Ruby loves Halloween. In this short picture book, Ruby tells readers about some of her favorite costume choices, and the things she likes to do on Halloween with her friends.
The drawings are simple child-like creations. This book might be a good choice to introduce the Halloween holiday in a non-scary way to toddlers and preschoolers.
SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG TO GET NEW BOOK REVIEWS EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY.
This rhyming picture book might be useful for parents of toddlers and preschoolers. The plot is more practical than exciting. A young girl moves through different types of foods and explains how each can become enticing. If read as a bedtime story or read aloud to an individual child or class, it could be an effective guide to a discussion about the benefits of a varied diet.
SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG FOR NEW BOOK REVIEWS EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY.
Barnabee loves to spell. He is thrilled when he learns his teacher has selected him to be in the spelling bee. He practices with Buster, another classmate.
Barnabee does not understand why every time he gets a word at practice, he freezes and cannot spell. Buster makes fun of him. Can Barnabee find the courage to be brave and perform when the big day arrives?
I enjoyed the clever puns, alliteration and on-spot analogies that add humor and make reading the story aloud fun. Not to mention children learn how to handle anxiety and cope with competition by turning it into friendship.
Recommended for elementary age readers.
SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG FOR NEW BOOK REVIEWS EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY.
Remy is a quiet, introverted child who suffers from disfigurement. He spends most of his time reading and hanging around his adopted father, Clint’s shop. Clint holds lots of secrets and magic in a special room that keeps Remy intrigued. Remy has benefited from the knowledge gained from patrons visiting the shop.
As Remy grows older, and ventures outside into the world with Clint, he will discover danger in many forms. Interesting characters, mythical creatures like dragons, ice-horses, and Phoenix lie in wait at every turn to trap and ensnare them.
This is the first book in a series. The fact that this book is part of the Vella program is a bit disappointing for those readers who prefer to binge read a series.
Recommended for older middle school, young adult, and adult audiences, particularly in the fantasy and coming of age genres.
SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG FOR NEW BOOK REVIEWS EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY.
Little Bear and his father go fishing. As the day wears on, Little Bear becomes impatient. On their way home, Dad tells his son how wonderful the day has been. Little Bear does not understand. After not catching anything, he sees it as a waste. Father Bear teaches him about the beauty of nature and the importance of simply spending time with loved ones.
The soft colors, simple text and sweet message remind elementary grade readers to appreciate our world and especially those who love us.
SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOF TO GET NEW BOOK REVIEWS EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY.
Cheeku is a mischievous boy who lives with his grandmother. He tries to avoid getting up for school but reluctantly rises and steals mangoes from the monkeys on his way. But the monkeys chase him and he falls into a tunnel where his adventure begins.
Cheeku meets an ant colony. The queen grants him magic powers to be both a boy and an ant. In the following days, Cheeku discovers the value of friendship, the meaning of forgiveness, and the definition of teamwork.
Can a naughty little boy learn a valuable lesson from these tiny creatures?
Colorful, expressive illustrations that evoke strong emotions link the story effectively to the lessons taught. A multicultural tale that teaches and entertains elementary school children.
SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG FOR NEW BOOK REVIEWS EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY.
If you have listened to me on a podcast, watched one of my you tube videos, or read this blog, you probably already know how passionate I am about the importance of learning how to think both critically and creatively and the importance of passing down these skills to our children.
Today, I would like to explain in this short article, how to quickly develop your superpower using these two ways of thinking.
In this short report, I want to introduce you to an innovative way of thinking and problem solving that combines creative and critical thinking. These two approaches are very different. Each of them has advantages and disadvantages. By combining the two, you can tap into the power of both.
Let’s start by taking a look at creative thinking, what it is, and how we can start to think more creatively. The phrase most often used to describe creative thinking is “think outside the box.” I like to think about it as a way to think about something in a new and different way. Look for the not so obvious solutions not thought of by anyone else. Yes, it will be out of the box thinking, but it can be so much more.
Let’s look at an example of creative thinking. Suppose you just bought a new house, and between the cost of the down payment and renovations you had to make, you’re broke. Your neighborhood association sends you a letter that your yard needs to be redone to fit in with the overall landscape. There’s no money in the budget for landscaping. What do you do?
You have to get creative. The obvious answer is to do it yourself, but that takes time, money, and skill that you may not have. Some creative options may be to get in touch with an up and coming landscaping company to see if they are willing to redo your yard for free or at cost price in exchange for putting up a sign to advertise their business in your yard. If you have web design skills, you could barter those in exchange for the work. Think outside the box and come up with a creative solution.
