year

Publishers Weekly, the leader in book news, just released their Best Books of 2008 list. You can read it here. The kids’ books are down at the bottom.

I gotta go. I’ve got some books to get! I’m gonna have me some reading fun!

Movie Alert: Disney’s Bolt

Just a reminder.

Bolt.

In theatres.

Friday.

You still have time to read the book. It will make seeing the movie more fun. I promise. Read my previous post, and see the preview here.

DVD Alert: WALL-E

At last we can get another dose of that irresistible robot WALL-E. I just love that guy! He’s cute, he’s fun, and he saves the world. What more can you ask for?

Read some books. Play some games. And watch that DVD!

If you missed my take on WALL-E, you can read it here.

Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse

Mickey first hit the big screen in Steamboat Willie on November 18, 1928, so I figure that makes today his birthday. He seriously doesn’t look anywhere near 80 years old. Must be the cheese.

Read Mickey’s bio. Check out his website. Find the perfect Mickey books. Have some Mickey fun!

Book Alert: Burning Up: On Tour with the Jonas Brothers

About the Jonas Brothers. By the Jonas Brothers. Available at a bookstore near you—today!

Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas wrote the book themselves, and it includes never before seen pics. Some are from their Look Me in the Eyes tour. Others were taken during Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus's Best of Both Worlds tour.

You don’t want to miss this. The inside scoop on the Jonas Brothers. With pictures.

Their website looks sweet, too.

Today is National American Teddy Bear Day. Of course, this turns my thoughts to my favorite book bears (I’ll bet you knew it would!).

Winnie the Pooh. Paddington. Yogi. Smokey. Berenstain Bears. Bear of Karma Wilson picture-book fame. Brown Bear, Brown Bear. Little Bear. Goldilocks’s Three Bears. Brother Bear.

I love them all. They are so much fun! I think my all-time favorite must be Baloo.

How about you—who are your faves? Leave a comment below. Share the bear you have the most fun reading!

Create Your Own Comic Strip

Do you love to read graphic novels? Comic strips? Good old-fashioned cartoons?

Check out MakeBeliefsComix.com and get creative! Choose from 15 fun characters. Make them talk and think. If you’re not sure where to start, ideas and prompts will get you going. English, Spanish, French, Italian, German and Latin are available—how fun is that?

When you’re done, you can print or email those babies!

Learn more about making and publishing your own comics here.

Celebrate Veteran’s Day

Do you know that Veteran’s Day used to be called Armistice Day? Yep, it’s true.

First, the United States honored World War I veterans. Now, we pay our respects to all veterans. Great reading, and fun activities about Veteran’s Day, can be found at The United States Department of Veterans Affairs website.

I love this site! There’s Cool Facts About Veterans, About the Department of Veterans Affairs, About the Flag, and Games and Activities for Kindergarten to 5th graders.

For 6th to 12th graders, check out the Department of Veterans Affairs, About Veterans, History of the American flag, Origins of Taps, Lincoln Jigsaw Puzzle, Beat the Blocks, Drawing, and Word Jumble.

You can also read The Library of Congress stories of United States veterans here.

When you’re done, click here for Veteran’s Day Word Searches, a Veterans Day Quiz, a U.S. Military Quiz, and Star-Spangled Banner gap-fill fun!

World Kindness Week is November 10-16

The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation encourages us. Be kind. Kindness can change the world.

Print the Kindness, Pass It On! Poster, and see how many acts of kindness you can do this week. Things like, Cheer Up a Friend, Leave a Thank You Note, and Open a Door. These area great ideas. And we don’t have to stop on Friday—we can do them all the time!

Crayola.com offers fun Coloring & Activities and Craft Ideas.

For Acts of Kindness reading fun, click here.

DVD Alert: Kung Fu Panda

The Kung Fu Panda DVD releases on Sunday.

I saw the movie. I think you’ll like it.

But… you should read the books first. For fun!

This is not like having to eat vegetables before you get dessert. Not at all. These books are yummy!

Check out my previous post. It includes the preview and a link to the Official Website.

Letters About Literature

The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress in partnership with Target presents… Letters About Literature, a national reading and writing promotion program.

