Crafting it up for Christmas

I know, I know, it's not even Thanksgiving yet! As much as I detest stores putting their entire Christmas stock on display before Halloween (I actually saw Christmas trees for sale as early as September this year!), I do like to get the jump on my Christmas crafts. It's as though the cold, fall air is a trigger for my inner Martha Stewart -- as soon as the leaves fall, I'm ready to bust out the glitter glue and craft paper.

Kids Make Christmas
By Pia Deges
Published by David & Charles Publishers; Copyright 2013

Now when it comes to getting crafty, I tend to head straight to Pinterest (and the Internet at large) for inspiration, but this time I decided to check out what my library had in the way of craft books for children. This year I'll be celebrating the holidays in a new house, and I'm looking forward to having my niece and nephews over to help me decorate. Aptly titled, Kids Make Christmas, this newly published book boasts over 40 projects, including ornaments, gifts, even culinary delights. Each project is broken down into easy steps with accompanying full-page photographs of the finished product, as well as a list of materials and fun tips. There is even a section for crafting New Year's Eve party supplies and handy templates for use with all of the projects throughout the book.

Kids Make Christmas is aimed at children, but teenagers and adults will enjoy these projects as well. From Birdie Handwarmers to Angel Candles, Christmas Owls and Bell Jar Baubles, there is no shortage of cute craft ideas. The materials are fairly inexpensive and can be found at any craft store, like Michael's or Hobby Lobby. One word of caution: some projects require the use of hot glue guns, ovens, craft knives, irons and sewing needles, so kids should be supervised at all times!

More kid-friendly holiday craft resources:

Fa La La La Felt: 45 Handmade Holiday Decorations by Amanda Carestio
My Christmas Craft Book for Kids by Anna Murray
Christmas Crafting with Kids: 35 Projects for the Festive Season by Catherine Woram
Christmas Crafts for Kids
Kids' Christmas Activities

Persepolis

The Complete Persepolis (Persepolis #1-4)
By Marjane Satrapi
Published by Pantheon Books; Copyright 2007
Ages 3 and up
Lexile NC380L (Persepolis), NC500L (Persepolis 2)

Awards:
New York Times Notable Book
Time Magazine "Best Comix of the Year"
San Francisco Chronicle Best-seller
Los Angeles Times Best-seller

Persepolis has been on my to-read list for a long time, so after recently studying nonfiction biographies for youth, I finally decided to give it a whirl. Now, I'm not a huge fan of biographies, or even the graphic novel format (although my husband, the comic book nerd, is trying really hard to change that); however, I was easily drawn into Marji's world through her narrative storytelling and the accompanying action-oriented illustrations.

This is a coming of age story about an Iranian girl growing up in the midst of a regime overthrow, watching war unfold around her, while struggling to have a normal childhood. The oppression of her leaders, her teachers, and sometimes her parents, all feed into her rebellious nature. With the backdrop of war and fighting, this is ultimately a story about self-discovery. Marji goes through phases, like any teen; she embraces punk and Western culture, makes friends with self-proclaimed nihilists, lashes out against authority, and even denies her heritage to fit in. Marji experiences love, heartbreak, rejection, even poverty, but she matures into a young woman with a conscience and respect for her people.

The Complete Persepolis translates and combines all four stories in the series (originally published in French) into one graphic novel. The simple black and white drawings are surprisingly compelling, and stylistically lend themselves easily to animation, so it's no surprise the novel was adapted into film in 2007. The pictures and words flow from one page to the next, while at the same time challenging the young reader with foreign language and tales of war.

Parents should be warned that while the suggested ages for this novel are 3 and up, there are many references to smoking, drinking, drugs, sex, violence and profanity. But then again, isn't that what growing up is all about?

Official Film Site for Persepolis
Persepolis on Good Reads

Other titles by Marjane Satrapi:

Embroideries
Chicken with Plums
The Sigh

The Most Magical Muggle

Muggle (noun) - non-magic person; incapable of performing magic*

I may be a Muggle, but that doesn't mean I don't believe in magic! Who else but a wise witch or wizard could turn so many people, young and old, from all over the world into avid readers, seemingly overnight? It turns out she's not a witch at all, but a common writer with a magical ability for storytelling...


Who is J.K. Rowling?
Written by Pam Pollack and Meg Belviso, Illustrated by Stephen Marchesi
Published by Grosset & Dunlap; Copyright 2012
Ages 8 to 10
Lexile 860L

"Suddenly a picture of a boy popped into her head. He had round glasses and a scar shaped like a lightning bolt."

The biography of J.K. Rowling tells the story of a girl who always dreamed up stories in her head and longed to become a writer. That dream became a reality when one day, on a train ride to London, she had a vision of a boy wizard and a magical world.

"She pulled out a notebook. On the first page she wrote the name of the boy with the lightning bolt scar.
His name was Harry Potter."

Who is J.K. Rowling? shares insight into one of the most beloved authors of our time. This biography is written for young audiences who are curious about the creator of the boy who lived. Illustrations scattered throughout the pages show Jo growing up in the English countryside, making up stories for her younger sister, and fantasizing about becoming a successful writer one day. Excerpts explain how she came up with some of the characters' names, based on her studies of French, Latin and Greek. A timeline at the end of the book outlines important moments in Jo's life, and a bibliography encourages further investigation into Jo and the actors of the Harry Potter films.

Young fans of Harry Potter will enjoy learning about his maker and her rise to fame. They will revel in reading about the real-life inspirations for Severus Snape and Ron Weasley, and will be awed at how Jo's life often paralleled Harry's "rags to riches" story. Readers will delight in learning about Pottermore (as if they didn't already know), an "online reading experience unlike any other" that enhances and expands the stories with extra information and artwork from the books. This biography of J.K. Rowling is as heroic and engaging a tale as that of Harry Potter himself!