To get your creative thinking cap on, you can ask yourself some interesting questions:
Start with what if. Keep it very open-ended. In this first brainstorming stage, no idea is too ridiculous or impossible to throw out. While the idea itself may turn out to be unusable, it may spark a creative thought that will lead you to the perfect solution.
Another great question to ask is “What else.” It encourages brainstorming and expanding on existing ideas. Last but not least, you can spark creativity by introducing an off the wall concept. For example, you could pretend that you have no income for the following year. How would you live and how would you pay for your home and renovations, including the yard? The solution may be to work on a side hustle like graphic and web design for small businesses in your area. That, in turn, will help you realize that you can pay for the landscaping by spending a few weekends on freelance projects.
Another problem-solving skill is critical thinking. It’s very different from creative thinking. Here the idea is to think logically and work from information and data collected. You start with the information gathering process and then sort and analyze it to find the best solution. You want to be as objective and unbiased as possible and come up with the best possible judgment based on the information you have.
For example, if you are a project manager for a construction firm, you would gather information on what you need on the job site and then order the materials at the best price you can find. Another example a little closer to home would be the critical thinking you use when you’ve lost your car keys. You start to search the house room by room, possibly retracing your steps until you find them. That’s a small-scale example, but it gives you an idea of what critical thinking is.
The significant advantage of critical thinking, as opposed to creative thinking, is that you usually come up with a workable solution. When you let your creativity run too wild, you end up with a fun potential solution but possibly not something that will work or even something you want to attempt to try.
Let me show you what I mean by an off the wall example that will illustrate my point. Let’s say you want to lose 25 pounds. When thinking creatively, you realize that the average human leg weighs about 26 pounds. Cutting one of yours off would instantly result in a 25+ pound weight loss. While creative, it’s also absolutely ridiculous.
When you switch to critical thinking, you gather data and information on various weight loss programs as well as how the biological process of burning body fat works. As a result, you fast intermittently, eat more whole foods, and start to go for daily walks. It’s a much more workable solution, isn’t it?
Think about some other times when you’ve used critical thinking to make important decisions. Maybe it was choosing the right health insurance or 401K plan. Maybe it was picking a house in a good neighborhood with great schools for your kids that fit within your budget. Maybe it was whether or not to make a big career move or relocate to a different area of the country. We use critical thinking skills all the time. They serve us well at home, school, and work.
Last but not least, we come to the fun stuff. In this section, we take a look at how we can combine creative and critical thinking to come up with out of the box solutions to problems that work. By combining both critical and creative thinking, we can take advantage of the benefits of both while avoiding the downsides.
Let’s go back to the silly weight loss example to show how this can work in action. Again the idea is to lose a fair amount of weight. Cutting off a limb is obviously not an option, but we can take a look at some of the reasons that make this an attractive consideration. We lose a set amount of weight, and we lose it in a set amount of time. That may spark a thought about tracking weight loss in interesting increments (like losing the equivalent of 3 packs of butter, or the equivalent of your arm’s weight). It may also inspire us to set a date for which we want to have x number of pounds gone. It may even get us to think about and consider surgical alternatives like liposuction or stomach stapling. While those may not end up being the right solutions for you, it’s good to include them and think about those options. You never know where they may lead you.
Looking into weight loss surgery may have you considering alternatives like fasting. At the very least, it will serve as a motivator if you want to avoid surgery at all costs.
In this case, we started out with creative thinking and then moved into critical thinking. We got a complete picture, collected a lot of data, and then analyzed it logically to come up with the best solution. That’s a great way to approach this process.
Another option is to start with critical thinking, then switch to creative thoughts to come up with more alternatives and more data sources. Then go back to critical thinking to determine what will work in the end.
By combining these two ways of thinking, we can come up with new and innovative solutions that will work. At other times we may find that the old tried and true way of doing things is popular for a reason. It may end up being the best possible solution. We won’t know that though until we’ve thought about it critically and creatively, working through all possible alternative options.
That’s why combining aspects of both critical and creative thinking is such a powerful strategy. Give it a try the next time you face a complex problem. Since switching between thinking creatively and analytically can be a little tricky at first, it can be helpful to sit down and work on creative brainstorming first. Get out a notebook and spend some time thinking of as many ideas as you can and write them down. Walk away for a bit and then get to work on the critical thinking part of the process, collecting more data, organizing it, analyzing it, and finally coming up with a workable solution. Rinse and repeat as needed until you find something that works well for you.
The more you get in the habit of practicing those creative and critical thinking skills and combining them, the better you get at it. Before long the entire process will become an integral part of how you approach problem-solving.
Want to learn how to become a problem solver today?
This multicultural picture book assists elementary school readers to discover positive ways to discover and understand their emotions.
