Print Media Monday: We Need Diverse Comics

Stumbled upon this article in my twitter feed, an article by Elizabeth Bird on expanding our literary horizons to include literature from abroad. The #weneeddiversebooks campaign, Bird argues, should also include comics books, easy reading books, chapter books, etc.

I don't mean any disrespect to Ms. Bird, as I DO agree with her article. However, as a person of color with a small child, this is nothing new, and has been my reality for years. I have always tried to make sure the characters the books I select for my daughter reflect her appearance, if possible, and her experience. Oddly enough, it was much easier (in my experience) to find picture books with diverse characters than it is to find chapter books/middle grade books with diverse characters.

I'm curious about your experiences, readers. What do you do (if anything) to ensure your children's reading experiences are broad and (sometimes I hate this word, but it fits here) diverse? What are your favorite titles?

To read Ms. Bird's article, click here.

Throwback Thursday: Cry of the Wolf Starring Whisper the Winged Unicorn

First off, Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who celebrate!

There are lots of great Thanksgiving-themed books out there, but for today's Throwback Thursday, I'd like to post about things I am thankful for: unicorns (especially rainbow ones!) and the 80s!!!!

Growing up in the pre-Internet days, we had book fairs, not Amazon. One of my favorite series to buy at the book fair was Whisper the Winged Unicorn, for the lovely illustrations, and also the free stickers! I had a few books out of the series, but I recently stumbled upon this one in the attic: Cry of the Wolf Starring: Whisper the Winged Unicorn (yes, it says "starring!")

The Plot: Whisper the Unicorn wakes up one morning excited for the Rainbow Forest Spring Fair, which is only two days away. She meets up with her animal friends, only to discover something frightening: they are terrified by mysterious cries they hear in the night! Can Whisper figure out where the cries are coming from before the Spring Fair is ruined?!?!

The Review: I LOVED it! How could I not? There's mystery, suspense, gorgeous illustrations all in about 20 pages or so. If one reads carefully, there are gentle lessons about friendship, understanding, and tolerance sprinkled throughout. Not bad for a 28 year old book!

Book Information

• Cry of the Wolf Starring: Whisper the Winged Unicorn
• By Peter Mandel, Illustrated by Katherine Wilson-Heaney
• Published by Antioch Publishing Company, 1986
• ISBN 0-89954-673-0

Photo Credit

Picture of Cry of the Wolf Starring Whisper the Winged Unicorn was taken from here. Thank you!

Toys and Games Tuesday: Feminist Hacker Barbie

Ok, ok. So this isn't exactly a toy review. But since the mission of this blog is to flesh out the messages sometimes hidden in kids' media, I couldn't NOT write a post about this.

I won't rehash all the outrage, or how horrible this book is (and by "this book" I am referring to Barbie: I Can Be a Computer Engineer from the "Barbie: I Can Be..." Book Series). Rather, I'd just like to say, that as media makers (writers, filmmakers, web series makers, comic book artists, etc) we have a responsibility to use our powers for good and not evil. What we say really DOES matter.

Enter Feminist Hacker Barbie, an app that lets you rewrite the pages of the Barbie: I Can Be a Computer Engineer to something more intelligent? Interesting? Appropriate? You make the call. Kudos to app maker Kathleen for making this a teachable moment for everyone.

Too bad there isn't a real Feminist Hacker Barbie. I'd definitely buy that for my daughter!

Photo Credit

Picture of Barbie was taken from Feminist Hacker Barbie. Thanks!

Repost: International Friday: Sara Farizan's If You Could Be Mine

Hi friends and fans! I had wanted to do a book or movie review in honor of Transgender Awareness Week (November 14th-20th), but the crazy of everyday life swept me away. Although it's a day late, I'd like to repost my short review of Sara Farizan's wonderful YA novel, If You Could Be Mine. (Actually, it's only a review of the first five free chapters from Amazon. I later borrowed a copy from the library and read it on my own, but failed to review it here. BOOOOO!) In any case, please check out this novel. Farizan's story about an Iranian teenager who wants to undergo a sex change to be with her best friend will have you thinking, at the very least.

The link to the review is here.

For more information on Transgender Awareness Week, please click here.

*ANNOUNCEMENTS*

Hey friends and fans!

