Chronicle Books is getting into the spirit of the season with a Happy Haul-idays give-away contest open until December 2, 2011. If you are a blogger, create a list of your favorite Chronicle books (up to $500 worth) and send your URL to the link above. If you win, Chronicle will give you the books you listed, plus donate $500 worth of books to your favorite charity (new this year). Mine would be the Chandler Public Library).

And, if you leave a comment on this post and I win the blogger contest, then you might win too. One commenter on the winning post will win the books listed on that particular blog as well.

It was fun looking through all the books at Chronicle and figuring out which ones some of the children I know might appreciate. Of course, my list is full of science and nature nonfiction titles and Chronicle has some very fine ones. (Links take you to the full product description at Chronicle.)

	Birdscapes:  A Pop-Up Celebration of Birdsongs in Stereo Sound By Miyoko Chu with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Illustrations by Julia Hargreaves (Have been drooling over this one for ages)
	Nests:  Fifty Nests and the Birds that Built Them by Sharon Beals Introduction by Scott Weidensaul Foreword by Jack Dumbacher and Maureen Flannery
	Wideness and Wonder: The Art and Life of Georgia O’Keeffe by Susan Goldman Rubin (Reviewed this, it is beautiful).
	The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder by Mark Cassino with Jon Nelson, Ph.D.
	Over and Under the Snow By Kate Messner – Illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal
	BrainJuice: Science, Fresh Squeezed! Handprint Books By Carol Diggory Shields,Illustrated by Richard Thompson
	F in Exams The Very Best Totally Wrong Test Answers By Richard Benson
	The Lonely Pine By Aaron Frisch, Illustrated by Etienne Delessert
	Handheld Pies Pint-Size Sweets and Savories By Sarah Billingsley and Rachel Wharton Photographs by Ellen Silverman
	Botanicals Stationery Collection By Rifle Paper Co. (You can’t always send an e-mail )
	Edible Schoolyard A Universal Idea By Alice Waters,Photographs by David Liittschwager
	Garden Anywhere How to Grow Gorgeous Container Gardens, Herb Gardens, Kitchen Gardens and More—Without Spending a Fortune By Alys Fowler

This one looks particularly awesome:

Drawing Nature: A Journal by Jill Bliss

Check out the video to see what it is all about:

Of all these wonderful titles, which one is your favorite?  Leave a comment, and you might have a chance of winning it.

Shelbie and Amanda are teens from Minnesota who enjoy reading and writing about books, in particular the hugely popular YA fiction genre. Some books they have reviewed recently include The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab and Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik.

Let’s meet Shelbie and Amanda!

I really want to find out about writing as a team. That seems like so much fun.

Blogging as a team seems like a great way to keep content flowing. Do you check in with each other about each post or do you write the reviews independently?

Shelbie:  Mostly, we write independently. If there is a lag in posts sometimes we will get together to and do something random so readers don’t just look at an empty blog. We also get together for blog events we have like Fantasyfest.

I’m glad you mentioned FantasyFest. Next month Shelbie and Amanda are going to have some fabulous events and giveaways at their blog. More about that at the end.

What are some of the advantages of blogging as a team? Any disadvantages?

I can relate to Twitter issues. I resorted to starting another account.

You interviewed Lisa and Laura Roecker, authors of The Liar Society. Sounds like they started out as readers, too. Any plans to be writers?

I don’t think you give yourselves enough credit. You have some wonderful content on your blog.

Do you think your tastes in books has changed since you started the blog? Do you see any changes in the future?

Do you read mostly e-books or traditional paper kind? Preferences?

I have to admit I have a preference for the paper kind, mostly because until recently the electronic readers didn’t handle picture books as well. With apps, who knows?

If you could change places with any of the characters in the books you reviewed this year, who would it be and why?

I review children’s books, so I have to ask what your favorite children’s book was/is?

Amanda and Shelbie have big event called Fantasyfest each year. For a month they offer a blast of author interviews, guest posts, giveaways and of course, awesome reviews. The best news is that this year’s Fantasyfest is coming in October. Be sure to bookmark their website and visit often.

Learn more about what they have to offer here:

Last month I participated in the National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) challenge at one of my other blogs (Wild About Ants.) Patterned after National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), the idea is to publish at least one blog post every day for a month.

When I saw the theme for August was “Fiction,” I just knew I had to try it this month at Wrapped In Foil.

In addition to my usual Nonfiction Monday, Booktalk Tuesday and STEM Friday book reviews, I hope to add:

• articles about print-on-demand publishing options
• places to find useful information about writing for children
• more posts about children’s fiction
• tips on blogging and social networking
• finish some reviews have languished in the draft bin
• and generally spruce up this blog.

If I get stuck, I might even try some of the helpful writing prompts given at the NaBloPoMo site.

Have you ever participated in the NaBloPoMo challenge? Be sure to leave me a comment if you are going to join this month. I’d love to have some friends join in.

Have you seen the Simon’s Cat videos on YouTube?  If you like the videos, you might be interested to know that Simon Tofield has a new book out called Simon’s Cat: Beyond the Fence.

The videos and books are for cat lovers, as you will find yourself saying, “My cat does that!” The cartoons are appropriate for older children, say 9 and up. Note: A few of the earlier videos contain a bit of physical violence that is probably mild by today’s standards. For example, in one of the first videos the cat hits its owner with a bat.

If you haven’t seen one of the videos, here’s Simon’s Cat in “The Box” as a short example:

The trailer shows a bit of how this new book expands beyond the original Simon’s Cat book.

