Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Picture The Magic by J.K. Rowling | Illustrated Sneak Peak

We're a few months away from the release of Picture The Magic by J.K. Rowling (Illustrated by Jim Kay), but Bloomsbury has treated fans to an illustration from the book! Check out this image:

Per the email Bloomsbury sent out about the image:

‘Harry was used to spiders, because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and that was where he slept.’ 
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, J.K. Rowling

With five months to go until publication, we have revealed another image from the eagerly anticipated Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Illustrated Editionby J.K. Rowling, illustrated by Jim Kay. The image shows Harry Potter in the cupboard under the stairs where the Dursleys make him sleep.

Fiona Noble of the The Bookseller said: “I’m willing to call this the most handsome and desirable gift book of the year. It is stunning...with full colour illustrations throughout from Greenaway Medal winner Kay, who breathes incredible life into these much-loved characters and locations, staying faithful to Rowling’s vision but revitalising the story for a new generation.”

Pre-order your copy today.Share the magic using #HarryPotterIllustrated

I can not wait to look through this book. My kids are at the age where they are all about Harry Potter, and I've loved experiencing Harry's world through their eyes. This book will definitely be a must have for fans of all ages. 

Friday, May 8, 2015

THE PEANUTS MOVIE Coming 11.6.15 From 20th Century Fox

Calling all Peanuts Fans, have you heard the word? The PEANUTS are coming to the big screen this fall! 20th Century Fox will be releasing THE PEANUTS movie 11.6.15.  Check out the movie trailer below:


THE PEANUTS MOVIE hits theaters everywhere on November 6, 2015!

3D Animation
Release: November 6, 2015
Director: Steve Martino
Screenplay: TBD
Producers: Craig Schulz, Bryan Schulz, Cornelius Uliano, Michael J. Travers, Paul Feig



THE PEANUTS MOVIE Official Socials

Celebrate Roald Dahl This Month On Mundie Kids! #CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory

Celebrate Roald Dahl all month long here on Mundie Kids! I am so thrilled to be a blog host for one of my favorite childhood authors, Roald Dahl. I still remember the first time my teachers read James and the Giant Peach, WIlly Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and the BFG out loud to our class. I was hooked, and wanted more. Now as a mother, I'm thrilled that my children are finding Roald's classics. In hosting this month's collection of Roald Dahl books, I was also introduced to a few of Roald's children's books I didn't know about. I'm looking forward to featuring these books on the blog this month. 

Through out the month of May I'll be sharing snippets, reviews, exclusive features, and a giveaway for ALL of the books listed below. Check out this list of fabulous reads by Roald Dahl. and let me know which book from the list is your favorite read. Be sure to stop by each week to enter to wiN!

James and the Giant Peach (January)
A little magic can take you a long way.

After James Henry Trotter's parents are tragically eaten by a rhinoceros, he goes to live with his two horrible aunts, Spiker and Sponge. Life there is no fun, until James accidentally drops some magic crystals by the old peach tree and strange things start to happen. The peach at the top of the tree begins to grow, and before long it's as big as a house. Inside, James meets a bunch of oversized friends—Grasshopper, Centipede, Ladybug, and more. With a snip of the stem, the peach starts rolling away, and the great adventure begins!

Esio Trot (February)
An ancient spell, 140 tortoises, and a little bit of magic… 

Mr. Hoppy is in love with his neighbor, Mrs. Silver; but she is in love with someone else—Alfie, her pet tortoise. With all her attention focused on Alfie, Mrs. Silver doesn’t even know Mr. Hoppy is alive. And Mr. Hoppy is too shy to even ask Mrs. Silver over for tea. Then one day Mr. Hoppy comes up with a brilliant idea to get Mrs. Silver's attention. If Mr. Hoppy's plan works, Mrs. Silver will certainly fall in love with him. After all, everyone knows the way to a woman’s heart is through her tortoise.

The Twits (March)
How do you outwit a Twit?

Mr. and Mrs. Twit are the smelliest, nastiest, ugliest people in the world. They hate everything—except playing mean jokes on each other, catching innocent birds to put in their Bird Pies, and making their caged monkeys, the Muggle-Wumps, stand on their heads all day. But the Muggle-Wumps have had enough. They don't just want out, they want revenge.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (April & May)
Willy Wonka's famous chocolate factory is opening at last!


Danny the Champion of the World (June)
Can Danny and his father outsmart the villainous Mr. Hazell?

Danny has a life any boy would love—his home is a gypsy caravan, he's the youngest master car mechanic around, and his best friend is his dad, who never runs out of wonderful stories to tell. But one night Danny discovers a shocking secret that his father has kept hidden for years. Soon Danny finds himself the mastermind behind the most incredible plot ever attempted against nasty Victor Hazell, a wealthy landowner with a bad attitude. Can they pull it off? If so, Danny will truly be the champion of the world.
Matilda (July)
The Trunchbull is no match for Matilda!
Matilda is a sweet, exceptional young girl, but her parents think she's just a nuisance. She expects school to be different but there she has to face Miss Trunchbull, a kid-hating terror of a headmistress. When Matilda is attacked by the Trunchbull she suddenly discovers she has a remarkable power with which to fight back. It'll take a superhuman genius to give Miss Trunchbull what she deserves and Matilda may be just the one to do it!'

