Looking for a way to get your middle-grades students psyched about reading? Here’s something unique: you’re invited to a live author event featuring Cornelia Funke, author of The Thief Lord and the Inkworld Trilogy. The event celebrates the release of Cornelia Funke’s new book, Reckless. Written for middle grades, the book follows Jacob Reckless on his quest to find his father and save his brother. The event will feature a dramatic reading from the book by its author, an interactive Q&A session (your students can submit questions in advance!), a musical performance by Adam Watts, and much more.

Mark your calendar: this live online extravaganza will be held Tuesday, September 14, at 1:30 p.m. EST. To learn how to participate or to read the first chapter of the book, visit http://www.get-reckless.com/events.html. Be a little Reckless and join in the fun!

PS: Lower-grades teachers, don’t feel left out—soon I’ll be posting some fun book-related freebies for you and your students!

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If summer has to end, there’s only one good way I know to soften the blow a bit: freebies. Lots and lots of freebies. Read on to find out about contests to win books or math supplies, a free poster, and more especially for back-to-school.

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Submit a comment to our blog to let us know which of these back-to-school goodies you’ll be taking advantage of. One lucky reader will win an assortment of new books from Albert Whitman & Company, including Why Do Elephants Need the Sun? Librarian on the Roof! Bullying and Me, and In the Garden With Dr. Carver. Submit your comment by midnight EDT on Monday, September 6, 2010, for a chance to win!

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Do your students struggle with spelling? Franklin is offering two great deals. For a limited time, you can get an electronic dictionary/thesaurus with spell corrector for 50% off! You must use coupon code “Speller” to get this deal. Click here now to check it out! Also, Franklin is also offering a free 18″ x 24″ full-color poster that you can use to help teach language arts. To request yours, click here. Don’t miss out!

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K-5 Kaplan is giving away math materials! Visit www.k5kaplan.com/contest for your chance to win a Making Algebra Connections math manual or the grand prize, a Making Algebra Connections math manipulatives kit. Hurry, you must enter this contest by August 31, 2010.

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Feeling lucky? Here’s another contest to enter: Orca Book Publishers is giving away a set of Orca Echoes Early Chapter Books and a $50 Amazon gift card. For readers ages 7-9, the set includes 44 books and is valued at over $300. Enter today!

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In honor of back-to-school, Workman Publishing is giving away assorted poster books. Each includes 30 pull-out posters on glossy paper. Titles include Under the Sea Poster Book, Eye See You Poster Book, The Petting Farm Poster Book, and others. To enter, email mrockliff@workman.com. Include your name, address, and grade level.

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Time’s almost up for the Westcott school supplies giveaway! Visit www.themailbox.com/westcott to enter to win Westcott scissors, rulers, a pencil sharpener, a paper trimmer, and more for your entire grade level! Plus if you include Westcott kids’ scissors on your school supply list and fax or email it to Westcott, you’ll receive a free pair of adult-size scissors—a $17 value! If you don’t have your school supply list handy, simply use the customizable form provided on the Westcott site. Both offers expire August 31, 2010. Click here now!

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It’s time for your students to go back to school, but are you considering furthering your education as well? If so, visit www.myargosynow.com to learn about the flexible options offered by Argosy University. Master’s and doctoral programs are available. Don’t wait; click here now to learn more!

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Enjoy!

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During the first days of school, one of the things your students will want to understand is what kind of teacher you are. Structured? Nurturing? Fun? All of these? Read on to learn about great resources to help set the tone in your classroom this year.

Submit a comment to our blog to describe your teaching style in five words or less. One lucky reader will win Doing Math in Morning Meeting: 150 Quick Activities That Connect to Your Curriculum from Responsive Classroom. This book will be featured in the fall 2010 issue of Learning magazine; however, you can win my copy now. Submit your comment by midnight EDT on Monday, August 30, 2010, for a chance to WIN! I’ll throw a few bonus books in the package as well, so prepare to be surprised! (Update: Congratulations to Sitara, who won our prize!)

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Teach both character and literacy—plus add some fun to your classroom—with Funny Bone Readers from Red Chair Press. Customers of The Mailbox magazine and Learning magazine qualify for two special offers: Get a free Funny Bone Readers sample by emailing info@redchairpress.com and mentioning The Mailbox. And get 15% off a complete classroom set of Funny Bone Readers by using code Mailbox1 at checkout. Hurry, these special offers expire October 1, 2010. The books are for grades K-2. Click here now!

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Books provide a wonderful way to give students a preview of the school year. Click here now to access two free audiobook samples from Recorded Books. The first, for younger students, is Paulie Pastrami Achieves World Peace by James Proimos. In this story, Paulie has one goal: spreading world peace by the time he reaches age eight. Can he do it? The second free excerpt is from One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia, author of several award winners. This story is for ages 9-12. Click here now to listen to the samples or to download them for later.