Whew. That’s a mouth full.

Translation? Here’s a chance for some reading, writing, and shopping fun!

This is the deal. You write a personal letter to an author explaining how his or her book affected you. You can win Target gift cards and a grant for your school.

Read the Participation Guidelines here. Some sample letters here. And Frequently Asked Questions here.

The deadline is December 6, 2008.

Movie Alert: Bolt

Bolt, with John Travolta and Miley Cyrus, hits theatres November 21. Bolt believes his life on a television set is real. And that he has superpowers. When he accidentally gets shipped to New York City, the dynamic doggie must decide if he is a superdog or a superdud.

You know I think you should read the book before you see the movie. I’ll bet you know it too. The book is almost always better, plus you get to know what happens before anyone else! That is definitely reading fun!

Find out about Bolt: Junior Novel here.

Visit the Official Website for videos, photos, games, and downloads here.

Election Day

Today is election day. Check out some cool books.

Movie Alert: Madagascar Escape 2 Africa

Madagascar Escape 2 Africa is in theatres and IMAX on Friday. That still gives you plenty of time to read the book and check out the totally amazing website. There is a serious amount of fun to be had there. Seriously!

Daylight Savings Ends

I do love a fun quiz. ;0)
Check out Trivia Quiz: Daylight Saving Time.

And, don’t forget to turn your clocks back tonight! This is totally cool. If you go to bed at 9 o’clock, you should reset your clock to 8 o’clock.

Woohoo—you just gained an extra hour for reading fun!

Happy Halloween!

I’ve got a little treat for you. Well, two actually—no tricks here!

Halloween Trivia and a Pumpkin Carving Simulator.

Happy Halloween, my favorite reading for fun friends!

Project Gutenberg—The First Producer of Free Ebooks

Free of charge. No cost. Gratis. On the house. Complimentary. FREE.

That’s how Project Gutenberg works. You can download over 100,000 books—and it won’t cost you a cent.

How do they do it?

Typically, the United States copyright on these books has expired, and they’ve become works of public domain. This means these books may be used freely by anyone!

Browse by Author, Title, The Top 100 Downloads, and more. Don’t miss out on this FREE reading fun!

DVD Alert: Journey to the Center of the Earth

Three explorers. Adventure. Danger. A journey into the depths of Earth.

Jules Verne wrote Journey to the Center of the Earth, but many have re-written it. Pick up a copy today. Or download one here for free reading fun.

Other movie-related books are: Journey to the Center of the Earth: Movie Novel, What Hides Beneath the Earth, and Choose Your Own Journey.

Download a super-fun movie guide here.

Check out the Official Website here.

DVD Alert: Tinker Bell

Tinker Bell has her own movie! And for the first time ever—she speaks! Travel to her home in Pixie Hollow and peak into her life before Peter Pan.

Check out the movie-related booksTinker Bell Junior Novel, In the Realm of the Never Fairies: Secret World of Pixie Hollow, and Tinker Bell Read-Aloud Storybook.

In the movie Tink discovers her talent for tinkering. The Tinker Bell Find Your Talent Activity Guide shows you how to find your talent, too.

And of course, to round out your reading fun… drop by DisneyFairies.com.

DVD Alert: Kit Kittredge: An American Girl

Kit Kittredge: An American Girl comes to DVD tomorrow!

Read her books! Watch her movie! Check out her website! And my previous post!

Have some American Girl reading fun!

And be sure to check back tomorrow. It’s like book-to-DVD week around here!

Today Is Make A Difference Day

Today Is Make A Difference Day: The National Day to Help Others.

How can you make a difference? Think about it… what makes you sad? Or excited?

Kids really can make a difference. Why not give it a try!

Here’s a list of biographies of kids who made a difference. You can too!

Movie Alert: High School Musical 3

HSM3 is out tomorrow!

Check out the Official Site here and my previous post about the book here.

American Girl Says… Bye-Bye Samantha

After 22 years, it’s time to say good-bye to American Girl’s Samantha Parkington. Her line of products will no longer be available. Waaah.

BUT there is some good news—her books will be.

