Join in the Read Local Challenge!

It’s not to late to take the 2019/2020 Read Local Challenge, sponsored by the MD/DE/WV Region of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators!

Discover books by people who live in your own state – maybe even your own neighborhood! Our Read Local Challenge features traditionally-published authors and illustrators from Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington D.C.

How to Join the Read Local Challenge:

Choose a challenge level, and start reading!

Read one book or two … or five … or every book in your selected challenge level (picture book, middle grade, or young adult). You can even take the ultimate challenge and read all 38 books!

Join in the state-by-state Reading Race!

Tell us which books you have read, individually or with a team. Our interactive map will update within 5-10 minutes to tell us which state has the most frequent readers. (If your whole team / family / class reads a book together, you get to count it once for each member of your team!) Then nominate a school or library near you to win a selection of signed books from us. One school / library in the winning state will win the grand prize!

Fill your Read Local Challenge Passport and redeem it for an amazing reward!

Pick up a Read Local Challenge Passport bookmark from your participating school, library, or bookstore. Fill the required number of passport spaces by reading books from our Read Local Challenge list, attending events to meet local authors and illustrators, visiting your library, and more.

Meet a local author or illustrator at one of our events!

Check out the Read Local Challenge events calendar to find us at our already-scheduled events. Or host one of our Read Local Parties and invite one of our authors or illustrators for a FREE, informal Q&A event either in-person or via Skype call.

Make it a competition!

Gather a group of friends together, or challenge your class (or even your whole school)! Teachers, Librarians, & Group Leaders: Request your FREE Read Local Challenge Starter Kit. You will receive Read Local Challenge posters, passport bookmarks, stickers, and small prizes such as postcards, buttons, etc. While supplies last, you will receive a FREE signed copy of a Read Local Challenge book. Who will win the grand prize in your challenge? It’s your challenge! You get to decide the rules!

 

 

 

 

 

Take the Read Local Challenge!

I’m thrilled to be participating in the 2019/2020 Read Local Challenge, sponsored by the MD/DE/WV Region of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators!

Discover books by people who live in your own state – maybe even your own neighborhood! Our Read Local Challenge features traditionally-published authors and illustrators from Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington D.C.

How to Join the Read Local Challenge:

Choose a challenge level, and start reading!

Read one book or two … or five … or every book in your selected challenge level (picture book, middle grade, or young adult). You can even take the ultimate challenge and read all 38 books!

Join in the state-by-state Reading Race!

Tell us which books you have read, individually or with a team. Our interactive map will update within 5-10 minutes to tell us which state has the most frequent readers. (If your whole team / family / class reads a book together, you get to count it once for each member of your team!) Then nominate a school or library near you to win a selection of signed books from us. One school / library in the winning state will win the grand prize!

Fill your Read Local Challenge Passport and redeem it for an amazing reward!

Pick up a Read Local Challenge Passport bookmark from your participating school, library, or bookstore. Fill the required number of passport spaces by reading books from our Read Local Challenge list, attending events to meet local authors and illustrators, visiting your library, and more.

Meet a local author or illustrator at one of our events!

Check out the Read Local Challenge events calendar to find us at our already-scheduled events. Or host one of our Read Local Parties and invite one of our authors or illustrators for a FREE, informal Q&A event either in-person or via Skype call.

Make it a competition!

Gather a group of friends together, or challenge your class (or even your whole school)! Teachers, Librarians, & Group Leaders: Request your FREE Read Local Challenge Starter Kit. You will receive Read Local Challenge posters, passport bookmarks, stickers, and small prizes such as postcards, buttons, etc. While supplies last, you will receive a FREE signed copy of a Read Local Challenge book. Who will win the grand prize in your challenge? It’s your challenge! You get to decide the rules!

 

 

 

 

 

Book News!

My newest book, She Spoke: 14 Women Who Raised Their Voices and Changed the World releases today from Familius Press! Co-authored with my dear friend Manuela Bernardi and illustrated by Kathrin Honesta, this book is one I am so excited to share with readers of all ages!

This unique nonfiction picture book highlights 14 women who raised their voices and changed the world! Learn about heroes such as Dolores Huerta, Dr. Maya Angelou, Suzan Shown Harjo, Dr. Temple Grandin, and Malala Yousafzai – and hear their inspiring words in their own voices at the touch of a button.

“A chorus of voices for justice and change, diverse alike of identity and cause.” Kirkus Reviews

Purchase by March 31, 2019 and get a free prize pack! Click here to claim yours!

Purchase links:

Order signed copies and support Deaf Camps, Inc.’s scholarship program!

Order from amazon.com

Order from BarnesAndNoble.com

Order from IndieBound.com and support your local independent bookseller!

