Yesterday I had the opportunity to head into town all by myself.  Now, that might sound strange to some, but this is my second trip with nobody with me this year – everyone stayed at home with my husband.  Alone time is a rare commodity for many mothers, and it’s the same for me.

So, what did I do with my precious alone time?  I hit the local library used book sale!  I’d noticed it the last two times we were in town and driving by the library, but with some free time I thought I’d drop by.  I brought home two cardboard boxes full of books!  Seems they were clearing out their children’s reference section of some ‘less-desirable’ titles, so I was in there like a dirty-shirt!

My husband was thankfully gracious when I arrived home (he didn’t complain) and instead rummaged around in the books to find his favourites .  Unlike most homeschooling families we don’t use the library often (fines, lost books, you name it!) so I’m building one of our own!  Now if only I had a few more bookcases .

Sylvan Dell Publishing produces what may very well be some of the loveliest children’s picture books in print today. Seamlessly fusing educational concepts in the fields of natural science and mathematics with beautiful illustrations and excellent prose, their team of talented authors and illustrators has already engendered a fledgling devotion to their publishing house in me.

More than worthy as standalone picture books, each title is also accompanied an array of free, downloadable educational resources, which include Teaching Activities and Interactive Math and Reading Comprehension Quizzes.

A relative newcomer to children’s publishing, company co-founders Lee and Donna German have lost no time jumping into the rapidly advancing technologies available for providing e-books to young learners. Recently, the company announced the launch of their next generation e-book that is taking the school system by storm.

Equipped with auto-flip and auto-read features, bi-lingual text, and audio (English and Spanish with more languages to come), Sylvan Dell is about to put the run to traditional book-and-tape listening centers. A child with access to an internet-equipped computer can read the new e-books silently, listen to a narrator read the book in a language of their choice while they ‘flip’ the pages with a click of the mouse, or listen and have the pages turn automatically,

The potential impact of these titles for teaching a second language, improving literacy skills, and retaining knowledge of mathematics and the natural world through narrative story lines is nothing short of impressive. With plans on the drawing board for further improvements the unfolding educational potential is inspiring.

Last year, Sylvan Dell awarded free e-book site licenses to over 2600 elementary and Title I/III schools nationwide through their School Resource Grant Program. It may only be a matter of time before titles such as Turtles in My Sandbox and Saturn for My Birthday are available on a school computer your child can access.

While this is an exciting development in and of itself, parents and home educators can also purchase these titles for use in the home. Better yet, Sylvan Dell has made their entire catalogue of 45 titles available for use during a free trial period extending to the end of October.

To take these titles for a spin follow this link and click the “Validate Access Code” button to see the entire listing of titles. Click on the image of the title you and your child would like to read, and you’re in. The e-book interface is very intuitive, but a user guide is also available for download here. This unprecedented free trial lasts until October 31st, 2009.

Still the market for hard copy picture books isn’t about to disappear – what can compare to gathering your children around on the couch, or snuggling deep under the covers with a story before bed? No need to fret, Sylvan Dell’s hardcover and paperback titles will thankfully still be available for tender moments such as these.

While I remain passionately dedicated to the printed word on tangible paper, I love the potential of this delivery system as an educational tool. Try it for yourself and see. Grab a child, a computer, and settle in for a session of enjoyable reading. If you like what you find, feel free to spread the word. The free trial link is non-exclusive and available for all who wish to experiment with the new format and dig into some great books. Thank you Sylvan Dell!

You may recall that I recently posted a tour for a new social-justice oriented novel Scared by Tom Davis.  You can watch the trailer and read the first chapter and summary here.  If you’re interested in reading the book you can either buy it or sign up for a free pdf copy for a limited time when you email three of your friends about the book – check here for details.

I wanted to share with you a contest that is taking place to encourage the orphans of Swaziland, you can read about it below.

From Fiction to Real Life, Author Changes Orphans’ Lives with Education

Author Tom Davis and Children’s HopeChest sponsor the Scared $1 Million Education Fund and Writing Contest

I shall live in hope of getting what I seek another day. ~ Swazi proverb

The number one need in Swaziland, Africa, is not what you think.  It’s true: Swazi people face the realities of poverty and disease and have great, pressing needs which must be met.  But meeting these needs alone will not give children what they need to overcome their circumstances and to change their world—this can only happen through education.

In his new release, Scared (David C Cook, June 2009), author Tom Davis tells the story of Adanna, a young Swazi girl, and a jaded U.S. photojournalist on assignment in her country.  Based on his experience working with orphaned children in Swaziland, Davis reveals the power of words to change lives—and the power of God to bring light and new life, even to the darkest of places.

Adanna’s life story could be a blueprint for any of the thousands of Swazi kids Davis has met and worked with as CEO of Children’s HopeChest — a global orphan care organization.  These children are brimming with potential, but lack even a shred of opportunity.

Beyond meeting basic, practical needs, the mission and passion of Children’s HopeChest is to provide orphaned children the tools they need to become independent adults and mature people who can impact their communities and culture.  One of the best paths for reaching this goal is education.  With that in mind, Davis and Children’s HopeChest have developed the Scared $1 Million Education Fund and Writing Contest.

The writing contest will be launched with the release of Scared this June.  It is open to high-school aged orphans who are presently connected with HopeChest carepoints in Swaziland.  Entries will be received in three categories: short story, poetry, and personal essay/memoir.  The grand prize for each category is a university scholarship, and runner-up submissions will receive other prizes appropriate to their culture and need.