British author Tofield has added some vignettes with North American animals to the new book to draw in readers from across the pond. Let’s just say that silliness ensues.

If you are looking for something light this summer, give Simon’s Cat: Beyond the Fence a try.

Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (June 2, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446560073
ISBN-13: 978-0446560078

What sets this book apart from others in the hands on science category is that Connolly has given a coherent history and context to each of the activities. In 34 chapters he covers breakthroughs and advances from stone age tools to the Hadron Collider. Many involve the stories of the scientists who actually performed the original experiments or made the advancements. He has done in depth research, too. For example, instead of merely recounting the tale of Ben Franklin flying the kite in the electrical storm, Connolly also discusses why some doubt the story and challenges the reader to figure out more through their own reading.

As for layout, the book is 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches with thick soft paper pages, which means you will probably need to set something on it to keep it open to the activity you are working on. The pages do not lay flat easily, a minor inconvenience.

Although the reading level assigned at Amazon is young adult, the “experiments” in this books are actually activities more appropriate for the middle grade level. That said, a middle school student who is interested in science is going to adore this book. There is enough material here for hours of engaging fun.

Reading level: Young Adult (Amazon)
Hardcover: 306 pages
Publisher: Workman Publishing Company (May 5, 2010)
ISBN-10: 0761156879
ISBN-13: 978-0761156871

Nonfiction Monday is a blogging celebration of nonfiction books for kids. We invite you to join us. For more information and a schedule, stop by the new Nonfiction Monday blog to see who is hosting each week.

This week’s post is at Picture Book of the Day.

Of course, we were interested in the Robert F. Sibert Medal for most distinguished informational book for children. The 2011 winner is  Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot, written by Sy Montgomery, which was reviewed just last week here at Wrapped In Foil. Cool!

Jenny Milchman over at Suspenseyourdisbelief.com has a good idea to create a special opportunity to introduce children to books. She has created “Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day” for December 4, 2010.

Seems like a useful way to help support the future of bookstores and enrich your child’s life at the same time.

And if you think this idea is too commercial, remember that many libraries have book sale areas run by volunteers to support your local library. We have found many a well-loved treasure at library sales.

What do you think? If you like the idea, why not spread the word to your friends?

I’d love to hear from you if you participate.

Chronicle Books is getting into the spirit of the season with a Happy Haul-idays give-away contest open until December 10, 2010. If you are a blogger, create a list of your favorite Chronicle books (up to $500 worth) and send your URL to the link.

And, if you leave a comment on this post and I win the blogger contest, then you might win too. One blogger and one commenter on the winning post will each win the books listed on that particular blog.

I had fun looking through all the books at Chronicle and figuring out what some of the children I know might appreciate. Of course, my list is full of nonfiction titles, and Chronicle has some very fine ones.

Children’s Nonfiction from Chronicle

The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder by Mark Cassino
with Jon Nelson, Ph.D.

Show and Tell:  Exploring the Fine Art of Children’s Book Illustration by Dilys Evans

Sparky:  The Life and Art of Charles Schulz by Beverly Gherman

Cave Detectives:  Unraveling the Mystery of an Ice Age Cave by David L. Harrison

Wideness and Wonder: The Art and Life of Georgia O’Keeffe by Susan Goldman Rubin

Delicious: The Art and Life of Wayne Thiebaud by Susan Goldman Rubin

The Kid Who Named Pluto:  And the Stories of Other Extraordinary Young People in Science by Marc McCutcheon, Illustrated by Jon Cannell

Prisoners in the Palace:  How Princess Victoria became Queen with the Help of Her Maid, a Reporter, and a Scoundrel by Michaela MacColl

Sprout Your Own Sweet Scents

Animals Marco Polo Saw:  An Adventure on the Silk Road by Sandra Markle
Illustrated by Daniela Terrazzini

And for avid birders:

By Miyoko Chu
with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Illustrations by Julia Hargreaves

(I’ve been drooling over this one for ages)

Of all these wonderful titles, which one is your favorite?  Leave a comment, and you might have a chance of winning it.

Junkyard Science has “workshops” ranging from comparing batteries, to investigating the ingredients in a diaper, to looking at trash in space. Each experiment/activity has the potential to be helpful for the environment, as well as a nifty science fair project.

The second book, Science Fair Winners: Experiments to Do On Your Family:  20 Projects and Experiments About Sisters, Brothers, Parents, Pets and the Rest of the Gang, is also by Karen Romano Young and illustrated by David Goldin.

The workshops in this book range from examining the effects of birth order, to finding out what babies like, to testing whether humans can identify each other by smell.

Using your own family for human projects is a clever idea. Having dealt with preparing students for our state science fair, I know that experiments with humans (all vertebrates, for that matter) as subjects are difficult because of all the special permission and paperwork required. Depending on the rules of your state organization, using members of your own family may make it easier to get proper permission, and at the very least reduces the chance of legal repercussions. Check the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) rules as well.

What I like about both of these books is that they offer some fresh ideas, not the same old lemon batteries or erupting volcanoes, The instructions are good to get you started, and have website links and extension ideas to take you further than the book. The author also collected ideas that build on one another. Too many science fair books are just random collections of experiments thrown together, with no theme or way to organize your ideas systematically.

The best thing about these two Science Fair Winners is that they are also very useful for science teachers and club leaders looking for project ideas.

Edit: I just found out that there is a White House Science Fair today. Cool!

Nonfiction Monday is a blogging celebration of nonfiction books for kids. We invite you to join us. For more information and a schedule, stop by Anastasia Suen’s Nonfiction Monday page. This week’s post is at Mother Reader.