Top 10 Halloween Children's Books of 2017

It's that time of year again. You know the one. When all of the little ghosts, goblins, and princesses come out in droves in search for tricks or treats. With that comes a fun Halloween themed reading list that you can bond over with your children.  

All can be found on Amazon.com 

Enjoy 😃📚🕮

1 ~ 

The Itsy Bitsy Pumpkin

This gently spooky twist on “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” makes a favorite nursery rhyme just perfect for Halloween!

The itsy bitsy pumpkin
rolled down the spooky street.
He passed a ghoulish ghost
and some stinky goblin’s feet.

A little pumpkin is trying to find his way back home! And with a little help from a friendly witch, he is soon safe and sound, back on his porch—where there are no spiders to be seen! Little ones will love this fresh fall spin on a classic nursery rhyme!

2 ~ 

Room on the Broom

The witch and her cat are happily flying through the sky on a broomstick when the wind picks up and blows away the witch's hat, then her bow, and then her wand!  Luckily, three helpful animals find the missing items, and all they want in return is a ride on the broom.  But is there room on the broom for so many friends?  And when disaster strikes, will they be able to save the witch from a hungry dragon?

3 ~ 

The Spooky Wheels on the Bus

A haunted Halloween bus ride that will have children singing with excitement.

THE SPOOKY WHEELS ON THE BUS is a humorous Halloween-themed version of the classic song THE WHEELS ON THE BUS...with a few ghoulish tricks and treats up its sleeves! 

Count from One Spooky Bus up to Ten Goofy Ghosts as this Halloween ride races through town picking up a few unsuspecting passengers along the way.

4 ~ 

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything 

Once upon a time, there was a little old lady who was not afraid of anything! But one autumn night, while walking in the woods, the little old lady heard...clomp, clomp, shake, shake, clap, clap.

And the little old lady who was not afraid of anything had the scare of her life! With bouncy refrains and classic art, this timeless Halloween story is perfect for reading aloud.

5 ~ 

Pete the Cat: Five Little Pumpkins

Pete the Cat takes on the classic favorite children's song "Five Little Pumpkins" in New York Times bestselling author James Dean's Pete the Cat: Five Little Pumpkins.

Join Pete as he rocks out to this cool adaptation of the classic Halloween song!

A perfect way to share the Halloween spirit with young children.

6 ~ 

Pete the Cat: Trick or Pete

Pete loves Halloween and candy but not so much scary surprises. Follow Pete as he goes trick-or-treating from house to house and discover what is waiting behind each door.

With over ten flaps that open to reveal fun spooky surprises, this book is spooktacular!

7 ~

Little Blue Truck's Halloween

8 ~ 

Eek! Halloween! 

Boynton celebrates Halloween!

A new addition to the Boynton on Board series, with over 21 million copies sold, Eek! Halloween! is all treat and no tricks, a journey with Boynton and her nutty characters through the tradition of Halloween.

It starts with an uh-oh—the chickens are nervous! Strange things are happening. One chicken saw a pumpkin with flickering eyes, another spied a mouse of enormous size. They all saw a wizard and a witch, and a spooky robot. “WHAT’S GOING ON HERE? WHAT DOES IT MEAN? / Relax, silly chickens! It’s HALLOWEEN!”

9 ~ 

It's Pumpkin Day, Mouse! 

Join Mouse from If You Give a Mouse a Cookie as he decorates all the pumpkins in the patch in this sweet board book from Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond.

Mouse is excited for fall because that means it is time to decorate pumpkins! But one is missing. Where could it have gone?

This is the perfect Halloween book for the very youngest reader, and is just the right book to get kids and budding artists inspired to work on their own Halloween crafts.

10 ~ 

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (Peanuts)

Spooky tricks and hilarious treats abound in this retelling of the beloved Halloween special that comes with holographic foil and embossing on the cover!

Celebrate Halloween with Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang!

It’s Halloween night, which means costumes, trick-or-treating, bobbing for apples…and waiting for the Great Pumpkin. Linus is certain that the Great Pumpkin will rise out of the pumpkin patch to bring toys to all the children of the world. Could this be the year that it finally happens? 

Find out!

Top 10 Children's Books To Read For Fall

Fall is FINALLY here!  And your local libraries are showcasing all of the best Fall time reads.  Here are our Top 10 Children's books for the Fall season:

1 ~ The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: A Story of Life for All Ages

This story by Leo Buscaglia is a warm, wonderfully wise and strikingly simple story about a leaf named Freddie. How Freddie and his companion leaves change with the passing seasons, finally falling to the ground with winter's snow, is an inspiring allegory illustrating the delicate balance between life and death.

