Bats in the Air, Bats in My Hair

Bats? In my hair? That's right! At the Virginia Festival of the Book held in March, 2010, Grow Up with Books team members had the opportunity to meet a local author of children's books. Martha Hamlett of Lynchburg, Virginia wrote and published Bats in the Air, Bats in My Hair and has visited many schools and bookstores in Virginia to read her story and talk with kids about writing and publishing. Martha has written poems and stories for many years and used an event from her own childhood to create the story Bats in the Air, Bats in My Hair.

Before the school year ended I read this story to a group of second graders that visit my classroom for reading instruction. They loved the story! They were full of gasps and giggles as I read the parts about the nightime visitors. At the end they had many questions for the author, so we wrote them down. Martha Hamlett was gracious to share her answers with us at Grow Up with Books!

Author Martha Hamlett and her book Bats in the Air, Bats in My Hair.

Tysen: Is this a real story? Did this really happen?

Martha Hamlett: Yes. The idea for Bats in the Air, Bats in My Hair was taken from an event that happened to me at my own grandmother's house when I was about 8 years old. About 10 of my cousins and I decided to spend the night at my grandmother's house. She lived in a big, white house that had bedrooms on the second floor. It even came with a winding staircase and creaky steps! The girls stayed in one bedroom, the boys were across the large foyer in another bedroom. During the night some of us girls heard a noise and turned on the light. My cousin Deb was sleeping soundly on another bed. She had long hair that was streaming across the pillow. Well, we immediately saw a bat sitting tangled in her hair! Being girls we ran screaming across the hall to the boys room. Of course, they woke up. Now, 10 kids jumping on one old bed did not end well. The slats fell out, the mattress shifted, and we all ended up on the floor. My grandmother came up a bit upset with us all, put the bat outside, and made us all go back to bed. The girls had a hard time sleeping the rest of the night. We had the covers over our heads most of the time.

Jennifer: The grandma was funny hitting the bats! I liked the grandma!

MH: Thanks, Jennifer! The grandma was supposed to be a character that helps. I remember when I would get scared, especially in the middle of the night, I would always get comforted by my parents or grandparents.

Jacob: I like that you made the story a poem. Do you like to write poems?

MH: I love writing in rhyme. It is one of the hardest ways to write, especially if you are trying to sell your work to publishers. I started out writing poems when I was young.

Jennifer: There were rhyming words!

MH: Yes, the story has a simple rhyme. I rhymed the last words of the sentences.

Jayson: The pictures are cool. They kinda look like cartoons instead of regular book pictures. Did the drawer go to school to learn how to draw like that?

MH: Davey Morgan, the illustrator, majored in Visual Arts at Erksine College in Greenville, South Carolina. We both wanted the drawings to be colorful and grab the reader's attention. We tried to be different from other books on the market.

Jayson: Did you help him with ideas for the pictures or did he make it up by himself?

MH: Davey and I worked together on the pictures. I offered my ideas for each verse. I could see in my mind how I thought each verse should look. I wrote my thoughts out for Davey, and he took it from there. He added his own special touches throughout the book.

And later I read the book to my son Evan. Here is his question for the author:

Evan: The bats were funny! Did the illustrator know to put bats in the pictures on the wall, or was that part of your story?

MH: I agree-the bats were funny! I love the page where a bat named Jeff-E tried to hide from Sally and her grandmother by dressing up like a knight and hiding himself in the castle picture. Actually the illustrator added that to the story. We had the bats doing all kinds of strange things throughout the book. If you look closely, they would be jumping on the bed, trying on clothes, and even trying to brush their hair!

So, if you are looking for a funny story with a batty ending, check out Bats in the Air, Bats in My Hair at Grow Up with Books! This book will be available for rent or purchase on August 29th on our website, http://www.growupwithbooks.com/!

Connection ideas for Bats...

• Can you think of another animal that might visit you at night? What would the story be like if instead of a bat it might be an owl or a raccoon?


• Stories of things that happen to us when we are little are fun to read. Think about something that happened to you when you were younger. Can you write a poem about it?


• Visit http://42explore.com/night.htm for more information about bats and other creatures of the night.


• Martha started writing poems when she was young. She said that she wrote Bats... with rhyming words at the end of the sentences. Can you write some sentences about your favorite animal using rhyming words at the end?

We hope you will check out Bats in the Air, Bats in My Hair! And don't forget: Grow Up with Books members can still participate in our Summer Reading program. Reading logs are still being accepted, so be sure to return yours for a $10.00 gift card to Dairy Queen!!!!

Keep on reading!

Julie and the GUWB Team

"Cat"ch the World Cup Fever

What an exceptional World Cup this has been!  The GUWB Team has watched the US team through its ties, victories, and it's final loss.  However, the semi-final and final matches have yet to be played.  With that in mind, why not introduce your child to a simple chapter book entitled Soccer Cats: Switch Play! (by Matt Christopher)?  As a subscriber to GUWB, you can have it sent directly to your doorstep and add it to your GUWB Summer Reading Log.  Remember, when your family reads a total of 10 books, you're eligible for the $10 gift card to Dairy Queen. It's the perfect book to be read during these final days of World Cup excitement.  Continue to enjoy reading while you enjoy your summer!


