Books, Reviews, Short Stories, Authors, Publicity, a little poetry, music to complement...and other stuff including politics, about life... "Books, Cats: Life is Sweet..."
The Patriarch from Queens An era is ending The great and popular Italian-American singers are dwindling. These are the singers who had Italian-born fathers and, likely, Italian-born mothers. These are the singers who were the first generation to be born in the United States; born to bring vibrant Italian-American voices to the ears of America and the globe. There will be no more. The most prominent of those still singing in 2007 had passed his 80th birthday; but was getting publicity that would be the envy of any artist of any age. Tony Bennett (Anthony Dominick Benedetto) was featured on the cover of parade magazine, had a three-page coverage in TIME and likely only his publicist knows where else. In 2007, he was featured within and on the cover of the AARP magazine, the largest magazine in the world. His father, Giovanni Benedetto, emigrated from Italy's Calabria region. Tony, who was born in 1926, grew up on the streets of Queens, New York. He was singing publicly before he reached his teen years. From being a singing waiter, Bennett became part of a soldiers' quartet during the Second World War. In 1949, he was invited, by Bob Hope, to become part of Hope's show at the Paramount Theater. The next year Bennett was recording In 1962 he recorded the song that is as much a part of Tony Bennett as his wavy locks: Bennett has won several Grammy awards, along with honors from the United Nations and the Kennedy Center. Although he came from an impoverished childhood, he doesn't accumulate expensive objects, owning no car or boat or house. ...The handsome octogenarian is still performing and drawing old and new fans... ~~~
Once upon a time, in a land not that far over the horizon, in a little hamlet called The Grove, there lived a little girl called Sarah. Sarah was not like the other members of her family. Yes, she was a regular person but she was much smaller than anyone else her own age. At eight years old she was the size of a two-year-old child. The Fae in the glen did not know why she was this size. It seemed strange that a human would not grow at the same rate as all the others did and so Sarah had to learn to live life closer to the ground that most.
Sarah was a lively child, always wanting to join in the fun with her friends, but she was too small to do most things the other children like to do. Luckily her friend Sam always helped her out. When the other children were hopping from rock to rock crossing the stream, Sam picked Sarah up and lifted her upon his shoulders. He would carry Sarah while they made their way across the stones, dodging the current as it flowed past them.
~~~
No Matter How Small
By Sharon Gibbs
Illustrated by Alexandra N. MacVean
Sarah...wished with all her heart that she were bigger so she could help her mother in the kitchen. "I hate being small. I'm no use at all." "Sarah, I'm sure there is a reason why you are so small. One day that reason will become apparent and all your questions will be answered." Sarah sighed and continued rolling out the pastry... ~~~
Anytime somebody is different from "average," there are bound to be special problems, aren't there... I was called names in school just like many have been... Interesting, though, an uncle started calling me "shorty" when I was very young...and continued to call me that even when I was grown and a little taller than he was... Sometimes, names can be mean and sometimes names can be endearing...
Sarah was a short person. She had one special friend that would carry her when she could not travel as fast, or go where other children were going... Still, she knew that her size was a disadvantage...she couldn't even help her mother in the kitchen except for certain tasks. Once her mother tripped and almost dropped a big, hot pan of soup...but there was no way that Sarah could help her--either to carry the soup, or help her if she fell and needed help getting up.
One day she was walking through the woods with Sam and they heard someone calling for help!
They rushed towards the voices. Children were gathered at the edge of a cliff. There was something on a ledge. It was a unicorn and it looked hurt!
People kept coming to try to help, but they could all see that the ledge was tiny and would not hold those who could climb down to help...
"What will happen to the unicorn if we don't help him?" a boy from the village asked. The Fae then appeared. "The outlook is bleak. This magical beast will die unless we heal him. He needs the healing powers from the Ju Ju berries, which grow within this forest. That is why he has come here to feed." ~~~
Tying a rope around Sarah, to keep her safe, the men from the village helped to lower her down towards the injured unicorn. Carrying the Ju Ju berries and some water, Sarah knelt by the divine beast and patted his neck. The unicorn's coat felt cold and no longer held the luminescence that it once did. He did not move... ~~~
You know, I've always liked fairy tales where humans and fantasy creatures can talk and share with each other... In this case, the Fae came to help while everybody was talking about how to get to the unicorn...
And guess who they realized could go down to help him?
But even with Sarah's help, would she be able to take care of the unicorn and save him? Well, we do know that she was trying everything possible to do so! This was a great story about self-esteem, values and friendship. You know what, though, I never would have guessed the story's ending! Loved it! Do check out this short story...I read it on my Fire and it was okay, but then couldn't read it on my computer...so do check out that it will be okay for your particular device.