The Fall of Freddie the Leaf is a warm and thought-provoking story and both children and adults will be deeply touched by this inspiring book. This 20th anniversary edition of this beloved classic has helped thousands of people come to grips with life and death.

2 ~ Llama Llama Gives Thanks

From beloved storyteller Anna Dewdney comes the perfect way to give thanks: a Llama Llama Thanksgiving board book!
 
In Llama Llama Gives Thanks, it's Thanksgiving time for Llama Llama and his family! That means yummy foods and autumn leaves and being thankful for everything from pumpkin pies to blue skies. Thanksgiving may only come once year, but in Llama's family, giving thanks is always here!

With short and simple rhyming text, the Llama Llama board books introduce Llama Llama to babies and toddlers before they’re ready for longer full-length stories. And their small size and durable pages are perfect for little hands.

3 ~ Mouse's First Fall 

Lauren Thompson and Bucket Erdogan show what makes fall so much fun in Classic Board Book edition of Mouse's First Fall!

One cool day Mouse and Minka venture out to play. From leaves of all colors—red, yellow, orange to brown—to leaves of all shapes and sizes—Mouse learns what makes fall such a special season! Before their fun, fall day is over, Mouse takes a big "leap!" Now featuring the newly redesigned Classic Board Book logo, this sturdy book is perfect for little ones learning about the seasons!

4 ~ I Love Fall!: A Touch-and-Feel Board Book

From plump orange pumpkins to crunchy leaves, readers will love all the textures fall has to offer in this delightful touch-and-feel board book.

From woolly scarves and plump orange pumpkins to crunchy leaves and smooth wicker baskets, readers will delight in all the different textures fall has to offer. With simple, rhyming verses and sweet, vibrant illustrations, youngsters can celebrate the season with this touch-and-feel board book that's perfect for small hands.

5 ~ The Busy Little Squirrel

The leaves have started to fall. The air is cold. Squirrel needs to get ready for winter. He cannot nibble with the mice. He does not have time to hop with the frogs or run with the dogs. Will this busy little squirrel ever slow down? 

Focusing on all the charming features of the fall season, this sweetly illustrated story features country animals, pumpkins, leaves, apples and other signs of autumn. Now available as a sturdy board book, the newly redesigned Classic Board Book logo calls out this title's seasonal theme on the front cover.

6 ~ There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves!

Our favorite old lady is back and swallowing autumn items!

That wild old lady is back swallowing fall-themed items. What can you make from leaves, clothes, a pumpkin, and rope? That's right, a scarecrow!

Perfect for back-to-school time. 

7 ~ Apples and Pumpkins

A young girl spends a glorious fall day picking apples and searching for the perfect pumpkin in this refreshed classic.

"When red and yellow leaves are on the trees," a little girl goes with her parents to a farm where they pick apples and choose "the best pumpkin of them all." Back home, she helps to carve a grinning jack-o'-lantern face on the big orange pumpkin, which guards their doorstep on halloween night while her mother hands out shiny red apples and she and her father go trick-or-treating with the neighborhood ghosts and goblins.

8 ~ Fall Mixed Up 

"Every Septober, Every Octember, Fall fills my senses with scenes to remember." "Bears gather nuts. Geese hibernate. Squirrels fly south in big figure eights." Fall is all mixed up in this silly book from Bob Raczka! Can you find his mistakes in the words and pictures?

9 ~ Why Do Leaves Change Color?

It's fall! The leaves are changing color. This Let's-Read-and-Find-Out picture book explains the magical process of how leaves change their color in autumn.

Now rebranded with a new cover look, this classic picture book features graceful text and simple, fun diagrams to explain concepts like photosynthesis and the different types of leaves. This book also includes simple activities to do with leaves like leaf rubbings. Both the text and art were expert-vetted for accuracy.

This is a Level 2 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out, which means the book explores more challenging concepts perfect for children in the primary grades and supports the Common Core Learning Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. Let's-Read-and-Find-Out is the winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Science Books & Films Prize for Outstanding Science Series.

10~ Little Critter: The Fall Festival (My First I Can Read) 

Join Little Critter^® and his family on their exciting road trip to the Fall Festival! From apple picking to hayrides, discover how fun the harvest season can be.

Cooking Projects For Preschoolers

Ok, let's get down to the good stuff.  We know how much children love to do the things us adults do. We also know how picky our little ones can be when it comes to food.

So, why not get creative? Two birds. One stone.

We find that when planning and executing cooking projects in the classroom and at home it helps them to be more willing to try the food they are preparing. They yearn to do these "adult" tasks with us. My favorite way to entice them to try new things is to offer the cooking project as a lesson; but they can only do the lesson if they take a bite.

