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Archive for the ‘Classics’ Category

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AMAZING MATILDA Only 99¢/p for a Limited Time…


Looking for the perfect picture book for the kids this spring?

AMAZING MATILDA’s got you covered!

ONLY 99c/p thru APR 18! Celebrate SPRING with a monarch butterfly adventure #monarch #Butterflies endangered AMAZING MATILDA, A Monarch's Tale (Ages 5-11) #metamorphosis #EarthDay #education GRAB THE BOOK at bit.ly/19Qr3Y0

 

One concern parents have is how to inspire their children to meet challenges with patience and persistence. This is the plot of the award-winning picture book, AMAZING MATILDA, A Monarchs Tale, written and illustrated by Bette A. Stevens. In this story a caterpillar wants to learn how to fly. She asks all of her friends in the meadow, but doesn’t find an easy answer. Yet, she continues the quest until, at last, she becomes what she wants to be—a butterfly. AMAZING MATILDA offers adults the opportunity to inspire the children in their lives to meet their own challenges with patience and persistence.

  • For a Limited Time you can DOWNLOAD the eBook of AMAZING MATILDA for ONLY 99¢/p at http://bit.ly/19Qr3Y0 GRAB A COPY TODAY!

 

  • Be sure to check out the #FREE PDFs.  Amazing Matilda Finger Puppets and Fun & Learning with Monarch Butterflies— two excellent reading and life/environmental science resources to go along with the book. Find the download links below.

 

  • Missed the Limited Time Deal? NO WORRIES… Award-winning AMAZING MATILDA is available in paperback and eBook versions and it’s an AMAZON KINDLE MATCHBOOK every day—that means, when you purchase the paperback for $9.49, you can download the eBook version for FREE! Click the link to Order your copies today

Check out these #FREE Reading & Monarch Butterfly Resources from Bette 

Stevens has put together two (2) FREE #PDF companion pieces to make talking to the kids about AMAZING MATILDA and learning about Monarch butterflies exciting and fun.

am-finger-puppets-handout-12funlearningwith-amazing-monarchs-2016

 

CLICK THE TWO LINKS ABOVE TO DOWNLOAD. These resources will not only keep the kids talking about the book with their finger puppets, they’ll learn even more about Monarch Butterflies, their endangered habitat, monarch and milkweed conservation and preservation.  Fun & Learning offers activity sites and resources for butterfly gardeners and teachers as well.  Don’t miss these two great resources for families, clubs, classrooms and homeschoolers.

[Explore Bette’s Blog]

 

Written

on 04/12/2022

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12 Ways to Develop your Child’s Writing Skills


GREAT TIPS from Nicholas Rossis for teachers, parents and adults everywhere! WE CAN ALL CONTRIBUTE to childhood literacy: Developing a child’s writing skills… ~ Bette A. Stevens, https://www.4writersandreaders.com

Nicholas C. Rossis's avatarNicholas C. Rossis

Getting people — and kids, in particular — to read and write has long been a passion of mine. You may remember my post, Reading Tricks for Kids of Any Age, originally written for Mom’s Favorite Reads.

Well, I recently came across an article by Abigail Elijah of Knowledge Isle with 20 tips for developing your kid’s writing skills which inspired me to write up a new post, this one on the subject of getting your child to write. I hope you find these tips useful!

12 Ways to Develop your Kid’s Writing Skills

helping your child write better - girl writing | From the blog of Nicholas C. Rossis, author of science fiction, the Pearseus epic fantasy series and children's books

Seven out of ten children find writing particularly challenging. What can we do to support them and help develop their writing skills?

1. Read

One of the most important things you can do for your kids’ writing skills, is to encourage and develop their passion for reading.

Writing is different than speaking. Abigail…

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Written

on 12/05/2019

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How to extend the attention span of your children.


Happy reading with the kids every day! http://www.4writer~Bette A. Stevens, Maine author http://www.writersandreaders.com 

Dayne Sislen, Children's Book Illustrator's avatarDayne Sislen Children's Book Illustration

Kids today are bombarded with video games as well as fast action cartoons and movies. Picture book publishers are requesting shorter and shorter picture books for young children. No wonder our children have problems keeping their minds focused on one thing for very long.

What can you do to help your kids have a longer attention span? My advice is not some new technical invention or app for your phone or tablet, but something easy and inexpensive that you can do in your own home.

SCBWI_Postcard_sm_sq_WP

You can extend your children’s attention span by reading to them.

