Literary Classics - Seal of Approval Books - Recommended Reading: My Sister is my Best Friend - A Trilingual Story

Literary Classics - Seal of Approval Books - Recommended Reading: My Sister is my Best Friend - A Trilingual Story: My Sister is my Best Friend - a trilingual story written primarily in English, with secondary and tertiary texts in French and Spanish,...

How to Parent with a Purpose: Setting our children up for success

 School started two weeks ago in my hometown of Littleton, Colorado.  I love the start of the school year because I look at it as a chance for a new beginning for my son.   I take great pride in helping my son get ready for school.  I make sure he has everything he needs.  This is his last year in high school.  I recently got him a credit card, so I can teach him how to handle finances. It is both exciting and scary to think my youngest will be off to college in a few short months.

I do not have enough toes and fingers to count my blessings.  Two of three children have graduated from college and are living on their own.  Now, I have the opportunity to help my youngest son finish his high school career with a bang and be ready for college fall 2013.   

I love being a mom.  I also love being a teacher.  This is why I write books for children.   The teacher part of me brings me back to when my kids were toddlers.  I remember spending countless hours reading their favorite books to them.    Setting children up for academic success starts when they toddlers.

The single best strategy for helping your children succeed is to encourage them to read. Reading is a skill that’s essential in all areas of achievement.

I believe reading well is a critical component in the development of young minds. Reading frequently will help a child foster his or her creative thinking, enhance word recognition, improve cognitive skills, and help achieve a greater understanding of people and the world around him/her.

Here are a few simple tips to help your child become a great reader.

o Encourage children to read on their own. Spending at least 30 minutes a day reading for fun will help a child be a better reader at school.

o Visit the library often. Take your child to the library at least once a week.

o Encourage books for gifts. Instead of spending a fortune on expensive gifts, buy instead books. Ask family members and friends to give gift cards to bookstores. Set aside a special date where you and your child can go to the bookstore to buy books.

o Get help for your child if they have a reading problem. There are many after-school programs through your local library. You can also ask the librarian for names of community organizations that offer free literacy tutoring.

If you are looking for ways to parent with a purpose and set your children up for success; I highly recommend you take time out of your schedule and read books to your toddlers.   This in my opinion is the best thing you can do for your children.  Great readers make excellent middle and high school students.

Here are the books I have written to help turns kids into super readers:



Click here to buy a copy

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MY SISTER IS MY BEST FRIEND AWARDED CREATIVE CHILD MAGAZINE 2012 AWARD

M E D I A  R E L E A S E


CONTACT: Nicole Weaver

Children’s Trilingual Author

Website: http://mysisterismybestfriend.blogspot.com

Email: lumiereleclaire@yahoo.com


For Immediate Release

Nicole Weaver’s trilingual children’s book, My Sister Is My Best Friend: A Trilingual Story, English, French, and Spanish has been awarded Creative Child 2012 Preferred Choice Award – Kids Picture Storybooks category.

About Creative Child Awards Program

Each year, Creative Child holds a 2-day event held in Henderson, Nevada where over a hundred guest reviewers (moms and education professionals) are invited to attend a review event at the local convention center. All products are divided into categories and displayed at various review stations. Guest reviewers are asked to sit and review each product at one station, then move to another station, and so forth and so on. A review form is provided to each guest to aid him or her in evaluating each product. The review forms are to include written comments and a score value based on criteria that corresponds to the product’s category.

Finally, all review forms are collected, scores tabulated, and comments reviewed. Based on the scores and comments, certain products are determined to be finalists and receive a prestigious Preferred Choice award. The Seal of Excellence is another prestigious award given to those products that are not finalists but do exceed expectations based on the criteria for nurturing creativity and education in children.

Look for My Sister Is My Best Friend: A Trilingual Story, English, French and Spanish to be featured in Creative Child‘s special holiday issue this November!

Synopsis

My Sister Is My Best Friend is a story about the unique and very close friendship that exists between twin sisters. The sisters celebrate their friendship and closeness by doing just about everything together. People from all cultures can relate to this heartwarming story with the text written in English/Spanish/French on each page.

About the Author

Nicole Weaver was born in Port-au-Prince Haiti. She came to the United States when she was ten years old. She is fluent in Creole, French, Spanish and English. She is a veteran teacher of French and Spanish. Her deep connection with family resulted in her writing and publishing, My Sister Is My Best Friend: A Trilingual Story, by Guardian Angel Publishing, November 2011. Nicole has one more book under contract with Guardian Angel Publishing, My Brother Is My Best Friend. Weaver also penned the children’s trilingual picture book entitled, Marie and Her Friend the Sea Turtle. The story is about aHaitian little girl who resided by the beach in Haiti. Visit Nicole Weaver:

http://mysisterismybestfriend.blogspot.com.

Title: My Sister Is My Best Friend, a Trilingual Story

Written by: Nicole Weaver

Illustrated by: Clara Batton Smith

Soft cover: 16 pages

Ages: 4-8

Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/sister-best.htm

Print ISBN 13: 978-1616332099

eBook ISBN 13: 978-1616332105

Published: November 2011

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HOW TO GIVE WITH A PURPOSE

Do you believe in giving with a purpose? Have you ever given to a charity just for the sake of giving? I think at one point we all have done that. Charitable contributions have taken a huge dive because of the economy. The only recourse we have is to do a thorough research to make sure the money is being used properly.

I believe most people that give do it because they mean well.   Having great intentions is no guarantee the money you give will be used for what you intended it to be used for.  This past week I had a rude awakening.  It broke my heart when I learned my monthly contribution that was meant to help the poor of Haiti was used to pay the salaries of pastors.  I had heard about a church that sends monthly contributions to Haiti to help feed the needy, so I figured it would be a great idea to send them a monthly check.

