Shownotes
Breanna Churchill, a dynamo in the world of children's education and literature, joins us for an enlightening conversation that’s as engaging as a bedtime story filled with giggles and wonder. As a full-time home educator and the founder of the Brown Bear Book Club, Brianna opens up about her journey through the whimsical world of children's books—a journey that began with her toddler's fascination with transportation. With a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education, Brianna knows the ins and outs of what makes children tick, and she passionately believes in fostering a love for reading from an early age. We dive deep into how her personal experiences as a mother of two adventurous boys inspire her writing, and how she tailors her books to reflect their interests and the lessons she wants them to learn.
Throughout our chat, we get a peek into Breanna's philosophy on literacy and child development, sprinkled with humor and relatable anecdotes. She emphasizes the importance of creating a literacy-rich environment at home—think books in every nook and cranny, including the car! We also discuss the powerful role of storytelling in teaching children about kindness, empathy, and the importance of making choices in their reading adventures. Breanna’s insights are not just for parents but for anyone involved in nurturing young minds. Her tips on how to choose books that resonate with kids are pure gold, and her enthusiasm for making reading fun is downright contagious!
Prepare to be inspired as we explore Breanna's upcoming projects, including a delightful new book featuring a young cheetah that navigates life lessons in the savannah. With her knack for blending education with entertainment, Breanna is on a mission to help parents and educators ignite that spark of curiosity and joy in the hearts of children everywhere. Whether you’re a fellow parent, an educator, or someone simply passionate about children’s literature, this episode is bursting with nuggets of wisdom that will leave you ready to dive into the world of books with your little ones!
A gift from our guest: Free Little Bird's Yearly Planner
Breanna Churchill is the wife of Fabian Churchill. Together they have two adventurous boys. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood with a concentration in Child and Family Services. Her professional experience includes working as a teacher, child care director, tutor, and family/community service worker. Currently, she is a full-time home educator, tutor, Sunday school teacher, an award-winnin author of children’s books, and the founder of The Brown Bear Book Club. The club empowers parents/guardians and educators with book ideas, tools, and tips for young children. Breanna believes wholeheartedly in the scripture "Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him." Psalms 127:3.
@thebrownbearbookclub on Instagram
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Transcripts
Today I have the pleasure of introducing Breanna Churchill Brianna is the wife of Fabian Churchill. Together they have two adventurous boys.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education with a concentration in Child and Family services.
Her professional experiences includes working as a teacher, child care director, tutor, family community service, and a family community service worker.
Currently, she's a full time home educator, tutor, Sunday school teacher, award winning author of children's books and the founder of the Brown Bear Book Club. The club empowers parents, guardians and educators with book ideas, tools and tips for young children.
Breanna believes wholeheartedly in the Scripture. Children are a gift from the Lord. They are a reward from him. Psalms 127, chapter three or chapter one. I don't know how to say that all the time.
Thank you for being here, Breanna. It is a pleasure to have you here. Thank you for joining us today.
Breanna Churchill:I am so glad to be here. Thank you for having me.
Kristina:You. Yeah, we are so glad you are here. You know, whenever I come across people like you, like, it's time to really make sure our kids can read right.
Let's get the passion of reading in at an early age. Let's help the parents make sure that they can read and interact with their children in a way that works.
You know, reading is for fun, but you can also learn a lot when you're doing those. Read, read aloud at night when it's bedtime. So what is your passion? How did you get into the book part?
I know you've been an educator, I know you're a mom. What drew you to actually producing books?
Breanna Churchill:What drew me? It actually started with my, my oldest son when he was a toddler. I, he was learning the Alphabet and he was really into transportation.
And I said, I just, I just want him to have a book about vehicles and things that he likes. And I came, one of my friends was like, you should write a book. And I was like, I'm not an author. Like, I'm not going to write a book.
And I started doing some research. And in that research, as I found on good old YouTube University, I learned how to publish a book. And so I am very a firm believer in literacy.
When you find, when you make books or read books that children are interested in, they're more likely to want to read. And so my first book was the, my first transportation book inspired by my son's interest in vehicles. And so that's honestly how I got started.
It was through my children's interest. And I wanted them to, I wanted our story times together to be something that they were engaged in. So I wanted to use their interest.
