Books in the Classroom with Yvonne: The Magic of Maxwell and His Tail by Maureen Stolar Kanefield

Visit the website HERE

Everyone has magic, but sometimes you have to search to find out what it is. That’s what Maxwell Mouse had to do. And he discovered that what he thought was something very bad was actually something very good, indeed.

The Magic of Maxwell and His Tail is more than just a charming, wonderfully illustrated story. With childlike innocence, it presents an inspiring motivational model for youngsters—especially gifted kids and those with special needs—to take another look at themselves and recognize their unique gifts. It shows them how to see beyond what appear to be limitations and appreciate them as positive attributes that will help them to soar.

Maureen was an educator with over 30 years in the trenches. By building her teaching on sound educational principles and acknowledging the various ways children learn (multiple intelligences), The Magic of Maxwell and His Tail is a micro-guide to life. It will delight children as they celebrate Maxwell’s triumphs, and warm the hearts of parents as they watch their kids discover how perfectly special they are.

Maureen attributes her inspiration for writing the first Maxwell book to her personal philosophy. She believes that children should be surrounded with opportunities of all kinds at all levels. “They should seek and find what interests them, and most importantly, they must have the confidence to rise above anything that impedes their dreams,” Maureen suggests.

In The Magic of Maxwell and His Tail, Maxwell is that character. He overcomes the difficulty of having a tail that is much too long and discovers he is stronger and better because of it, not in spite of it.

“The book is a metaphor to every child’s life,” Maureen explains. “A child will always have to overcome one or more obstacles in their young years. It is finding the strength, or ‘magic within,’ through positive direction and self-realization that empowers a child to move forward. From there, children will open their minds to erudition at the highest level.”

As a member of SCBWI, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Maureen has gained an added respect for the children’s book writing industry. With the publication of her first children’s book, The Magic of Maxwell and His Tail, she brings to the forefront a message that all children should hear. That message is to accept life’s challenges and find the strength, or ‘magic within,’ you to achieve your dreams.

Maureen Kanefield has enjoyed a fulfilling career as an educator, passionately dedicated to teaching children of all ability levels, from special needs to the gifted student. An insatiable learner herself, she has sought ways—inside and outside the box, including integrated curriculum instruction (language arts and social studies) and Gardner’s eight intelligences—for awakening children’s natural curiosity and guiding them to learning successes. The underlying purpose of her children’s books is to encourage young readers to recognize and celebrate their unique gifts.

Maureen lives in Chicago, her base for advocating on behalf of children for enhanced educational experiences. Maureen is an active volunteer and advocate for the Special Kids Network and First Tee Organization.

Yvonne's Review: 

The Magic of Maxwell and His Tail

This is a perfect book for every elementary classroom. Maxwell teaches students that there is “a bit of magic” in all of us. Teachers can use this book to have students take a closer look at their classmates and find the good…a fun way to build classroom community.

Additional ways to use this book in the classroom:

          Reading

                   -predicting

                   -reading dialogue with expression (various “said” words)

                   -reader’s theater

                   -using pictures to infer characters’ feelings

                   -“reading” the illustration to understand main character’s personality                       and character traits

                   -vocabulary (feelings)

                   -simple theme (Perfect way to introduce young readers to the concept

                     of themes in a book.)

                   -setting changes and how they affect character changes

          Writing

                   -use thought bubbles to model how to write in internal thinking

                   -write Maxwell’s next adventure

                   -chart “said” words

                   -for beginning writers – how illustrations can show movement

This book has it all!  It is a great book to use with PBIS (Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports) and a true mentor text for reading and writing. My second grade class has enjoyed it every time we have read it and it is a book they read in groups during any free minute in the day. 5 BIG stars!!!

Mimi's Adventures in Baking Blog Tour!

About the Book

Mimi's Adventures in Baking is the first storybook cookbook that creates a fun and interactive way of learning how to bake. Follow Mimi as she learns to measure, mix and bake her way to her very first batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies. Learning how to bake can be easy and fun with Mimi!

Navigating your way through a kitchen full of tools, ingredients and of course safety measures are brought to life in this storybook cookbook. No more flipping through endless recipes and boring procedures. Mimi makes baking fun for the whole family. Let your child take control and become the chef they always wanted to be!

