Coquette Maman

Book Review: American Girl Summer Treats + Mud Pie Sundae Recipe

American Girl: Summer Treats - Refreshing Recipes for Cupcakes, Cookies, Ice Pops & More

Hardcover, 128 pages

Publisher: Weldon Owen

$19.95 on Amazon

Bring summer into your home with the new American Girl Summer Treats book! Chloe and I have been spending a lot of time baking and cooking in the kitchen during shelter at home. I think cooking is a life skill every kid should have and it's been so fun to be able to spend time in the kitchen making bread, cookies, muffins, you name it! This book was heaven to receive as we were need a little inspiration to try new recipes in celebration of the warmer weather. (Today it's currently 97 in Napa!) 

We never really need an excuse to have more ice cream but as a mom, I love the creative recipes that center around fruit in this book! From cherry cobblers to pies, fruit ice pops to that stunning Fruity Cake Tower (pictured above), I know we are going to have a lot of fun trying these recipes this summer and having our own 4th of July celebration at home. That fireworks bundt cake (pictured below) is calling our name. We are hanging over here with two more weeks of school via distance learning and then we are off this summer where I look forward to lots of making with my 11 year old!

To help kick off your summer, I'm excited to share this recipe to make a Mud Pie Sundae. Enjoy!

 

Shop for American Girl Summer Treats on Amazon.

 

Review book provided by Weldon Owen.

Maker Parent Happy 1/2 Hour: Maker Moms Panel Wed, April 15th

 

Diana Eng and I will be part of a small panel of Maker Moms for this week’s Maker Parent Happy 1/2 Hour from Make: Community’s Family Maker Camp series. Join us on Wednesday night at 5:30-6pm PST for the live Zoom/FB event. You don’t have to be a mom to participate. We are all in this homeschool life together now as parents and we can help each other out — not only with ideas, but also support.

On the panel with Diana (top left) and myself (right), will be homeschooling moms Nathalie O’Donald from ladynod.com (bottom left) and Katie Rosa Marchese (bottom right), who is the wife of Mario “the Maker Magician” Marchese. Both of these women have a ton of experience in homeschooling and will be sharing their tips. We will also have Gillian Mutti and Katie Kunde from Make: Community.

It will be a casual event (bring your favorite beverage) broadcasted live via Zoom and the Family Maker Camp Facebook page.  We can all chit chat about projects to make with our kids, what’s working and what’s not right now in homeschooling and anything else! We will also be answering questions too.

Maker Parent Happy 1/2 Hour

Wednesday, April 15

5:30pm-6pm PST / 8:30pm-9pm EST

Read the panelist bios and see all the details for the event on the Maker Parent Happy 1/2 Hour: Maker Mom page.

 

Book Review: The Complete Story of Sadako Sasaki and the Thousand Paper Cranes

 

 The Complete Story of Sadako Sasaki and the Thousand Paper Cranes

by Sue DiCicco and Masahiro Sasaki (Sadako's brother)

Age Range: 9-12 years old

Paperback, 148 pages

Publisher: Tuttle

$10.99 on Amazon

 

Middle grade readers will love this story about a worldwide call for peace. Author Sue DiCicco and Sadako's older brother Masahiro tell her life story for the first time in English. Sadako Sasaki was only two years old when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan during the end of WWII. Because of all the radiation from the bomb, Sadako developed leukemia at age 12 and was given one year to live from the doctors.

It was while she was in the hospital, Sadako was given a string of paper cranes. She loved them and her father told her the symbol of the crane in Japanese folklore. The meaning was that her friends wished her to get better soon. Sadako's father told her about the old take that if you fold a thousand paper cranes, your wish will come true. Cranes also represent good fortune and longevity as the crane is a "bird of happines". (True in Japan, Chinese and Korean cultures.) Sadako reached her goal of a thousand cranes but unfortunately, the cancer got worse and she passed away.

Today the origami cranes and Sadako are a symbol of worldwide peace and of hope and healing during challenging times. There is a statue of Sadako in the Hiroshima Peace Park as well as in the Seattle Peace Park.

