Image via WikipediaThe Daily News Wire Services citing the California Highway Patrol reported on August 26 that a car driven by Douglas Kmiec, the U.S. ambassador to Malta, went off a road near Calabasas, in California killing a nun who was a passenger in the vehicle, and injuring Kmiec and another passenger.
The ambassador, aged 58, was involved in a one-car traffic accident in California last Wednesday.
It was also confirmed that the Kmiec family contacted the embassy but they were not given any additional information.
The Malibu Times reported that Prof. Kmiec was taken to the UCLA Medical Trauma Centre for treatment and is reported to be in a good condition.
Sister Mary Campbell, 75, from Our Lady of Malibu Catholic Church was killed in the collision at Las Virgenes Canyon Road and Mulholland Drive on Wednesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, 95-year-old Mons. John Sheridan from OLM was also injured but survived the crash alongside Ambassador Kmiec. Ambassador Kmiec himself was driving the car. Police investigations are underway.
The main political parties and the General Workers' Union have wished Prof. Kmiec a speedy recovery. Various American-based Catholic websites were inundated with well wishes for the ambassador throughout yesterday.
The US ambassador to Malta is a well-known scholar and popular law commentator. He is also a former professor of law at Pepperdine University. Ambassador Kmiec also served as dean and St Thomas More Professor of Law at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.. He also served for nearly two decades on the law faculty at the University of Notre Dame.
As you may have seen in the news by now, Nicole John, the daughter of US ambassador to Thailand, Eric John and Sophia John died from a fall in New York on August 27.
Until it was deleted soon after her death, Nicole John had a blog in Tumblr.
We can remember what it was like when we were 17. We are glad the blog is no longer available for everyone to read.
Some news dailies seemed to have mined part of her blog posts (before it was deleted) and also Ambassador John's official blog to string their stories together. Some of the comments online are sympathetic. A lot are unkind, and extremely judgmental both to the deceased and the parents suffering unimaginable grief and loss at this time. Best to look away, it'll only break your heart to read some more.
And for all the happiness we've ever known, we'll ever grateful stay.
The Department of State has issued this Travel Warning to inform U.S. citizens traveling to and living in Mexico about the security situation in Mexico. The authorized departure of family members of U.S. government personnel from U.S. Consulates in the northern Mexico border cities of Tijuana, Nogales, Ciudad Juarez, Nuevo Laredo, Monterrey and Matamoros remains in place. However, based upon a security review in Monterrey following the August 20, 2010 shooting in front of the American Foundation School in Monterrey and the high incidence of kidnappings in the Monterrey area, U.S. government personnel from the Consulate General in Monterrey have been advised that the immediate, practical and reliable way to reduce the security risks for children of U.S. Government personnel is to remove them from the city. Beginning September 10, 2010, the Consulate General in Monterrey will become a partially unaccompanied post with no minor dependents of U.S. government employees. This Travel Warning supersedes the Travel Warning for Mexico dated July 16, 2010 to note the changing security situation in Monterrey.
The $53-billion reconstruction effort is not without its successes. But poor planning, violence and a failure to consult Iraqis derailed many projects, which may offer lessons in Afghanistan.
The shell of a prison that will never be used rises from the desert on the edge of this dusty town north of Baghdad, a hulking monument to the wasted promise of America's massive, $53-billion reconstruction effort in Iraq. Construction began in May 2004 at a time when U.S. money was pouring into the country. It quickly ran into huge cost overruns. Violence erupted in the area, and a manager was shot dead in his office. The Iraqi government said it didn't want or need the prison. In 2007 the project was abandoned, but only after $40 million of U.S. taxpayer money had been spent.
A recent audit cites the example of an unfinished slaughterhouse in Basra — price tag $5.6 million — that was undertaken without securing a supply of water to wash away the blood.
The $32.5-million cost of a sewage treatment facility for the war-ravaged city of Fallouja, begun in 2005 by the U.S. military, has mushroomed to $104 million, and will now reach only 4,300 homes instead of the 24,500 originally envisioned, if it ever reaches any homes at all. Although the treatment plant is almost complete, the contract did not include a pipeline to connect the plant to the town.
The 94-bed Children's Hospital in Basra, launched with much fanfare by then-First Lady Laura Bush in 2004, was originally pegged for completion in 2005 at a cost of $37 million. It remains unfinished, and the cost has spiraled to $171 million, $110 million of which was provided by U.S. taxpayers.
'Xcuse me — are we not doing exactly the same thing in Afghanistan — the baghdafication of the US Embassy in Kabul, including surges in military, civilian, reconstruction projects and money poured down the drain like there's no limit to the taxpayer's credit card?
Via HuffPo: The Deputy Attorney General Fazel Ahmed Faqiryar told the New York Times Saturday that he was fired for refusing to block corruption investigations in "the highest levels" of Karzai's government.
He said that cases against three or four former Afghan Cabinet ministers had been completed, but had been put on hold and had not been sent to the courts. Five provincial governors have been accused of corruption, he said. Two of the cases involving governors have been sent to court and three remain under investigation, he said.
In addition, Faqiryar said that several Afghan ambassadors to other nations have been accused of corruption. "We have worked on so many," he said, unable to recall the number of cases involving ambassadors.
Next News Just Waiting to Happen: Anti-Corruption Afghan Prosecutor Seeks Asylum in the US.
For FS folks who are subject to mandatory age retirement (MAR), also known as "prompt removal" upon reaching the magic number in the Foreign Service, we have created a new line of ecards to mark this milestone.
Below is the first in the series we're rolling out starting this week. God knows how difficult it is to find a card just for you in the Hallmark aisle. Especially those that says "we appreciate you but you must leave now please … " If what a former DG says hold true, folks may need these ecards for 35% of the Department's workforce who will be eligible for retirement in 2012 and for more than half the current workforce who will be retirement eligible in 2017.
Note that Someecards is not intended for use by people under 18 years of age, or by ostriches.
The U.S. Embassy and Consulate General in Monterrey have undertaken an immediate security review following the shooting on August 20, 2010, in front of the American School in Monterrey (ASFM). This review focused on the ability to provide adequate security for the children of U.S. personnel attending school.
Discussions with police and other security officials indicated that the level of violence in Monterrey is increasing, including where our children go to school. Furthermore, local police and private patrols do not have the capacity to deter criminal elements from areas around the schools attended by the children of U.S. personnel assigned to the Consulate. Given the increasing level of violence that is occurring all over Monterrey, including near where our children go to school, they are at significantly increased risk and there is not the capacity to adequately mitigate that threat.
Based on this assessment, and combined with the high incidence of kidnappings in the Monterrey area, U.S. government personnel from the Consulate General have been advised that the immediate, practical and reliable way to reduce the security risks for all children is to remove them from Monterrey. Beginning September 10, 2010, the Consulate General in Monterrey will become a partially unaccompanied post with no minor dependents of USG employees.
According to its website ConGen Monterrey is one of the largest and busiest consulates in the world. The Monterrey consular district, includes Nuevo Leon, Durango, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosi and most of Coahuila. This district has nearly 11 million inhabitants (the size of Texas), The Consulate General staff includes 54 Americans representing eight U.S. government agencies plus their 98 Mexican employees.
A source informed us that the request to go on partial unaccompanied post was made by Ambassador Pascual following the shooting at the American school in Monterrey this past week.
I expect that the 15% danger pay for post will get a bump up following this development. And with this new designation, we're almost certain that families with minor children will return to the US and wait here for the conclusion of the employees' tour of duty in Monterrey. We don't know at this time how many families with minor children will be separated, if folks will get a chance to curtail their assignments or if this will have an impact on the length of assignments for Monterrey in the near future.
The most vibrant democracy in Southeast Asia, Indonesia remains a culture in which personal contact remains essential. The Embassy can SMS our contacts and write blogs, but we have much less impact without the personal connection. The U.S. Embassy created an easily accessible, American funded facility, the @america Outreach Center, that provides that personal contact to invited guests and the wider, younger Indonesian community who can choose to visit at their leisure. @america was created by a separate contract that covered design and the initial operations. This contract will cover operations from the end of the current contract. @america is a hip, happening location with an American face. It is an edgy, technically advanced space to which young adults naturally gravitate. It is located in the heart of Indonesia, the world's third-largest democracy and fourth-largest country. @america is easy to drop into and alive with 21st century activities that young adults, including students and professionals, will find of interest to them and thus draw them back again and again. Activities will include such events as films, cultural programs, discussion roundtables, English conversation groups, 21st century research and reference tools, educational advising services, American educational online games and more. With each engaging visit, our visitors will feel more positive about the U.S. and the evolving, strategic U.S.-Indonesia partnership.
Furthermore, as we engage our target audience, we will learn from them what topics they want to learn more about, and we will change our programming accordingly.
The principal place of performance for this contract has been identified as the Pacific Place Mall, Jakarta, Indonesia.
The anticipated five year value of this contract is between USD $5 million and USD $10 million.
FS Blog: The Mantra … "When we're fully staffed …."
Everyone is repeating this phrase. When people curtail (leave for another post early) and quit (as in, quit the FS) it leaves posts short-handed. It also offers great opportunities for newbies to step up to the plate. Not to hit a figurative home run, but to take a couple swings and do their best or maybe get a bunt.
Back to present day. There is no time for playing with ant mounds and I can't even fathom wanting to quit this career. Not only that, but I currently have three of the five "cones" present in my job description. It is one benefit of serving in a small, under-staffed post from which people have curtailed and quit. I'm busy and being challenged.
So, your take-away lessons: People quit the FS. New people are presented with some very cool challenges. Having a positive attitude can be difficult but is crucial.
Continue reading The Mantra here.
orientation. However, all will work in highly team-focused environments during their Foreign Service careers. All FSOs, regardless of their position, must work effectively with colleagues at all levels of the organization to succeed as individuals and contribute to group accomplishment. The leadership and teambuilding program helps participants assess skills and develop strategies to work most effectively within diverse groups, both as leaders and team members. The program normally takes place during the third week of Orientation.
Develop a two-day teambuilding program using experiential education techniques and exercises requiring elementary levels of physical ability but with increasing levels of cognitive difficulty, that address the Foreign Service Core Precepts of leadership, communication, interpersonal and management skills as defined in the attached document (see Fedbiz for attachments).
Facilitate a general opening session and a closing wrap-up session with all participants (on average the total number of participants for each session is between 80-89 students). At other times during the program, students will be divided into small groups of approximately 12- 17 people, with each team having one facilitator. Team size and number of teams may vary depending on overall class size.
Utilize various teambuilding theories and tools as appropriate to discuss exercises and how group members can apply what they have learned to the workplace in order to better model the Foreign Service Core Precepts listed above. These theories and tools should include one or more of the following: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the Three-Circle leadership model, Tuckman's stages of team development, Situational Leadership, and other tools identified by FSI staff.
Folks waiting for the call may want to know that this solicitation says FSI anticipate eight (8) orientation courses for FY11 (October 1, 2010-September 30, 2011). That's between 640-712 new employees in the next fiscal year.
Be sure to also check out the Foreign Service Core Precepts (in Word Doc), the guidelines by which Selection Boards determine the tenure and promotability of U.S. Foreign Service employees. These Precepts will be in effect for the 2008-2009, 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 rating cycles. The Precepts define the specific skills to be considered and the level of accomplishment expected at different grades. They distinguish between apprentice, journeyman and master level – the junior, mid-level and senior ranks.


