Coquette Maman

SF Public Library's Summer Stride 2016 Has Begun!

(Photo: Chronicle Books)

School's is almost out for the summer and that means summer reading! The SF Public Library has a wonderful program that my daughter has been enjoying for the last two years. The Summer Stride 2016 program runs from May 7 - August 14 and gives summer readers of all ages a prize after completing 15 hours of reading for the summer. The featured artwork this year is created by children's book illustrator and Bay Area based artist, Christian Robinson who's characters in the recent Leo: A Ghost Story (published by Chronicle Books) adorn all of the posters, bookmarks, prizes and more for this Summer Stride. I'd like to also mention that this program is open to everyone, not just kids so the librarian convinced me to do it also. Why not?! I've been reading up a storm myself and it's a great way for Chloe and I do to this together. Pick up the Summer Stride 2016 guide at the library or click the link to view the PDF to see all of the events happening around the various libraries in the city. This year's program includes National Parks so there are activities such as Nature Walks and visits to parks in SF and in the Bay Area.

(Photo: Chronicle Books)

Prizes
Readers can pick between two prizes: a Reading Ranger badge or a tote bag featuring Christian Robinson's artwork.

Tracking Tree
To keep track of the books and time spent reading, make sure you pick up your Sumer Stride 2016 Tracking Tree. Color 1 leaf on the tree for every 20 minutes spent reading. Bring this sheet to the library throughout the summer to earn stickers.

Weekly Raffles
You can visit the library each week to enter one of their weekly raffles. They have separate raffles for kids and adults. Prizes include museum passes, gift certificates and more. Chloe has won twice last summer: a Matilda book and two tickets to the Children's Creativity Museum. It's really great encouragement to keep kids reading! The first raffle starts Friday, May 27th.

Computer Wallpapers
For more adorable Leo artwork, head to Chronicle Books to choose from six different Leo wallpapers to download! Wallpaper #2 is my favorite above as it's putting me in a fun, summer reading mood!

Visit the Summer Stride 2016 page and head to your local SF library to get started!

Book Review: I am Helen Keller and I am Rosa Parks by Brad Meltzer

I am Helen Keller
By Brad Meltzer, Illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos
Published by Dial Books
ISBN-10: 0525428518
Age Range: 5-8 years old
40 pages, Hardcover
$8.59 on Amazon

I am Rosa Parks
By Brad Meltzer, Illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos
Published by Dial Books
ISBN-10: 0803740859
Age Range: 5-8 years old
40 pages, Hardcover
$10.34 on Amazon

(Photo: bradmeltzer.com)

The Ordinary People Change the World Series featuring the "I am" books are one of Chloe's favorites. With this book series, kids learn about famous people in history with a fun storyline that shows each famous person as a child. (See my previous review on I am Albert Einstein.) Two of the books in the series I'll be reviewing today are I am Helen Keller and I am Rosa Parks. Author Brad Meltzer continues to have an amazing way of getting into the mind of kids and illustrator Christopher Eliopoulos' comic style illustrations bring the action to life.

(Photo: bradmeltzer.com)

My daughter had no idea who Helen Keller or Rosa Parks were when she started reading the books but in the end she saw how empowering both these women were in changing the lives of the disabled and the civil rights movement. She loved that these were real people, real women who were real girls. More importantly, my daughter could see that both women as young girls stood up for themselves. What they did in childhood helped shape who they would become. These books are such a treasure for the ways that they are educating kids and giving them true heroes to look up to.

(Photo: bradmeltzer.com)

I'm looking forward to Meltzer's 10th book in the series, I am Jane Goodall, the scientist who worked with chimpanzees. This book will be out this fall. You can read more about Meltzer's Ordinary People Change the World series on his website.

