A very brooklyn children's book

Yes, [my 2nd grader] read it to [my daughter]! He loved it — he was asking my husband where some things were, like the movie theatre. His teacher gave him a reading checklist for vacation and one was to read a new book!!!  --Stephanie R., Long Island

I'm so excited for them to have a book with photos of their own neighborhood!  --Laura S., Brooklyn

Adina Lerner presents the first book of the Series, A Very Brooklyn Children's Book: The Alphabet!
A fun way to teach your child the alphabet with the help of compelling street photography from the borough of Brooklyn! Great as a read aloud for ages 0-8 and as kids learn reading skills, they can read it back to you!

This book makes a great gift for anyone who loves Brooklyn (or loves someone who loves Brooklyn)!

To purchase the inaugural title of this new children's book series, fill out the form below.

Live in Brooklyn? You can pick up your book in person.
Live elsewhere in the US? Add $4 and I'll ship the book to you. 

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QUESTIONS TO ASK a CHILD/children while reading:

PRE-READING

• Take a look at the cover (front and back); tell me about what you see.
• What do you think this book is going to be about?
• Does the cover remind you of anything you've seen before?
• Help the child identify book elements: Front and Back Cover, Title Page, About the Author page

DURING READING (these can apply to most of the pages in the book)

• Have you seen this before? 
• Would you like to visit this spot?
• Do you see any letters that you recognize on this page?
• What do you notice about this picture?
• What is your favorite ride at Coney Island? -- OR -- What sounds do you think you can hear when you're on the boardwalk at Coney Island?
• The Kite Surfer photo was taken at Plumb Beach, where we sat and watched kite surfers glide along the water for hours! Have you been there before? Have you ever been to the beach? What do you like or not like about the beach?
• Have you ever taken the NYC Subway? Do you live near a subway stop? What sounds do you hear on a train? Is it slow or fast?

AFTER READING: Questions to ask, maps to look at, projects to make your own alphabet book

• Which photos were the most interesting to you? How come?
• Which locations would you like to visit? What would you like to see again?
• Geography skills: Here's a list of places you can locate together on a map:
  • Brooklyn
  • Coney Island
  • Grand Army Plaza
  • Prospect Park
  • New York State
  • 5 Boroughs (Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, Bronx)
  • East River
  • Plumb Beach (Kite Surfer page)
• Have the child draw their favorite part of the book, or draw what they love most about Brooklyn. 
• ACTIVITY: Make your own alphabet book!
  
  1. Get 14 pieces of light colored paper (or take some old watercolor masterpieces your child has made, and use those as the backdrop for the book!). Make sure they're big enough to fold in half (28 page book).
  2. Put the pages in a pile, then fold in half. Don't glue/staple/tape together yet in case you need to redo a page or two. :) 
  3. Map out the book: front and back covers, title page, and don't forget the About the Author page!
  4. Choose your own theme: it can be an alphabet book with any words the child knows, or if they're older, challenge them to think of new Brooklyn-related things for their book.
  5. About the Author: Draw or glue in a photo of the new author! They can write about what makes them special!

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A very brooklyn slideshow