In the first book, the author introduces Sarah, who is about to attend her first day of school. Sarah is talking to her favorite superhero Benny who assures her fears are unfounded. He points out the positive situations and new experiences that could lie ahead in school.
Sarah understands the power behind, “What if?”. As a brave member of team supercrew, she has the power to be brave and unafraid.
I like the addition of an exercise for readers about how to build their own superpower skills. Look forward to reading the rest of the series.
SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG FOR NEW BOOK REVIEWS EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY.
Social media has become an integral part of our everyday lives. Parents use it, just like their children. However, on average, teenagers are the ones who spend the most time on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and similar platforms.
This leaves many parents worried. Some are afraid that this habit will grow into an addiction, while others are concerned about cyberbullying, over-sharing, and an “all-about-attention” attitude.
Author Donna Lynn Hope asks an important question: “How different would people act if they couldn’t show off on social media? Would they still do it?”
If our children were to be born in more innocent times, without social media, would they be any different?
Consider these questions:
How do we know what our children are doing online?
Is there a way to control our child’s behavior on social media, without invading their privacy and breaking their trust?
How do we recognize if social media is negatively affecting our children?
This topic is complicated, and there are no simple answers. However, if you ask your child about the time they spend on social media, you might be surprised at how willing they are to talk about it.
When you speak with them about their emotions and challenges, and address potential issues in self-esteem, you may find that social media won’t pose such a threat to them.
Even so, you may still be wondering how you can safely explore your child’s secret life on social media.
These solutions will help:
Dignify their devices. If you want to limit your child’s social media usage, avoid taking away their device. They will find another one. Help them find effective ways to self-regulate, instead.
● Teens are aware of the consequences this habit creates. Encourage them to reflect on these consequences and focus on the impact social media overload has on their personal, academic, and other goals.
Ask about the apps. Ask your child which apps they spend the most time on. Is it Instagram, Facebook, or perhaps Snapchat? Once you find out, install those apps on your phone, too, and figure out how they work.
● Some apps have geolocation which can pose a real danger. Try to manage your child’s social media activity by informing them of the danger rather than imposing your opinion.
● Don’t be a manager, be a mentor.
Help them to protect their privacy. Talk about privacy settings on different social media accounts. Some teens are not aware of this option.
● Agree with them to accept only the followers and friends that they know personally. This is not an easy task for a teen because the number of followers is often the barometer of popularity.
● However, if they understand the necessity for well-managed online presence, this shouldn’t be a problem.
Talk about sexting. Parents find the infamous conversation about “The Birds and the Bees” just as awkward as children do. However, now you have another level to deal with – sexting.
● Teens can often confuse sending explicit messages and photos for intimacy that might not exist.
● Talk about what it means to have a healthy relationship and how to develop and maintain one.
Overcome social media prejudice. Many parents believe that social media is completely, or almost completely, bad. However, it is neither good nor bad per se. It’s a new form of communication.
● When parents talk to their children about social media from this standpoint, the child is likely to withhold and hide information.
● Genuine curiosity and an open mind about your child’s interest in social media can make a significant difference.
Care about their emotions. Teenagers want their opinions to be heard. This especially goes for the things they’re passionate or angry about. Social media offers instant feedback to their posts, which makes kids feel listened to, validated, and acknowledged.
● However, if you offer empathy for challenges your child is facing, you can provide listening and validation inside of your family, too. This will give you an insight into what your teen posts on social media and an opportunity to help them self-filter.
When your child asks you for the first time if they can open a social media account, avoid judging them or jumping to conclusions. Accept their need to engage in such community-based way of communication, talk about it, and help them build a safe profile.
Teach them how to protect themselves and what to expect.
You’ll never have all the information about their activity, but if you’re interested and understanding, you might get just the right amount.
Math Dragon: fun fast-paced beginning chapter book series for kids 8-11 (Junkyard Adventures 10)
Written by Tevin Hansen
Book 10 in the Junkyard Adventures pits two angry dragons against each other.
When Eli and Grace arrive at Larry’s secondhand store, they cannot find Uncle Larry. Instead they discover Professor Harvard who is temporarily watching the store. Despite Larry’s absence, a new fantasy adventure involving a war between two diverse dragons, the Word Dragon and the Math Dragon erupts and the children find themselves in the middle of it. Must the siblings choose a side? Can they restore order and find a way back to the present to escape the turmoil?
Non-stop adventure and colorful characters continue to enthrall chapter book readers from ages eight up. A fascinating independent read or classroom read aloud.
SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG FOR NEW BOOK REVIEWS EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY.
August 30, 2023
bamauthor
Comments Off on WHAT DOES HALLOWEEN MEAN TO YOU?
Barbara Ann Mojica's BLOG 
You must be logged in to post a comment.