National Geographic Kids Shark-tastic

 This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Welcome to the National Geographic Kids Shark-tastic Prize Pack Giveaway! 

Hosted by MarksvilleandMe

Co-hosted by Reviews by Dennis

Sponsored by National Geographic Kids Books

This giveaway is part of our 2021 Back to School Gift Guide – Stop by to see all the giveaways and great products.

Below is a list of all the bloggers involved in the gift guide.

A Nation of Moms, A Rain of Thought, Deliciously Savvy, Giveaway Gator Home Jobs by Mom, Jessica Inspired by Faith, MarksvilleandMe, Michigan Saving and More, My Silly Little Gang, Tales From A Southern Mom, The Stuff of Success, This Frugal Family

One winner will recieve this 6 Book Collection from National Geographic Kids with an ARV of 71.00.

Check out my reviews here.

Check out this video featuring National Geographic Explorer Brian Skerry photographing Tiger Sharks. 

A little about the collection.

The Ultimate Book of Sharks (ages 9-12, hardcover, $19.99) by internationally acclaimed marine photographer and National Geographic Explorer Brian Skerry is an underwater adventure like no other.  With exclusive photographs and personal insight from Skerry, this book takes the reader below the surface and into the minds of these spectacular predators.  Beyond the feared fins and terrifying teeth, readers will learn what its like to swim with these amazing fish, how they live, what they eat, their superhero-like senses and better understand why these graceful, confident, perfectly sculpted predators are also vulnerable animals that we need to protect.  

NG Kids Sharks Sticker Activity Book  (ages 4-8, paperback, $6.99) Rule the ocean in this activity book from National Geographic Kids that features over 1,000 stickers! This boredom busting activity book is packed with mazes, spelling and pattern games, drawing activities, shark facts, and more. Shark-crazy kids are sure to love these pages loaded with fun, learning as they go.

Little Kids First Big Book of the Ocean (ages 4-8, hardcover, $14.95 ) - An adorable animal reference that includes the sea's high-interest animals, such as dolphins, sharks, sea otters, and penguins, and introduces kids to some of its lesser-known creatures. More than 100 charming animal photos illustrate the profiles, with facts about the creatures' sizes, diets, homes, and more. This book will quickly become a favorite at storytime, bedtime, and any other time.

Extreme Ocean: Amazing Animals, High-Tech Gear, Record-Breaking Depths and Much More by National Geographic Explorer Sylvia A. Earle (ages 8-12, paperback, $12.99)  An action-packed combination of science and adventure, famed National Geographic Explorer Sylvia Earle leads readers on an in-depth tour of life beneath the waves. Come face-to-face with whales and sharks, learn about the newest and most hi-tech ocean gear and gadgets, experiment with hands-on activities, and join Earle as she recounts her most daring dives. Packed with fascinating tidbits, animal profiles, and up-to-date science, each chapter combines stunning photography with fun, accessible text. Perfect for curious kids, ocean lovers, young explorers, and the classroom. Extreme Ocean reveals the mystery, majesty, danger, and — above all --the importance of our ocean.

So Cool! Sharks (ages 3-7, hardcover, $6.99 ) - Sharks are among the world's top predators, but that's just ONE reason why they are SO COOL. So who wouldn't want to hang out with them to learn more! These books blend awesome animal photos with silly quips and info that will delight young readers and animal enthusiasts. For example, kids can catch the hunting habits of a great white shark while learning that its true nature is as chill as a frozen fish stick. This is the perfect little reader to get their brain buzzing and keep them laughing during their downtime.  

Weird But True!: Ocean (ages 8-12, paperback, $8.99) Dive into these fishy facts: Did you know that the prehistoric shark, megalodon, had jaws so big that it could swallow a car? Or that goats, pigs, dogs, cats, and even an alpaca have all learned how to surf? And if that's not weird enough for you, one man even rowed solo across the Pacific Ocean for 312 days!  In this book filled with 300 facts and pictures, you'll glimpse the ocean's weirdest wildlife, uncover shocking shipwrecks, and meet sensational seafarers, from pirates and sailors to ground-breaking marine scientists. Perfect for ocean enthusiasts and trivia-loving landlubbers alike!