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All the smart cookies in your classroom will appreciate the wisdom in One Smart Cookie. New from HarperCollins Children’s Publishing, this book features advice for students of all ages. Plus at the website you’ll find free treats like a cookie recipe, a matching game, a video of the author, and printable stickers. Click here now to check it all out!

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Show students how they can make a difference with free materials from SmileTrain. This charity helps poor children in developing countries by raising money to repair cleft lips and palates. The surgery—which costs as little as $250 and takes 45 minutes—allows children to speak and eat properly, go to school, hold jobs, and escape stigma. Request a free DVD and consider a SmileTrain fundraiser at your school this year. To learn more, visit www.smiletrain.org.

Post your comments on our blog for your chance to WIN. And don’t forget to tell your colleagues about our blog as well!

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It’s official: if crayons are on sale for a nickel, then back-to-school must be coming soon. Read on for great offers that will help you get the supplies you need for the new school year!

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Tell us, what’s on your back-to-school shopping list? Submit a comment to our blog by midnight EDT on Monday, August 16, and you’ll be entered in a drawing to win one of the books featured in the Learning magazine back-to-school issue. Moon Bear, written by Brenda Z. Guiberson and illustrated by Ed Young, gives children a chance to peek into this bear’s little-known world. This is a book you and your students will treasure. Click here now to learn more! (Update: Congratulations to Jana, who was our contest winner! Jana, we hope your and your students enjoy this book!)

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Are you preparing school supply lists for your class? Include Westcott kids’ scissors and you’ll be eligible for a gift—a FREE pair of titanium nonstick adult-size scissors valued at $17! Westcott kids’ scissors feature Microban antimicrobial protection to help keep germs under control this year. To get your free gift, fax your school supply list showing Westcott kids’ scissors to 203-254-6019 or email it to WestcottSchoolLists@acmeunited.com. Click here now to learn more or to access a ready-to-use school supply list!

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Have you heard about Cricut? It’s the latest innovation in paper crafts. Do arts and crafts, create classroom decorations, and much more with this personal electronic cutter. Watch the demonstration video to see all that Cricut can do. Plus check out the free project ideas at the Cricut Education website. Click here now!

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Doing a class website and keeping it updated can be a drain on your time. With TeacherWeb, you’ll get templates that you can customize and update with just a few clicks. The program is used by more than 100,000 teachers all over the world. Get all the details; click here now!

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Calling all Everyday Heroes: you could win $1,000 in school and office supplies! If you’re the person who comes through in a crunch, helps out a colleague, or otherwise keeps things together and saves the day, visit accoheroes.com to submit a brief explanation or suggest another unsung hero. The contest is sponsored by ACCO Brands. Click here now!

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Be sure to submit a comment to our blog. You could be our lucky prize winner!!

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The back-to-school issue of Learning magazine is in the mail! While you’re waiting for your copy, I thought I’d give you a sneak peek at some of the goodies in this issue. There are 150 prizes, 22 contests, and 48 freebies. Wow! Click here now to visit our website to start entering contests and finding freebies before the school year begins!

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When does school start in your area? Let us know when your first day is and what’s on your mind for back-to-school. Submit your comment to our blog by midnight EDT on Monday, August 2, and you’ll be entered into a drawing for one of my favorite children’s books featured in the Learning back-to-school issue: Magnus Maximus, a Marvelous Measurer. Magnus revels in his role as the town’s official measurer as he counts the stinkiest socks and the bristles on his toothbrush. However, a little boy teaches Magnus that the most marvelous things aren’t to be measured at all. This book from Farrar, Straus, and Giroux provides lots of opportunities for cross-curricular lessons. Click here to learn more and to see the book video!

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As you’re doing your back-to-school planning, set aside time to check out Thinkfinity. This site from the Verizon Foundation includes thousands of free lesson plans that cover the curriculum. You’ll find interactive games, print-and-use pages, classroom-ready activities, and much more. Click here now to take a tour. Once school starts, you’ll be glad you checked it out!

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Here’s another great way to start your school year: sign up for a free e-newsletter from WhisperPhone. WhisperPhone allows students to hear themselves as they read aloud, improving their skills and encouraging them to read with expression. The newsletter includes easy ideas for using WhisperPhone, giveaways, and more. Plus you’ll have a chance to share how you use WhisperPhone in your classroom and win free WhisperPhone products! Make sure you don’t miss out: click here now!

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Smokey Bear is having a birthday! What better way to start your school year than by celebrating Smokey’s big day–August 9–in a big way with books, coloring books, DVDs, and more in English and Spanish from the US Forest Service. Visit www.symbols.gov to order these products and others. Mark your calendar!

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We’ll have lots of other resources to help you get ready for back-to-school. Keep reading!

PS: If you haven’t heard, we’re hosting a free online workshop on Tuesday, August 3, at 2 p.m. Click here now to register!

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