More recommended titles:

Mythmaker: The Story of J.K. Rowling by Charles J. Shields
Ages 9 and up
Lexile 1200L

J.K. Rowling by Marc Shapiro
Ages 3 and up
Lexile 1060L


*Bagshot, B. (1947). A history of magic. Little Red Books.

Pumpkin Season!

Fall is here and that means it's pumpkin season! Time for pumpkin picking, pumpkin carving, pumpkin seed roasting, pumpkin pie making, pumpkin spice lattes.... While getting kids pumped up for pumpkins, why not teach them how pumpkins grow? These books offer a fun and easy to follow introduction to the basic life cycle of a seed.

Pumpkin (Watch it Grow)
Written by Barrie Watts
Published by Smart Apple Media; Copyright 2003
Ages 4 and up

Watch a pumpkin grow from a seed the size of a grape to a basketball-sized fruit! Author Barrie Watts uses large text and color photographs to detail the biology and growth cycle of the pumpkin. The book includes a table of contents, a word bank that provides definitions for basic scientific terms, a life cycle synopsis and an index with quick page references. Children can learn how pumpkins grow by reading the simple text or by following the pretty pictures.


From Seed to Pumpkin (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science)
Written by Wendy Pfeffer, Illustrated by James Graham Hale
Published by Harper Collins; Copyright 2004
Ages 4 to 8
Lexile 640L

From Seed to Pumpkin takes a less scientific approach to explaining the life cycle of the pumpkin, and uses beautiful illustrations to show how pumpkin seeds are farmed, fed, and harvested. At the conclusion of the growth of the pumpkin, there are fun facts about this fruit (yes, fruit!), instructions for roasting pumpkin seeds, and a demonstration of how pumpkins drink water from the ground. This is a great read for younger children who can easily follow along with the pictures to learn how the pumpkin grows.

Pumpkins
Written by Ken Robbins
Published by Roaring Brook Press; Copyright 2006
Ages 4 to 8

Yet another book about the life cycle of a pumpkin! This book also uses large, colorful photographs to illustrate how a pumpkin grows from a seed. It also illustrates how to carve a pumpkin (with an adult's help, of course), and shows what becomes of the pumpkin when the fun is over (hint: the pumpkin rots). A fun, simple read for young children to get them in the spirit of the fall holidays!

More recommended titles:

The Pumpkin Patch by Elizabeth King
Ages 3 and up
Lexile 590L

Pick a Perfect Pumpkin by Robin Michal Koontz
Copyright 2010
Ages 6 to 8
Lexile 380L

How to Carve Freakishly Cool Pumpkins by Sarah L. Schuette
Copyright 2011
Ages 8 to 10
Lexile IG700L

Dear Diary

Like most teenage girls, I kept a diary growing up. I remember the first diary I received as a gift. It had a soft blue cover and a lock on the side. I wrote in it every night and locked it up before stowing it away in its hiding place. Eventually I transitioned from writing in diaries to writing in journals. What's the difference, you ask? My journals were unadorned college-ruled notebooks - nothing fancy, just bound pages of lined paper, which I greedily filled on a daily basis. I still have these notebooks, and they certainly give an interesting insight into my angst-ridden teenage mind. But there is one diary that I've been meaning to read, and I'm ashamed to admit it has sat on my bookshelf, unopened for too many years. Until now.

The Diary of a Young Girl
Written by Anne Frank
Published by Bantam
Lexile Level: 1080L
Luisterboek Award (2008)

Every time I sat down to read another entry in The Diary of a Young Girl, I had to remind myself that this isn't fiction -- this is a real diary by a real girl who is describing real events. This is an incredible story with surprisingly mature writing and an engaging narrative form that details a very dark period in history. Anne Frank's writing is articulate, her thoughts well-formed for her age, but often the impatience of a teen comes through in her story, which only adds to the validity of the diary.

"Even though I'm only fourteen, I know what I want, I know who's right and who's wrong, I have my own opinions, ideas and principles, and though it may sound odd coming from a teenager, I feel I'm more of a person than a child -- I feel I'm completely independent of others."

Anne shared reflections of her own writings in notes she left for future readers (she never imagined just how many they would number), and provided the world with a personal insight into the struggles of the Jews during World War II. Despite the significance of the time and her plight, Anne's writing proves she was still a normal, teenage girl -- complete with mood swings, tantrums, a growing awareness of her body, shy questions about sex, and a longing for male companionship.

Over the two years she spent in hiding, writing in her diary, you observe her growing up into a young lady. Her writing matures along with her:

"It's twice as hard for us young people to hold on to our opinions at a time when ideals are being shattered and destroyed, when the worst side of human nature predominates, when everyone has come to doubt truth, justice and God."

After reading her story, you feel like you truly know and understand Anne. I can relate to how she felt during those awkward teenage years -- the angst she felt towards her parents, the loneliness she experienced, the desire for a good cry. The teenage years can be a roller coaster of emotions, especially for young girls. Anne was forced to grow up in front of seven other people, from whom she had no escape, no reprieve -- and for that, I commend her and am ever so thankful to have shared in her story.

More recommended titles:

Memories Of Anne Frank: Reflections Of A Girlhood Friend by Alison Leslie Gold
Ages 10 and up
Lexile 890L

Anne Frank: The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography by Sid Jacobson, Ernie Colón
Lexile GN800L

Anne Frank: Her life in words and pictures from the archives of The Anne Frank House by Menno Metselaar, Ruud van der Rol, Arnold J. Pomerans (Translator)
Ages 9 and up

Who Was Anne Frank? by Ann Abramson, Nancy Harrison (Illustrator)

Ages 8 and up

Lexile 660L

Anne Frank House
The Anne Frank Center USA