Multicultural Children's Book Day

#ReadYourWorld

KidLit TV Launches Free Homeschooling Resource: KidLit At Home

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On June 9, 2020, long-time MCBD supporter and Sponsor, KidLitTV, launched a brand new free, online homeschooling resource that brings together the best video content from around the web created for kids by diverse children’s book authors and illustrators.
New York, NY: In response to widespread school and library closures, KidLit TV today announced KidLit At Home, a free online learning resource created to support parents and educators during a time of increased need for learning enrichment, entertainment, and comfort.

KidLit At Home is styled as a “Netflix for Kid Lit.” It offers a new way for parents, educators, and young readers to access the myriad online storytime, drawing and writing tutorials, STEM and STEAM video content being offered across the web by the biggest names in children’s literature, all curated in one easy to use, convenient online location: https://kidlit.tv/KidLitAtHome.
KidLit At Home
Superstar children’s book author Mac Barnett and author/illustrator Christian Robinson will kick off the launch of KidLit At Home on June 8 at 8:00 am ET. Mac will read his picture book PAOLO, EMPEROR OF ROME in the first episode of Read Out Loud At Home. PAOLO is illustrated by Claire Keane and published by Abrams. Christian will show us how we can use art to help us see anger differently in Making Space with Christian Robinson. This episode is inspired by LITTLE PENGUINS, written by Cynthia Rylant, published by Schwartz & Wade.
“KidLit TV has lead the children’s publishing industry in creating fun, informative videos and podcasts that celebrate kid-lit authors and illustrators. As parents keep up their child’s learning at home, we have created new resources that champion diversity and embrace technology as driving forces in kid lit’s new era”, says Julie Gribble, author and founder of KidLit TV.

Here’s what people have to say about KidLit TV and KidLit At Home:

The kid lit community’s response to kids’ and parents’ needs as we find our way through both homeschooling and the broader public health crisis has been overwhelming. Many authors and illustrators have volunteered their talents to help keep kids who are home from school engaged and entertained while maintaining their literacy skills. Up until this point, I have struggled to use these valuable resources because they are spread around the internet on different websites and platforms, streaming at different times in different time zones. KidLit at Home solves these issues by bringing all these wonderful treasures to one easy to use page. 
—Stephanie Cummings, Two in a Tepee
KidLit At Home is both a relevant resource for those currently with kids home from school as well as an ongoing learn-at-home resource that will continue to be suitable for kids, parents, and educators no matter what the future brings. 
—Bethany Edwards, Biracial Bookworms
KidLit TV is an exciting and informative destination for authors, illustrators, teachers, publishers, and anyone with a passion for children’s literature. 
—Children’s Book Council

Features of KidLit At Home include:

  • One-stop location for over 500 kid lit creator videos, updated weekly
  • Easy to use “Netflix style” carousel navigation
  • A diverse, kid-friendly collection curated by the KidLit TV team
KidLit At Home will be available starting June 8, 2020, and is free. For more information on KidLit at HOME, visit https://kidlit.tv/KidLitAtHome.
The KidLit At Home logo is designed by children’s book illustrator, Kristen Balouch.
Find Media Kit Assets here:  https://kidlit.tv/KidLitAtHOMEAssets.
Authors, illustrators, and publishers can submit videos to KidLit At Home here:
About KidLit TV: KidLit TV is an award-winning website available in over 700,000 schools worldwide via our website and video distribution partners. We’re a diverse group of parents, educators, librarians, kid lit creators, and award-winning filmmakers working together to create fun new ways to reinforce an appreciation of reading that children will carry with them for the rest of their lives.
Meet the KidLit TV Team: https://kidlit.tv/about

Book-Inspired Activities to Keep Young Minds Learning | Part One

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Free Resources for Distance Learners and Homeschoolers! Our amazing authors and publishers have banded together to help us keep feeling/sharing/inspiring those learning from home with free or affordable book-inspired activities and learning tools. Enjoy!

Book-Inspired Activities to Keep Young Minds Learning | Part One

 

Who’s ready for some Indoor Reading BINGO? Free download @ https://bit.ly/3aBuNw8. Happy Reading!

Author Felicia Lee has some awesome free downloadable coloring sheets HERE.

News channels NBC4i has a great My 2020 COVID-19 Time Capsule activity for kids. It’s a very fun way to help kids record and create their own report about this moment in history that we are all experiencing.

 

Multicultural Blog Posts and Free Resources

This classroom guide for LaDonna Plays Hoops is designed for students in second through fourth grade. It is assumed that teachers will adapt each activity to fit the needs and abilities of their own students. It offers activities to help teachers integrate LaDonna Plays Hoops into English language arts (ELA), mathematics, science, and social studies curricula. Art and drama are used as a teaching tool throughout the guide. All activities were created in conjunction with relevant content standards in ELA, math, science, social studies, art, and drama.

