Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Anne of Green Gables Free Audiobook With Cast of Narrators

Surprised to find a quality audiobook with a cast at Librovox(free and public domain audiobooks)! Very well narrated, and all character voices are well matched except Diana Barry who is narrated by a person with the voice of a grandmother, haha. This is only a minor issue as Marilla Cuthbert  and Anne are fabulous.

See here for download and playback audio.

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Free Kids/Children's Storybooks Online

Cute stories at this site. I just read through The Brave Little Pirate...funny. Stories for young children, older children, and young adults. See here.

The SAG Foundation has created some free read-along/read-aloud versions of popular children's books here.

Vintage illustrated children's books in color here from The Rosetta Project.

Aligned with Common Core standards, free contemporary online books here.

U.S. Library of Congress free books.

Young Explorer National Geographic free books.

Monday, July 20, 2015

Value Tales Children's Book Series

I stumbled upon these 1980's value tale books a few months ago when my young daughter wanted a book on Helen Keller. This series which covers over 40 values, as told through the lives of historical figures, was published in the 80's. The target audience looks to be early elementary as either a read aloud or independently by good readers.

They are fairly long with over 50 pages and large illustrations that take up much of the page, perfect for a young child with limited attention, or one who is still developing the confidence to read. The short paragraphs on each page aren't as overwhelming when broken down on single pages with large illustrations.

The biographies are detailed and the value repeated often, but in a mild effective way and not condescendingly so. Positive and uplifting for young children and highly recommended for an introduction to historical figues and positive values.

We've read The Value of Honesty(Confucius) and The Value of Determination(Helen Keller). The other books in the series are listed on the last page of every book. My daughter just asked for another, The Value of Kindness(Elizabeth Fry). I think we'll end up with them all.

I found mine on Amazon for a penny plus $3.99 shipping. Good deal. Ebay may have them even more cheaply in a lot.

Complete list of tales.

Saturday, July 18, 2015

Vintage Children's Party Invitation Instructions

INVITATIONS

First of all, for the invitations. Choose your prettiest note paper, and don’t forget to write very plainly the date of the party. If you are just going to have a little afternoon tea, you can simply write,
Dear Daisy,—
Will you come to my house to tea on Friday afternoon, June sixth, at three o’ clock? I hope you can.
Lovingly,
Dorothy.
19 Elm Street.
June first.
Or if you are going to have a larger party, you can write:
Miss Dorothy Manners requests the pleasure of your presence at her home on Friday afternoon, June sixth, from four until eight o’clock.
19 Elm Street.
June first.
Be sure to send your invitations in time for your friends to write replies. Mother will need to know just how large a birthday cake to bake, and how much ice cream to freeze.

All free to use and in public domain. From: Project Gutenberg's When Mother Lets Us Give a Party, by Elsie Duncan Yale, 1909.

If you have a party and don’t bother mother,
I'm sure she'll allow you to soon have another






Vintage DIY Children's Instructions for An Indoor Garden Party

INDOOR GARDEN PARTY

For the indoor garden party, you will need a large sheet for a screen, and plenty of pictures cut from magazines and catalogues. These pictures must be of houses, barns, stables, trees, animals, anything that will have place in an outdoor scene. You will also need a paper of pins, some large sheets of white paper, and, if you like, a couple of little gifts for prizes, such as a box of crayons or a box of paints.
After your friends have come, arrange the sheet in place, and pin in the center a large picture of a house which has been cut out. Now let your guests help themselves to the pictures which you have cut out, each taking one. For example, one child may have a barn, another a rose bush, another a dog kennel. Blindfold each in turn, and let him pin the picture on the sheet. When all have finished you will have a queer-looking landscape, for a dog kennel may be on the roof and a rose bush growing from a lawn mower!
After this game, get out your sheets of paper, scissors, and pictures which you have ready. Let each one try making a garden with his eyes open! Paste a house in the center of the paper, and arrange trees, bushes, fountain, etc., about it as[20]tastefully as possible. Then after mother has decided which is the best, you can give the prize which you have bought.
You can serve your refreshments from a little table just as you would at a garden party.

Free Online: Five Little Peppers,The Stories Polly Pepper Told by Margaret Sidney

Newly available. Click here
.

Friday, July 03, 2015

Vintage Children's July Nature Study, Free Download

See here.

Free Downloadable Vintage Speller, Grades 1-3

See here. Handy for extra lessons.

Free Beginner Sewing Machine Lessons

This sewing machine tutorial looks helpful, and there are links to videos.  See here.