Booktalks for Chidlren's Fantasy FictionBooktalks

Booktalks for Children's Fantasy Books

Writing booktalks takes a long time. Good thing there are resources like this on the web. This site includes lots of creative ideas for getting the children's attention, too. 

Best New Books for Moms with Children Adopted from China

Best New Books for Moms with Children from China

Here is a roundup of books published within the last year--a mom who moved her family to China for a year, a food critic who undertook being a chef in various restaurants from small noodle stands to fancy cuisine, a haunting story of a girl who loses her Chinese family, and an account of a family that stayed in China for several years.

All good writers, all sharing their stories. Best Books for Moms with Children from China

Best Titanic Nonfiction Books for Kids

New Titanic book from Scholastic

Some new books about the Titanic have been published close to the 104th anniversary of the shipwreck.

This is my favorite one, and I think it would make a great resource for teachers who are wanting to teach things about science and social studies through the lens of the Titanic.

It's published by Scholastic and has a lot of great photos and infographics as well as all kind of fascinating little factoids about the Titanic and its passengers.

Here is a resource list with reviews of all kinds of nonfiction Titanic books .

Best Titanic Chapter Books for Kids

Best Titanic Chapter Books for Kids

The anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic steamship is coming up soon, and it's time to get this list to girls and boys who are mesmerized by the story. The past few years have seen several new books. The one in the "I Survived" series is probably the most popular. This series has done wonders with making historical fiction cool again. 

Books to Get for Mother's Day--Families with Children From China

Serve the People by Jen Lin-Liu

For any mom who loves food! This book chronicles Lin-Liu's exploration of Chinese culinary traditions, which she went about in a unique way. After writing articles as a food critic for several years, she decided to go to a cooking school, and then intern at several restaurants.

She includes lots of interesting insights into the culture and the food, as well as including many recipes which look entirely doable. They would make some really nice mother-daughter projects, cooking authentic Chinese food.

Easy and Creative Ideas for Making Peeps Dioramas

Easy idea for a Peeps diorama--Peeps at the Art Museum

Here's a fun and easy idea for making a Peeps diorama with your kids--have Peeps at the art museum. You just need a few beads, some felt, a few fabric remnants, paper, markers--and of course, marshmallow Peeps. This How to Make a Peeps Diorama article has lots of tips that you wouldn't ordinarily think of when making a diorama.  I've had children use this same idea and make something like a karate school or dance class, too.

I've learned through hard experience lots of tips and tricks about making Peeps dioramas. This is a good site to read before making one of your own. How to Make a Peeps Diorama

Great tips for making a Peeps diorama

Easter is coming up. This site has some great practical tips. Did you know it's best to buy the Peeps earlier and let them dry a bit? See! All kinds of things you didn't know that will make it much easier to get that diorama done. Ho to Make a Peeps Diorama

Celebrate Chinese New Year by Carolyn Otto-- a good book to read to children for Lunar New Year. By National Geographic. Great photos, of course.

Here is a great book to read to children for Chinese New Year. It includes great photography by National Geographic staff and includes photos from celebrations all around the world. What I liked is that it has brief phrases you can read to the really young kids and more in-depth explanations you can read to the older children. You can find lots more book suggestions here.

Printable Greeting card template for Year of the Monkey

Printable template for Year of the Monkey greeting card Chinese New Year

Take a few simple shapes--heart, oval, circles--put them together, and you have this cute little monkey who fits into the year 2016 just fine. It's a 2016 Year of the Monkey greeting card, and the printable template is available here