Anne of Green Gables Early Reader Chapter Book Reviews

I do not have any wee folk around anymore nor did I ever have any wee girls about the house but that did not stop me from holding throughout my life a love of all things related to Anne of Green Gables and Prince Edward Island.  A hold over from my girlhood, I am thrilled to know that the red headed heroine we loved as girls continues to be introduced to successive generations of girls through some beautiful books and television programming.

Anne Arrives and Anne's Kindred Spirits are a retelling of the traditional Anne of Green Gables story for early readers in an easy chapter book format that have been adapted by Canadian author Kallie George. Kallie, that is, with an e. Anne Arrives was released in 2018 and Anne's Kindred Spirits will be released in 2019.

The first story introduces the young reader to Anne Shirley and sets her down at Green Gables where we all know that she belongs. She settles in, that is, after a rough start when they find out she is a girl and not a boy and after she has a run in with the neighbor, Mrs. Lynde.

The second story introduces Anne and the reader to her bosom buddy, Diana. In this book, Anne enjoys a community picnic, which is her first, although that outing is jeopardized when Marilla's prized brooch goes missing.

Author Kallie George has written a number of other books for children including a picture book about Anne Shirley called Goodnight, Anne. Kallie says that she believes that she and Anne Shirley are kindred spirits!

The illustrator Abigail Halpin says that she was gifted with a copy of the original book when she was a teenager and that that book still holds a special place on her book shelf.  The illustrations in Anne Arrives, she says, were "influenced by her memories of one of the most beautiful, magical spots on the planet, Prince Edward Island." Her illustrations were crafted using a combination of traditional and digital media.

Both of these books were written with children aged 6 to 8 or in grades 1 through 3 in mind. However, if you child is not quite ready to read these books on her own, you could certainly read them to her. Although intended for children, they are suitable for any one who loves Anne.

I think that this book is wonderful, sharing as it does a simple version of the classic story with the accompaniment of some charming illustrations. My favorite picture might be the two page spread that shows Green Gables in the distance, shown above.  It sets the scene in my head, for sure.

As you can tell, yes, this book is RECOMMENDED by me. I think it is lovely but I am biased toward anything from Anne's world.  However, Kirkus Reviews calls Anne Arrives, "A dream of an adaptation that is an unabashed love letter to the series that inspired it." In my mind that is high praise indeed.

I think that either book would make a beautiful gift for anyone who loves Anne but it would be especially appropriate for any young girl who is learning or will soon be learning to read. If you want to expose your children to Anne's world, you can never start to young!

You can find both books on Amazon by clicking here.  If you are looking to put a great gift set together, you might consider bundling one of these books with one of the beautiful Anne of Green Gables gift ideas found on this page.

See you
at the bookstore!
Brenda

Quick Links:

Buy Anne Arrives and Anne's Kindred Spirits on Amazon.
Find a page full of beautiful Anne of Green Gables gift ideas.

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Teach Your Child to Spell: A Review of The Natural Speller

What Do You Need to Teach Spelling?

If you are homeschooling your children, you don't need new graded workbooks every year. You need sensible teaching materials that help students at any level learn exactly what they need to know at their own pace.

I before E except after C. Weird. Funny T-shirt

For some of us, spelling came easily because we read a lot while growing up and were used to seeing words spelled properly all the time. We just knew, when proofreading, if a word looked wrong. This also worked for us on standardized multiple choice tests where we had to pick out the one word that was misspelled. If you are one of those people and are now faced with teaching a subject you almost absorbed yourself by osmosis, the book reviewed below is bound to help you plan your lessons.

Spelling is... Hard. T-Shirt

If spelling was a tough subject for you, maybe you don't feel confident enough to teach your children. You may need a reference book that will bring you up to speed by helping you learn words that are especially hard for you -- the ones that never stuck after years of weekly spelling tests that simply confirmed you did not know them. One book that will help in each case above is Kathryn Stout's, The Natural Speller. 

About Kathryn Stout

I  first met Kathryn when we were both on the homeschool convention conference circuit. We were vendors, and during the dead times when the exhibit hall was almost empty, I walked around to try to discover new books to add to my inventory. I was impressed with Kathryn and the books she had written since they were perfect for those using a unit study approach, an approach I used when homeschooling my own children. She understood what in each subject was really important so that people could design a homeschool curriculum that did not leave out anything essential as they combined subjects in a unit study.  

Kathryn had taught in public schools for eight years before retiring to teach her own children. She already knew how many books were out there to help teachers, but she wanted to compile all that information into single subject resource to help other homeschooling parents get to the heart of their subjects. The Natural Speller is the go-to book for spelling. While many textbooks have some and gone, The Natural Speller is still popular after over twenty years. That's because it has everything people need to know about learning to spell in one handy book.

What's In The Natural Speller?

This is a comprehensive tool for the spelling teacher to use for any grade level. It has word lists for all grades through eighth, and they are arranged phonetically. It teaches the teacher how to teach spelling, and suggests activities to help students practice the words, use the words to help develop dictionary and grammar skills and build vocabulary. Writing activities to go with the spelling lists are included. After all, writing is where one uses spelling.

The Natural Speller also has a section devoted to special word lists: abbreviations, calendar and number words, colors, measurements, contractions, homophones, homographs, irregular verbs, foreign words, and Latin and Greek roots. Another section contains spelling rules. Lastly, there are hints on punctuation and capitalization; models for writing letters; and activities for using prefixes and suffixes. Just about anything related to spelling is in this book.

Another great feature of this book is that it assists the teacher in designing a completely individualized spelling program for each student without buying another book. Whether your child has learning disabilities and needs to go at a slower pace or whether your child is far above average in spelling, and only needs a reference when proofreading,  get the Natural Speller. It will be all you need. Older students will probably only need it for reference unless they haven't mastered the spelling words designated to be learned by grade nine.