Assault can range from physical contact involving to push to more serious forms of conduct resulting in injuries. Generally an assault occurs when a person intentionally applies direct or indirect force to another person without consent.
Consent: For an assault to have occurred, the Crown must prove that the application of force by the accused person was done without the consent of the party to whom the force was applied. Consent may be given expressly or implied. Often, consent is implied and is generally determined from the surrounding circumstances of the offence.
Self -Defence: A person may be justified in using force or threatening force in certain circumstances to protect either themselves, family members or property. The rule permits the use of force if the force is reasonable depends on the facts of the case.
Mistaken Belief in Consent: If consent did not actually exist, the accused may still be able to argue that they honestly believed the other party had consented to the application of force. An honest but mistaken belief in consent will also afford a defence to an assault charge.
The consequences of being found guilty of an assault charge are significant. Upon a finding of guilt, one may receive a criminal record and be sentenced to a period of incarceration in jail. Alternatively, the court may impose a lesser sentence including probation with counselling or a fine.
We have the experience, resource and tools required to provide you with the most effective legal defence, often not resulting in a criminal record. It is important to remember that every allegation of theft, fraud or robbery is a fact specific inquiry. Consulting a lawyer will assist you with identifying potential defences to this type of allegation.
Are you facing assault charges? You need an experienced defense attorney to help you fight your charges. Criminalcases Office is also a criminal law firm that serves Mississauga, Georgetown, Toronto, Oakville, Brampton, Ontario, Contact Bhangal & Virk Associates for consultation by our dedicated and experienced criminal defence lawyers.
Case - Our client was charged with having assaulted his wife by hitting her over the head repeatedly and causing some bruising to the arm area.
Result - The Judge felt that given the evidence of the wife and husband, they both appeared to be giving a credible version of events. Given this was a criminal case of assault, the Judge needed to be satisfied "beyond a reasonable doubt" that our client assaulted his wife. The Judge could not be satisfied of this. He felt that our client's version of events "could" have been true and as a result he must give him the benefit of the doubt and acquit him of the charges.
Case - Our client and his wife were separated but still living under the same roof with their child. On a particular day, the wife started arguing with our client about laundry issues. Our client wanted to avoid a confrontation and simply tried to leave the house. His wife continued to follow him outside and continued to yell at him. When she couldn't get her way, she called the police and reported that he had pushed her.
At trial - Our client described for the court the tensions that existed in the house and the fact that he did not push his wife that day.
Result - The court found our client to be very credible and could not be satisfied that he actually pushed his wife. The charges were dismissed.
Case - Our client was charged with assaulting his wife by pushing her and hitting her in the shoulder area.
At trial - Our client completed a counseling program recommended by our firm. This treatment showed insight into our clients anger issues and in turn, looked favourably upon him. His wife also assisted in saying some favourable things about him. As a result of his wife's input and our client's advanced treatment, the Crown exercised their discretion to drop the charges and simply have our client sign a peace bond. (Note: it is not common practice for the Crown to exercise this form of discretion; however, in the right case and right circumstances it does happen.
Result - Charges dropped and a peace bond signed by client.
Case - Our client was charged with some allegations of serious bodily harm. His wife had some serious injuries as a result of our client repeatedly striking her in parts of her body with a stick. The injuries were consistent with being struck repeatedly.
Result - client entered a guilty plea to simple assault and received a sentence including probation and counseling. Our client was able to quickly go home and try to mend his relationship with his wife. He knew that he had done something wrong and was prepared to accept responsibility for his conduct.


