Childrens Days Books

The Magical, Marvelous Megan G. Beamer: A Day In The Life Of A Dreamer by Karen Gedig Burnett is a very highly recommended and entertaining picture book with an underlying positive message for young folks. Following the adventures of Megan, an impulsive and imaginative young girl, whose exuberance brings her intense criticism, the story hinges upon a key conversation in which the girl's mother reassures her that it is OK to dream, to play, and to be a kid. Wonderfully enhanced with the colorful artwork of Laurie Barrows, The Magical, Marvelous Megan G. Beamer will prove a welcome addition to school and community library collections for children ages 5 to 8.

Megan is a dreamer who is living in a world where everyone keeps telling her, "Don't," "No," "Stop," and "Grow Up." She has a vivid imagination and loves to act out her dreams. As she runs into the kitchen, she imagines she is the fastest kid alive. Well, until she knocks over the bucket of soapy water and her mother says: "Megan, go outside to run."

We find Megan in playful situations where she is dancing "between" raindrops, traveling to Mars or exploring wild jungles. I love the page where Megan says: "I dance between raindrops and never get wet." I remember thinking this was possible when I was a child. There is a cute picture of Megan playing on the lawn with the sprinkler, a dog and a mouse with an umbrella. On the left side of the two open pages, you see a dream-style cloud picture with Megan dressed as a ballerina and the dog is even dressed as an angel. The mouse, blue bird, squirrel, cat, dog and little yellow chicken appear in most of the scenes and this is amusing and cute. Children will enjoy looking for the animals.

Laurie Barrows has created the reality and the dream on all the pages where Megan is pretending to be what she imagines herself to be in her dreams. When she is playing by a stream in the mud, she is really thinking that she is a pretty mermaid diving deep into the ocean to find treasure. Laurie Barrows just has an amazing imagination and she has filled the pages to the brim with art, art and more art. This is truly one of those books you can read and read and never see everything on every page. Each time your child reads this book, they will be delighted to discover new aspects of the pictures.

Of course, no one else realizes that Megan is living in her own little world and so they don't appreciate her free-spirited and joyful attitude to life. Finally, she starts to get very discouraged and the scenes change to Megan wandering through her day discouraged and alone. Laurie Barrows captures the loneliness and dejection Megan feels and finally her mother asks her if she is having a bad day. The next scenes are so endearing as Megan and her mother have a conversation about why everyone wants Megan to be different than she is.

"Well, sometimes people forget what it's like to be a kid. Even other kids can forget what it's like to be a kid," Megan's mother answers.

As Megan and her mother sit on a garden bench, Megan's mother explains the entire situation and reassures Megan that she loves her just the way she is.

"But Megan, I love your dreams.
I love your energy.
And even though I get tired
sometimes and can get crabby,
I wouldn't change you.
I love you just the way you are."

Once Megan realizes that at least one person loves her just for being herself, she is back to being her imaginative, impulsive, creative, free-spirited self.

Karen Gedig Burnett has lovingly penned the words and her story is beautiful and teaches children to love themselves for who they are and to accept other people for who they are. This story also teaches us to love people unconditionally and to encourage them in their dreams.

This is Karen Gedig Burnett's fourth book. She has spent twenty years as a school counselor and her stories are now helping children throughout the world. Karen's books are for children of all ages. She is known for developing plays, stories and programs to help children learn how to handle life's challenges.

I truly hope Karen Gedig Burnett (a.k.a. Grandma Rose) keeps writing children's books. These are truly books children will love and they help parents and teachers to teach kindness and understanding. "The Magical, Marvelous Megan G. Beamer" is a story that remains in your heart and the message is eternal. We all want to be accepted and loved. When we are loved for who we truly are, we can reach beyond our dreams and become more than we thought we could ever be.

~The Rebecca Review

This sing along CD is a companion to the book by the same title "Make a Joyful Noise!" The CD features songs to go along with and supplement the Bible stories in the book, which includes fun easy to do creative movement activities. The fourteen songs on the CD combine the musical gifts of Heather and Hannah Robbins. These songs help the child develop listening, language, vocabulary, and memory skills. Using movement activities with the songs helps the child grow in self expression, balance, coordination, problem solving, role playing, and in their motor skills. This is a truly remarkable teaching tool for worship and learning at the child's level.

Reviewed by Richard R. Blake, Christian Education Consultant

great companion for a book by the same name. It is perfect for young and old.

I bought this book because I want to keep my finger on the pulse of my kid's goals, feelings, and social well being. This book is similar to 'adult' affirmation books, but it truly is written for teens - and very well written;

Every day covers certain themes such as manners, feelings, attitudes, goals, time management, & problem solving. Each day begins with a quote from a variety of folks (Eleanor Roosevelt, Chris Rock, David Robinson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Jesse Jackson, Sting, Mark Twain, etc.) A short paragraph gets you thinking & talking about the topic. The day ends with a topical affirmation (what the book calls "I-Statements") - suggestions about how to use the day's ideas in your daily life.