Kristina:So very, very important because yeah, there, you know, you can give a child a book and if they aren't interested, if the pictures don't draw them in, if the topic isn't what they really want to read about, you're right, they won't read. They're like, no, I'm done, I'm not there.
So you know, how many of us remember curling up with a good book and not being able to put it down because we were interested in it? It was a book that we chose, a book about something we loved. Mine were horses. Any horse book. You handed me a horse book and I was all over that book.
Herb:Yeah. Nope, I totally just lost what I was going to say there because that happens sometimes.
Kristina:It does happen sometimes. So did your son grow out of transportation? What other topics did he lead you to producing books about?
Breanna Churchill:Well, he did grow out of transportation and honestly my, my next book that's coming out soon is about a young cheetah because both of my children love animals. And so I've incorporated the cheetah aspect of being in the savannah and I've incorporated life lessons that I wanted my children to learn about.
I have created other books. Not all of them are directly tied to my kids interests, but just in general concepts that I believe is important for kids. And I try to um.
It's more so the angle. So like the last book, the Little Bird who wanted to Fly, I incorporated dance movements and funny little twist offs to it.
And I was thinking about at that time my second son was born and I was thinking about he's wiggly toddler, he's wanting to run, he's wanting to.
So in that book, even though the bird wasn't necessarily my children's interest, but I incorporated ways within the story like movement, dancing, singing and even eating because we know kids love to eat. All of those things are in there. But then I also incorporated the wisdom of God's word in there that I wanted them to learn.
And so that is one another aspect that I used. And my. One of my latest books.
Herb:Yeah, yeah. There are so many books out about trains and cars and dinosaurs and you know, little boys tend to be a little more into that.
And it's also so it's so interesting how it's like age appropriate because that's what's important to like a 3, 4 or 5 year old. But then as they get a little older it's like their books change with them because they do reading what's important to them at that age.
So then say like at 13 and 14, that's when they kind of start reading books that have more boys and girls kind of interactions in it because that's what's important to them then.
So yes, it's really important to tailor the books to where your child is at in life and what was going to be important to them because that's what's going to grab their attention.
Kristina:So how do you help parents? Right, we want parents to get the right kind of books for their kiddos and things like that.
And some parents think, oh, I can just pick any book off the shelf and reach my kid and it's going to be super beneficial and they're going to really, really enjoy it. Do you have any tips for parents on how to pick books to read to their children and with their children?
Breanna Churchill:Oh yeah. Oh yeah. The first tip I always say is children should be a part of the process.
So whether you're going to the library, whether you're going to the bookstore, whether it's books in your own home, you want children. What do you want to read today? Give children choices.
Now obviously, if you're in the thick of homeschooling, there's some concepts that we're, you know, we're going to read about, we're going to have to read about. But you can even, but even in that, you can still give children autonomy by giving them, hey, do you want to read this one or this one?
So my number one tip is inviting children into the process. The second tip I would say is creating a literacy rich environment. So having books, we have books in every place of our home.
Having books in your living room, having books in your, if you have a play area in their bedroom, having books even in the car. I have books that I keep in the car and my kids, a lot of times the books that I keep in the car is books that my children are interested in.
So like for example, my youngest son, which this threw me for a loop. He's gained an interest for history and he loves reading about tales about Americans.
And he's only four and we get in the car and he, it's right there inside the little, you know, the car pocket part. He pulls it out and he starts flipping through the pages. Is this Abraham Lincoln? Is this. He likes to know the people and it warms my heart.
My oldest son, like you said, his interest has changed. He's now seven and so he's into space.
And so a lot of times we go to the library because We've bought a lot of space books, but he still wants to learn more about space and obviously animals.
And so we go to the library sometimes I'll leave the library books in the car so they won't be late, turn back, and those will be our hard books, too. And again, just creating literacy environments everywhere in the car, all throughout the home, so children can't. And their actual environment.
Oh, pick up a book. And then three.
I would also say until children gain a love for literacy, because for some children, especially if you didn't start off early on, like, let's say, when their baby's reading to them, and now you're trying to, you know, maybe they're kindergarten, you're like, oh, I need to start reading, reading more. And they're. And let's just say you've been doing a lot of screen time or you've been doing a lot of other things.
