S'more Reviews

S IS FOR S'MORES: A CAMPING ALPHABET is part of a series with Sleeping Bear Press. Here are some reviews I wanted to share with you.

“Working her way through the alphabet, James uses each letter to highlight a different aspect of the camping experience, including animal tracks, fire safety, navigation and snow shelters. The enthusiastic approach and diverse information will excite children about camping and help them feel comfortable whether they find themselves sleeping in the backyard or the backcountry.”
—Blake Anderson, ALASKA AIRLINES in-flight magazine

Wilderness Camping from A to Z

“Did you know that the first female park rangers were hired in 1918, and were called “Rangerettes”? Or that a camping shelter built of snow is called a “quinzhee”?

You can find these fun facts and other camping trivia in the new book S IS FOR S’MORES: A CAMPING ALPHABET by Helen Foster James, illustrated by Lita Judge (Sleeping Bear Press, 2007; $17.95). James, an avid camper, WILLA Literary Award Finalist, and National Parenting Publications Awards judge, weaves a tapestry of camping fun that will get kids excited about hitting the trails.

Emphasizing respect for the environment and the beauty of nature, S IS FOR S’MORES breaks down camping topics alphabetically and accompanies each topic with an explanation or instructions—for example, a short essay on national parks or a list of essential camping gear. There are even a couple of essential recipes for s’mores and trail mix included at the end of the book. While this is an alphabet book, the language and facts will engage children as old as 10.”
—Dana Morgenstein, BAY AREA PARENT

“For some people, nothing says summer like a camping trip. This nicely illustrated book covers everything about camping, from A is for adventure, to Z is for zipper—as in the zipper on a tent or sleeping bag. In between is a wealth of information—snippets about the attractions at various national parks and recreational areas, a discussion about the different gear needed for camping and what to carry in case of emergency, food that’s fun to cook and eat outdoors, and of course, a reminder on how to prepare that quintessential camp food, s’mores. The oil paintings, mostly of children enjoying the outdoors, might even inspire you to break out the old backpack and stir up some trail mix.”
—ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Winter Wish

Whoa! Where did the last two months go?

The winter issue of "The California Reader" has arrived and it's beautiful. It features a glorious poem by Joan Bransfield Graham, "Wish for Peace." It's from the book AMERICA AT WAR with poems selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins. Lee just received the NCTE Excellence in Poetry Award.

Best wishes to you.

National Parenting Publications Awards

Each year I’m a judge for the National Parenting Publications Award. I’m a judge for the book category, but you’ll find award-winning DVDs, parenting resources, storytelling, toys, and more listed on their website: www.parenthood.com/nappa.

SAY DADDY! by Michael Shoulders (www.michaelshoulders.com) was one of my favorites this year. It's the perfect baby shower gift. It was published by Sleeping Bear Press (www.sleepingbearpress.com).

Please Vote

Last night we watched the movie REWIND with Kevin Spacey and Laura Dern (as Katherine Harris). It presents the events surrounding the 2000 presidential election and the counting of votes in Florida. It’s an important reminder to each of us that every vote is important.

Please vote.

And, if you haven’t watched the DVD, I think you’ll find it interesting.

Crusing in Mexico

We've been in Mexico on a 7-day cruise on Holland's Oosterdam. We visited Cabo, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta. Magician Illusionist James Cielen (www.dovemagic.com) and Joel Mason with his salute to Elton John (www.eltonjoel.com) were two of the terrific headliners. I also loved the culinary demonstrations.

It was a terrific cruise, but I'm making this "short and sweet!"

A Thousand Never Evers

Yesterday I posted the National Book Awards, but today I want to tell you about one of my favorites of 2008: A THOUSAND NEVER EVERS a novel by Shana Burg. It received a Gold National Parenting Publications Award (NAPPA).

Here’s a summary: “In Kuckachoo, Mississippi, 1963, Addie Ann Pickett worships her brother Elias and follows in his footsteps by attending the black junior high school. But when her careless act leads to her brother's disappearance and possible murder, Addie Ann, Mama, and Uncle Bump struggle with not knowing if he's dead or alive. Then a good deed meant to unite Kuckachoo sets off a chain of explosive events.”

Here are some reviews:
 
"Told in the first person through the eyes of a perceptive African-American girl living in the deep south during a period of racial tension and social upheaval, this first novel is a gripping page-turner. Without being didactic, the author teaches what it was like to be poor and live under the injustices of segregation."
— Parent’s Choice 
 
"References to significant historical events (Medgar Evers’s assassination, the March on Washington) add authenticity and depth, while Addie’s frank, expertly modulated voice delivers an emotional wallop."
—Publisher's Weekly, Starred Review

If you teach or work as a librarian with sixth, seventh, or eighth grade students, you are not going to want to miss this book!

National Book Award

The Young People’s Literature finalists for the National Book Award have been announced and you can learn more about the award and each book at www.nationalbook.org.

Laurie Halse Anderson, Chains (Simon & Schuster)
Kathi Appelt, The Underneath (Atheneum)
Judy Blundell, What I Saw and How I Lied (Scholastic)
E. Lockhart, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks (Hyperion)
Tim Tharp, The Spectacular Now (Alfred A. Knopf)

Celebrate # 8!