Download here.

LaDonna Plays Hoops Teachers Guide

 

Teacher Resources from Delalma Publications!

Author Julia Inserro has an exceptional blog post called Surviving 30+ Days of Quarantine with Littles

eLearning Links and Resources from MCBD Sponsors

Pack-n-Go Girls

Pack-n-Go Girls with the express intention to increase children’s creativity and curiosity, appreciation for other cultures, and a sense of adventure in a boundaryless world. To that end, we provide learning activities and presentations to inspire kids to learn and grow as global citizens.

FREE ACTIVITIES

Download and print these FREE activities to go along with your Pack-n-Go Girls stories.

COLOR THE CASTLE

WORD SEARCH

LANGUAGE DETECTIVE

 

LEARN SPANISH

DOLLARS AND PESOS

Language Lizard

Their newest educational resource, Building Bridges With Bilingual Books And Multicultural Resources is now available in a complete teacher’s set. These sets are available in Spanish and Arabic, as well as a set with assorted languages. Read on to learn more about these sets.

Complete Teacher’s Set for Culturally Responsive Classrooms

Each teacher’s set comes with 10 picture books that pair with the multicultural lesson plans and diversity activities contained in the Building Bridges English-only teacher resource guide.

Building Bridges With Bilingual Books And Multicultural Resources

Building Bridges With Bilingual Books And Multicultural Resources

Their FREE Downloadable Class Kit project has been wildly successful as well:

Free Classroom Empathy Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians, and Educators: https://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/mcbd2018s-free-classroom-empathy-kit-is-here-empathy-immigration/

Free Kindness Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians, and Educators: https://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/teachers-classroom-kindness-kit/

Free Classroom Kit–Poverty Doesn’t Discriminate | Understanding Poverty in America:

Free Classroom Physical and Developmental Challenges Kit:

Have questions on How You Can Get Involved In Multicultural Children’s Book Day? Connect with the Project Manager at Becky (at) MulticulturalChildrensBookDay (dot) com.

 

 

ONE MORE THING

Show some social media love while marketing your book (or an author you admire) in a creative and far-reaching way!

Social Media Shout-Outs

Multicultural Children’s Book Day Social Media Shout-Outs

Our Social Media Shout-Outs has escalated in popularity over the last few months because folks see that it an affordable way to show some online love to their own work, an author they admire, or a book they admire. MCBD Social Media Shout-Outs also acts as a fundraiser for this non-profit.

Multicultural Children’s Book Day Social Media Shout-Out =$25 (sale price good until 2/28/20)

Anyone with a PayPal account can gift an online “shout-out” to an author friend who has a kid’s or YA book with a diversity theme OR use it as an effective tool for their own book marketing and book promotion.

Using a custom image created by the MCBD Team, we will provide one share/post our Twitter feed (over 13.7K followers) on our Instagram Feed (over 10.500 followers), within our Multicultural Children’s Book Day Private Facebook Group (over 1500 Members) and our Facebook page (over 4K followers) as well.

That’s a LOT of eyeballs!

GO HERE to get more details, see more samples of past Shout-Outs, and to purchase your own Social Media Shout Out to honor someone in the world of diverse books for kids and teens! #ReadYourWorld

 

A sweet diverse book about the ways parents show affection

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As parents, we adore showing our children how much we love them through hugs, kisses, tickles, and snuggles. But we also know there comes a day when parents’ hearts sink a little because their offspring decide they have “outgrown” the need for these signs of affection.

Mama Kisses, Papa Hugs by Lisa Tawn Bergren (WaterBrook & Multnomah) is a gorgeous, diverse picture book about a little boy who tells his mom he’s too old for “mama kisses” and his dad’s “papa hugs.”

In response, each of them goes through examples of how other mothers and fathers hug and kiss their children…and ultimately, how God hugs and kisses us, too. This fun, light, and super-cozy read for families emphasizes love and encourages children to rest in the knowledge that they are never too old for mama kisses or papa hugs.

Mama Kisses, Papa Hugs

About Mama Kisses, Papa Hugs

From the creator of the bestselling God Gave Us You comes a warm exploration of the ways parents show affection–and how familial love mirrors God’s affection for his followers.

Mama Kisses, Papa Hugs

Parents are always looking out for the perfect bedtime book to create a sense of well-being before a night of rest. Mama Kisses, Papa Hugs explores a child’s curiosity about how love is shown between parent and child, with the reassurance that Mama and Papa will always love their little one. And like Lisa Tawn Bergren’s young protagonist asks his mother, this question is pressing on the minds of many children:

“Mama, how does God kiss us?”

Mama smiled. “He kisses us a hundred times a day; although if you don’t pay attention, you might miss it.”

