America has a rich and exciting history!  Help your child journey through time, back to Boston and the American Revolution. Johnny Tremain is a Newbery Award-winning book about a fictional boy who experiences the events surrounding the coming of America. This novel will bring to life events of the Revolution and peak your child’s interest in history!

After reading and brushing up on the events that led to our independence, celebrate! Tempe 4th commemorates the 4th of July in style with one of the best fireworks shows around. In this amazing show, fireworks are timed to some of the best patriotic music. The celebration is free for kids under 12 and includes a free inflatable village for families. Celebrate our great country with  Johnny Tremaine and Tempe 4th!

The Book:

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Title: Johnny Tremaine

Author: Esther Forbes

Recommended Age: 9-12

Book Brief: A story filled with danger and excitement, Johnny Tremain tells of the turbulent, passionate times in Boston before the Revolutionary War. Johnny, a young apprentice silversmith, is caught up in a dramatic involvement with James Otis, John Hancock and John and Samuel Adams. Johnny is swept along by powerful currents that will lead to the Boston Tea Party and the Battle of Lexington-and finally to an important discovery in Johnny’s own life.

Johnny Tremain is historical fiction at its most gripping, portraying Revolutionary Boston as a living drama through the shrewd eyes of an observant boy.

About the Author: Esther Forbes, a historian and novelist, wrote for adults as well as young people. She received the Pulitzer Prize for history for Paul Revere and the World He Lived In and Johnny Tremaine won the Newbery Medal.

The Blast:

Tempe 4th

Date & Time: Saturday, July 4th; Gates open at 4pm with fireworks at 9pm

Cost: Children under 12 are free; Adults $8  at the door or 2 for $15. Discount tickets for $5-$6 can be purchased at Frys, ProTix, and City of Tempe. Click here for more detail.

Location: Tempe Town Lake

Its a Blast!

An afternoon and evening celebration on Tempe Town Lake. Kiwanis Club of Tempe 58th Annual Fireworks Spectacular will present the best fireworks show in the Valley shot from Mill Avenue bridge. The spectacular family night Fireworks Show will  be choreographed to patriotic and classical music.

Additional Activities Include:

Splash Playground- Before the fireworks begin cool off and chill out at the azcentral.com Splash Playground. Water fun and games for all ages.

Fantastic Family Fest-Fantastic Family Fest will offer a free inflatable village for all ages with a variety of rides, rock climbing walls and more! Special kid’s entertainment, featuring face painters, relay races and other specialty entertainment.

Food Court- A great food court to satisfy the entire families’ taste buds featuring Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Macayo’s Depot Cantina, BBQ, Roasted Corn, Gyros, Fry Bread, Snow Cones, Ice Cream, Lemonade and lots of cold bottled water, Pepsi products plus a variety of other food vendors.

Main Stage featuring great live local entertainment.

Extra Tips for a Good Time:

• Gates open at 4 p.m. First come first serve on lawn seating. Blankets, portable chairs, personal cameras and personal umbrellas – up to 48” are permitted.
• Only manufacturer’s sealed containers of water (1 gallon / per person) allowed inside the venue.
• No food or coolers allowed.
• No skates, skateboards or bicycles allowed inside the event.
• No Firearms, knives, or other weapons.
• All persons and bags subject to search.
• For the health and safety of our guests, only permitted service animals allowed in the event.
• Entry is free for anyone showing a current military ID.

The Book

Click here to get the book and more in our Amazon store!

Title: Lives of the Athletes: Thrills, Spills (and what their Neighbors thought)

Author: Kathleen Krull

Recommended Age: 9-12

Book Brief: Babe Ruth was the world’s greatest slugger — and off the field snacked on pickled eels and chocolate ice cream. Johnny Weismuller swam to Olympic fame — and on land practiced the Tarzan yell. Babe Dickerson Zaharias won eighty-two golf tournaments — and when she beat a man, she gloated, “And me a little old gal!”

About the Author: Kathleen Krull has nimble fingers (from typing) and strong arms (from lifting research books). These activities have led to many successful books for young readers, including Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph became the World’s Fastest Woman, illustrated by David Diaz, and the previous books in the Lives of… series. When her athletic pursuits extend beyond her writing career, her sport of choice is swimming in her backyard pool. As a spectator, she most enjoys competitive ice skating. Kathleen Krull lives with her husband, an artist and swimmer, in San Diego, California.