Hooray! S IS FOR S’MORES: A CAMPING ALPHAGET is listed as #8 in the Union-Tribune on the “Local Bookstore Best-Sellers.” They were given the update by the Yellow Book Road children’s bookstore.

Here's the website listing: http://recall.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20081012/news_1a12scorem.html

Now that’s something to celebrate!

What's Cooking

I took a class today with “The Opera Singing Chef.” She is informative and funny, and her recipes are delicious.

She has some upcoming classes at the Natural History Museum and Quail Botanical Gardens that sound terrific and are listed on her website: www.theoperasingingchef.com.

If you love food, laughter, and song, she’s got a class for you!

Got Crisp Air?

We have crisp air and the beginning of fall leaves at our cabin so we invited some folks to enjoy a fall festivity last weekend.

Mt. Laguna is located about 70 minutes away from San Diego’s shore, but at 6000 feet elevation our San Diego mountains offer a completely different scene. I love that about San Diego—beach, mountains, and desert are all nearby to enjoy.

Yellow Book Road

I met with Boy Scouts at the Yellow Book Road children’s book store this evening. The kids were terrific and I enjoyed talking with them about camping and writing.

The Yellow Book Road is the only children’s bookstore in San Diego. They have a knowledgeable staff and the store is owned by two educators.

Here’s their info:

Yellow Book Road
7200 Parkway Drive, Suite 118
La Mesa, CA 91942
619.463.4900
www.yellowbookroad.com

A Laughlin We Will Go!

We just got home from Laughlin, Nevada. We went with Full Circle Tours and had a lovely time in the desert. Going on a bus trip makes this trip easy. We enjoyed a boat trip down the Colorado River, an exhibit of vintage and classic cars, plus the solitude of the desert.

Here’s the Full Circle Tours info:

Full Circle Tours
619.287.3893
800.877.4901

"26 Miles Across the Sea . . . "

We took our annual Catalina Island trip and camped at the sea’s edge in Two Harbors. We snorkeled (I saw a starfish!) and kayaked, but the most memorable moment was when we sang “The Hamster Song” around the campfire. You might know this as “The Gambler” made famous by Kenny Rogers, but to our favorite four-year-old it’s the song his papa’s battery-operated hamster sings. You haven’t really enjoyed a campfire until you watch a four-year-old sing:

”You got to know when to hold ’em.
Know when to fold ’em.
Know when to walk away.
Know when to run.”

Nana had to explain “ . . . when the dealin’s done.” I guess a four-year-old doesn’t have prior knowledge on that experience, still Kenny Rogers would have been proud.

I'm Not Scared of No Bears . . . I'm Not Scared

We visited Yosemite in August staying at White Wolf in a tent cabin and in an historic cabin in the Valley. Both were interesting experiences, but the White Wolf bear attack might be the most memorable portion of the trip.

We attended a forest ranger campfire program on our first night where the ranger shared his “I’m Not Scared of No Bears, I’m Not Scared” rap. You had to be there to really get the full flavor, but trust me . . . I was soon singing it while taking my late night comfort walks as I tried to feel brave and clutched my flashlight. This rap was complemented by the second day’s ranger program on bears and the ranger’s confirmation that there was “bear activity” in the area.

While we were at White Wolf a bear tore into a heavy fenced area where garbage was collected. I heard the late-night ruckus with employees yelling and beating pots to scare the bear away. In the morning, we surveyed the impressive damage. The next night . . . a repeat performance. On our fourth night, we were stunned when we learned that a man left his tent cabin at night without his flashlight to go to his unlocked bear box . . . Can you say “Clueless?” A bear was making an evening buffet out of the man’s bear box and was startled when the man approached him. The bear gave the man a “bear hug” and the man was soon toted to the Valley’s hospital.

Moral of the story: Lock your bear box and use a flashlight. Please help keep bears wild (and you safe!).

The most amazing sight in Yosemite’s Valley this August? No water in Yosemite Falls. Can you imagine? Still, we had a fabulous time and have already made reservations for next year, but we’ll be returning to the Valley in May when the dogwood trees are in bloom.
Hmmm . . . silly me . . . I prefer dogwood blossoms over bear activity. Who would have guessed?

Xploration Studios

I’ve been experiencing a bit of tech problems recently and I’ve been busy, busy, busy reading! But, instead of telling you what I’ve been reading (that will come another day!) I’ll tell you what I’ve been doing.

We went on a trip to Baja to visit the seaside village of historic Rosarito Beach. We made a promise that we’d visit again and spend more time, but we had to move on our journey to the Xplorations Studios near Puerto Nuevo. This is a small movie studio complex located along the Pacific Ocean and was originally built for James Cameron’s film, TITANIC. Since that time other movies, television shows, and commercials have been filmed at this location.

We watched TITANIC (again) before our visit so our visit would have more meaning for us. We had a fabulous time visiting the sets and learning how visual and sound effects are made. It’s a small complex with great guided tours (in English or Spanish).

We had a terrific time, but I’ll offer you this advice: Eat before visiting. We should have, could have, would have had lunch before our visit if we had known that the only places to get lunch at the Studios was Dominos Pizza and Subway. Both are fine, but not nearly the same as enjoying a delicious Mexican lobster meal before the visit. If we had known . . . so I share my advice with you.

That’s all for now—I’ve read 60+ children’s books, but I’ll share the best-of-the-best later.

Adios!