If your children like old-fashion fairy tales...this is highly recommended! GABixlerReviews
Sharon Gibbs was born in Yorkshire U.K. and immigrated with her parents to Australia in August 1971. It took until her children were grown and flown from the nest to discover her love for writing. After being given a book from a friend, Sharon fell in love with the world of fantasy. Working full time at the local hospital, she writes when she can. Sharon is producing a series of children’s books under the Good night Sleep tight collection. She lives in Adelaide South Australia on a small property with her husband and their four dogs.
Did you know bees are dying in serious numbers? I did! When I first moved to my cabin, my brother-in-law was keeping bees on the property...and then they died out... I was so glad to see that Dr. Oneeka Williams has chosen to have Dee Dee Dynamo take a look at this world-wide problem! And what a fantastic book she has created to spread this news! It is nonfiction, sharing specific information about bees; it is fiction as Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo starts thinking about how to solve the Beemore problem; plus it is educational not only in totally sharing about our little bee friends, but by including
study/thinking questions, and a math challenge based upon the book! Plus she provides resource guides for those wanting to take up the challenge, perhaps to care for a bee hive right at your own home! You may recall that Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo taught us much about our planets in her earlier books...so you'll find my reviews of many of books here and on other sites... All of Williams' books are educationally sound but with lots of fun and character development that allows children and older readers like me to get to know each individual...In this book, we even meet the author! She's an important character along with others who are concerned about how the loss of bees would affect all humans!
Dr. DeeDee Dynamo's Beemore Breakthru
By Oneeka Williams M.D.
Illustrated by Valerie Bouthyette
WAHOO, WAHOO, WAHOO
“The honey bees are dying, the honey bees are dying!” Gordon the Gullible Globe urgently alerts Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo, Girl SUPER SURGEON, who can fix any problem with her supernaturally powerful and gifted hands. Dr. Dee Dee’s Uncle Beemore wants to put beehives in every garden on the Island of Positivity to help the bee population. What can Dr. Dee Dee do to save the bees?
"The honey bees are dying!...
"I know, Gordon, "Dr Dee Dee says patiently.
"That is why Uncle Beemore has put beehives in our garden. Have you forgotten that today is the Bee Welcoming party?"
Dr. Dee descends to join the busy Dynamo clan--Mommy and Daddy Dynamo, Grandma B and Granddad Willie, Uncle Huebs and Aunty Vandra, and their children Lukas (who is Dr. Dee Dee's best friend) and Jakey.
Jakey asks, "Why is everyone so upset about the honey bees dying?"
"Because honey bees help plants produce a lot of the food we eat," explains Dr. Dee Dee
Welcome to BEEventures
~~~
First, I must comment on the beautiful hardback book that was provided to me. The illustrations from front to back are brightly colored with details that are truly outstanding. I would certainly recommend this for your child's personal home library! Not only for the story but for the detailed pages on "The Life of a Worker Bee," pollination, the different types of bees, and important little tidbits such as--did you know that worker bees makes 1/12 teaspoon of honey in their lifetime... Wow! Just imagine how many bees it would take for you to buy a jar of honey at your local store!
No wonder we should be worried that bees seem to be dying!
Did you know that a bee only lives 42 days?!!
So the Dynamo family was having a party to spread the word and sharing about now providing a home--a bee hive--for bees in their yard. The children even got to decide what type of bee they wanted to be and got a hat to show their choice... Even Grandma B took a major part in the event, singing, I am the heart and soul of the hive, Without me, the colony cannot survive. I'm twice as long, so don't get to close. BEEWARE! I might just sting you on your nose! ~~~ You know, while she was singing, I thought I even heard the bees join in!
It was while everybody was learning so much about the bees, that Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo started to apply her brain to see how they might help save the bees! In the meantime, I was learning about the language of bees! And even learned about The Waggle Dance! Do you know how to do it...?
Walk straight, shake yuh belly,
Beat yuh wings and buzz,
In a figure eight.
Walk straight, shake yuh belly,
Beat yuh wings and buzz,
Find de nectar and don't be late!
~~~
Did you know bees have two stomachs?
One is used to digest food. The other is used
to store and process nectar...
!!!
Here's another version...
Now Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo got to working and she created something to help all the bees... The bees were so excited: I can DO more and BEE More! What a Breakthru! Then...the author, in the after pages, assigns Essay questions for readers, like, "The writer combines fantasy and real world science problems to create a compelling and informative narrative for her readers. Write an essay using evidence from the text to support this claim.
Simply unbelievable! The author has packed a world of learning within her latest book! I just had to add it to my personal favorites for this year since I still remember losing all the bees that buzzed around my home years ago! Highly recommended for soooooo many reasons!
