March Carnival of Children's Literature

I don't know about you, but I love a good carnival. Can you smell the fried dough? Hear the screams from the Round Up and the belly laughs from the Tilt-a-Whirl? Will you pay a dollar to see the world's largest bull? Or the snake with two heads?

I've paid the price of admission, slapped on a wrist band, and am heading off to the midway. Just like a good ride, a book takes you places you might never have expected to go. Here are some reviews of books that will definitely take you away.

Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews shares a review of The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood.

Sheila Ruth of Wands and Worlds shares a review of POD by Stephen Wallenfels. Can you say creeptacular?

When do I know I must add a book to my TBR pile? When two bloggers I highly respect tell me I need to read it!

• Mary Lee of A Year of Reading shares a review of The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz.
• Kate Coombs of Book Aunt also shares her thoughts on The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz.

Mary Ann Scheuer of Great Kid Books shares a review of the graphic novel Smile by Raina Telgemeier.

Matt Cunningham of Literary Asylum shares a review of The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger.

Challenging the Bookworm shares a review of The Brooklyn Nine: A Novel in Nine Innings by Alan Gratz.

Shirley Duke of SimplyScience Blog shares a review of Monster Fliers, a book about pterosaurs and other winged animals living in the time of the dinosaurs.

Hey! Don't forget the kiddie rides! Let's see what folks are sharing for the younger set.

boheime of Living Peacefully With Children shares a review of the book A Ride on Mother's Back by Emery Bernhard.

Sarah of In Need Of Chocolate shares ideas for reading with expression and silliness to engage babies, toddlers, and preschoolers in her post Let the Sillies Out: Reading to Babies and Young Children.

Becky Laney of Young Readers shares a review of the book Young Zeus by G. Brian Karas.

How many blogs is too many? I don't know the answer, but don't ask Anastasia Suen who has started yet another blog! At her new literacy blog for babies, toddlers and preschoolers she shares a review of the book Happy Easter, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff.

Sally Apokedak of Whispers of Dawn shares a review of the book Beach Tail by Karen Lynn Williams.

Melissa Wiley shares her fond memories of Sid Fleischman's McBroom books.

Jeff Barger of NC Teacher Stuff reviews the book presents Ants by Melissa Stewart.

Jennifer of Jean Little Library celebrates Melanie Watt's fabulous Chester picture books with summaries, storytime suggestions, and ideas for how to use Chester with all kinds of readers.

Anastasia Suen of 5 Great Books offers some suggestions for sharing nonfiction with new readers.

Anastasia Suen of Picture Book of the Day shares mini-lesson ideas for the book Chicken Dance by Tammi Sauer.

Kathy Bloomfield of forwordsbooks shares ideas for linking secular books to Jewish valuesand examines books with the theme of Courage/Ometz Lev in honor of Passover.

Food, glorious food!
Hot sausage and mustard!
Books and food--is there any better combination?

Anne-Marie of This Mama Cooks! On a Diet shares some ideas for reading and cooking with the Little House books in March is Reading Month: Read and Cook With Your Kids.

Heather Mann of Croq Zine shares some fabulous snack and craft ideas for celebrating the birthday of Dr. Seuss. I'll be the first one in line when Thing 1 and Thing 2 cupcakes show up at my local fair!

Jama Rattigan of jama rattigan's alphabet soup shares a delicious post about picture book bakers.

Games of skills, games of chance, the age and wight guessing booth, and lots of other excitements await you as you wander around the carnival. Who knows what fun you'll have and who you might meet? At this carnival you get the chance to meet those amazing people known as authors.

Elizabeth O. Dulemba shares an interview with author and photographer Sarah Campbell.

Eric Van Raepenbusch of Happy Birthday Author shines a spotlight on Bill Martin Jr..

Carmela Martino of Teaching Authors shares an interview with Johanna Hurwitz and features ideas for using her new book I FOOLED YOU in the classroom.

Amanda Hartman of The Literary Family shares some mad love for Kadir Nelson.

Lori Calabrese of Lori Calabrese Writes! interviews award-winning children's author Rene Colato Lainez on his latest book, My Shoes and I.

Sharon Hrycewicz of Reading Chick shares an interview with Gayle Brandeis, author of My Life With the Lincolns.

