Released on = June 30, 2006, 2:36 pm

Press Release Author = Stacey Kannenberg/Cedar Valley Publishing

Industry = Education

Press Release Summary = The California Department of Education Compliance Board has
approved \"Let's Get Ready For Kindergarten!\" as a socially, morally and legally
acceptable children's book for California schools and awarded the same designation
to \"Let's Get Ready For First Grade!,\" the next book in the series. Both
award-winning books are designed to assist parents in preparing their children for
their first years in school, making sure they get off on the right foot and excel in
today's exceedingly demanding early childhood curriculum.

Press Release Body = Fredonia, WI -- Cedar Valley Publishing is pleased to announce
the California Department of Education Compliance Board has just approved \"Let's Get
Ready For Kindergarten!\" as a socially, morally and legally acceptable children's
book for California schools and awarded the same designation to \"Let's Get Ready For
First Grade!,\" the next book in the series. Both award-winning books are designed to
assist parents in preparing their children for their first years in school, making
sure they get off on the right foot and excel in today's exceedingly demanding early
childhood curriculum.

The recent California Department of Education endorsement essentially allows
California Public School Districts to purchase these books from the educational
budget, if the school has available funding.

And all this started from watching the Oprah Winfrey show.

In 2003 Stacey Kannenberg contacted her neighbor and decided to become walking
buddies after watching the Oprah Winfrey show. From their walks and the show came
the idea to write a children's book for Oprah's Big Dream Contact to help get their
own kids ready for that first day of school. They were further inspired by Oprah
episodes on \"Self-Publishing\" and \"Mommy Businesses,\" both shows that encouraged
them to start up Cedar Valley Publishing in 2004.

Three years later their books continue to garner awards.

\"Let\'s Get Ready For Kindergarten!\" and \"Let\'s Get Ready For First Grade!\" are both
award winning books that have received national acclaim. One was voted 2005 Best
Educational Book of the Year Award through the Adding Wisdom Award (AWA) program of
Parent to ParentT; the other received the same honor in 2006. They have been a hot
topic among morning TV talk show hosts, newspapers and radio. And the Kindergarten
book has been awarded a Silver Addy for illustrations from the American Advertising
Awards. Both books were selected by Orca Communications as one of the Top Holiday
2006 Educational Gift Pick. Most recently they received approval and endorsements
from the California Department of Education.

\"Most parents want to be involved in the educational process for their kids,\" says
Kannenberg, now the sole owner of Cedar Valley Publishing, the publisher of the
books. \"Unfortunately, many do not know what to do. Some will be shocked at how
advanced the Kindergarten and First Grade curriculum has become and unfortunately, a
few will realize that they should have been working with their children at home
before they entered Kindergarten and First Grade. It's not just knowing your name,
address, phone number, and tying your shoes, it's about taking an active role in
learning. It\'s simple -- I'm helping parents get involved in education at the core.\"

Both award-winning learning books give parents an overview of what children need to
know for prior to entering their first years in school.

Let's Get Ready For Kindergarten! introduces and recommends a list of skills that
parents can work on at home and school. On the list: how to share, how to take turns
and listen quietly, wait patiently and use words to communicate, recognize and know
your full name, know your parent's and/or caregiver's first and last name, how to
dress yourself; how to zip, tie or fasten your clothing; recite and recognize the
alphabet, and how to use a pencil, crayons, glue and scissors.

The books introduce 6 different culturally diverse kids and a teacher to help make
the core curriculum concepts fun. Children learn by following the illustrations and
teachers or parents teach simply by reading each page. These books are the perfect
solution for preparing children to succeed in the national \"No Child Left Behind\"
program. Children can use dry erase markers in each book as they are printed on
durable dry erase material. The idea is to have one book to prepare a child for each
grade.

The Harlem Children's Zone was so impressed by the Kindergarten book they ordered
one for each child entering kindergarten. The Harlem Children's Zone works with a
60-block area in Harlem, NY and holds a lottery system to guarantee kids that if
they are selected into the program and when they complete it, that they will get a
paid college scholarship.

Book information:
\"Let\'s Get Ready for Kindergarten\" (ISBN#: 1-933476-00-1, $15) and \"Let\'s Get Ready
for First Grade\" (1-933476-10-9, $17) are available
fromwww.cedarvalleypublishing.com; www.Amazon.com; www.Target.com;
www.barnesandnoble.com; Borders and select Learning Express stores nationwide.

About Stacey Kannenberg:
Stacey Kannenberg is an award-winning author. Her first book, \"Let's Get Ready for
Kindergarten\" has been a hot topic among morning TV talk show hosts, newspapers and
radio and has garnished several awards. Her second children's book in the series,
\"Let's Get Ready for First Grade!\" was released last March, 2006, and has already
won the Parent to Parent Adding Wisdom Award. She and her family live in Fredonia,
WI. Her books have just received approval and endorsements from the California
Department of Education.

Parent to Parent:
Parent to Parent.com is a Web site for parents by parents dedicated to good
parenting. It is based on and features the syndicated newspaper column Parent to
ParentT written by internationally syndicated columnist, author and Family-Health
Educator Jodie Lynn.



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Web Site = http://CedarValleyPublishing.com

Contact Details = Stacey Kannenberg
Cedar Valley Publishing
N6854 Cedar Valley Road
Fredonia, WI 53021
Phone: 920-994-9906
www.CedarValleyPublishing.com