About the Illustrator: Kathryn Hewitt is agile with her hands (most often occupied by a paint brush) and on her feet (which take her on a daily walk). As a child, when she wasn’t drawing she liked to play baseball and jump rope; these days her athletic endeavors include swimming, playing croquet, and watching baseball. In addition to creating the illustrations for the Lives of… books, she has illustrated Flower Garden and Sunflower House, both written by Eve Bunting. Kathryn Hewitt lives with her husband (a former football player) and their two athletic children in Santa Monica, California.

The Blast

NBA All-Star Jam Session

Dates & Times:

Location: Phoenix Convention Center, downtown Phoenix

Website: http://www.nba.com/jamsession/09_home.html

Cost:

It’s a Blast! Have fun and make history as Jam Session touches down on Planet Orange!

• Dribble, drive, shoot and slam all day
• Meet Your Favorite NBA and WNBA Players and Legends
• Get FREE autographs from your Favorite NBA All-Stars
• Get ready for over 500,000 square feet of NBA excitement spread over two huge floors of the Phoenix Convention Center
• Measure Up to Your Favorite NBA & WNBA Players
• Purchase the Hottest NBA All-Star Merchandise at the NBA Store
• Get Basketball Tips from NBA Players and Legends
• Be There for this Once in a Lifetime Experience

Extra tips for a Good Time:

Growing up I had relatively little exposure to racism and hate. Perhaps it was largely a function of geography and time, as my childhood friends have expressed similar sentiment. Despite my lack of direct exposure, my parents and teachers made sure that I understood the history of racism in America and the damage any future racism could cause for individuals, families, and communities.

One tool my teacher used was the book Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. The fictional work had such an impact on me as a child that I read the whole series. I can even still remember the diorama one of my friends made as a school project. It’s imperative that we teach our children about history so that we won’t repeat mistakes of the past. This book will get discussion flowing in your family and help you tackle an issue that is often difficult for kids to understand. While you’re at it,take the opportunity to celebrate equality and civil rights this coming weekend at the MLK Parade in downtown Mesa.

The Book

Title: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Click here to buy the book and more in our Amazon store!

Author: Mildred D. Taylor

Recommended Age: 9-12

Book Brief: The year is 1933 in the heart of the Great Depression. Cassie Logan and her family live in rural Mississippi , where they own and farm 400 acres. Although Cassie and her brothers attend a school for black children, she is unaware of the intense racial hatred and prejudice that exists in the community. As the story unfolds, Cassie is surprised and angered to learn that many white people think she and other black people are inferior. She learns to fear the violence that often accompanies these ugly feelings. Cassie knows how much the Logans value their land and how determined they are not to lose it. Slowly, she becomes aware of how high a price she and her family must pay to fight injustice – and to hold on to not only their land but the independence that it represents.

About the Author: Mildred D. Taylor was born in Jackson, Mississippi in 1943. She grew up in Toledo, Ohio, however, and graduated from the University of Toledo. Taylor then joined the Peace Corps and spent two years in Ethiopia. After her return to the United States, she entered the School of Journalism at the University of Colorado, where she was instrumental in setting up a Black Studies program. Taylor’s first book about the Logan family, Song of the Trees, won a contest sponsored by the Council on Interracial Books for Children. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry won the Newbery Medal in 1977.

The Blast

MLK Parade

Date: Monday, January 19, 2009

Time: 11am – 12pm

Location: Downtown Mesa, AZ (along Center St.)

It’s a Blast! The debates over the years over whether Martin Luther King, Jr. should be singled out for the civil rights celebration have tainted this holiday for many. In the end, though, this weekend gives us a chance to talk with our children about some very important and real issues. So take some time out of your day to watch the parade or have a heart to heart conversation with your kids.

The parade will include the 8 school bands. There will also be scout troops, church groups, civic organizations, school clubs, pep and cheer squads as well as student councils with floats.

Visit http://www.mesamlk.org/Parade.html for more information.

Extra tips for a Good Time:

• Have a family discussion about how your ancestors may have been impacted by hate, discrimination, or racism. Nearly everyone will have a story in their family’s history, whether it is about slavery, religious persecution, or something as “trivial” as high school cliques. Talk about the need to be understanding of people who seem different than ourselves or don’t share all of our views and beliefs.
• Be careful to not let this be an issue of race only. That tends to cause greater racial divides. Instead, talk about the myriad ways that people are similar and different.
• Watch the “I Have a Dream” speech with your kids. (The link takes you to the video on YouTube.)