I would say setting a set time with the child. So, for example, maybe during snack time, because that child is eating.
And for young children, eating is a way that they're now comfortable, they're relaxed, they're more willing to possibly listen to a story. Obviously, classical bedtime is always a good time to read to children.
And then what you'll find is those stories that they're engaged in during those comfortable moments, they may naturally start going back to those books later during the day. And that's what you want to see is kids getting a book and getting on the couch and reading. And it just makes me excited when I see that.
Herb:Yeah, I still have awesome memories of when I was a kid, my mom reading to me. And I don't remember learning how to read. I remember learning, like, have to do punctuation and stuff like that.
But my mom would read and I would be like, watching her turn the pages. And then one day she stopped, and I didn't want her to stop, so I just kept going. And I realized I couldn't.
So I didn't learn to read in the traditional sense. And we. My mom also, we had these books where back in the day, they were Disney cassette tapes.
And you would put them in the tape player and there would be this little chime. And each time the chime came, you would have to turn the page, and sometimes you would be on the wrong page and by the visual clues and. And then.
And then as you learn the words, it's like, oh, that's not the right word. I'm on the wrong. So lots. Those are some of the great memories that I had because Reading was so incredibly, very important to me growing up.
Breanna Churchill:Yes, yes. And honestly, I'm glad you brought that up.
Herb:How do you. How again, you talked about sometimes parents don't get started reading early enough. I mean, I, I, Is it ever too late?
Breanna Churchill:No, it's never too late. No, no, it is never too late to start reading to your children.
And honestly, one of the things I would say, let's just say, because in this generation, screen time has taken over. If you have a child that has had screen time, I do believe it can be an addiction.
One thing you can do is just like what you just gave the example about your mother and that generation with what she would do with the literacy engagement. You could also do that in this generation where, for example, my youngest son, he's really into Dr. Seuss as well.
So he'll get his little Dr. Seuss books, and I will put it on our TV and we're reading along as he's flipping through the pages with Dr. Seuss. And that's another way to even audiobooks in the car.
And even if you don't have a app like Audible, there's so many books on YouTube these days that especially an author like Dr. Seuss, sure enough, his whole collection is probably on there. And a child could be in the car listening to a story and flipping the pages, just like you just mentioned.
But I think the key thing is don't give up, because a lot of parents think, oh, they ran away, or they're, they're pouting. Even if they run away, even if you read a few pages a day, even if you don't finish the book, it's okay. It's okay.
Another thing I would also say, especially for young children, is using props. So puppets, changing your voice, movement, those are all ways to engage children. So it's every day.
And if you have an older child that is not interested in reading, like I think about my nephews, I have some teenagers, some teenage nephews. And one of the things we talk about is going back to what I said initially. What are you interested in?
So one of my nephews, he's 17, and I said, what are you interested in? And he's like, sports. I'm like, well, let's see if we can find some sports books. And, you know, do you like sports magazines? Do you like sports?
Because the thing is, as long as it's lining up with your family's values and a wholesome book, you know, in our case, then it should be okay. You know, you have to just help them sometimes. You have to help them find the book, the right book for them.
Kristina:I love that right now they have actually expanded books in so many different ways. Like you said, there's magazines.
They've turned lots of things into graphic novels now, so it's a little more interesting for kiddos and things like that. But one thing I want to say with that is make sure you still go back to the regular books and the chapter books, because guess what?
Graphic novels, when you're just reading little bubbles, you're not getting the fluency of reading that lots of kids need.
Herb:And one of the things I want to say about chapter novels is that that's one of the things that really pulled me into reading was my mom reading the more complex chapter books. Because like I said, sometimes, you know, the Dr. Seuss book is a 15, 20 minute read. Sometimes, sometimes less. Some of them are real short.
Breanna Churchill:Yes, yes.
Herb:But in a book that you have to read over a week or two or even longer, it's like there is this sense of, oh, what's happening next?
You know, and kids don't get that a lot, even in television these days, because if, if the show's not serialized and they can't binge watch it, they'll just wait a couple of years until they can watch it all at once because they can't wait a week at a time. Like, like us who are growing up on a cliffhanger would be like all week.