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Soon To Be In Your Community DVD
Album length: 2 music videos, 2 commentaries
Street Date: June 24, 2003
Ohio born and bred John Reuben is prepping to release his third album on Gotee Records. However, in the meantime, Reuben offers up a new DVD single featuring his two music videos with commentary. While this DVD is about as simple and stripped-down as you can get, what you do get is quality and some splendid candid footage.
John's extremely clever and equally fun video for "Doin'" opens the disc. An incredibly catchy song that pokes fun at emcees with inflated egos (I got it right this time, John! :) Please forgive me!), "Doin'" is the highlight of Hindsight and is given the concept video treatment it deserves here. As if that weren't enough in itself, a sleepy Reuben takes the viewer into a local Wal-Mart Supercenter in the morning to offer commentary for the video while watching it on a screen in the electronics department. It was cool to not only hear Reuben's commentary, but to see him as he watched his own video as we also get to watch it in an inset on the screen.
The song that put John on the map, "Do Not," is next, with a video almost as memorable and creative as the previous. It features John seeking out gigs while masquerading as an ice cream truck driver during the day. The commentary finds John in the electronics department of yet another department store, this time he doesn't quite make it all the way through the video before he's asked to leave (Note: the censor beeps are merely the store name being censored out. Also, John had informed us that as he's walking away, he says "it's all good" which has been misinterpreted as profanity. We agree that it's indeed not profanity).
Overall, I loved this project. The videos are great and the commentary a must-see. While it might not be worth the seven hard-earned bucks for just four items on the disc, Reuben fans will certainly not want to miss this project.
- Review date: 7/23/03, written by John
"Doin'" video
"Do Not" video
Commentaries for each video by John Reuben
Melvin Crispell, III Releases Video for "The Blessing"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


April is coming in quick and all the minimum wage rates are about to change. We've got everything laid out for you below so you know what to expect and can get your payroll organised!
• Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP), Statutory Adoption Pay (SAP) and Statutory Shared Parental Pay (SSPP) will increase from £145.18 per week to £148.68 per week.
• Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) rate will also increase from £92.05 per week to £94.25 per week.
• The qualifying weekly lower earnings limit threshold for SMP, SPP, SAP, SSPP and SSP will rise from £116 per week to £118 per week.
• NLW for workers aged 25 or older will increase from £7.83 to £8.21 per hour.
• Rate for workers aged 21 to 24 will increase from £7.38 to £7.70 per hour.
• Development rate for workers aged 18 to 20 will increase from £5.90 to £6.15 per hour.
• The young workers rate (non-apprentices aged under 18) will increase from £4.20 to £4.35 per hour.
• Apprenticeship rate will increase from £3.70 to £3.90 per hour.
• The amount of a week's pay for various statutory calculations, including statutory redundancy payments, will increase from £508 to £525.
• Statutory cap for unfair dismissal compensation will increase from £83,682 to £86,444.


