LIGHTING THE WAY WITH WORDS

Did you know there are only three more days until Christmas, four more 
days until Kwanzaa begins and it is the second day of Hanukkah?
With all of these celebrations happening in the next week, we have been singing festive songs and listening to some 
acoustic melodies on the radio. They are beautiful. 
Whichever of the holidays you celebrate, 

we wish you a joyous time with those you love.

You can download our free holiday stories here or on iTunes. 

Fa la la la la la la la la

Chilly's Christmas: (20:08)

An ornament is accidentally placed on the back of the Christmas tree 

and must learn to experience his favorite season using his 

other senses with a little help from his friends!

Free audio download: Chilly's Christmas 

Blog with activities: Chilly's Christmas

       Inky's Christmas: (21:24)

Inky, a nervous octopus, has to figure out a way to control his inking 

so he can attend all of his friends' holiday festivities.

Free audio download: Inky's Christmas

Blog with activities: Inky's Christmas

Red vs. Green: (22:21)

When a team of Christmas elves goes against a team 

of St. Patrick's Day in the Holiday Hockey Winter Classic, who will win? 

*I may or may not live out my "being a punk rocker" dream

 in this episode. You will have to listen to find out!* 

Free audio download: Red vs. Green

Blog with activities: Red vs. Green

Candy Cane Catastrophe (14:56)

Tragedy befalls a boy and his candy cane on a long car 

drive to Grandma's for the holidays.

Free audio download: Candy Cane Catastrophe

Blog with activities: Candy Cane Catastrophe 

Episode 33: Alien Pursuit

Click here to listen to: Alien Pursuit

Hi All,

We want to send out a special thanks to Mover Rich of the Imagination Movers for recording a bumper for us. Speaking of moving your imagination, our kids have really been showing interest in the Sci-Fi theme lately. They pretend they are either astronauts in outer space or aliens from another world looking for a way to "phone home".  Their story lines are out of this world!  What type of stories do you create using your imagination?

VORACIOUS VOCABULARY

What did you say? A word of the day! In our story there are many

juicy words that are fun to use and say.

apparatus:  any complex instrument or mechanism for a particular purpose.

clamor: a loud uproar

pesky: annoyingly troublesome

pursuit: an effort to secure or attain.

JUST ADD IMAGINATION!

Try these activities to keep your imagination glowing after hearing the story.

1. Download the free app, "Make a Martian". Send us your creation to nightlightstories@gmail.com or post them on our Facebook page. Here are some examples:

2. Create your own martian by using this free printable page, "Make Your Own Martian". Send us your creation to nightlightstories@gmail.com or post them on our Facebook page.

COMPREHENSION CHALLENGE

After listening to the story, can you recall the details to answer these questions?

1. What does the family use to disable the first ship?

2. What did the boy find on the car when they arrived home?

3. Who gave each other a high five in the car? 

4. Why were the aliens in pursuit of the family?

We want to send out bright birthday wishes to:

Sofia A of New Jersey

Sophie of New York 


Garrett D of Maryland

Grandpa B of New York

We hope your day SPARKLED!

As always we look forward to watching the glow grow brighter with 

the many stories we can share together!

*Select fonts used in this post were found at http://www.flamingtext.com/

Episode 26:The Heebie Jeebies

Click here to download: THE HEEBIE JEEBIES


Click here to leave a comment to enter for a chance to win:
A signed copy of the Imagination Movers' new CD, "In A Big Warehouse".


Hi All,


Happy Fall from the Night Light Stories household.  Personally, this is my favorite time of year. The leaves turning bright reds, oranges and yellows;  the crisp, cool air; eating warm apple pie made with fresh picked apples, and of course watching football on Sundays!  We also really enjoy decorating for the season with pumpkins, scare crows and skeletons!   Some of the decorations we’ve been seeing around the mountain are a little bit spooky.   Mr. Chris and I were talking about how the kids would see the haunted houses and we wondered if they would be scared?  Sometimes its fun to be scared and that’s how the Heebie Jeebies was born.  


Just a quick warning,  this story is read by Mr. Chris in a deep, spooky voice, so if you scare easily, this might be a good one to skip.  But, if you’re the type who enjoys feeling your pulse quicken when you get scared, then sit back, turn off the lights, gather around with people who make you feel safe, and as you listen to the story, ask yourself the following, “What are some ways to stop yourself from getting The Heebie Jeebies?”

LISTENER FEEDBACK

If you like what you hear at Night Light Stories, please go to iTunes and leave a review. More positive reviews make it easier for others to find Night Light Stories in the iTunes Store. Don't forget you can also find us on Twitter at nightlight08 and our Facebook Fan Page. Stay tuned for more Night Light Stories, Lighting the Way With Words, and updates on the book. Thanks so much for your continued support!

CONTEST CORNER

A way the Night Light Stories keeps the Heebie Jeebies at bay is by listening to some positive, fun and creative music while having a dance party in our well lit kitchen. We slip and slide all around the floor and create all sorts of crazy dance moves. You should see Mr. Chris go!

