Web Newberys, News, and Freebies (April 29)

News

Is it possible we’re heading into May already?!  That means we’ve got lots of great plans in the works for our Summer Reading Challenge (look for that announcement soon!), but in the meantime, we’re getting reading to launch what I’m calling Missionary May.  That means we will be covering lots of Christian books for kids, including the new picture book by Jim and Elisabeth Elliot and some new Amish fiction for girls.  I’m hoping to get my daughter to share some of her insights on the latter.

Oh, and did I mention we’ll also be covering some great baseball books for boys?  We hope one or two will be home-run books for your family!  We do also have some graduation resources coming up, so watch for that as well.

Web Newberys

• The Harbinger: Fact of Fiction?–I have been reading a lot of Christian fiction lately for my World gig, and I did read one apocalyptic novel, though I couldn’t bring myself to read The Harbinger.  I did find this website that offers some substantive critique of the book, though, and with its immense popularity right now, it might come in handy for some of you.

• Ten Conservative Books–I enjoyed skimming this list of conservative books which would be good for older teens, including Whittaker Chambers’ Witness.  (If you don’t want all the narration, just skip to the bottom and there is a short list of book titles.)

• E.L. Konigsburg Remembered–“Children’s books, she once said, are ‘the key to the accumulated wisdom, wit, gossip, truth, myth, history, philosophy, and recipes for salting potatoes during the past 6,000 years of civilization.’”

• Kids’ Writing Contest–Check your local PBS station for deadlines!

• Time’s Kid Reporter Contest–Great opportunity if you have kids interested in storytelling or reporting.

Freebies (and cheapies!)

•  The Christian Parenting Handbook Giveaway: win an ipad mini among other things!  (I haven’t read this book, though, so I can’t vouch for its contents.)

• Project Genius Kit:  This isn’t book related, but it’s so cool I had to include it.  A free experiment kit for your little Einsteins!

• How to Draw Pets:  A $.99 ebook that can be used by kids who can’t yet read.

• Zondervan Summer Reading Sampler:  We’ll be covering a good bit of Christian fiction for kids this month, but if you’d like to see if your kids’ like it, here is a summer e-book sampler for free.

• Charles Dickens’ Children’s Stories: also a free ebook.

Hope this gets you started on your Monday!  God bless–and know I’m praying for you as I pray for all my readers.

Do you have a book giveaway going this week or know of a good one?  We’d love to hear about it!