Jone (MsMac) of Check It Out shares an interview with Lisa Schroeder.

Samantha Clark of Day By Day Writer shares an interview with Bonnie Hearn Hill, author of the new YA Star Crossed book series about a teenager's life with astrology.

Help! I've lost my umbrella. The lady next to me lost her kid. Yes, we're both off the the lost and found booth. You just never know what you're going to find there.

Wendy Wax of The Girl Who Cried Book! shares some thoughts for writers about getting over the fear and worry of having their ideas stolen by someone else.

Stephen Aitken of Scribble Sketch shares his thoughts about writing and reading non-fiction for children. It also links to a post on the INK blog.

Helaine Becker of Track & Display Changes: A Writer's Blog shares some thoughts about meeting with kids' book club.

Megan Abrahams of On Beyond Words & Pictures gives us a look at what two teens are reading and why.

From the thumping beat on the Himalaya to the sounds coming from the concert stage, what would a carnival be without music?

Zoe Toft of Playing by the Book rounds up several picture book versions of Peter and the Wolf as part of a new series, Stories in Tune, as a way to bring more classical music into family life through picture books. What a GREAT idea!

Songs about reading? You bet! Andi of a wrung sponge shares the viral video of middle school kids celebrating reading in song and dance. Black Eyed Peas eat your heart out!

When I was in high school, nearly every summer weekend meant escaping to a fireman's carnival in a neighboring town or village. In addition to the rides, games and food, there were actually outlets for creativity. Spin art and tie dye booths were big back then! Just like those carnivals, we've got our own version of art.

Elizabeth O. Dulemba has been sharing art on coloring page Tuesday for quite some time now.. She's created a widget that allows you to share this free resource with your readers. It's also a great reminder to look for new pages each week!

Lynn Hazen of Imaginary Blog has some very cool ideas for moss art. I can't wait to see how these turn out!

Deborah Freedman of writes with pictures shares some Poetry Spam.

When you are ready to head home after a fun-filled day, falling into bed comes ONLY after the most important time of the day. What is that you ask? Well time to read, of course!

Fiona Ingram of Word Magic: Articles & Tips for Authors shares some thoughts on the importance of reading aloud with your kids.

Lee Wind of I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell do I read? shared some secrets for dads reading to their daughters.

Gregory K. of GottaBook shares his thoughts on sharing stories and why this is a gift that lasts a lifetime.

Terry Doherty of Scrub-a-Dub-Tub, a Reading Tub Blog shares her journey as a reading mentor and the lessons she's learned.

Jen Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page shares a round up of the final day of the Share a Story Literacy Blog Tour with links to posts about raising and encouraging the next generation of readers.

Pam Coughlan of MotherReader shares her thoughts on reading with kids in a piece entitled Reading is Boring (Sometimes). Don't let the title fool you, as you'll get some good advice on varying your reading routine.

That's a wrap folks. I hope you've had fun. Next month's Carnival of Children's Literature will be hosted by Kathy Bloomfield at forwordsbooks. You can submit your article for that event using the carnival submission form. For more information about the carnival and how to participate, visit Anastasia's carnival page. Thanks for visiting!

June Edition - Learning in the Great Outdoors

The Japanese Garden at Maymont was in full bloom last weekend. While my son and I have been spending a lot of time outdoors--walking, observing, and exploring--I've not been writing much about it. However, lots of others folks are sharing their ideas about learning out of doors. This can only mean one thing. The June edition of Learning in the Great Outdoors is here!

Worldly Travels

Last year at this time I was finishing up a trip through China, Tibet and Taiwan. This year, I'm but an armchair traveler. You can join me by reading all about this amazing trip to Nagarhole National Park (Rajiv Gandhi National Park), Karnataka.

At A Keeper's Jackpot, take a hike through the Adirondack mountains and learn about Rock Piles, Cairns, and Ducks.

At 10,000 Birds, Charlie shares the results of two days birding in Cape Town, South Africa. All I can say is, WOW!

What's Blooming? In and Out of the Garden

The magnolia outside my office is beginning to flower. Over at Exploring the World's Trees, Dan shares some photos and information about the Southern Magnolia.

Lots of folks are thinking about their gardens these days. Laura at Laura Williams' Musings shares her thoughts on Plantin' Season Around the 'Ol Homestead.