 Open To US entrants and must be 18+ to enter

Giveaway Dates ~ 8/2 12:00AM EST through 9/1 11:59PM EST

MarksvilleandMe would like to wish all those who enter

Good Luck!a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: This giveaway/sweepstakes is in no way endorsed, affiliated, or associated with Facebook, Twitter or any other Social Media Networking Site. This Giveaway is valid to continental United States residents only, Entrants must be 18+ years of age to enter. This giveaway event will end at 12:00 AM (EST) 8/31/21. The winner will have 48 hours to email their information back to marksvilleandme@gmail.com or a new winner will be drawn, you may want to put this email address as safe as it could go to spam. The giveaway is not valid where prohibited! By entering you are authorizing us to collect the information on the form below, this information is used only to contact the winner! No purchase necessary, Void where prohibited by law, and the number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Winners are chosen randomly by the RaffleCopter Tools program. The sponsors are each responsible for shipping of the above prizes. No blog associated with this contests are responsible for prize fulfillment. If you would like to be a sponsor in a giveaway like this please email Pamela Marks at marksvilleandme@gmail.com. If you take an entry you must stay following for the entire contest or you will be disqualified.

Family Reading

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Over the years I have read many books to my children, the children I have cared for, my grandchildren, and even to myself. My husband and myself have read many books together and also shared our own genre of books with each other. I have a long time love of reading books. The love of reading books comes from my father who took the time each night to read to me till 4th grade when my reading level was college level and my father wasn't sure what to do so the Dr. told him to just read anything to me and he started to read medical journals, Life jornalism books, National Geographic, and the old Readers digest books, pretty much anything he could think of. 

We were not rich by any means but I know there were always books for me to read, magazines like Highlights, Ladybug, Cricket, Jack and Jill, Spider, and Humpty Dumpty. Book sets delivered to our home that I devoured some with help, most without. 

Years later when I would have my own children I just expected them to read like I did. At three years old my parent thought I had memorized the books I was reading and the Dr. told them that I knew how to read and wanted to know who taught me. They hadn't, they had just been reading to me and somehow I just picked it up. So when my children struggled with reading I didn't really know how to teach them because it had just come naturally to me, but thankfully my husband had learned to read the good old fashioned way so between us we did OK until the kids went off to school and let them take over. 

Now forward past my first 4 children to my last two girls and I knew something just wasn't clicking for them and thought that the school had it all covered. In steps Covid-19, remote learning and the thrown in my face fact that the school had let me and most of all my chidren down. Not to say my kids haven't had great teachers because they have but the teachers can only do so much with the time they have when the government or state gives them a timeline to adhere to even if the kids are left behind (No child left behind is far from the truth of things). The truth is if the child falls behind they are usually left there to fail with little or no support to help them. 

So our family after my 18 year old and 5th child graduated 12th grade by the skin of her teeth and my now 13 year old were done with school this year, we decided we would homeschool our youngest through High School. We want her to learn to read better, to understand what she is reading, and actually hold on to some of that knowledge before being rushed on to something she doesn't even understand (like algebra when she doesn't know her times tables). 

Back to reading before I get going off to far in the wrong direction. This summer we decided to start family reading, where we all read the same book together at the same time. To make sure our daughter is staying up with us we all take turns reading passages so that we can help her with words she doesn't know while modeling what to do while reading. Such as pausing for commas, showing emphasis,  how words look or sound the same but are very different from each other, and how to find out which to use in a sentence. We just want her to be better prepared for the future then her sister is at this time. We have just lost too much time trusting that the school would do the work for us. 

