HOOK KIDS on READING: Beyond Reading

Showing posts with label Beyond Reading. Show all posts

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Introducing VIRTUAL SCHOOL VISITS - Skyping to promote READING

Coming soon . . .

from
Margot Finke

At my writing desk, holding "Taconi and Claude,"
my latest mid-grade adventure or boys - and tomboys!

VIRTUAL SCHOOL VISITS –
Skype Makes it Happen!

This is for the teachers - or those who know teachers:

I am looking for teachers, or schools, that would like a
VIRTUAL VISIT
from a children's author who loves to get
RELUCTANT READERS READING.

With the economy in the dumps, and many schools feeling a definite pinch, Skype and a Webcam make sense. And I promise your class AFFORDABLE and INFORMATIVE fun.

I am also more than happy to plan my presentation
so that it fits the needs of YOUR class's curriculum.

Let’s negotiate a
VIRTUAL SCHOOL VISIT

http://virtualschoolvisits.blogspot.com/

Go here for ALL the details

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Margot’s Magic Carpet
11x Books With a WOW Factor
http://perfectmagiccarpet.blogspot.com

Monday, July 5, 2010

GOOGLE and MARGOT - They Can't Both be Wrong About eBOOKS & eREADERS.

When GOOGLE teams up with
Independent Bookstores
there's a good reason.

From the
NewYork Times: SAN FRANCISCO:
Independent bookstores were battered first by discount chains like Barnes & Noble, then by super-efficient Web retailers like Amazon.com. Now the electronic book age is dawning. With this latest challenge, these stores will soon have a new ally: the search giant Google.

=======================

From Radio and Internet Guru
Kim Komando's Daily News: Say goodbye to shelves of dusty old books! Thanks to e-readers like the Kindle, Nook and Sony’s Reader, e-books are taking off. You’re not limited to a few titles. You can download the latest best-sellers. And, you’ll find thousands of free e-books online.

==================

Wall Street Journal - Life & Styles: Here's more news about the growing popularity of e-books: SAN FRANCISCO—Libraries are expanding e-book offerings with out-of-print editions, part of a broader effort to expand borrowing privileges in the Internet Age that could challenge traditional ideas about copyright. Starting Tuesday, a group of libraries led by the Internet Archive, a nonprofit digital library, are joining forces to create a one-stop website for checking out e-books, including access to more than a million scanned public domain books and a catalog of thousands of contemporary e-book titles available at many public libraries.

======================

From

Margot Finke:
Books for Kids - Manuscript Critiques

From "Don'r Say BOO to a Frilly"

.

I've been saying for ages, that my rhyming
eBOOK series, "Wild and Wonderful,"
7x books about animals from the US and Australia,
offer fun, educational facts about unique critters.

There are also many other eBOOKS out there that are
fun, fine quality, and worthwhile reading.

That they are eBOOKS make many think they must
be poor quality - inferior!!
.
NO WAY!! The reviews were terrific.
.

When combined with an affordable eREADER,
eBOOKS are the future of reading.

They are CHEAPER, GREENER, and
EASIER to carry around.

Sure, paper books will still be popular: no one says otherwise. The same way readers have always looked for quality reading matter in paper books, they will look for quality in the eBOOKS they download.

There is a TIME and a PLACE for both paper and eBooks.

THE READING FUTURE IS ABOUT TO KNOCK THE UNWARY FOR A BURTON, MATES!

All I ask is this:
PLEASE don't knock eBOOKS
until you've given them a fair trial.
.
You might get a pleasant surprise.

Paper and electronic books will partner
together into our reading future.

BET ON IT!

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Saturday, July 4, 2009

"Virtual" SUMMER ZOO CAMP - Fun for ALL Kids!

************************************

The Reluctant Reader Lair is all about WRITING
"Books That HOOK Kids on READING,"
+ helping PARENTS FIND BOOKS their
Reluctant Reader will love.

************************************

What better way to HOOK BOYS and GIRLS
on READING, than zooming them to
"Virtual" Summer Zoo Camp!

+
a cool book about
ZOO ANIMALS.

Calling all parents, teachers and caregivers with children
between the ages of 5 and 8 - Do you need some fun,
educational activities for your children this summer?

Can't afford to send them off to a zoo camp?
We have the answer.

Starting July 6, 2009 we are holding a
Virtual Summer Zoo Camp.
It's online and it's totally FREE.

All you have to do is sign up
RIGHT HERE

Then mark these dates on your child's calendar:
Eight Weeks of Zoo Animal Fun!

July 6-12 Meerkat Mania
July 13-17 Leaping Lizards
July 20-24 Virtuous Vultures
July 27-31 Fascinating Frogs
August 3-7 Observant Okapis
August 10-14 Playful Penguins
August 17-21 Slithery Snakes
August 24-28 Amazing Antelope

There will be Games, Animal Trivia, Arts and Crafts and all kinds of Puzzles. So what are you waiting for? Hop over to Zebee's Summer Zoo Camp and sign up today.

Joy Delgado had this delightful ZOO VISIT inspiration, and it fits perfectly with her Bi-lingual children's book, all about a bevy of cute, and oh-so-cool zoo animals -

ZooprisePartyFiestaZoorpresa

Available from Amazon

Then there is
Laughing Zeber Children's Books
and Going Beyond Reading

Educational summer fun for YOUR kids - reluctant reader or NOT!

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* Critiques - Writing Help - Books:
* Books for Kids + Writing News

BUY any Autographed Book from my website, and
receive a FREE LINK to me READING that story!