My 11 year old daughter and I came across this lovely paper shop in Paris earlier in January called Adeline Klam. We bought a few paper kits -- paper flowers and the origami ones including the cranes. We started to practice folding them a few days ago for my daughter's spring break. Now that we know all the meaning behind the cranes, the project has such a deeper meaning for us. You can see more photos of the origami in my Instagram post. 

I'm so glad my daughter and I were able to read this book together, especially one so important for history. This new English version is a must read with the true story of Sadako Sasaki as told by her older brother.

 

Shop The Complete Story of Sadako Sasaki and the Thousand Paper Cranes on Amazon

 

 

 

Review book provided by Tutle Publishing

Book Review: Things That Go Away by Beatrice Alemagna

Things That Go Away

by Beatrice Alemagna

Age Range: 4-8 years old

40 pages, Hardcover

Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers

$18.99 on Amazon

 

About a month ago I received a box of books to review for Abrams. I don't review all the books I receive, rather, I review the ones that call out to me and that I think are important. This month, I picked the Anna Strong book (reviewed here) and this new one that just came out today, Things That Go Away by Beatrice Alemangna. What a difference a month makes. This book is so poignant to the current coronavirus pandemic that I think it will help younger kids understand that this crisis we find ourselves in will pass, much like a boo-boo or anything else.

With simple drawings on creatively placed vellum in between the illustrated pages, children can see how an act of crying can pass so quickly and turn into spots on a cat and birds can fly by and transform the sky. This book will help to explain to young kids that things don't last forever and in time, all things and situations move on. I really enjoyed this beautiful book and love how timely it is for what we are going through now. It's a great reminder to all of us!

Here are some interior pages from Things That Go Away:

 

Pick up the book Things that Go Away on Amazon

 

 

 

Review book provided by Abrams

Book Review: Anna Strong: A Spy During the American Revolution by Sarah Glenn Marsh

 

Anna Strong: A Spy During the American Revolution

by Sarah Glenn Marsh, illustrated by Sarah Green

Age Range: 4-8 years old

Hardcover, 40 pages

Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers

$18.99 on Amazon

 

Just launched today is the new book, Anna Strong: A Spy During the American Revolution by Sarah Glenn Marsh. Anna Smith Strong (1740-1812) was a brave woman who helped the American Revolution by being a spy for George Washington. Anna joined the Culper Ring, a group of American Spies where she worked to pass information to other American spies to try to defeat the British. One of the ways she delivered messages was through the laundry hung on the clothing line. If a black petticoat appeared that meant that there was an important message to be delivered to George Washington. If handkerchief appeared on the clothing line, that meant that told them of the location of a boat hidden in a nearby cove. Since Anna's family were Loyallists, she was able to spy on news on the British army for the Americans. 

It's great to have a book like this finally tell the story of the American Revolution with a female hero. Anna Strong was one of two female spies int he Culper Ring (the other Agent 355 is unidentified). The illustrations in the book by Sarah Green is beautiful and I like how she discusses at the end of the book how she illustrates Anna in a different floral pattern for each page of the book to explore the themes of camouflage as she was in plain sight in front of the enemy. Each illustration also included the number code that defined the words the spies were passing along.

Also at the end of the book is full "The Culper Ring Code Book" where kids can write their own secret messages using the number codes for different words. There's also a recipe on how to make your own invisible ink!

Here's a peek inside the book Anna Strong:

Buy Anna Strong: A Spy During the American Revolution by Sarah Glenn Marsh on Amazon.

 

 

 

Review book provided by Abrams

Adventures in Tinkering is My New Web Series for #STEM

I’m excited to present my “book” project that I have been working on for a few years since 2016. I have been researching STEM and wrote a fun series for young girls (and boys also, of course) centered on STEM adventures. (STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Sometimes it is called STEAM with an added Art element but I think Art already weaves through all of the STEM elements.) This STEM Web Series is great for kids learning how to read in grades 1-3 but this story can also be read aloud to kids as young as 3 years old. The earlier we start introducing STEM to kids, the better. My Web Series was written as an early chapter book novel, so each of the chapters are really short and sweet (2-3 pages). Adventures in Tinkering with Chloe and Lulu is the story of a normal 3rd grade girl named Chloe and her STEM adventures with her talking, food-loving, adorable Pomeranian Lulu. There are no mean girls in these stories. And to be clear, the main character is a normal girl, not weird or nerdy -- normal. I really wanted to diminish the stereotype that smart girls have to be "nerdy". Each story in my Web series will cover a topic in STEM along with a corresponding STEM Maker project. 