My apologies for the late announcement regarding last week's giveaway! With a whopping two entries (LOL), the winner of the Goosebumps book is.....

Mirka Breen!

Mirka, I am sending you an email!

I will make sure to be more organized and fancy for the next giveaway (I will actually use Rafflecopter, rather then slips of paper and closing my eyes! ^_^)

Until next time, Happy Monday, everyone!!!!

Throwback Thursday: R.L. Stine's Escape from the Carnival of Horrors + Giveaway!

Hellooooooooo fans and friends! I can't believe it's been almost a YEAR since my last post, but here we are again! (And I have to say, I'm glad to be back!) Since it's almost Halloween, I thought I'd bring the blog back--waaaaay back to a magical time--1995(!!!!!), and a series you might have heard of, Goosebumps.

If you are an early nineties kid like me, the Goosebumps series probably had a place on your bookshelf. (I used to beg my mother to buy them for me from the B. Dalton Bookstore at the mall, then get disappointed when they only took me two hours to read. LOL!) So this one's for you, nineties kids, a review of R.L. Stine's 1995 Give Yourself Goosbumps Series #1, Escape from the Carnival of Horrors!

In addition to the catchy tagline, "Readers beware...you choose the scare!" there is so much to love about Mr. Stine's writing/this book. First off, the throwback quality. When was the last time you cracked open a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure-type book? If you're old like me, probably not for a long while. This book takes you back to the time where, sure, you'll turn to page 42 because you've chosen it or the directions say so, but you're half-cringing, half-excited about what comes next! Secondly, the endings. This gem of a book boasts 20 different endings for hours(?) of entertainment! (I'll admit, my grown-up brain got impatient and thought that 4 endings was enough for me to read to write a review, but still. I loved each of them.) Third, it might not be literature, and I might be 22 years older, but there's still something about R.L. Stine's writing which sucks me in, leaves me hanging at the right moment, then finishes me off with a gross-out kill. (Figuratively speaking, of course!) There were some lovely allusions to his other titles in this book as well, which made me love this book even more.

Sooooooo. I hope you enjoyed this overdue post! Leave a comment below with the title of your favorite throwback series/or stand-alone book. I'm always on the lookout for new/old titles to review here! Also, if you leave a comment by 12:00AM October 13th, Eastern Standard Time, I will randomly select a commenter to win my copy of Escape from the Carnival of Horrors so that you can enjoy it, too! Happy Halloween, and Happy Reading, everyone!

Photo Credits

Demian's Gamebook Web Page

Toys and Games Tuesday- Springfield and American Girl Dolls

It's already that time of year again, crazy busy holiday time!

I was at Michael's the other day (looking at craft supplies instead of writing, LOL) when I ran into these Springfield dolls. I'd seen them on the web, but it was my first time to see them in person. For those of you who don't have a seven year old daughter like me, Springfield is a company that makes 18" dolls, similar in appearance to American Girl dolls but five times CHEAPER. Think of them as American Girl's frugal cousin.

American Girl (the Mercedes Benz of doll companies) has several doll lines. They are best known for their historical dolls, but are getting more and more popular for their My American Girl Collection, where girls can customize a doll that looks (hopefully) like them.

While I'm not advocating for either company (unless they paid me to, of course...LOL), I think it's great that toys are beginning to finally reflect the population of our country.

Photo Credits

"Buy More Stuff Photo" link

International Friday: Ghosts from the Motherland

As a little kid, I was never afraid of Freddy Kreuger or Jason. Instead, the frightening creatures which plagued my Filipino-American psyche were:

1. The Multo. Loosely translated to "zombie", but I think most Filipino kids understand it to be just something hideously scary.

2. The White Lady. She could be anywhere and everywhere.

3. Don't forget the contribution of Catholicism. Stories of saints statues coming to life were commonly told among us children, and even scarier since most us had altars at home chock full of scary statues like this one of the Santo Nino (Baby Jesus):

4. Of course, there was also the Mama Mary.

It wasn't until I went to a high school with a large Cuban-American population that I encountered the chupacabra. Then I realized I wasn't alone in having fear of creatures that no one else knew about except people from the same ethnic immigrant population.