We would be talking about it in school, about, we can't wait till the next time that show comes on. So that happens in reading as well. And so again, I'm not sure what age, but I know that my mom was reading chapter books before I could read.
Breanna Churchill:Yes, yes, we read. For us, the Bible is a huge one for our home, and that's a huge chapter book. It's a huge one. And you're absolutely right.
And I would almost say don't be afraid, I think even, even when your child as a baby, don't be afraid to read chapter books. Don't. Afraid to.
Kristina:Yeah. So how, how. What kind of activities can a child be doing while they're re. While the parent is reading that chapter book?
Because some kids, you know, we don't want them sitting still all the time. Sitting still isn't good, especially for little ones. What can they do while they're listening to that chapter book?
Breanna Churchill:So I would say again, going back to food, we do a lot of breakfast and literacy books.
We start because it's just a lot of times when we're reading at the table, particularly in the morning, if I'm reading to my children, it stirs up conversation too. So even if we read a little bit, then after that and everyone's still eating, now we have a conversation starter of what we just read about.
So food, of course.
And then second, I would say even just for young children, really anything, they could be block building as you're reading, they could be manipulating playdough as you're reading. Even I would call it this one would be a little bit harder.
But I would say even outside, sometimes I take my children not to the typical playground, but just an open field where it's not a whole lot of distractions. And we'll read outside. I'll have like my little basket and we'll sit outside or read by a lake and just, that's just a calming environment.
And they could be looking around in the environment as you're reading. So those are some cool ways.
Herb:And if it seems like they're not paying attention, my mom did this a couple of times and if I got out of earshot and started missing the story, I would come back with an earshot. It didn't look like I was paying attention, but, but again, I had to, I had to keep busy.
And if I got too far away and I started missing words, I would start playing closer. So, you know, again, if, even if it. Start speaking quieter and see if they say mom, speak up. You know, lots of things.
Breanna Churchill:Yes.
Herb:And, and one other thing is, is if they like being read to. And then as they get a little older, they seem to put the books down.
A lot of times it's because they missed something in reading and reading is uncomfortable for them. They love it, they want to do it, but it became uncomfortable and they don't know how to ask for help.
So if your kid, your child doesn't like reading, it could be because they just haven't found the material they want, or it could be that they're really excited, but they're just so frustrated and it's uncomfortable because they miss something and they don't know.
So again, as, as you're reading with your children, pay attention and because this is, this is the key fundamental thing for the rest of their life for learning.
Breanna Churchill:That is so true. That is so true.
Herb:The reading brings in the love of learning. So don't, don't let this one go.
Breanna Churchill:Stay consistent.
Kristina:Yeah, exactly.
So in your research, getting ready to write, like write your books and things like that, what were some of the key things that you wanted to make sure your Books had, whether it be phonics or rhyming or whatever else is that really helps kids learn how to read. What were some of the key components you really wanted to put into your books?
Breanna Churchill:I think the elements, I think the first element, the first thing that I would, that I put in my books is the. Once I decide what type of book it's going to be, far as the style and layout is the key elements of what makes a story a good story.
So I'm thinking about the beginning, the setting. I'm thinking about what is going to keep the child engaged throughout the story. So the conflict. How. Because children love to.
When you have a story that has a little bit of a conflict or a little bit of a cliffhanger, that child is now like, okay, what's going to happen next? Is it going to happen? So we have the beginning, the setting, the conflict, and then we have the problem, the solution. And so I look at what makes.
In the children's book world, and even just in literature period, you're looking at the elements of what many would consider are critical elements of what makes the story a story. And so those are the key things. And so far I do think rhyming is super important. But I don't have any books right now that rhyme.
Just because in the publishing world right now they don't prefer it. It's kind of interesting. I know, I know.
And the reason why, from what I've been told, is because when you, when you're, when you have books that you are looking to sell in other countries, they don't translate very well. And so it's more of a marketing thing, I think, in the publication world. But I'm not.
I actually love writing poetry, so I do think one day I will have a book that rhyme. But I do think rhyming is very important to phonetic awareness. And I do a lot of rhyming games at home. We sing a lot. And so. Yes.
Kristina:Yeah. Wow.
That makes me sad though that the publishers are only thinking about the marketing part of it instead of what's good for kids because we know early learners need that rhyming. Yeah, well.