I believe that STEM should be FREE. With my digital media and maker/crafter background, I have been at the forefront of the Maker Movement from the early days from my time working at Maker Media/O'Reilly Publishing and the Maker Faire events that we had to organize and run. I believe that in order to learn, kids need to do things hands on and girls especially need projects that also look cute. Makers from all around the world have inspired me and I love the sense of community that was built from sharing projects and the show-and-tells at the various Maker Faires. I would love to share this concept and feeling with these young girls. To know that they can tinker, make and invent things while building a sense of community too, that's what STEM can be too. 

Why did I write this story? Many little kids over the years have loved and connected with my little dog Lulu. My daughter and I used to joke, “If Lulu could talk, what would she say?” Lulu became my inspiration for creating the side-entrance to STEM. If the word science doesn't get your attention, maybe a little dog can. Who can resist the funny antics of a talking, food-crazed little dog?

Thank you to some of my good friends (some from the publishing industry) who have read this book for me multiple times, editing and copy editing.  But, if you should happen to see any errors, please feel free to leave me a comment! I will be continually updating the site and hope to make this an interactive experience with the addition of audio narration sometime in early 2020. I am uploading chapters as I go and currently Chapter 1 is available to read as well as the Maker Project, How To Make a No-Sew Recycled T-shirt Tote Bag). Feel free to also comment if there are any topics in STEM your child may be interested in. I'm working hard on researching and creating a math-themed project. 

 

Adventures in Tinkering: Story #1 The Tinkering Contest

You can also visit Adventures in Tinkering by the url TinkerBinker.com

Blog Tour: Brave the Page - 5 Tips for Writing #NanNoWriMo

Remember my Brave the Page Blog Tour post from August where I shared my Musical Playlist for Writing?

We are now deep into NaNoWriMo so I hope that many of you have tried to follow along with the writing community and are working on your novels or short stories. If you missed it, Brave the Page by Rebecca Stern and Grant Faulkner is a new book that will help jump start you into NaNoWriMo and help you with your writing. This book will help movitate and inspire young writers while also helping them with story, plot, characters and more.

 

Brave the Page

By Rebecca Stern and Grant Faulkner

Ages: 10-17 years old

Genre: Middle Grade, Non-Fiction

Published by: Viking Children's Books

Hardcover, 304 pages

ISBN-10: 0451480295

Order at Penguin Random House

Order on Amazon for $10.29

 

 

 

 

Writing Tips

 

1. Pick a consistent time of day to write

I have been an author and a writer for over 20 years now and have worked on so many books in the web design, design and tech space since 1996. From co-authoring to contributing essays for books as well as freelance article writing, it can sometimes can be hard to get motivated to write. My best advice to you is to find the time of day that works for you and stick to it. Writing everyday brings consistency and helps you form a habit. I did this while writing my books. I would wake up at 5am before working a full time job so that I could be fresh and clear in the morning. I would write about 1 or 2 hours depending on how good I felt. If you only have 20 or 30 minutes to write, that's ok. Do what works for you to get words on the page.

2. Planning/Outline

I know some writers don't like to do this but I always even for small articles, plan out what I am going to write. An outline is a great place to start when you are working on a novel, short story or even an article. It doesn't have to be detailed but something enough to give you a skeleton structure so that you remember all the important elements that need to go into your novel. Once you have that set, I find that I usually plan out the next ideas in writing the story the day before I write so that I have some notes and bullet points to make writing flow easier the next day.

3. The Brain Dump / Write Now, Edit Later

It's important in the novel writing process, you get the all the words on the page and get as many pages done as you can. Get your ideas down and you can worry about the flow or add embellishments to your story later through the editing process. 

4. Edit, Edit, Edit, Copy Edit

The reality is the editing process is probably the most painful because it can actually be a longer process to endure than the actual writing process. Make sure you read through the whole novel and make sure the flow is good. Go back and edit, move things around and don't be afraid to take things out or rewrite sections. Sometimes it's hard to stop editing because a novel can be such a personal experience, one where you are connected to your characters. It's hard to know when to stop. Have a good friend read it over and see if it makes sense to them or if they have questions on any characters. Then go back and fix whatever you need to do for your novel. Once you are done with the editing process, go back and copy edit the grammar and fact check things that need fact checking.

