Mouse's Corner, Sunday Edition: OC Children's Book Festival

I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted by the wonderful Kim of Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where participants recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about. I am also linking to Stacking the Shelves hosted by the great Team Tynga's Reviews and Marlene of Reading Reality a meme in which participants share what new books came their way recently.

We recently attended the OC Children's Book Festival with Mouse's Girl Scout troop. We had a chance to wander around and attend a few of the talks at the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) stage. It was a lot of fun. I just wish we had been able to stop and chat with a few more of the authors at their booths. It was a beautiful day for a book festival.

With the ease of access to the internet by children today, teaching cyber safety is even more important than it ever has been before. As a parent, I want to know the best ways to protect my daughter, and I also want her to know how to navigate the internet safely on her own.

Once a Girl Scout herself, author and teacher Kimberly Franklin invited our Girl Scout troop to help with her Max and the Mouse Safe in Cyberspace presentation, along side the author's granddaughters. The girls learned the ABC's of online safety and were each given a copy of the book. Kimberly Franklin even offered to arrange to come speak with the troop at one of their upcoming meetings! After the talk and the girls had earned their Cyber Safety Certificates, we gathered outside for autographs and pictures.

Author Kimberly Franklin and her amazing granddaughters, Lunabelle & Cassandra-Jadel

Mouse & author Kimbery Franklin

We had a little time to spare before attending the next couple of presentations we hoped to see. Some of the girls went off to have lunch, while others wandered through the festival. 

Animal and Nature Stage

John Archambault singing his book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Author Donna Zellers signing her book Witches Ball for Mouse

Mouse fell in love with author Laura Knight whose presentation of her two books Spot: A Sea Pup's Survival Guide and Kid Astronaut: Space Adventure, was quite a hit with the girls. Kid Astronaut especially caught Mouse's attention. A choose your own adventure story written in screenplay form, it was right up Mouse's alley. We met up with the author at her booth later that afternoon and she took the time to read more of her book with Mouse. Kid Astronaut was the first book Mouse could not wait to read when she got home. 

Author Laura Knight

The big event of the day was getting the opportunity to meet astronaut and artist, Nicole Stott. The room was crowded, with people standing up along the walls. Ms. Stott talked about her background and what led her to where she is today. She mentioned that research has shown that boys can look at anyone, no matter their gender, and see themselves striving toward whatever goal they set their minds to. Girls, however, tend to look for the women in the crowd. That's one of the reasons she puts herself out there and talks about her experiences. So girls can see what is possible--and perhaps aim even higher.

Instead of lecturing to the group, Ms. Stott opened the floor to questions right away. Hands shot up, especially among the children. We learned it takes the shuttle 8 1/2 minutes to get into orbit, what the astronauts ate in space, what life was like on the space station, what it felt like to be weightless and how it felt when returning to earth. She talked about her experience water painting in space.  She also told us that plans are being made for humanity to set up camp on the moon--or rather in a moon cave. Ms. Stott discussed how well the astronauts from around the world worked together on the space station no matter the country they came from.

Astronaut Nicole Stott

Mouse ended her day at the festival with a couldn't-pass-up jump in a bounce house. And then it was time to head home.

New to Mouse's Shelves:

Surprisingly, we only came home with four books from the book festival. I let Mouse take the lead, otherwise, I would have probably come home with a lot more.

Witches Ball by Donna Zellers, illustrated by Jack Rogers

Superhero Kids: Saving and Investing Book by Hugh Nguyen, illustrated by Maruf Hasan

Max and the Mouse Safe in Cyberspace by Kimberly Franklin, illustrated by Justine Armentrout

Kid Astronaut: Space Adventure by Laura Knight

Some of the books Mouse has read this month (along with Amelia Bedelia, Rainbow Magic, and ABC  Calendar Mysteries):

Part-Time Princess by Part-time Princess by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Cambria Evans

Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel

Dog on a Frog by Dog on a Frog? by Kes Gray, Claire Gray, Jim Field

Creepy Carrots! by Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Peter Brown

Fancy Nancy: Fancy Day in Room 1-A by Jane O'Connor, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser & Ted Enik

Pet Parade by Daisy Meadows

You're Safe With Me by by Chitra Soundar, illustrated by Poonam Mistry

Splat the Cat: I Scream for Ice Cream by Rob Scotton, Laura Driscoll & Robert Eberz

A Unicorn Named Sparkle by Amy Young

Camilla, the Cupcake Fairy by Tim Bugbird

I hope you all had a great week! What have you been up to? What are you reading? 

Happy Reading!

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