Breanna Churchill:And I think it's in it and it's. Another part of it is the. With rhyming books is. It's very saturated.
So it's like what's going to make your rhyming story different from the last hundred that we just read? So it's not that they see the importance of rhyming, but you just have to have. And I'm self published So I really don't have to play by these rules.
But it's just something that when you are looking at different publications, you certainly see, you know, if it's rhyming, we basically don't want to read it because they get a lot. It's a saturated market. It's just a lot of rhyming books out there. But they do see the need for. I wouldn't say that they don't.
It's just a matter of how does your book set itself apart from the hundreds that we just read that rhyme. Yeah. Or the thousands. Or the thousands. Yeah.
Kristina:So what span of readers do your books are books cover? Are they just early readers or are they a little bit. What age range is probably the books best for?
Breanna Churchill:Ideally, I would say three to about eight. Most of them right now are like preschool, second or third grade.
And so I would say right now I haven't written anything higher than a third grade level. So. Yeah, as of now.
Kristina:Yeah, because we, you know, we want to find those books that like you said, are wholesome and appropriate for those age levels. So, you know, we have different groups of books for different ages of kids and different kinds of learning that goes on through there. Yeah.
Herb:And I also really like how you add conflict into your books intentionally because again, that really does help keep the kids attention because they know that there's something to work out. I volunteer. My wife was a teacher for a lot of years, taught second grade. I volunteered in her class. And during reading class, I would.
Reading time, I would like sit in the corner with these little page turner books that were like 10, 15 pages for, for early learners. And even as an adult sometimes the stories were interesting.
And so as a, you know, it's like a, they find a map and they go on a little treasure hunt and they find a treasure hunt and it's obvious to an adult that the dad set it all up. But the kids have this whole little monster scary adventure.
Kristina:You actually remember that.
Herb:Oh gosh, I remember a lot of those.
Kristina:That's awesome.
Herb:And so, yeah, having, having conflict, having challenge does help keep them interested and also in life as well. So it's not just about reading. It's about, it's about moving through life with challenges.
So, you know, make the reading challenging, make their, make the other things challenging. It makes it more fun for the children and it gives them again, more, more ammunition to work with.
Kristina:Let's talk about bridging over. Right? You, you've read to your child, they have a really good base and now it's Time for them to start reading.
How do parents pick readers that are good for them? Because some parents are like, oh, just give them any book. And like, and then they fail, and then they don't feel good.
How do parents pick now books for their kids?
Breanna Churchill:Yeah. So it's interesting. I love that question because I was on that journey with my oldest, and I'm like, okay, he's reading. And.
And I'm like, but wait a second. So honestly, what I found was books that. I'll just throw some names out there, like the Bob books. We found that those were really helpful. The I can.
Bob books. Bob, yeah. Have you heard of them? He's not sure.
Kristina:Bob books. And most. Yeah, I'll. I'll introduce him to Bob later.
Breanna Churchill:Yes, yes. So Bob books, I mean, for us, it was finding a series.
So what I did, what I would encourage parents to do is, number one, to find out, you go with the pace of your child. So just because it says that it's a certain level doesn't mean that your child is at that level.
So for me, I was testing out different because the guide that we used that taught my oldest child to read, used the science of reading. So when he learned to read, he didn't just learn by looking at the pictures. He sounded out words.
And so finding books that would complement his journey and not like, I don't want to backwards. And so we started with the Bog book series. That's where we started. Then we went on to the I Can Read Biscuit series.
Then we went on to some of the more popular series I didn't find very helpful because they don't always. Even though it says beginner reader, sometimes it's not beginner reader.
So I really would say for parents, you really kind of have to test it out with your child and let them read and see, okay, I'm really struggling. And then if they are really struggling, let's look at another series. Or let's take a step back if it is a leveled book.
But it's a huge market, and honestly, you just have to do research. But I. For me, the Bob book series I really liked because there are different sets of them, and you can kind of see, okay, well, this didn't work out.
Now, I will say my oldest child was not very interested. So my oldest child is very much so interested in nonfiction books. He reads fiction books.
He does read fiction books, but he's like, I want to read this space encyclopedia. And I'm like, okay, I just had to. So I didn't Deny him of getting.
