Do you know it’s been 10 years since the first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, was first published? Now a whole new generation of children await to read about the magic of Quidditch, Hogwarts, Sorting Hats, spells and He Who Shall Not Be Named.

I love the Harry Potter books, and am so thankful that J.K. Rowling got kids (and their parents) reading again!

Introduce the youngsters in your life to the first book in this remarkable series – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – and get them started on the reading adventure of a lifetime by entering my Share the Magic Book Giveaway!

The Share the Magic Book Giveaway

Five winners will receive TWO copies of the paperback book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – one to win and one to share!

Here’s how you can win:

This contest is closed. Congrats to the winners:

• Judy B.
• Ally M.
• Heidi V.
• Lethea B.

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As part of her WOW Blog Tour, author and illustrator Rachel Dillon joins us today to promote her gorgeous new children’s book, Through Endangered Eyes: A Poetic Journey into the Wild.  Her passion for animals and endangered species has led her to write about them in hopes that educating others will lead to a more conscientious treatment of these animals and their habitats.

Rachel was born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin, and earned her bachelor’s degree in art and graphic design from the University of Wisconsin Madison. She lives and works as an artist in the Southwest. Beyond design and fine art, Rachel holds a special interest in ecology, evolution, and extinction.

5% of all of her book and art profits are donated to the World Wildlife Fund and the Folsom Zoo Animal Sanctuary. You can purchase the original artwork, note cards and prints from the book at her website – Dillon Design, visit her blog, Children’s Book of Endangered Animals or see her work at Artists for Conservation.

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It’s fun when my daughter, Lucie digs through her piles of books and finds a few we haven’t read before or in awhile. Here are two of her recent (re)discoveries.

Bye-Bye, Big Bad Bullybug!

Recently she found Bye-Bye, Big Bad Bullybug! by Ed Emberley. I adore Ed’s books. So fun, so smart, so colorful and oh so silly, too.

Bye-Bye, Big Bad Bullybug! is about a big, mean and scary bug from outer space. His main mission is to scare, bite, growl, tickle, pinch, scratch, stomp and eat Itty Bitty Baby Bugs. However, the Itty Bitty Baby Bugs get the last laugh – it’s good to have big friends with big sneakers.

As I read this book to my daughter, I pretend to scare, bite and growl – but I really do tickle and pinch. We had a lot of fun with this one. For ages four to eight and their silly parents.  This has two rubber stamps of approval from the both of us!

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The Disney classic Pinocchio is so entrenched in our collective imaginations that we forget the movie is based on a book by Carlo Collodi. There are many book versions of Pinocchio, some for children, some for older kids, and many for adults.

Here are a few that stand out:

• Pinocchio Picture Book by Carlo Collodi and Katie Daynes for ages: three years and up from Usborne Books. This traditional tale is warmly retold with colorful illustrations and captivating text.
• Pinocchio (Young Reading Series 2 Gift Books) as retold by Katie Daynes. This 64-page Usborne Book is for older children ages five to 12 years. This version also comes in a Pinocchio CD and book pack filled with lively music, dramatic sound effects and superbly characterized readings.
• Pinocchio (New York Review Books Classics) This is the grown up and original version where Pinocchio is one of the great subversives of the written page, a madcap genius hurtled along at the pleasure and mercy of his desires, a renegade who in many ways resembles his near contemporary Huck Finn.
• Pinocchio (Penguin Classics) In this version for ages nine to 12, Pinocchio plays pranks upon the kindly woodcarver Geppetto, is duped by the Fox and the Cat, kills the pedantic Talking Cricket, and narrowly escapes death, with the help of the blue-haired Fairy. A wooden puppet without strings, Pinocchio is a tragicomic figure, a poor, illiterate, naughty peasant boy who has few choices in life but usually chooses to shirk his responsibilities and get into trouble. This sly and imaginative novel, alternately catastrophic and ridiculous, takes Pinocchio from one predicament to the next, and finally to an optimistic, if uncertain, ending.

