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Đang hiển thị bài đăng từ Tháng 4, 2017

The Mysterious Abductions by Tracey Hecht ⇉ A Creative Imagining of Animal Life

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As a young reader, I loved books with animals. One reason is that I loved animals and would have loved to live a life surrounded by different species of animals. Another reason is that such books gave me the opportunity to explore different worlds. The Mysterious Abductions  is reminiscent of some of my favorite childhood reads. I enjoyed my stay in this world. WHAT I LIKED Characters with Personality The Mysterious Abductions  is filled with characters with personality. Each character has a distinct personality that makes them memorable. Consequently, though many different characters are introduced, it's fairly easy to remember who is who based on their personality. (The downside is that we only get to know the characters on a superficial level.) Creative Imagining of Animal Lives Tracey Hecht provides a creative imagining of animal lives in The Mysterious Abductions . I enjoyed following the adventures of nocturnal animals and their interactions with each other in this novel...
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When Mommy's Home with Me by Alison Moulton ⇉ A Sweet Tribute to Motherhood

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Everyone who's heard me talk about my mom knows how much I love and respect her. Mothers do so much for their children. As I age, I'll only keep learning more of these things. When Mommy's Home with Me  is a book that both young readers and older readers can appreciate. WHAT I LIKED Diverse Mothers Because the story doesn't focus on one family, it was able to portray mothers in different roles. There are mothers of various occupations spending time with their children. From the wording, it seems that some have decided to quit their jobs to stay at home with their children; others are still working. Diverse Families The families look different as well. There are diverse ethnic groups as well as families with children of different numbers, genders, and ethnicities. One thing in common is that the focus is on the mother, so the fathers are not portrayed. Learning Opportunity for Children Children will learn that mothers come in different shapes, colors, and occupations. Th...
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Xander and the Dream Thief by Margaret Dilloway ⇉ Everything I Loved in the First Novel

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As I mentioned in my review of book 1, I was drawn to the Momotaro  series because it features an Asian hero and mythology and because I love children's books. Xander's adventures remind me that people go through growing pains and become stronger individuals for them. Note: If you haven't read the first book, there will be spoilers from that one!! WHAT I LIKED Everything I Liked from the First Book Asian MC, Japanese mythology & culture, good family dynamics (minus the entrance of the mother figure), beautiful artwork . . . Momotaro #2  remains true to the elements that I enjoyed from book one. For more details, click here to read my review of Momotaro #1 . Character Growth Xander is still a pubescent teen dealing with tween issues, and now he's one with special powers. He's quite the handful. That said, this provides much room for character growth, and Xander does just that. Young readers can relate to Xander's problems and learn how to work through issues....
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Xander and the Lost Island of Monsters by Margaret Dilloway ⇉ A Modern Spin on Japanese Mythology

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There's something magical about children's books that captivates me. No matter how old I get, I don't believe that I'll ever tire of them. Xander and the Lost Island combines the magic of children's books with Japanese mythology. There aren't enough books featuring Asian culture and characters, so I'm always ecstatic to find one on a topic that I love! WHAT I LIKED Asian MC There are few books—and still fewer middle grade books—out there with an Asian hero. As soon as I saw this novel had a Japanese hero (well, Japanese-Irish hero), my interest was piqued. Growing up, I didn't have many books with heroes who looked like me, so I appreciate this book having an Asian MC. Japanese Mythology & Norms I love East Asian culture, and that includes learning more about the mythologies. The figures in Japanese mythology are very different from Western mythology. This novel provides a fun introduction to some of the figures of Japanese mythology as well as some...
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Saving My Assassin by Virginia Prodan ⇉ A Powerful, Thrilling, and Uplifting Testimony