So here we are on our first book The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe written by C.S. Lewis, which by the way I thought was the first book in the series The Chronicles of Narnia not the second so we will be going back to book one The Magician's Nephew at some time in the future. Learning never ceases even as an adult. If you are interested in The Chronicles of Narnia check it out below. 

National Geographic Kids is celebrating International Dinosaur Day

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here. 

INTERNATIONAL DINOSAUR DAY is MAY 18TH

National Geographic Kids is celebrating all month long with fun games, video shorts, facts, and even a dinosaur personality quiz. You can find them all here. They are even hosting a giveaway for one lucky winner on my site to win all 5 books below with a value of $80.00. Enter here. 

I have always loved National Geographic while growing up and National Geographic Kids brings all of the beautiful illustrations and information down to a child's mind set. Check out these beautiful books. I just know my grandsons are going to love the bright pictures, while learning about dinosaurs, and then playing with their own dinosaur toys to bring the action to life. These books are big on pictures, facts, and inspiring stories to make learning fun for your child. Below you will find the books and a write up from National Geographic on each one. 

 

(hardcover, ages 4-8, 128 pages, $14.95) - A #1 best seller on Amazon! The prehistoric world comes alive with dinosaurs small, big, giant, and gigantic, with stunning illustrations. Bursting with fun facts and age-appropriate information, each spread features a different dinosaur, along with simple text in big type that is perfect for little kids. Young dino fans will love the interactivity included in every chapter, and parents will appreciate tips to help carry readers' experience beyond the page.

(hardcover, ages 4-8, 32 pages, $16.99) - Ever wondered how to find a dinosaur? Paleontologist Dr. Scott Sampson, host of Dinosaur Train on PBS Kids, tells kids how! How do paleontologists find dinosaur bones? How do they know what dinosaurs ate or looked like? And what is paleontology, anyway? Dr. Scott tackles all these questions and more while inspiring kids to go out and make the next big dino discovery!

(paperback, ages 8-12, 208 pages, $8.99) - 300 dino-mite facts to sink your teeth into! Perfectly sized for back seat boredom busting, this new addition to the wildly popular WBT series is taking on the jaws and claws that ruled the Mesozoic world.  Calling all dino dynamos!  Did you know that the T. rex had vision 13 times better than the average humans? Or that people collect fossilized dino poop? And get this: There's a dinosaur named after Hogwarts--Harry Potter's wizarding school! Get ready to meet dinosaurs with horns and feathers, razor-sharp claws and gigantic teeth. You'll encounter the places they lived, the bizarre art they inspired, and the amazing paleontologists who discovered them.

(hardcover, ages 7-10, 296 pages, $24.99) - Big, beautiful and gift-worthy! The new edition of the popular Nat Geo Kids Dinopedia includes all the latest species and is the most complete, up-to-date dinosaur reference available. Find favorites, like the fierce T-rex and the gentle Brontosaurus, plus audacious new finds, like the Anzu, Kosmoceratops, and Yi. Every dino profile is colorfully illustrated and features descriptions of when they roamed the Earth, how they lived, what they ate, and more. There are more than 600 dinos featured in all, including 10 profiles of recently discovered dinosaurs and new entries in the Dino Dictionary. Reports from paleontologists present the latest news and insights from the field.

(paperback, ages 8-12, 208 pages, $14.99) - Curious which creatures ruled when dinosaurs roamed the Earth? Get ready to meet the record-setters, including the biggest, smallest, smartest, weirdest, deadliest, most notorious, and most mysterious of all time. You'll find fantastic firsts, including the first dinosaur fossils found and the first dinos in space. And you'll meet other rad, remarkable creatures that lived before, after, and alongside them.  Did you know that the largest fish, the largest turtle, and the largest flying animal that ever existed lived during the time of the dinosaurs? Or that mammals – no bigger than a small dog when dinosaurs roamed – eventually evolved into massive land animals? See who wins in head-to-head species smackdowns and enjoy games that complement the records.

If you are interested in buying one or all of these books check them out here.