Don't let your children grow up to be like this person below. If you're already this person, the book will help you, too.

For more reviews of books to help homeschool families and others who want to enrich their children's education, see Books to Remember: A World of Reading Choices.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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The Three Best Ways to Read Kindle Books

The author with her short-stack of Kindle readers and Fire tablets.

Most people who know me are aware of my Kindle obsession. I've had an Amazon Kindle e-reader since shortly after they first were introduced to the market in 2007 and I currently own a stack of Kindle readers and Fire tablets.

Back in 2007 it was easy to decide which Kindle to buy; there was just one model and it cost $399. But things have changed and now, with multiple models of both readers and tablets that go by the name "Kindle," it can be hard to determine which is best for you.

Maybe I can help. Let's review the various choices to determine the three best ways to read Kindle books. Hopefully this information will help you choose the device that will serve your needs the best.

The Best Way to Read Kindle Books: The Kindle Reader

In my opinion, the very best way to read a Kindle book is to use a dedicated Kindle reading device, i.e. a reader that is designed specifically for people who simply love to read books. The original 2007 e-reader, almost 10 years later, has evolved into four different models that range in price from around $80 to nearly $300. That's a huge difference in price, so it's important to understand the features of each model.

The goal of Amazon is to provide a screen that makes your brain believe you're reading a "real," paper page. Through the years, the clarity of the printed page, the resolution of the screen, and the available fonts and font sizes have improved greatly and, indeed, the screen really does mimic a high-quality paper page with its gray-scale e-ink. The size of the page itself is the same for each of the models too, six inches, a comfortable size to hold and similar to a "real" paperback book. Another feature of all the Kindle e-readers is that the pages are glare-free, again just like a real book.

The differences come in when we look at the additional features. The most obvious difference is that the screen of the bottom-of-the-line Kindle is not lit, which means that, just as with a paperback book, you can't read in the dark unless you have a separate light source. If you read with a lamp nearby or in the daylight, then there's not a problem. But if you like to read in bed or in a low-light environment, you definitely will appreciate the LED lighting that is built into the next three models. The Paperwhite has four easily-adjustable LEDs that work great in a range from very dim to somewhat bright. The Kindle Voyage has six LED lights with adaptive light sensors and the Kindle Oasis even tops that with 10 LEDs that automatically adjust the lighting to stay consistent if you move from one area to another.

Another feature that is important to me is the weight of the device. While a couple of ounces doesn't sound like much, it is much more comfortable on the hands and wrists to manipulate a lighter-weight reader. The weight really comes into count when we talk about the second best way to read Kindle books, the Amazon Fire tablets.

Second Best: Amazon Fire Tablets

Tablets are all the rage these days. The price point has dropped tremendously the last couple of years as the features and apps seem to multiple exponentially almost daily. While the dedicated Kindle reader is perfect for reading e-books that look like "real" books, Amazon's line of Fire tablets arrive ablaze with bright colors and populated with cool apps that many of us have come to depend on in our daily lives.

Since our topic today is reading books, I'll leave it up to you to explore all the apps and other features (movies, music, games, camera, etc.) available for as little as $50 (price subject to change) starting with the 7-inch Fire. If you have a smart phone you're probably familiar with how many of these features work. In fact, if you have an up-to-date smart phone that you're comfortable with and just want to add a comfortable reading capability, then I'd suggest sticking to your phone and moving on down to my third best choice for the reading app.

While we're here, though, let's talk about why you might actually want a Fire tablet for both reading and entertainment. The answer in a word is "color." If you like having colorful children's books at your fingertips, or perhaps you like comics or other heavily-illustrated books where color really does count, one of the seven, eight, or even the 10-inch Fire tablets might be a great choice for you.

I talked a lot above about the quality of the screen for reading on the Kindle Reader and mentioned the LED lighting capability of all but the low-end model. Perhaps the best part of that reading quality is that it's easy to read in any light source without glare. When we get to smart phones and tablets, we're talking about a totally different type of light which, most definitely does glare. Likely you've tried to take a picture in bright light and had a difficult (or impossible) time seeing what's on the view finder screen.  Or maybe you've tried to navigate a GPS program in bright light where, again, it's difficult to see. The bright LCD display on tablets and phones may be beautiful, and the Fire tablets have outstanding, high-definition displays, but glare definitely can be a problem. If you're reading indoors, no problem. Reading at the beach? While the function and screen layout of the "books" section on the Fire is excellent, you might wish you had a Kindle reader if you're simply in the mood for reading a good book.

Third Best: Free Kindle Reading Apps 

Keep in mind that third best doesn't mean "awful." In fact, the quality of the reading apps that Amazon supplies absolutely free to anyone, on most any device that you already own (PC, laptop, MAC, phone, tablet, etc.) is quite good. And the best part (did I mention this already?) is that the app is free. In other words, if you're looking for a totally free way to read Kindle books, the Amazon app on a device (or more than one) of your choosing is an excellent solution.

Now, don't misunderstand, this is a free way to read a book, not a way to get e-books for free. While plenty of Kindle books are available for free, where to find those is a topic for another day. For now, let me explain how to get the free app. It's easy as one, two, three:

1. Go to the Free Kindle Reading Apps link in the Kindle store. (Full disclosure, this is an affiliate link, but I'm sending you there for the free stuff.)
2. Fill in the box with your email or mobile number, depending on where you want the app delivered. Click "send link."
3. Follow the directions in the email that you'll receive almost instantly to download the executable file. Run the file and watch for the reading app to appear on your screen. All of the books you've already acquired for Kindle will be accessible from the app (as will the Kindle store). Simply access and download whichever book(s) you want to read.

In Summary

First, if you have a phone, laptop, or other device that you love, and if your budget is low, go with the free reading app to read books you already have without spending any money.