GABixlerReviews
Dr. Oneeka Williams developed her desire to become a doctor at an early age. When she first entered the operating room while attending Harvard Medical School, it was love at first sight. Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo encourages kids to live a life without limits. This is Dr. Williams’ latest book, after teaching children about the planets. She is a practicing surgeon and lives just outside Boston, Massachusetts, with her husband, Charles and son, Mark.
I love the cute boy character of this new series, for children age 2-8. I read it on my Fire which was simply beautiful with bright brilliant colors that are certain to held the attention of even your youngest child... although I'm not sure that the author's son is happy about being the model...😒 OK, I found this picture on one of the author's site and was pretty sure that I knew whose image was used for our Willy Nilly character! How Cool! I was a character in a book once...but never have had a character created who looked like me... Anyway, I was just as excited as Willy Nilly to be starting a new day! He was heading for the beach!
The Little Green Boat
By Chris Stead
I don't know about you but when I saw Willy Nilly's bedroom, full of so many strange and interesting things, I just knew that I was going to love the book... You see, he woke up early because he knew it was going to be a great day! He was going to the beach and for a picnic with his parents! In fact, he was so excited that, when they got there and were going to start eating, Willy Nilly escaped to see what he could find!
I've always had some type of creative activity going on in my life and now believe that it is one of the most important traits to promote for all children. It might take awhile, but just by encouraging creative growth and stimulation, a beginning has been made. The book itself illustrates how important it can be. Not only do we find a stimulating story, but the art work is in such detail that younger children will enjoy picking out the various sea creatures and other items to be found on the beach, perhaps during the time before the child will have the book read to him or her.
Sooooo, just by walking along the beach and finding a little green boat... Willy Nilly's creative imagination comes alive... First by being swept out to sea by a big wave... and getting lost! Fortunately two dolphins came along to help him! He asked that they push him back to shore...which they did...but it was the wrong shore! Talk about having an adventure...me... I'd be scared when the only way to go turned out to be over a rickety old bridge... with... Yikes! Those creatures in the water have huge long mouths with lots of teeth...Do you know what they might be? Fortunately, Willy Nilly was able to get across because the bridge was higher and they could not reach him! Soon he walked by a rock which seemed to have a map and it was leading to a treasure chest! Can you guess what he found in the box? I admit I never would have guessed! But it was just what he wanted at that point! I think Willy Nilly will soon find a lot of little readers that are going to enjoy going on adventures with their new friend! This is a perfect gift for a little boy especially...but if your little girl likes outdoor beach visits and using her imagination based upon what can be found on a beach...I think she would enjoy it too. I did...except for those crocodiles...monkeys...and bats... Huh? Oh I didn't tell you about all of the creatures there, did I? That's cause there's a lot more to the story for you to enjoy... I especially liked the format of this book where the picture and narrative appear on the same page. However, with the particular style used, there is no search ability so if, for instance, you wanted to find the page about the crocodiles, that wouldn't be possible... Just a note for your information--you know whether your child would be interested in finding specific pages to refer to at a later time. Also, when I pulled up the book on my computer, the print was small and unclear in spots... so do take the time to try out the book first to make sure you can read it on your device. As I said, the Fire was perfect for my reading... Do check out this first book in a new series...I do recommend it highly for both those for which the book was written and for older kids my age as well...😉 GABixlerReviews
Writing has been a part of Chris Stead’s life since he was very young. In fact, he won the “creative writing” award way back in Year 3 at school as a seven-year-old. During his senior school years, Chris wrote constantly, be it stories while he was sitting at his desk in class not concentrating on the teacher, or writing up news reports on all the sports and experiences the kids in his local neighborhood enjoyed every day. By the time he left school in 1996, he had already started a website, and was writing reviews and opinions on user-created content for video games. This would lead to work as a contributor to a number of leading magazines and websites through the remainder of the nineties while he completed a degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics at the University of Sydney. By 2000, he was Staff Writer for the launch of Official PlayStation 2 Magazine, but left the role in 2001 with his future wife to travel the world. 18-months, 40 countries, a host of odd jobs and two kombis later, Chris arrived back in Sydney and reignited his writing career. He soon started working as GameSta for young boy’s magazine Krash, which – almost 150 issues later – he continues to do, as well as contribute to a host of popular entertainment publications and websites. In 2003, Chris was hired as deputy editor for the launch of Australian GamePro magazine, and moved to the editor’s seat in 2005. In 2007, he was hired as editor-in-chief for the launch of gameplayer.com.au, and then in 2010 he was brought on as the launch editor for Australian Game Informer. He would work there for four years, before leaving at the birth of his second child, Jasmine. In 2014, Chris launched a new chapter in his writing life. He founded his own company, Old Mate Media, and became a gun for hire in the entertainment industry, combining all his skills in design, text, editing and content marketing across a number of roles. Chris regularly contributes, consults and schools staff for brands like Maxim, Finder, UNSW, MCV, Krash, It Girl, Red Bull and more. In and around that, he launched an app, Grab It, and a tie-in website, www.grabitmagazine.com, to cover the burgeoning indie gaming scene and to help mobile gamers find the hidden gems on the App Store. And, of course, he has launched the first of a range of children’s books through The Wild Imagination of Willy Nilly series. In the future, Chris hopes that other aspiring writers who would like to create their own digital publications – no matter what the topic – will enlist Old Mate Media to help them turn their dream into a reality.