So, since this works for us, we thought it could work for you too. We just so happen to have a really upbeat CD to give away. The CD is of one of our favorite children music bands; the Imagination Movers. We wanted to give you a chance to win an autographed copy of their newest CD, “In A Big Warehouse”.

To enter, first visit the Imagination Movers website and explore all around. Dance to some songs, check out the pictures, play a few games and read their bios. Then, come to the Night Light Stories website and leave a comment about what you found most interesting, fun, or inviting about this intriguing foursome. You can also leave us a comment on the Facebook Fan Page, Twitter at nightlight 08 or email us at nightlightstories@gmail.com. The contest will run until October 31st at Midnight.

If you do not win, no problem! On the side bar of the Night Light Stories website there is a link to the Imagination Mover’s store. If you buy a CD and put “NIGHT LIGHT STORIES” in the comment section when checking out, the Movers will sign their names on the CD for you.

VORACIOUS VOCABULARY

What did you say? A word of the day! In our story there are many juicy words that are fun to use and say.

clutch: to try to seize or grasp
illumination: a supply of light
prowl: to go about stealthily, as in search of prey
tingle: to have a sensation of slight prickles

JUST ADD IMAGINATION!

Try these activities to keep your imagination glowing after hearing the story.

1. Write your own spooky story.  Who are your main characters? Where is your setting?  What are the problems in the story? What are the solutions?


2. List THREE strategies the child in bed uses to keep from getting the Heebie Jeebies. Add THREE new strategies you could use to keep yourself from getting the Heebie Jeebies. 

COMPREHENSION CHALLENGE

After listening to the story, can you recall the details to answer these questions?

1. What made the narrator clutch at his blanket?


2. Who told the narrator a spooky tale before bed?


3. Why does counting sheep not work for the narrator?

BRIGHT BIRTHDAY WISHES

We want to send out bright birthday wishes to:

Cori M of New Hampshire

Nana D of Massachusetts

Aunt Kathleen of Valencia, Spain

Aunt Sue of New York

Jason G

Happy Halloween from Night Light Stories! 
As always, we look forward to the many scary stories we can share together.

Episode 24: Bus Stop Bravery

Click here to listen to: Bus Stop Bravery


Hi All,

Can you believe it? Schools have already started or are starting up soon all over the country.  It’s an exciting time of year in our house when the school year begins. Meeting new people and students is always a blast. This year, however, in the Night Light Stories household, the start of the school year is even more special.  Our first born is starting Kindergarten. More importantly to him, he gets to ride the bus he has drooled over for many years.  It can still be a little nerve-wracking though, to begin something new and unknown to you.  We have been preparing him for a month now about what is going to happen from the bus stop pick-up to the bus stop drop-off.  This only adds to his excitement and is what inspired the story you are about to hear!

VORACIOUS VOCABULARY

In our story there are many juicy words that are fun to learn and say. Try to use some of these words in your vocabulary this week at home or in school.

creep: to enter or become evident gradually.

disguise: to conceal or cover up the truth.

ease: freedom from concern.

immense: vast; huge; very great.

JUST ADD IMAGINATION!

Try these activities to keep your imagination glowing after hearing the story.

1. Draw a map from your house to your school.  Make sure to include landmarks you pass along the way such as the library or the grocery store.


2. Review school bus safety rules as a family by checking out the information from http://www.aboutschool.com/busstop.htm.

COMPREHENSION CHALLENGE

After listening to the story, can you recall the details to answer these questions?

1. Why is the narrator nervous in the beginning of the story?

2. What do the three squeezes on the narrator's hand mean?

3. Who was the narrator of the story?

SHOW US YOUR BUS STOP BRAVERY!

We wish you all an illuminating school year full of your own new adventures!  

We would love to see some first day of school photos. Feel free to send them to nightlightstories@gmail.com or post them on our Facebook Fan Page.

A SPECIAL THANKS!

A special thanks to Justin Roberts, a talented children's music artist, for allowing us to use a portion of his song called Giant-Sized Butterflies. You can check out all of Justin's music and tour dates at http://www.justinroberts.org/.

Picture Credits: © Todd Rosenberg 2010

As always, we look forward to the many stories we can share together!

LIGHTING THE WAY WITH WORDS

We here at the Night Light household were lucky enough to be able to attend an Imagination Movers concert for our daughter's second birthday. We had a blast! We really admire these guys for being such positive role models. Our son and daughter were filled with bliss thinking about seeing them live. We had to collaborate to gather everything we would need for the three hour car trip. We did not try to diguise how ecstatic we were about seeing them. Once the show started we were flabbergasted when all four came on stage. The cheers from the crowd were gigantic. The Movers were hysterical. Our bellies hurt from laughing. We were so happy to be able to indulge in family time and dancing like crazy. The music gave us a jolt of energy that lasted the entire concert. I knew I would have to knead my arm muscles the next day from holding my jumping daughter for an hour and a half. We did linger for a bit after the show and were honored to be able to meet these inspirational guys.




It was a momentous occasion. Thank you Movers. After all this excitement, we went in search of some nourishment. We weighed our options and chose the healthy path. So, we query you, what is your favorite song from the Imagination Movers?