Second, if you want one device that includes just about any form of entertainment you can imagine, and especially if you want to watch movies or read books in color, decide whether the 7-inch, 8-inch, or 10-inch tablet best suits your fancy (and the size of your pocket or purse). Budget plays a role here, of course. Don't skip the 7-inch tablet because it's "cheap." I have one, use it every day for apps, and it's absolutely awesome. The only place "cheap" comes into play is in the price.

Third, if you truly love reading traditional books, indoors or outdoors, and you either already have a phone with apps or you don't really care about those, then I recommend choosing the best-equipped stand-alone Kindle reader that you can afford. I use my amazing Paperwhite because it has the lighted screen, but if I had a bigger budget I would buy the top-of-the-line Kindle Oasis. I love that it's thin and lightweight and that the cover (included) automatically boosts the device's battery power.

Clearly, after all these years I still love Amazon's e-book reading gadgets and recommend any of these devices and the app without reservation.

There are a few other Kindle features that I didn't have time to discuss. The links highlighted above provide comparison charts to make it easy for you to find detailed specifications. Then if you still have questions about which is the best way for you to read Kindle books, I'll do my best to answer your questions in the comment section below.

Happy e-reading!

~Susan
Read more of my reviews.

Posted by Susan Deppner

About the Author

Susan Deppner is a baby boomer, a cancer survivor, and a Southerner who believes in the Golden Rule. She enjoys writing about food, faith, and fitness; health, home, and holidays; people, places, pets, and patriotism, and more. Follow Susan on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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How to Encourage Pre-Teens with Angst Issues-A Book Review

Being thankful when your hormones are raging can be down right difficult or near impossible.

Navigating the waters of growing up can be difficult at times.  There will be moments of joy, for sure, but, there will also be times when whatever you say will NOT be the right thing to say, no matter what!

We have all heard the saying "Little Children, Little problems, Big Children, Big Problems".  During this Thanksgiving time, we all look back and remember the good times.  Mixed in with those good times are some of the challenging moments in our lives that we would all like to forget.  Everyone has had their share of both!

When our children are going through their own "tough" times, we look for help to get them through these sometimes painful episodes of growing up.

Getting lost in a book can sometimes be the way to unlock some truths that our preteens and teens need to understand.  To that end I'm going to recommend two books that I feel are great and written especially for this age group.  Middle schoolers (Grades 4 to 8) are just starting to feel their way around life.  Yet there can be curves in the road.  Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus, by Dusti Bowling (she holds a Bachelor of Psychology and a Master of Education)   will open up some doors to many situations that children may already be experiencing.  Making friends, being a friend and going through life's experiences with those friends starts in Grade School.  *It actually starts much earlier, but is usually done with parental supervision.*  Grade School is where children start making choices for themselves without the watchful eyes of a parent or guardian.  What you have taught them will come into play when they are out on their own for the first time.   Understanding that everyone is different and accepting those differences will make life for our children much more interesting and exciting.  Learning to see through eyes that accept people for who they are will open doors to friendships that you may never have thought possible.  Today, we are encouraging everyone to include those who are different or have abilities that are unlike our own.  Diversity has always been part of our lives, yet, we have failed many times to celebrate that diversity.  Let's help our children now, by teaching empathy and decency for everyone they come in contact with.

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus is the first book in a series of 2 books!  Each book stand on it's own merit, but as a series, they are even better.    The second book (Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus), opens up some new life events for our main character "Aven"!  These events throw her for a loop. Moving from Middle School to High School  is never easy.  New friends and new experiences are opening up for everyone!  But when you are Aven, this might not be something to look forward to.  It's like starting all over again!

Explaining yourself over and over again to anyone is no fun.  Aven, our main character was born without arms.  That has not stopped her from doing all kinds of things that we take for granted.  Her adoptive parents are encouraging her all the time to do things for herself, even though it may be different than the way they do things.  Using her feet like arms, Aven does indeed manage to do all the things that able bodied people do. It may take her longer to accomplish some tasks, but she manages anyways. High school though, is a whole new world.  While everyone is trying to learn the ropes of being in High School, our main character finds herself even more alone and struggling to find her place in this new situation.  The only constant in Aven's world right now is her friend who is also "different".  He looks out for Aven and helps her with some daily tasks to make school easier for her.  Aven looks out for him too!  They both know they are different, but are ready to accept each other and others too.    When you are different, you stand out among the crowd.  Teens in High School often do not welcome "standing out" or being different.

Add hormones to the mix and you get a volatile situation at times.  If you are not a strong person to begin with, this can knock you down and send you into a dark place.  Self doubt, and anguish take the place of joy and excitement.  All of a sudden stomach aches, headaches and fear rule the teen's life.  Parents need to be aware that stress in teens can take the form of real pain.

Being able to talk about their anxiety and angst is one of the biggest ways we can help our children.  Giving them books to read with messages of encouragement and acceptance is a way to open doors to discuss their own personal "issues".

Our children (of all ages) need to know that we are supporting them in their everyday experiences and that they can talk to us about anything.  If you want more information on Mental Health Issues in Teens there is a great article by HealthyChildren.org 

Opening doors to communication is the best way to keep our children learning about themselves and their peers.  Whether they are able bodied, disabled, gifted, special needs or just plain awesome, we need to celebrate our Diversity and accept everyone for who they are.

Let's all make pre-teen and teen angst a thing of the past.

Happy Thanksgiving to all, may you celebrate your Similarities and your Diversities with Joy!

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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3 Word Books Every Writer Needs: A Review

Writers Need to Use Precise Words

Words are the building blocks writers use to create their books, articles, and blog posts. In this post I will introduce you to three word books every writer needs to have for reference, not counting the dictionary you probably already have. These are the books I consult on a daily basis  as I  write. Do you have all of them yet? If not, it's time to get them. Between them you will always be able to find the right word for your writing project. I use all the books in the photo, but have only reviewed the three that are still in print. If you purchase from links on this page, I will get a small commission from Amazon, since I am an affiliate.

