Naples, Florida...Here we come!!!

It's time for The Authors and Books Festival! For those Naples residents or tourists that will be in the area on April 10th, drop by Lulu's Little Market (531 5th Avenue South) and say hello to a Grow Up With Books associate. Learn first-hand about our children's reading experience--Netflix style. You'll hear about some amazing books as well as great gifts and ideas! GUWB will be present from noon to 3PM and from 6 PM to 9 PM! We look forward to seeing and hearing from you.

Are your Easter baskets ready?

Can you believe it's time to get those Easter baskets ready? I'm all about some good chocolate and filling baskets with a little candy, but do we really need to load them up with all that sugar? Probably not. Why not consider some other options as you get ready for the Easter Bunny!

1. Gift subscription to Grow Up With Books... Is there anything better than books? What about books delivered to your doorstep? Check out GUWB for what I call the "no-brainer" gift. You don't have to go out to find it, you're sure to be a hit, and it's a gift that keeps on giving.
2. Family Games...Adding a family game to your collection at Easter is perfect. Try to get something that will stretch to all of the ages in your house such as Dominoes, card games, and marbles.
3. Packs of Seeds...Start a small garden from seed. Let your child help you gather the necessary supplies.
4. Disposable Camera...Let your child take pictures of signs of spring. Put them into a book where they can write the story behind the pictures.
5. Art Supplies...Water colors, pastels, fun crayons and markers, construction paper, stickers, stamp pads and ink. bingo dot markers, glitter glue, sidewalk chalk, etc.
6. Project/Kit Ideas...Children love projects. Try building a kite, bird house, rocket, bat house, butterfly house, or hanging tomato plant holder.
7. Bathtub Supplies...Bubble bath, tub crayons, tub paint, and tub toys can be hours of fun!
8. Simple Toys...Yo-yo, hoola-hoops, play dough, and sandbox toys.
9. Easter Eggs...Rather than fill them with candy, why not put riddles/jokes in them. Kids get a kick out of telling a great joke to an audience of even one.
10. New Toothbrush and Toothpaste...Giving them a fun toothbrush and toothpaste can bring about a renewed interest in brushing. You have to replace them anyway, why not do it in the basket?

When in doubt...go with the gift subscription to Grow Up With Books! There is a uniqueness to this gift and the satisfaction of knowing that your child/grandchild has the chance to read amazing books.

What are some of your ideas for basket fillers? Send us your ideas and comments!

Happy reading-

The GUWB Team

Submitted by Lara

Spring is here and so is GUWB!

This past weekend Grow Up With Books had the opportunity to participate in two great events.

First, we participated in The 16th Annual Virginia Festival of the Book in Charlottesville, Virginia. We were in Vendor Hall at the Charlottesville Omni sharing about the "ins and outs" of GUWB.

Book Festival "Comments of the day..."

▪ Best Statement: "That's a great idea! Why didn't I think of that?"

▪ Most FAQ: "Can I give this as a gift?"

▪ Most Talked About Books:

1. The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney,
2. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown,
3. Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin, and
4. Rosa byNikki Giovanni (who actually spoke at the festival and is a professor at VA Tech)

▪ Most Viewed Book (by a child): Waddle by Rufus Seder

▪ Special Visitor: Dr. Jane Hansen, professor of writing at UVA

The second event was one that GUWB sponsored.

Hanover County's South Anna Elementary PTA had their 1st annual Spirit Run to benefit PTA programs. The weather was beautiful and the runners were plenty. Even the teachers got involved as they dressed up and cheered on those runners. Can you believe that PURPLE COWS were seen running the 5K? Be sure to put this event on your calendar for next year because you won't want to miss it. To say that the everyone had a good time would be an understatement. What a pleasure it was to be a part of such an amazing, well-run event!

Those attending these two events learned how to get 2 months FREE from GUWB! Yes, I said 2 months FREE! Leave a comment or email us (lara@growupwithbooks.com) if you'd like to find out how to make that happen for you.

Looking forward to some great spring reading!

The GUWB Team

Submitted by Lara Ivey and Julie Dauksys

What's on your checklist?

Today's Checklist...

1. Set clocks ahead an hour....DONE!

2. Check all of our smoke detectors...DONE!

3. Share a few recently added books to GUWB's selection...

That Girl Lucy Moon by Amy Timberlake (9-12 year olds)

Lucy Moon is the kind of girl who champions animal rights--during hunting season. She is the kind of girl who spots injustice and isn't afraid to fight it. But now that she’s in junior high, things have changed. The qualities that used to make Lucy

distinctive now just mark her as uncool. But when her latest cause lands her with a harsh detention sentence, a “bad influence” reputation, and a vandalized locker, Lucy begins to lose her verve. Can she stand up for her beliefs and survive junior high?

Just a Heads Up: Mature Content (Mother leaves family and Lucy lives with her detached father.)

Willow Buds #1: The Tale of Toad and Badger

by Mary Jane Begin (3-4 and 5-8 year olds)

Ever wonder what the characters in The Wind in the Willows did when they were young? Here is the tale of how Today and Badger’s friendship began. Many lessons can be learned from these two fellows.

Willow Buds #2: When Toady Met Ratty

by Mary Jane Begin (3-4 and 5-8 year olds)

Badger, Ratty, and Toady start to spend the day together by going fishing. They continue with a trip to the carnival. However, Toady has a hard time fishing and Ratty is not enjoying the carnival. Soon they begin to fight over Badger. Will these two be able to work together when Badger is in trouble and needs their help?

Busy Baby First 100 Words by Sarah Phillips

(0-2 and 3-4 year olds OR 5-8 year olds ESL)

A sweet and colorful look at 100 words for babies with real pictures for each one. This book is also good for early readers and children learning English as a second language.

Put GUWB on your "Checklist" and you can have these books (and many more) sent right to your mailbox, just like Netflix! Not only will the books come to you, connection ideas are put inside the books so that you can help your child get a deeper experience with amazing titles. Get a FREE trial month by using the code A64D9C when signing up! Check us out, give it a try...let us know your thoughts and how we can best serve you.

Happy reading!

The GUWB Team

Submitted by Lara Ivey

Subscriber Benefits at GUWB

If you are a subscriber to GUWB (the Netflix of children's books), one of the many benefits you have is access to our Reading Consulting Team (RCT). The information below shares a little bit about what the RCT can offer.

A few years ago a parent asked me, “How do you know what books to read to your child?” My answer was, “Well, I’m a reading teacher. I just know.” But as the conversation continued it became obvious to me that this parent had many thoughtful questions about reading with his child. So I began to wonder…

How do parents know what to read to their children?

In this time of technology any parent can hop on the computer and use any available search engine to locate information on multiple approaches to reading with children. The library is a wonderful place to go for children’s literature guidance, if there is a children’s librarian at your branch. Asking your child’s teacher or reading teachers at his or her school is helpful, but what if they are not yet in school, or not yet reading?

The Reading Consulting Team at Grow Up with Books is readily available to answer your questions about reading to or with your child, or guiding them when they read on their own (the Read TWO Experience). We are a team of educators with 40+ years of experience in the classroom and have children of our own. Our team is set to answer your burning questions about these and other topics:

• What are the "hot books" out now for kids?

• What should I read to my infant or toddler?

• What series would interest my 9-year-old boy?

• What do I do if my child can read, but can’t comprehend?

Be sure to check our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on the website or email us at rct@growupwithbooks.com.

Happy reading and we look forward to hearing from you!

The GUWB Team

Submitted by Julie Dauksys (Reading Consulting Team)