Barnes and Noble Reading Program

I hope you already take advantage of any summer reading program at your local library, and now you can also enroll your child in a reading incentive program through Barnes and Noble.

A very user friendly program that anyone can enjoy . . . Simply go to Barnes and Noble’s Summer Reading Program and print out the summer reading journal form. Students must simply read 8 books, write them down, and bring in the form anytime between May 26 and September 7. Couldn’t get much easier than that!

While there you can check out their Eduator’s Kit with more ideas for getting and keeping your kids in a book. The theme this summer draws on  Rick Riordan’s series, Percy Jackson & the Olympians.

The form has these books listed as available as a reward for participating:

Grades 1 & 2:

Abe Lincoln’s Hat by Martha Brenner
Biscuit Takes a Walk by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Camping Out by Mercer Mayer
Curious George: Piñata Party/Jorge el curioso y la piñata by H. A. Rey
Fancy Nancy: The Dazzling Book Report by Jane O’Connor
Little Bear’s Visit Else by Holmelund Minarik

GRADES 3 & 4:

Chocolate Fever by Robert Kimmel Smith
Clarice Bean, Don’t Look Now by Lauren Child
The Enormous Egg by Oliver Butterworth
Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary
Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World by Mildred Pitts Walter
Moonwalk: The First Trip to the Moon by Judy Donnelly
Pick of the Litter by Bill Wallace
El ratoncito de la moto by Beverly Cleary
Soupy Saturdays with the Pain & the Great One by Judy Blume
Sugar Plum Ballerinas: Plum Fantastic by Whoopi Goldberg

GRADES 5 & 6:

The Aurora County All-Stars by Deborah Wiles
Beacon Street Girls #1: Worst Enemy/Best Friends by Annie Bryant
Ben and Me by Robert Lawson
Lady Margaret’s Ghost by Elizabeth M. Jones
Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Schooled by Gordon Korman
Sounder by William H. Armstrong
The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois
The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
The Year of the Rat by Grace Lin

Apologia Notebooking Giveaway!

Apologia has become synonomous with engaging, high quality science in the homeschool community. Now, a new product is available in conjunction with these great books (Read on, post your own blurb, and have a chance to win one! Taken from Jeannie Fulbright’s blog):

Apologia is now producing notebooking journals that accompany each of the elementary science books. Both Botany and Astronomy are now available.

These journals are beautiful, spiral bound notebooks that will save you time and money. You won’t have to print and keep up with your child’s notebook pages, buy and maintain page protectors, or purchase and compile binders…everything that makes notebooking time-consuming and labor intensive for mom. Also, your child will adore having their own notebooking journal.

Each of the notebooking journals includes:

  • A daily schedule for those who like to have a plan or would like their children to complete the book on their own
  • Templates for written narrations, the notebooking activities and experiments
  • Scripture Copywork, with both print and cursive practice
  • Reading lists and additional activities, projects, experiments for each lesson
  • An appendix with beautiful, full-color, lapbook-style Miniature Books
  • Field Trip Sheets to keep a record field trips
  • A Final Review with fifty questions the students can answer either orally or in writing to show off all they remember and know at the end of the course.

See the sample pages here:
Botany

and . . .

Astronomy

Jeannie is giving away four Astronomy Notebooking Journals and four Botany Notebooking Journals to bloggers who post about this on their site. Visit her blog to learn more about this contest.

Carole Joy Seid Seminar

Title: Carole Joy Seid Seminar
Location: Elmhurst, IL
Link out: Click here
Description: A Literature Based Approach To Education

West Suburban Community Church
825 N. Van Auken
Elmhurst, IL 60126

$45.00 advance (postmarked by October 2nd)
$53.00 after October 2nd, or at the door

Contact:
Michelle 630-748-1242; mlpollard7@gmail.com
Karen 630-279-2647; k.semrau@att.net
Start Time: 9:00
Date: 2009-10-17
End Time: 17:00

Book It Pizza Hut program

If free tickets to Great America weren’t already enough, don’t miss out on the FREE PIZZA for your readers and pre-readers as well.

Again, for kids in K-6, this program motivates your child to read by rewarding them with a free personal pan pizza once a month for the six month duration of the program (October through March). And, you must sign up individually rather than through your homeschool group.


Book It! provides a great opportunity for each child to set their own goals and encourages them to get their nose in a book on a regular basis. The certificates are then redeemable for each month they meet their goal and have been great for treats (and convenience!) when we find ourselves schooling while out somewhere during the month.

As one of the commenters mentioned, there is also a program for preschool. This is not open to homeschoolers at this point and runs on a different schedule than the traditional Book It program.

This simple program motivates readers and gives a tasty reward. It has definitely worked for us!

Now is the time to register for this program for the coming school year. Don’t wait!

Looking for more great Frugal ideas?

May Curriculum Sales

Book/Curriculum Sales

This time of year used curriculum sales fill the calendar. Some have already passed, but here are some that you have not missed yet. These offer a great opportunity for new homeschoolers to look through a variety of books and talk to real homeschooling moms that have used and loved (or not loved) these various materials. Many veteran homeschoolers rely on these sales to keep homeschooling affordable and also enjoy passing along books to another family to enjoy.

Mark your calendar for these events:

Calvary Christian School
Rummage sale and used curriculum sale to raise money for Life For The World, Inc. orphanage in Haiti
Thursday, May 7th
1:30 – 4:00pm
Calvary Christian School
9516 Kennedy Ave., Highland, IN 46322

KCCHS
Used Curriculum Sale
Friday, May 8
9:00 am – noon
MorningStarCommunity Church
8S101 Barnes Rd., Aurora, IL 60505

Teaching Homes for Christ
Used Curriculum Sale
Friday, May 8
5:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Water’s Edge Bible Church (gymnasium)
209 S. Oakwood Ave., West Chicago, IL 60185

C.H.O.I.C.E.
2009 Curriculum ReSale & Kids’ Sale
Monday, May 11
6:00-8:00 p.m.
College Church Commons Building,
332 E Seminary Ave, Wheaton, IL 60187

HEART
Used Curriculum Sale
Monday, May 18
5:30-7:30pm
Glad Tidings Church
2325 N 1st St., Dekalb, IL 60115