We have enjoyed this book. It's approx. 4'x6' and close to 400 pages. I keep it on the kitchen cupboard and plan to continue using it over breakfast throughout the school year.

this book was very helpful to me and i am sure it would be just as helpful to most teens today. this book tells you the truth about life today and how to handle it. It's GREAT!

Brightly colored illustrations by Chris Saunderson pique the child's imagination in this familiar Old Testament story, "March around the walls with Joshua." The easy to follow suggestions for action and movement which accompany the text, written by Stephanie Jeffs, encourage an interactive learning experience. Whether stomping up and down in an imaginary walk around the walls, blowing a pretend trumpet through clenched fists or shouting out loud with Joshua, the child will long remember their march around the walls with Joshua.

This is an excellent teaching resource for use at home or in the classroom. It should be in the preschool church classrom, in Christian school libraries, and in every home with preschool children.

Reviewed by Richard R. Blake, a Christian Education Consultant.

"Shout - rumble - bang - crash - shout ..." - your preS-Gr 1 boys will especially like this title in New Day's Action Rhyme Book series! The sweet illustrations will grab the more visual listeners. This series would be a great basis for religious education after-school or evening program for the little ones.

My four year old son and I really enjoyed this book. There is a simpler text on the top of the page and a wordier one at the bottom. At first the parent read it all and grdually the child will read the simpler text at top. A unique way to step into reading! My little guy especially enjoyed finding the little duck hidden on each page. I also got a sticker book version.

My four year old son and I so enjoyed this bright, happy book. I like the format with the simple sentences on top that the child eventually can read and the wordier text at the bottom for the parent which makes the story interesting. My little guy like the duck hiding on each page. Some took some looking to find much to his delight.

It is 1849 and Mary Mclean and her family are fresh off the boat from Ireland. Mary is excited to hear about stories and traditions from Ireland that are told by other members of the Irish community where she lives. One of the things she gets told about is the St. Patrick's Day parade. Mary is excited about this and all the stuff that surrounding it. More than anything, she wants to be part of it so she asks Mr. Finnegan, a local shop owner, if she can ride on his cart in the parade with him. Mr. Finnegan agrees but only if Mary McLean can find a perfect shamrock. This is an almost impossible task because it is winter. Mary searches and searches and she can't find one. She finally stumbles across a leprechaun who says he'll give her one later. Months later, he is back the day before St. Patrick's Day. Mary captures him and asks for the promised shamrock. The leprechaun says he lost it and tricks Mary into turning away. Mary goes home dejected. Her father comes home with a surprise! He found a shamrock for her and Mary is able to be in the parade. She's very happy.
This book is priceless. The artwork is fabulous and reminiscent of Norman Rockwell. The artwork is very engaging. Each page is laid out exactly the same. On the left side, there is the text. On the right side, there is a color illustration. The moral of the story seems to be that good things do happen to good people. This is a wonderful theme. It also seems to have a theme of good things happen to those who wait. This is something important to instill in children because so often they want things right now this very instant. The story line is entertaining and easy to follow. It is a wonderful book to read.

This is a story of a little girl who searches for a four leaf clover so she can be in the St. Patrick's Day Parade. The fantasy and excitement of a leprechaun appeals to my students. It lends very nicely to creative writing in the classroom. This is a must, especially for primary teachers.

We live at a point in time where very few people seem to have anything they are thankful for. When you consider the holidays that are a part of our calendar year, Thanksgiving seems to almost be forgotten. Retail stores immediately went from Halloween displays to Christmas displays. What happened to Thanksgiving? Because of this growing forgetfulness, books like Mary's First Thanksgiving are very important.

Mary's First Thanksgiving offers the reader a glimpse into the life of Mary and her family. This is their first Thanksgiving in America after leaving their home in Ireland to pursue religious freedom. They're starting to feel more settled, but life is by no means easy. Mary's father has secured employment shoveling coal, which allows him to put food on the table and heat their home. They have enough to get by, but there certainly isn't anything in abundance. On the last day of school before Thanksgiving, Mary is dwelling on their situation as she hears the other children talking about the great feasts their families will be having for Thanksgiving. The more she dwells on it, the more she wonders if she has anything to really be thankful for. When Mary arrives home, her parents sense that something is wrong. She shares her feelings with her parents and they in turn tell her the story of the Pilgrims who came to America in pursuit religious freedom just like Mary's family. Their first few years in America were far from easy, but they had much to be thankful for. Years after that first Thanksgiving, the colonists had a tradition of placing five kernels of corn on their plates to remind them of both the difficulties and blessings they endured when they first came to America. Just as the five kernels of corn represented five things the pilgrims had been thankful for, Mary's family shared five things they can be thankful for in the midst of their current circumstances.