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Nonfiction Picture Book Round Up!: The Universe in You by Jason Chin; Of Walden Pond by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by Ashley Benham-Yazdani; Polar Bear by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Eric Rohmann; We're Not Weird by Michael Garland; & The Science of Light by Margaret Peot
January 31, 2023 by Kellee
The Universe in You: A Microscopic Journey
Author & Illustrator: Jason Chin
Published October 18th, 2022
Summary: Caldecott Medalist Jason Chin's companion book to the award-winning Your Place in the Universe explores the world of the very small, delving deep into the microscopic world just beneath our skin.
From Jason Chin, Caldecott Medalist for Watercress and Cook Prize winning author and illustrator of Your Place in the Universe comes The Universe in You: A Microscopic Journey, a companion book about the very small, from the tiniest mammals to the intricate structures of microscopic organisms and subatomic particles that make up every human body. This deep dive into an unseen world explores the building blocks of all matter and life, demonstrating how much we have in common with everything around us.
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
A Horn Book Fanfare Title
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
Review & Teachers' Tools for Navigation: Jason Chin does it again: combining impeccable illustrations with science to take the reader into the microscopic world within our universe. Chin is such a master at bringing the reader into whatever world he has decided to explore and share with us. His writing is thorough and interesting, his illustrations are detailed and labeled, and the book together is definitely the journey he promises.
Educator Guide Available HERE!
What is so special about the structure of the book? Why do you think the author set the structure up this way?
What is the smallest thing in the universe? How do these small particles impact us?
How does the author make this nonfiction book like a journey?
Of Walden Pond: Henry David Thoreau, Frederic Tudor, and the Pond Between
Author: Lesa Cline-Ransome
Illustrator: Ashley Benham-Yazdani
Published November 15th, 2022 by Holiday House
Summary: From the award-winning author of Before She Was Harriet comes another work of lyrical beauty, the story of Henry David Thoreau and businessman Frederic Tudor–and a changing world.
Thoreau and Tudor could not have been more different from each other. Yet both shared the bounties of Walden Pond and would change the course of history through their writings and innovations.
This study in opposites contrasts the austere philosopher with the consummate capitalist (whose innovations would change commercial ice harvesting and home refrigerators) to show how two seemingly conflicting American legacies could be built side by side.
Oddball/ tax dodger/ nature lover/ dreamer/ That's what they called/ Thoreau.
Bankrupt/ disgrace/ good for nothing/ dreamer/ That's what they called/ Tudor.
Celebrated author Lesa Cline-Ransome takes her magnificent talent for research and detail to plumb the depths of these two history-makers. The graceful text is paired with Ashley Benham-Yazdani's period accurate watercolor and pencil artwork. In winter, readers see Tudor's men sawing through the ice, the workhorses dragging the ice, and Thoreau observing it all; in spring, summer, and fall, the ice continues its journey across the globe with Thoreau and Tudor writing and reflecting in their respective diaries.
An Author's Note, which explores how Thoreau's writings influenced such figures as Martin Luther King Jr., Robert Frost, and Mohandas Gandhi, is included.
Review & Teachers' Tools for Navigation: Lesa Cline-Ransome introduces us to another aspect of Walden Pond that Thoreau fans may not know about: Tudor's industrial side of the pond. Cline Ransome's verse shows us the contrast between the two lives that are tied together by the pond that they both loved, for very different reasons. Beautifully written with rhythm that yells for it to be read aloud.
Benham-Yazdani's "period accurate watercolor" reminds me of Grandma Moses which is perfect for this story!
What does the different fascinations with the pond show you about the two men?
Why do you think the author chose to write the book in verse separated by seasons?
What did you learn about the past of ice that surprised you?
Author: Candace Fleming
Illustrator: Eric Rohmann
Published November 22nd, 2022 by Holiday House
Summary: This companion book to the authors' Sibert award-winning Honeybee explores the life and habitat of a majestic endangered species through dramatic text and sumptuous illustration.
April in the Arctic . . .
Cold winds send snow clouds scuttling across the sky.
Temperatures barely nudge above freezing.
But every now and again,
The cloud cover parts,
The sun shines down,
And the frozen world stretches awake.
As spring approaches in the Arctic, a mother polar bear and her two cubs tentatively emerge from hibernation to explore the changing landscape. When it is time, she takes her cubs on a forty-mile journey, back to their home on the ice. Along the way, she fends off wolves, hunts for food, and swims miles and miles.
This companion book to Honeybee and Giant Squid features the unique talents of Fleming and Rohmann on a perennially popular subject. Eric Rohmann's magnificent oil paintings feature (as in Honeybee) a spectacular gatefold of the polar landscape.
Review & Teachers' Tools for Navigation: Candace Fleming's beautiful verse introduces us to the polar bear and all of the trials and tribulations she faces with her cubs in the Arctic. Within the narrative, we learn so much information about them and their habitat. The verse adds an extra poetic element to the book that just brings it to the next leve.
Add to that Rohmann's illustrations, and this stunning picture book sucks in the reader through word and pictures. Backmatter adds even more information through shared research and fun facts.
Why do you think that author chose to write the book in verse?
What does the gatefold add to the experience of reading Polar Bear?
What are the biggest threats to polar bears?
Why does the back matter include the statement "I's All About the Ice?"
We're Not Weird: Structure and Function in the Animal Kingdom
Author & Illustrator: Michael Garland
Published January 3rd, 2023 by Holiday House
Summary: Meet nature's most extraordinary looking creatures. But they aren't weird!
Birds with blue feet, fish that walk, unicorns in the sea, and more! Learn how these animals' quirks help them survive. Perfect for budding naturalists who are always ready to share a cool (or gross) animal fact.
Very hard scales protect me, and my long tongue is perfect for eating ants. When I feel threatened, I roll myself into a ball. I am a Pangolin.
See these animals' amazing body parts in vibrant and detailed woodcut illustrations, from the thorny dragon's spiky skin to the star-nosed mole's twenty-two feelers. Read how these creatures' unique traits help them thrive and survive in their environments. Learn where they live, what they eat, how they protect themselves, and more.
With easy-to-read text vetted by an expert, this book aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards on adaptation, structure, and function for kindergarten through 3rd grade. With supplementary information on each animal's habitat and diet.
Review: This book introduces the reader to so many different unique animals (20 of them!), featuring what makes them different than others. The text in the book is written in 1st person with interesting facts and an introduction to the animal. Additional info on each animal is on in the back matter giving even more information about the animal including their habitat and diet.
Which of the animals would you like to learn more about? Why?
Choose your own animal to research and write an introduction, in 1st person, highlighting the animal's uniqueness and interesting facts.
What is similar about all of the animals' unique features?
The Science of Light: Things that Shine, Flash, and Glow
Author & Illustrator: Margaret Peot
Published December 6th, 2022 by Holiday House
Summary: With a striking glow-in-the-dark cover, this intriguing science book invites young readers to find light all around.
Sun shines.
Stars twinkle.
Aurora borealis glimmers.
Dramatic paintings of lightning, fire, fireworks and more introduces the sources of light–both natural and manmade–and encourage children to look around and observe.
Kids will gasp in surprise at the beautiful glow-in-the-dark cover, and the bold spreads within. Margaret Peot's distinctive art style captures the elusive nature of light. Bioluminescent squid, fireflies and phytoplankton reveal light sources in living things. Fireworks and light bubbles sparkle on the page.
This foundational science book will kindle curiosity in physical science and the natural world. The simple text makes science accessible to all ages.
Toddlers will delight in the colorful art at storytime. As they grow, kids will return to this nonfiction favorite and discover new ideas each time. Science vocabulary and definitions are included in the back of the book.
An Orbis Pictus Honor Book
Review: This beautifully illustrated book with sparse text gives an introduction to light in science including natural sources of light, bioluminescence, and artificial light. All of the animals, nature, and items in the book are tied together by the light that they make.
The author's backmatter adds even more depth to the text by sharing more information on the different types of light, a bibliography, and websites to learn more.
What are the differences between the three types of light shared in the book?
Which of the types fascinates you the most?
How does bioluminescence work?
**Thank you to Sara at Holiday House for providing copies for review!**
Categories Asking Questions, Classroom Library Buy, Close Reading/Analysis, Compare/Contrast, Informational Nonfiction, Picture Book, Read Aloud, Rhyme/Rhythm, Text Structure, Vocabulary/Vocabulary Development Tags Animals, History, Science Leave a comment
Piece by Piece: How I Built My Life (No Instructions Required) by David Aguilar & Ferran Aguilar, Translated by by Lawrence Schimel
December 6, 2022 by Kellee
Piece by Piece: How I Built My Life (No Instructions Required)
Author: David Aguilar & Farran Aguilar
Translator: Lawrence Schimel
Published October 25, 2022 by Amazon Crossing Kids
Summary: The heartfelt and funny memoir of a boy who built himself a prosthetic arm out of the world-famous toy bricks.
David Aguilar was born missing part of one arm, a small detail that seemed to define his life and limit people's ideas of who he was and who he could be. But in this funny and heartfelt memoir, David proves that he can throw out the rulebook and people's expectations and maybe even make a difference in the world—and all with a sense of humor. At only nine years old, David built his first prosthesis from LEGO bricks, and since then he hasn't stopped creating and thinking about how his inventions, born from a passion for building things, could fuel change and help others.
With a voice full of humor and heart, David tells his powerful story, of family and friendship, of heartbreak and loss, and ultimately of triumph and success, as he continues to dream big and build a life and a better world—piece by piece.
Praise:
"Humorous and uplifting…While readers needn't be LEGO fans to admire David's ingenuity, fellow builders may be inspired to dream up their own inventions." —Kirkus Reviews
"Readers will cheer for Aguilar and relate to him as he shares conversational stories about growing up, playing sports, and struggling with school. Family is at the heart of his story, and the endless support and advocacy of his parents, in particular, make this a sweet and uplifting story. Young readers will identify with this creative young person and will question society's definition of "normal." —School Library Journal
David Aguilar and his father, Ferran Aguilar, are from Andorra, in Europe. David was born missing part of one arm. At the age of nine, he designed his first prosthesis with LEGO bricks, and in high school he built the next generation, which he named the MK-1. David's father encouraged him to make a video about his prosthesis and the huge role that LEGOs played in his life, and posted it on social media, where it went viral and changed both of their lives. In addition to telling his story in this book, David is also the protagonist of the Spanish documentary Mr. Hand Solo, which won the award for best documentary at the Boston Science Fiction Film festival. David is currently developing his own brand, Hand Solo, which will aim to benefit various organizations for the disabled and fight against the stigma of "diff-ability," as he calls it. Follow David and Ferran on Twitter @Handsolooficial and @AguilarFerran.
Lawrence Schimel is a bilingual author who writes in both Spanish and English, with more than one hundred books to his credit. He is also a prolific literary translator, into English and into Spanish. His translated books include Wanda Gág's Millions of Cats; George Takei's graphic novel They Called Us Enemy; and Some Days, written and illustrated by María Wernicke; among many others. He lives in Madrid, Spain. Follow him on Twitter @lawrenceschimel.
Review: This memoir about David's early life growing up with one arm and overcoming everything that others, and sometimes himself, thought he couldn't do is not only a great read, but it is hilarious too. It is an extra plus that this book was a memoir, written by David, as it gave true insight and his voice was a pleasure!
As you read, you will enter into David's family and get to know all who love him and help him navigate our able bodied-centered world. He tells his story with grace and humor. The anecdotes of his life add a deeper connection from reader to David and by the end you truly feel like you know him.
On top of that, David is a fantastic engineer, inventor, and imagineer! Anyone reading will be so fascinated with what he builds and accomplishes,
Teachers' Tools for Navigation: This book will be a great addition to any memoir text set or lit circle set. It also will find its place in public, school, and classroom libraries.
Who in David's younger life do you think best helped him see that he was not at a disadvantage in life?
If David didn't want a prosthetic arm, why did he build one out of LEGO?
What does David's story teach you about assumptions of people?
How do you think David's humor and positive outlook on life helped him navigate life and succeed as he has?
Why do you think David decided to co-write this book with his dad?
Of David's accomplishments, which do you find the most impressive?