Order from Familius.com

Join me tomorrow, Saturday, March 2 at 2 PM for the launch at Books with a Past in Historic Savage Mill! We’ll be celebrating Read Across America and Women’s History Month with my co-author, Manuela Bernardi, who will be Skyping in from Brazil for the occasion, and Karen Leggett Abouraya, author of Malala Yousafzai: Warrior with Words. We’ll have giveaways, crafts, games, and cupcakes!

NITA’S FIRST SIGNS and more now available in the DCI Online Bookstore!

If you have followed me for any length of time, you are probably aware of how proud I am to be affiliated with an amazing organization called Deaf Camps, Inc., a volunteer-run non-profit organization dedicated to providing fun, safe, communication-rich camps that promote the physical, spiritual, and social development of Deaf/hard of hearing children and children learning American Sign Language. You may recall that my launch party for my debut novel, Sword and Verse, was a gala fundraiser that raised scholarship money for Deaf Camps, Inc. I have been volunteering with this organization since 2001, and have been on the board since 2003. I have volunteered at camp every year and served in various capacities on the board. Currently I am DCI’s treasurer and director of the Interpreter Internship Program.

So I am pleased to announce that from now on, autographed copies of all my books – along with some terrific bundle deals! – will be available in Deaf Camps, Inc.’s Online Bookstore, with all proceeds going directly to Deaf Camps, Inc.’s scholarship program. To have a book personalized, simply note name(s) in the comments section on the order form.

And remember, signed books make excellent holiday gifts! Order now!

DCI Bookstore

Nita’s First Signs now available for pre-order!

Coming June 15, 2018 from Familius Press!

Nita’s First Signs by Kathy MacMillan

illustrated by Sara Brezzi

Baby sign language makes it easy to communicate with your child, and Nita makes it fun! Nita’s First Signs teaches ten essential signs for every parent and child to know, including eat, more, hungry, milk, all done, ball, play, love, please, and thank you. A simple story about Nita and her parents teaches each sign in context, and repetition throughout each story makes them easy to practice. Even better, each page slides open to reveal accurate instructions on how to make each sign, plus tabs on the side of each page make it simple to locate every sign for later reference. Baby sign language collections aren’t complete without Nita!

Preorder now at amazon.com | barnesandnoble.com | indiebound.org

More Storytime Magic

MacMillan_cover_1p.inddMore Storytime Magic

by Kathy MacMillan and Christine Kirker

ALA Editions, December 29, 2015.  $52.00

Order now from the Deaf Camps, Inc. Online Bookstore (autographed copies that support a great cause!) or the ALA Store.

“MacMillan and Kirker continue their successful formula for helping librarians and others who plan stories and activities for children aged two and up…a welcome addition for public and school library professional collections.” – American Reference Books Annual

“Another excellent resource from this author pair, this title presents songs, stories, and activities arranged by themes, such as fairy tales, animals, friends, and food. The stories and songs include originals and adaptations alike, and many of the tunes are sung to well-known traditional songs…For those who wish to specify the elements of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) demonstrated in storytime, the coding found with each activity is helpful…With fun activities and timely information on the CCSS, this is an ideal choice for administrators, librarians, and parents eager to promote current literacy standards.” – School Library Journal

“The authors do a very good job of providing activities that can be used for different age groups as well as different time allotments and settings.” – School Library Connection

“…a worthwhile purchase for any youth department where there is a focus on storytime.” – Booklist

MacMillan and Kirker’s knack for creating storytimes that engage and delight young ones have made their previous books bestsellers. Now they’re back with an all new assortment of original fingerplays, transitional rhymes, movement songs, flannelboards, sign language rhymes and other activities to spice up storytimes for ages two and up. This ready-to-go sourcebook for children’s librarians, early literacy specialists, and other adults who work with young children offers everything needed to plan and host quality storytimes, including

  • more than a dozen thematic groupings of activities, featuring such fun topics such as “All About Me,” “Bugs and Insects,” “Fairy Tales and Castles,” and “People in my Neighborhood”;
  • recommended storytime books for each theme, along with material lists, patterns for flannelboards and stick puppets, and illustrations of American Sign Language signs; and
  • coding for each entry indicating which Common Core State Standards for Kindergarten skills it supports.

Using the guidance and activities contained in this book, storytimes will be more magical than ever!

Baby Storytime Magic

baby_storytime_magic_coverBaby Storytime Magic: Active Early Literacy through Bounces, Rhymes, Tickles, and More

by Kathy MacMillan and Christine Kirker.  ALA Editions, 2014.  $50.00

Order now from the Deaf Camps, Inc. Online Bookstore (autographed copies that support a great cause!) or from the ALA Store or from amazon.com.