Actually, there’s even more good news. Samantha will have two new books in the spring! The Cry of the Loon: A Samantha Mystery and the interactive book, Samantha's World.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard Contest

You can visit J.K. Rowling. At the National Library of Scotland. She’ll even read her brand-new book The Tales of Beedle The Bard to you.

Say what?

It’s true. Five lucky winners (and their chaperones) will do just that!

How, you say.

Well… I’m glad you asked.

It’s simple. Write a 200-word essay explaining how you’ve helped others. See the Official Contest Rules here.

Not familiar with The Tales of Beedle The Bard? Read my previous post. Oooh. Check out the Harry Potter prequel, too!

And, if you win... say hi to J.K. for me!

Bestselling Children’s Fiction

Publishers Weekly says…

the bestselling children’s fiction books are…

Click here to see what your friends are reading for fun!

Black Poetry Day

Maya Angelou. Sterling A. Brown. Lucille Clifton. Toi Derricotte. Paul Laurence Dunbar. Jessie Redmon Fauset. Angelina W. Grimke. Jupiter Hammon. Langston Hughes. Claude McKay. Anne Spencer. Ntozake Shange. Natasha Trethewey.Margaret Walker. Phyliss Wheatley.

Read a poem in honor of Black Poetry Day.

Three Cheers for Cheerios and Spoonfuls of Stories

Cheerios is at it again. For the seventh year in a row they’re putting five million specially sized books in Cheerios cereal boxes. For free. FIVE MILLION—that’s a whole lotta books!

Cheerios encourages kids to read AND is teaming with First Book to get brand-new books to low-income families.

This year’s books are: Duck for President, When Dinosaurs Came with Everything, Romeo and Lou Blast Off, Monkey and Me, and Diego’s Wolf Pup Rescue.

See the full article here.

Check out the Spoonfuls of Stories website here.

Check out the Cheerios for Kids website for reading fun, games, and downloads here.

Despereaux For All

Get ready. This small hero with a big heart hits the big screen December 19th.

In the mean time, the Tale of Despereaux Movie Tie-In Junior Novelization is out!

So is The Tale of Despereaux : The Graphic Novel.

And, of course, there’s always the classic, the original, the one and only The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread. I give this book five blocks of cheese! Ha. That's like five stars for regular books ;0)

There are a bunch more Despereaux books too! Check them out for guaranteed reading fun!

Just Out… Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book

Now you can have your own Wimpy Kid... ahem... journal! The Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book is on shelves now!

Answer questions like:

“What was the best dream you ever had?”
“The worst thing you ever ate?”
“The best secret you ever heard?”
“The most trouble you ever got in for something that wasn’t even your fault to begin with?”

Filled with Greg and Rowley’s art and comics, plus plenty of ruled and blank pages for your own stuff, this book looks seriously cool. You can create your own reading fun!

Check out author/illustrator Jeff Kinney and the Official Diary of a Wimpy Kid Website.

And don’t miss Diary of a Wimpy Kid on funbrain.com.

Happy Columbus Day!

Test your Columbus Day knowledge... if you dare!

The 25 Best Picture Books for Children

Examiner.com listed The 25 Best Picture Books ever written.

“Best” according to them means we want to read the book over and over again, it stays in our hearts and minds, the words and pictures work together, and it uses language well.

They show the list countdown-style from number 25 through 1. I’ll cut to the chase… the top five Best Picture Books ever written are…

The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
Sneetches and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

Great books indeed! I love every one of them still! Thank goodness, we’re never too old for picture books.

I think it’s interesting that all of these books are at least 45 years old. That says something for their timelessness.

Of course, there are great picture books being written today too. You can see a few of my faves here.

See the full Examiner article here.

I’d love to know… which picture books do you have fun reading? Share them with us in the comments section below!

More about Book Adventure

A while back I told you about Book Adventure. Well… I’ve had a chance to check it out a little more. And... there’s more! This is the site that keeps on giving.

Check it out:

Kids Zone for Games, Tools, and Awards you can print yourself.

Book Finder to find books that you’ll love.

Five Finger Test to figure out if a book is too hard for you.