The folks at the Parenting Squad share A Child's Vegetable Garden: Cultivating Fun, Learning and Responsibility.

Jennifer at A Passion for Nature teaches us a thing or two about the mustard plant.

Barb at the Handbook of Nature Study has a series of Green Hour Challenges. The latest challenge (#16) is on Growing Sunflowers.

Arts, Crafts, Cooking and Experiments

Have you ever wanted to make something beautiful from the things you find in your yard or garden? At Po Moyemu--In My Opinion, Sylvia describes the gourd basket she made with her daughter.

At Mama Joules, Julie shares some ideas for thinking scientifically about blowing bubbles.

Stephanie at Stop the Ride! teaches us about immature pokeweed and a shares recipe for bacon and eggs made with poke weed.

Birds, Bugs and Other Critters

Jennifer at A Passion for Nature takes us along while she helps out with some bird banding.

At Birds and Things, Tony shares thoughts on the joys of birdwatching.

John at A D.C. Birding Blog has a thoughtful review of The Young Birder's Guide by Bill Thompson.

Roberta at Weekend Science Fun shares lots of great ideas for a Critter Crawl.

Granny J. at Walking Prescott spent some time in the bayou and shares her view of Swamp Things.

Beyond the Fields We Know gives us a glimpse of a wild turkey nest with eggs.

Have the cicada colonies where you live emerged from the ground? I haven't seen or heard them here in Virginia, but Stephanie has seen them in West Virginia. Check out Every Seventeen Years for some photos and cicada info.

Outdoor Explorations

Over at the Handbook of Nature Study, Barb considers the difference between nature journals and notebooks.

What could be more fun than exploring the woods with your teacher on the last days of school? Not much! Terrell at Alone on a Limb lets us join in the explorations he shared with four very lucky students.

Dawn at By Sun and Candlelight shares the results of the May Nature Study.

That's all for this month's edition. I hope you have found some new sites to follow and enjoyed this collection. The July issue of Learning in the Great Outdoors will be hosted by Terrell at Alone on a Limb. I hope to see you all there!

**UPDATED** - Okay, it's not necessarily outdoor education, but in reading the Times this morning, I came across an article that all teachers and lovers of science should/must read. It's called Put a Little Science in Your Life. It was written by Brian Greene, a professor of physics at Columbia.

Coming Soon - LIGO

The 13th Edition of Learning in the Great Outdoors will be delivered in a few short days. I forgot to post a reminder, so if you have any last minute entries, please send them directly to me and I will include you.

New Learning in the Great Outdoors

The new edition of Learning in the Great Outdoors is up over at 10,000 Birds. Charlie has done a magnificent job putting it all together. If you have any inclination towards learning outside (and even if you don't!), do head over and check it out.

BTW - I'm hosting next month, so get your submissions to me by June 11th!

March Carnival is Here!

The March Carnival of Children's Literature is up over at Scrub-a-Dub-tub, The Reading Tub Blog. Terry has done a fine job pulling it all together. Do take some time this week to check in and check out this month's contributions.

February Carnival is UP!

The February Carnival of Children's Literature is up over at Anastasia Suen's place, Picture Book of the Day. Since it's Leap Day, hop on over and see what she's put toegther so we can all leap into a book!

January Carnival is Up!

Susan over at Wizards Wireless has put together this month's carnival of children's literature, focused on book awards. There is much here to think about, so head on over and check it out.

What Are You Doing Here?

Yup, I'm still grading and revising a big report. Move along now, as there isn't anything here to see. What you need to do is head on over to Big A little a and check out the fabulous December Carnival of Children's Literature that Kelly has put together. If you are one of those last minute gift buyers (not me, I'm done, done, done!), you'll find plenty of great ideas for your book loving kids.

November Carnival is Here!

The November Carnival of Children's Literature is now up. MotherReader asked bloggers to share tips, suggestions, advice, and lessons learned from all areas of kids’ lit, and boy, did they respond. Head on over and check it out.

October Edition of Learning in the Great Outdoors

The October edition of Learning in the Great Outdoors is now up over at Pines Above the Snow. You know you want to stop by and take a gander. Shoo. Go. Now!

New Edition of Learning in the Great Outdoors

The fabulous September edition of Learning in the Great Outdoors is now up over at Alone on a Limb. Do head on over and check it out.