5. Reward Yourself

Mark important milestones in your outline and then reward yourself once you complete them. They can be anything from treating yourself to some fro yo or taking a break with your favorite sit com. A novel writing process is long so it's important to celebrate little accomplishments. You could even set up a sort of habit tracker where you check off each day you write and when you have written for X number of days, you get to treat yo 'self!

 

Pick up Brave the Page by Rebecca Stern and Grant Faulkner on Amazon.com.

 

Here are the other blogs featured on the Brave the Page Blog Tour for this week:

November 25

Lost in Storyland – How to start prepping for next year’s Nanowrimo

Thoughts from a Highly Caffeinated Mind –Checklist: What to do after you’ve written your first draft

 

November 26

Picture Books to YA – Creative Writing Tips

Mindful journaling – Inspired by the Book: Bujo Content

 

November 27

Alohamora: Open a Book – 5 Steps to get you in the mood to write

wildeyesbujo – Completed Nanowrimo Bujo Tracker

 

November 28 

Some the wiser – Middle Grade Writing Group Reflection

A Peace of Mind – Tips and Inspiration from one kid to others

 

November 29

Sgraveswrites – Completed Nanowrimo Tracker

 

 

Review book provided by Penguin Random House

Blog Tour: The Gift Inside the Box + 5 Fun Cardboard Box Craft Projects Roundup

The Gift Inside the Box

by Adam Grant and Allison Sweet Grant, illustrated by Diana Schoenbrun

Age Range: 5-8 years old

Hardcover, 40 pages

$11.69 on Amazon

Today I'm the blog tour stop for the new book, The Gift Inside the Box by Adam Grant and Allison Sweet Grant. It's a cool-looking book that looks like a box. In fact, you open it with the velcro flap on the box, giving kids a fun peek at the book inside. I love the sweet story of a cardboard box looking for it's deserving, rightful owner.

Let's be real here. How many times have your kids loved playing with the boxes? I remember my daughter would sit and create her own little world inside a big box when she was 3 and it occupied her for most of the day. So there are times it's not about what's inside, it's all about the box!!

Here's a roundup of some really fun cardboard box craft projects that you create along with your kids:

 

Acorn Pies shows you how to build a cardboard castle.

 

Your kids will have fun making all the sea animals and decorating their DIY Cardboard Aquarium by mollymoo.

 

What kid doesn't like to play store? Make this DIY Cardboard Cash Register by Handmade Charlotte.

 

When you have a really big box, Handmade Charlotte shows you how to make your own Collapsible Cardboard Tent. I love the colorful designs on there. Your kids can have a lot of fun decorating this.

 

Even a small box like a shoe box can be something fun. I love how Craftulate turns a shoe box and toilet paper rolls into a Shoe Box School Box. 

 

 

 

Review book provided by Penguin Books

Kids Crafts: DIY Marble Paper Tutorial

A few weeks ago, with a Columbus Day holiday off school, Chloe and I decided to finally take some time to craft together. Her best friend, one of our neighbors was coming over and she loved to craft too. I didn't realize how addictive this project was going to be, not just for the girls but for ME! This is a perfect kids craft to do with kids of all ages, but I especially recommend it for tween girls. It was fast and highly satisfying! We did the project outside on our patio for easy clean up and the girls did a great job of keeping things neat.

 

DIY Paper Marbling Tutorial

Supplies:

2-3 Cans of Shaving Cream (Target brand is really cheap!)

Liquid Watercolor (or Food Coloring)

White Cardstock Paper (can get different sizes)

Disposable Pans or baking pans with rims

Skewer Sticks  (Must have pointy ends to mix shaving cream and paint for patterns)

Wooden Mixing Spoon

Ruler

Something to cover your table and/or floors (if necessary)

Paper Towels for clean up

Trash bag nearby

Note: I bought this liquid watercolors pictured above at Michael's because we were short on time. You can order these really affordable liquid watercolors on Amazon. I do recommend to use liquid watercolors over food coloring because I have found that watercolors are so much easier to wash off your hands and won't stain clothing or furniture as food coloring does.