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SKYPING AROUND the WORLD

Today SKYPE flew my “Magic Carpet” back to a class on the east coast. I listened to all the wonderfully innovative stories these kids wrote after my first visit with them. They really remembered to use powerful words and add lots of action – FANTASTIC! They illustrated their books, and every child wrote a cute Bio to go with their story. They were so proud of their accomplishments, and I was busting my buttons too. Such a thrill to be a part of turning a class on to the joys of reading and writing. YAHOO! I also read them “Never Say BOO to a Frilly,” as a treat for all their hard work. And their teacher, Geralyn Downey, went all out to encourage each child, and make them feel proud of their writing. Great teachers like Geralyn are real treasures.

I made a Skype Author Visit to a classroom in Auckland, New Zealand. They were so enthusiastic and smart. They even made a Video about my visit. I was thrilled and humbled. Read about it HERE

I also Skyped with high school teens in New Delhi, India. They asked so many questions. It was wonderful to see so many enthusiastic kids interested in reading and writing.

NOTE The only limit to an author visit to schools anywhere in the world are the Time Zones. They must work with where YOU live, as well as where the schools are situated.

SKYPE THANK YOU NOTES from TEACHERS

Thank you so much for this Margot. I am looking forward to skyping with you at 11. Just to let you know- the students took great pride in their stories. Although they are somewhat silly, and some maybe not too logical, the goal was for them to write and feel pride in publishing and sharing their stories. In that, they have all been successful. So, I hope that you will be able to sit back and let US take you YOU on a Magic Carpet Ride today! Talk to you soon! Geri

I did. . . and it was AWESOME!!

From a happy New Jersey teacher:

***********

"Thank you so much for our class skype today! The children learned so much, and cannot stop talking about it! They took your suggestions for writing to heart and are excited to begin writing their own stories tomorrow! LOVED this experience! Thank you!"
**********
SKYPE Inspires a Class:

Hi Margot,

I just wanted to let you know that my students have been working hard on writing their own stories since skyping with you. They were wondering if you might have time to Skype with us again to listen to their stories.

One little boy in particular has been so enthusiastic about this that he has been asking to work on his "book" every day since skyping with you. It is a very short story, but he could NOT be any prouder! You have really made an impression on him, as well as the other students! Thank you for this!

If you ever have time to skype with us again, they would LOVE to share their stories with you!

AND I AM GOING BACK TO HEAR THEIR STORIES AS SOON AS WE SETTLE ON A DATE.

*****************

Geralyn Downey shared your link: "To my teacher friends. Our class skyped with Margot Finke, children's author, and we LOVED it. Please watch this, and consider having her visit your class via skype. Believe me, you will love it! She was fantastic!"

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Thank you for the Skype! My class loved your storytelling!

From Mrs. Hime's Third Grade Class

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I just wanted to thank you for visiting our class! I know my students were so excited to engage with you and found your artifacts so interesting! My students struggle every day to battle obstacles that I would wish for no child, yet they do it fearlessly. With half of my students living below the poverty line, many of them will never see the world, nor the next parish. But I do believe that experiences like the one you gave them is invaluable in their realization that there is so much more out there! Thank you again for taking the time to talk to and read to my students!

Shane Silpe - 3rd Grade Teacher

***********

Thanks a ton for the Skype session with us. My students and I were absolutely thrilled to have you in our classroom. They wouldn't stop talking about you today. They shared their amazing experience with everyone at school and in their community as well. Today they wrote some poems for you. My students want to send you thank you emails and their poems. Do you mind if I let them email you on this id?

Once again thank you very much Margot. We thoroughly enjoyed your session, wish we could have listened you read the other story you showed us.

Regards, Harini - 4^th grade teacher in New Zealand.

***********

Thank you for spending your time with us. The children are still very excited about skype and sometimes have trouble sitting still! When the session was over, we discussed what they learned and they had a ton to say. We are also going to write a narrative using an Australian animal. It will take us a couple of weeks but I cannot wait to see what they produce. It was a great way to kick off our narrative writing unit. I think the children would love a copy of your book. Will you sign it for us? I know as they are writing their stories, yours would be a wonderful model for them.

Sincerely, Jennifer - 5th Grade Teacher

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Hi Margot,

Thank you so much for your email and especially for the wonderful Skype visit!! It was so much fun and so informative!! It was a huge hit and everyone raved about you!! :-) Regarding the books, I think it would be fine to send them to my school as there are lots of deliveries during the summer. I would love to do this again next year (preferably mid-year) with our new first grade classes!! Thank you so much for all of your time and enthusiasm!! I hope you have a wonderful summer!

Nancy – first grade teacher.

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GREAT BOOKS for RELUCTANT READERS and BOYS!

ASSORTED:
Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
Hatcher by Gary Paulson
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

PICTURE BOOKS by Margot Finke
Rattlesnake Jam
Mama Grizzly Bear
Kangaroo Clues
Ruthie and the Hippo's Fat Behind
Horatio Humble Beats the Big D
Don't Eat Platypus Stew
Prairie Dog's Play Day
Never say BOO to a Frilly
Squirrels Can't Help Being Nuts

YOUNG BOYS:
Cars That Go and Things That Go by Richard Scarry
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems

MID GRADE BOYS:
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
The Baseball Card Adventure Series by Dan Gutman
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
The Night Tourist by Katherine Marsh
Taconi and Claude by Margot Finke

Jeff Kinney's WIMPY KID Series:
http://www.wimpykid.com/
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
The do it Yourself Book
Rick Riordan's books

Rick Riordan's Books:
The Titan's Curse
The Battle of the Labyrinth
The Sea of Monsters
The Lightening Thief.

Mystery of the Copper Turtle Doris Holik Kelly
The Revenge of Thelma Hill by Margot Finke

See how most of these authors are MEN.
Come on ladies, anything they can do . . .

WRITING CENTER

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