Mama Kisses, Papa Hugs

“At night, he kisses us with a shooting star. In the morning, he kisses us with sunlight, crawling across the fields and into our windows. On a hot summer afternoon, he kisses us with a gentle breeze. But most of all, he kisses us through our family. That’s how God made us. That’s why I give you Mama kisses and Daddy gives you Papa Hugs.”

“I wrote Mama Kisses, Papa Hugs for our youngest, Jack,” Bergren shared. “I wrote it when he was about the age of the boy pictured in the book and feeling a bit ‘too grown-up’ for kisses and hugs. My son is now 17-years-old and, of course, we’re going to give him a big hug and smooch to celebrate the release of this book from WaterBrook & Multnomah this month!”

Bergren went on to share that her book will resonate with parents, grandparents, educators, and librarians because it reinforces the fact that children need to know that they are loved and cared for, no matter how big they get. Showing love and reassurance is especially crucial in light of the world’s recent changes and fears.

Mama Kisses, Papa Hugs

“This picture book can help kids understand that affection is an act of love, not a means to embarrass! I hope that families all over the world will go to bed with big smiles on their faces after reading it.”

As a veteran author of over 50 books, Bergren is always happy to lend her wisdom to the next generation of budding authors. When asked what specific advice she would give, she writes, “Read like crazy in the genre you wish to write. Outline a couple of your favorite books to see what the author accomplished in that book that made you take notice—define their hallmarks! Then set out to do the same in your style. There are tons of writing resources, one of which is WritersDigest.com. This site is an awesome resource, regardless of what you want to write. I spent years reading their magazine, and it gave me a solid foundation on which to start writing and marketing my books.”

Grab your copy of this wonderful book HERE.

About Lisa Tawn Bergren

Lisa T. Bergren is the author of over fifty books, with more than 4 million copies sold. Her work includes children’s books, historical and contemporary fiction, women’s nonfiction, and gift books. A freelance writer and editor, Lisa lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She and her husband, Tim, are the parents of three children.

Connect with Lisa

LisaTawnBergren.com

https://www.facebook.com/lisatawnbergren

https://twitter.com/lisatbergren

https://www.instagram.com/lisatbergren/

 

Connect with WaterBrook & Multnomah:

https://www.facebook.com/WaterBrookMultnomah

https://twitter.com/WaterBrookPress

https://www.youtube.com/user/WaterBrookMultnomah

https://www.instagram.com/waterbrookmultnomah

Ways to Keep Kids Reading During Distance Learning and Quarantine

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(Guest post from Janelle Diller)

 

What a challenging time this is for everyone!

There’s nothing easy about sheltering in place and helping your kids with online learning for the first time. It’s only a small consolation that we have plenty of company (hundreds of millions!) in this new reality. To give you an extra hand Pack-n-Go Girls Adventures has pulled together some suggestions for extra resources for keeping your kids reading and even thriving. Check out this list:

Ways to Keep Kids Reading During Distance Learning and Quarantine:

  • For a short time, Pack-n-Go Girls is offering their Color Your World printable coloring book for free. This coloring book takes your young artist to Austria, Brazil, Mexico, and Thailand along with the Pack-n-Go Girls. With 70 pages filled with entertaining activities and engaging illustrations to color, it’s the perfect way to keep your kids busy when you need to take a call, tackle some work, or even just catch a break.
  • Stepping into the online education world has been daunting for most schools, especially because it’s been done in crunch time. If your school is on top of challenging your child with on-line learning–great! If not, this curated guide of free resources and subscriptions for remote learning and homeschooling from New York City Public Schools is a keeper!
  • And here’s another list of resources for elementary school kids. There’s lots of free stuff as well as free trials that last several months.
  • Publishers Weekly has also compiled a cool list of ways publishers and children’s authors are stepping up and giving. Of course, Pack-n-Go is contributing to this effort too.
  • Pack-n-Go Girls Adventures is up teaming up with MackinVIA, the digital resource management system of Mackin, to let you in on the best deal your school’s library is ever going to get. Through MackinVIA, Pack-n-Go Girls Adventures is allowing FREE use of their multi-user ebooks and audiobooks through September 30, 2020. MackinVIA is also offering thousands of other titles for free as publishers permit. In addition, Mackin is offering all its Mackin Classics (over 1,500 titles) as free multi-user titles to all K-12 schools to help educators provide more ebooks and audiobooks to all their students. To access these titles, your librarian can go to the MackinVIA promotions page and start downloading. If your school doesn’t have MackinVIA, they can request it from Mackin.
  • Findaway, which is the primary source all the major audiobook distributors use, is also offering free audiobooks for library use for a limited time. Overdrive, Bibliotheca, Odilo, hoopla, and dozens of the other audiobook distributors are participating, so have your school librarian check with their source for acquiring audiobooks. Pack-n-Go, of course, is part of this giveaway as well.
  • Now, more than ever, we need to be resilient in the face of all the challenges, not just for ourselves, but also for our children. We need to be able to bounce back from the changes life has brought us. If you’re feeling particularly depleted (and hooray if you’re not!), here are some tactical ways to build your resilience and your children’s resilience.

