Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Enter our sweepstakes now for your chance to win the new Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed app that reached #1 on iTunes top paid book list! 

This top selling app, based on the classic children’s book, will be the perfect edition to any digital library. With three reading options and exciting new features, this app promotes reading in children of all ages and levels. Don’t miss your chance to win this adorable book app!  

To enter, fill out the entry form here.

The sweepstakes is open from 5 PM ET 2/25/11 to 5 PM ET 3/4/11. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing. 

As soon as they say good night to Mama, the five little monkeys start to jump on their bed. But trouble lies ahead as, one by one, they fall off and hurt themselves. Their Mama called the doctor and the doctor said, “No more monkeys jumping on the bed!” This charming bedtime story is sure to send children giggling off to bed at night…hopefully without any clever new ideas! 

New features in this omBook for your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch include professional narration, background audio and high resolution artwork for each scene.  To promote reading in young children, individual words are highlighted as the story is read and words zoom up when pictures are touched. By combining the original text and artwork with features that entertain and promote reading, this omBook appeals to readers of all ages.

Three ways to read this omBook (Oceanhouse Media digital book):
★ “Read to Me” — listen to the narrated story with words highlighted as they are read
★ “Read it Myself” — read the book in its traditional form
★ “Auto Play” — plays like a movie, automatically reading and turning pages. Great for younger children!

Additional Features:
★ Picture / Word association — words zoom up and are spoken when pictures are touched
★ Professional audio narration
★ Custom background audio for each scene
★ Pages pan & zoom to accentuate the colorful, original artwork
★ This ‘Universal App’ is optimized for Retina displays and the iPad

For full terms and conditions, click here.

To buy the app today, click here.

We’re reading the STUFF: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things pb - because who isn’t fascinated by this deviant behavior?

fridayreads:

Yep, it’s that time again. Reblog this post and add a line about what you’re reading this week. You’ll be joining more than 5,000 readers who share their selections every week, AND you’ll be entered to win great prizes.

As we mentioned last week, The Spice Necklace: My Adventures in Caribbean Cooking, Eating, and Island Life by Ann Vanderhoof is now available in paperback!

For two years, Ann and her husband Steve sailed through the Caribbean, exploring the local island cultures and flavors that would eventually become the inspiration for The Spice Necklace. Though we (unfortunately) can’t rescue you from the cold and whisk you to a Caribbean paradise, we can share some of Ann’s mouth-watering recipes.

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Considering that today is Valentine’s Day, why not start with dessert? Chocolate may be a V-day staple, but Guadeloupean vanilla is the star of Ann’s “Torments of Love” pastries - and yes, they’re so good it hurts.

For the Torments of Love, You will need:

• 12 Frozen tart shells, thawed, or 12 muffin cups lined with pie or tart pastry
• 1/4 cup coconut jam (recipe follows), or other thick tropical fruit jam such as guava or pineapple (approx) (50 mL)
• 1 cup pastry cream (recipe follows) (250mL)

For cake topping:

• 1 extra-large egg
• 3 tbsp brown sugar (45 mL)
• 2 1/2 tbsp flour (35 mL)
• 1 tsp lemon zest (5 mL)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (2 mL)

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). To make the cake topping, beat the egg with the brown sugar until the mixture thickens, then gently stir in flour, lemon zest, and vanilla.
2. Spread about 3/4 tsp (4 mL) of jam in the bottom of each tart shell or pastry-lined muffin cup.
3. Top the jam with 1 heaping tablespoon (20 mL) of the pastry cream, leaving a little space for the cake topping.
4. Cover the pastry cream with a layer of cake topping.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes until golden.

Makes 12 tarts. Best eaten on the day they’re made.

Pastry Cream:

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar (75 mL)
• 1 tbsp flour (15 mL)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch (15 mL)
• 1 egg
• 1 cup light cream (250 mL)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (5 mL)
• 1 1/2 tsp butter (7mL)

1. Combine sugar, flour, and cornstarch in a small saucepan.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and cream. Add to dry ingredients and cook over medium heat, whisking to keep lump-free, until mixture comes to a boil and is thickened (about 10 minutes).
3. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and butter.
4. Cover and cool completely before using.

Makes 1 cup (250 mL). Can be made a few days ahead and refrigerated until using.

Coconut Jam:

• 1 cup packed grated fresh coconut (250 mL)
• 1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar (125 mL)
• 1/2 cup water (125 mL)
• 3 tbsp rum (45 mL)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (2 mL)

1. Place all ingredients in a heavy saucepan and cook 30 to 40 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture has a thick, jam-like consistency.
2. Cool and store in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Makes about 1/2 cup (125 mL), enough for 2 batches of tarts. Try the jam spread on toast or scones. It will keep indefinitely in the refrigerator.

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Add some island flare to your special day and surprise your loved one with this delicious pastry! The best part, other than the food itself, is that none of Ann’s recipes require fancy kitchen gadgets and tools. So sit back, relax, and escape to your own private island with these heart - and soul - warming recipes.

What other Spice Necklace recipes do you want to see here? Starters/snacks, drinks, mains, soups/salads/sides, or more desserts? Let us know by tweeting us @hmhbooks or by “liking” us on Facebook!

HMH recently celebrated reaching over 2,500 followers on Twitter, and now we’ve also reached 1,000 fans on Facebook! To celebrate this happy occasion, we’re offering our Facebook Fans a chance to win HMH books through our 1000th Facebook Fan Sweepstakes!

Starting at 12:00 AM ET on Monday, February 14, and ending at 11:59 PM ET on Friday, February 18, our Facebook fans will have a chance to win one of five 2-book prize packs!* Each day, one winner will be chosen to receive a prize pack including a classic General Interest title as well as a classic Children’s book. You can enter every day, but we are limiting 1 winning prize pack per entrant. 

Prize packs:

Monday: The Time Traveler’s Wife and Graceling

Tuesday: Best American Short Stories 2010 and The Complete Adventures of Curious George

Wednesday: Peterson Guide to Birds of North America and Gossie

Thursday: Around My French Table and The Little Prince Pop-Up

Friday: Those Who Save Us and Number the Stars

Click here to enter the 1000th Facebook Fan Sweepstakes!**

*Entrants must be U.S. residents 18 or older.

**Click here for Terms and Conditions

We’re rereading one of our fave 21st century love stories, Maynard & Jennica!

fridayreads:

Give me an R!

Give me an….oh, what the heck. Just tell us what you’re reading this week.

Reblog this post to join thousands of FridayReads participants worldwide and be entered to win bookish prizes.

We’re catching up with our favorite heroine of the high seas, Jacky “Bloody Jack” Faber, in Curse of the Blue Tattoo! 

fridayreads:

Yep, it’s that time again. Reblog this post and add a line about what you’re reading this week. You’ll be joining more than 5,000 readers who share their selections every week, AND you’ll be entered to win great prizes.