Why do you think David decided to tell his story?
One day, many years later, as I was leaving school, one of my classmates saw me fiddling with the car keys.
"You drive?" he asked me, surprised.
"Um . . ." I was caught unaware, because what was so strange about my driving? "Yeah, of course, tío. I repeated a year. I'm eighteen already. I got my license over the break."
More than clarifying things, I seemed to confuse him even more. He wrinkled his brow so much I thought his forehead might cave in. Only then did I begin to realize
what was going through his head.
It wasn't long before he verbalized it: "But . . . how do you drive?" His gaze indicated my missing arm.
I smiled. By then I already had an answer for everything. "With my hand, of course!" I said, raising my left arm.
"But how do you shift gears?"
I smiled even more. "With my mouth!"
He was flabbergasted, and I got into the car. I turned on the ignition and pulled out, leaving him there with his mouth open. Did he really not know that automatic cars
exist, without any need to shift gears? But no, I knew, as I had known my whole life, that what was really difficult to know—and especially to understand—is how someone
who is not like you can do the same things you can.
I know this very well, believe me, because this was exactly my parents' challenge. And also mine. It was for a long time. I don't blame people or myself. Speaking clearly, what happens is that there is no one to blame: there is just ignorance, and prejudices, and loneliness. Dark nights, entire afternoons filled with worry. How would David get
ahead? What would become of him?
Read This If You Love: Memoirs
**Thank you to Barbara at Blue Slip Media for providing a copy for review!**
Categories Author's Purpose/Perspective/Bias, Biography/Autobiography/Memoir, Classroom Library Buy, Humor, Literature Circle/Book Clubs Tags Disability, Science 1 Comment
Sofia's Kids' Corner: Charlie Thorne and the Lost City by Stuart Gibbs
November 12, 2022 November 12, 2022 by Kellee
Sofia is a 10-year-old brilliant reader who aspires to be a book reviewer, who started with us when she was 8 years old. On select Saturdays, Sofia shares her favorite books with kids! She is one of the most well-read elementary schoolers that we know, so she is highly qualified for this role!
I am back with another amazing book that will knock you off of your feet! Introducing…Charlie Thorne and The Lost City by Stuart Gibbs! This is the second book in a series called Charlie Thorne. I have already reviewed the first one, but do not worry if you haven't read it because this book is still understandable without the knowledge of the first book. This is another book that I have read in the book club with my friends and our book loving secretary and they all rated it a 10/10. I think this would be a great gift for any tween or teen who loves action, adventure, mysteries and comedy! This book also taught me and my friends a lot of things and I thought that was really good. This book is recommended for ages 10+.
Charlie Thorne is on another adventure again! After her first adventure she is hiding in the Galapagos Islands. She has made friends with the people living there and is even helping out at the Tupiza Tortoise Breeding Center. One day a woman named Esmeralda shows up at her tiny house with a code that was engraved into the shell of a dead turtle by the famous Charles Darwin. She says she came to her because her co-workers said that if anyone could solve the encrypted code then it was Charlie. While she and Esmeralda are talking, Charlie sees a strange man talking to her surfing friends and then her surfing friends pointing to her house. Charlie Thorne has always been living on the edge of caution so she decides to make a dramatic escape. They take off in a seaplane that belongs to the company that Esmeralda works for.
At first they head off in the direction of the Darwin Research Station where the dead turtle is. Then, Charlie remembers that the seaplane for the Darwin Research Station is easily trackable and suspects that the mysterious person who was following her would know what plane it was and head over to the Darwin Research Station to see what its course is! To avoid being tracked down they change course to an airport nearby.
They follow clues to Quito. The clue says something about finding the devil's stone so they go to the place that the devil's stone is supposed to be. What will happen? You have to read the book to find out!
I love this book so much! I expected adventure from this book and I got it! This is an amazing book for explorers because it talks so much about wilderness and exploring all of these hidden places in the Amazon! I found this book very interesting because it talked about Charles Darwin's work! I also loved how I learned so many things. I thought that a book could not be exciting and educational together but this book proved me wrong! Have fun!
**Thanks so much, Sofia! We love that this series combines excitement and education!**
Categories Mystery, Sofia's Kids' Corner Tags Adventure, Math, Science 1 Comment
Author Guest Post: "Fun Ways to Bring Animal Migration into the Classroom" by Amy Hevron, Author of The Longest Journey: An Artic Tern's Migration
October 30, 2022 by Kellee
"Fun Ways to Bring Animal Migration into the Classroom"
I love birdwatching and am fascinated by migrating birds. In The Longest Journey: An Arctic Tern's Migration, I showcase an epic migrator on her first globe-spanning adventure. When I began writing this story, I wondered, what would it be like to travel across the globe? Across every climate zone from polar lands to temperate zones, to subtropics and tropics? What would the landscapes look like? What other animals would be along the way? Piecing together this little seabird's journey was fascinating and combined my passions for wildlife, world geography, Earth sciences and art. Here are some fun ways kids can explore animal migration and mapmaking in the classroom.
Track birds in your area
Birds are all around us. And whether they are year-round residents or just here for the season, these wildlife neighbors of ours are fascinating to learn more about. Kids could pick a migrating bird from your area and find out where they migrate. They could plot their bird's journey on a world map. What cities, states, countries, and continents does this local bird see? Kids could learn about their bird's life cycle and draw how it looks at the different life stages from egg, to chick, to juvenile, to adult. Many birds migrate in their first year of life. At what age does their bird migrate? They could find out what kind of habitat their bird lives in, what kind of nest it makes, and what kind of food it eats. And in learning more about its migration, kids could think about what obstacles this bird might encounter or what amazing sites it might see on its journey. A helpful site to find out more about birds in your area is www.allaboutbirds.org. Also, the Audubon app for smart phones and tablets is a great birding resource as well.
Track other Arctic migrators
In addition to Arctic terns, other Arctic animals migrate, like narwhals and Pacific walruses. Kids could pick a different Arctic animal and explore the migration of this species. Why does it migrate? What might that journey look like on a map? By focusing on other animals that live in the Arctic region, this could provide an opportunity to discuss the impacts of climate change on wildlife as well. Animals that live in the Arctic are especially sensitive to global warming because the Arctic is warming at a faster rate than elsewhere in the world. How is their Arctic animal impacted by warming land and oceans? How is it adapting? Additionally, you could talk about the Earth's seasons as they relate to the Arctic and how around Summer Soltice the sun never sets, and in Winter it is dark all day. How do the Arctic seasons affect their animal's activities? The Active Wild website lists a range of interesting Arctic animals to learn more about (https://www.activewild.com/arctic-animals-list/).
Dive into mapmaking
A fun way to learn about world geography is through creating maps. Kids could create a map of their own migration adventure, either real or imaginary. They could start with a whole world map, a continent or a country. Kids could add traditional map details like labels for the land, bodies of water, and a compass with North, South, East, and West. On a world map, kids could add in the major latitudinal lines of the Equator, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, the Arctic circle and Antarctic circle. They could learn about how the climate is different at these different latitudes. They could research and then illustrate different flora and fauna on the map within their appropriate climate zones. From here, kids could plot their migration path. Where would their journey take them? What sites would they see? What food would they eat along the way? A fun tool to use for research is Google Earth (earth.google.com). You can zoom in to see what the landscape looks like anywhere on Earth. Also, Google image searching "illustrated maps" can provide some inspiration for different ways to illustrate maps. Wikipedia's site provides different world map images, including this simple world map that could be used as a starting point https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_large_blank_world_map_with_oceans_marked_in_blue.PNG.
Published July 12, 2022 by Neal Porter Books
About the Book: Follow the epic annual migration of an Arctic Tern on its sixty-thousand-mile journey to the South Pole and back again, the longest such migration in the animal kingdom.
In their thirty-year lifetimes, Arctic Terns travel nearly 1.5 million miles, that's enough to fly to the Moon and back three times! Each year they brave blistering winds, storms, rough seas, and airborne predators as they travel between the Earth's poles, chasing the summer. In The Longest Journey: An Arctic Tern's Migration, we follow one such bird as it spreads its wings and sets out to make its first globe-spanning trip with its flock.
Amy Hevron is the illustrator of Trevor by Jim Averbeck, the recipient of multiple starred reviews. She also illustrated Candace Fleming's The Tide Pool Waits which was the recipient of the Portfolio Honor Award from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Her brilliant, naturalistic artwork mimicking maps and nautical charts is supported by extensive research and paired with material at the back of the book explaining the science behind the life cycle of Arctic Terns.
About the Author: Amy Hevron is an illustrator, designer, and children's book author. She wrote and illustrated Dust Bunny Wants a Friend and illustrated Trevor by Jim Averbeck, which received multiple starred reviews. She also illustrated The Tide Pool Waits, by Candace Fleming. In both 2015 and 2016, she received the Portfolio Honor Award from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. She lives in Seattle with her family.
https://www.amyhevron.com/
@amyhevron on Instagram and Twitter
https://holidayhouse.com/book/the-longest-journey/
@holidayhousebks on all social platforms
Thank you, Amy, for these fun migration activities for the classroom!
Categories Informational Nonfiction, Picture Book, Teaching Tags Author, Guest post, Science, Teaching 1 Comment
Author Guest Post: "See the Seeds!" by Antoinette Portis, Author of A Seed Grows
"See the Seeds"
Once you start thinking about seeds, you might be surprised to see how many different kinds you encounter in daily life.
When you're planting a garden, of course you think about seeds. And when you're eating a slice of watermelon, you kind of have to think about seeds. But this summer, as I sliced tomatoes and the slimy guts slid out onto a plate, or when I ate a plum and spit out the little rock in the middle, I started to notice how many seeds I encounter in a day. Maybe you eat a handful of nuts as a snack—walnuts, pecans, almonds, pepitas—these are seeds. But so is your morning oatmeal, made from the edible seed of the oat grass plant! The bread most of us eat is made from flour that's the ground up seed of the wheat plant.
See how many seeds we can meet in one day! Maybe try keeping count to see how many kinds of seeds you eat or interact with in a day or a week.
As a child, I used to gather seed pods from the various kinds of trees in my neighborhood: bottle tree seedpods that looked like little boats, and others, from the Jacaranda tree, that looked like clam shells or tortoise shells; from the carob tree, hard brown pods that looked like giant snap peas and rattled like maracas when you shook them. Pinecones that looked like miniature Christmas trees and every once in a while had a seed still attached to a scale or two. And prickly balls from the Sweet Gum tree that look like Christmas decorations.
Finding these seeds when walking to school or to a neighborhood friend's house was a jumping off place for my imagination. But more importantly, it reassured me I lived in nature, that my life was part of a giant, beautiful cycle of life.
I've made some activity sheets about various kinds of seeds. Enjoy!
Published June 21st, 2022 by Neal Porter Books
About the Book: The transformative life cycle of a sunflower plays out in this bold read-aloud by Sibert honoree Antoinette Portis.
"A seed falls,
And settles into the ground,
And the Sun shines,
And the rain comes down,
And the seed grows…"
To understand how a seed becomes a sunflower, you have to peek beneath the soil and wait patiently as winding roots grow, a stalk inches out of the earth, and new seeds emerge among blooming petals.
With evocative and lively illustrations, A Seed Grows offers a close-up view of each step of this process and the ways in which flowers and seeds depend on other creatures, with a striking fold-out spread of a full-grown sunflower and additional material at the back of the book explaining the science of plant life cycles.
About the Author: Antoinette Portis is the author of many inventive books for children, including Not a Box, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book and a Geisel Honor Book; and the Sibert Honor Book Hey, Water!. Other books include A New Green Day, which was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, as well as the ALA Notable Books Wait and Now. A recipient of the prestigious Sendak Fellowship, Antoinette lives in Southern California where she grows her own sunflowers, like this one.
https://www.antoinetteportis.com/
@aportisa on Twitter
https://holidayhouse.com/book/a-seed-grows/
@holidayhousebks on all platforms
Thank you, Antoinette, for sharing all of the amazingness of seeds!
Categories Picture Book Tags Author, Guest post, Science Leave a comment
Drawing Outside the Lines: A Julia Morgan Novel by Susan J. Austin