Image © B. Radisavljevic

1. A Quality Thesaurus

The first Thesaurus I normally consult is the Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus. I have reviewed this one thoroughly in my blog post, January 8 is Thesaurus Day, along with the old Roget's Thesaurus. I used it because that used to be THE thesaurus, the only one most people used. There are more choices now. Roget's has been updated to dictionary form now, but you can still get a modern version of Roget's that retains the original organizational format if you  prefer it.  Whichever version seems more user friendly to you, a thesaurus is a must-have tool for  any writer. If you are hobbling along with an old version, it's time to update.

2. Descriptionary

A descriptionary is a thematic dictionary. You use it when you know what a word is related to, but not the exact word. Words are arranged according to subject. For this review  I'm using the Facts on File Descriptionary, Third Edition. 

Let's look at the Publishing and Journalism topic, for example. First are general terms, such as byline, circulation, feature,  and other well-known terms and their definitions. Then come fun words -- slang and jargon not widely known outside the industry. Here are a couple of examples I found amusing:

Afghanistanism  journalist's term for the avoiding of local controversy by focusing  news coverage on distant lands. 

blacksmith  an uninspired but industrious reporter who simply pounds out stories day after day.

Also under the Publishing and Journalism topic are Book Publishing, Book Terms, and Headline Types, all with their own lists of defined terms.

A descriptionary is just the book to have at hand if you are writing about a subject you are just beginning to explore that has a lot of its own jargon or technical terms that may not be familiar to you. My descriptionary covers Animals and Insects; Architecture; Art; Clothing; Electronics; Environment; Human Body and Mind; Language ( which far from just explaining grammatical terms, devotes several pages to drug and crime terms, urban street and rap slang, and words about words); Law, Magic and the Occult; Medicine; Military; Music; Occupations (where I found Publishing and Journalism); Performing Arts and Broadcasting; Physics, Chemistry and Astronomy; Religions; Sports; Tools; Transportation; Weapons; and Words and Expressions You Should Know.

That last topic purports to sum up the words every literate person should understand -- the ones you hear on the news or see in magazines, newspapers, and authoritative blogs.  You probably studied most of them in secondary school and were tested on them in college entrance exams. Also included are terms like according to Hoyle, Hoist with one's own petard, and genie out of the bottle. 

Besides providing just the topical words you need for works in progress, The Descriptionary also can give you new ideas for additional subjects to write about. Although I'm using the Third Edition, the  Facts on File Descriptionary, Fourth Edition is now also available at Amazon. If you click through, you will see below the listing a tempting assortment of other word books for writers, one of which is The Master List for Writers: Thesauruses, Plots, Character Traits, Names, and More. Whichever you choose, be sure you have one of these thematic word books close to your desk when you write.

3. Visual Dictionary

 Merriam-Webster's Visual Dictionary Ultimate Visual Dictionary The Macmillan Visual Dictionary: 3,500 Color Illustrations, 25,000 Terms, 600 Subjects One Million Things: A Visual Encyclopedia

& 

A visual dictionary is what I use when I've seen something but I don't know what to call it. Unlike a descriptionary, it only is useful for tangible objects that one can see -- not for ideas and abstractions.  Think illustrated charts and diagrams arranged by subject. Up until now, I've only had my old 1986 edition of the Facts on File Visual Dictionary. Its illustrations are black and white, but they do the job. Unfortunately, this edition lacks most of our new technology, but it was a great help when I was writing my blog post Watch a Forklift Reach Truck Load a Lumber Truck.  I knew nothing about construction or forklifts, except that I was pretty sure I was watching a forklift. I looked under the Heavy Machinery topic and drilled down to Material Handling. There I found my forklift reach truck and knew what to call it.

Today I started searching for something more up-to-date. I was delighted to see that DK had published a 2011 edition of its Ultimate Visual Dictionary. I have sold DK books for years.They combine gorgeous color illustrations with condensed information. The very detailed and cut-away illustrations all have their parts labeled down to the most intricate. I know that because I sat drooling over the 2000 edition at the library today and did not want to put it down. It is inviting and informative. It's easy to get lost in looking at all the attractive pictures. That means even children will want to look at it, but the information is on an adult level. I'll bet when you looked at the row of visual dictionaries above, this was the first to catch your eye.

I wanted to bring the book home with me. The one I own doesn't compare well to it. What The Ultimate Visual Dictionary covers, it covers thoroughly. It does lack coverage of of some more common household objects that are more extensively covered in the Facts on File Visual Dictionary and the Macmillan Visual Dictionary, a volume I also looked at  while at the library. It was a 2002 edition, and it was in color. Both books were  written by Jean-Claude Coreil, so the topics are very similar. Miriam Webster's Visual Dictionary is also written by Jean-Claude Coreil, so I'm guessing it has almost the same content as the Macmillan Visual Dictionary. It is recommended for anyone at least eight years old. It does not have a "look inside" feature as the Ultimate Visual Dictionary does.

One Million Things: A Visual Encyclopedia, is an entirely different animal than the other books. It will, for example, show you lovely pictures of leaves with a bit about each type, but it doesn't appear to show you the parts of a leaf in detail as the Ultimate Visual Dictionary does. I am drawing my conclusions on One Million Things solely by looking  at the few pages Amazon shows me. It's a beautiful book and I think any one of school age and above would enjoy it and learn a lot from it, but after all the books and descriptions I've handled and read about today,  the one I want to buy to supplement my out-of-date  Facts on File Visual Dictionary is still The Ultimate Visual Dictionary.   

Most of the books are used the same way. If you know the word and want to know what the object looks like, you use the index at the back to find the word in its visual context.  If you know the topic area,  you drill down more specific topics until you find the page and illustration that your word labels.