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Political intrigue. Drama. Suspense. Danger. And even some romance. These elements come together in Saving My Assassin , a memoir that provides an insider perspective to life in communist Romania under the leadership of Nicolae Ceaușescu with a focus on Christian persecution. "The world is a dangerous place; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." Albert Einstein Gripping and Suspenseful Saving My Assassin  proved to be as gripping as you'd expect given the elements listed above. Nowadays, as a second-year teacher, I rarely feel like I have the time to read for leisure—much less finish a book in one sitting. Outside of breaking for lunch and a quick grocery run, that's exactly what happened with  Saving My Assassin . It was that unputdownable. The story is rather fast-paced. In the first quarter or so of the book, we fly through Virginia's childhood and studies as a law student, then we proceed to prog...
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5 Reasons to Watch War Room with the Family

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Back when War Room  first came out, I had mixed feelings about the premise. This sounds like another cheesy romance drama in which the couple learns the power of faith to overcome any trial in an unbelievably short amount of time. In many ways, this is  another cheesy romance drama because that's exactly what happens. It's the elements added to the mix of drama that makes this movie worth watching. Following are five reasons to watch War Room  with the family. Family Friendly As more of my close friends get married, I begin to think more about what I would be okay watching with a younger audience. Unlike many secular romance films, the focus of War Room  is not on the romantic drama or the specific individuals involved. It's clear that there is a higher power at work here. The film also doesn't contain inappropriate content for children. (See the content rating below for more details.) Miss Clara Whenever Miss Clara appeared on the screen, my family and I knew we wer...
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Movie Monday: Room

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Room Directed by: Lenny Abrahamson Genre: Drama, Thriller Running time: 117 minutes Released: 2015 Distributed by A24 Films Held captive for years in an enclosed space, a woman (Brie Larson) and her 5-year-old son (Jacob Tremblay) finally gain their freedom, allowing the boy to experience the outside world for the first time. Room seems like a small-scale film, but it does so much with so little. Most of the film centers on just two characters, a mother and her son, and takes place inside of a small room. However, even with the seemingly small focus of the film, there are heavy internal struggles as they adjust to a completely different world and their new lives in it. Half of the film centers around 5-year old Jack and his mother who is simply referred to as Ma and their lives as they are contained to a single 10-square foot room that they call ‘Room.’ Ma was kidnapped and held captive 7 years ago by a man they call Old Nick and has since had a son five years ago. There is a daring e...
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Movie Monday: Jurassic World

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Jurassic World Directed by: Colin Trevorrow Genre: Science Fiction Adventure Running time: 124 minutes Released: 2015 Produced by Amblin Entertainment Located off the coast of Costa Rica, the Jurassic World luxury resort provides a habitat for an array of genetically engineered dinosaurs, including the vicious and intelligent Indominus rex. When the massive creature escapes, it sets off a chain reaction that causes the other dinos to run amok. Now, it's up to a former military man and animal expert (Chris Pratt) to use his special skills to save two young brothers and the rest of the tourists from an all-out, prehistoric assault. Review The dinosaur amusement park that John Hammond dreamed of setting up has finally been created, and Jurassic World is a real spectacle. While the characters feel flat and the writing is nothing special, the film brings incredible scenery, great camerawork and visuals, and thrilling action. It does a great job of breathing life back into the Jurassic P...
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Review: Change Places With Me by Lois Metzger

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Change Places with Me Lois Metzger Genre: YA  mystery ,  science fiction Hardback: 224 Pages Publication: June 14, 2016 by Balzer + Bray Rose has changed. She still lives in the same neighborhood and goes to the same high school with the same group of kids, but when she woke up today, something was a little different. Her clothes and hair don’t suit her anymore. The dogs who live upstairs are no longer a terror. She wants to throw a party—this from a girl who hardly ever spoke to her classmates before. There’s no more sadness in her life; she’s bursting with happiness. But something still feels wrong to Rose. Because until very recently, she was an entirely different person—a person who’s still there inside her, just beneath the thinnest layer of skin. Review Lois Metzger has a talent for writing dark, unsettling novels. Novels that, despite their dark mysterious nature, draw you deeper and deeper into the story. That, plus the complex nature of humanity that Metzger showcases...
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