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Tuesday Tales – The Creature From My Closet Series

Posted on January 21, 2014 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

It was like lightning stuck me when I was working at the book fair at school a few months ago. A book on one of the shelves caught my eye. I immediately look a photo of it to send to TechyDad, and started to check it out on my phone. What I found was that The Creature in My Closet was a series of books by author Obert Skye. The book sitting on the shelf was actually the second book in the series, so I opted not to purchase it at the time. When I went home that evening, I showed NHL the photo of the book, along with the other two books online.

My reluctant reader was begging me to get the books to read. When The Creature in My Closet: Wonkenstein arrived, my fifth grader could barely be pulled away from the book. I actually had to tell him to stop reading a few times because it was time for dinner, time to go to school, or go to bed. For what I believe was the first time, NHL got up in the morning and went right to reading his book. Before I knew it, he had finished Wonkenstein and was ready for the second book Potterwookiee (Harry Potter meet Star Wars). Over winter break, I was amazed to see my kiddo devour the second book. He begged me to get the third book in the series. While waiting for it, he went back to another series that is a spoof of characters that he enjoys. It is hard to explain what the series is about and why I really want to read it as well. Here is a video with the author that will make you understand why kids of all ages will enjoy.

Yes, what is not to love about books that combines Willy Wonka/Frankenstein, Harry Potter/Chewbacca, and Pinocchio/Dracula. NHL is finishing up Pinocula right now and he mentioned that a fourth book is coming out. He is right. In September 2014, Katfish will be released. Can you guess what combination of characters is coming?

If you guessed Katniss from The Hunger Games and Ariel The Little Mermaid, you would be correct. I really, really, really need to catch up so I can talk with NHL about these books and be ready for the next book release later this year.

What book has your child read recently that you want to read? As always, Tuesday Tales is all about sharing our love of books. Please let me know what you have read recently. Be sure to link up to your book posts in the comments below. Include something you read on your own, with a child, or someone else.

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books Tuesday Tales

Tuesday Tales – The Last Snowman

Posted on December 17, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

The beautiful thing about story telling is that a simple life event can be inspiration. This is exactly what happened when JC Little, also known as The Animated Woman, decided to draw and tell the story of The Last Snowman. I had read about the book coming out, but one day TechyDad was talking with JC on Twitter and mentioned it would be perfect for Tuesday Tales. The rest is history, thanks to a review code being sent. Oh and just an FYI, once the print copies are available I will be paying for my own to add to our library.

If you are not familiar with JC, I have written about her Pickle Weasel app before. While the app is a lot of fun, JC’s blog is where she shares funny and sometimes more serious tales with her amazing animations. I mean come on, only JC can write about mammograms and squished boobs. More recently her post about self-publishing being similar to giving birth seems fitting with this post. Her blog is actually where The Last Snowman first appeared in a shorter format. Now, it is expanded and better than ever. You can purchase the eBook in Kindle format and the print version is coming soon.

What I love about JC’s book is you can read the it and immediately take on her emotions as the mother looking at her teen daughter building a snowman.

As you read along, you can see the shift from pure story retelling, to a mother and daughter trying to hold onto some joys of childhood before becoming an adult. I could tell you more, but too much would really ruin the story. JC’s beautiful illustrations of that day and bigger life story truly give readers a lot to think about. Don’t be fooled, this book is not simply for mothers and their teens. I read the book with both of my young boys, and they really enjoyed the story of The Last Snowman as a picture book. This book would be a great talking point to use with teens, parents, and others that are going through a major life shift. I know I can not wait to see the next book from JC Little and hope that the birthing process is a little easier now that her first has been born.

What is your favorite post by JC Little on The Animated Woman? If you have never read any, what are you waiting for?! As always, Tuesday Tales is all about sharing our love of books. Please let me know what you have read recently. Be sure to link up to your book posts in the comments below. Include something you read on your own, with a child, or someone else.

Disclosure: As noted above, I received an eBook copy of this book from JC Little to review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

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bloggy friends books Tuesday Tales

Tuesday Tales – Mama Doni’s Jewish Holiday Party

Posted on November 12, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

So how does one celebrate the Jewish Holidays in our house? In addition to our focus on the delicious items we will prepare, music plays a big part of our family traditions. Since the boys were really little, we have gathered a wide variety of Jewish music to share for Shabbat, Chanukah, Passover, and beyond. Many of our CDs and MP3s feature Mama Doni (Doni Zasloff). When we were asked to review Mama Doni’s Jewish Holiday Party that was just released, we immediately agreed since we are big fans.

Embracing and honoring Jewish tradition with a fresh, new approach, two-time Parents’ Choice winner Mama Doni (Doni Zasloff) sings, dances, and cooks her way through the holidays in a fun and inspirational DVD, Mama Doni’s Jewish Holiday Party, and its companion CD soundtrack, Mama Doni: The Acoustic Jewish Holiday Collection. (DVD: $19.98, includes bonus CD, run time 66 minutes. CD alone: $12.98, run time 43 minutes).

The timing of this DVD is perfect with Chanukah coming early this year. If you have not heard, Jewish families across the United States will be lighting their menorah during Thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgivukkah (as many are calling it) has not happened since 1888 and will not happen for another 77,798 years. The DVD features three segments. One is about Chanukah, another features Shabbat, and the last has a focus on Passover. The boys and I focused on the Chanukah one for now. The first thing that we noticed were some familiar songs from Mama Doni’s Chanukah Fever CD (previous post about this) that the kids adore. JSL loved watching the humorous video that goes along with Honey, This Ain’t Money! One of my favorites was the Bluegrass version of Chanukah Oh Chanukah featuring Eric Lindberg. Check it out here so you can see what I am talking about.