 I trusted the person who told me about the Haitian church, so I blindly gave my money.  I realized I can’t hop on a plane to go feed the hungry but the least I can do is to make monetary contributions.

As fate would have it, the week I found out how my contributions were diverted for other things is the same week I got a copy of the book:  Angels of a Lower Flight written by Susie Scott Krabacher , a former playboy centerfold.  I read the book in one day.   I have learned many things from reading this book.  The most important thing I learned is   there are people who are honest and like me they want to help Haiti’s needy.  Angels of a Lower Flight will help you see a genuine look at what goes on in my native Haiti.  It is a story of courage.  Susie Krabacher turned her destructive childhood and troubled youth and healed herself completely by serving love on a silver platter to Haiti’s children.

Her story of courage re-kindled my heart with a new desire to help the poor children of Haiti.  I found the courage to forgive the pastor that deceived me into thinking my monthly contribution was for the poor.  I have since learned how to give with a purpose.  I mean, I work very hard to earn a living so I can provide for my children.  My daughter just graduated from college and I have one more child to attend college. I give most of the proceeds from my book sales for Haiti relief and now, my contribution will be going to Mercy & Sharing.

If you would like to make a contribution you can visit  MERCY & SHARING

HOW DO YOU KNOW YOUR SISTERS LOVE YOU?

 How do you know your sisters love you?  For me the answer to that question is very easy. I am the youngest sister.  I often think back on when I was younger.  My two sisters Danielle and Rose took great care of me.  They came to the United States before me.  I remember them helping me learn English. Haiti is so different from New York. It took me time to get used to the frigid winters in New York.  My sisters were always there for me.  They made sure I had all the necessities for school.  Our Mom worked two jobs to make end meet. 

As a young girl living in a new city far away from my native Port-au-Prince Haiti, my sisters helped me assimilate to the American way of life by taking me to many functions.  They accompanied me to see the yearly Christmas and Easter shows at Radio City Music Hall. They took me to the movies and Coney Island.  These memories will reside in me forever.

Later, when I got married and had children, my sisters continued to support me by spoiling my three kids.    Coming up with the title of my second children book was not too difficult.  I wanted to dedicate a book to my sisters and that is how I came up with the title: My Sister Is My Best Friend.

I wrote the story to show that siblings can get along and it is fun to take time to do things together as opposed to fighting and arguing.  The story is written in English, French, and Spanish for a reason.   One reviewer captured the true essence of the book:

Nicole Weaver's children's book, My Sister is My Best Friend: A Trilingual Story, is a whimsy, fresh faced and full of confection. Yet, when one thinks about the book, it is soon evident the story has an important message. It is an homage to sisterhood even, and especially, at such a callow age.

The three languages, English, Spanish and French add to the globalness, and the girls become "everygirl." Similarities are so much more important than differences in today's tiny world, and Nicole's books prove this to be true.

The happy mood is captured beautifully by Clara Batton Smith's yummy watercolors. The sisters are dressed alike and are delighted with the day and the outing with each other and their mother. I particularly like the city feel of the illustrations.

Nicole dedicated the story to her three sisters, and the love she feels for them shines through within the book's pages. Delightfully, in fact.
 This is a gorgeous read all the way around. You're guaranteed to love it!

I hope you can answer the question: How do you know your sisters love you with a positive answer. Having siblings that support you is a gift that is worth millions.

The Joy of Sharing

There is nothing more nobler than the act of sharing.  Sharing is a basic act of letting the other person know you care.  Young children learn about sharing by watching the adults around them.  Actions certainly speak louder than words.  Growing up with two wonderful sisters made it easier for me to learn the value of sharing.  What I learned from them made me into the adult I am today. 

I am very thankful my older sisters taught me this important lesson.   It brings great joy to my heart because I have been able to pass on that important value to my three children.   They learned early on to share everything. 

I think sharing goes beyond material things.  My sisters and friends helped me shoulder the pain of my son’s illness.  They shared my pain by praying for me.  Now, they are sharing the joy of my son getting well again.  Life is so fragile, but having people around you to share joy makes life worth living.

Compassionate Children Become Compassionate Adults

 Earlier this week I wrote a post about sisters are special.  Today I want to write about friends are special too.  Since my son’s illness, many of the parents of Luc’s friends have been dropping off meals every night.  They know that I have been spending an entire day at my son’s bedside in the hospital.  I am very moved by their kindness.   Their actions remind me that compassionate children become compassionate adults.

Regarded as one of the greatest human virtues, compassion is an emotional response and attitude toward others that is deeply empathetic. It enables us to connect to human suffering with care and understanding, acting in ways that brings comfort to those around us. Research shows that compassion plays a key role in helping children develop into engaged, caring, and optimistic adults.

The old adage that says: Charity begins at home is so true. I think one of the best things we can do as parents is to encourage children to treat their siblings with love and respect. A child that learns early on to be a friend to a sibling can transfer that friendship to others. When my kids were young, I made sure they understood the importance of treating their siblings with respect and love. I helped my children figure out how to be a friend to each other. This strong belief is what led me to write My Sister Is My Best Friend as sisters that got along with one another.

 
I love what one reviewer wrote about the book:

“I like this book because it portrays sisters who get along and enjoy each others' company instead of being yet another one about sibling rivalry.”

Even in the face of a major illness, I was able to draw some positives to help my son understand and appreciate what true compassion is all about. He will be writing thank you cards for all who lovingly made meals. The blue cooler pictured below was filled with his favorite food.  upon our arrival from the hospital  on Saturday, we sat and ate a very healthy and robust lunch.  The families insisted on providing us meals until Tuesday .   I am abundantly blessed to live in a community with such compassionate individuals.