None of the books cover every subject and there is a lot of crossover. I would recommend getting The Ultimate Visual Dictionary and one other. Then you won't miss much. Links to all the books except the Facts on File Visual Dictionary, which has its own text link, can be found pictured at the beginning of this topic.  If you write and don't have a visual dictionary, you could make good use of one.  Why not get one today?

Never Be at a Loss for the Right Word

If you have a comprehensive thesaurus, a descriptionary, and a visual dictionary, you should be able to find most of the words you need. Then your brain will select the most appropriate one for your context. Sometimes our brains just won't bring the words we know and want to use to mind, especially as we grow older. These books deliver them back to our brains again.

I was also going to include three other books I use often -- The Synonym Finder and a rhyming dictionary. They are helpful to have, but not as necessary as the ones I reviewed above. They are, however, in the photo of my well-worn books I used in the introduction

What reference books for words have you found most helpful? Please mention them in the comments. The comment box is just under the related posts, below. The sharing buttons are just below this last photo, which was designed to share on Pinterest. Why not pass this information on to other writers, students, or home school families?

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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The Night Before Christmas Book Review

The Night Before Christmas is a classic children's Christmas book that we all know and love! 

The poem, Twas the Night Before Christmas, is often one of the first poems a child memorizes.  Children quickly embrace the poem's meter without realizing they are being exposed to a true art form.  It has such a lyrical cadence that it could almost be sung instead of recited.   Most parents have it memorized so well that they are rarely actually reading when they select that book for the bedtime story.

Every home with a child has at least one copy of this wonderful holiday book and some of us have several copies.  It is fun to compare the different illustrations!  Actually, the pictures are every bit as important as the story itself. 

History of "Twas the Night Before Christmas"

 The Night Before Christmas - 1963
It may surprise you to know that the author of the poem is contested.  

The story was originally named A Visit from St. Nicholas and published anonymously in 1823, but claimed four years later by Clement Clarke Moore.  The validity of that claim has been disputed.  

The family of Henry Livingston, Jr. maintains that he was the actual author.  Henry Livingston, Jr. was in fact a distant relative of Clement Moore's wife.   

In my opinion, that dispute casts a bit of a shadow over this wonderful poem.  It is so very sad when someone tries to steal another's work.  Obviously, 200 years after the fact, we can't know for sure which is the thief.  

It is just a real shame that a story with such impact for centuries cannot be unequivocally attributed to the proper author.

Review of the Visual Art

 The Night Before Christmas
by Rose CollinsThe classic illustrations are colorful and magical.  We can almost feel the warmth of the fireplace, the cold of the snow and the see the twinkle in Santa's eye.  They beautifully reflect the words of the poem.

I was recently given a copy of "The Night Before Christmas" by Rose Collins.  I discovered an illustrated version that evokes nostalgic feelings in parents, but has a whole new appeal for children.  Instead of people, this version features bears.   Santa Claus is still human, but he visits a family of bears on Christmas Eve.

This digital book appeals to me personally because I love teddy bears!  Of course, I still love the original illustrations, but this is a really cute way to embrace yesteryear while giving it a touch of current day fun.

Rose Collins also makes a few changes in the words to current day language.  For instance, instead of "the children were nestled, all snug in their beds", she writes "the children were sleeping all snug in their beds".  I also emitted a wee giggle when I noted that she renamed Donner, Donna, which is obviously current day influence as well.

A Page from the Kindle Book, The Night Before Christmas by Rose Collins

Reading Books with Illustrations Digitally

For several years, I have enjoyed reading books on my Kindle Paperwhite.  However, I have often lamented that I wish I could see the images in color, especially when reviewing children's books or viewing cookbooks.  So often, those images really do make a huge difference.  I asked my fellow contributor, Susan Deppner, our resident electronics guru, if she had a solution for that.  Boy, did she ever!  

I quickly hopped over to her comparison review of the different Kindles and knew in just a few moments that I needed the Kindle Fire! 

You, too, can read Susan's excellent comparison of the digital readers by clicking this link.  It is a must read when selecting a new Kindle.

I will continue to read my novels on my Kindle Paperwhite, but I have to tell you.  I do love my new Kindle Fire that shows images in color.

A photo of my own Kindle Fire opened to a page of "The Night Before Christmas" by Rose Collins

Encourage Your Child to Read with Their Own Kindle Fire

 Fire Kids Edition Tablet, 7" Display

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The Night Before Christmas Book Review Written by:

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Review: Should Homeschoolers Sell Used Curriculum at Homeschool Used Book?

Some of the Books I'm Selling at Homeschool Used Book, © B. Radisavljevic

A New Site for Homeschoolers to Shop and Sell

Before I started blogging, I was a homeschooling mom. When Jason died in 1991, I became a homeschool vendor, exhibiting at conventions on both coasts. That adventure ended in 2015 when Hubby's knees gave out. So I turned to selling online.

I built a website, and sold on many used book listing services.  In 2014 I had neck surgery and couldn't ship in a timely manner. I had to take my books offline. It's amazing what two months without a web presence can do to your customer base. So I retired the business and started blogging. It hurt to have to sell the same books sitting in my warehouse as an Amazon affiliate instead of selling them direct and shipping them.

That's why I was so happy this week to discover a new way for homeschoolers to shop for and sell their curriculum and living books: Homeschool Used Book.com. Since I still have a house and shed full of books, I read the vendor friendly terms and signed up to sell. I have temporarily turned half the guest room into a shipping area until I can redo my office.

I started listing on July 13 and sold my first book the next day. Homeschool Used Books sent my shipping label the next night and I shipped the book the next afternoon. I couldn't be happier.

Book Labeled and Ready to Go, © B. Radisavljevic

The Pros of Selling on Homeschool Used Book

First, Homeschool Used Book is not for selling just any used books. It's a specialized marketplace designed for homeschoolers to help each other out. Those who are homeschooling know what is useful to homeschoolers. They know what's popular and what's hard to find. They list what they have used or thought they would use and list it when they no longer need it. It is not a place for general booksellers who have not been part of the homeschooling community to expand their markets.

