Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream...a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

(Image from the book "Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr." by Doreen Rappaport & Bryan Collier, published by Hyperion)

Martin Luther King, Jr.: The Legacy of a Leader

http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/mlk/news/index.asp?article=mlk

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service

http://www.mlkday.gov

Easy Ways to Raise Readers!

Nothing revolutionary here...just simple stuff!

• Surround yourself with reading material

• Read for leisure (yes, the idea is for the kids to see you enjoying reading to yourself, as well as to them!)

• Bring something to read wherever you go (this is why, when my family goes to one of these great events, I prefer BART—we can grab the book we’re reading together, & knock off several chapters!)

Read about more methods, and the details, at the “Be a Reading Role Model” page from Scholastic: http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=10217

Great Family Entertainment Link

“Bay Area Kid Fun”
If you’d like even more ideas for family fun than I provide, Bay Area Kid Fun is the best place I know of to get it! This free web resource offers information and links for pretty much the full gamut of family “stuff” in the greater SF Bay Area: parks, classes, museums, zoos, mothers’ clubs, sports, libraries and a whole lot more –AND even has free discount coupons for admissions & meals!
www.bayareakidfun.com

Storyteller John Weaver "chibified" by Alan Ocampo

Bookmark This:

The online version of Bay Area resident Tom McMahon’s syndicated newspaper column on parenting is worth checking out and adding to your favorites. Readers regularly contribute their suggestions on family time, reading, family-friendly employers, dealing with difficult topics—you can even find recipes for home-made play-dough! http://www.kidtips.com

Featured Website: GUYS READ

Jon Scieszka, author of The Stinky Cheese Man, The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, and the Time Warp Trio series of books, is the creator of this web resource encouraging boys to read, and adults to help guide the way. Scieszka says, “Our mission is to motivate boys to read by connecting them with materials they will want to read, in ways they like to read.” At http://www.guysread.com/, you’ll find encouragement, reading lists, and help if you’d like to consider starting a book club in your own community. There’s a lot in “Guys Read” for girls to love, too! Check it out.

Books for Family Adventures!

Parent’s Bookshelf:

The San Francisco Bay Area is loaded with more fun & educational opportunities than any of us can probably experience over the course of one childhood, and yet sometimes when we find ourselves with a free day, we have a hard time thinking of what to do! The book selections below offer hundreds of excursion ideas, many of them cheap or free. Check them out—you might even find something amazing in your own city you’ve never heard of before!

Fun with the Family Northern California by Karen Misuraca

Kids' Adventures Around San Francisco Bay by Elina Wong

Open to the Public: A Guide to the Museums of Northern California by Charlene Akers

The Unofficial Guide to California with Kids by Colleen Dunn Bates & Susan LaTempa

I do not recommend any one of these books over the other; I own them all (and several more), and use them together, as that is what works best for me. See if your local library carries the book by checking the title through http://csul.iii.com/; to read more about them and check availability at your local independent bookseller, check http://www.booksense.com/. I selected these books to feature in part because they all seem to still be readily available in both libraries and bookstores. While you are there, be sure to pick up some audio books for your trip!

Family Time: A "Read-n-Feed" Book List!

THE BOOK LIST: "Read-n-Feed!"

Here's a moderate serving of a few books you can check out, & then after reading the story, eat the food (recipes included)!

Bee-bim Bop! By Linda Sue Park & Ho Baek Lee
Check out this fun book of repetitive rhyme about a child helping her mom cook a favorite dish to share with their family. Afterward, you can use the recipe at the end of the book to make together & share a special dinner in your own household!

Big Jimmy’s Kum Kau Chinese Takeout by Ted Lewin

Jimmy describes all of the action as his family works hard to make and sell food for their customers--but what is JIMMY'S favorite thing to eat? A delicious twist ends this beautifully realistically-illustrated book.

Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende & Harry Devlin (and all of the Devlin’s other “Cranberry” titles)

Cook-a-Doodle Doo! by Janet Steven & Susan Stevens Crummel

Fans of the Little Red Hen will be interested to learn that great-grandson is a baker, as well.  Rooster has a lot of help—but it is not necessarily helpful help.  The story is funny, there are a lot of lessons about kitchens & cooking along the way, and there’s a tasty recipe at the end.

 

The Empenadas that Abuela Made by Diane Gonzales Bertrand & Alex Pardo DeLange: A cumulative tale that reads a lot like "The House the Jack Built," but with a delicious, family-oriented twist! Those pumpkin empenadas sound great.

