American Sign Language Story Books!

NEW! 

Usborne Books proudly presents 2 NEW American Sign Language Story Books! 

 
Princess & the Pea

 
Rapunzel

 

This Book & DVD package also includes web based instruction that, unlike most children's sign language materials, teaches fundamentals of American Sign Language (ASL) grammar, vocabulary and syntax. It's enjoyable for novice and advanced users of ASL.

Author Spotlight: Elizabeth Lindsay

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Author Spotlight Meet Elizabeth Lindsay, author of the popular Silverlake Fairy School series. What did you want to be when you grew up? When I was very small I wanted to be a famous horse rider.  I soon realized that was unlikely to happen.  Then I wanted to work in the theatre.  In the end I did own a pony and I have worked in the theatre as an actor and a puppeteer.    Where do you get your ideas? From all sorts of places!  I use my own experiences with horses, dogs and cats.  Reading other peoples stories often stimulates my imagination and reading newspapers and magazines.  I go to the theatre and cinema a lot and I enjoy talking to people about their lives too.  I'm always asking myself what would happen if?  Or what led up to that?  And I always want to know what is going to happen next?  Ideas pop into my head, often, when I least expect them.  I always carry a notebook.  It's at the ready to write the ideas down before I forget them. Are your characters based on real people? So far I have never deliberately used a real person in one of my stories.  I did use my dog, Meg.  She's a character in the Nellie and the Dragon stories and I based the pony Midnight Dancer on my pony, Hotspot.  Yet I am sure that my experience of real people influences how my characters behave.  There will be a little bit of me in there too somewhere!  Everything that happens in my life influences my imagination.   What do you most like about being a writer? The nicest thing is being able to create a world where I am totally in charge.  Or at least I think I am when I start to write.  I find that my characters have minds of their own and often want to do things and go to places I hadn't thought of.  Sometimes my pen has to race to keep up with everything that's happening my head. I like that a lot.   I like writing when I want to.  If it's a lovely sunny day, I can take a notebook, go for a walk and pretend that I'm working even if I'm not.  I like doing that very much. How the Silver Lake Fairy School series was born! One day I had a conversation with Megan Larkin the Senior Fiction Editor at Usborne Publishing, UK.  We talked about going to school and fairies and the type of stories Megan would like Usborne to publish. After our chat I went home and ideas started to pop into my head.  In my imagination I saw fluttering fairies and remembered my first days at school.  The thoughts became intertwined and merged into the idea of a school for fairies.   I quickly mapped out a fairy world. I decided to give the fairies flower or bird names and that started me thinking about colors. I looked in my gardening books to find out about flowers and I looked up birds too. My heroine, I decided, should have a rare color for a fairy and I chose purple to be that color.  I named her Lilac Blossom and let her friends call her Lila for short.  This is pronounced the same as Lilac but without the c at the end.  I imagined a beautiful princess dressed in pink and named her Bee Balm after a pink flower that grows wild in North America.  But Bees have a sting in their tails and Princess Bee Balm often stings if she doesn't get her own way.  These stings come as hurtful words and unpleasant deeds. I set the fairy school far away from family and friends and put it in a castle on an island in the middle of the Great Silver Lake.  On the far side of the lake are the Eerie Mountains where the boggarts live.  But the fairy world has plenty of magic to keep the boggarts away.  Inside Silverlake Fairy School special fairy charms make it always summertime. A fairy pupil, once accepted, is sent a silver chain bracelet to wear to school.  On their first day new fairies are put in one of the four fairy clans, either the Star, the Moon, the Sun or the Cloud Clan.   Each fairy is given a wand and a special silver charm for their bracelets. The ideas for Silverlake Fairy School took a long time to work out but now the world is clear in my mind I can pop back to the fairy kingdom whenever I like.

Are you ready for the Daytona 500?!