These are the reasons I believe Homeschool Used Book is a good deal for vendors.

• They don't have to build their own sites
• They don't have to collect money
• They don't have to pay for a shipping account to print postage and drop off packages without standing in line at the post office
• They don't have to maintain a database themselves
• The listing interface is simple and easy to understand
• Payments can come either through PayPal or as credit to buy books on the site. 
• Vendors pay fees only when they sell something. No listing fees. 
• When a sale is made, the vendor gets the listing price minus a 12% commission. 
• Each vendor gets a "store" space to introduce themselves and let customers see all their books in one place.  

Because Homeschool Used Book absorbs most of the overhead I had selling on other sites, it's ideal for me. One reason I quit selling was that my website had become obsolete and I had to rebuild. That's hard with a 600-page website. I didn't want to do it. I also had to pay for Endicia's shipping program to get the best shipping rates, print labels at home, and skip the line at the post office. 

To get my merchandise into one of the large used book selling sites online (ABE Books, Amazon, etc) with the least effort and fees I needed to use a listing interface that allowed me to upload easily to one or more sites and keep track of inventory and customer data, print packing slips and invoices, and help make catalogs. 

Until 2015 I used a version of Booktrakker that did all I needed and more.  I could install the program on my computer and get the new updates for a one-time price. Every couple of years there was an additional charge for a major update. About the time I recovered from surgery, there was a major update. I could no longer use the version I had to upload to the various sites.

Instead I would need to subscribe to an internet version. I didn't want to start paying a monthly fee with no guarantee I'd sell enough to cover it. I don't need my own database to sell at Homeschool Used Book. That saves me $20 a month in fees that I pay whether I sell anything or not.

I calculate that I save at least $40 on monthly charges by selling on Homeschool Used Book. I also save by not needing to accept credit cards directly. What's not to like?

Homeschooling is Freedom! T-ShirtHomeschool: It Worked For Me - Abraham Lincoln T-Shirt

The Cons of Selling on Homeschool Used Books

So far I haven't found many. Because I'm so new, I haven't experienced a payday yet. My one sale did not total the $50 needed for a payout. I can live with that just as I do on every other site that pays through PayPal. I have no reason to believe I won't be paid what I'm owed when it gets up to $50. 

Parts of the site are a bit clunky in the vendor area. I've had the most trouble getting my vendor "store" to look right. Be that as it may, I doubt if that will keep someone who wants one of my books from buying it.

While trying to compare my prices to those of other vendors and to see if the book I want to list is already there, I've used the search function a lot. It returns a lot of inaccurate results, but that could be due to vendors putting their products into too many categories just to get them seen by more people. 

Another con may be limited traffic. I have no idea how many homeschoolers search here for their materials. I made one sale quickly. I see others are making sales, as messages pop up saying who bought what when, but some of the sales reported were over a week old. This is probably not the first place homeschoolers go to shop -- yet. As more people begin to list, it should attract more buyers and increase sales for all the vendors. I hope this post will help get the word out. 

The thing I liked least when making my first listings was not knowing how much weight is allowed for packing material. I used to be able to weigh the complete package before printing a label. Now the site takes the weights I've provided for individual items, adds them, and estimates how much my packaging will add to that. If they guess wrong, the package can be returned for not enough postage. I've just found out they calculate two ounces for every additional one to two pounds. So it might be a good idea to adjust your weights if you anticipate your packing may weigh more than allowed in the estimate. Shipping more than one product to a customer may mean the difference between using a bubble bag or a box that needs extra padding. 

I checked at the post office today and discovered there's no way I can pay extra at the post office before shipping if the package is overweight. It's hard to predict which items may be combined in an order going to one customer and whether that will mean shipping in a box or a padded bag. So I'm now adding extra weight when I list something that may require non-standard packaging.

So Far It's Been a Smooth Experience

My Hall Bookcase Stores Part of What I'd Still Like to Sell.  © B. Radisavljevic

I'm actually enjoying being a bookseller again. This abundance of books has stolen a lot of my joy, not to mention how much of my house I can use. I want my living room back. If you need children's books or homeschooling materials, I hope you'll visit my store at Homeschool Used Book. While you're there, you can check out the other vendors, too. And if you've got used curriculum to sell, give the site a try. You've got nothing to lose and you may have much to gain.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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A Review of My Life in Greeting Cards

An Impossible Dream?

Some of My Favorite Greeting Card Lines

"You should make your own card line, " my friend said.

At the time I was a card buyer for Logos of Westwood, a Christian bookstore in Los Angeles, and I loved greeting cards. I loved reading them. I loved discovering new card lines I was sure my customers would love. I loved roaming the aisles at the Los Angeles Gift Show every year to find something unique, funny, lovely, warm or thought-provoking that stayed within the bounds of good taste.

Every day I when I arrived at work, I'd check first thing to see which cards were selling. I loved competing with the other card stores and departments in the rest of Westwood Village. It made my day when people came in to browse the card racks and walked to the counter with cards by the handful.

But make my own card line? I didn't see how it was possible. I couldn't draw, but I knew I could find the words to match pictures. In 1975, though, designing and printing cards was an expensive business. I didn't see how I'd ever be able to make it work.

Cards in this picture are from my Logos days. From left to right, a Fravessi card designed by Rose Shirvenian, a Marian Heath card, and a Suzy's Zoo note card published by Current and designed by Suzy Spafford.

My Kingdom

What’s in this picture was only part of my department. It was my job to pick out each individual card that went into these racks. I did not allow the salespeople to inventory and stock them.I did it myself. When the reps came to call, I’d look at all the cards they had to offer in each line. I’d pick the ones for the store that I myself responded to or that met all the criteria I had. Cards that depended upon put-downs for their humor were rejected. I wanted cards that would promote and enhance communication between individuals.