Heads Up for the Next Picture Book Carnival

The next Picture Book Carnival is now accepting submissions. The theme this time around is pictures books as mentor texts for developing writing. What books do you use? What do they help writers learn to do? Please think about sharing your great ideas.

For more info, read this post at Mentor Texts, Read Alouds & More.

5th Edition of Learning in the Great Outdoors

The Summer Morning Snail
by N.M. Bodecker in Water Pennies

The summer morning snail
she leaves a shiny trail.
At sunrise in the chill, wet grass I
    find her;
so I shall always know
wherever she may go,
she leaves that guiding sliver thread
    behind her.

For long before it's day
she's up and on her way,
the moon still in the pale dawn sky
    above her;
if I could be a snail,
I'd hurry on her trail,
to tell her just how very much I
    love her.

Welcome to the August edition (5th!) of Learning in the Great Outdoors. As we brave our way through the last hot days of summer, there are many folks who choose to stay indoors to beat the heat. Not me! This is when I look forward to early mornings in the shade, sipping tea and watching the birds in the yard. These are the days when hot walks on the beach or in the shade of the forest can open your eyes once again to the wonder of the natural world. This month, let's look at the all ways we can explore the great outdoors.

Get Your Sunscreen on and Head Outside
Let's begin with picking some ripe, delicious blueberries. This post is by one of my favorite bloggers, cloudscome, who writes awesome haiku poems accompanied by some amazing nature photos at her blog, a wrung sponge.

When outdoors, always keep your eyes open, as you never know what you might see. Oh, look over there! It's that darn snake! Over at Po Moyemu, Sylvia not only writes about the snake that can't seem to stay away from the hen house, but also shares this Odd Egg Update.

Would you like to explore colors in your garden? Barb at The Heart of Harmony shares this nature activity from kidsgardening.org. Another great idea from Barb is on how to make a nature journal. This one has great pictures that show the process step-by-step.

I love my nature notebook, as it often helps me remember where I've been and what I've seen. Over at Backyard Birding, Dana shares some thoughts on notebooks and birds.

Speaking of birds, I'm crazy about them. I recently discovered the blog of a Bird Study Ecology Group. Okay, I know these folks are in Singapore, but the pictures are terrific and I'm learning quite a lot about bird behavior. Check it out and see what you think.

With fall fast approaching, now is a good time to think about making your yard a bit more nature-friendly. Tiffany at Natural Family Living shares a slide show that highlights their backyard wildlife habitat.

Well, I thought mountain climbing in Tibet was adventurous, but it seems that Stephanie over at Adventures in the 100 Acre Wood has me beat! Read all about the Infamous Alaskan Backpacking Trip. (If you want to read about that mountain in Tibet, follow this link.)

For a trip closer to home, the folks at Free Range Academy share their pictures of a recent trip to the Lynde Shores Conservation Area.

Over at the Yellow House Homeschool, nature walks are a way of life. Check out the prairie walk, the tree study, and plant things. If you want to learn to take better nature photos, be sure to read the entry entitled Scale Matters.

Dawn at By Sun and Candlelight often shares shares pictures and writes about the flora and fauna that surround her family. I love this entry entitled Little Nature Stories: Birds, Bugs and Berries.

I'm always on the lookout for a new blog (at least new to me) that celebrates nature. Join me in visiting one of my new faves, Beyond the Fields We Know. The photos of this little corner of Ontario are amazing. While you're visiting, be sure to reflect on the passing of July with the entry entitled The Blessing Moon of July.

Let's Head Back in to Find Some Good Books
Becky at Becky's Book Reviews shares Shape Me a Rhyme, a poetry book written by Jane Yolen and illustrated with photographs by her son, Jason Stemple.

Would you like to learn about worms? Julie at Pines Above Snow shares some great reads for those with more than a passing fancy. If you want to follow up these books with a great online resource, I'm partial to the UIUC site The Adventures of Herman the Worm.

Over at True Colors, Dawnelle introduces us to the book Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock. Using this same title, Lindafay at Higher Up and Further In writes about using this book to guide their study of butterflies.

Funding and a Bit O' Politics
Sometimes finding money for outdoor education can be a problem. Terrell from Alone on a Limb and the inventor of this here blog carnival shares a fantastic proposal for a nature study project.