The BFG (August)
Captured by a giant!
Fantastic Mr. Fox (September)
Nobody outfoxes Fantastic Mr. Fox!
Someone's been stealing from the three meanest farmers around, and they know the identity of the thief—it's Fantastic Mr. Fox! Working alone they could never catch him; but now fat Boggis, squat Bunce, and skinny Bean have joined forces, and they have Mr. Fox and his family surrounded. What they don't know is that they're not dealing with just any fox—Mr. Fox would rather die than surrender. Only the most fantastic plan can save him now.
The Witches (October)
Grandmamma loves to tell about witches. Real witches are the most dangerous of all living creatures on earth. There's nothing they hate so much as children, and they work all kinds of terrifying spells to get rid of them. Her grandson listens closely to Grandmamma's stories—but nothing can prepare him for the day he comes face-to-face with The Grand High Witch herself!
George’s Marvelous Medicine (November)
A taste of her own medicine.
George is alone in the house with Grandma. The most horrid, grizzly old grunion of a grandma ever. She needs something stronger than her usual medicine to cure her grouchiness. A special grandma medicine, a remedy for everything. And George knows just what to put into it. Grandma's in for the surprise of her life—and so is George, when he sees the results of his mixture!
The Enormous Crocodile (December)
Look out kids!
The Enormous Crocodile is incredibly hungry—and incredibly greedy. His favorite meal is a plump, juicy little child, and he intends to gobble up as many of them as he can! His is sure that his “secret plans and clever tricks” cannot be foiled. But when the other animals in the jungle join together to put an end to his wicked schemes, the Enormous Crocodile learns a lesson he won’t soon forget.

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

10 Upcoming Children’s Books to Get Excited About Reading #ChildrensBookWeek

Looking for a great children's book to read? Check out this list of 10 books to get excited about reading from The Reading Room. This list features book that will be published through out 2015, and some of these are definitely forth adding to your To Be Read lists!

Some of the books I'm most looking forward to reading from this list, which I may have already pre-ordered, are:

You can check out the complete list here. Which books from this list are you looking forward to reading? 

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

This Week Is Children's Book Week! #ChildrensBookWeek

It's Children's Book Week! This year marks the 96th year this event has been happening. You can find out a lot more about the event here. Check out this year's adorable poster made by Grace Lee. You can also get it from here ( you can also purchase the poster here). 

Did you know that Children's Book Week is the longest running national literacy initiative in the country? How amazing is that?! What is Children's Book Week? It's an annual celebration of books for young people and the joy of reading (read more about it here). It just so happenings the bi-yearly Scholastic Book Fair I run, is running this week, this year. Which is just perfect considering it's Children's Book Week. Trust me, you can't go wrong with a great children's book. 

Also part of the event, is a vote. Readers have the chance to vote for their favorite reads here. This year over 1 million readers voted! Check out the complete list of winners and finalists here. Congratulations to ALL the WINNERS!

Be sure to join in the fun, and help spread the word! Everything you'll need is featured on the website here

Per International Literacy Association, they've created a list of Children’s, Teachers’ and Young Adults’ Choices reading lists. The lists are used in classrooms, libraries and homes to help readers find awesome books! Check out the list below (quoted from International Literacy Association):

·      Children's Choices (cosponsored by the Children's Book Council and includes 100 books selected by children around the country)
·      Teachers' Choices (books rated by teams of teachers, librarians, and reading specialists as outstanding for curriculum use)
·      Young Adults' Choices (30 books selected by teenage reviewers)

Monday, May 4, 2015

29 Books To Read With Your Kids This Spring from Buzzfeed

Happy Marvelous Middle Grade Monday. BuzzFeed put together a list of 29 Books To Read With Your Kids This Spring. Check out which picture books made the list here. Some of the books we're looking forward to reading from this are:

WildwoodThe Composer Is DeadStagecoach Sal: Carson Ellis has gorgeously illustrated many books, but this is the first one that she’s written as well (and it’s completely wonderful).
What kind of reader is it for? Anyone who wants to take a gander at the many types of dwellings humans (and animals) cozy up in.
An homage to Mary Nohl (an artist who used concrete and found objects to create one of the most unique gardens in the world—all in her front yard).
What kind of reader is it for? Anyone whose favorite part of the school day is art class.
Pepé Le Pew, Pepé Le Schmew: if you have to be stalked by a skunk, you want it to be the red-nosed one from this absurd (-ly glorious) story.
What kind of reader is it for? Kids who will be positively delighted to watch someone get more and more vexed by the skunk creeping around behind him like a shadow (so… most kids).
Poppy’s imagination just isn’t satisfied with being all bottled up in her head, and one day it actually comes to life.
What kind of reader is it for? Little girls (and boys) who—like Poppy—have imagination to spare.
In this refreshing retelling of Cinderella, our title character spends her days dreaming of repairing rockets instead of going to a ball. 
What kind of reader is it for? To put it in not-so-kid-friendly language: someone who would enjoy a more badass version of a traditional fairy tale.

Add this beautifully illustrated nonfiction picture book to your collection to learn all about one of earth’s biggest mammals.
What kind of reader is it for? The boy or girl who has ceaselessly been begging you to go on a whale watching trip.
Release Date: June 9th
What books are you looking forward to reading?
*All book descriptions and other info taken from BuzzFeed's article. 

Good children's literature appeals not only to
~ Anonymous ~