to your drinking straws.
to your broken printer.
to your last box of toothpicks.
to the Lego bricks in your house. Make magazine not only shows the reader how to make certain items - it inspires them to creative new items of their own. It's been great fun to watch our son imagine the possibilities. What would your young creative genius build?
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These Antoinette Portis are a cute read and have inspired many a teacher to incorporate literature, art, drama, and even music within their children's programs. These books ask the reader to imagine how a simple object (such as a cardboard box or a twig) can be transformed through their imagination.
For example.. a stick is transformed into a fishing pole!
Or.. the weights to be lifted in the competition for a gold medal! After reading the book, children can then try their own hand at 'transforming' the simple to the sublime. Here's a few examples of taking these story one step further...
We rarely buy books. With the wonder of the public library - all our needs are covered. However, every blue moon there is a book I recommend for purchase. Here's one such treasure: 
The ongoing 'Origami Yoda' books are a great upper-elementary and middle school read. While we wait for the next release, this book helps readers draw, talk, invent and fold (just as the main characters in the book do). This book has brought an entire week of Star Wars puppetry to our home. I've also been perfecting my translation of 'yoda speak' -Play well, my boys do! Now: Room needs cleaning, it does!"  This recent find makes a cool gift for a second or third grade child. Package Calculator Riddles by David Adler with a simple calculator and you have a perfect mix of humor and math! Here's a sample:
I love to read. It’s an action that informs, entertains, inspires, and connects. I’m happy to report that my oldest son shares this love as well. 
During the heat, he and I could happily pass every hour of the day in the cool of our basement moving only from chapter to chapter. My youngest son, however, requires actual physical movement (which brings us all upstairs and into the backyard), but he too is disappointed if we start the week with an empty book bag. We don’t buy the books we read (as that bill would quickly outpace our grocery bill), so it’s off to the public library each and every week. Sometimes these visits are leisurely and include browsing the shelves, long conversations with our favorite librarians, and 30 minutes of game time on the children’s computer stations. Other times, our visit is a mad dash in and out (with the driver behind the wheel parked at the closest curb). Our best bet for getting the books we want (when we want them) is the online library catalog. Easy and free to use, we can use this search engine to find books any day, at any time, from the comfort of our own home. Here are links to two brief videos that will show you how to make this free, online, library service work for you: Click HERE for a full-screen version of this video.
Thank you to Melody who passed on this book title to my family: 
Generations of children have been throwing a sheet over the dining room table to create a magical club house. This book shows all the variations of that theme while also offering a few new ideas. This book inspired a frenzy of fort building at our place - perfect for the span of nice weather we enjoyed in early March. First came the "lean-to shelter". Made from cuttings off the apple tree, it was covered with a blanket to create a shady spot for an afternoon snack. Next came a "simple remodel" of a large cardboard box and (with additional resources) an "advanced remodel". Scissor work completed by children. X-acto knife commandeered by Mom. Then came the "cover the play structure with all the
blankets and sheets we can find" fort. This seemed to be a big hit because it held the most friends and provided privacy from adults. When I did peek inside, I found the kids sitting inside talking about what to do next. The consensus: the construction phase of a project is the most fun. Need magazines for your craft box? Need magazines to read? Need magazines to fan on the coffee table & impress guests? Time to head to the Salem Public Library.......  Just inside the main doors of the Salem Public Library is a long, wooden bench where local readers pass on their magazines to others who may be interested. Free of charge. No library card needed. Help yourself. Every day offers something new: politics, fashion, children, catalogs, gardening, cooking, travel, AARP. To all those who donate to this gold mine – Thanks for sharing!
 Here’s a favorite quiet-time activity for kiddos: Sticker Books!
Of all the different books on the market- I find the Roger Priddy books the best. These books have been a savior during long car rides, plane trips, and even in community meetings. My boys have always loved matching the colorful stickers to the corresponding shapes. Simple shapes and numbers are good starters for toddlers. Preschool – 1st graders enjoy the themes of animals, dinosaurs, trucks, and world maps. Another trip down memory lane this summer:  This Dr. Seuss book has lots of places for children to write in information about their own lives. Questions include: What’s your favorite color? What do you want to be when you grow up? How many forks are in your house? How many steps to the nearest store? It’s been keeping the boys busy and keeping me giggling at their antics. Yes, we counted every button on every piece of clothing the boys own. We also plan to stop at the local fire station next week to get a firefighters autograph. After all... we had the mailman sign the autograph page and we want to fill every blank.
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