Review books provided by Penguin Books

Book Review: Diana's White House Garden by Elisa Carbone

Diana's White House Garden
by Elisa Carbone, Illustrated by Jen Hill
Published by: Viking Books for Young Readers
ISBN-10: 0670016497
Age Range: 5-8 years
$13.49 on Amazon

A new arrival on your bookstore or library's bookshelves is the new book Diana's White House Garden by Elisa Carbone that tells the story of young 10 year old Diana Hopkins who lived at the White House during Roosevelt's presidency and helped create a gardening movement during WWII throughout the U.S. Diana was the daughter of President Roosevelt's chief advisor Harry Hopkins and worked on the first "Victory Garden" at the White House. The garden was an example to show how the country needed to help the war effort by planting their own food. The reason being that many fresh vegetables were being shipped to soldiers and the civilians at home also needed food also to survive. In real life, Diana' and the White House Victory Garden became a news sensation and gave people of the U.S. motivation to start their own gardens in their backyard and neighborhood.

I love that this picture book is inspired by the true story and we get to see her in the book doing normal kid things and playing pranks. But then in the time of national crisis, she finds her passion with the garden – working with Eleanor Roosevelt to plant seeds, see her vegetables grow and culminating with a feast from the garden's pickings. Kids will really relate to Diana, I know Chloe does and she laughed at all the little pranks Diana did around the White House. It's a great historical story to share with kids to show that kids can make a difference, no matter how small or big.

The illustrations by Jen Hill are so beautiful. She mentions in the end of the book how she spent time researching the time and Roosevelt era.

Here are some stills from the book:

Pick up a copy of Diana's White House Garden on Amazon.com.

Review book provided by Penguin Books

New Erin Condren Notebooks + Goodies

I don't know what I would do each day without my Erin Condren Life Planner, notebooks and journals. Lately, I've found a groove each day and organizing everything I need for work and life in my planner and notebook. It's definitely become a good system for me that I can't believe I really just started using it all this year.

The new Erin Condren Notebooks come in both a spiral and bound versions. I have the Good to Go versions which are so affordable at $15 each. You can also choose personalized covers and metallic rose gold or metallic gold spirals for $30. Personalized bound journals are $20. I use my spiral notebook to organize all of my blog posts. I have the journal with the dot grid which is great for me to sketch ideas and draw out things free form. It's a great compliment to my lined notebook. You can also choose to have a lined bound journal too. I use my spiral notebook to manage my blogs. It's divided into three parts with the first part for notes for specific brands and blog posts, then the last two sections are for my specific blogs Coquette and Coquette Maman to manage each individual blogs' to do lists and notes. I purchased dividers from my last Erin Condren notebook so I'm using two in here with Post It tabs. I made labels for the tabs with my Dymo label maker.

I really like the way the new lined pages are for the notebooks which include a sidebar for quick lists. I can do individual to do lists before I can get a post completed.

Let's talk pens! The new Erin Condren Gemstone Rollerball Pens ($12) are so fun to write with. The colors are so fun and I love that it comes in its own plastic storage box. The best thing about these pens is that they don't bleed at all though the pages of my notebooks or planner. Amazing!

I really love my Erin Condren Life Planner and use it daily! I love that she's always coming out with new products that really let me use my planner (and notebooks) to their potential. The new StylizedSticky Corner Pockets ($5) are beyond amazing. They come in a thin pad of 20 thin plastic scalloped corners that you can stick anywhere you need a pocket. I love that you can peel them off and restick them if you need to make any adjustments without peeling off any paper. I use it on my monthly notes pages for loose items that I need to file away like receipts or business cards.

I am using the new Mini Sticky Storage Pockets ($10) inside the cover of my notebook to stash my important documents related to future blog posts. They have been so handy to have. I love the pretty colors and designs of the sturdy, paper pockets. Each pack comes with three pockets so you can use them anywhere!