Find out more about National Geographic Kids on

Website

Nat Geo Kids DinoMAYnia

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Welcome to the National Geographic Kids DinoMAYnia Giveaway

Hosted by MarksvilleandMe  

Co-hosted by Reviews by Dennis 

Sponsored by National Geographic Kids Books

 

This giveaway is part of our Dads and Grads Gift Guide – Stop by to see all the giveaways and great products.

Below is a list of all the bloggers involved in the gift guide.

A Nation of Moms, A Rain of Thought, Deliciously Savvy, Giveaway Gator Home Jobs by Mom, Jessica Inspired by Faith, MarksvilleandMe, Michigan Saving and More, My Silly Little Gang, Tales From A Southern Mom, The Stuff of Success, This Frugal Family

One winner will recieve one of each of the books for a ARV of 80.00.

Prizes Include The Following Books:

Little Kids First Big Book of Dinosaurs (ages 4-8)

Dino Records: The Most Amazing Prehistoric Creatures Ever to Have Lived on Earth! (ages 8-12)

Ultimate Dinopedia, 2nd ED (ages 7-10)

Weird But True! Dinosaurs (ages 8-12)

You Can Be a Paleontologist! with Dr. Scott (ages 4-8)

Find all these great DinoMAYnia books on Amazon

Check out my reviews here.

INTERNATIONAL DINOSAUR DAY is MAY 18TH

Open To US entrants and must be 18+ to enter

Giveaway Dates ~ 5/8/21 12:00AM EST through 5/31/21 11:59PM EST

MarksvilleandMe would like to wish all those who enter

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclosure: This giveaway/sweepstakes is in no way endorsed, affiliated, or associated with Facebook, Twitter or any other Social Media Networking Site. This Giveaway is valid to continental United States residents only, Entrants must be 18+ years of age to enter. This giveaway event will end at 12:00 AM (EST)5/31/21. The winner will have 48 hours to email their information back to marksvilleandme@gmail.com or a new winner will be drawn, you may want to put this email address as safe as it could go to spam. The giveaway is not valid where prohibited! By entering you are authorizing us to collect the information on the form below, this information is used only to contact the winner! No purchase necessary, Void where prohibited by law, and the number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Winners are chosen randomly by the RaffleCopter Tools program. The sponsors are each responsible for shipping of the above prizes. No blog associated with this contests are responsible for prize fulfillment. If you would like to be a sponsor in a giveaway like this please email Pamela Marks at marksvilleandme@gmail.com. If you take an entry you must stay following for the entire contest or you will be disqualified.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Official Money Guide for Couples

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

It is never too late to learn how to get your finances in order. We have been married for 30 plus years and we are just beginning to get ours in line. We married young, had a ton of kids, and lived very busy lives. We just never really took the time to learn things. Sure we skated by with a couple of falls and setbacks, but we never really learned to save for ourselves, children, or our retirement. What can I say we lived paycheck to paycheck and when we had extra money we spent it quickly on things we had deprived ourselves from having the rest of the time. So here we are at the age of 49 with hardly any savings. Sure we have no debt but we don't have anything saved or to show other then our family for the 30 years we have been together. 

So like I said it is never to late to learn. Take for instance the book "Official Money Guide for Couples" this is a great book to start with if you are in relationship. There are many more to choose from but this is a good start and will help you make better choices, hopefully earlier then us but even if you are younger then us take the leap and learn more about finances not just for today or tomorrow but for years to come. 

I believe if we had some guidance all of those years before things might have worked out very different for us along the way, but we can't change the past we can only move forward from where we are today. Since the beginning of 2020 many families have felt the sting of not saving earlier. Times are hard on tons of people and even if you can't save right now this book can really put you on the right track to getting your finances in order and changing your life over time for the better. 

In the last year we have saved a little bit of money here and there so we have something in case of emergency. Now we are taking all of our money saving tips we have used over the years and are combining them with what we have learned in this book to do more with what we have. I don't think we are ready for the stock market just yet but hey it is a possibility. 

