Premiere Reading Guide

Epic adventures are right around the corner! This week’s new releases feature uncovered works from popular authors, imaginative tales of wonder and inspiration, and a lot of laughs. From children to teens there’s a book for everyone to enjoy. Get your children reading with any of these stories and you’ll have them hooked!!

-The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories by Dr. Suess

Hailed the literary equivalent of buried treasure, The Bippolo Seed is a compilation of some of Dr. Seuss’s best, and rarely ever seen, works for children.

-Everything on It by Shel Silverstein

If traditional books aren’t to your child’s liking, a book holding over 100 of Silverstein’s never-before-seen children’s poems might just perk their interest!

-Sweet Land of Liberty by Callista Gingrich

Rhymes and colorful illustrations will capture and hold your child’s attention as their imagination takes flight while they explore our nation’s history with Ellis the Elephant.

-Modelland by Tyra Banks

Intrigued by the mysterious world of Modelland? Only few receive an invitation to join, and those who don’t make it? Well, that’s something no one ever speaks of.

-Abarat: Absolute Midnight by Clive Barker

What would you do if every hour felt like an eternal day, and nothing was what it seemed? Candy Quackenbush knows all about this life, and the trouble that seems to find her as she fights against Mater Motley and her quest for absolute midnight.

Current News

This week’s theme: things that glow bright. Solar Decathalons, planets with more than one sun, and cats that glow in the dark. Scientifically there’s a lot going on in our world (and beyond). Discuss any of these cool new finds with your child, and for fun? Stamp collecting, and buried treasure are more than meets the eye!

1. New Faces for Stamps

Time to update those stamp collections! Until now, many children may not have recognized the famous faces they’ve seen on US postage stamps, but USPS is hoping that the faces of living Americans (think Taylor Swift or Justin Beiber) on stamps will help generate more postage purchases.

2. Bounty Hunters Discover Treasure Trove Inside WWII Shipwreck!

A World War? Torrential storms? Robots? Buried Treasure?!?! Sounds like the making of an epic adventure, or what bounty hunters stumbled across using the Odyssey Marin Exploration Robotic Scanner. Intrigued? Read on to find out more on the world’s most valuable shipwreck.

3. 2011 Solar Decathlon

Students from around the world are helping to do their part in making our world a cleaner place. The Solar Decathlon is a ten-day competition where teams create and display model homes that harness solar energy to heat, cool, and power the homes. Pretty neat, huh?

4. Glow Kitties

Looking for a way to take top honors this Halloween? Try walking a live kitten that glows in the dark down your street. Researchers are testing a way to fight the Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, and you can tell if the test is working by turning of the lights (that’s when things get spooky)!!

5. A Planet with Two Suns

And you thought Star Wars was a fictional tale. Well, sort of. Astronomers have discovered a planet with two suns (think Luke Skywalker’s home). Does it support life? Read on to learn more.

#Weekly Wisdom

"Kid you'll move mountains
So... Be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O'Shea,
You're off to great places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So... Get on your way." -Oh, the Places You’ll Go! (Dr. Seuss)

Current News

Shoes, space, and summits oh my! This week is chock full of diverse news from across the country to across the globe. In NYC we see fashion at its finest, while world leaders commune to deliberate on global concerns. And the government takes on your child's biggest fear, school bullies. So read on, and discuss these topics with your child. You may just be surprised by what they have to say!

1. NYC's Fashion's Night out Features Some Sweet Shoes-YUM!

It's never too early to be a fashionista-in-training! If your child's been bitten by the style bug this will be a good read.

2. A Half-Century of Helping

The Peace Corps is celebrating 50 years of helping people around the globe. Start a discussion with your child about lending a hand locally.

3. World Leaders Unite

Leaders will gather at the United Nations in N.Y. C. to discuss global topics on diseases, climate change, and global security.

4. Would You Step In?

It seems even the government is taking a stance against bullying. The Department of Education is hosting a bullying conference at the White House. Read this article with your child and learn their views on bullying, and help teach them how to prevent it.

5. Wanted: Garbage Collectors in Space

The world we live in isn't the only place we need to worry about keeping clean. Space junk is causing quite a concern across the globe as scientist try to figure out a way to keep the space around our planet clean too.

#WeeklyWisdom:

“Never trust a pretty girl with an ugly secret.”

-Pretty Little Liars (Sara Shepard)

Current News-Week Three

Exciting news this week! President Obama visited NC State on Wednesday to talk to students about his new proposed jobs act. An overwhelming number of students and residents filed into N.C. State's Reynolds Coliseum to hear the President's speech. And while his spirited and enthusiastic nature was evident, his message on the state of jobs across the nation was clear. Read on to find out more about the President's visit to this great state, and discuss what it all means with your child.

1. President Obama visits N.C. State to garner support for his new jobs act.

The President speaks with students and N.C. residents about a tough issue facing the U.S.; the job crisis.

2. World's Biggest Chocolate Bar Conveys An Even Bigger Message

What do portion control and tons of chocolate have in common? You'll find out in this intriguing article that's more than meets the eye.

3. The Height of Daring

A tightrope walker sets what will hopefully be a new Guiness world record, proving things are only as impossible as you allow them to be.