Which ghosts/creatures from near or far scared you? (Still scare you?)

Photo Credits

Thanks, as always! In no particular order:

• Chup-chup-chupacabra!!!
• White Lady
• The Santo Nino
• The Mother Mary
• Multo

Throwback Thursday: Hocus Pocus

If you were a kid in the United States in the 1990s, you probably remember the cult classic Hocus Pocus. Back then, of course, it wasn't a cult classic yet, just cool Halloween weirdness. I remember some of my classmates jumping around the schoolyard saying Sarah Jessica Parker's line, "Amok, amok, amok!"

Flash forward a jillion years to the present, and I'm watching this movie for the blog. And all I can think of is how WEIRD this movie is, and how funny it is that I didn't notice it when I was a kid. Here's what I loved about the movie:

1. Cheesy special effects. Picture it: a talking puppet cat, really bad zombie make-up, and lightning bolts coming out of Bette Midler's fingertips.
2. Acting so bad it's good. Seriously.
3. Sarah Jessica Parker before she was super-famous.
4. The complete and utter over-the-top-ness of the Sanderson Sisters, especially Bette Midler. The scenes without them in the movie fell flat. Which brings me to my next list...

What I Hated About This Movie

1. Overuse of the word "virgin." Yes, we get it. He's a virgin.
2. Acting so bad it was just...bad.
3. The predictability of the plot.

Verdict: If you're waxing nostalgic for the 1990s, pick this up. If not (and I know there will be an angry mob waiting for me outside when I say this), there are better Halloweeen movies out there! You can watch with your kids, but make sure to be ready to explain what a virgin is!

What's your favorite Halloweeen throwback film?

Creepy animated GIF courtesy of Crushable. Thanks!

Throwback Thursday: Betty Ren Wright's The Pike River Phantom

Whether you are 9 or 99, there's always something magical about a scary story. Back in the Stone Age, I remember the brave girls (and it was always girls) carrying around scary story books like they were badges of honor. "Look at me, I'm not afraid of the Pike River Phantom!" their eyes would say. Meanwhile, other girls (like me) would take a quick peek at the cover and decide it was NOT the genre for me. Please, don't even leave it on my desk!

Now that I'm older, the cover of this classic reads more kitschy than frightening, and I can giggle that I was so afraid of this? Getting a good scare is still tons of fun, however, especially during Halloween, and especially when Betty Ren Wright is the author.

Betty Ren Wright (I just have to say her full name!) is a very efficient writer. In a book of only 153 pages, she manages to flesh out the story of 12-year-old Charlie Hocking, a Milaukee transplant new to the small town where his father grew up, and where all Charlie's troubles begin. His father is an ex-con, and his cousin Rachel, who also lives in the same house, is perfect. How can anyone compete with that? Throw in a ghost with a dilemma and a Fourth of July parade, and you've got one entertaining story. While I didn't encounter anything revolutionary in this book, Wright's skill as a writer of suspense kept me on my toes. Also, the way she portrays family relationships, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes baffling, always necessary and complicated make this book ring emotionally true. Yes, it's only 153 pages, and yes the cover has a picture of a ghost lady chasing some kids down the stairs, but it was a good read.

Overall, five stars. Come for the ghost story, stay for the happy ending. Wax nostalgic with your friends about book fairs, and for the time when kids were allowed to do scary things--like ride their bikes in the woods by themselves! (yes, Charlie does this often in the book!)

Haven't had enough? For more frightening fun check out an earlier review of middle-grade classic, Stonewords: A Ghost Story.

Photo Credits

The picture of of The Pike River Phantom came from here. Thanks!

Toys and Games Tuesday: Badass Lego Girls

This article on the Huffington Post caught my attention awhile back, and I thought I would link to it here on my blog. Three-year-old Cecilia is taking her LEGO creations to a new level, turning girly LEGO figures tough. Read: 'Badass Lego Girls' Made By A Badass Three-Year-Old.

How's that for creativity?

Photo credits go to the HuffPo.