Drawing Outside the Lines: A Julia Morgan Novel
Author: Susan J. Austin
Published October 18th, 2022 by SparkPress
Summary: Meet the brilliant, fearless, and ambitious Julia Morgan. In 1883, eleven-year-old Julia visits the amazing new Brooklyn Bridge—an experience that ignites within her a small but persistent flame. Someday, she decides, she too will build an astounding structure.
Growing up in horse-and-buggy Oakland, Julia enjoys daring fence walks, climbing the tallest trees, and constantly testing her mother's patience with her lack of interest in domestic duties and social events. At a time when "brainy" girls are the object of ridicule, Julia excels in school and consistently outsmarts her ornery brothers—but she has an even greater battle ahead. When she enrolls at university to study engineering, the male students taunt her, and the professors belittle her. Through it all, however, Julia holds on to her dream of becoming an architect. She faces each challenge head-on, firmly standing up to those who believe a woman's place is in the home. Fortunately, the world has yet to meet anyone like the indomitable Miss Morgan.
Drawing Outside the Lines is an imagined childhood of pioneering architect Julia Morgan, who left behind her an extraordinary legacy of creativity, beauty, and engineering marvels.
Author: Susan Austin
"Austin imagines Julia Morgan's life with authority. She makes an important historical figure accessible to us. Drawing Outside the Lines makes us see and feel what Morgan was up against, which makes her spectacular work all the more impressive." —Gennifer Choldenko, Newbery Honor-winning author of the Alcatraz series
"Austin imagines Julia Morgan's life with authority. She makes an important historical figure accessible to us. Drawing Outside the Lines makes us see and feel what Morgan was up against, which makes her spectacular work all the more impressive." —Joan Schoettler, author of Ruth Asawa: A Sculpting Life
"Diligent research and a rich imagination make Susan Austin's new book on the young Julia Morgan a pleasure to read for all ages. Morgan is an amazing role model for young women everywhere. Austin offers plenty of examples of Morgan's determination and talent and embroiders on these to create a convincing narrative. This book is a charming introduction to a great woman architect." —Sarah Gill, author of Julia Morgan's Berkeley City Club
About the Author: As an educator, Susan J. Austin knows the minds of young readers. Her first novel, The Bamboo Garden, is set in Berkeley, California, 1923, and describes an unlikely friendship between two girls that is tested by a fierce fire that threatens to destroy their town. Currently, she is writing about 12-year-old Goldie, a whiz kid in the kitchen who hopes that her culinary magic can help her family's delicatessen out of a pickle in 1928 Hollywood. Her characters are always brave, strong-willed, risk-takers. Writing historical fiction offers her a way to educate and excite her readers about the past. She and her husband live in Northern California, surrounded by family, their splendid, but fussy rose bushes, and a lifetime collection of books. Learn more at www.susanjaustin.com
Review: I loved stepping back to the turn of the 20th century with Julia and experience her marvel as engineering and architectural feats were occurring all over America. I also learned so much along with Julia in the book–it was intriguing to learn about architecture, architectural materials, engineering, and more!
Although I know that much of the book is fiction, that Julia is based on a real woman made the story easier to connect with because you knew she succeeded; you knew that all of the hate and bullying and sexism didn't keep her down. And I wanted to keep following her journey to see all of the amazing things she did to prove people wrong.
Overall, a well-researched and also engaging historical fiction novel about a topic and time period not often shared with our middle grade readers. I look forward to sharing it with students and am happy to share it here.
Teachers' Tools for Navigation: This novel lends itself to be a companion when teaching historical architecture, engineering, or mechanical drawing. It also includes great anecdotes that could add to a lesson about the turn of the century's amazing feats such as the Brooklyn Bridge, Eifel Tower, and Ferris Wheel.
Additionally, must of Julia's story is shrouded in sexism which would go well with a discussion on women's rights during American history.
The book could also be a mentor text for students to write their own historical fiction story based on an individual. The author's note could be used to show how the author took what she learned through research and then made the story her own while still honoring the historical time and figure.
How did the author use what she knew about Julia Morgan to create this story?
Which of Julia's mentors do you think influenced her the most?
Why did Julia's mom have more trouble with letting Julia focus on academics than her father did?
Even though Mary and Julia were very different, how did they complement each other and help each other succeed?
Is there anything in the book that you really wanted to be true but the author's not shared it was fiction?
How was Julia treated versus her male counterparts in her university?
What barriers did Julia face and overcome? Why did the barriers exist and how did she overcome them?
How did Julia's family both shape and inhibit her?
Part II: The Choice
Chapter 11: Too Brainy
"The tower with windows on all four sides, offers a fine view of the city. After considering several sites, I decide on an unusual structure I frequently pass by.
The next day, as I climb the tower's narrow staircase, voices and thumping noises dash my hope of being alone. The room is packed with fellow drawing students. As soon as I step inside, the place turns eerily quiet.
I'm not surprised. The boys have never approved of me. Pencils go missing from my desk, my work is crumpled or tossed to the floor, and every day my stool mysteriously moves to the back of the room. It hardly ever happens to the few girls in the class. Just me. Although I hate the situation, it would be worse if I spoke up. Over the years, I've grown used to being teased by both boys and girls, mainly about my good grades. But high school is different. The boys in mechanical drawing have made it clear: I am not welcome.
I make my way to the best window for viewing my subject—the Pardee water tower. It's a two-story wood construction, wider at the bottom, and topped with a windmill. Two boys standing by the window appear absorbed in their drawings. When I head toward a second, less favorable window, the boys standing there act as if I'm invisible. The air in this crowded, silent room is stale and unpleasant, much like the smell of dirty laundry in my brothers' bedroom.
Heading to a third window, I steel myself for trouble, resolving to be sugar sweet. I will shame them. With a cheery smile, I say, "Excuse me. Is there room for one more here?"
The boy with freckles finally looks up from his sketchpad. "Have to wait 'til we're done. And that could take a while." I glance at his notebook. Blank.
I want to race back down those stairs, but I stay. Still smiling, I say, "Frankly, I think your estimate is incorrect. I shall not take up much room."
If they are like my brothers, they will back down like timid deer. Can they hear the frantic flutter in my chest? After the briefest pause, they shuffle aside, red-faced, leaving me a tiny space.
The water tower is visible against a flame-red sunset. Within minutes I have a decent rendering. A quick glance at the boys' sketchbooks confirms my hunch. Still blank.
The floorboards creak as I leave the church-quiet room. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, I hear that familiar refrain. "She's too brainy for a girl."
The laughter that follows stings worse than the words. I shut the door behind me, angry. What's wrong with a girl being smarter than a boy? And so what if I draw well? It's easy for me, like breathing."
Read This If You Love: Historical fiction with strong women who overcome the odds of the limitations set by their time period, Architecture
**Thank you to Spark Point Studio for providing a copy for review!**
Categories Cause/Effect, Classroom Library Buy, Close Reading/Analysis, Compare/Contrast, Historical Fiction, Novel, Setting Tags Art, Friendship, Research, Science 1 Comment
Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet by Barbara Dee
September 27, 2022 by Kellee
Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet
Author: Barbara Dee
Published September 27th, 2022 by Aladdin
Summary: Twelve-year-old Haven Jacobs can't stop thinking about the climate crisis. In fact, her anxiety about the state of the planet is starting to interfere with her schoolwork, her friendships, even her sleep. She can't stop wondering why grownups aren't even trying to solve the earth's problem—and if there's anything meaningful that she, as a seventh grader, can contribute.
When Haven's social studies teacher urges her to find a specific, manageable way to make a difference to the planet, Haven focuses on the annual science class project at the local Belmont River, where her class will take samples of the water to analyze. Students have been doing the project for years, and her older brother tells her that his favorite part was studying and catching frogs.
But when Haven and her classmates get to the river, there's no sign of frogs or other wildlife—but there is ample evidence of pollution. The only thing that's changed by the river is the opening of Gemba, the new factory where Haven's dad works. It doesn't take much investigation before Haven is convinced Gemba is behind the slow pollution of the river.
She's determined to expose Gemba and force them to clean up their act. But when it becomes clear taking action might put her dad's job—and some friendships—in jeopardy, Haven must decide how far she's willing to go.
About the Author: Barbara Dee is the author of twelve middle grade novels including Violets Are Blue, Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet, My Life in the Fish Tank, Maybe He Just Likes You, Everything I Know About You, Halfway Normal, and Star-Crossed. Her books have earned several starred reviews and have been named to many best-of lists, including The Washington Post's Best Children's Books, the ALA Notable Children's Books, the ALA Rise: A Feminist Book Project List, the NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, and the ALA Rainbow List Top Ten. Barbara lives with her family, including a naughty cat named Luna and a sweet rescue hound named Ripley, in Westchester County, New York.
Review: I've never read a book about eco-anxiety before, but I could definitely empathize with Haven Jacobs and her true anxiety over the state of our planet. I loved that the book gave tangible things that could be done in a community and also looks at global issues. Additionally, like all of Barbara Dee's books, she does a great job balancing teaching (about science and climate change) and storytelling.
Teachers' Tools for Navigation: The publisher-provided reading group guide also includes extension activities:
1. Choose one of the following and write an essay:
– How does Haven's name reflect the major theme of the book?
– Revisit the chapter titled "The Scratch," and the scene in which the author describes Haven's room and talks about how her room shows readers who she is and what's important to her. Then write a description of your own room, and ask a partner if they can identify what is most important to you.
– Using the quote attributed to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ("If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way"), write an essay about what that means, giving specific examples from the book.
2. Haven's heroine is a fictional Inuit teen climate activist named Kirima Ansong. Choose a real-life teen activist and write a report about them, the issue they support, and the actions they've taken.
3. The headline of the RiverFest story is "SEVENTH GRADER GRIPPED BY ECO-ANXIETY," which nicely sums up the major theme of this book. How prevalent is eco-anxiety among the kids at your school? Create a survey and share it to discover the answer. Write a report sharing your findings.
4. Choose one of the following topics from the book to research and write a report about, using the facts shared in the book as a jumping-off point to learn more.
(Chosen questions from the publisher-provided reading group guide; there are 16 questions on the guide)
1. Talk about how the two events that Haven relates in the book's opening chapter illustrate two of the book's major themes. What does the bouncy house incident show readers about Haven's personality? Do you agree with Grandpa Aaron that "'Haven's a true problem solver'"? (Chapter: Sensitive) Do you consider yourself to be a problem solver?
2. Why does Haven decide to become a vegetarian? Do you understand and sympathize with her reaction when she goes fishing with Carter and her dad? Are you a vegetarian, or do you have friends who are? What are some other reasons that people make this choice? Talk about how vegetarianism connects with the issue of climate change.
3. Do you understand why Haven is so upset about climate change? How do you feel about her statement that "'no one cares about anything except what's going on in their own lives'"? (Chapter: Dinner) Why do some of her friends think climate change is too depressing to talk about? Haven tells Lauren, the reporter, that all kids are worried about the issue. How do you and your friends feel?
4. Have you ever heard of eco-anxiety? What are some of the signs of eco-anxiety that Haven is experiencing? How might eco-anxiety feel different from other things kids are anxious about, like taking tests or giving oral reports? What are some actions Haven takes, or could take, to relieve this anxiety?
5. Ms. Packer says to Haven: "'There's a positive way to be upset, and another way that just makes you feel hopeless and depressed.'" (Chapter: The Blanks) Do you understand both options? Do you identify with one more than the other? What do you think when Haven says she feels that going to school is pointless, that there are more important things going on?
Read This If You Love: Learning or reading about climate change, science, and/or mental health
**Thank you to Casey at Media Masters Publicity for providing a copy for review!**
Categories Asking Questions, Author's Purpose/Perspective/Bias, Cause/Effect, Characterization, Classroom Library Buy, Close Reading/Analysis, Compare/Contrast, Inquiry, Literature Circle/Book Clubs, Making Connections, Novel, Realistic Fiction/Contemporary Fiction, Setting, Teaching, Theme Tags Mental Health, Science 1 Comment


