Check it out... School Library Journal finds new title from Nomad Press unique!

Interested? Intrigued? Want to "check it out"?


MOONEY, Carla. George Washington: 25 Great Projects You Can Build Yourself. illus. by Samuel Carbaugh. 121p. (Build It Yourself Series). maps. chron. further reading. glossary. index. Web sites. Nomad. 2010. pap. $15.95. ISBN 978-1-934670-63-7. LC number unavailable.



Gr 3-6-The life of George Washington lends itself remarkably well to a variety of kid-friendly crafts that don't require old-fashioned materials or 18th-century skills. Children will get a kick out of some of the projects, like using a tea bag to make a map look old. Others will mystify them, especially as the crafts get more difficult and require more set-up, and not all include necessary parental warnings about safety. The projects separate biographical chapters that are thorough and clear. However, there is a high degree of fictionalizing in describing Washington's thoughts and feelings. Sidebars with vocabulary words, quotes, interesting facts about the man and his time, and "What if?" questions regarding pivotal moments in Washington's life add to the text. These sidebars, as well as amusing cartoon illustrations, make the subject light and approachable. While the text clearly paints a picture of Washington as a great man and national hero, the author also points out the mistakes he made and how he learned from them, teaching kids an important lesson about failures. While there are many biographies of Washington for this age group, and many books of colonial crafts, this one is unique in its dual purpose and emphasis on accessibility, both in terms of the text and relative ease of the activities. While the design of the book lends itself to the possibility of kids enjoying it on their own, it will be most effective in a classroom.-Heather Talty, Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, New York City




Find out more about this and other great titles at www.nomadpress.net.

DreamWorks Theatricals Sweepstakes

You may have heard from us about the national touring production of DreamWorks Theatricals Madagascar Live! The tour recently hit the road for 2011.




There are very few of us who could not appreciate the opportunity to bust out of the routine of our lives and live out some fun, magic and adventure...on someone else's dime.



Well, I'm here to tell you, DreamWorks Theatricals would like you to invite your readers to enter their LIVE THE DREAM FLY-AWAY SWEEPSTAKES by March 3. Three winners and three guests of each will be taken on an all-expense paid trip to either LA or NYC where they will have the opportunity to get inside all the madcap madness and fun of either Madagascar Live!, Shrek the Musical, or, yes -- the world premiere of Kung Fu Panda 2.



There are details below or you can simply direct readers to www.dreamworksanimation.com/theatricals for entries. Rules and regulations about the sweepstakes are available at the link.



Attached is a logo for the LIVE THE DREAM FLY-AWAY SWEEPSTAKES!



Hurry – the sweepstakes ends March 3rd.



Thank you for your time and consideration.



Three lucky grand prize winners will win one of these three packages:



MADAGASCAR LIVE AND ON THE LOOSE IN NEW YORK CITY

- Trip for 4 to New York City

- VIP tickets to see MADAGASCAR LIVE! at Radio City Music Hall from April 15-25, 2011

- A chance to meet Alex and friends backstage

- A goody bag full of fun Madagascar merchandise



SHREK THE MUSICAL IN HOLLYWOOD

- Trip for 4 to Los Angeles

- VIP tickets to see SHREK THE MUSICAL at the Pantages Theatre in July, 2011

- A chance to meet Shrek and the fairytale gang backstage

- A good bag full of great Shrek prizes

- A tour of the DreamWorks Animation campus



THE HOLLYWOOD PREMIER OF KUNG FU PANDA 2

- Trip for 4 to Los Angeles

- Tickets to the KUNG FU PANDA 2 premier this Summer

- A goody bag full of fun DreamWorks merchandise