You would be surprised how many children will try new foods this way.  Slicing cucumbers and carrots? No problem. Cutting celery and bananas? Yes please.

We've even had parents come in with foods from home that their picky eaters refused to give a second glance, and beg that we somehow, someway turn them into believers. I would have to say that by the end of the school year, we had a 90% success rate.

Try it out!  If it doesn't work, at least you have fun activity ideas to share with your children. Trust me, cooking is a great bonding experience 😉

1 - Pizza Bagels!

(Image courtesy of YouTube)

Oh man, is this a good one. Kids love making these so much that they go home and immediately send their parents out for the ingredients to make with them. We make these every year at the beginning of the school year to break the ice with our students. I mean, who doesn't like pizza? Or bagels? This is easily one of their favorite projects.

What you will need:

Plan Bagels, of course (cut in half) For children we use mini bagels, but you can can use any

1 - jar of your favorite pizza sauce

Your favorite toppings (optional)

Mozzarella cheese (grated)

Directions:

You can do this one of two ways; Bake or microwave. We prefer to microwave here at school.
If baking, set your oven to 375.

Spread pizza sauce evenly over each bagel half.

Add toppings and cheese

Microwave on high for 25 seconds or bake for 10 minutes (or until cheese is a bubbly gooey goodness)

Voila.

2 - Piggy Pancakes

(Image courtesy of Allrecipes)

This goes perfectly after reading, "If You Give A Pig A Pancake" by Laura Numeroff.

What you will need:

Your favorite pancake mix. Hint: Frozen pancakes will work in a pinch if you don't feel like cooking 😉

Blueberries or chocolate chips for the eyes and a banana for the snout

Directions:

Prepare pancakes according to package instructions. If you prefer to add ears you can cut a prepared pancake into ears.

Place one small pancake in the middle of the place for the face.  Add the banana for the snout and blueberries or chocolate chips for the eyes.

And just like that, you have a piggy pancake. Top with syrup if you so choose and enjoy!

3 - Eggs In A Mug

(Image courtesy of frugalhausfra.com)

What you will need:

An egg, because what would eggs in a mug be without the egg 😄 Though, if you so desire use egg whites

A mug

Veggies and or meats (cooked) of choice (Optional)

Sharp Cheddar Cheese (Shredded)

Cooking Spray

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Lightly spray the inside of the mug

Crack egg into mug and microwave on high for 1 minute.  Add desired veggies, meats, and cheese. Return to microwave and cook for another 30 seconds or until eggs are cooked through.

Let cool and chow down!

4 - Easy Cheesy Quesadilla

(Image Courtesy of AllRecipes.com)

What you will need:

(2) Tortillas

Shredded Sharp Cheddar.

Cooking Spray

Directions:

Lightly spray your plate

Top one tortilla with as much cheese as your little heart desires

Feel free to add meats or veggies if you see fit

Cover with second tortilla

Microwave on high for one minute or until cheese is melted

Cut into fours and it's always wise to have sour cream and or salsa on hand.  They are a nice touch to an already fabulous munchie.



Enjoy!

Hurricane Harvey Relief Donations

Did you know that Texas and several national relief organizations have set up Amazon online wish lists for their most high demand items needed immediately?

Tens of thousands of people in Texas were displaced due to the floods of Hurricane Harvey. As of the end of last week they were up to 36,000+ people living in shelters. Around 40% of those are children. This is confirmed as the biggest flood ever recorded in U.S. History.

If you want to contribute, please consider visiting the wish lists of some of these organizations.  They will receive your items directly in a matter of a few short days.

1 - Texas Diaper Bank

A complete list of items needed can be found here:  http://amzn.to/2vrUyia

***They are still asking for diapers and feminine products.***

2 - Junior League of New Orleans Diaper Bank

This group is assisting Hurricane Harvey victims by accepting donations of diapers, wipes, and feminine products through their diaper bank foundation.  

The complete list is here:  http://amzn.to/2cl3YgM

3 - American Red Cross

The American Red Cross has its own wish list designated for Hurricane Harvey:  http://amzn.to/2x33dab

Free Educational Websites For Elementary Students

We know how much kids today love to have their "screen time." Whether you give them 20 minutes a day, 30 minutes a day, or more. Why not make it educational AND fun for them? There are many websites out there that want this very combo for your children. They understand the importance of keeping them engaged while learning.