FREE Resources for Learning from Multicultural Children’s Book Day

We ALL want to keep our kids reading, not just because reading expands their world, but also because it takes them into other worlds and lets them escape some of the stresses of this one. Now is the time to make sure all children still have access to the books and resources that will inspire them to read more. We are all in this together 🙂

Pack-N-Go Girls

Dreaming of true-blue friends, mysterious adventures, and faraway places? Pack-n-Go Girls take you there!

2017 Literary Classics Winner – Best Series – Young Reader
2017 Moonbeam Children’s Book Winner – Best Chapter Book Series
2014 Moonbeam Children’s Book Winner – Best Chapter Book Series
Readers tour haunted castles in Austria, catch thieves in Mexico, save dolphins and turtles in Brazil, search for lost golden temples in Thailand, and chase aliens in Australia. AND at the same time, they’re inspired to embrace adventure, be curious, value what unites us, and celebrate the differences that make us unique. Kids discover the diversity of cultures and the richness each one contributes to the world.
Headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO, Pack-n-Go Girls specializes in creating innovative stories for girls that deliver positive messages around independence, adventure, and global awareness.
PNGG’s newest offering is Mystery of the Rusty Key, the second book in the Australian adventures. Here’s a bit about both books:
Image of Mystery of the Min Min Lights https://app.box.com/s/6bnmjmilq1ud4c54mo96kyh987j769zv 
Mystery of the Min Min Lights – Australia 1
Journey into the dusty, windswept Australian outback, land of bounding kangaroos and dazzling sunsets. Wendy Lee arrives from California. She’s lucky to meet Chloe and Jacko Taylor, who invite Wendy to their sheep station. It sounds like fun except that someone is stealing the sheep. And the thief just might be something as crazy as a UFO.
Image of Mystery of the Rusty Key https://app.box.com/s/vj89d47wnyvbm0okmd6j2btrnx8mnaep
 
Mystery of the Rusty Key – Australia 2
Wendy, Chloe, and Jacko travel to Sydney and dive straight into another mystery where they must unravel four spooky clues: an ancient letter, a rusty key, a missing box, and a curse. The kids race against time to solve the mystery before the clock strikes midnight.
Learn more about the Pack-n-Go Girls® books and related products HERE.
Follow the Pack-n-Go Girls® on Twitter:@packngogirls , Instagram, Pinterest, and on Facebook: facebook.com/packngogirls

Authors & Publishers-if it feels like the World isn’t Listening, do this.

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(Guest post from MCBD Project Manager, Becky Flansburg)

As I type this, I am doing my best to look away from the horror (I can’t think of a better word right now) that is unfolding across the globe. A silent enemy is creeping and infecting and completely changing life as we knew it. Three months ago, words like “quarantine,” “shelter in place,” and “distance learning” were not even on my radar. Who knew?

Currently, I am working from home (have for 7 years) and am homeschooling our 14-year-old (for almost a year). I know we are blessed to not have to completely shift gears and navigate the strange waters of working and learning from home.

Those who are struggling, just know that it’s OK. It’s a level playing field right now. Just do your best every day and let that be ENOUGH.

At my house, we are also embracing the Slow Life. Learning to just “roll with it” even if that means going for a Sunday afternoon drive on Thursday at 8:30 a.m. Life is challenging enough right now and I don’t want rigidity and fear to dictate our daily life.

The work will get done. The school work will get done. And it will be ENOUGH.

If you are an Author or Publisher, I’m sure you have noticed that it seems that people are pulling back from buying a bit. And rightfully so. People are scared and unsure about where the next paycheck is coming from.

I also know they need distractions, escape, and positivity that reading a book can provide. So if it feels like your book promotions/launches/sales are falling flat, don’t despair.

Keep going. Keep writing. Keep sharing.

If it feels like the world isn’t listening, keep doing these things anyway:

Keep.Being.The.Light.

Shift gears from “buy my stuff!” to more of a mindset of service. Offer free activities connected to your book(s). Offer to read books to kids via Zoom. Give your talents and time away freely.

And whatever you do, don’t stop marketing.

Don’t give up.

Don’t throw in the towel.

Don’t decide that young readers don’t need to hear/see your voice. They do. Probably more than ever.

During a time of uncertainty, books offer a refuge, sanctuary, and a slice of normalcy for kids.

So keep working/writing/trying/sharing/marketing.

This all will pass and the world needs your Light and Creativity to Shine Bright.

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