My son loves cooking and this book was just the book for us.  It was such fun to read it together!  It is about cooking, making memories and about doing what you love!  The illustrations were brilliant and the recipe at the end wrapped things up nicely!   I really loved this book and my son had this to say about it: "This story makes me want to get to the kitchen and to get baking!" 4.5 stars

Mimi’s Adventures in Baking Chocolate Chip Cookies releases

in March 2015!

Pre-Order now:

Amazon Hardcover

Barnes & Noble

On Goodreads

The Author

Alyssa’s Website / Twitter / Facebook

Chef Alyssa has been baking since she was a little girl in her grandmother's kitchen. Since graduating from the Culinary Institute of America she has worked for famous chefs and elite companies such as the Ritz Carlton, Tom Colicchio, Norman Van Aken and Gray Kunz. She currently is the Executive Chef at Riverwalk Bar and Grill on the Historic nook of New York City, Roosevelt Island. She also has a boutique custom cake company called AllyCakesNYC where she creates cakes to appease the imagination. Through her journey of baking she developed Mimi, her very own miniature version of herself.
    
As a child she loved baking and everything that came with it. As an adult and food lover she realized there was something missing when she frequented bookstores. A interactive children's cookbook. And we are not talking about a boring old cookbook for kids with lots and lots of recipes, and some pictures. Children these days have just as much interest in the kitchen as there parents do, but the ordinary cookbook is just not going to cut it. She created Mimi's Adventures in Baking  to give children and adults a way to get into the kitchen and allow the child to become the chef and the adult the assistant. With each book has one recipe and an interactive storyline the child can read, and at the end go into the kitchen and do what Mimi did!  And for the "non-baking" parent, these elite pastry chef recipes are tested and ready for even the most inexperienced baker! Impress other moms with Mimi's creations!
    
Mimi's Adventures in Baking will also teach children how to measure, mix and bake their way through the kitchen while also giving safety tips along the way. No more boring cookbooks! Now there is a fun, exciting and educational way to learn how to bake!

Follow the entire Mimi’sAdventures in Baking Tour HERE

Hosted by WorldwindVirtual Book Tours

Huge Review Round-Up

Well I have had my head in the books for the last month 

(and then some) 

and now here is the round-up of the books

 I have read and enjoyed!!!!  

I hope you enjoy them too!!!!

How Do You Know? (Seeking Happily Ever After, #1)

by Meredith Schorr 

What if you were approaching the end of your thirties and all of the life milestones you took for granted in your youth suddenly seemed out of reach?

On the eve of her thirty-ninth birthday, Maggie Piper doesn't look, act, or feel much different than she did at twenty-nine, but with her fortieth birthday speeding towards her like a freight train, she wonders if she should. The fear of a slowing metabolism, wrinkling of her skin, and the ticking of her biological clock leaves Maggie torn between a desire to settle down like most of her similarly-aged peers and concern that all is not perfect in her existing relationship. When a spontaneous request for a temporary "break" from her live-in boyfriend results in a "break-up," Maggie finds herself single once again and only twelve months from the big 4.0. In the profound yet bumpy year that follows, Maggie will learn, sometimes painfully, that life doesn't always happen on a schedule, there are no deadlines in love, and age really is just a number.

Meredith Schorr, best-selling author of light women's fiction, digs deep in her newest novel and raises the age old issue of the 'proverbial clock' that haunts many women, in a way that is refreshing and sassy no matter your age or relationship status.

My Review:
So excited this is a series.  I loved everything about this book.  I felt the characters were fleshed out amazingly, the story funny and touching, the plot engaging and original.  What a treat this book is and we get more installments!!!  I just adored Maggie...I could be her friend.  I want her to be my friend. Schorr really knows who to draw a reader in and how to keep them glued to the page.  Bravo Ms. Schorr, Bravo!!!  5 stars