And don't forget about the prizes (Read "I told you" if you did).

Reading fun just got better!

Inkdeath is Out… Inkdeath is Out!!!

An early release, yay!!!

I haven’t finished it yet (darn it), so I can’t say much. But, so far it’s goooo-ood! I took it to my daughter’s soccer game and drew a crowd! See... reading is fun and creates friendships.

I’ll be back with a full Inkdeath report—soon. Just wanted to let you know… run… do not walk… to the nearest book store!

Read a great Q&A With Cornelia Funke here. There is loads of fun info on her site!

The Inkheart movie, starring Brendan Fraser (you know... George of the Jungle), is due out January 23rd. Check out the preview—do you think it’s true to the book?



What! You haven’t read Inkheart?!?!? Aaaaaaaaaaaah! You know how I feel about this!

Get thee a copy. Quickly.

Seriously!

It’s awesome reading fun!!!

Movie Alert: Beverly Hills Chihuahua

Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Today is the day.

Check out the Official website here.

Check out the book here.

Catch a flick and have some reading fun!

Jumpstart's Read for the Record Campaign

Here’s the deal. “Since 1993, Jumpstart has been working toward the day every child in America enters school prepared to succeed.”

Every year they encourage hundreds of thousands of kids and grownups to read the same book on the same day so people will know that helping young children read is important to overall education.

The book is Corduroy. The day is today! For some reading fun, find an event near you!

October is National Book Month

October is National Book Month. Oh yeah! Woo hoo! Whatever does this mean?!?

The National Book Foundation encourages us to “celebrate the best of American Literature.”

Mm hm. We can do that!

What do you think… should we buy more books?
Build more bookcases?
Read in a new genre?
Different time period?
Should we spend more time reading?
Have a book party?
Read a classic?
Maybe we could do some research on the history of books?
Read and talk about a book with friends—like a book club?
Plan a Book Appreciation Party?

You know I like the idea of a party! The opportunities for reading fun seem endless…

The National Book Foundation wants to know—how will you celebrate? Send them an email here.

Surviving a Book-ectomy

I have a problem. An ish if you will.

My bookcases seem to be shrinking!

It’s true. Every time I turn around I’m out of room on those babies. I have no idea how it happens ;0)

Anyways… all too often I have to face the fact that I need to… sob… part with some books. This is as close to a near death experience as I care to get.

Recently though, I’ve found a way to ease the pain. Our local elementary school is desperate for books. Both in the school library and the individual classrooms.

It makes me feel sooo good to spread reading fun around! Next time you’re ready to part with some books, give it a try!

And the First Book Winner Is…

A few weeks ago I told you about First Book and What Book Got You Hooked? If you missed it, check it out here.

Well… votes have been tallied and winners announced. Kentucky will receive 50,000 new books for children in need!

The number one book that got readers hooked?

The Nancy Drew series.

Green Eggs and Ham, the Little House on the Prairie series, Charlotte’s Web, and Cat in the Hat also topped the list. See all 50 top books for hours of reading fun!

What book got you hooked? Let us know in the comments section below!

It’s Party Time!

Borders is hosting a Kids Party this Saturday from 2-4pm (uh… that’s tomorrow!) with games, storytimes, activities, and more.

Details are here.

Find a Borders near you here.

This sure to be reading fun!

More IGOR

As promised… here’s more IGOR.

Book Adventure, sponsored by Sylvan Learning Center, is holding the Help IGOR Get To The Science Fair Reading Contest for 9 to 14-year-olds. It works like this: read books, take quizzes, earn points.

You can win a trip for two to Space Camp, a classroom screening of IGOR, and tons of other prizes!!!

Registration is required.
Individual Student Contest Rules are here.
Classroom Contest Rules are here.

Reading fun and prizes—oh yeah!

National Punctuation Day

Today is National Punctuation Day.

I never knew.

Check out the site. Each punctuation mark is clickable—it gives a definition, instructions for use, examples, and quotes (I do love a good quote!). It’s very cool!

These are people are se-ri-ous. They even have punctuation t-shirts, mugs, and posters.

Anyways, Happy Punctuation Day to you!