My name is Steve Barancik. Welcome to Raising Readers, the official newsletter of Best Children's Books.

Our goal: to help YOU raise better readers.

1) Pages you might not know about at Best Children's Books:
Children's Magazine Reviews

What can make reading exciting? How about reading material that shows up each month addressed directly to your child!


2) FEATURE ARTICLE:
Celebrate the Importance of Words with Reading Games, by Suzanne Holland, M.Ed.

One of our favorite book reviewers, Suzanne Holland, knows a lot about reading. She shares some reading games you can engage your children with at home.


3) Participate - Read a Story, Write the Moral!

Each issue we spotlight a way you can participate at Best Children's Books. Part of growing as a reader is learning to interpret a story. Read this Hans Christian Andersen classic with your child, then decide what the moral of the story should be!


4) Thanks for Visiting My Place of Business!

Ever wonder how a website makes money? Let me tell you a little about how this one does.

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If any links in this newsletter don't work, it's probably because your email software cuts off the link text at a line break, then prints the rest of the link as plain text. To use one of these links, try copying the WHOLE link then pasting it into your browser.

This email was designed to be read in an email reader that reads html. If you don't have one or yours is turned off, this letter might not look great but I'm guessing you're still smart enough to make sense of what I'm saying!
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1) Pages you might not know about at Best Children's Books:
Children's Magazine Reviews

"You and Dad get stuff in the mail every day! How come I don't?"

I'm a big believer in parents doing everything they can to build up excitement about reading. Well, what comes in the mail, addressed to your child, infrequently enough that every time it shows up it feels like a special occasion?

That's right. A magazine subscription.

Awhile ago I spent a few days haunting the children's library, reading the top magazines for kids. Some of what I read disturbed me. But much of what I read surprised me in a good way!

So take a look at my children's magazine reviews. I'll bet you can find an age-appropriate, gender-appropriate magazine that your child will love, at an affordable price.

Talk about a gift that keeps on giving!


2) FEATURE ARTICLE
Celebrate the Importance of Words with Reading Games, by Suzanne Holland, M.Ed.

Suzanne's reading games article is so essential that it now appears as a page on the website!

- Suzanne Holland, M.Ed. (Read Suzanne's bio.)


3) Participate - The Moral of the Story Is...

Steve here again. As Suzanne illustrates so beautifully, reading isn't meant to be a passive activity. We're meant to learn something from the words we read.

When a story comes complete with a moral, the author is telling us the lesson we're supposed to take from the narrative. But most stories come without morals. We're to decide for ourselves what the message is!

With a parent's help, even the youngest children can consider a story's meaning. For that reason I've posted a classic fairy tale, Hans Christian Andersen's The Emperor's New Clothes, to the site, in its entirety. Your job? Read it with your child, then consult with each other on what its moral should be.

It's easy. Just click to the story. Once you've finished, click where it says, "Now add your moral." You can even add more than one if you like! (If enough people participate, I'll add more stories.)

Give it a try!


4) Thanks for Visiting My Place of Business!

Best Children's Books is having a very successful month! So far (it's May 27th as I write this), this site has sold $3945.89 in goods (mostly books!) through our book and magazine partners.

Pretty good, huh? That's nearly one hundred fifty dollars a day worth of reading material, heading for the homes of children whose parents care about their future success!

I feel pretty good about that. Of course, it's nice to make a little money for my efforts as well.

There are many reasons to build a website...

• to attract new customers for an existing business
• to start a new business
• to share your expertise with others
• to make more productive use of your free time
• to earn additional income for your family
• to model good work habits for your children!

Ever thought about building a website? Whether you're a do-it-yourselfer or prefer to learn from a teacher, there's only one company I recommend for an individual entrepreneur in search of the tools for online success. Follow the links or contact me and tell me about the website you imagine for yourself!


WRAPPING UP

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THANK YOU

Thank you for subscribing to and reading this edition of Raising Readers. If you have any comments or suggestions, I hope you'll contact me.