Print Media Monday: Catherine Stine's Ruby's Fire

Welcome to another Print Media Monday! Today we'll be reviewing Catherine Stine's Ruby's Fire, the second novel in the Fireseed Series. I was fortunate enough to win a copy of this novel from a giveaway on Kelly Hashway's blog. I say fortunate because it's not the kind of book I would pick up by myself (I'm not a huge sci-fi fan, and my tastes tend toward Middle Grade rather than YA.) But the gods intervened that day to bring me a book that I have thoroughly enjoyed, and I know you will enjoy, too.

Seventeen-year-old Ruby is just like any other teenager. She has friends she adores, and a family she loves and wants to protect above all else. But Ruby is living in some extraordinary circumstances. On a post-Apocalyptic Earth, Ruby is a climate refugee, and living in a cult that worships the mysterious plant FireSeed. On the night of the Founder's Ceremony, Ruby makes a decision to escape that will not only change her life, but will alter the very essence of her being. Catherine Stine takes us and Ruby on an incredible emotional journey, where the question of what it means to be human will be explored and turned on its head.

Why I Loved This Book

One word: FireSeed! I didn't read FireSeed One (the first novel set in the FireSeed Universe) but that wasn't a problem. The properties of this crazy plant will leave you scratching your head for days and days. And of course, the characters. Ruby kicked butt as the resident healer, and her little brother Thorn would put Haley Joel Osment's character in Sixth Sense to shame. For those of you out there who love a good YA love triangle, you will not be disappointed.

More About Catherine Stine/ The Fireseed Series

For more information on the Fireseed Series, or Catherine Stine, please visit her website. You can also find Ruby's Fire and Fireseed One on Amazon.

Wah! Can't believe this is the last official post of Back-to-School Month. Went by in a blur! Make sure to come back next month where all posts will have to do with Horror/Halloween!

See you in October!

Photo Credits

The cover of Ruby's Fire was taken from here. Thanks heaps!

International Friday: Cute Stationery and Such

Angry Birds bento? Heck yeah!

We've talked about some really serious things here at EKM--racism, stereotyping, and girls' empowerment. But for this International Friday, we're going to talk about something even more important...CUTE STATIONERY! It's the last International Friday of Back-to-School Month, so what better way to close it off than by indulging in mindless but delicious consumerism?

I've posted some yummy pictures of kawaii (cute) bento (lunchboxes) and school supplies. Kawaii culture originated in Japan but has spread throughout Asia and the world, as evidenced by the amount of online retailers specializing in it (*NOTE* I have zero affiliation with any of the web sites listed here, and have listed them for informational purposes only). Also, cute culture isn't just for kids. Women in Japan, and some men, just can't resist the cute!

The Lunches

Yes, folks, they are made from nothing other than an imaginative use of rice, seaweed, and other food products!

Pencils and Such

School supplies so cute, who really needs school? My favorite are the poop pencils (they're the ones that look like ice cream scoops!) With the POCKY pencils a close second.

I can't stand it! Everything is just...so...cute!

Thanks for reading, everyone! See you in October!

Photo Credits

• Angry Birds bento was taken from Neatorama.
• Totoro bento was from Instant Ramen.
• Piggy bento came from Women's Day.
• Omelet tiger bento came from JustBento.
• Panda pencil toppers came from flickr.
• Stamp set came from Modes4u.
• Cute poop pens from TofuCandy.
• POCKY pencils came from TofuCute.

Throwback Thursday: 8 Classic YA Books That Will Screw You Up For Life

It's not so sweet in the valley.

Came across this post on flavorwire. The title says it all: "8 Classic YA Books That Will Screw You Up for Life." Do you agree or disagree with the titles on the list? What titles, if any, would you add?

Happy reading, everyone!

Photo Credits

Photo of Sweet Valley book came from here. Gracias!

Toys and Games Tuesday: Goldie Blox and the Spinning Machine

Hey All! This week I'd like to introduce a new column, Toys and Games Tuesday! It will appear once a month or so. In honor of Back-to-School Month, we're going to talk about the much buzzed-about toy, Goldie Blox.

If you have school-aged children, it's hard to avoid hearing about STEM. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, and is an acronym that anyone involved in education is throwing around the way troublemakers once threw paper airplanes in class. American children don't know enough about the STEM fields, politicians, big technology CEOs, and some educators have argued. This is bad for national security and the Future of the Nation in general. I'm not certain I agree, as it's been eons since I've stepped into a classroom, but I am all for anything that makes children more curious, passionate, and excited about the world we live in. Here is where Goldie Blox steps in.

