Ready for the shopping link? Let me know and I'll shoot it over to ya! melpapworth@hotmail.com

Monday, August 7, 2017

*****POST #1*****WELCOME!!!*****

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS PLEASE EMAIL OR CALL OR TEXT ME:
Melanie Papworth  //  melpapworth@hotmail.com  //  916.670.0041

WHAT IS USBORNE BOOKS & MORE?
Usborne Books & More publishes AMAZING books for kids of all ages from babies to teens, ranging from activity books to nonfiction books, picture books to chapter books...and more!

WHAT ARE PRICES LIKE?
Totally comparable to any other books!! Very similar to Scholastic pricing, but they are also generally better quality!

TIPS FOR THIS BLOG PARTY:
***BE SURE TO CLICK ON ALL ORANGE LINKS - these videos are GOLD!  They give you looks into the ACTUAL books, so you can see font size, picture frequency, approximate words per page, etc.  WATCH THE VIDEOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!***

Everything is here!  Unlike a Facebook Party, where I post once or twice a day leading up to the party, and then several times during the "party" time, I have posted EVERYTHING here on this blog!  So if you have time, dive in now!  If you have just a little time, go ahead and take this a couple of posts at a time.  If you don't have any time right now, just come back when you do!  All posts are numbered, so just remember what number you are on, so you can pick up where you leave off!  You'll need to click the "older posts" link in orange at the bottom, to access the next set of posts.  Or, all of the posts are off to the right in orange, and you can click on each one individually if that's easier for you.

WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?

Grab a pen and paper (TRUST ME, YOU'LL NEED ONE!) to keep track of the books that catch your eye as you go through the posts on this blog.  
**Suggestion - write down the post number that you saw the book in, so you can go back if you forget what book it was, from its title**
**I have a simple, organized form for you to print out for your wishlist, but I can't figure out how to post it here because it isn't in JPEG form.  So PLEASE email me if you'd like me to email it to you real quick.  It looks like this (the who column is to keep track of which kid that book is for, if you are shopping for multiple kids):

HOW DO I EARN ENTRIES INTO THE PRIZE GIVEAWAY?
Every comment you make on this blog will earn you an entry into the prize giveaway!

WHERE IS THE SHOPPING LINK?

Once you have gone through the posts on this blog and made your WISHLIST, email me (Melanie) for the shopping link for the party.  You can place your order online whenever you are ready!  If you aren't comfortable placing an order on your own, let me know and I'd be happy to place your order for you :)


*****POST #2 *****MY KIDS' FAVES*****

For your first peek into what Usborne Books and More has to offer, I am going to share the 4 reasons I got hooked on Usborne.  Their names are Kambree, Cody, Hallie, and Briggs. They are my children. I want them to love reading. I want them to be successful at reading. 
BRIGGS (4) - These are his two faves.  "Nibbles" is just adorable.  And "All Better" is so dang cute. These animals need band-aids throughout the book, and he gets to stick the matching band-aids on the animals throughout the story. A-DOR-ABLE.
HALLIE (6) - THIS is why I LOVE USBORNE. She is my biggest success. Hallie was done reading the "I Can Read" books, but wanted to be a big girl and read chapter books. But the "Magic Treehouse" series we had on the shelf was wayyyy over her head.  And that's when I was invited to my first Usborne party. And it changed my life. Forever.  The "Billie B Brown" series (15 books total) was recommended for Hallie.  I bought the entire series and it was the best $59.99 I've ever spent (individual books are $4.99 but I'm a sucker for a deal, so I bought the entire series and saved $1 a book). Hallie gobbled them up! Each book has 4 chapters, each 12 pages long, for a total of 48 pages. Huge font size. Pictures on every page. Outcome: success and confidence!!!! (And there is an entire "Hey Jack" series for boys!!!)
CODY (9) - My reluctant reader. Bright, bright kid. But would rather be doing anything other than reading.  Had zero interest in fantasy like all of his friends. Didn't want to read "Harry Potter" or "Percy Jackson."  So I got him the "Conspiracy 365" series (12 books total). He loves them! They are shorter than something like "Harry Potter," and therefore not as intimidating. Fiction, but real life scenarios. Suspenseful!  And by the way.....since he became a fan of reading, he has started reading "Harry Potter" AND "Percy Jackson!"
KAMBREE (11) - My bookworm! Loves to read. Isn't hard to please. She is currently reading "The Impossible Quest" series (total of 5 books).  Fiction and much like Harry Potter, but not quite as long or scary. 
I LOVE USBORNE!!!! 😍😍
Comment below which of my favorite picks look like a good fit for any of the readers in your life!

*****POST #3*****NONFICTION - ALL AGES*****

Are you looking to expand your child's world with books that teach science, history, math and more? Take a look at this short video showing off a great selection of our non-fiction from baby to young adult
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkASnAVZrJw  
***Comment which 1-2 titles your curious readers would LOVE for another prize entry!***
*****PEEK, LOOK, and SEE!*****
Three of our popular non-fiction series are found in this video. You just won't find better quality or more engaging books anywhere - about all different topics! Kids will beg to read these, and they won't even realize they're learning.  All of them feature fun flaps and engaging text geared towards specific age ranges. The "Peek Inside" series is technically for kids 3+, but I feel they're best for kids 2-3. The "Look Inside" series is for kids age 3+ (though I would say kids in the 4-6 age range will get the most out of them). The "See Inside" series is for kids ages 7+
The lady in this video is a little long-winded, so once you've seen enough of the "Peek Inside," skip to 1:55 for the "Look Inside," and then once you're good on that one, skip to 3:50 to see the "See Inside!"

