About the BookAward-winning authors Valarie Budayr and Marilyn Scott-Waters have co-created A Year in the Secret Garden to introduce the beloved children’s classic, The Secret Garden to a new generation of families. This guide uses over two hundred full color illustrations and photos to bring the magical story to life, with fascinating historical information, monthly gardening activities, easy-to-make recipes, and step-by-step crafts, designed to enchant readers of all ages. Each month your family will unlock the mysteries of a Secret Garden character, as well as have fun together creating the original crafts and activities based on the book. Over 140 pages, with 200 original color illustrations and 48 activities for your family and friends to enjoy, learn, discover and play with together. The book aims to introduce new generations of families to the magic of this classic tale in a modern and innovative way that creates special learning and play times outside in nature. This book encourages families to step away from technology and into the kitchen, garden, reading nook and craft room.
My Review
Before I even started to read this book, I was already impressed by its look and feel. It is beautifully printed on high quality glossy paper. While we shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but admit it, a nice-looking book does increase your chance of picking it up. And in the case of A Year In The Secret Garden, the cover provides a fair representation of its intriguing contents. The book is filled with colorful drawings, tantalizing photos of recipes, detailed instructions for craft projects, fun games, and gardening activities, all of which are inspired by the original story of The Secret Garden.
The book is organized by calendar months. Each month features an analysis of one character from The Secret Garden, along with a guide for seasonal activities. The chapter for January, for instance, consisting of six sections: recipe for Parkin Cake (the northern English version of gingerbread), Wutherin' Wind Flags (crafts), Ice Disks (winter art/crafts), Yorkshire Phrasebook (Translation of words from the Yorkshire dialect into modern English), and Character Study: Dickon Sowerby. The recipe is very detailed and makes me want to try it during the holidays. The crafts are simple enough for younger readers to make with some help from their parents. The phrasebook and character study all help young readers to reach a better understanding of the novel.
In my opinion, A Year In The Secret Garden goes beyond being a reader's companion and stands alone as a fun-filled activity book for children aged 5+. You may follow the tour schedule at the end of this post for reviews of the other monthly themes, guest posts, author interviews and excerpts from this wonderful book.
About the AuthorValarie Budayr loves reading and bringing books alive. Her popular website, www.jumpintoabook.com, inspires children and adults alike to experience their books through play, discovery, and adventure.
She is founder of Audrey Press, an independent publishing house, as well as an Amazon and iTunes best-selling author. She has written The Fox Diaries: The Year the Foxes Came to our Garden and The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Valarie is passionate about making kid’s books come alive and encouraging families and schools to pull books off the shelves and stories off the pages.
About the Illustrator
Marilyn Scott-Waters loves making things out of paper. Her popular website, www.thetoymaker.com, receives 2,000 to 7,000 visitors each day, who have downloaded more than six million of her easy-to-make paper toys. Her goal is to help parents and children spend time together making things.
She is the creator of a paper toy craft book series The Toymaker’s Christmas: Paper Toys You Can Make Yourself (Sterling), and The Toymaker’s Workshop: Paper Toys You Can Make Yourself (Sterling). She is also the co-creator with J. H. Everett of the middle grade nonfiction series, Haunted Histories, (Christy Ottaviano Books / Henry Holt Books for Young Readers). Ms. Scott-Waters illustrated The Search For Vile Things (Scholastic), and created paper engineering for Pop & Sniff Fruit (Piggy Toes Press).
One lucky reader will win a $100 Amazon gift card PayPal cash!
Giveaway ends 12/7. Open worldwide 18+. Please enter via the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!
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A Year in the Secret Garden Blog Tour Schedule (2014)
EXPLORING SEPTEMBER
November 1
Coffee Books & Art (Guest Post)
WS Momma Readers Nook (Book Review)
November 2
Cherry Mischievous (Excerpt)
Hope to Read (Excerpt)
November 3
Eloquent Articulation (Book Review)
Enter Here Canada (Excerpt)
EXPLORING OCTOBERNovember 4
BeachBoundBooks (Excerpt)
Books, Babies and Bows (Book Review)
November 5
Monique's Musings (Book Review)
November 6
SOS-Supply (Book Review)
EXPLORING NOVEMBERNovember 7
Randomly Reading (Book Review)
November 8
Adalinc to Life (Book Review)
EXPLORING DECEMBERNovember 9
100 Pages a Day (Book Review)
November 10
Edventures With Kids (Book Review)
EXPLORING JANUARYNovember 11
Icefairy's Treasure Chest (Book Review)
November 12
Girl of 1000 Wonders (Book Review)
EXPLORING FEBRUARYNovember 13
Seraphina Reads (Guest Post)
November 14
Juggling Act Mama (Book Review)
EXPLORING MARCHNovember 15
Pragmatic Mom (Author/Illustrator Interview)
Purple Monster Coupons (Excerpt)
November 16
Stacking Books (Book Review)
EXPLORING APRILNovember 17
Oh My Bookness (Book Review)
November 18
Crystal's Tiny Treasures (Book Review)
EXPLORING MAYNovember 19
The Blended Blog (Book Review)
November 20
All Done Monkey (Book Review)
November 21
Geo Librarian (Book Review)
Grandbooking (Author/Illustrator Interview)
EXPLORING JUNENovember 22
My Tangled Skeins Book Reviews (Book Review)
November 23
Christy's Cozy Corners (Book Review)
My Life, Loves and Passions (Book Review)
November 24
Bookaholic Chick (Excerpt)
Hide-N-(Sensory)-Seeking (Book Review)
EXPLORING JULYNovember 25
Ninja Librarian (Guest Post)
November 26
Jane Ritz (Book Review)
Rockin' Book Reviews (Book Review)
November 27
I'd Rather Be Reading At The Beach (Book Review)
EXPLORING AUGUSTNovember 28
Deal Sharing Aunt (Book Review)
November 29
Mommynificent (Book Review)
November 30
This Kid Reviews Books (Book Review)
Java John Z's (Author/Illustrator Interview)
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the authors Valarie Budayr and Marilyn Scott-Waters and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.
Disclosure: I received a free book to facilitate my honest review. All views and opinions expressed are my own and may differ from your. icefairy's Treasure Chest is not responsible for prize fulfillment.
Posts
2 Treasure Hunters :
Thanks so much for taking part in the blog tour for A year in the Secret Garden and for sharing your thoughts with us. I hope this will become a treasure in your home. Enjoy!
i would like to read the secret garden to my grandbabies. i think they would really like it.
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