Saving Grace

by Jane Green

Grace and Ted Chapman are widely regarded as the perfect literary power couple. Ted is a successful novelist and Grace, his wife of twenty years, is beautiful, stylish, carefree, and a wonderful homemaker. But what no one sees, what is churning under the surface, is Ted’s rages. His mood swings. And the precarious house of cards that their lifestyle is built upon. When Ted’s longtime assistant and mainstay leaves, the house of cards begins to crumble and Grace, with dark secrets in her past, is most vulnerable. She finds herself in need of help but with no one to turn to…until the perfect new assistant shows up out of the blue.  To the rescue comes Beth, a competent young woman who can handle Ted and has the calm efficiency to weather the storms that threaten to engulf the Chapman household. Soon, though, it’s clear to Grace that Beth might be too good to be true. This new interloper might be the biggest threat of all, one that could cost Grace her marriage, her reputation, and even her sanity.  With everything at stake and no one to confide in, Grace must find a way to save herself before it is too late.

Powerful and riveting, Jane Green's Saving Grace will have you on the edge of your seat as you follow Grace on her harrowing journey to rock bottom and back. 

My Review:
This book was such a great read.  I had a really hard time putting it down.  It was so well written that there were times that I felt like I was going a bit mad.  Whose perception of events were the true and accurate?   How would it end?  How can this all be happening?  I would love to see this book made into a movie!  I was pulled in the story and, at times, would yell out loud at the characters while reading.  Man, such fun this book was and I have to say that I LOVED how it ended.  I won't give anything away, but WOW! 4.5 stars

Another Night, Another Day

by Sarah Rayner

Three people, each crying out for help.There’s Karen, about to lose her father; Abby, whose son has autism and needs constant care, and Michael, a family man on the verge of bankruptcy. As each sinks under the strain, they’re brought together at Moreland’s Clinic.Here, behind closed doors, they reveal their deepest secrets, confront and console one another, and share plenty of laughs. But how will they cope when a new crisis strikes? From the international bestselling author, Sarah Rayner, Another Night, Another Day is the emotional story of a group of strangers who come together to heal, creating lifelong friendships along the way.

My Review:
I love when writers tackle subjects that are worth writing about, but I really love it when they pull it off brilliantly.   Rayner captures the truths in such a compelling way.  She adds in the human side, she creates the realness and included the good the bad and the ugly side of mental illness.  You cannot help but root for the characters, become attached and hope for nothing but the best for a happy outcome for all.  What an emotional read, but so well done!  4 stars

House Broken

by Sonja Yoerg

In this compelling and poignant debut novel, a woman skilled at caring for animals must learn to mend the broken relationships in her family.…
 
For veterinarian Geneva Novak, animals can be easier to understand than people. They’re also easier to forgive. But when her mother, Helen, is injured in a vodka-fueled accident, it’s up to Geneva to give her the care she needs.
 
Since her teens, Geneva has kept her self-destructive mother at arm’s length. Now, with two slippery teenagers of her own at home, the last thing she wants is to add Helen to the mix. But Geneva’s husband convinces her that letting Helen live with them could be her golden chance to repair their relationship.
 
Geneva isn’t expecting her mother to change anytime soon, but she may finally get answers to the questions she’s been asking for so long. As the truth about her family unfolds, however, Geneva may find secrets too painful to bear and too terrible to forgive.

My Review: 

First, I am IN LOVE with this book cover.  Are you kidding me with this cuteness?!?!  But don't be fooled...what is contained inside this novel is gritty truth and human conditions mingling together to create an interesting and captivating story.  There is so much depth to the story and each character feels like they need to be there, like it all just fits so well together!!!  What a great read! 4.5 stars

Secret of a Thousand Beauties

by Mingmei Yip

Set against the vibrant and intrigue-laden backdrop of 1930s China, Mingmei Yip's enthralling novel explores one woman's defiant pursuit of independence.

Spring Swallow was promised in marriage while still in her mother's belly. When the groom dies before a wedding can take place, seventeen-year-old Spring Swallow is ordered to become a ghost bride to appease his spirit. Under her in-laws' protection, she will be little more than a servant, unable to know real love or bear children. Refusing to accept her fate as a "bad-luck woman," Spring Swallow flees on her wedding day. 