Goldie Blox is the brainchild of Stanford engineer Debbie Sterling. Noticing a lack of women in the engineering field, she developed Goldie Blox to help get girls excited about building and engineering. Girls can do more than just play dress-up princess she argues. Her hope is that the more girls are exposed to engineering, the more interested they will be in pursuing engineering as a career, and the better the chances are that more women can help solve problems in the world.

What's Inside

• Goldie Blox and the Spinning Machine story book
• One pegboard
• Ten axles
• Five blocks
• One ribbon
• Five blocks
• Five wheels
• Five Washers
• One crank

Through the story in the book, Goldie and her friends figure out different ways to configure the machine parts to solve their problems. There are also pages where the child can copy and create different formations using the materials.

What I Like About This Toy

I like that this toy came into being because its creator (Sterling) wanted to empower girls. As a character, Goldie is as adorable as they come. The book shows Goldie solving problems but also having fun (even playing dress-up with her star sunglasses!) With her toolbelt and overalls, she is unambiguously ready to build. But Goldie's flowing blonde locks and her adorable animal friends also make her accessible to the princess set. The book and toy parts are also made out of high-quality plastic.

What I Don't Like About This Toy

My daughter, who is seven-years-old and my Official Tester of Everything Kid complained, "Ma, the ribbon isn't long enough!" I agree. It seems that once you get these cool formations going, you can't do much because the ribbon is too short. Are they inadvertently encouraging us to do Goldie Blox hacks? You could certainly get around this by using your own ribbon with some velcro sewn on the end. But still, seeing as this is a toy that is supposed to encourage young girls to build, why stop the fun when it had only gotten started? I would definitely recommend they start selling booster packs with extra long ribbon, parts, etc, if only for the lazy and technologically inept among us.

I also don't like (and this probably wasn't their intention) that by marketing an "engineering toy for girls" they create a further rift between life and science that an increase on focus on the STEM fields was supposed to fix. Life and engineering are inseparable. If you really want to get girls building, let them get involved in some real-life building situations. Let them help you put together some furniture you just bought (IKEA anyone? LOL!) or let her help you fix the car or bike (even if they just hold the tools because they might be too young or small to help you for real). Point out the beauty of a bridge you are about to drive across. These activities are free, and show STEM in everyday life.

*end rant*

Still, I love the toy and its message. If you've got a young girl in your life and the $30 to spare, you might want to consider this for her birthday or Christmas gift.

To find out more about Goldie Blox, check out their website. Their kickstarter page, though expired, is also rather informative. Goldie Blox is recommended for children ages 6+, and has small parts which may be a choking hazard for younger children.

Photo Credits

The photo of the inside of the box came from here. The picture of the Goldie Blox banner came from here, and "More Than Just a Princess" came from here. Thanks heaps!

Wah! A Liebster Award Nomination!

The very lovely Leandra Wallace of the Le&ndra Wallace Blog has nominated Eating Kids' Media for a Liebster Award! Woo-hoo! The Liebster Award is for blogs that have less than 200 followers and need more love. Pass it on!

Here are the questions Leandra asked me, and their answers:

1. Who do you credit as being most inspirational in your life?

Oprah and my daughter :-)

2. What is your favorite thing to do on the weekend?

Sleep. (LOL!) Or if possible, go for country drives.

3. Top three authors?

Haruki Murakami, Paulo Coelho, J. Krishnamurti

4. Snow or no snow?

I'm from the Northeast! NO SNOW!!!!

5. If you could visit any city in the world, what one would it be?

Not sure why, but Prague.

6. What is your favorite restaurant?

There's a dive-y Vietnamese restaurant in my town called Miss Saigon. The service is horrid but the food is always fast, fresh, and delicious!

7. Do you loan your books out?

Always, for the sake of humanity.

8. What's the one thing you're sick of seeing on book covers?

On YA books, I am sick of seeing a wispy blonde teenager stuck in the embrace of a topless man with nice abs. Don't get me wrong. I love nice abs. But in most of these books, there's actually a story in there, and the covers really sell them short.