Step 1: Take the can of shaving cream and shake it. Fill your pan or baking sheet with the shaving cream and mix it up.

Step 2: Now add drops of the liquid water color to form the base color of your paper. 

Step 3: Mix it up with a mixing spoon.

Step 4: Add in drops of liquid water color randomly all over the shaving cream base. Add in multiple colors and don't be afraid to do more random drops of water colors all over the cream. Then use a stick with a pointy end and start to lightly mix up the colors (shown left) on the surface of the shaving cream. This will help create the pattern to you final product.

Step 5: Place a piece of cardstock paper in the shaving cream and press lightly all around.

Step 6: Peel off the paper from the shaving cream.

 

Step 7: Place your paper in an empty pan or baking sheet and use a ruler to scrape off the shaving cream in one directional swipe (from bottom up or top down). Keep doing this until there is no more shaving cream on your paper. Discard the used shaving cream from the ruler or pan in the trash so you have a fresh "pan" for the next paper.

The girls found it so fun they actually started doing new versions of their colors by dumping out their original shaving cream so having at least 2 bottles on hand really helps as kids love to try new things and they love variety. We spent a good two hours working on these and had so much fun!



Here's one that I did and I really mixed up the colors well by using the pointy end of the sticks. The final result is on the right. I love the colorful swirls!

You can see all the pretty colors up close here. Set the finish cards on top of paper towels to dry. It really doesn't take long. The finished cards can be laminated to make notebook covers or pretty stationery or even framed for art in a room! The possibilities are endless.

I have some video of the process in my DIY Marbling Highlight in my Instagram Stories.

 

 

Wicked Reads Campaign: Tips for Reading A Scary Book!

Happy Halloween! Thanks to Penguin Kids for sending me candy (and books!) to get me in the Halloween spirit! I have also been binging on candy corn because, well, it's candy corn!

Do you like to read scary books? I do. As a kid, I loved being scared, but was also scared of the whole process of being scared. Make sense?  Plus my imagination easily ran wild. It was better if it were aliens because aliens were further away from the reality of actual ghosts...am I right?

I'm super excited to be a part of Penguin's Wicked Reads Campaign that hit the Internet this week with tons of fun, scary(ish) books that are a part of this campaign. The books I received were the graphic novels of Edison Beaker. Book #1: Edison Beaker, Creature Seeker: The Night Door and Book #2: Edison Beaker, Creature Seeker: The Lost City, both by author Frank Cammuso. Graphic novels are the perfect way to experience scary reads because you can see and also feel what the characters are going through.

Here are my tips for reading a scary book:

1. Go to the bathroom first. There's no point to go down the dark hallway alone to the bathroom when you have just finished reading about the monster in the book. Go to the bathoom first so you can have plenty of time to read without freaking yourself out when you realize it's your jacket hanging on the wall and not Frankenstein.
2. Get cozy. You really need to be comfortable to get yourself in the mood. Read in bed in your PJs or with a blanket on the couch. 
3. Read with a flashlight. If you really want to be scared, this is a fun way to have all the lights off and get yourself into "adventure" reading mode.
4. Have a furry friend nearby. Have your dog, cat or stuffed animal near by so you can hold on to them when there's a tense situation coming up. Floor creaking? Door opening by itself? Your furry friend will give you the support you need to help you turn the page.
5. Have snacks and water at hand. Have your water and snacks near you in case you get hungry or thirsty. You never know when hunger or thirst may strike and this way you don't have to make the trek to the kitchen alone (or yell for mom)!

 

 

Here are the other blogs for Today's Wicked Reads Campaign:

The Baroness of Books: The Haunted by Danielle Vega

BookCrushin: Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall

The Baroness of Books: I Know You Remember by Jennifer Donaldson

These Wild Pages: The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh

Some the Wiser: The Curse of the Werepenguin by Allan Woodrow

Lacey Does Lit: Dead Voices by Katherine Arden

Bookish Lifestyle: Last Kids on Earth and the Midnight Blade by Max Brallier and Douglas Holgate

 

Disclaimer: This was not a paid sponsorship.

Review Books provided by: Penguin Kids