Checking out books from the library or even purchasing books I bought that are more advanced because I'm like, you know what? Exposure is exposure. He's going to get there. He's going, this is what he, he enjoys.
But again, going back to my first point, I also start looking for, okay, what are some beginner readers that might include space but that are at his level? What are some beginner readers that might include animals that are at his level.
And then, but then I also introduce him to other books and just see how it goes. So it's really. For me, it was kind of. For my husband and I, it was kind of like a test and trial.
Herb:Honestly, I was all over the place as a reader too. So, yeah, play for. For a long time I got into like young adult. It was called Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators.
And, and these three teenage boys would go around and solve mysteries and the, the problems and that. There was like, I got like 40, 50 of their books in that series because once I started it just pulled me and couldn't wait for the next one.
And so there. Yeah, get. And then, and then I got into science fiction.
And it's really interesting because it's like the vocabulary you get when you're in space is so much different than the vocabulary you get when you're with animals. It's so much different than the vocabulary you get when you're dealing with biographies and non fictions.
Breanna Churchill:Yeah.
Herb:And so vocabulary, I think, is really what started my passion for it because what does this word mean? Ooh, what did. Yes, I figure it out. So not only is there reading, but at the variety of reading brings you vocabulary.
And that, that vocabulary is such a big key into, into expanding your world as well.
Breanna Churchill:Yes.
Herb:So how do you bring, how do you bring new vocabulary or how does your children work with vocabulary? Do you, do you like?
Because I mean, I got to the point where I'd be like going Reader's Digest and every week, every time I'd like flip through the, the big. See how I would do on their 20 vocabulary word test. That was pretty much the only thing I would read in the magazine is the vocabulary tests.
Breanna Churchill:That is really cool. Yes. So we do a lot of like, we kind of couple reading and vocabulary together.
So for example, we just read a book this morning about whales and it had a glossary in there. And so that has been through reading. As we come across words, we naturally just start looking up what they mean.
And a lot of times he'll just ask me what does that mean or what does this mean? And so for us, it's through the natural reading that we begin to discover new words and look up definitions. And so that's been the easiest way.
And my husband recently just brought in a big book. It's a college readiness vocabulary book. And my sons are.
They're young, but he's like, you know, we start looking through it and he's like, I think I'm gonna just start teaching them different words. And I'm like, you know what? Yeah. So it's an ancient looking book.
Like, it's not beautiful at all, but it has a lot of rich literacy, rich words, and enriching words. I know that's something that my husband said.
Kristina:He.
Breanna Churchill:With the boys, he's like, I'm just gonna. Let's just go ahead and start introducing these words.
So even outside of reading, like through stories, for me, homeschooling during the day, when my husband's at home, it comes naturally for me to address it as we're going the day. And then my husband has things that he does with them when he gets home, such as this new thing he wants to do with them.
We do the same thing with Spanish. He also helps them with Spanish in the evenings. Like. Yeah. Learning new words. We're learning as a family.
Kristina:That is so much fun.
And that's, you know, part of the homeschool journey for many people is that, yeah, you learn together, you get interests together, and you start learning new things.
And like, we've talked a little bit about the children, started bringing the education, bringing the learning to them because of their interests and things like that. That.
Herb:Yeah, I'll get into conversations or I'll be watching a video, or I'll even be reading something and. And I'll see a word. And it's like, in my mind, this word means this. And it. And the way they're using it in this sentence doesn't seem right to me.
So I'll like, pop up this thing and I'll like, I'll like start questioning the word and I'll try and figure out. It's like, is. Am I right? Are they using it right?
Because again, I get fascinated sometimes with the, with the sentence structure, with the literature, with, with the actual words. Because. Because a little word can have a huge concept behind it. And it's like, okay, I. I have this word to describe this mountain of information.
Breanna Churchill:Yeah.
Herb:And it's like, now what?
Breanna Churchill:Yes, yes. And I've even thought about with their reading curriculum because there's a lot of new words that we've been going through.
And I was like, I'm thinking some of these words, we can even start pulling out and try to start using it in our daily lives, because I think that would be good, too. So it's not just only when we're doing our reading lesson that they're seeing these words.