9. If you could travel back in time to any major historical moment, what would it be?

The Pyramids. I want to know if aliens really built them.

10. If you could pick a name for yourself, what would it be?

The Artist Formerly known as a symbol. LOL!

Thanks Leandra! Here are my nominations for the Liebster Award, and the rules for those who choose to accept:

• Chieu Anh Urban
• NC Teacher Stuff
• Sketch 2 Color
• Brianna's Book Stop
• iamtonyang

If you choose to accept here are the directions: Link back to the blogger who tagged you. Nominate 5-10 others and answer the questions of the one who tagged you. Then ask 10 questions for the bloggers you nominate as well as letting your nominees know of their award.

And now, my ten questions for those of you who choose to accept the award:

1. If you could be an ice cream flavor, what would it be, and why?
2. What is your favorite time of day to blog?
3. If you were not a writer (or other current occupation) what would you be and why?
4. Your go-to (place, blog, person, book) when you are dry on inspiration?
5. What is your favorite book of all time?
6. The best advice you've ever received?
7. If you could have a super-power, what would it be and why?
8. What is something you are optimistic about?
9. I wish I could see....because....
10. What is your most indispensable possession and why?

Happy Blogging, everyone! Don't forget to check out the blogs linked here. Thanksverymuch!

International Friday: Studio Ghibli's The Cat Returns

Fly, Haru, fly!

Welcome to another "International Friday" here at Eating Kids' Media! In keeping with the September/Back-to-School theme, I have decided to review Studio Ghibli's The Cat Returns (Japanese: Neko no Ongaeshi) for today's entry.

Some of you may be familiar with Studio Ghibli thanks to its famous founder and director Hayao Miyazaki (My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind). Although it is a Ghibli production,The Cat Returns was not directed by Miyazaki. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as long as the Miyazaki junkies out there (myself included!) can appreciate this lovely film for what it is, and not compare it to a film directed by Miyazaki. Now, on to the review!

The main character is Japanese high school student Haru. Like a lot of kids, she struggles with feeling confident about herself. She has a crush on a cute boy in her class, who doesn't even know she exists. And on top of that, she just can't seem to wake up on time for school!

One day, while walking home from school with her best friend, she saves a cat from being run over by a truck by running into the intersection and scooping it up with her lacrosse stick! (Badass!) She is shocked when the cat stands upright, sweeps the dust from his fur, and says in lovely honorific Japanese, "Thanks for saving me." It turns out that the gracious cat is none other than the prince of the Cat Kingdom, Prince Lune. Later that night, in a scene that words cannot do justice, Prince Lune's dad, the Cat King and his entourage, presents Haru with a scroll detailing gifts of repayment (ongaeshi) that she will receive over the coming days.

I'm a I'm a hustler!

To make a long story short, the gifts are not what Haru wanted or expected. When the Cat King's super-cute lackey (whose name I cannot remember) tells Haru that her final gift is her impending wedding to Prince Lune, Haru follows the advice of a mysterious voice to seek help from the Cat Bureau. And so begins Haru's harrowing adventure to find out that the only thing she really needed was inside her all along.

Why I Love This Movie

If you are a fan of Miyazaki, you've probably noticed that his characters are usually super-perfect strong females (with the exception of Chihiro from Spirited Away). That being said, I love that this Ghibli production features a strong girl with integrity (a super-athletic lacrosse-playing girl who loves cats!) who doesn't have it ENTIRELY together (she still can't wake up for school, even with an alarm.) This makes her instantly endearing and relatable. Action, intrigue, and giggles abound in this movie, but as a mother, the best part for me was the fact that Haru's character grows in the end. She's been through a lot, learned her lessons, and is stronger and better for all of it (cliched as it sounds!) Please watch it with your older children, both boys and girls!

Appropriate for ages 10 and up. No blood, gore, or sex, but some concepts about "finding yourself" that littler ones might not be interested in or understand.

Photo Credits

The picture of Haru and Baron was taken from this blog. The picture of the Cat Entourage was taken from here. Haru in the grass came from here. Thanks!