If you are interested in learning more check out the book below or even visit their site. Links at bottom of post. There are products for kids to adults so that everyone in your family can learn to take care of their money better. Here is to everyone making a change in their lives one step at a time, it's never too late. 

Find out more about MoneySavvy Generation at

Website

Terry Treetop and The Snow Goose

 This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here. 

MarksvilleandMe

reviews

Terry Treetop and The Snow Goose 

written by 

Tali Carmi

I am so happy to introduce my readers to yet another installment to the Terry Treetop Series. My family are big fans of Terry and the author Tali Carmi. She has many good books out there written for children. You can see some of my other reviews here. Now onto Terry Treetop and The Snow Goose.

We know that Terry Treetop is always watching and watch he did as the Geese went by. He decided to set up a place for them to rest inbetween their flights. Little did he know what would happen which will be a surprize till you read the rest. 

As always Terry is always keeping a watchful eye and wants to help out those in need. In this story he does what he needs to make sure everyone is happy. My now 13 year old daughter and 9 year old grand daughter still love hearing books read and each liked the part where he is making a place for the Geese to Rest. 

Check out Terrty Treetop and The Snow Goose which is avilable below.

About the Author Tali Carmi

Tali Carmi spent her childhood in the dessert, she memorized many of the books her parents read to her. She played with word and rhymes, writing her first book of songs at the age of 10.

As she grew she turned to other hobbies and a successful career.

Now she is back writing stories for young children.

You can find out more about the Author Tali Carmi at:

Pinterest

Twitter

Amazon

Mailing List

YouTube

Disclosure:  MarksvilleandMe received one or more of the products mentioned above as part of a promotion. Regardless, MarksvilleandMe only recommends products or services we use personally and believe will be good for our readers. Some of the links in the article may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive compensation.  If you would like MarksvilleandMe to review or promote a product or service please contact us at marksvilleandme@gmail.com.

National Geographic Easter Basket

 This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Welcome to the National Geographic Easter Basket Prize Giveaway

Hosted by MarksvilleandMe

Co-hosted by Reviews by Dennis

sponsored by National Geographic Kids Books

This giveaway is part of our Spring Gift Guide – Stop by to see all the giveaways and great products.

Below is a list of all the bloggers involved in the gift guide.

A Nation of Moms, A Rain of Thought, Deliciously Savvy, Giveaway Gator Home Jobs by Mom, Jessica Inspired by Faith, MarksvilleandMe, Michigan Saving and More, My Silly Little Gang, Tales From A Southern Mom, The Stuff of Success, This Frugal Family

One winner will recieve one of each of the books below for a ARV of 75.00.

Check out my reviews here.

Celebrate Easter (ages 6-9) - The joyous celebration of Easter is seen through a global perspective in this National Geographic volume featuring over 25 vibrant photographs. Witness the holiest day on the Christian calendar as it is celebrated throughout the world: from the famous Easter Egg Roll at the White House to the traditional bonfires throughout Europe, to colorful customs, to the universally popular dying of eggshells worldwide. The first-person narrative leads young readers through the origins and traditions of this springtime festival of rebirth and hope and a special note by Reverend George Handzo gives parents and teachers a historical and cultural background.

NG Kids Baby Animal Sticker Activity Book (ages 4-8) With 1,000 stickers and fantastic graphics and text, these high quality, super fun sticker books are a great way for kids to learn about animals and the natural world. The Baby Animals sticker book is chock-full of the cutest creatures on the planet: pandas, piglets, wolf cubs, ponies, polar bears, elephants, bunnies, kittens, puppies, and many more. With a fun, brightly colored design and loaded with animal facts and games--such as mazes, counting, matching and more--this book is sure to provide endless entertainment.

