|
Paging all readers -- it's Children's Book Week!
Every May we celebrate Children's Book Week, a time to salute and promote the love of reading with storytelling, parties,
author and illustrator appearances, and other book-related events. Originally launched in 1919, the week often features special events at libraries and schools.
But we Mommas don't need to cede the celebration to the professionals. We know how important it is to read to our kids, and once they know how to read with them.
This is, in some ways, a golden age for kid-lit. Thanks to Harry Potter, the publishing industry has discovered this is a market to which they should cater. The list of finalists for Children's Author of the Year includes Florida's own Carl Hiaasen, author of "Scat"; Rick Riordan for the finale in his Percy Jackson series, "The Last Olympian," and Jeff Kinney, author of the hilarious "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series.
Here's a special bookmark that you can print out for your child to decorate with a picture of his or her favorite character, and here are some special word puzzles created just for Book Week. You might also like a website called Stacks that allows kids who like books to play free online games, test their book knowledge, try out writing activities, and express their opinions.And if you need some ideas for new books for your voracious readers, here's a list that teachers have compiled of the best 100 children's books.
If you're a new mom and want some tips on reading to your baby, here is some good advice from Scholastic. And if you need other ideas and resources, Scholastic has compiled a list of essential children's literature websites that should help.
So plunge into those pages, parents! A world of adventure awaits!
-- Sherry Robinson
Follow us on Twitter @WhoaMomma
Loading...Most Recent Blog Posts
About the bloggers
Raising children isn't easy. Whoa, Momma! is here to help you with parenting tips and discussion of all parenting issues. We think there's no such thing as TMI, so our blogging moms aren't shy about the hot topics and won't back away from a good debate. Bottle or breastfeed? Public, private or homeschool? And sex -- it's all open for comment. Don't sit on the sidelines -- pull up a bouncy seat and join the chat.
Email us ideas you'd like us to write about.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Video
Most Popular Categories
THE AUTHORS
Sharon Kennedy Wynne has sunscreen in her blood. She may have been born in Buffalo but she got here as fast as she could, in time for kindergarten. She grew up in St. Petersburg, graduated from the University of Florida journalism school, and even got married at Sunken Gardens. She's one of the few adults we know who actually loves taking her kids to the beach. She has two sons and with 10 years of parenting under her belt, she's starting to feel a little less out of her league. She comes from a large family and loves to debate, so brace yourself when the hot topics come up.
E-mail Sharon Kennedy Wynne:
|
E-mail Kate Brassfield:
|
|
|
Freelance writer Courtney Cairns Pastor wasn’t so sure about having kids and how she would balance child-rearing with her journalism career. It turned out that her journalism training went to good use. As the mom to a funny, active toddler, she learned to handle him like she did her sources. Never ask yes or no questions (the answer will always be no), get him to be specific (are you crying because you’re wet or your tooth hurts?) and be prepared for anything because no two days are the same. When she’s not playing trucks, Courtney crams for her book club, trains for races and occasionally bursts into showtunes. E-mail her at 
Suzannah DiMarzio has it bad for the Mouse. Although she grew up outside of Boston, she took her degree in tourism management down to Orlando just to work at Disney and the travel industry. Of course, when she married her high school sweetheart, the reception was at Disney. She’s now a seasoned stay-at-home mom to two tweens and a toddler – and yes, that is as crazy as it sounds. Suzannah has her own blog, Comment Policy
| Please be sure your comments are appropriate before submitting them. Inappropriate comments include content that: |
| Is libelous |
| Is abusive, harassing, or threatening |
| Is obscene, vulgar, or profane |
| Is racially, ethnically or religiously offensive |
| Is illegal or encourages criminal acts |
| Is known to be inaccurate or contains a false attribution |
| Infringes copyrights, trademarks, publicity or any other rights of others |
| Impersonates anyone (actual or fictitious) |
| Solicits funds, goods or services, or advertises |
| The Tampa Bay Times does not edit posts but reserves the right to delete comments that violate our policy. |
Registration FAQ
| Read our Frequently Asked Questions on how to register to comment on the site. |
