Ten Reason Your Kids Should Participate in a Summer Reading Program

by Rebecca J. Gomez When my kids were young, summer reading programs were a sure thing. For the most part, my children were avid readers, especially my girls. A summer reading program wasn't necessary to encourage them to read, but we participated because it was a fun addition to summer. And the free pizza, books, and water park tickets definitely didn't hurt! There are lots of reasons to participate in a summer reading program or challenge, and here are ten of them: 1. Many summer reading programs offer prizes. And while we all know that reading is its own reward, some kids haven't figured that out yet. For those kids, a prize is just the incentive they need to stick their noses in a book now and then over the summer. 2. It's a fun way to reward those kids who will be reading no matter what! 3. For some families, trips to the library may help break up summer monotony.  4. Summer reading programs promote reading together as a family, especially for those with very young

Interview with Author Corey Rosen Schwartz

by Rebecca J. Gomez

Today I am happy to talk with Corey Rosen Schwartz, whose new picture book, Cold Turkey just released on November 23. Cold Turkey by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Kristi Call, illustrated by Chad Otis is a fun rhyming story about a c-c-cold turkey who takes pity on his even c-c-colder friends. 


And now, on to the interview!

RebeccaRead, Discuss, Do! is all about taking storytime to the next level through thoughtful conversation and activities. Do you have a favorite memory of seeing this in action with one of your books? Or from your childhood?

Corey: I have a favorite memory from when my children were little. For my wedding, I received “nesting” bowls as a gift. When my kids were very young, we loved to use these bowls to pretend we were the three bears eating our porridge! We’d use a giant bowl for Papa Bear, a medium bowl for Mama Bear and a teeny-tiny bowl for Baby Bear. We obviously had corresponding spoons as well-  huge for Papa, medium for Mama, and itty-bitty for Baby Bear. This made eating hot oatmeal so much more fun!


Rebecca: What a fun idea! I bet the person who gave these to you never imagined they would be used that way! Do you have any special resources to share that will help teachers or parents before or after reading your books?

Corey: Yes. I have all sorts of activity pages posted on my website, www.coreyrosenschwartz.com. There's everything from a ninja puppet craft, to a "write your own fairy tale" template, to a tasty fraction recipe. You just need to check each individual book page to find links.

Rebecca: What, if anything, do you hope kids will learn from your books?

Corey: I mainly write stories to be fun and entertaining. Sometimes there is a subtle message about teamwork or persistence, but my real goal is just to have kids fall in love with reading!  If I can make kids laugh in the process, that is a huge plus!

Rebecca: Sounds like a good goal to me! What are three discussion-sparking questions adults can ask children when reading Cold Turkey?

Corey: Why did Turkey give away his clothes? How do you think Turkey felt after sharing his warm clothing with the other barnyard animals? How do you feel when you share something?

Rebecca: Those are great questions for sparking discussions! Thank you so much for joining us at Read, Discuss, Do! today, Corey. Good luck with Cold Turkey, and be sure to stay warm!


To see the activities Corey mentioned above, follow the links below. And be sure to explore her website, www.coreyrosenschwartz.com, for more information about her and her books, and more fun book themed activities.



Comments

kaishasacca said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.