Category Archives: Free Stuff

Connect with Authors and Illustrators with Read Local Challenge!

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It’s not to late to take the 2020/2021 Read Local Challenge, sponsored by the MD/DE/WV Region of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators!

Discover books by people who live in your own state – maybe even your own neighborhood! Our Read Local Challenge features traditionally-published authors and illustrators from Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington D.C.

How to Join the Read Local Challenge:

Choose a challenge level, and start reading.

Picture Book Challenge | Middle Grade Challenge | YA Challenge

Read one book or two … or five … or every book in your selected challenge level. You can even take the ultimate challenge and read all 25 books!

Join in the Reading Race.

Tell us which books you have read, individually or with a team. — If your whole team / family / class reads a book together, you get to count it once for each member of your team!

Then nominate a school or library near you to win a selection of signed books from us. — Each book you read gives your school or library another entry!

Fill your Read Local Challenge Passport and redeem it for an amazing reward!

Pick up a Read Local Challenge Passport bookmark from your participating school, library, or bookstore. For details on the passport program (including a list of prizes, and bookstores where you can redeem your filled passport), please click here.

Meet a local author or illustrator at one of our events!

Check out the Read Local Challenge events calendar to find us at our already-scheduled events.

Or invite a Read Local Challenge KidLit Creator to YOUR event!

All Read Local Challenge authors and illustrators offer a 10% discount on our individual speaking rates to any group participating in the challenge. (See profiles for more information.)

Make it a competition!

Gather a group of friends together, or challenge your class (or even your whole school)!

Teachers, Librarians, & Group Leaders: Request your FREE Read Local Challenge Kit. You will receive Read Local Challenge posters, passports, stickers, and more.

Adopt an Author (or Illustrator)!

Our Read Local Challenge authors and illustrators are committed to making connections with readers and promoting a love of books!

 

Click here to learn more about the Read Local Challenge!

 

 

Posted in: Free Stuff, Read Local Challenge

Take the Read Local Challenge!

By kathymacmillan on | Leave a comment

Check out the 2019/2020 Read Local Challenge, sponsored by the MD/DE/WV Region of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators!

Discover books by people who live in your own state – maybe even your own neighborhood! The Read Local Challenge features traditionally-published authors and illustrators from Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington D.C.

How to Join the Read Local Challenge:

Choose a challenge level, and start reading!

Read one book or two … or five … or every book in your selected challenge level (picture book, middle grade, or young adult). You can even take the ultimate challenge and read all 38 books!

Join in the state-by-state Reading Race!

Tell us which books you have read, individually or with a team. Our interactive map will update within 5-10 minutes to tell us which state has the most frequent readers. (If your whole team / family / class reads a book together, you get to count it once for each member of your team!) Then nominate a school or library near you to win a selection of signed books from us. One school / library in the winning state will win the grand prize!

Fill your Read Local Challenge Passport and redeem it for an amazing reward!

Pick up a Read Local Challenge Passport bookmark from your participating school, library, or bookstore. Fill the required number of passport spaces by reading books from our Read Local Challenge list, attending events to meet local authors and illustrators, visiting your library, and more.

Meet a local author or illustrator at one of our events!

Check out the Read Local Challenge events calendar to find us at our already-scheduled events. Or host one of our Read Local Parties and invite one of our authors or illustrators for a FREE, informal Q&A event either in-person or via Skype call.

Make it a competition!

Gather a group of friends together, or challenge your class (or even your whole school)! Teachers, Librarians, & Group Leaders: Request your FREE Read Local Challenge Starter Kit. You will receive Read Local Challenge posters, passport bookmarks, stickers, and small prizes such as postcards, buttons, etc. While supplies last, you will receive a FREE signed copy of a Read Local Challenge book. Who will win the grand prize in your challenge? It’s your challenge! You get to decide the rules!

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in: Free Stuff, Read Local Challenge

Take the Read Local Challenge!

