Books (and more!) for the Holidays

Though I passed on the Black Friday shopping (and even the Cyber Monday fun), I've really enjoyed the Christmas present planning/creating this year. Last year I made reusable bags for family members, this year I'm back to pillowcases (14 are done so far, so I'm about half-way done!). But when considering the non-homemade gifts to put on our shopping list we took some other things into consideration:

1. Is it a book? As an author, mother, former teacher and avid reader books are always at the top of my personal wish list and gift-giving lists. Always. This year each of my children's teachers will get a novel to enjoy over the break (wrapped with a festive pillow-case, of course!). Shhhh, don't tell them! And when we look for books, I'm not just shopping from the bestseller list (though there are great ones there, and I did get a few of those) - we're discovering some great ones that are produced by independent publishers, too (like PJ Hoover's middle grade fantasy books). Check out the Moonbeam Children's Book Award listings for some recent titles for kids.

2. Is it local? A favorite gift for our extended relatives (aunts & uncles that shouldn't be forgotten, but don't require a big chunk of the budget) is something grown in the Pacific NW. The fruit grown out here is AMAZING, so we alternate between Chukar Cherries and Canter-Berry blueberry syrup. Our little Valley is also well-known for visual arts, so prints & notecards by local artists are list favorites. It is great to support our local economy and the creative energy that spreads here!

3. Does it inspire? If it is something that can be used once, we're generally not interested - unless it is an experience (tickets to a museum or play, for instance). Clearly that means Kleenex is out. Some people on my list are budding runners, so Carol Goodrow's 2010 What a Day for Running! calendar or a pair of running socks are perfect choices for those folks. Notecards from Banana Blossom Press are another choice for my running friends. And a new pair of running shoes is on MY wish list - to keep me going! My son loves to build and draw, so we're looking for open-ended, creativity-feeding toys like Dado Squares for him.

4. Does my purchase help others? We have a gift store in our little town that sells nature-related books, Folkmanis puppets and games, all in support of protecting and restoring wild fish throughout the Northwest. The toy store in town is offering a special shopping day on Saturday in support of my daughter's cooperative preschool - 10% of the sales that day will be donated to the school. Proceeds from the sales of the fly fishing-themed children's books about Olive the Woollybugger by my friend Kirk Werner support the program Hooked on a Cure. Our company Balanced Steps, LLC donated a case of We Are Girls Who Love to Run to our local YMCA in support of their Invest in Youth campaign - folks who purchase one of those copies at the Y are not only inspiring their friend/family member with the message in the book, but 100% of the purchase price goes to the YMCA. Not too shabby.

5. Does it respect the environment? While this answer isn't "Yes!" in every case, we do try to take it into consideration, especially when it comes to packaging/wrapping. Amazon.com is making strides to cut down on packaging by offering "Frustration Free Packaging". We've combined things to ship once, re-use gift bags, use the kids' artwork as wrapping and wrap small gifts in the pillowcases I'm making. All of the gifts we have for our children will be wrapped in their fun pillowcases I've made over the years. The kids and I are also hitting our local used bookstore where they'll pick out some books to give their dad for Christmas. Who says a book has to be new to hold value?

6. Does it fit the budget? I'm a bargain shopper. I'm all about the free shipping offers (if it is for something I want - I don't shop BECAUSE of free shipping) and last year's selection of Christmas fabric (which enabled me to make pillow cases at half the price by buying off the clearance rack!). I'm also make good use of coupons. These savings enable us to splurge on a few full-priced items. Everybody wins!

Happy December and happy shopping, everyone!

Lost in the Pages: Book Review of Janey Junkfood's Fresh Adventure

If you are looking for a resource for kids that puts fun into developing healthy eating habits, look no further! The January 2008 release Janey Junkfood's Fresh Adventure! by Barbara Storper, MS, RD is a colorful and light-hearted book that shares the importance of eating well.

The book is written in a detective case file format from a kid's perspective. Fictional author, Tobe Fit, chronicles the eating habits of her best friend, Janey Junkfood (JJ for short, though her friend thinks JJ stands for "Janey the Juggler") and how all of the sugar she consumes is hurting her chances of making the Junior National Juggling Team. Tobe knows the importance of eating colorful, healthy foods - she just has to convince Janey that fruits and veggies are as fun and easy to enjoy as junk is, with better results!

The combination of hand-written notes, typed up reports and silly kid-style sketches and illustrated photos make the book fun for kids to pick up and flip through. The content is fact-filled and honest, but the fluffy, fun presentation makes it kid-friendly and puts the information in an easy-to-digest (pun intended) scenario. Kids are sure to enjoy it and ask to read it more than once.

As an added bonus, cut-out healthy recipe cards ("Tickets to FRESH Adventures!") enable readers to apply Tobe's fun snack lessons to their own lives. There's even a pocket in the back of the book to store the tickets once you've cut out the pages from the book.

I'd suggest this book for parent-child sharing when kids are between kindergarten - second grade (even younger if the format doesn't overwhelm the child). Book sharing between parents and children goes a LONG way . . . but that's a post for another day!

There are some fairly decent vocabulary words and concepts that could use some decoding ("investigate" and "situation" aren't typical words for the younger crowd to read!) discussing if kids aren't familiar with them ("nationals" and some of the mock newspaper articles and factual reports). Beyond that, kids can dive in and read it on their own or with friends.

Janey Junkfood's Fresh Adventure! would be a fun book to share with small groups in a classroom setting during a nutritional unit. I'm sure physical education teachers would get rave reviews from their students for integrating parts of it into their lessons (you don't need to read the entire book to get the message across)! It is great for kids to see how books and literacy really do fit into ALL areas of their lives. Books DO have a place in physical education!

What's next on my review shelf, you ask? I'm about to start the novel Dragon Wishes by Stacy Nyikos, which is a book that officially releases this month - congrats Stacy! I hope to have it read and reviewed for you soon. I'm also working up a review of the Olive the Little Woolly Bugger books I've mentioned before.

I'm still looking for more books to review for you, though! Send ideas my way - especially books from independent publishers for youth and books about fitness and wellness.

And Illustrators, Don't Forget Your Favorite Illustrators!

Somehow in my post yesterday I neglected some of my favorite people: illustrators! (I'm sure it had something to do with the fact that I was typing while Little Sister squirmed in my lap while fighting off a nap)

I don't know where I'd be without the talents of Nicholas A. Wright, the illustrator of We Are Girls Who Love to Run . . . or the talents of Kirk Werner, our graphic designer and an author/illustrator in his own right. I'll be reviewing Kirk's Olive the Little Woollybugger books for you in the not-so-distant future.

So, to the list I shared with you yesterday about how to support your favorite books and authors, just mentally add THE ILLUSTRATOR to each of those comments. Illustrators make our world bright and beautiful, bringing authors' words to life.

And a special welcome to any visitors from the Blissdom blogging conference - I'm honored to have you here!