 My target market was the people like me that liked to hang around card departments and just read cards. As we read, we’d see one we just had to get for this friend or that, or the perfect birthday card for Aunt Sue whose birthday was in two months, etc. Those who have the card browsing habit respond by buying the cards they like. In those days, email did not yet exist for the average person. Personal computers did not exist yet. So people still bought lots of greeting cards.

When people think of greeting cards, they often think first of Hallmark, at least they did back then. But we were a small independent Christian bookstore that hadn’t yet been in business for a year. Cards were supposed to be small part of our overall business. Hallmark wouldn’t even consider letting us stock their cards — not with a Hallmark store around the corner, Robinson’s across the street, and a stationery shop next door — all of whom carried Hallmark exclusively and would not appreciate the competition. So my job was to find alternatives.

Unlike many bookstores, we were a nonprofit organization, designed to be a ministry that reached out to college students searching for truth. We were also there to supply the books the Christian students at UCLA needed to grow their spiritual lives. The idea was to be within walking distance of the campus. Cards and gift items were what we called “bridge items” that were the first thing people saw as they entered the store.

Since most Christian bookstores of that day depended a lot upon selling church supplies, they tended to serve an older population of pastors and Sunday School teachers. They looked “churchy” from the moment the customer walked in. Logos stores like ours, which were always located near college campuses, did not want to look that way. The books were toward the back, and the cards and gift islands were at the front to engage the customers as they walked in.

Choosing Cards

As a card buyer, I had my personal dislikes. One of them was rhyming sentimental cards in iambic pentameter. I remember how I and the gal I was training to replace me (who left before I did) used to sit at the back with a box of these and laugh our heads off at the “syrup” that dripped from these cards. Ordinarily we didn’t carry this line except for Christmas and Valentine’s Day when we had a lot of men needing cards for their mothers and wives and other relatives. I often wondered why so many of the Christian card lines of the day were of this sentimental type and seemed geared to the tastes of the elderly — or their supposed tastes.

br /> However, I finally found some Christian lines with a contemporary look. Dayspring was one of them.  Dayspring cards often have a lovely photograph with a Scripture verse. They still have such cards, as well as other Christian cards with both contemporary and more traditional and floral designs.

We were not limited to Christian lines, however. Our criteria for choosing was based on Philippians 4: 9: “…whatever is true…,honorable…,just…,pure…,lovely…,gracious.” That did not exclude humor, but it had to be warm humor, that made the recipient feel better rather than insulted. I was after beauty, clean designs, and sentiments that would enhance communication between people. I wanted the kind of cards that made the buyer think, ” I really don’t need a card, but this is perfect to send to my friend Myra who’s going through a tough time, so I’ll get it.” We had lots of “thinking of you” type friendship cards for such buyers.

HIPPO BIRDIE GREETING CARD

One of the first major lines (meaning gigantic) we bought was a new one called Recycled Cards. Their first artist was Sandra Boynton, whose “Hippo Birdie” card pictured above, was an instant best seller with not only the college students, but also the senior ladies who liked to window shop in Westwood. Our section of Recycled Cards expanded to the point where we needed more card racks to hold them. I was thrilled to see that Sandra Boynton has chosen to market many of her products at Zazzle now. Visit her store:Sandra Boynton

Sandra Boynton Books

Boynton's Greatest Hits

After designing over 4,000 greeting cards, Boynton branched out into other products, including children's books. This set is a collection of some of them. It's not only Boynton's designs which make her work so popular, but also the way she plays with words. This boxed set contains four of Boynton's most popular board books. Toddlers love the bright colors, humorous drawings, and the short verses that beg to be read. Click the caption for a closer look. 

Suzy's Zoo

 Suzy's Note Card Collection Stationery, Witzy & Boof - 10852 Suzy's Note Card Collection Stationery, Herkimer with Flowers - 10868 Suzy's Zoo New 2012 Assorted Birthday Card 6-pack 10153

Suzy Spafford's Suzy's Zoo cards will brighten up anyone's day. She gives her animal characters very expressive personalities and paints them in bold colors. See the duck in my top photo. 

The cards above are a sampling of note cards at Amazon. There are also mugs, stickers, and many other products with her designs at Amazon. 

Leanin' Tree

Amazon has a number of Leaning Tree collections by different artists available. Susan Winget, featured below, is one of my favorites. 

 The Art of Susan Winget - 20 cards with full-color interiors and 22 designed envelopes by Leanin' Tree

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Funny Birthday Card from Leanin' Tree

Leanin' Tree is another line I have always liked. They have many styles of cards. Some are beautiful nature cards. Some are funny western style cards like the one to the right. 

Some are humorous with cute animals like the one below. You can see them all easily by following any of the caption links.

A Birthday is No Time to Show Restraint
From the Thoughts and Felines Package

Crocus Cards by Nancy Donohue

One part of my job I really enjoyed was seeing what new cards the sales representatives had to offer me. I’ll never forget the day Camille, one of my favorite reps, introduced me to the D. Forer Company. She was short, and looked a bit weary. Who wouldn’t after lugging loaded display cases for several blocks? Parking in Westwood was very scarce and very expensive. When she came calling on me, she hit pay dirt. She pulled from one of her cases a line of cards called Crocus, published by The Forers, New York, and created by Nancy Donohue, about whom not much is written on the web. The only reference to her I could find was in a list of files belonging to an agent at the time of his death. Yet this woman must have brought smiles to thousands, if not millions, who read her cards.

In the card pictured here, one of the few I have left, the tissue box brand is “dripensnort facial tissues,” and the inside reads simply “and get you well soon.” I wish I had the entire collection to share with you. Born in the 1970′s, this line features the character you see here and some of her friends. It was obvious Nancy must have been a gardener, since there were so many references to plants in her greetings. I remember the punch line to one get well card was “All you need is a good mulching.” Another get well card and best seller showed our character with determined look, pointing a hose coming from a huge kettle of chicken soup. The inside read “You WILL get well.”

