Why Summer Reading is a Must!

Summer is finally heeeyar! And no doubt that after the (insanely) long winter, kids want to play in the dirt, dance in the rain, and bask in the sun. (So do we!) Although I couldn’t agree more with lots of outside play and imaginations gone wild, they must be reading. Everyday.

Summer reading not only helps them retain what they’ve learned during the school year, it further develops and prepares them for the next. Some benefits include improved literacy and comprehension skills, stress reduction, sharpened focus, and increased knowledge and imagination. Besides being a super-fun way to exercise that brain, reading stimulates, entertains, and motivates! 

A local library or online summer reading program is a great way to get excited and can be a solid motivator in achieving their summer reading goals. They can participate anywhere, see other children reading for fun, choose from an endless variety of topics and adventures, win prizes, and grow confident in their reading abilities. Libraries rock!

Have many books/kid-friendly magazines in sight, read yourself (they learn by example), make story time a priority, go with them to the library, or take advantage of flea market/garage sale season, just fill those arms with BOOOOOKS!

Summer Reading Kickoff Event 2023

Carnegie Library Pittsburgh  

Shop Kristy Jo Volchko Books

Happy World Read Aloud Day 2023!

Happy World Read Aloud Day, book lovers!

What better way to celebrate books and reading than to spend an entire day reading out loud? We can all agree that not only is it super-fun to read aloud with your favorite bunch (teachers, pals, little brother, cat, goldfish), but here are a few ways it’s great for ya!

* Bonding time! (Aww.)

* Reading aloud builds vocabulary.

* Bedtime stories = cozier sleep. (Am I right?)

* Reading aloud also exercises that brain!

* Develops deeper empathy and emotional awareness. (That’s nice.)

* Improves memory and brain agility.

* Stress reduction. (Yes!)

* Sharpens creativity.

* Builds an even stronger love for books and literature.


So, remember to grab a book, grab a pal, read aloud, and read it PROUD! Happy Reading!

KRISTY JO VOLCHKO is an award-winning, multi-genre author, poet, blogger, book reviewer, and human rights activist.

Kristy Jo Volchko Books : Amazon 

April is National Frog Month!

April is National Frog Month and Cackleberry Creek is celebrating! Come join Lulu & Mama Frog, Bill-the-wise-old-bullfrog, and the rest of the gang as they honor their fab-amphibian friends! #FrogsRock 

Did you know?

Frogs are (mostly) carnivorous amphibians.

A person who studies frogs (and other kinds of amphibians) is called a Herpetologist.

There are over 5,800 different species of frogs wearing a multitude of colors. Fabulous!

Some frogs have lived up to a whopping 30 years!

Some frogs camouflage their color, blending into the environment to avoid predators.

Frogs have been around so long they’ve hung out with dinosaurs.

Frogs can hop more than 20 times their body length.

The teeniest frog is the world is the Paedophryne amauensis from New Guinea, measuring only .27 inches long.

The largest living frog in the world is the Goliath Frog, which can grow more than 14 inches long and weight over 6.8 pounds.     

Frogs can hold their breath for 5-7 hours at a time. Wow!

Frogs cannot survive in Antarctica.    

A croaking Bullfrog can be heard a whole mile away.

More affectionate frogs like to embrace in a cuddly hug known as amplexus.

Frogs are completely without ribs or diaphragm.

Frogs are cold-blooded critters.

A group of frogs is called an ‘army.’

Once a week the frog will completely shed its skin and then eat it for the nutrients.

Frogs’ favorite snacks are (apparently its own skin) aquatic plants, algae, mosquito larvae, crickets, mealworms, and fruit flies but some larger frogs will eat mollusks, fish, mice, birds, and reptiles.

There are roughly 1000 frogs on the endangered list today.    

How you can help

PBS Endangered Frogs List  

 

Love a great frog story?

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Check out these #FrogFilled #MustReads!  

Frogs Can Fly

There Are No Monsters…

The Clubhouse Cabobble

Operation Scrub-A-Dub Skunk

The ABCs of Cackleberry Creek