Making the Most of Your Grow Up with Books Subscription!

At Grow Up with Books we want to help families foster the love of reading!  Families that sign up for a subscription with Grow Up with Books receive a lot more than just great books at the click of a mouse.  No matter what reading plan you choose, be sure to get the most out of your subscription by remembering  the following tips:

• Be sure to keep your book queue full!  That way we always have a list of what your family wants to read next.
  
• When you return books, be sure to go on to the Grow Up with Books website and click "order returned."  This allows us to go ahead and process your next order.  Your new books will go directly to the post office.  You will not have to wait as long for new titles!
• Read, Learn, and Return full orders, not partial ones.  We are unable to process your next order if all books are not returned in the handy postage-paid return mailer.
  
• Don’t forget…if your family loves a book and you want to keep it, you can! Visit the website and buy the book at a reduced cost.

Grow Up with Books also offers specialized services that you won't find anywhere else!

• When books are returned they are sanitized with a green cleaning product to help keep germs out.  The books you receive have been through this same process to help keep your family healthy!
  
• The Read TWO Experience helps your family know how to read the book-To your child, With your child, or on their Own. Each book is marked with this information to help guide you as a parent of a Seed, Sprout, Sapling, or Young Tree reader.
• Grow Up with Books has a Reading Consulting Team with nearly 40 years of classroom reading experience. If you have questions about ways to help your child's reading development or literacy in general, feel free to write us at rct@growupwithbooks.com.  We will provide timely personal feedback and reading tips to all our subscribers.
• All of our books are reviewed by the Reading Consulting Team and Connection Cards are created for each book.  These suggested activities help guide parents to foster a love of reading by helping children make connections between books and themselves, other books and the world.
• Don't forget...Grow Up with Books gift cards or gift subscriptions make great gifts for baby showers, birthdays, holidays-anytime is a great time to give Grow Up with Books!

We are pleased that we can offer these services to our subscribers.  We hope that all subscribers will participate in our Summer Reading Program "Score! Read with GUWB" and receive a $10 gift card to Dairy Queen.  We ask all subscribers to Reach-a-Reader and save $5 on next month's subscription by getting a friend to sign up for a Grow Up with Books monthly book plan. 

If you haven't signed up yet, what are you waiting for?  Look at all the benefits you will receive when you share the love of reading and experience Grow Up with Books!  Sign up today and join in the fun of

reading with your child!

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

Beyond Blessed

Beyond blessed... Last night I sat here and listened to Hope for Haiti Now. Through tears, I was reminded of the importance of the basics. Needs vs. wants. Food. Clothing. Shelter. I truly believe that my children are beginning to know the difference, although they may not always remember it in the toy aisle at Target. I'm also reminded of the importance of standing up and leading by example for our children as we learn from this horrific natural disaster. What can we learn from this and what are some of the ways that we can help our children to make a difference? My daughter has decided to give the money she makes from selling her Girl Scout cookies (and any donations) to Haiti and my son wants to help her!

More to think about...What should we be appreciating in our lives that we aren't? I believe it's the small moments and small things. What small moments and things do we have going on in our lives that we are missing? What do we need to be thankful for?

•Take a few extra moments to say goodnight, giving an extra hug and kiss.
•Read one more chapter or one more story.
•Play a game as a family.
•Ask about favorite parts of the day.
•Eat dinner together and eagerly listen to one another.

•Appreciate the water coming out of your faucet.
•The refrigerator is filled with food.
•You get to choose what you want for dinner. (My mom has said this for years and now I'm putting it in a blog!)
•The light turns on when you flip the switch.
•There is medicine if you get sick.
•You are able to spend time with your family and friends.




Remember always to give thanks for what you have. Reaching out to help others is a way of giving thanks. As Muhammad Ali said last night, "Charity begins at home." Talk with your family about the many things for which you are thankful. Continue to talk and figure out how your family can help those less fortunate. Maybe it's with Haiti, maybe a local organization, or even a neighbor. Start somewhere and be the example you want your children to be. Help them learn the language of giving! Check out these sites for ways to help your children raise money and other ideas for helping Haiti.
*5 Tips on Talking to Your Child About Scary News
*Use your birthday money for Haiti rather than getting gifts.
*Have Hats for Haiti where the kids at school pay to wear the hat.
*"Hearts for Haiti" and "Quarters for the Quake"
*UMCOR gives 100% of the money raised to Haiti!!!
*Give up something as a family...send the money to Haiti.



Share more ideas with us and others!
Beyond blessed,
The GUWB Team



Grow Up With Books believes in reaching out to help those in need. For the next three months we will donate $1 for each new subscription to GUWB.

10 for 2010 Making Reading a Resolution Reality

It's that time of year again when we make our New Year's Resolutions only to drop them within weeks, days, or even minutes. When we stop to ask ourselves why, it's usually because it wasn't convenient. So, our million dollar question...How do you make reading convenient for your family? Or maybe the question should be....How can we afford NOT to make it convenient. I'd like to offer several suggestions for a family plan of reading in 2010!













10 for 2010... a Family Plan...
1) Make reading FUN! Let your child choose a headlamp or special book light to brighten the experience for "before going to sleep" reading.
2) Have a plan. Set aside a specific time for reading that works best for your child. Talk about the plan as a family so that all are involved and own it.
3) Allow for CHOICE. Letting your child have a say in what they read can make all the difference. If it's something they want to read it's more likely that they will enjoy reading it.
4) Choose a FAMILY chapter book. Remember that your child's listening level is 2-3 grade levels above their reading level. Books with vivid vocabulary and believable characters allow your family to take a shared adventure in the comfort of your own home.
5) Carry books in the car! Have a special bag or use the back of the seats to hold books. If you don't have them, they can't read them.
6) Stash some books in the bathroom. A basket of books for "waiting time" can be a very good thing.
7) Consider books on CD. While not a replacement for reading with your child, it does show how to read smoothly (fluency) and change your voice to match a situation (inflection).
8) Be an example. Read along with your child and read your own novel.
9) Start a family book club. With your friends who have children, consider reading the same story. Plan a celebration date for finishing the book where you can talk about connections made and even enjoy some tasty goodies! Over at Literate Lives they share about a "Grand Discussion" and how to hold one at your school.
10) Make reading FUN! Be sure to get comfy when you read. Who says you can't read in a tent with your grandmother listening?

This is just a start to a list. Share some of your family's tips for keeping reading exciting and a priority in your life. We'd love to hear from you!!!




The GUWB Team