I mean, they may see it in the story once or twice, depending on how many times we read it, but to start using some of these words in natural conversation, I love that, too.
Kristina:And, you know, one of the fun things that you can do if you don't have a book around is just create a story, just like I do.
Breanna Churchill:That's right.
Kristina:They add on a sentence and then you add on another sentence, and then you can add those vocabulary words in. Right. And help them use them throughout the story as you're having fun creating the story with your kiddos.
Breanna Churchill:That's a great idea.
Kristina:Yeah. Awesome. Brianna, this has been so much fun.
I love talking about books and kids and reading, and hopefully our parents have been listening to all these wonderful tips and ideas that are in this, this program about, you know, how to get their kids invade engaged and how to keep them engaged and how to help build their skills. So thank you very, very much for that. I know that you have a free gift for our audience. You want to talk about that for just a minute?
Breanna Churchill:Yes, I have. I actually have a couple of freebies.
So, yes, one freebie, especially if you're home, especially for anybody who works with children and homeschooling, is I have a little birds undated planner, and it has a planner with all the dates throughout the year. I also have a. It's a young Cheetahs win or lose scripture chart. I have some Bible verse cards. They're conversational cards.
And so, yeah, I'm full of freebies. When you join the club for free, you get all access to the freebies that I have going on.
Kristina:Oh, that's excellent. Go ahead and tell the audience how to get a hold of you, how to get into the club as well.
Because that way, of course, everything will be down the show notes, but they hear it out loud also.
Breanna Churchill:Yes. So the Brown Bear Book Club, you just go straight to the website, www.brownbearbookclub and you just hit join the club. It's totally free.
It's just a newsletter. And then soon as you join, you get an email right away. And I'm on all social media platforms, so most of them, at least.
Kristina:Excellent. Thank you so very, very much for that. That.
Herb:Yeah. And, you know, we only brushed it a little bit, but we also, you know, you talked about God and Scripture and bringing that in.
How, how much of your reading and stories help with that because, you know, a lot of people are really hesitant to talk about that nowadays. And I'm finding my path back into the faith, and my wife has been Catholic for her whole life. But these stories are important.
This history is important. And so you talked about kind of incorporating some of the ideas in your book. How, how important is that to you?
Because there's so many books out there that, that are popular, but. But take you away from. From that. And as you talked about doing research, so you don't really have to go wrong when you're.
Or be too concerned when you're talking about Bible stories.
Breanna Churchill:Oh, yes. Well, yeah, Well, I think about, like, I'm. The book that I'm working on now. One of the biggest things is, you know, the young Cheetah is prideful.
He's very prideful and he's. He's not focused and he's very rude and boastful. Not about himself. He's all about himself. He's very. Just into himself. Very prideful. Boastful.
I'm supposed to be the fastest. And one thing I love about the Bible is that the Bible teaches us quite the opposite. How do you treat your friends? How do you. When.
When you're facing disappointment in life, what is the. How should you respond? In a way that's loving, in a way that is kind. And so I think that the Bible for our family is the. Is. Is our guide to that.
You know, if I say be kind, okay, why. You know what I mean? I think sometimes what we have in society today is that when we say, oh, well, just be nice to your friend. Well, why.
You know, let's go a little deeper than just be nice to the friend.
And, and in my next book, it goes into that, because as Cheetah is going through his own feelings, you have lions saying, well, how would you feel if someone, you know, in other words, did this to you? Well, even the process of thinking about how you would feel, what we find is that's all in by. That's all in God's word.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Be kind, don't be rude, don't be boast. A lot of these principles that we say in society that we say all the time is rooted in God's word.
And personally, for me, I think it's more meaningful when you do Know that it's not just some random person telling you to be kind to someone, but when you know that God and, and I believe he's the creator of heaven and earth. He's the, the creator of who we are. If he says it, there's a higher authority that is that that comes with.
It's not just, oh, Mommy's just telling me to be kind to a friend. Well, here's why. But then also God tells us that this is why and it's for our good. He's not a angry father. Like, I just want to ruin your life.
This is, this is for the good of people and how we operate in society. So, yeah, and I teach the Bible in a fun way.
Herb:When you first started talking about that, I shook my head. No, it's something you were saying. But then I, because you use the word nice and.