Throwback Thursday: Recess: Season One Episode One

The Recess Gang

If you are of a certain age, you probably remember recess, that golden half hour or so where kids in school were allowed to go nuts and forget all their classroom woes. Heck, the teachers expected us to go nuts, in the hopes that we could finish the last half of the school-day just a little less wiggly and antsy. Sadly, kids these days don't have recess anymore (that's a topic for another blog!) However, for those of us waxing nostalgic, or just looking for a good laugh, nothing captures the essence of this magical time of school better than the aptly-named 1990s Recess cartoon.

Recess revolves around fourth grade friends TJ, Spinelli, Gretchen, Mikey, Vince, and Gus (who joins the gang in episode 2) and what they do at recess. In the first episode, gang-leader TJ gets caught trying to steal food from the cafeteria (from a refrigerator marked, "Good Food"-- LOL!) as a protest against the Tomato Surprise, a highly-acidic soup they are serving in the cafeteria. When the horrid Ms. Finster punishes TJ by taking away recess, the poet of the group, Mikey, shouts, "Why doesn't she just tear out his soul?!?!" The gang spend the rest of the episode trying to bail TJ out of the classroom, with hilarious results. TJ didn't get to have recess, but his friends ended up uniting various factions of the playground, until the next episode of course.

I used to watch this cartoon when it aired Saturday mornings on ABC, back in the Stone Age. As a kid, the thing I loved most about this show (and still love) is that it never failed to crack me up. Now that I'm older, I love that the characters are so likeable, and yet so different from one another--just like real kids! I talk about diversity a lot on this blog, and race or ethnicity-wise, you couldn't call the cast of Recess diverse. But there's a believable diversity of interests and personalities that make the show fun to watch, without the characters becoming caricatures. One of my faves is Gretchen the Nerd. She explains what's in Tomato Surprise:

Spinelli (after putting the Tomato Surprise on her tray): It's like acid!

Gretchen: Citric acid, actually. And a carbon base electromagnetically heated to create a synthetic compound which has some admirable qualities.

TJ: You mean it's ok to eat?

Gretchen: No, if you let it age it'll burn a hole in a concrete floor.

LOL!

Go ahead and check out Recess. Then grab a friend and go play outside! What's your favorite recess memory?

Photo Credits

The image of the Recess gang was taken from here. Thanks heaps!

Print Media Monday: Chieu Anh Urban's Away We Go!

When we got this board book in the mail (the result of winning a giveaway at Brianna Sayre's blog) my daughter immediately picked it up. Nevermind that this book is supposed to be a gift for a friend's baby daughter, and nevermind that my daughter is seven, she loved it! According to her, "this book will help your baby become smart!" After looking through it myself, I completely agree!

Blast off! Wheeeeeee!

Let's start off by talking about design. The book itself is a sturdy board book, about seven inches wide and six inches long. It's big enough for chubby hands to hold, and not too small to get lost. The cut-outs of the shapes which appear on every page are great for little ones to enjoy sticking their hands into, or for mom or dad or babysitter to enjoy framing an eyeball with--perfect for distracting baby! The illustrations of different modes of transportation (school buses, rocket ships, and blimps) are bright and colorful, cleverly hiding the shapes which the little ones are supposed to find.

Although the book has many wonderful characteristics, the thing about it I love most is that it presents the subject of transportation as gender neutral. When we think of cars or trucks, we often think of little boys. This is also the case for the colors blue and pink--blue is for boys, pink is for girls. But somehow Urban's book manages to fly above all the gender stereotyping. A heart, which is normally associated with feminity and girls is the shape used for the propeller of the airplane, a mode of transportation adored by little boys everywhere. The background color for the illustration of the cement mixer is a deep red-violet, a color likely to appeal to girls. "Yes," this book seems to say, "cement mixers, race cars, bulldozers, and submarines are for everyone! Away we go!" Yes, Ms. Urban, they certainly are!

Grade for Back-to-School: A++! A fun way for your toddler to learn shapes, and also a book you won't get sick of reading ten million times thanks to the bold ilustrations and basically one word a page!

For more information about Chieu Anh Urban and Away We Go, visit her blog.

Print Media Monday: Can E-Books Be Passed Down?

Happy Labor Day, everyone! Some of you may have seen this article floating around the Internet. An interesting article/braodcast from NPR on the virtues of passing down physical books, and how that will change as e-books get more and more popular.

What do you think? To access the article, click here.