National Geographic Pre-Reader: Ducks (ages 2-5) - From fuzzy ducklings to graceful birds, waddle your way into this adorable early reader, all about ducks!
Perfect for beginning and young readers, National Geographic Pre-readers include simple, expert-vetted text and large, engaging photos on every page. A vocabulary tree at the beginning of the book introduces kids to key words in concept groups, helping kids make connections between words. Plus, a wrap-up activity gives kids a chance to use what they've learned, while expanding their understanding of the world.

Cutest Animals on the Planet (ages 8-12) - NEW SERIES ALERT! Meet the world's most adorable animals and learn fun stuff about them in this aww-some first book in a brand-new series from National Geographic Kids.  Whether you like mammals, aquatic creatures, insects, birds, amphibians, or reptiles, this browsable book contains kids' favorite animals that would ALL be contenders for the grand prize in a cute competition. Big photos pair with upbeat descriptions that highlight each critter's crazy cool skills and unique behaviors. This adorable book showcases popular animals such as hedgehogs and pandas as well as unusual species such as tapirs, kakapos, and pangolins. Special features include a head-to-head cute-off, sure to keep readers amused and informed. Perfect for curious tweens, animal lovers, and future veterinarians alike.

Treasury of Bible Stories by Donna Jo Napoli, illus. by Christina Balit (ages 8-12) 

A worthy cultural treasury with appeal to both the faithful and irreligious.” — Kirkus

Noah's Ark, Moses, David and Goliath, the ten plagues, Daniel and the lions' den, Jonah and the giant fish, and many more of the Bible's most powerful stories — 27 in all — are compellingly retold in this beautifully illustrated treasury. Readers will be fascinated by the ancient people and events they encounter, surprised by some of the lesser known accounts revealed, and inspired by the lessons these tales impart. Stories cover important ground beyond religion, such as culture, history, and geography, and they touch on issues that remain relevant today--faith, loyalty, kindness, violence, generosity, greed, jealousy, and more. These accessible, readable stories give kids a rich picture of biblical times, which encourages them to think about our role in the world and to learn more.

Napoli's magical storytelling is sure to ignite children's imaginations. Along with Balit's stunning art, this is a book kids will want to explore again and again--a classic that families can read aloud together.

5,000 Awesome Facts About Everything (ages 8-12) This book is literally busting its covers with fascinating, fun-tastic facts on super, sensational topics that kids love. Who knew that there were so many sweet things to learn about chocolate or that a dozen delicious details about peanut butter would show up on a page with a few splotches of jelly to whet our appetites? Keep turning and a terrifyingly toothy shark tells you all about himself, while other spreads lay out tons of tips on toys and games, mysteries of history, robots and reptiles, sports and spies and wacky words.   A visual feast of colorful photographs surrounded by swirling, tipping, expanding, and climbing bits of information in a high-energy design, this book will satisfy both the casual browser and the truly fact obsessed.

Open To US entrants and must be 18+ to enter

Giveaway Dates ~ 3/19 12:00AM EST through 3/30 11:59PM EST

MarksvilleandMe would like to wish all those who enter

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: This giveaway/sweepstakes is in no way endorsed, affiliated, or associated with Facebook, Twitter or any other Social Media Networking Site. This Giveaway is valid to continental United States residents only, Entrants must be 18+ years of age to enter. This giveaway event will end at 12:00 AM (EST) 3/30/21. The winner will have 48 hours to email their information back to marksvilleandme@gmail.com or a new winner will be drawn, you may want to put this email address as safe as it could go to spam. The giveaway is not valid where prohibited! By entering you are authorizing us to collect the information on the form below, this information is used only to contact the winner! No purchase necessary, Void where prohibited by law, and the number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Winners are chosen randomly by the RaffleCopter Tools program. The sponsors are each responsible for shipping of the above prizes. No blog associated with this contests are responsible for prize fulfillment. If you would like to be a sponsor in a giveaway like this please email Pamela Marks at marksvilleandme@gmail.com. If you take an entry you must stay following for the entire contest or you will be disqualified.