4. School Provision in Alabama Immigration Law Forces Families to Move

Immigration in America has been a hot topic. Discuss this article with your child and help them view it from different perspectives.

5. A Natural Fit

A modern take on a classic ride. Building bikes from bamboo has proven to be an eco-friendly, global effort for bike-maker Bamboo Bike Studio in New York City.

#WeeklyWisdom

"We aren't just ordinary children, are we. None of us."

-Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card)

Current News-Week Two

Sunday is the ten-year anniversary of the September 11th tragedy. Take the time to discuss these events with your child. Tell them where you were, and how those events affected your life. Listen to their thoughts, and answer their questions. Ask them how their school is commemorating the anniversary of the day that shaped America's future. Here are other great current events to discuss with your child:

1. Astronomers Make a 'Gem' of a Discovery-A Diamond Planet

They say diamonds are a girl's best friend, and this planet's full of them!

2. Fires Continue to Burn Across the State

If your child is looking for ways to help, contact the Red Cross and reach out to those affected by the devastating wildfires in Texas.

3. Florida Students Witnessed the Moment Bush Learned of 9/11 Terror Attacks

Students remember the day, 10 years ago, when they met President Bush and America changed forever.

4. Arabic Instruction on Rise in U.S. Schools Since 9/11

This article discusses the increased understanding and acceptance of Arabic as a foreign language in American schools.

5. The New Greatest Generation

Young adults who were high school teenagers on September 11, 2001 are looking to make an impact, and illustrating how their lives have changed since that fateful day.

#WeeklyWisdom

"In dreams, we enter a world that's entirely our own..."

-Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (J.K. Rowling)

New Book Releases

A fun way to keep your child engaged in reading? Get them hooked on a book or comic series. They'll look forward to the continuation of the stories of their favorite characters. If the next book has yet to be published, don't be surprised to see your child anxiously marking days of their calendar until they're able to pick up the latest addition to their collection. Below are some new releases for this week, and if it's the newest book in a series, encourage your child to start from the beginning.

Kids

-The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers Book 1: The Medusa Plot by Gordan Korman

This book is the first in what seems to be an imaginatively popular series.

-Llama Llama Home With Mama by Anna Dewdney

Your young child will laugh at these fun-to-read rhymes, and you can keep them engaged with other books from this series.

-Wildwood: The Wildwood Chronicles, Book 1 by Colin Meloy

A wonder-filled adventure of danger, magic, and secret worlds, Wildwood is the tale of a boy who finds himself while on the search for his missing brother.

-The Boy With the Pink Hair by Perez Hilton

A boy born with pink hair?! This book looks at self-acceptance and appreciating differences from a very early age.

-America is Under Attack: September 11, 2001: The Day the Towers Fell (Actual Times) by Don Brown

This book relives the fateful day America was attacked in a way that is accessible and understandable for readers too young to remember these events.

Teens

-Percy Jackson and the Olympus by Rick Riordan

Finally this series is available in the long-awaited 5-book set. Boasting all the popular adventures from The Lightening Thief, to The Last Olympians, this series is a great starter for your child.

-Never Have I Ever (The Lying Game Series #2) by Sara Shepard

An addictive tale about secrets, lies, and killer consequences. The Lying Game is a series about an unknown twin living as her sister to solve her murder.

-Witch and Wizard: The Gift (Book 2) by James Patterson

Wisty and Whit are siblings who realize they have magical powers which they use to escape once they are arrested by the New Order. Begin with the first installment, and your child will be pining away for the third installment due out in December.

-13 Gifts by Wendy Mass

Tara is sent to Willow Falls the summer of her 13th birthday. Big things are in store when she realizes Willow Falls isn't your typical town.

Current News-Week One

One way to keep your child actively involved in reading throughout the year is to let them read the news as it pertains to them. The more interested children are in what they read, the easier it will become to make reading a habit. Before you know it, your child will no longer look at reading as a chore, but an enjoyable part of their everyday routine. Each week we will provide a list of new articles that will connect your child to important topics in their world. Have your child read these articles, and discuss the significance with them. The more they are able to understand the world around them, the more intrigued they will be in reading about it. Here are this week's articles:

1. President Obama gives back-to-school interview to kids.

The President may be a busy guy, but not too much so for the Scholastic Kid Reporters.

2. Education Dept. Unveils Resource Page for Teaching 9/11

A new web page created to commemorate the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 will give a more in depth look at teaching the younger generation about the effects this event has had on our nation. It will cover all aspects, from analyzing the attacks to recognizing its unsung heroes.

3. Teachers Take Note: Advice from Students on How to Improve Schools

Your child will really love this one. The article unveils the impact your child can have on their school when their voice gets heard.

4. Needed: Parent Volunteers in Schools

Parents juggle demanding work schedules, after-school activities, and a plethora of other ever-present to-dos. But if you want your child to listen as you stress the importance of education, being active in their school is a great place to start.

5. 8 Ways to Handle the New School Year

We're only a week in, and regardless of all the planning, you and your child are already feeling overwhelmed. These tips will be just as beneficial for them as they will be for you.