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I wrote previously about why I think Slack is a great tool for internal communication for many nonprofits. But like any tool, if your nonprofit doesn't plan for a strong adoption, Slack won't seem like it works better than email. Here are five tips to start your organization off right in Slack.
Admins start by setting up the Workspace, with control over all settings. Set permission levels and defaults for the workspace. Slack admins can also set up the initial Channels.
Think about the groups of people who should definitely be collaborating via Slack, and set them up with Channels from the start.
Channels are for a particular purpose, and public channels are generally available to any user. Admins can also set up private Channels.
Give your Channels consistent names, and a descriptive Purpose. You can also add their Topic, which is always visible anytime that Channel is visible in Slack.
Add some useful resources to each Channel from the start. Anytime I set up a new Channel, I pin useful shared files within the Channel, so they're just a click away. I also consider whether there are any other services that would make sense to give access to this Channel (more on robots and integrations below). Because of the ability of users to customize their display and notifications, you don't need to worry about limiting Slack Channels. Users can set up Slack so that they don't have to see all the Channels all the time (via Preferences).
Here are more tips for setting up your Channels.
Make sure that team members know that they can set their own appearance and notifications. Give them tutorials on using Preferences to customize the overall appearance, their notifications and the visibility of Channels.
Make sure they know about /commands, and about what integrations are available to them (or how they can propose new ones).
So many great integrations! You've got the file sharing ones, which include for your Google Drive files, Dropbox and Box. Notifications can come to you from Pingdom, Twitter, Github, New Relic — there are hundreds of integrations pre-built, plus you can enable others using an integration service like Zapier or If This Then That.
Plus the "Slackbot" is an automated tool within Slack that you can access via commands that start with "/" and are fast to use. I love the /remind command: the Slackbot reminds me of conversations or Channels that I need to circle back to or tasks I want to complete outside Slack.
The desktop and mobile apps for Slack is simple and addictive, but don't leave users on their own to set them up. Help them with setup of these apps, and make sure that the connections between their desktop and mobile are seamless, so that when a user goes inactive on desktop, their mobile app picks right up. Make sure they know they can start their own direct message threads as needed.
There are plenty of different ways to do it "right." Talk with your users about what the shared standards could be, see what sort of agreements you can come up with, then write it down somewhere. Revisit it as needed.
Some Slacks have everyone "sign in" to the general channel each day and "sign off" at the end of the day. This can be good for places that value people getting to take time off.
Some Slacks are busy with emojis and gifs, some less so.
If there is a time that users are expected to be available, let users know that you've set the default Do Not Disturb time, but they can adjust that setting in their preferences.
Let users know if they are free to add integrations or not.
Offer guidance on when it makes more sense to call each other on Slack rather than chat.
There's no cost to set up an initial Slack, although your organization may outgrow the free version (you can't use it for group calls or video and the archive has a size limit). The full-featured version of Slack isn't free, but there is a free "Standard" Slack for nonprofits option that should meet many organization's needs.
Once you get Slack up and running and your users fully adopt it, you'll find yourself wondering how you ever communicated internally without it. Enjoy!
← Is it time for your nonprofit's team to start using direct messaging?