One of my favorite friendship cards she designed had a weary looking owl leaning on a young tree with only a couple of leaves. It said, “On occasion you must give into feeling dreadful and hope it will pass and everyone will still love you.” Inside it said simply, “It will and they do.” I still have this card, waiting for just the right time to send it.

If you think Nancy cared only about the sick, you’d be wrong. Her anniversary and wedding cards were among the most original and funny I’ve ever seen. Her Valentines were warm and wonderful and sold like hotcakes. And you couldn’t do better than one of her birthday cards. I have never yet seen any card on the market at any price I liked better than these, because they captured the depths of the human spirit, and they had an undertone of affection and kind humor. They were designed to make the reader smile.

Blue Mountain

Most of you reading this probably have always known about Blue Mountain cards and books. Many of you have probably sent their e-cards. In the 1970's though, Blue Mountain was a revolutionary step away from the gushy sentimental iambic pentameter verse that turned my generation off, to a fresh way to convey the thoughts of love and friendship many were feeling. These were the cards I sent my parents and loved ones that said just what I wanted to say, but better than I could say it. Logos of Westwood was the first in Westwood Village to feature a complete rack of these cards,and I was proud to introduce them. Unlike many of my favorite lines, these are still available today. The line of books has become very popular as well, and you can still get many of them.

 Blue Mountain: Turning Dreams Into Reality

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Blue Mountain: Turning Dreams Into Reality

I can hardly wait to read this book by Susan Polis Schutz. It seems Hallmark tried to incorporate the look of the Blue Mountain line as they have tried to imitate so many other competitors. In this book, we see how the Schutz's fought Hallmark and won. I was one of those small college stores they called on in those beginning years, and I'm glad I had a part in making them successful. See some of the other beautiful Blue Mountain gift books here.

Andy Wong taught me all I knew about retail business.

It was Andy , the general manager, who let me be queen of the cards at Logos. His background was in physics and he was working on his Ph.D. in that subject when he was persuaded by one of his Christian professors to become the assistant manager of the new Logos store in 1972. I joined the staff in July of that year after volunteering for a few months. Andy was promoted to manager not too long after. He was energetic and had a lot of business sense, though he never, as far as I know, had formal education in that area. He trained me on things like inventory, working with sales reps, and managing my department. For short times I was even allowed to sub for him as manager when he was on vacation or medical leave. Without the things he taught me, I would never have known how to work with publishers, make the most of a trade show, or just organize my purchase orders and accounts payable.

He gave me the opportunity to spend most of my time when the store was open working with customers and recommending books at their request. It wasn’t long before customers would begin looking for me so that they could ask me what to buy next. All staff members were encouraged to borrow books from the shelves to take home and read so that we would know enough about them to make such recommendations. Whereas cards spoke for themselves, books didn’t. I could come in before the store was open and restock and clean up my department, and then, unless I was seeing a rep, I worked the floor and became a book salesperson.

At various times, I acted as gift buyer, as well as card buyer, and was consulted about children’s books when Andy was working with publishers’ reps. I and Marion, Andy’s wife and our gift buyer, attended the gift show twice a year in Los Angeles, and although it was hectic and tiring, it was also fun. I stayed at Logos from 1972 to 1981. By the time I left, Robinson’s and the stationery store next to Logos had either stopped carrying Hallmark or had given more of their space to other card companies. The Hallmark Store around the corner had gone out of business. I like to think that I was partly responsible for that.

It was obvious it was time to move on after I moved an hour’s drive away, and the drive was worse in heavy traffic. I carried my love of all things paper with me as I moved to Ventura County. I still thought it would be fun to create my own cards, but then, in 1982, I became a foster parent and that put everything else out of my mind.

From cards to kids to books, to Squidoo, and back to cards.

We will leave a few gaps here that have been filled in with other articles I’ve written that cover my parenting years, the loss of my children, and various aspects of my education resource book business, Barb’s People Builders. I am now retired from that business. 

When I started writing for Squidoo, I found out about Zazzle. Most of my Squidoo friends had Zazzle stores where they designed and sold products. At first I didn’t pay much attention, since I can’t draw and I couldn’t imagine making any products myself.

But there was one card company I used to love selling at Logos I haven’t mentioned — Marcel Schurman. This was a line of imported cards with either paintings by the old masters or more modern photos or paintings on the front, combined with some really fun messages on the inside. Sometimes, though, I thought I could have done better with the messages. I was sure I could come up with greetings that better matched some of the pictures. I had wished I could have switched my words for theirs to match some of those great pictures.

As I kept hearing more about Zazzle, especially after I started taking photo walks and coming up with pictures of my own I liked, I decided maybe I could come up with a line of cards after all. I could use photographs rather than drawings or paintings, and just add my words. And as a Zazzle associate, if I found someone else’s work I liked as well or better than my own, I could publicize it, as well. So I opened my Zazzle store: Barb’s California Card and Gift Shop, and then I added California Wine Country Memories and Gifts a year later. See the greeting cards I designed in my main store here.  The one below is my best-selling card. It was taken in front of my house and that is my coral rose. The inside says "and I wanted you to know it."

Coral Rose Card, Thinking of you today.

I now have several different product lines featuring my photography with or without words. Many are inspirational cards and posters, and many feature the wine country of North San Luis Obispo County. I’m beginning to make my dream come true and Zazzle has made it possible. If you have an unfulfilled dream of making your art or photography into products that can earn you money, you, too, can start a Zazzle store.  Become an associate and you can make money promoting the products of others while you are in the process of creating your own. If I can do it, anyone with the desire can. Click any of my Zazzle links and when you get to the site, click the "Sell" button for more information. 

 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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