Your children will certainly enjoy Mary's First Thanksgiving. The story accomplishes two important things. First it reminds us of the historical context of the Thanksgiving holiday. Second, it reminds parents and children that there is much we should be thankful for even in the midst of difficult life circumstances. Kathy-Jo Wargin's writing style makes this story a pleasure to read. Robert Papp's beautiful illustrations bring the story to life right before your eyes. Be sure to sure share Mary's First Thanksgiving with your family during this holiday season.

Kathy-jo Wargin is the author of more than twenty award-winning children's books. She lives in Michigan with her husband and her son, Jake.

Robert Papp has illustrated numerous children's books. He lives with his artist wife, Lisa, and their orange cat in historic Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

The main character, Mary, is usually happy her family moved from Ireland to America, but as Thanksgiving draws near she can't think of anything to be thankful for. Her father finally has a job, but they still don't have much money or food. When she shares her frustration with her parents, they share the true story of Thanksgiving. But the story they tell goes beyond a happy feast between Pilgrims and Native Americans; it also includes the tradition of five kernels.

Mary's father explains "the starving time" that came after that great feast. They hadn't stored enough food for winter and soon they were hungry again. But God answered their prayers for rain and a year later, the colonists held their second Thanksgiving feast. At this celebration they placed five kernels of corn on their plates, then gave thanks for the blessings each represented: the beauty and bounty of autumn, their love for one another, their love for their families, their friendship with the Native Americans; and their freedom to worship God without fear.

After finishing the story, Mary and her parents share five things they are thankful for.

The illustrations are life-like and colorful, a perfect compliment to to the text.

WHAT I LIKE: This is a new tradition to me, a part of the story I never knew. It encourages readers to be grateful even if they have very little -- a lesson we can all use. The illustrations are quite engaging.

WHAT I DISLIKE: The book covers a lot, almost too much for the younger end of the target audience.

Age Appeal: The publisher says 4-8, but I suggest 5-10.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Tanya -- Christian Children's Book Review

This is hands down the best book about Memorial Day for younger children. I have a 6 and 5 yo and they got so much out of this book. The wording was so much better than the ones I found at the local library. It discusses the Civil War a lot so you can use it again when that topic is introduced. I homeschool and I found this to be an excellent source of info!

The History of Memorial Day is so often overlooked, untaught, misunderstood. This book does an A+ job of teaching our children the history and the meaning of the day. I wish there were more like this. ... Buy. Read. Pass it on to others. Give as a gift. Let us not forget the true meaning of Memorial Day.

�Mickey Mantle Day in Amsterdam� is another gem from the pen of Jim LaBate, author of the tender �Let�s Go Gaels�. Once again, the author draws on his love of sports and the fond recollections of his childhood to evoke a bygone era, the pre-video era of wholesome heroes and hot summer afternoons when kids everywhere swarmed the baseball diamonds, gear in hand, and every patch of grass was its own field of dreams.

The generous heart of this story beats loudest and strongest in the young narrator�s exuberant admiration and respect for the singularly great Mickey Mantle and in the vicarious joy the reader experiences as twelve-year-old Jumbo�s ordinary world is transformed by an unexpected overnight visit from the extraordinary Yankee slugger.

This is not a story of hero worship for LaBate�s Mantle is life-sized and as common as a next-door neighbor as he plays ball with Jumbo and his gang of friends. Instead, what is ennobled is the broad hearted zeal of youth and its passionate embrace of a game that once defined everything that was great about small-town America. And therein lies the magic and the pleasure of this timeless tale. It captures the beauty and joy of a young boy�s heart without pretence or precocity so that, after reading it, I felt as if these boys, and the Mick himself, might have even been a part of my own childhood.

But there is a bittersweet cloud behind the joy of LaBate�s silver-lined fable. Two weeks ago I made a pilgrimage back to my hometown and visited what had been my field of dreams, a broad green expanse with four full ball diamonds, one in each corner, and four full outfields converging and blending together in the middle into one calm sea of grass. It was a beautiful summer day, about two in the afternoon, when I pulled into the lot beside where the dugouts and the water bubbler used to be. On any given summer day when I was twelve, back in 1963, we might have had to rise early to be certain we could get an open field for our daily pick-up ballgames, choosing new sides throughout the day just to make it more interesting. The fields still looked healthy and well-maintained. I got out of my car, walked to home plate and gazed across the fields. There was not a soul in sight.

All right, every red-blooded American male baby-boomer dreamed sometime of having Mickey Mantle come and spend the day at his house and impress the other kids in the neighborhood. It takes an author with the incredible skill of Jim LaBate to transform that fantasy into one of the most charming books of the era. Each character is so cleverly crafted, and the dialogue so genuine, that you almost feel he is writing about real people. No single neighborhood could possibly boast of so many genuine eccentrics! (Could it?)

good for my daughter. the first order evidently did not get processed properly, so I had to overnight the third attempt and had to pay excess delivery charge.

I really enjoyed reading this book! It was sooooo hard for me to put it down! Some books I have started and just never finished them.But that changed when I started reading the Millie
books!
Read the Millie books! You will NOT be dissapointed!