Free Printable Little House on the Prairie Lesson Plans, Activities

When I was a child, every girl read and cherished Laura Ingalls Wilder and her Little House on the Prairie Series. We loved the TV series, too, but the books were extra-special. I remember being 9, in 1974, and walking to "Tom Sawyer's Book Raft" in our little shopping center. I'd saved enough to buy "These Happy Golden Years" (the last I needed to complete the set). How I remember rushing home to read it. Now you can bring early American history into your social studies lessons with free activities from Laura Ingalls Wilder. Here's how

Jon Scieszka's 'Science Verse' and 'Math Curse' Make Math and Science Approachable

On a never-ending quest for science and math lesson plans that appeal to kids and make content user-friendly, the books of Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith meet task. 'Science Verse', 'Math Curse' and 'Squids will be Squids' combine learning and fun. Read on

Free printable Sir Cumference' Books activities for Pi Day, Math and Geometry

Math and Geometry Lessons from 'Sir Cumference' Books by Cindy Neuschwander Cindy Neuschwander writes math math books for children. With Wayne Geehan illustrating, Neuschwander has given us books about Sir Cumference, Lady Di of Ameter and Radius their son who solve math and geometry puzzles and medieval mysteries. Read More

Free Printable Book Lesson Plans for Veterans Day

Free Printable Veterans Day Lesson Plans: War History ctivities Veteran's Day is celebrated on November 11, the end of World War One on November 11, 1918. Veterans Day honors those who served in the military. Here are free printable lesson plans on war history, WWI, WW II, Vietnam, Korea and American military. Read More

Alfred Hitchcock Murder Mystery and Dark Literature

My 'Frenzy' for Alfred Hitchcock Movie Memorabilia Alfred Hitchcock reigns supreme as perfecter of the 'film noir' genre. Hitchcock isn't the only director to dabble in the dark "Psycho" drama, but he is "Notorious" for it. I have a predilection for Hitchcock memorabilia. A 'Frenzy' for it, if you will. (Shh- kids, don't tell mom and dad that you love Hitchcock for the spooky murder mysteries; tell them it's educational! Yo, Parents, c'mere. Don't tell the kids that Hitchcock is educational; just tell them he's downright scary!) Read More

Preschool and Elementary Life Science Lessons from 'Mousekin'

Preschool and Elementary Life Science Unit Using Edna Miller's 'Mousekin' Books Using the Mousekin book series, by Edna Miller, you can teach complete units in life science. Teach camouflage  hibernation, ecosystems, habitats, symbiosis and more. Here are lesson plans for preschool and elementary life science activities.
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Free Printable Mouse Guard Activities--Fantasy RPG Graphic Novels

Free Printable Mouse Guard Graphic Novel Activities  Mouse Guard is David Peterson's RPG (role-play game) graphic novel anime type series, based on the heroic deeds and epics battles of brave mice and their friends. Here are details about the author plus free printable lesson plans. Read More

Best Gifts for Book Lovers, Bibliophiles and Literati

Best Gifts for Book Lovers, Bibliophiles and Literati Do you know someone who always has her nose in a book? What gifts are appropriate for book lovers? Here is a definitive list of reasonably priced book gifts for bibliophiles and all price ranges. Read More

Free Printable Bible Activities

Free Printable Christian Christmas and Bible Story Coloring Pages Looking for free printable Christian and religious Christmas and Bible story coloring pages? Papa Jan has hundreds of holiday and religious coloring pages, including fifty Bible story coloring pages and Christian Christmas coloring pages. Read More

Baby Books to Read Aloud

Best Books to Read to Infants and Babies- Great Baby Shower Gits
Read to an infant? Yes, you read that title correctly. Want to raise children to love books? Don't wait. Here is a list of books I highly recommend to read to an infant or baby. Oh and, ahem, these make excellent baby shower gifts, too. Read More

Happy 120th Birthday, Agatha Christie!

Agatha Christie 120th Birthday: Happy Birthday Dame of Detection and Delicious Death Agatha Christie, DBE, CBE and dame of detective fiction was born on September 15, 1890. She would be 120 years old today. Outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare, author Agatha Christie's books on Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple enthrall mystery lovers. Read More

Free Barnes and Noble NOOKstudy Download

Back-to-School College Prep Activities: Free Barnes and Noble Nook Study Download Each year more textbook choices become available for college students. Renting, e-textbooks and digital downloads are provide more options. Barnes and Noble offers a free download called 'NOOK Study', free e-books and homework help. Read More

Free Printable Legend of the Guardians: Owls of Gahoole Activities

Free Printable 'Legend of the Guardians- the Owls of Gahoole' Activities and Games Guardians of Gahoole is a series of books by Kathryn Lansky, depicting a group of fabled Owl warriors who guard Ga'Hoole. Legend of the Guardian opens September 24, 2010. Here are free printable Guardians of Ga'Hoole games and activities. Read More

'Fight Club', 'Survivor' Author Chuck Palahnuik

Author Chuck Palahniuk Fight Club, Survivor and Beyond Chuck Palahniuk (Ukranian, pronounced 'paula nick') author of Fight Club, Survivor, Rant, Choke, Lullaby and other brief one-word book titles, has earned high marks in literary circles. Read More

Medieval Mystery Books and Authors

Summer Recommended Reading: Medieval Mystery Books and Authors
With summer coming, it's time for bibliophiles to turn their thoughts toward recommended reading lists. Have you been immersed in required reading? Then you need some pleasure reads. How about medieval mysteries like these? Read More

Michigan Pirate Festival in Grand Haven

Ahoy Mates! Beware 'o pirates, but not just in the Caribbean. The 'Brethren of the Great Lakes' sail into Grand Haven for the annual Michigan Pirate Festival in mid August. Join Captain Rosabella, Jackie Sparrow and
Hookah Joe for pirate fun. Joining the aforementioned pirates are Captain Tom Parrothead, Sgt. Tom Osterberg and others cutlass carrying vagabonds. The Brethren of the Great Lakes and Michigan Pirate Festival home base will be Grand Haven's Loutit Library downtown for a week of activities, games, pirate stories, crafts beginning August. Read more...