To find out more about the author and see the rest of the series,
If you were me and lived during Viking times, you would be born sometime in the year 870 AD in the northern part of Europe over eleven hundred and forty years ago. Your home could have been on the coast of Norway...
Some way the word Viking is from the Norse word vik which meant bay or creek. Others say it meant overseas expedition. Either way, people associated it with those who came from the North.
A Viking was an individual who went on those expeditions. Some of these explorers were known to travel plundering foreign towns, taking both prisoners and belongings. However, vikings were also brave explorers,settlers, and experienced traders.
By the time you were born in the year 870 AD, many had traded their swords for farming tools and created towns to open up trade with new populations.
When a person traveled on his ship for trade or war, he was known as a Viking. When they stayed at home and tended their farms, historians considered them Scandinavians. When they moved and settled in foreign lands, they were called Norsemen.
If You Were Me and Lived In...
Viking Europe
By Carole P. Roman
Illustrations by Mateya Arkova
Viking Europe is a second series for children, aimed at older children, grades 3-8, age 8-14, and is an excellent reference for bringing history into a child's reading book. Most people who hear the word Viking think of men of adventure--men who left home and sailed the seas... Actually, other than for a war, men who traveled the sea were doing so as the way to make their living.
And, of course, their families were back at home, waiting for their father, husband, or uncle to return... If you were a boy living as a viking, your name might be Knut or Ulf and girls might be called Hilde or Sigrid...
Each name meant something: Knut meant know, Ulf was the word for wolf, Sigrid was a beautiful woman, and Hilde meant fight. Why do you think they named a son knot and a daughter fight?
Most people went by two names; their given name and their family name. They were usually called after their father, so if Knut's dad was named Eric, he was known as Knut Ericson. His daughter would be called Hilde Ericdottir...
Being famous for traveling, many Vikings traveled to Normandy in Europe where the Franks lived at that time and sometimes settled there. But many traveled to various ports and brought home new products--amber for jewelry, salt, wine and glass. Vikings were merchants as well... But Vikings had three classes: those wealthy were called a Jarl and might have many horses, a long house and owned slaves. Jarls ran the government...
Karls were free peasants or farmers.
I found it interesting that Viking homes were shaped similar to a ship with oval sides. And families might include even aunts and uncles and cousins since family was so important. There could be as many as 30 people living together. Even the animals were housed in the building--walled off, but their sounds carried through the home... Wow, and we Americans think about "personal space" being an important issue.
Then consider that inside firepits were built in the center to provide both heat and for cooking...and also an inside latrine! But it was intriguing to read how they had divided their homes and met all their needs, while still making it workable for all that lived there...
When the book started talking about wood carving, I began to think about the boats that they had built, especially those with the wood seeming to curl... plus the detail of their boat carvings as well as the interior...and a couple of other items that caught my eye...
I love wood carvings, don't you?! And then there was the inventive use of animal horns as drinking cups!
Have to admit, I was enjoying history like no other time, as I learned about these people who built everything, or used every natural resource, to create a home and a life! I was impressed... both with learning about the people and with the book...
There is much more about home life but one idea stopped me, as we think back in history about forming alliances...In this life, sons were "traded" with another family to both becomes friends, but also to learn valuable things from that new ally. Very cool, in my opinion... But it also was just one part of how the entire family, including children, each had a role in working in support of those with whom they lived.
Even play time was related to physical activity--dancing, archery and those that would be needed to help with protection--fist fighting, use of knives, etc.
They even had a special alphabet called runic...and carvings on rune stones would be used, similar to our signs guiding us to various places today...
You were taught to worship many gods. There were gods for all the critical aspects of life...
Your favorite was Thor because he was the god of thunder...
~~~
Do you remember any Vikings that you learned about in school? I remembered Leif Erikson, but you'll be learning so much about both famous and common people and the roles of, say, the grandmother... An excellent book that I can highly recommend... With Happy Scandinavian Holiday wishes to all of you!