Yeah, that word kind of bugs me because, yes, kindness, kindness is, is very key. But being kind is not always nice. And sometimes being nice to someone, you're not being very kind to them. So there is a distinction.
And it might just be my vocabulary again.
Breanna Churchill:Yes, and I stress being kind, too. I was just saying, like, for example, people throw out these words loosely and, but yet the B doesn't say be nice. It talks about being kind. And so.
Yes, yes. So let me thank you for letting me clear.
Herb:Yeah, I shook my head no, but I didn't know people were seeing that as I wanted to explain that because it's like, because sometimes nice is nice, but kindness is, you know, if someone's about to reach in and hurt themselves and you jump in, smack their hand away, that's the kind thing to do. It might not be nice. Okay. So, yeah, there's a weird distinction there.
And I, I just, you know, I just had to bring that up because I didn't want people shaking my head thinking that was towards the kindness. But other than that, completely agree with, with everything you said.
And I'm so, I'm so happy that you have the courage to stand up and say that in these, in these times.
Breanna Churchill:Yeah. I feel like we, as a mom, feel like I, I, it's not, it's not like it's a kind thing to do or optional thing to do.
I feel like I have to because I'm thinking I'm going to be gone one day and I want to leave my kids with something that they can hold on to because life is not easy. It's not. And it's not, it's not easy. And I want to give them Something. The word of God has changed my life personally and my husband's life.
And I want to be able to share that with them. And my hope one day is that, I mean, they say they believe now, but it's their choice. They all have.
You know, when they get older and they start learning more and more, I'm hoping that they choose to hold on to God's word. But I feel like that's part of the legacy I want to leave them, and I want to leave them with hope and something to hold on to.
Because life, this world, is not always friendly and life is not always easy, and there's going to be challenges and there's going to be disappointments, and I want that. I want to give them truth to hold on to in the face of that.
Kristina:That.
Herb:So now, normally at this point, we kind of ask you, as we're kind of wrapping up, if you have anything else to say that we didn't cover, but that was really beautiful. It might be kind of hard to top, but we're gonna throw that out there anyway.
Is there something that you would have liked to have covered today that we didn't get to. We. We like. We only brush lightly on your books. Would you like to add a little more emphasis to your books?
Is there something else that you would like to. To talk about maybe that, that we miss, that can, that can help you today?
Breanna Churchill:Yeah. The only thing I would just want to leave every parent with here today is to don't be hard on yourself. Take it a day at a time.
Trust that God puts you in your children's life for a purpose. And don't compare yourself to other parents. It's okay to glean and get wisdom, but be flexible. Be intentional, and don't give up.
Homeschooling is not as hard as it might seem. It is hard, but then it's also very rewarding. At least that's what a lot of moms have told me and dads have told me along, along the way who's.
Who's graduated and sent their, Their. Their kids out. They say it's so worth it. I know it's. It is hard at times, but don't give up and keep going.
Know that God has you in your child's life for a purpose. I love that.
Kristina:Thank you.
Herb:Beautiful message.
Kristina:Very, very messy.
Herb:Beautiful, Wonderful message.
Kristina:Message. Yes. Well, thank you so much for being here today.
Thank you for sharing your passion of books, passion of reading and tips and tricks for parents who want to do more with that reading with their kids. Thank you so very, very much.
Herb:And when so many people today just talk about problems and say, oh, I wish it was different, you're out there writing books, you're making a difference, and you're coming out and you're sharing your story. So you've gone out and you fought your dragon and you've got your experience, and you're coming back and sharing it with the village.
And that is the hero's journey. Are a hero. You're out and you're saving the world, and then you're sharing it if you're sharing your journey with.
With the people who need to hear it. So thank you very much for what you do. Thank you for being here today, and it was a pleasure to have you.
Breanna Churchill:Pleasure to be here. Thank you all.
Kristina:Thank you. All right, audience, you know what time it is.
It's time to, like, review, share all those things that help get these wonderful messages out to other families who are in a little bit of a challenging time.
Let's give them tools they need and the help they need, the inspiration they need to go that next step further and help create happy, healthy, and successful kids. There we go. Awesome. All right, everybody, take care, and we will talk to you soon. Bye for now.
Herb:Bye for now.
Breanna Churchill:Bye.