Here are some of our favorites:

www.coolmath-games.com

Coolmath games is a brain training site for everyone where logic, thinking, and math meets fun and games. This site advertises that they are violence-free, so play without worry.


www.funbrain.com

Funbrain is an educational online site for kids of all ages. The site calls itself "an amusement park of math and more." Funbrain is geared towards children up to 13 years of age and is chock full of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and more.


www.makemeagenius.com

Makemeagenius.com is full of videos on science subjects such as physics, the solar system, and the human body. All videos are kid-friendly.


www.timeforkids.com

Time for kids is a site from the creators of TIME magazine. Your children will find several articles related to current news written just for them.


www.kids.nationalgeographic.com

Learn interesting facts about animals, nature, and more.  Your young learners will get a chance to watch animal cams and if they're lucky, maybe even a birth or two :)


www.scholastic.com/teachers/student-activities

Here you will find activities broken down by grades geared towards children all of the way to seniors in High School.


www.bbc.co.uk

BBC History for kids is full of games, quizzes and fact sheets taking children on a journey through ancient history, world history, and lands far far away.


www.highlightskids.com

From the creators of the Highlights magazine comes a website full of fun art activities, science experiments, and stories.


www.discoverykids.com

Here children can enjoy games, puzzles, and quizzes on studies of current events and science.


www.pbs.org

Not only can your children enjoy the educational shows on PBS, but they can also play games featuring their favorites.  Those games include math and language.

Happy Birthday America! Top 4th Of July Books For Preschoolers

Ahhhh Summer.

The time of year where we get to play at the pools, beaches, eat massive food at cookouts, and celebrate our Independence. Chances are, with the children being home for summer vacation, you'll take trips to the Library and book stores.

We have a nice list of fun reads for you and your child to enjoy.

1 - 

The Night Before the Fourth of July

The twentieth title in the bestselling Night Before series is the perfect summer treat! 

It's the night before the Fourth of July and all across the United States people are getting ready for hot dogs and fireworks. Decked in red, white, and blue, a family heads to a parade, hosts a backyard BBQ with friends and family, dodges an afternoon thundershower, and of course, watches a fireworks show. The Night Before the Fourth of July captures all the fun, excitement, and pride of the best summer holiday!

2 - 

Corduroy's Fourth of July 

Celebrate summer with a Corduroy board book adventure!

Today is the Fourth of July, and Corduroy and his friends are having a fun-filled picnic. They eat tasty treats and play games in the hot summer sun. Then it’s time to cool down with a dip in the pool. Next they take part in an Independence Day parade! Scruffy Pup bangs the drum, Checkerboard Bunny plays the flute, and Corduroy carries the American flag. Once it’s dark outside, the friends gather to watch an amazing fireworks display.

This sturdy, brightly colored shaped board book is perfect for the youngest fans of Corduroy, one of the best-loved characters in children’s books for nearly 40 years.

3 - 

The Story of America's Birthday

This little book presents the story of the founding of America in words that are simple enough for a toddler to understand. Vibrant illustrations paired with the text help to create the connection between the story of the Declaration of Independence and American Revolution and today's Fourth of July festivities. Parents can use this book to introduce little ones to the history and meaning behind Independence Day. Ages 2-5.

4 - 

Apple Pie Fourth of July

Shocked that her parents are cooking Chinese food to sell in the family store on an all-American holiday, a feisty Chinese American girl tries to tell her mother and father how things really are. But as the parade passes by and fireworks light the sky, she learns a surprising lesson. 

5 - 

Eloise and the Big Parade

Eloise and Nanny are going to a big parade!

6 - 

Happy 4th of July, Jenny Sweeney!

It's the 4th of July and all over town, people are getting ready. Jenny Sweeney gives her dog, Rags, a bath. All the preparations lead up to the big parade and a night of bright fireworks. It's a great day. "Happy Birthday, USA!"

7 - 

F Is for Flag (Reading Railroad)

June 14 is Flag Day, but with so many American flags proudly displayed, every day seems like Flag Day. Perfect for reading together with a young child, F Is for Flag shows in simple terms how one flag can mean many things: a symbol of unity, a sign of welcome, and a reminder that-in good times and in bad-everyone in our country is part of one great big family.

8 - 

L Is for Liberty (Reading Railroad)

For more than a century, the Statue of Liberty has stood proudly in New York Harbor, welcoming people from near and far. Perfect for reading together with a young child, L Is for Liberty uses simple language and bold illustrations to celebrate the statue, her history, and the freedom she stands for.

9 - 

A Is for America: A Patriotic Alphabet Book

Little ones will love learning American history in Tanya Lee Stone's latest alphabet book. Rhyming couplets that flow through the alphabet help kids celebrate everything from the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence to Thomas Jefferson and Harriet Tubman!

10 - 

The Berenstain Bears God Bless Our Country (Berenstain Bears/Living Lights)

The Bear family and their Bear Country neighbors celebrate the Fourth of July with a big parade. But not before the cubs get a lesson about the blessings of freedom for their country.  Features 12 full-color stickers.