Get reading!
The GUWB Team

Tips for Summer Reading

Make even more summer memories with your family by trying out some of our

Summer Reading Tips!

1.  Family Storytime:  Choose a crowd-pleaser like Charlotte's Web or Clementine from the GUWB collection.  Each day read the story together as a family.  Either read the story to your children, or have the family take turns as "Guest Reader" for the evening.  After reading, have a conversation with your crew about connections you can make with what you've read. 

 

2.  Take a Trip:  Many of the books in the GUWB collection lend themselves to daytrip excursions for your family.  If you live in Virginia, you might read My Chincoteague Pony and visit Chincoteague Island for the annual pony penning event.  If you live in Illinois, you might read Abe's Honest Words and visit Abraham Lincoln's birthplace and museum.  If you live in the mid-Atlantic region, your might read the non-fiction book Washington, D.C. and spend a day touring our nation's capital city.  No matter where you live, try to make connections between books you read and summer events!

   

3.  Write All About It!  To encourage summer writing and keep those writing skills sharp, try one or all of these writing suggestions: 
     a.  Keep a journal:  In the book Ellie McDoodle:  Have Pen, Will Travel, Ellie goes camping with her aunt and uncle and writes all her adventures in her signature "doodle-style" notebook.  Capture your family's adventures in your own journal.
    b.  Help your child create a blog with his or her friends so they can "chat" through writing about books they are reading.
    c.  After reading Diary of a Worm, use a blank calendar to have your child record "out of the ordinary"  events (a surprise trip to Dairy Queen, a visit from grandma, a playdate, a summer party, etc.).

   

4.  Capturing Memories:  Summer is filled with lots of memory-making moments.  After reading When Lightning Comes in a Jar, take your family outside at dusk with a jar to capture your own fireflies and make your own experience.  What other connections can your family make with this story? (reunions, family ties, foods, stories of the past, etc.)  Take pictures of events that make your summer special and encourage your child to write captions for each one in a scrapbook.

We hope these Summer Reading Tips will help your family enjoy reading even more books this summer!  Be sure to check out the GUWB book collection and tips from the Reading Consulting Team. 

Happy Summer Reading!

The GUWB Team

A Message from our CEO

As the US advances through the World Cup, GUWB’s Summer Reading and Reach-a-Reader Programs push forward as well.  With our Summer Reading Program, we are providing a quick and easy way for parents to continue their children reading over the summer with a little incentive...ice cream ($10 gift card to Dairy Queen).  Who doesn’t like ice cream over the summer; by the way, it was 99 degrees today at our warehouse.  We like ice cream.

Our other unique program, Reach-a-Reader, is geared for those who don’t have children, know someone who has children, or simply needs a little extra cash in their pocket.  Simply "refer a reader" to GUWB, have that subscriber remain active for 3 months and we’ll send you $5.  Refer as many as you’d like, they remain active for 3 months, and we will continue sending you $5; it goes a long way in today’s economy.  Reach out to family and friends and let them know about our Summer Reading and Reach-a-Reader Programs.  

As the summer moves forward, take the chance to spend as much time as possible with your children.  Play with them, sit down and talk with them, and most importantly; read with them.

Thanks and "Read On!"
Phil

A "World Cup SCORE" with Summer Reading at GUWB!

SCORE with GUWB's
 Summer Reading Program!

World Cup Soccer is almost here!  We know Team USA will do their best to kick goals and win matches.  We want you to get a "kick" out of reading this summer and "win" with Grow Up with Books Summer Reading Program!  

This is our first summer at Grow Up With Books. As we look back over the past few months we have helped many families grow with reading.  This summer we want to continue to foster that same love of reading with our GUWB Reading Log.  It’s very simple.  Subscribers old and new during the months of June, July, and August will receive a reading log in the mail.  As you read Grow Up with Books titles, jot them down on this handy form.  Parents sign off that the reading is complete and send the form to Grow Up with Books with their next "book return mailer."  Once your log is received and noted on our Reading Blog we will mail you a special $10.00 gift card that you can use at a Dairy Queen near you!    

This summer you might want to take another look at our website.  We provide even more than just great books and a summer reading incentive.  We also want to hear your questions about reading development and your child.  Our Reading Consulting Team is here to answer whatever questions you have about reading development, book suggestions for your child, similar authors…you name it!  Just send your questions to rct@growupwithbooks.com and we will answer with a personal email directly to you.

The GUWB staff will be watching Team USA take on England at the World Cup Soccer games on June 12.  We want you to get in the game, too!  Everyone can win with Summer Reading and Grow Up with Books!  

World Cup and Reading Ready...
The GUWB TEam