What better way to show them you love them and help them at the same time. Kids love getting attention from their parents and grandparents. This one-on-one time without any distractions from phones or TV is important. Children can later illustrate the stories you read together so you have a visual reminder of the time you have…

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Written

on 01/22/2018

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Mark Twain’s Use Of The N-Word In Huckleberry Finn


Mark Twain knew what he was doing! Find out more in this must-read article. ~Bette A. Stevens

Excerpt: “Bullying is an epidemic in schools. Analyzing all the harmful aspects of dehumanization by use of slurs of all kinds, and the crushing results such labe[l]ling has on its victim(s), seems a critical topic to explore in the classroom. If you care about the next generation, don’t take the expeditious and therefore cowardly way out by refusing to acknowledge such evils exist, dedicate yourself to teaching our children why something is wrong. Erasing words from a book won’t erase from any heart the poison those words reveal, only education and understanding can do that…”

SFWhite's avatarGrowing Up Stupid

Huck and Jim On Raft

If you remove uncomfortable words from literature, you remove the heart of the entire reason for their use. Mark Twain was a masterful wordsmith who chose his words carefully, and he didn’t live in a vacuum, he understood the negative charge the N-word carried, even back then. Inclusion of the dehumanizing N-word sharply contrasts the reality of who Jim actually was, a kind, caring, noble human being, of higher character than most of the self-important whites he and Huck encountered. That one despicable word spoke volumes, both about those using it, how they used it and the reason they used it, as well as how Jim reacted to the use of it during different interactions, weighted by the motives and actions of the one using that word.

Despots know, and use the brutal tactic of labelling to conquer and rule, whether thousands of years ago or today, its effectiveness hasn’t…

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Written

on 11/02/2017

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Happy Birthday, Beatrix Potter


Beatrix Potter—a pioneer in self-publishing and introducing picture books for young children! ~Bette A. Stevens, Maine author http://www.4writersandereaders.com

Written

on 07/28/2017

Thank You, Jim Trelease! – The Power of Reading Aloud to Children


Invest in our future…
READ to a CHILD today! ~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator http://www.4writersandreaders.com

oxfordtutoringblog's avatarOxford Tutoring

Picture copy.jpg My son, Matt, reading to my four grandchildren.

Reading aloud to my four children is one of the fondest memories I have of their growing up years.  They are all adults now with their own families and busy lives, but I have wonderful memories of cuddling on the couch with them, reading stories together, watching their eyes light up as we traveled to other lands and other times through story.

As a teacher, reading to my children seemed a natural part of the parenting process.  Even when they were babies, they would sit on my lap as we enjoyed books like Pat the Bunny.  As they grew older, we graduated to story books.  Some were fairy tales, some were Bible stories, but all were chances to bond together over printed word. They had their favorites that they asked to be read to them over and over and over. We went…

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Category:

Book Picks, Books, Children's Literature, Children's Picture Book, Classics, Education, Inspirational, Literacy, Parenting, Reading with Children, Recommended Reads

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Picture Books for St. Patrick’s Day


HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY & HAPPY READING with the kids...
You’ll find some awesome books to help celebrate the day! ~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator http://www.4writersandreaders.com

Beth @ Pages and Margins's avatarPages and Margins

My son has been far more interested in holidays this year than he was in the past. This can at times be problematic — like when he declares his own holiday and is then thoroughly disappointed when I inform him that it doesn’t mean he gets the day off from school. But I’ve been trying to catch the wave of his enthusiasm in other ways, like introducing him to good books surrounding each holiday. Here are some that we enjoyed about St. Patrick’s Day.

Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland – by Tomie de Paola

patric.jpg

A beautiful introduction to St. Patrick as a person — his history and his legacy. It includes a number of legends about St. Patrick at the end.

St. Patrick’s Day – by Gail Gibbons

st. patrick's.jpg

This book provides a brief introduction to the life of St. Patrick, as well as some of symbolism and traditions surrounding St…

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Category:

Book Picks, Book Reviews, Children's Literature, Children's Picture Book, Classics, History, Literacy, Reading with Children, Recommended Reads

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15 Words You Never Knew Came From Literature


Words, words, words… AWESOME! ~ Bette A. Stevens

Jasveena R Prabhagaran's avatarInternational Book Promotion

15 Words You Never Knew Came From Literature                                                             15 Words You Never Knew Came From Literature

Did you know that these words came from the literature earlier? Share your scores here!

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Written

on 09/02/2015

When Shakespeare committed word crimes


GUILTY as charged! ~ Bette A. Stevens

Category:

Classics, Fiction, Writing, Writing Challenges

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Shakespeare’s King Lear on stage in London


Shakespeare’s messages never get old… ~Bette A. Stevens

petrel41's avatarDear Kitty. Some blog

This video from Britain is called King Lear.

By Gordon Parsons in Britain:

Theatre: King Lear

Tuesday 4th February 2014

In its depiction of societal and personal breakdown, a new production of King Lear by Sam Mendes speaks directly and uncomfortably to our own times, says GORDON PARSONS

King Lear

National Theatre, London SE1

4 Stars

More than any other of Shakespeare‘s plays, this great symphonic drama of the human condition has mirrored each successive age, often unbearably, with its own self-image.

Our own nihilistic day, obsessed with media accounts of what seems the dissolution of both civilised society and personal relationships, finds its ugly reflection in Sam Mendes’s eagerly awaited production.

From the opening, when Simon Russell Beale‘s ageing dictator enters his conference chamber walled with his own military imperial guard, we recognise a common scene of power and insecurity.

Ordered to express the degree…

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Category:

Classics, Literature

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