Book Review - Dear Ruby, Hear Our Hearts

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About the Book

In Dear Ruby, Hear Our Hearts National civil rights activist and icon Ruby Bridges responds to letters from thoughtful and concerned young students from across America.

"I've heard their hearts and now share those hearts with you. These pages truly speak to the power of children!" -- Ruby Bridges

Ruby Bridges was the first Black child to attend an all-white elementary school in New Orleans. She established the Ruby Bridges Foundation to promote tolerance and to create change through education. She traveled across the US, listening to the inspiring voices of young children.

Dear Ruby, Hear Our Hearts is a compilation of letters from concerned young students about today's issues, including bullying, climate change, gun violence, and racism. Reading Ruby's intuitive and inspirational responses, young readers will embrace the courage to be brave, bold, and confident.

Dear Ruby,

My name is Olivia. Thank you for sharing your story. It made me want to be brave and stand up to make a change. You showed me to not give up when something is unfair. You can make it change, no matter what. I bet you were scared just like me. You said that if someone or something is putting you down, you get back up.

My heart heard that, and I am trying to be more like you.

Sincerely,

Olivia

My dearest Olivia,

I am so pleased you wrote to me, especially about standing up. I know all too well how scary it can be to stand up for yourself or even others. Just know it takes a courageous and brave person to stand up, even if you are afraid. It happens to us all!

I am proud of you,

Ruby Bridges

The students' letters and Ruby's responses are powerfully illustrated with dynamic and thought-provoking artwork by John Jay Cabuay.



My Take on the Book
The thing that I love about this book is that through every letter that Ruby Bridges answers she is touching on real concerns that are impacting kids and society as a whole. I can see so many kids connecting with what Ruby is sharing and I know that this book, while short could have gone on for many more pages, as I know that Ruby gets even more mail than this. 

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Book Review - The Complete Book of US Presidents, Fourth Edition: Updated for 2021

About the Book

In The Complete Book of US Presidents discover the history and personal stories of 46 US Presidents in this beautifully illustrated volume.

From the first president, George Washington, to the forty-sixth, Joe Biden, the United States has seen a host of extraordinary men take office. Their stories are all included in this fourth edition of The Complete Book of US Presidents by journalist and historian Bill Yenne.

This book features short, biographical essays about the lives of 46 presidents, jam-packed with unusual details and commentary on the significant roles each commander-in-chief played in the shaping of the United States and its relations with the world. Lavishly illustrated, including the presidents' official White House portraits, sidebars about each and every vice president and first lady, and intriguing anecdotes, this book is accessible to a broad audience and will captivate any history lover.

The Complete Book of US Presidents is an expansive collection that reflects on America's rich presidential history, telling the story of a nation through the biographies of some of its greatest political leaders.

My Take on the Book

This book really takes the time to delve deeply into our US Presidents, even the ones that you do not know a lot about. The book goes from President to President and gives you a great understanding about what they did in office and in reading this you definitely get a good summary of the positive and negatives of the President as well as what they did or did not accomplish while in office. I appreciated that the book also included information on the President's wives and even the Vice Presidents too. If you love US history and want to know your Presidents even more than you do, this is the book for you!

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Book Review - Drawing 100 Years of Disney Wonder: A retrospective collection of artwork featuring iconic Disney characters from the past 100 years

About the Book

In Drawing 100 Years of Disney Wonder you can travel back through 100 years of The Walt Disney Company with 240 pages of art instruction and animation history with Drawing 100 Years of Disney Wonder.

Featuring Mickey Mouse and his friends, the Disney Princess characters, Pixar characters, and so much more, Drawing 100 Years of Disney Wonder is a must-have collector's item which celebrates beloved animated characters through step-by-step drawing projects, character sketches, and vintage artwork from the Disney archives. Each section of drawing lessons is categorized by decade in Disney history, along with historical context and interesting anecdotes and facts sprinkled throughout.

In each decade, learn how Disney animators have drawn the following characters and dozens more:

• 1920s: Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit 1930s: Donald Duck, the Big Bad Wolf, and Snow White
• 1940s: Pinocchio, Dumbo, and Bambi
• 1950s: Cinderella, Alice, and Tinker Bell
• 1960s: Cruella De Vil from One Hundred and One Dalmatians, Baloo from The Jungle Book, and The Sword and the Stone’s Arthur
• 1970s: Marie from The Aristocats, Robin Hood, and Winnie the Pooh
• 1980s: Tod and Copper from The Fox and the Hound and The Little Mermaid's Ariel
• 1990s: Aladdin and Jasmine, Simba from The Lion King, and Woody from Toy Story
• 2000s: Stitch, Lightning McQueen from Cars, and Tiana from The Princess and the Frog
• 2010s:Frozen’s Elsa and Anna, Moana, and Coco’s Miguel
• 2020s: Ian and Barley from Onward,Encanto’s Mirabel, and Meilin from Turning Red

Artists and Disney fans alike will be entertained and enlightened by the well-rounded collector’s experience that is Drawing 100 Years of Disney Wonder.