How the Writing Contest Works
–          Children will submit their writing pieces (maximum of one per category).  Submission deadline is September 1, 2009.
–          A panel made up of Swazi teachers and HopeChest carepoint staff will judge all entries and select the top ten from each category.
–          The top ten finalists in each category will be posted on the Scared website, December 1, 2009.  People around the world are invited to log in and cast a vote for their favorites in each category.
–          Winners will be announced March 2010.

For more information about the contest, visit www.scaredthebook.com.

Have you heard of Paul Washer?  Our family has been extraordinarily blessed by his preaching; our understanding of both doctrine and God’s plan for family life have increased exponentially through his sermons.  Our passion and desire for God, and our dedication our calling as a family have increased, his teaching has been a true gift  that I praise God for.

Of course, we were terribly excited to learn that he’d written a doctrinal workbook examining the nature of God called The One True God.  We were even more excited to find that it was available for free online!  Today I’ve been printing two copies, and my husband is anxious to get started with our study!  You can find a download here at Heart Cry Missionary Society.  Let me know what you think, I’m going to write a review once we’re done working through it together.

Also, you can find a wealth of Paul Washer sermons on Sermonaudio.com.

Some readers may be wondering where the weekly installments of the Christian Book Carnival have disappeared to.  I was running the weekly carnival, but there didn’t seem to be much participation from book bloggers, and to be honest, I didn’t have the time to adequately dedicate to promoting the carnival.  If there is someone who would like to pick up the ball and run with it who has time to contact bloggers and acquire review links, please contact me – I’d be happy to pass on the torch .

Welcome to the 25th Edition of the Bookworms Carnival! The Carnival, started by the lateDewey @ The Hidden Side of a Leaf, is a semi-monthly blog carnival that collects book blog posts centered on a particular theme.

Normally a prolific carnival it seems my chosen topic of parenting has garnered only a few entries .

Callista of SMS Book Reviews submitted a great review of The No Cry Nap Solution by Elizabeth Pantley – I’m putting this on my list of titles to pick up.  My nearly three-year-old is extraordinarily nap-resistant, and my baby takes micro-naps only.

Rebecca of Rebecca Reads offers an insightful review of Unconditional Parenting by Alfie Kohn.  Rebecca clearly outlines Kohn’s premise and the points she agrees and differs on.

My own contribution is not your traditional parenting book, Praying for Your Prodigal Daughter: Hope, Help & Encouragement for Hurting Parents by Janet Thompson deals with the longing of parents for their daughters to come to Christ; providing tools, resources and support for struggling parents.

If you are interested in submitting reviews for future editions here are the next two:

Edition 26 hosted by: 1MoreChapter
Deadline for submission: March 27, 2009
Theme: Book Awards
To submit a post, email: 3m.michelle at gmail dot com

Edition 27 hosted by: Julia at Book News and Reviews
Deadline for submission: April 10, 2009
Theme: Murder Mysteries
To submit a post, email: juliascottdouglas at gmail dot com

I hope you enjoy them!  May God bless you and shed His wisdom abroad in your life, wherever you find yourself in your parenting journey.

I’ve recently had the opportunity to read my first Jamie Carie novel (you can look forward to a review in the future!)  She has a strong writing voice, and her debut novel Snow Angel from B&H Publishing is now available as a free download to celebrate the release of her latest – Wind Dancer.  There is also a U.S. only contest tie in, but never fear – the download is available internationally!

So head on over, download and enjoy!

Remember when I reviewed Glaucia the Greek Slave: A Tale of Athens in the First Century by Emma Leslie last year?  Well, Salem Ridge Press is offering it as a free download, but only until Thursday, February 19th.  Hurry over and pick up some vintage, historical fiction focusing on the early Christian church!

We live in a home full of bibliophiles, from my husband (to a lesser degree) myself, 5, 2 and 6 months old – we all adore the written word.  However, there are many families in which this isn’t the case, and indeed there is a rising number of boy-children who don’t enjoy reading.  To help children engage the written word at a level that won’t be intimidating the website Read Kiddo Read was developed.

Celebrated bestselling author James Patterson recognized the need to reach out to reluctant readers when his own son failed to develop a natural love of reading.  By putting fascinating titles in his hands, Patterson was able to spark the joy of reading in his son.

To help families sort through the 5,000 books published each year and find the coolest, interest-peaking titles for their children Patterson and renowned library consultant (25 years of experience as a school librarian) and book expert have sorted through thousands of titles to compile their short list of titles featured at Read Kiddo Read.  Applying the same concept Patterson used with his own son, titles that tickle the imagination have been carefully selected to spark a life long love of learning in children.

Titles are separated into rough age/reading level categories including: Great Illustrated Books, Great Transitional Books, Great Pageturners and Great Advanced Reads.  The illustrated books are divided into books for babies, storybooks, easy kid reads and jsut the facts.  The other three categories sort books into topical categories: fantasy & other worlds, real world fiction, action/adventure/mystery and just the facts (non-fiction).  So no matter what your child’s reading tastes and skill levels, you’re sure to find some titles here to captivate the imagination.  After going through the titles there are some we’ve known and loved, others new to us that we’d like to try, and some we actively avoid – as always parental discretion is advised with any reading choices for your children.

There is also a community of readers, email newsletter and a list of books specially selected for boys who are difficult to interest in reading.  Even if you have a house full of book-lovers take a peak at ReadKiddoRead.com, you might find some new treasures hidden in plain sight.  Celebrating literacy – always a good thing.

Thanks to Mother-Talk.com for spreading the news about this innovative new site for children and their parents.