Through the Fire FREE Download

Download Through the Fire (First Responders Book #1) by Shawn Grady for FREE from now through the month of June. I posted a review of Through the Fire back when it was released. This  book will bring you up close and personal to several fire scenarios. Shawn's skillful storytelling will not disappoint as firefighters search for an elusive arsonist.

Download at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christian Book Distributors and Kobo Books.

6 Tips for Parents Who Want Their Kids to Read

Image courtesy of Ambro/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

This list is inspired by Richard Peck, an avid proponent of reading and highly respected writer for children.

"I read because one life isn't enough, and in the page of a book I can be anybody."

~Richard Peck 

1. Start early and read aloud to children as often as possible. Some begin reading to their babies before they are born. Continue even after they have learned to read for themselves.
2. Encourage memorizing short passages of books and poems.
3. Play word games with your kids to increase their vocabulary and yours.
4. Model reading to your children. Let them see you reading books, magazines and newspapers.
5. Avoid saying, "My child just isn't into reading." There are books for every field of interest. Be an encourager not a discourager.
6. Be wary of labels like "gifted" or "accelerated." They may limit you or your child's outlook. Help your child learn that reading can help them achieve or be whatever they aspire to.

Case Studies
My mother's dad loved words. He would add funny sounds to words and twist them to be non-sensical.  It made an impression on us. My mother, although not college educated, respected language and words as a result. She constantly corrected misspoken words, making sure we communicated proper English. That love of words stuck with me.

When our son was small, we read to him at bedtime. He looked forward to it and acquired a love for reading as a result. In high school he went beyond the required reading list and voluntarily read classics, such as Moby Dick, as well as current best-sellers like Michael Crichton's The Lost World. He's still an avid reader at 31.

My brother is a self-taught mechanical engineer. With only a high school diploma, he has become a very successful engineering consultant boasting many clients and patents to his credit. Achieving all this through books he read.

As they say, readers are life-long learners.

What tips can you add for getting kids to read?
 

Unveiling The Prisoner of Carrot Castle Book at A Day on the Farm

THIS IS A RAIN OR SHINE EVENT

A Day on the Farm Learn, Eat & Celebrate! Sunday • May 19 • 10am - 3pm • $5 per person American River Ranch • Next to Hagan Park • Rancho Cordova

$5 per person kids & adults
(2 yrs and under free)
pay at the gate (cash only)

proceeds benefit  Soil Born Farms

The Day's Events Include: 
Farm Stand Purchase fresh, local, organic vegetables & fruit

Cooking Classes & Workshops
Farm Tours & Nature Walks
Kid's Garden Activities
Face Painting & Photo Booth
Community Education Tables
Local Arts & Crafts
Live Music: Mind X Quartet & More!
Morning Food, Snacks & Lunch 

Learn About:
American River's Native Plants
Gardening • Composting
Raising Chickens
Beekeeping • Cooking
Native Edibles • More

Mark your calendars! I will be at A Day on the Farm at Soil Born Farm in Rancho Cordova. Buy a copy of The Prisoner of Carrot Castle and get it signed. Buy carrots and broccoli. Enjoy a salad toss. Juggle veggies. Lots of fun things to see and do.

To celebrate the launch of the book in print, the iPad version is FREE for the first time ever! Hurry! FREE offer is good from May 16-19!

Install The Prisoner of Carrot Castle on your iPad for FREE

(May 16-19)