Given all the federal mandates mucking up public education these days, I'm not one for adding even more requirements, but this one has me nodding my head in agreement. If you haven't read about the proposed addendum to NCLB entitled No Child Left Inside, please do.

Just for Fun
On July 7th, the New 7 Wonders Foundation announced the winners of a global vote on the New 7 Wonders of the World. You can read about it here. The Foundation has now set off on a campaign to nominate the sites for the New 7 Wonders of Nature. Where in this big beautiful world have you been that is a worthy nominee? Think about it and then head on over and nominate your favorite spot.

That's it for this edition. Thanks so much for visiting. I leave you with and excerpt from Ordinary Things: Poems From a Walk in Early Spring by Ralph Fletcher, for it's also time for me to leave my desk behind. Enjoy!

Walking
Time to leave my desk
and leave my house,
pulling the door behind.

I walk the way I write
starting out all creaky,
sort of stumbling along,
looking for a rhythm.

Each footstep is like a word
as it meets the blank page
followed by a pause
before the next one:
step, step, word . . .

Learning in the Great Outdoors: Fourth Edition

Since I've been busy at work this week, I haven't been reading many of my regular blogs. Therefore, I am a bit late in mentioning that the fabulous Terrell over at Alone on a Limb has posted the fourth edition of Learning in the Great Outdoors.

Okay, so this is where I tell you (gulp) that I have agreed to host the next carnival.

That's right, I'll be collecting entries for the August edition right here. Please e-mail me by August 3rd with your contributions. I will post the fifth edition sometime that very weekend. This ought to be fun, so please, do join us!

Learning in the Great Outdoors: Third Edition

I am woefully behind on my blog reading these days. I am, however, trying to catch up when I have a few free moments and can actually manage to stay awake! I am happy to announce (just a tad bit late) that the newest edition of Learning in the Great Outdoors is up. Once again, Terrell has done an admirable job putting this all together. Please stop by and take a look.

Learning in the Great Outdoors: Second Edition

Alone on a Limb has just published A Nature Walk at School, the second carnival of environmental education. This edition begins with a little research in the library (including a link to a series by yours truly), heads out the garden door for a look at poison ivy, trees, nature study groups and more, reminds you not to forget your camera as you take in the sites, and finishes back inside with a look at some web sites for great new ideas.

If you are interested in outdoor education for a traditional classroom setting, the homeschool crowd, or are just plain interested in nature, click on over for a real treat.

It's Here! - The 13th Carnival

The 13th Carnival of Children's Literature has landed over at Jen Robinson's place in cyberspace. Head on over and check out the midway attractions. You'll find picture book, middle grades, and young adult reviews. There are booklists, poetry and performance artists. There is a list of assorted kid-lit related fare, as well as commentary on prizes and awards. Finally, if you are a fan of humor, start at the bottom and enjoy a few laughs from some very thoughtful and entertaining bloggers.

So, grab a a cup of whatever you're drinking (mine is a huge pot of tea), and settle in for a little exploration today. You are bound to find lots here to enjoy.

Carnival of Environmental Education

Alone on a Limb has published the first carnival of environmental education. The inaugural edition of Learning in the Great Outdoors is out there just waiting for you to explore. It begins:

I have listed more of my own posts than I would have had there been more submissions. I also have posted links to several websites that may be of interest to you. And I have gone out and solicited permission to post a few links to blogs that I found helpful or interesting. We hope our visitors will spread the word and help this grow into a real clearinghouse for web log posts about outdoor education.

So, here I am, spreading the word. Please visit and then consider submitting an entry of your own for the next go-round.

March Carnival is Up!

The March Carnival of Children's Literature is up over at Midwestern Lodestar. I have never participated in a carnival before, so this time around I thought I'd be brave and submit. Oh how I wish I had read Susan's background information on a blog carnival over at Chicken Spaghetti before I suggested entries! You see, being the indecisive person that I am, I could not decide what to enter, so I recommended three posts and said, "Please pick one." Well, now I know this isn't how it works. So greedy little me has taken up way too much space in this latest extravaganza. Suffice it to say that next month I will throw darts and pick one and only one post. Mea culpa, friends. Bear with me as I grope my way around the blogosphere in the hopes of actually learning the ropes.

In any case, do head on over and check out the Carnival. It's a beauty.