Today is Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel’s birthday! With their whimsical illustrations and trademark Seussian silliness, Dr. Seuss’s books have inspired generations of children to become lifelong readers. They’re a staple in my children’s library and were in mine growing up.

Learn more about Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel and find all his books in the Dr. Seuss Amazon Author Store.

Here are some favorites:

The Lorax – Long before saving the earth became a global concern, Dr. Seuss warned against mindless progress and the danger it posed to the earth’s natural beauty. The Lorax is an ecological warning that still rings true today amidst the dangers of clear-cutting, pollution, and disregard for the earth’s environment.

Horton Hears a Who and Horton Hatches the Egg – Surely among the most lovable of all Dr. Seuss creations, Horton the Elephant represents kindness, trustworthiness, loyalty and perseverance. Now, the two books that introduced the heroic Horton to the world – Horton Hears A Who! and Horton Hatches the Egg – are available together for the first time in the Dr. Seuss’s Horton Collection Boxed Set.

Green Eggs and Ham – We can’t leave out Sam I Am now, can we?

A great companion of any Dr. Seuss books is the Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook with its Seuss-inspired recipes.

What is your favorite Dr. Seuss book? Comment below and let us know!

Today’s WOW! Women on Writing Blog Tour guest post comes from Kim Hix, author of No One is Perfect and YOU are a Great Kid, a lovely book written about Zack, a young boy who struggles daily with ever changing moods. He tries to understand why he gets very sad, upset, discouraged and angry in response to what most would consider insignificant events. Zack often feels different, left out, and isolated due to his moods. This book will touch the heart of anyone who has a special child in their life who struggles with any degree of emotional, behavioral, or psychiatric disorder.

Even if you don’t have a child with a behavioral problems, you’ll enjoy No One is Perfect and YOU are a Great Kid for the story and the terrific illustrations by Lee Dillingham. Since we all know kids like Zack, this book can be a used as a conversation starter with your child, too. I’m giving my copy to our school’s counselor and you may want to send a copy to your school’s counselor, your pediatrician, or anyone who works with special needs kids.

You can learn more about Kim at her website Intense Kids, Great Kids.

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Disney continues the Little Mermaid franchise with The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea. Ariel and Eric must hide their precious daughter Melody’s mermaid heritage to protect her from Ursula’s revengeful sister Morgana. But when the lure of the sea proves too strong for Melody, they call upon King Triton and all land and sea creatures to help rescue their daughter.

For once in a Disney film, there’s no princess pining over a prince. Or any dead parents to make you feel sorry for the main character. So in this, The Little Mermaid II is perfect for the younger set who are in love with mermaids like my five-year-old daughter Lucie. She especially loves the songs and doesn’t care that the animation isn’t quite up to Disney standards.

Mermaid snacks and recipes

If you’re looking for some mermaid food to snack on while you watch the movie, check out MermaidMary.com from Lynn E. Hazen. She’s the author of Mermaid Mary Margaret, about a ten-year-old girl who accompanies her recently widowed grandmother on a cruise to the Greek Islands (for ages nine to 12).

Lynn has recipes for Blue Jello Mini Oceans, Octopus and Other Sea Creature Pretzels, and Mermaid Cookies, as well as mermaid activities and projects for teachers, parents and homeschoolers.

If you’re looking for more recipes, check out the The Mermaid Cookbook, which offers ones perfect for mermaid, ocean voyage, treasure island, and pirate parties for kids. (Or just for watching an Arial movie!)

This spiral bound cookbook offers an abundance of fun recipes including Paradise Pineapple Fruit Dip, Sea Foam Floats, Treasure Island Trail Mix, Goldfish Gorp, Mermaid Hair Salad, Sea Turtle Cookies, Little Luau Cakes, Water Fairy Ice Pops, Rainbow Fish Fudge, and more. Includes salads, fruit dishes, and main courses as well as snacks and desserts.

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