Everybody Bakes Bread, Everybody Cooks Rice, and more “Everybody” books by Norah Dooley


Fairy Tale Feasts: A Literacy Cookbook for Young Readers & Eaters
by Jane Yolen, Heidi E.Y. Stemple, & Philippe Béha
Read Jack & the Beanstalk—and then make “Jack’s Magic Party Beans!” The story of Snow White includes Snow’s recipe for baked apples, and there’s a whole picnic basket of recipes to accompany Little Red Riding Hood!


The Giant Carrot by Jan Peck & Barry Root: An old Russian folktale about a turnip gets turned into an American story about a family who gardens together, dreaming of what they will cook once they are able to grow something. Carrot pudding, anyone?


The Greatest Potatoes by Penelope Stowell & Sharon Watts: a fictionalized but fun account of the invention of the potato chip (it all started with a difficult restaurant patron & a tempramental chef) that culminates in the opportunity for you & the kids to create some fresh homemade junk food--they'll love it!


Green Corn Tamales by Gina Macaluso Rodriguez & Gary Shepard: the "secret ingredient" makes this storybook recipe better than most I've tried from actual cookbooks!


Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats: A Treasury of Chinese Holiday Tales, Activities & Recipes
By Nina Simonds, Leslie Swartz & Meilo So
This book compiled by the Children’s Museum of Boston has got just about everything: fun traditional stories, crafts, recipes, backgrounds on several holiday festivals, and even additional resources & a guide to Chinese pronunciation. Like all of my recent finds listed here, it’s great for either home or the classroom.
Pancakes for Supper by Anne Isaacs & Mark Teague: a funny animal story, followed by a recipe for animal pancakes.

The Pizza That We Made by Joan Holub

Pizza at Sally's by Monica Wellington: a simple story ends with a simple pizza recipe

Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper


Sun Bread by Elisa Kleven


The Ugly Vegetables by Grace Lin: A little girl wishes her mom would plant beautiful flowers like their neighbors. When the ugly vegetables become soup, though, it's the neighbors who want to trade! Includes ugly vegetable soup recipe.


In addition to these books which actually contain recipes, of course you can read books that feature a meal or party scene, and recreate the menu at home (if you try your own version of Gary Soto’s Too Many Tamales, be sure to keep your diamond rings safely out of the way)—or have a party where everyone brings a dish from a favorite book. What DOES “Who Pudding” look and taste like? Try asking your local children’s librarian for more storybooks with recipes, or family-friendly cookbooks—and remember that cooking is not just frustrating (I meant to write FUN), it’s SCIENCE! Another book you can read and eat your way through is Science Experiments You Can Eat by Vicki Cobb, and it’s tastier than it sounds.

Family Time: Bay Area Day Trips

Have you ever been to these great SF Bay Area family spots?


ANIMALS:

Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo: Two attractions in one: the museum features permanent as well as rotating fun learning activities, mostly geared toward toddlers; the zoo has a very comfortable and intimate feel to it, and has a few animals that you do not see at most other zoos, including a 500-gallon shark exhibit and a beautiful, happy-looking raccoon. http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/community-services/museum-index.html

Sulphur Creek Nature Center (Hayward): It’s a bit of wilderness tucked into the Hayward hills, and is an animal rehabilitation & education site. Sulphur Creek is the kind of place where you can pack a picnic and eat at a table under the trees, take a hike, and see a variety of local wildlife. They have a variety of fun programs going on year-round, including October's “UnHaunted House.” Try this site for information on Sulphur Creek: http://hard.dst.ca.us/sc_programs.html#unhaunted


SCIENCE:
Chabot Space & Science Center (Oakland): http://www.chabotspace.org
Exploratorium (San Francisco): http://www.exploratorium.org/
Junior Center of Art & Science (Oakland): http://www.juniorcenter.org/
Lawrence Hall of Science (Berkeley): http://www.lhs.berkeley.edu/
The Tech Museum of Innovation (San Jose): http://www.thetech.org/

Blurb Time

“Your storytelling performance held the attention of everyone, from babies and toddlers to preschoolers and parents. The choice of stories was excellent, involving participation from the audience, humor, magic, and fun! The show was very well paced and very polished. Your training as an actor is clearly evident…”

-- Penny Peck, San Leandro Public Library

Storyteller John Weaver caricature by Morrie Turner

For more information on Storyteller John Weaver...

For types of programs offered, a partial client list, testimonials & contact information, visit StorytellerJohnWeaver.com