In addition to videos, Mama Doni also shares Chanukah traditions. Doni takes us into the kitchen to make potato latkes. She shares the recipe that is included in her book Get Cooking: A Jewish American Family Cookbook (previous post). Over all, the variety in the Chanukah section kept the kids watching and interested to see what the Shabbat section included. I know they look forward to checking out the Passover segments a bit closer to the holiday (their focus is on Chanukah this month). Once again, Mama Doni has left us smiling, laughing, and singing along with her brilliant approach to Jewish music. Her passion to share Jewish traditions within this DVD are obvious thanks to the enthusiasm that you can not only hear, but also see. I know we will continue to watch for new projects from Mama Doni in the years to come.

Tuesday Tales is usually about books, but music and holidays are also important. What video is a favorite in your family for the holiday season? As always, Tuesday Tales is all about sharing our love of books. Please let me know what you have read recently. Be sure to link up to your book posts in the comments below. Include something you read on your own, with a child, or someone else.

Disclosure: Waldmania! provided me with a copy of the Mama Doni’s Jewish Holiday Party DVD to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own and no other compensation was received. As mentioned above, we have done previous reviews of Mama Doni’s CDs, but have also purchased additional titles on our own.

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holidays Music Tuesday Tales

Tuesday Tales – Public School Advocacy and Diane Ravitch

Posted on November 5, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Being an advocate trying to save Public Schools means that I am constantly doing research, reading, and learning new things. As a teacher, I love finding new authors and adding to my knowledge base. Of course, sometimes the items that I read are depressing. They remind me that the system that is crumbling before my eyes took decades to get this way and has many layers of political strategies from both parties behind it. Some of the reading has also explained a lot about my college years when I was studying to be a teacher in New York State.

My green laces are a symbol the Lace to the Top movement that is to remind everyone that our children are more than a score on a test. So much of the emphasis in schools around the country these days is about data. Companies are using our children as guinea pigs rather than allowing teachers to prepare them for the future. One of the biggest advocates for public schools is Dr. Diane Ravitch. Ravitch is a historian of education and also served as Assistant Secretary of Education and Counselor to Secretary Lamar Alexander from 1991 to 1993 during the administration of President George H.W. Bush. Over time, Dr. Ravitch’s views have changed about education reform and now she fights to try to stop the destruction of the system that she insists is not failing. Her book The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education (2010) was an eye opener. It really explained my life as a student growing up in the ‘80s and then why the NYS Standards were such a huge part of my life during my college years.

As the kids were starting back to school in September, a lot of people in the groups I belong to were talking about Dr. Ravitch’s new book that was due out.

Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools is the book that I am currently reading. Dr. Ravitch wrote this book to respond to critics of her last book. The premise of this book is to take on the myths that surround the public education system and share how reformers continue to neglect and worsen the problems of poverty that plague schools districts. Dr. Ravitch was on The Daily Show once again last week where she talked with Jon Stewart. This is the segment that aired on the show. Please note her green laces in hand.

Jon continued to talk with Dr. Ravitch after the taping and included the video on The Daily Show’s website. In addition to this, Ravitch also blogged about the experience.

You can hear more of Dr. Ravitch talking on her panel discussion with Melissa Harris-Perry on MSNBC. Her words truly are powerful and serve as an eye opener once you understand the history and what the reform movement really is trying to do.

I will write more about Reign of Error once I finish reading the book. Have you ever read books about a topic that are you an advocate for? I would love to hear your experience. As always, Tuesday Tales is all about sharing our love of books. Please let me know what you have read recently. Be sure to link up to your book posts in the comments below. Include something you read on your own, with a child, or someone else.

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books Educational Tuesday Tales

Tuesday Tales – Robotics with Kathy Ceceri

Posted on October 15, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Some of the proudest moments as a parent have been watching my children learn to love and explore the world of science. NHL (10) and JSL (6) both adore doing science experiments, going to science museums, and reading about the wonders of the scientific world. Seeing the expression on their faces as they learn the how’s and why’s of items takes my breath away. If you do not get this, I’m sorry it may just be the geeky science teacher in me coming out

When we went to the Mini Maker Faire at Emma Willard over the weekend, I knew that we had to stop to see Kathy Ceceri. I have known Kathy online for quite a while and we often chat about the world of education, science, and other items like that. Kathy’s website, Crafts for Learning, highlights ways to make learning more fun. In addition to this, Kathy helped to create the Geek Mom blog and co-authored the book Geek Mom: Projects, Tips, and Adventures for Moms and Their 21st-Century Families. After we visited the TARDIS at the Maker Faire, we walked across the room to the Amazing Robotics area where Kathy book Robotics: Discover the Science and Technology of the Future was featured

The boys were a little hesitant at first. They were not sure if they were allowed to touch things. Then Kathy warmed them up. She showed them the different items and explained what they were. The kids were actively engaged, learning, and having fun. While they listened, TechyDad and I took at look at the book and knew that we had to purchase it. The items on the table were in the book and we knew that we would all want to try these again at home. I know the boys can not wait to try to build out own Tiny Robot Walker (Passive Dynamic Mini-Walker in the book). Kathy had one of these on display for the kids to check out and you can see a video she made of it here:

No doubt we will have more to share as we explore more of Kathy’s book and begin to make some of our own items from the Robotics book. Would your children like to explore robotics and make something at home? I would love to hear your thoughts. As always, Tuesday Tales is all about sharing our love of books. Please let me know what you have read recently. Be sure to link up to your book posts in the comments below. Include something you read on your own, with a child, or someone else.

Disclosure: As noted above, we purchased the book from Kathy and admit to having her autograph it for the boys while we were there.