In the city of Soochow, Spring Swallow joins a community of renowned embroiderers. The women work for Aunty Peony, whose exquisite stitching once earned her the Emperor's love. But when Aunty Peony agrees to replicate a famous painting--a lucrative assignment that will take a year to complete--betrayal and jealousy emerges within the group. Spring Swallow becomes entangled in each woman's story of heartbreak, even while she embarks on a dangerous affair with a young revolutionary. On a journey that leads from the remote hillsides around Soochow to cosmopolitan Peking, Spring Swallow draws on the secret techniques learned from Aunty Peony and her own indomitable strength, determined to forge a life that is truly her own. 

My Review:

Secret of a Thousand Beauties combines an interesting story with the unique history of China in the 1930s.  With the authors unusual and sparse writing style, Mingmei Yip creates a one of a kind reading experience.  I found the whole story, style and approach to telling the story be be very original.   A reader could connect to the characters and enjoy it, but for me it fell just a bit short.  I enjoyed it, but something was missing for me, but I cannot place what it was.  3 stars

Did You Know That I Love You?

by Christa Pierce

Did you know that I love you?

Could you feel it in my hugs?

From her soft kisses and soothing hugs to her tasty tea and warming mug, Bird sweetly expresses her love to Fox so he knows that no matter how big he gets or where he goes, she is always with him.

Through delightfully endearing illustrations, debut author-illustrator Christa Pierce creates a whimsical tale that will have every reader feeling loved and cherished.

Watch a video HERE

My Review:

I love this book.  I have started reading it to my boys before bed.  What is a better than going to bed with visions of unconditional love dancing in your head.  The story combined with the the beautiful illustrations with draw in any reader.  I love that you can add voices to the characters and make it loving, silly and fun.  What a great book to create a class around.  I plan to make this book into a lesson for Valentine's Day!  5 lovable stars!

Have I Told You Today How Much I Love You?

by Cheryl Sturm 

"Have I Told You Today How Much I Love You?" is one way to express love--beyond an inch, foot, yard, mile, the moon, stars, and Mars--to anyone dear to you. It was written as a bedtime story. But given that it teaches children some fun facts about measurements while reinforcing how much you love them, this book is an ANYtime story. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, godparents, and friends can buy this book as a gift and enjoy telling the children in their lives how much they are loved. The author wrote the book for her four nieces and nephews. When asked "Do I love you this much?", the youngest, who is almost four years old, delights in answering, "Not just this much." He starts saying it with his two index fingers an inch apart, and he enjoys repeating the phrase with his hands one foot apart and again with his arm stretched as far as they'll go. Then he starts again. On occasion, his grandfather has joined in. It's a fun, quick read with both basic and profound lessons. 

My Review:

This is a cute book, not only about love, but also about measurement.  My son enjoyed this book because he was just learning about measuring in school.  This will also be a fun book to turn into a lesson in my Art Through Stories class. 4 stars

REVIEW: #ReesesSpreads #Reeses @influenster

REVIEW: I have tried many spreads and this one is by far THE BEST ONE EVER!!!  If you love Reese's this will be a dream come true for you, as it was for me.  You can have the deliciousness of the Reese's in new and fun ways (see pictures).  I am seriously in love with this spread. You can get the craving covered by a little (or big) spoonful or in so many other ways.  This stuff is the BOMB!!! 5 yummy stars!

*on an English muffin with bananas

 *on Ritz crackers

*by the spoonful

*on bananas

 "I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes."

Books in the Classroom with Yvonne: Review- Grandma, Aren't You Glad The World's Finally in Color Today by Lori Stewart

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We all can imagine what children think when they first see the old black and white family photos hanging in the hallway, framed on the mantle, or carefully tabbed into place in the family photo album. It's certainly enough to make grandchildren say, Aren't you glad the world's finally in color today!

Grandma, Aren't You Glad The World's Finally in Color Today! is a story in rhyme that takes readers on a then and now journey through time. Narrated by a grandmother, the story compares her own mother's life and times to those of her grandchildren. Side by side vintage and full color photos contrast fashion, schools, transportation, entertainment, technology, culture and the arts from the Great Depression and World War II years to those of today.

This book creates an opportunity for readers to share their own family tree, and gives grandparents a way to start conversations about who we are and where we came from, and fulfill their role as family historian.

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Yvonne's Review: 

Grandma, Aren’t You Glad…the World’s Finally in Color Today!