“This will be a go-to book time and again, for ideas, for planning, and for resources for any adult working with children under age 2, and sometimes older.” – Sara Marcus, American Reference Books Annual

Whether you’ve been presenting baby storytimes for fifteen years or fifteen minutes, you probably already know that the first five years of life are key for brain development and early literacy. Many public libraries have instituted baby and toddler programs, but finding exciting materials for baby storytime that go beyond nursery rhymes can be a challenge. Baby Storytime Magic is a treasure trove of new and exciting ideas for programs, all of which revolve around themes from a baby’s world. Inside this resource you’ll find

  • Fingerplays, bounces, flannelboards, activities with props, songs, American Sign Language activities, and more, with items arranged by type of material
  • Tips for planning storytimes, with advice on logistical issues such as age grouping, scheduling, formats, and physical setup
  • Guidance on involving caregivers in baby storytimes, including suggested scripts for explaining the benefits of each activity and how to use it at home
  • Age-appropriate book recommendations
  • Information on the stages of early childhood development, plus an appendix of recommended additional resources
  • A thematic index to find the right storytime quickly
  • Links to full-sized, downloadable flannelboard patterns, craft patterns, and worksheets

Packed with ready-to-use activities, reducing prep time substantially, this book is a valuable early literacy tool for every children’s librarian.

Click here for a preview of material from the book.

Little Hands and Big Hands makes a great gift

Quote

Louise Sattler of SigningFamilies.com says:

Little Hands and Big Hands cover“Looking for a great baby gift or one for new parents for the holidays? Try Little Hands & Big Hands – a book that demonstrates the basics of sign language and incorporates creative ideas for families to learn sign together! Easy to follow directions! The games included are perfect for toddlers and preschoolers. Early childhood educators will LOVE this book!”

Little Hands and Big Hands: Children and Adults Signing Together

by Kathy MacMillan. Huron Street Press, 2013.

Order now from amazon.com.

Little Hands and Big Hands coverResearch shows that signing with young children can

-reduce frustration for both parent and child

-increase IQ

-stimulate language learning

-enhance bonding

-raise a child’s self-esteem

All those reasons are great, but the best reason to start signing with your child is that signing with babies, toddlers, and young children improves everyday life and communication. A child who can express him or herself with the aid of signs is far less likely to get frustrated and throw tantrums, and can initiate conversations about topics that interest him or her, which leads to adults talking more about those topics, which leads to a motivated and interested child absorbing more spoken language, which helps develop spoken language skills.

Signing with children naturally complements other language and literacy activities such as books, fingerplays, rhymes, and songs. Little Hands and Big Hands offers solid background information on signing with children ages birth to five, along with hands-on games, fingerplays, songs, and more that parents can use throughout the day to smooth transitions, calm a fussy child, or engage a stubborn one. Each activity is accompanied by photos of the relevant signs.

Even better: the book features American Sign Language, which, as a real language, stimulates children’s language development in a way that made-up gestures can’t. Author Kathy MacMillan is a nationally certified American Sign Language interpreter and has been sharing the joys of signing for years through her “Little Hands Signing” programs for children and families. Find out more about her signing classes and storytelling programs here.

Multicultural Storytime Magic

Multicultural Storytime Magic cover

Multicultural Storytime Magic by Kathy MacMillan & Christine Kirker (ALA Editions, 2012)

Storytime audiences grow ever more diverse, and materials used in programs must reflect that richness of experience. Multiculturalism need not be an occasional initiative attached to particular holidays. Best-selling authors MacMillan and Kirker offer a new paradigm for multicultural programs, one in which diversity is woven into any and every storytime, no matter what the topic. Arranged thematically around dozens of popular storytime themes, Multicultural Storytime Magic features

  • original and traditional resources from all over the world that will enrich storytimes for ages 2-5
  • concrete book recommendations, fingerplays, and other activities that can be integrated into existing storytimes
  • download links for flannelboard and stick puppet patterns, and illustrations of American Sign Language signs

With numerous activities and programming suggestions, this book will seamlessly integrate and enhance cultural awareness for children all year round.

Erica Littlefield of The Idaho Librarian says: “The content, organization, and resources included in Multicultural Storytime Magic make it a useful tool for youth services librarians in public libraries or school librarians who serve preschoolers and kindergarteners. It will help librarians incorporate multicultural touches into their regular storytimes or put together an entire storytime dedicated to a specific culture or country. Highly recommended.” Read the full review.

Order now from the Deaf Camps, Inc. Online Bookstore (autographed copies that support a great cause!) or at the ALA Store.

Free storytime resources from Kathy MacMillan and Christine Kirker.