Letter from Betty for January 2015

Hello,

Happy New Year! I hope your 2015 is off to a great start. 

Every year new books are published. Some are destined to become beloved classics for future generations. It is hard to tell from our perspective here in this present moment which books are bound for future glory, but this month's feature article offers a brief list of some of the most promising children's books published in 2014.

Hindsight is 20/20, though, so challenge yourself to name all nine of the deservedly acclaimed children's book characters in this month's Puzzler.

At Foundation for Learning, we are ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, SAT/ACT test prep, and educational evaluations. Please don't hesitate to give us a call at 973-425-1774 for a free consultation.


Best regards,

Betty

Betty Bodenweiser
Director
Foundation for Learning

Focus on One: SAT or ACT

Free diagnostic test at FFL next offered on Jan. 17

Currently many high school juniors take both the SAT and ACT to determine which test is best for them. We feel it is beneficial for the students to focus on only one test. In order to accomplish this, we can administer a complimentary SAT/ACT diagnostic test to help students determine which test is better suited to their abilities. The next test will be given Saturday, January 17th. Please call (973) 425-1774 or email betty@foundationforlearning.com by Monday, January 12th to reserve a spot.

Test Schedule for January 2015

Mark your calendars! Here are the latest test dates.

NOTE about ISEE - Independent School Entrance Exam: For test locations and to learn more go to erblearn.org.

Best of Children's Books 2014

Towards the end of each year, the folks at NPR put together a best-of list for readers looking for newly published gems. This year’s list has some fabulous recommendations for us, conveniently categorized into sixteen groupings including children, adults, music-lovers, science-lovers, tales from around the world, and more. Here are four recommendations from the NPR Book Concierge list for 2014 that you and your children are sure to enjoy. 

Draw! by Raúl Colón is a beautifully illustrated, wordless book about a young boy who goes on an imaginary safari. Paper, pencils, and supplies in hand, Leonard goes on an amazing adventure and takes us along with him. No words are needed to thoroughly enjoy this gorgeous book. Your children will want to have their own adventures after making their way through it.

The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat is another fabulously illustrated adventure book. On an island far away, there are imaginary friends just waiting to be chosen by a real child. When Beekle is overlooked time and again, he bravely sets off for the real world to find a child to adopt him. It’s a great story of friendship sought and found.

Shoe Dog by Megan McDonald is a charming story of a newly adopted dog, so full of love, playfulness, and gratitude for the lady that brought him home from the animal shelter. But there’s a problem. As you might guess, Shoe Dog loves to chew….shoes! This is a great tale of animal adoption, perseverance, creative problem solving, and of course, an adorable dog that your family will love!

The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier is a spellbinding book. Irish orphans journey to England and find employment in a country manor full of secrets and magic. Older sister Molly spins tales for her disabled brother Kip, and readers will be riveted. This is a great book for children in grades 4-9.






Want to check out more of NPR's recommended children’s books and perhaps some great reads for yourself?  Follow this link to the full list. 

The Puzzler for January 2015: Classic Characters

Illustrated children's books are full of memorable characters. Here are nine classic examples that will probably make you smile in recognition.

How many of these classic characters can you name? 

Bonus points will be awarded for book title, author, and names of secondary characters shown above. Come on, you know you want some bonus points!

Answers in the next issue.