February 20th is the 2012 Daytona 500! For more creative reading ideas veiw our Celebrate Reading Calendar for February, and add a little fun to everyday!    Discovery Adventure: Race Cars (Age 8 years and up)   How do racing cars go so fast? What’s it like in the driving seat? How do teams prepare for a big race? Can anyone become a racing driver? With exciting photographs, diagrams, cartoon illustrations and a fold-out map of an F1 race track. Race Cars Includes internet links to exciting websites with virtual tours, championships and Grand Prix information.   View the Discovery Adventures Complete Collection: including Race Cars, Fighter Planes, Helicopters, Motorcycles, Submarines, and Tanks.

Cuddle Bear: Be a Hero With a Heart

Cuddle Bear: Be a Hero With a Heart
Hugs never go out of style, and Cuddle bear is just the one to share them with everyone he knows.  The children in your life will love to Cuddle Up with Cuddle Bear and learn about the value of a hug. You’ll feel good knowing you’re helping to end childhood cancer at the same time.
Read about Scott’s Story here. 
Be a Hero with a Heart, join the fight against childhood cancer.
Everyone needs a hug sometimes.

Help end childhood cancer and share this heartwarming huggable main character from the Picture book Cuddle Bear with someone you love.

 With every purchase of Cuddle Bear, the Cuddle Bear book, or the Set, a portion of the proceeds is donated to the Scott Carter Foundation.
Join Usborne Books & More and the Scott Carter Foundation in the fight against childhood cancer.

How to help end childhood cancer and get a great valentine's present

Cuddle Bear Book & Plush

Everyone needs a hug sometimes. Help end childhood cancer and share this heartwarming huggable main character from the picture book "Cuddle Bear" with someone you love.

Usborne Books & More is proud to partner with the Scott Carter Foundation to help eliminate pediatric cancer. A portion of the proceeds from Cuddle Bear is donated to the Scott Carter Foundation.

Learn about Scott's story at www.scottcarterfoundation.org

Connect 4 Challenge!

Earn a FREE iPad2 - And almost $1000 in Commission!

Join Usborne Books & More in February to become eligible to earn a FREE iPad2 in the Connect 4 Challenge. The Connect 4 Challenge rewards Usborne Consultants who are consistently active in sales over the next 4 months with a FREE iPad2! There is NO LIMIT to the amount of iPads that will be given away...  EVERYONE who meets the challenge will receive an iPad2. An easy way to reach the required sales is by doing 4 parties a month for the next 4 months.  (average size show nation-wide is $300-$400)  However, any and all sales count towards these required sales - so a Consultant could also do card fundraisers, booth events, book fairs, school & library sales, 50% matching grants... or even door-to-door!

EVERYONE who meets the sales requirements for all 4 months will receive an iPad2!!
   

 

PLUS - will earn approximately $1000 in commission!

Here’s how based on doing parties when each month's sales requirement is met…

February:  $1000 retail =  $667 net = $166.75 in commission
    March:  $1500 retail = $1000 net = $250 in commission
      April:  $1500 retail = $1000 net = $250 in commission
       May:  $1500 retail = $1000 net = $250 in commission

TOTAL COMMISSION EARNED = $916.75  (minimum earned!)

 
 
 
To get started...
Purchase a New Consultant Kit - the MINI kit is only $29 in Feburary.
Please contact the Consultant who placed the ad to answer any questions and help you get started. 

New Consultant MINI-Kit - Only $29 in February!

• Usually priced at $69 (plus sales tax) - shipping is included! 

• Includes 8 best-selling Usborne books & Kane/Miller books! Retail Value = $79.92
• Includes starting business supplies - over $40 worth!
• Includes a FREE Usborne shopping website for 6 months! A $70.00 Value!
• Includes IMN Newsletter for 3 months - Customer newsletter/online database.  $15.00 Value!

Value of New Consultant Mini-Kit = $198+
                         

Order the MINI kit before the end of month deadline.
 
Make a goal to do 6 shows in your first 30 days! This helps you take full advantage of the Write Your Own Success Story program.

Click here to get started today!