By kathymacmillan on | Leave a comment

Take the 2018/2019 Read Local Challenge, sponsored by the MD/DE/WV Region of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators! The Read Local Challenge features traditionally-published authors and illustrators from Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and Washington D.C.

We invite all schools, libraries, homeschool groups, scout troops … groups of any size to join us! Take the challenge to read as many of these books from local authors/illustrators as you can, for a chance to win fabulous prizes, such as signed books and free Skype visits with one of our Read Local authors or illustrators. Then visit our websites to find our already-scheduled book signings and events, or to schedule a visit to your school or library.

Nita’s First Signs is featured in the Picture Book Challenge, and Dagger and Coin is featured in the Young Adult Challenge.

All are welcome to take the Picture Book Challenge, the Middle Grade Challenge, the Young Adult Challenge, or all three!  Click here to learn more.

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in: Free Stuff, Read Local Challenge

Win signed copies of new titles by Christine Kirker and Kathy MacMillan!

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We’re so excited to share that the co-authors of the Storytime Magic series each have new solo books out! Read about them below, and enter a giveaway for a prize pack featuring signed copies of both books here.

Nita’s First Signs

Available now from Familius Press!

  • Text by Kathy MacMillan
  • Illustrations by Sara Brezzi
  • ASL/Deaf Culture Advisor: Dr. Barbara Kannapell

American Sign Language makes it easy to communicate with your child, and Nita makes it fun! Nita’s First Signs teaches ten essential signs for every parent and child to know, including eat, more, hungry, milk, all done, ball, play, love, please, and thank you. A simple story about Nita and her parents teaches each sign in context, and repetition throughout each story makes them easy to practice. Even better, each page slides open to reveal accurate instructions on how to make each sign, plus tabs on the side of each page make it simple to locate every sign for later reference. Marlee Matlin, award-winning Deaf actress, author, and activist, says: “Nita’s First Signs demonstrates the value and fun of learning sign language for ALL infants, toddlers children AND adults, regardless of whether they are Deaf or hearing or hard of hearing.”

Order now at amazon.com | barnesandnoble.com | indiebound.org

 

25 Projects for Art Explorers

by Christine Kirker 

Available now from ALA Editions!

With schools emphasizing STEM activities for children to meet curriculum goals for standardized testing, nurturing children’s artistic creativity is often given short shrift. Kirker’s fun resource aims to restore the balance, offering more than two dozen projects that will spark children’s interest in art and encourage creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. Designed for kids aged 5-10, and flexible enough to use in either storytimes or classroom settings, the projects here

  • introduce children to a variety of art techniques, from gouache and watercolor to collage and papermaking, using a curated selection of quality picture books;
  • provide detailed directions for guiding children to experiment with these techniques to create their own projects; and
  • include materials lists adaptable for any budget, capsule biographies of the picture books’ illustrators, programming tips, and links to additional resources.

Kirker’s inventive projects will help library staff and educators reinforce learning, encourage experimentation, and build an appreciation for art and the creative process.

Order now from ALA Editions!

 

Enter a giveaway for a prize pack featuring signed copies of both books!

Posted in: American Sign Language, Art, Free Stuff, School Age Programming, Signing in Storytime

March 2 is Read Captions Across America Day

By kathymacmillan on | Leave a comment

So you probably knew that March 2 was Read Across America Day – but did you also know that it is Read Captions Across America Day?

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Lead by the Described and Captioned Media Program, Read Captions Across America (RCAA) is held in conjunction with the National Education Association’s (NEA) Read Across America event every year on or around March 2, the birthday of beloved children’s author Dr. Seuss.

The purpose of Read Captions Across America is to raise awareness—particularly among children and their parents and teachers—that video-based media can be just as effective at encouraging and fostering reading skills as books, as long as captions are always turned on!

Order a FREE toolkit, including posters, bookmarks, and certificates here.

Additionally, DCMP members are eligible to receive a free Dr. Seuss DVD as part of this campaign. Find out if you are eligible for a free membership here.

Posted in: Accessibility, Free Stuff, Recommended Resources | Tagged: , ,