Onomatopoeia in Works of Fiction: Dickens, Poe, Lewis Carrol

Onomatopoeia: Words that Name Sounds Onomatopoeia (ah-nuh-mah-tuh-pee-uh) is as much fun to say as it is to write. Onomatopoeia comes from the Greek words meaning 'name' and 'I make'. Onomatopoeia is a long word that means 'sound words'; words named for the sounds they make. Read More

Historical Fiction Reading For Tween and Teen Girls

Best Historical Fiction Books for Tween and Teenage Girls Historical fiction is becoming more popular with school aged girls. Here's a list based on my 20+ year teacher career, of the best historical fiction for tween and teenage girls. This list is not exclusively for girls, but girls may be more drawn to it. Read More

Best ABC Books to Teach Children the Alphabet

Best ABC Books to Teach Letters of the Alphabet to Children There are literally hundreds of ABC books to teach letters of the alphabet to children. Authors and illustrators across the genre spectrum have written ABC books for children. Here are my recommendations for best ABC books, based on words and pictures. Read More

Free Printable Tim Burton Alice In Wonderland Through the Looking Glass Disney crafts

Free Printable Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland 2010 Activities and Crafts
In 2010, director Tim Burton gave us his steampunk style vision of Alice in Wonderland, with Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter and Anne Hathoway and Helena Bonham-Carter as the Red and White Queen. And now, oh frabjuous day, we get Alice in Wonderland 2 Through the Looking Glass on Memorial Day, 2016. Here are free printable crafts and activities from Disney movies, cartoon Alice in Wonderland coloring pages and images from Lewis Carroll books. Host your own Gothic Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter Tea Party to celebrate Alice in Wonderland 2 Through the Looking Glass! Read More

'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies; Dawn of the Dreadfuls' by Seth Grahame-Smith

'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls' Seth Grahame-Smith Tweaks Jane Austen Jane Austen may be the best loved regency female author. Although steeped in Gothic romanticism, Austen championed independent women. Seth Grahame-Smith fans the flame of feminism with hellfire in 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.' Read More

Wicked, Son of a Witch, A Lion Among Men- Gregory Maguire

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West: Gregory Maguire Book Series Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (1995) Son of a Witch (2005) and A Lion Among Men (2008) are revisionist parallel novels by Gregory Maguire that explore the deeper, darker Wizard of Oz books. Note: Gregory Maguire's books contain very mature themes and are best read in high school classes.
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Best Vampire Movies for Twilight Lovers

Best Vampire Movies for Twilight Saga Lovers You bought, read and re-read all the Twilight series and saw both the series' movies. You've redone your room and wardrobe in Gothic vampire. What can you do till Eclipse comes out or Stephanie Meyer writes another book? Read More

Free Printable How to Train Your Dragon Activities

Free Printable How to Train Your Dragon Coloring Pages, Games, Crafts and Party Supplies Dreamworks is planning a third How to Train Your Dragon in 2018 and Disney just remade "Pete's Dragon" after 40 years! That comes out in 2016. Here are dragon themed printables from both movies plus a few secret dragon activities for a treat. Read More

He's Just Not That Into You Book and Movie Review

Dating and Relationships: Hes Just Not that into You - Book and Movie Review When our oldest daughter was going through a traumatic relationship several years ago, a friend recommended that we read a book called He's Just Not That Into You (Greg Behrendt/ Liz Tuccillo). Odd title; great book, and now a movie. Read More

Free printable Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland Through the Looking Glass Disney crafts and activities

Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland Lewis Carroll, authored Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass and The Jabberwocky. Tim Burton has synthesized these tales into colorful, 3D movies, well cast with superb actors. New for 2016 is "Alice in Wonderland 2 "Through the Looking Glass." Seeing Burton's movie will send you scurrying like a Mad March Hare to your local library or ebook dealer to find the original stories of 'Alice in Wonderland'. Lovers of steampunk, you'll delight in Burton's "Alice in Wonderland." And guess what--here are free printable Alice in Wonderland Through the Looking Glass activities, crafts, games, coloring pages and even a party kit! 

How to Make Oobleck: Dr. Seuss Bartholomew and the Oobleck

Recipes for Oobleck: From Dr. Seuss's Book 'Bartholomew and the Oobleck
Dr. Seuss celebrates his birthday on March 2. We celebrate Dr. Seuss legacy of literature. Dr. Seuss's charming fable Bartholomew and the Oobleck is pure Seuss fun. Here are recipes to make oobleck with your children, homeschool or students. I did forget to mention in the recipe to add green food coloring for the genuine look of Oobleck. Read More

Dr. Seuss Lesson Plans for Preschool and Young Elementary Learning Centers

Dr.Seuss 'Read Across America' Week Preschool to Grade 1 Learning Center Activities: March 1-5 The Cat in the Hat doffs his cap on March 2, to honor the birthday of his creator Dr. Seuss. The NEA (National Education Association) celebrates 'Read Across America' on March 1- March 5. Celebrate Dr. Seuss with your students. Read More

Free printable Percy Jackson and the Oympians: The Lightning Thief activities

Book and Movie Review: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan, will be out in theaters as Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, February 12, 2010. Greek mythology lovers unite; this is a great read.  Read more for free printable Percy Jackson and Greek Mythology lesson plans