The uses in the classroom are endless. This is one of those books that can be used over and over at various levels.

Elementary Level:

·         * Great read aloud when studying American History. The trivia and events span over 100 years.

·        *  Photos can be used for then and now comparisons.

·        *  Reading and designing a timeline

·         * Connecting photos and timeline events to the smooth flowing text/poem

·         * Lots of new vocabulary

·       *  Rhyming words

·         * Visualizing

Middle/High School Level:

·         * Each page contains a different timeline. Many of the timelines are developed around a theme that students can try to tie together. The level of difficulty varies making it a great book to differentiate.

·         * The events used in the poem and timeline of American History are unique and will appeal to students. They are not events often used to tell how times have changed in America.

·         * The events/trivia can be used to spark creative writing about how or why the inventions occurred or how events have changed America/the world (Olympic Games, Miniture Golf, Band-Aid)

·         * Fun, informative, and high interest research ideas (1928-Pink bubble gum is invented by Walter Diemer.).

The uniqueness of this book is how eloquently it flows and tells the story of America through the eyes of a grandma living next door instead of a history book. A must have book for any history teacher at any level.   5 stars

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Highlight: The Housemaid's Daughter by Barbara Mutch

The Housemaid's Daughter

by Barbara Mutch

“If you loved The Help, try The Housemaid’s Daughter…The friendship at its center

will leave your heart singing.” -- Good Housekeeping UK

“A shared love of the piano brings two women together across the racial divide of apartheid South Africa in Mutch’s debut novel…her setting is a fascinating one, and she does an excellent job of showing the horrifying effects of apartheid law on individual lives…Readers who loved Kathryn Stockett’s The Help may also appreciate this historical tale of female friendship across racial lines…”

--Library Journal

“Mutch’s sprawling debut spans five decades of South Africa’s richest—and most painful—history…a vividly drawn setting and Ada’s consistent, special voice drive the story and keep the pages turning.”

--Publishers Weekly

Born and raised in South Africa, Barbara Mutch has now written a powerful debut novel set against the backdrop of the beautiful, yet divided land of apartheid South Africa during the mid-1900s. In THE HOUSEMAID’S DAUGHTER(St. Martin’s Griffin; January 6, 2014;  $15.99) , she tells the compelling story of two women--one white and one black--who rise above cruelty to find love, hope, and redemption. 

When Cathleen Harrington leaves her home in Ireland in 1919 to travel to South Africa, she is uncertain about her feelings for the man she is to marry there—her fiancé Edward, whom she has not seen for five years.  Feeling isolated and estranged at Cradock House, her new home is in a small town in the harsh Karoo desert; her only real companions are her diary, her housemaid, Miriam, and later the housemaid’s daughter, Ada. 

Although she finds herself in a passionless marriage, Cathleen perseveres and gives birth to two children, her cheerful son, Philip, and her ill-tempered daughter, Rosemary.  However, over the years, it is Ada with whom Cathleen forms a unique, powerful bond.  While Cathleen’s own daughter complains that she hates to play her mother’s beloved piano, Ada thrives on Cathleen’s tutelage and becomes an accomplished pianist.  Besides sharing a love of music, Cathleen teaches Ada to read, despite the objections of Edward.  Ada often peeks into Cathleen’s diary, and learns the secrets of her heart.  Encouraged by Cathleen, Ada sees new possibilities for her own life.  But one night, while Cathleen is away on a trip, Edward takes advantage of teenaged Ada with devastating results. When Cathleen arrives home, she finds that Ada has disappeared.  No longer living in the security of Cradock House, Ada is now forced to survive amidst the harsh realities of apartheid.  She struggles to make a life for herself.  In time, she must also fight to keep her biracial baby daughter safe.  As time passes, Cathleen’s attempts to find Ada fail time and again.  She remains confused and heartbroken by Ada’s mysterious departure until one day when a piano’s music brings Cathleen to a starting discovery.

Narrated in the compelling voice of Ada, as well as Cathleen through her diary passages, THE HOUSEMAID’S DAUGHTER is a breathtaking and thought-provoking novel about the parallel lives of these two women whose poignant relationship rises above the turbulence of the period.  It is a stunning story that is certain to resonate with readers everywhere.