My Take on the Book
For anyone who loves Disney and Disney animation, this is a must-have! The book really explores 100 years of Disney history and places it smack-dab in front of you where you can explore and enjoy it thoroughly. On top of learning more about the behind-the-scenes aspects of Disney, you also can learn about drawing some of your favorite Disney characters as well (though the book is not really a drawing book per se). The book offers a plethora of information on the history of animation and I found myself completely drawn into every page and I came out of the book knowing so much more! The book is an enjoyable read and one that you will not forget! 

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Book Review - Too Many Interesting Things Are Happening to Ethan Fairmont

About the Book

In Too Many Interesting Things Are Happening to Ethan Fairmont, Nick Brooks, award-winning filmmaker and author of Promise Boys, mixes out-of-this-world sci-fi with contemporary themes of friendship, community, and social justice in this hit middle-grade series.
 
Ferrous City is suddenly a lot more interesting—in fact, a little too interesting for Ethan Fairmont.

Ethan’s beloved neighborhood is full of new faces. Lifelong residents are being priced out of their homes, and new businesses are replacing old favorites. At school, Ethan finds a rival in new-kid Fatima, an inventor who is just as science savvy as him. She even has TWO patents! Then there’s the mysterious real estate agent with way too many questions for Ethan. Not to mention the extraterrestrial-obsessed Jodie and his “Aliens Are Here” club.
 
It’s all too much for Ethan and he begins to miss Cheese, his adorable six-eyed alien pal, even more. Fortunately for Ethan and his friends Kareem and Juan Carlos, distraction comes in the form of a top-secret project. Cheese left a communication device under Ethan’s bed before exiting the planet. There’s just one problem: they can’t figure out how it works!
 
As Ferrous City continues to change and eyes are everywhere, will the trio be able to keep their secret and reach Cheese, or is something nefarious brewing right next door?
 
E.T. meets Stranger Things in the second title of this unforgettable sci-fi adventure series, perfect for readers ages 8 to 12.

My Take on the Book
This was a great sequel that really brought together all of the characters that you have come to love, while pushing Ethan in while new ways. Ethan is dealing with a lot of change in his life which he seems to take in strides while also having issues with trust when it comes to the people around him. The book is a great read and by the end the book is left wide open for some great things to come! I am looking forward to the next book in the series!

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Movie Review - Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas

About the Movie

A modern-day movie musical about the making of a network TV special, Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas is the frenetic backstage story and delightful on-camera results of Dolly's desire to uplift an exhausted world's spirits by sharing the unique "mountain magic" she has always found in and around Dollywood at Christmas. Throughout the movie's production numbers and rehearsal chaos, Dolly finds herself taking a private journey into her past, guided by the mysterious appearances of her personal Three Wise Men. When it's time for her big special to air live, a renewed and inspired Dolly goes rogue and shows the world that the real magic of Christmas lies in the hearts of the children we all once were, the realization that Christmas is about the people we share it with, and how her faith remains the common thread between Christmases past, present, and future.

 

My Take on the Movie
This was a very fun movie that brought out Dolly in all of her glory. I will say that I would have appreciated to hear more Christmas music as there was not as much as I would have thought. The movie does have a lot of music in it, but it was a bot of a hodge-podge of music which leads to the overall show that is being created. People that are BIG Dolly Parton fans just want to see Dolly sing and hear her tell stories. You do get some of this, but I would have loved even more. That being said, it was still a fun movie overall!

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Book Review - The Plantastic Cookbook

About the Book

"As an Edible Schoolyard chef, Gwen embraces the joys and wisdom of farm to table eating. In this bountiful recipe collection she shares her love and reverence for our planet through fresh, seasonal food prepared simply and beautifully." —Alice Waters

In The Plantastic Cookbook you get a lively and flavorful collection of plant-based recipes developed by Hollywood caterer and Edible Schoolyard Chef/Director Gwen Kenneally. Sections include toasts and jam, soups and stews, greens and sides, jackfruit, quinoa, grilled entrees, party fare and sweets. Over 90 recipes to expand the vegan palate and introduce new flavors and cooking techniques to those not yet familiar with the joys and benefits of plant-based eating.

My Take on the Book
Part of the great things about eating vegetarian is to be able to bring fresh food to your table over and over again. This book is full of so many great recipes that allow you to bring that fresh food to your family day in and day out. The book was easy to follow and there are so many different types of recipes that you can eat throughout the year. I love how easy the recipes were to follow and I am looking forward to trying so many of these recipes in the future!