***FOR ANOTHER ENTRY*** Which book from which series would you get for your child?

*****POST #4 *****BABY / TODDLER *****

Here is a video showcasing a bunch of different options for BABIES and TODDLERS! I also have some individual books underneath :). If you just want to watch this video that covers a bunch, make sure to check out the individual video for "What is Poop" and "Animal Hide and Seek" because she doesn't cover these and they are awesome! 
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vG6LlwnOLDE
***For simple board books with not a lot of words, our most popular series is "That's Not My..." and there are TONS of options. Over 40 titles! (There are a couple sets that save money, like the kitty/puppy combo pictured below)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=T6YllvDTteo
***ANIMAL HIDE AND SEEK 
This book is awesome! It's a touchy feely, lift the flap, counting, look and find animal book, all in one! Check out this video (1:04)
***Slide & See 
(47 second-long video)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gV7FnR3JPmw
***Fingertrail Books 
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V5fQSsW1F7w
***Very First Book of Things to Spot
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nXwbCsiZP70
***What is Poop - hilarious, informative, and TONS of flaps
(1 minute video)
***THIS IS SO ADORABLE! A pop-up alphabet book! It's brand new and I'm obsessed! (41 seconds)
***For learning LETTERS...Here is a quick video highlighting a couple different options. I love the first one, because it shows the LOWER case letters! I feel like little kids tend to learn the capital letters but don't have a clue when it comes to lower case. So I love that!! (2:26)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RIEF_O1IJSc
***This is a new book this summer...it is super cute and teaches the concept of taller and shorter with animals. So cute!! (1:06)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NgrADPnJiY0 
***Our BIIIIIIIIG Books are a BIIIIIIIG hit!!!!!  This video shows a few different titles in the Big Book series.
***The WIND-UP and PULL-BACK books feature a wind-up or pull-back toy that zips around built-in tracks - kids ADORE these books! Check out a few of them here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zfzga5J-ME
***There are also just some good old-fashioned picture books!  These are my two favorites!  ("All Better" is interactive, with reusable "band-aid" stickers to apply throughout the book)

*****POST #5 *****KINDER-ISH - LEARNING TO READ*****

***MY FIRST READING LIBRARY
Teach your child to read!!!!  THIS is an AMAZING set I am using with Briggs (my 4-year-old).  It has 50 books for $79.99. That's less than $2/book.  Just watch the video!!! (2:21)😍https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7bFYeJW_Bhw


***DUAL READERS!! (2:01)
Where have these been all my life?! This concept is genius!!! 😍😍😍 The top line is for the new reader, with the bottom text for the adult to read.  What a great concept!  We have the Complete Book of Farmyard Tales and Briggs LOVES IT! 
***NEW PICTURE BOOKS - here is a video showing off these two new ADORABLE picture books!  Nibbles has a new book!  "Nibbles the Dinosaur Guide" is adorable.  And "Ludwig the Space Dog" is 3-D!!!!!!  SO FUN!!!!!  And if you are worried about those 3D glasses getting lost or wrecked, fear not.  I already ordered a 10-pack for backups ;)  I got you!

*****POST # 6*****EMERGING READERS...ENTERING CHAPTER BOOK LAND*****

So your child can read. What now? 
***"Billie B. Brown" and/or "Hey Jack." That's what!!!  Each book has 4 chapters, 10-12 pages each, for a total of 48 pages per book. Huge font, pictures on every page. Here is a peek into them. Billie B and Jack are best friends, so they show up in each other's books. You don't have to read one to get the other, but both characters will be familiar, regardless of which series you go with. Billie B. is a girl and Jack is a boy. THESE ARE WHAT MADE ME LOVE USBORNE BOOKS!!!!! Saved Hallie's life! 😂https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kt-_SxjGWfA
***After finishing the entire Billie B Brown series twice, we moved on to the Billie B Brown Mystery Series (6 total).  They are about double in length, and the pictures diminish to one every few pages. It's a GREAT transition into longer chapter books, since you already know the character and writing style so well!
 
***this video highlights 4 series. We have Fairy Ponies, and Hallie LOVED those as well! She read the right after the Billie B Mystery Series.https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0zo9q31-pbs



***One adorable series that this video didn't catch, was "Ella Diaries." Adorable!  (but it is a diary...so a little bit of attitude, FYI!  NOTHING like Diary of a Wimpy Kid though!)
***This looks like an awesome new series to help boys who are new readers also! Scurvy Dogs (33 seconds)
***Fizz Series 
*** "Wheel Nuts" is a graphic novel series for boys!https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4qO8m5n58yE 

*****POST #7*****GRAPHIC NOVELS*****

Have a reluctant reader? Or a reader who just isn't ready to give up pictures in his/her books?  These graphic novels are for them!!