September 3, 2011

Blogorama Bonanza: H. K. Gilbert Review

About H. K. Gilbert:

H.K. GILBERT has always dreamed of writing children’s books. This children’s book was inspired by her beautiful daughter. Watching her daughter’s face filled with excitement as they read bedtime stories together inspired her to not only write books for children but to share the importance of parent and child interaction. Parents taking an extra five to ten minutes a day to sit down with their children and read to them will not only teach them valuable skills but will create a strong bond. Gilbert had the amazing opportunity to also volunteer for organizations such as Project R.E.A.D., which tutors adults who have never had the opportunity to learn to read. Volunteers attend workshops that teach them to help adult non-readers learn the basic skills they need to function in day-to-day activities. It’s a very rewarding program and is supported by numerous volunteers. Gilbert has also been involved in her community through organizations such as youth basketball, The Hillman House—a foundation that helps children with Cystic Fibrosis and houses their families during treatments—and helping raise money for Muscular Dystrophy. Within all these experiences, the common thread is that Gilbert is involved with activities that always give back! It’s her hope that she will inspire someone to be a volunteer in his or her community and for a parent to spend quality time by reading to their children. There is nothing more precious than our children, for they are the future of our world.

About The Case of the Purple Diamonds:


Hi there! My name is Barkley. I’m a secret service dog for the president of the United States, and I’m reporting for duty. Every day, I help guard the White House, which is located in Washington DC. My job is to help keep America’s first family safe and to make sure things run smoothly!
The White House is a pretty busy place; each and every day, a lot of people visit it. I try to run a tight ship around here and keep track of what’s going on. It’s a hard job, but someone’s got to do it! I’m glad you’re here today because I have a lot of sniffing around to do! Come on, let’s go inside!

The White House in Washington DC, is not an ordinary house. It has 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 147 windows, and three elevators. In this picture book for children, Barkley, a secret service dog, provides a fun-filled tour through the White House. Barkley shows young readers the State Dining Room that seats 130 guests. He tours the Blue Room that is oval and is decorated with gold furniture. He views the Red Room where all of the furniture is red and he takes young readers to the Oval Office that is famous for its fireside chats.
Filled with coloring and drawing activities, Reporting for Duty not only helps children learn important historical information, it provides a fun reading experience with Barkley the dog as your guide.


My Thoughts:

I enjoyed reading The Case of the Purple Diamonds. It was a simple read for me (took me about 40 minutes) which means it would be great for that child that is just beginning to read chapter books. B & C also have enjoyed looking at the pictures in this book which I firmly believe is the first step in learning to enjoy reading. One of my favorite things about this book is that it reminded me of many of the books my dad used to read to us just before bed. With six kids the books he would read would very by difficulty and genre but it was always so much fun! I would encourage parents add this book to their collection as it is a great read that you will enjoy sharing with your children and grandchildren!

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