It's been about five months now that I am really using my Erin Condren Life Planner and it's taken me a few months to get used to the system and use it for my own life. I adore the large planner size as it lays nicely on my desk so I can see what I am doing. I'll share a sample layout of my week view with you guys sometime soon. I currently don't go crazy with the stickers because if I did, I wouldn't be able to see what I need to do each day. I do use them though and have found that the Erin Condren sticker book ($15) to be a pretty and affordable way to decorate. If you are interested in checking out her Life Planners, right now they are 50% off (prices range from $22.50-$32.50). I think it's a great deal to see if you like to use this kind of stylized organizer.

Shop for these Erin Condren Notebooks and accessories at erincondren.com. Get a coupon for $10 off your first order by signing up for an account with Erin Condren. You'll get an email with the code for your order.

Review products provided by Erin Condren

Chronicle Books Fall 2016 Children's Book Preview

A photo posted by Natalie Zee Drieu (@coquettenatalie) on May 3, 2016 at 8:30pm PDT

For the last five years, I've been attending Chronicle Books' amazing book preview events each fall and spring. It's one of the events I most look forward to each year. I'm a total bookworm and I'm so glad that Chloe is too. At this event is where I get to preview what's coming up for the next season with Chronicle Books' kids division. I don't think I've ever really posted about this event aside from tweets and Instagram pics when I'm there. So, I thought it would be fun to share some of the pictures from the event and mention what books I'm most looking forward to come fall.

First off, can you see that I got to hold a 2 week old kitty?! It made me miss my cat and kitten I had to give away when I was 4 years old because my mom was severely allergic. That was just about the softest, cutest cat I have ever seen. (Just don't tell my pom, Lulu.) The kittens were there for the upcoming book They All Saw A Cat by Brendan Wenzel.

We spent the beginning mingling and eating bagels while browsing all the current and new books before we were given presentations by the editors and designers on key books coming up this fall for the different age levels.

Original artwork from books adorned the walls so we could see everything up close.

The highlight for me was seeing author Annie Barrows speak about the 10 year annivesary of Ivy and Bean!

Author Annie Barrows and illustrator Chris Turnham from the upcoming book The Wish Tree were on hand to sign materials and talk to the attendees.

Bunny Slopes by Claudia Rueda is an adorable, interactive book where kids can move the book to help the bunny ski. We had delicious cupcakes after the event featuring the little skiing bunny.

Hope you enjoyed experiencing the fabulous Children's Fall 2016 Book Preview at Chronicle Books. I have some spring children's book reviews coming soon on the blog. Stay tuned!

A photo posted by Natalie Zee Drieu (@coquettenatalie) on May 3, 2016 at 8:30pm PDT

For the last five years, I've been attending Chronicle Books' amazing book preview events each fall and spring. It's one of the events I most look forward to each year. I'm a total bookworm and I'm so glad that Chloe is too. At this event is where I get to preview what's coming up for the next season with Chronicle Books' kids division. I don't think I've ever really posted about this event aside from tweets and Instagram pics when I'm there. So, I thought it would be fun to share some of the pictures from the event and mention what books I'm most looking forward to come fall.

First off, can you see that I got to hold a 2 week old kitty?! It made me miss my cat and kitten I had to give away when I was 4 years old because my mom was severely allergic. That was just about the softest, cutest cat I have ever seen. (Just don't tell my pom, Lulu.) The kittens were there for the upcoming book They All Saw A Cat by Brendan Wenzel.

We spent the beginning mingling and eating bagels while browsing all the current and new books before we were given presentations by the editors and designers on key books coming up this fall for the different age levels.

Original artwork from books adorned the walls so we could see everything up close.

The highlight for me was seeing author Annie Barrows speak about the 10 year annivesary of Ivy and Bean!

Author Annie Barrows and illustrator Chris Turnham from the upcoming book The Wish Tree were on hand to sign materials and talk to the attendees.

Bunny Slopes by Claudia Rueda is an adorable, interactive book where kids can move the book to help the bunny ski. We had delicious cupcakes after the event featuring the little skiing bunny.

Hope you enjoyed experiencing the fabulous Children's Fall 2016 Book Preview at Chronicle Books. I have some spring children's book reviews coming soon on the blog. Stay tuned!