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Book Review - Every Night of the Week Veg: Meat-free Beyond Monday; A Zero-tolerance Approach to Bland

About the Book

In Every Night of the Week Veg Meat-free Beyond Monday, it's a daily slog to get veg in the mouths of every member of the household. Welcome to your sanity solution – delicious meals that vegetarians and meat-eaters will love in equal measure, served with a generous dollop of Lucy Tweed's trademark wit.

Choose your own daily adventure from:

• Monday Cowboy Pasta Dreams Pasta every which way, because there's nothing as truly weeknight
• Toned-down Tuesdays Big, bold flavours with a laid-back attitude;one-pan where possible
• Saucy Wet Wednesdays Soups and curries and slurries and spice
• Carbs-Filled-With-Things Thursdays From loaded buns and spuds to lovely things squashed into dough, this is comfort central
• Phat Snack Fridays Throw-it-together munchies with two criteria: 1. Use it up, and 2. Make it irresistible
• The Bold and the Beautiful Saturday Salads Show-off salads that take the spotlight come BBQ day
• Sunday Oeufs If you say it in French, it's sexier. All your egg needs for Sunday
• Sweet Anytime Treats Just because. 

My Take on the Book
I love finding new recipes that I can eat as a vegetarian, and this recipe has SO MANY to choose from. The book was full of a variety of great recipes and food options, so you are not bound eating only certain items. What I loved was that this cookbook had so many types of food to try and it incorporated way more things than I would have originally thought of. I have already marked about 15 recipes that I am planning to make. The recipes are well laid out and the illustrations make it easy to know what you are making (and what it should look like). Looking forward to all of these great tasting foods in the near future!

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Book review - Slow Cooker - Vegetarian

About the Book

Slow cookers are ideal for cooking healthy meals because you can use fresh, whole foods from the start and all of the vegetables nutrients remain throughout cooking, unlike other traditional cooking methods such as boiling vegetables in a saucepan. And whilst other recipes keep you tied to the kitchen, all of the dishes in Slow Cooker - Vegetarian simply require you to throw the ingredients into the slow cooker, before you can go ahead and get on with your day with the knowledge that the slow cooker is doing all of the hard work for you.

My Take on the Book
This is a great book for any vegetarian. So often I tend to have to put together a long, drawn out process to have food to eat at night. Working during the day does not always work well with this and in the end I have to spend a lot of time, after working a full day to set up and to cook the food. What I loved about this book is that there were so many ideas that could be made in a slow cooker and they were things I could set up ahead of time and then have food ready by the time that I got home for work. The book was easy to follow, with great images and instructions. I have made a few and they were great! I am really looking forward to trying so many of the other recipes in the future.

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Movie Review - Blue Beetle

About the Movie

In Blue Beetle recent college grad Jaime Reyes returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it. As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Scarab. When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero Blue Beetle.

Bonus Content:

Blue Beetle Generations: Origins Blue Beetle Generations: Production Begins Blue Beetle Generations: In Full Flight Blue Beetle Generations: A Hero's World Scarab Vision: Episode 1: Initiation Scarab Vision: Episode 2: Mastery Blue Beetle's Nana Knows Best 

My Take on the Movie
As a fan of DC Comics, Blue Beetle was always a character that I loved and I was excited to see it come to the big screen. One of the things that I loved about the film is that you get a true origin story that does follow the DC Comic storyline (for the most part). As in any comic film, this film has a little bit of everything for all viewers. You get drama, comedy, suspense and tons of action while surrounding all of it with a great cast that you can really connect with. As you watch the film, if you are a true lover of the comic, you will definitely find some hidden Easter Eggs that you will love (so be on the lookout). The movie was a ton of fun and definitely a movie I would encourage any superhero film fan to watch! It just flies by and in the end you will be cheering on Jamie and wanting to see Blue Beetle again in the future!

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Movie Review - Barbie

About the Movie
To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you’re a Ken.

My Take on the Movie
My daughters loved this movie and convinced me to go and see it too. I was skeptical on whether I would like it, but I was pleasantly surprised. The plot was interesting and really dives deeper than I would have thought, in thinking about Barbie in general. While I will not provide spoilers, the movie really places Barbie in a different light and allows a new generation that grew up with Barbie to see her in a whole new way, and the the stereotypical way you might have first thought. The movie has some great actors throughout and they helped take the movie over the top, in my opinion. The movie is not all laughs and fun. The writers of the movie also touched on some deeper topics too which make you think much deeper than I would have first imagined. The music in the movie was also catchy and my daughters were singing "I'm Just Ken" over and over again, and once I saw the movie I understood why they liked it so much! Overall, the movie really does celebrate Barbie and allows all watchers to think about their own individuality and to dream bigger than they might have before they watched the movie. It is a fun movie for all ages!

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