text:
package org.apache.geode.internal.security;

import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;

import org.apache.shiro.SecurityUtils;
import org.junit.After;
import org.junit.Before;
import org.junit.Test;
import org.junit.experimental.categories.Category;

import org.apache.geode.internal.security.shiro.SecurityManagerProvider;
import org.apache.geode.security.PostProcessor;
import org.apache.geode.security.SecurityManager;
import org.apache.geode.test.junit.categories.UnitTest;

@Category(UnitTest.class)
public class IntegratedSecurityServiceConstructorTest {

  private IntegratedSecurityService securityService;
  private SecurityManager securityManager;
  private PostProcessor postProcessor;
  private SecurityManagerProvider provider;
  private org.apache.shiro.mgt.SecurityManager shiroManager;

  @Before
  public void before() throws Exception {
    securityManager = mock(SecurityManager.class);
    postProcessor = mock(PostProcessor.class);
    provider = mock(SecurityManagerProvider.class);
    shiroManager = mock(org.apache.shiro.mgt.SecurityManager.class);
    when(provider.getShiroSecurityManager()).thenReturn(shiroManager);
  }

  @After
  public void after() throws Exception {
    if (securityService != null) {
      securityService.close();
    }

    // some test manually set the shiro security manager
    SecurityUtils.setSecurityManager(null);
  }

  @Test
  public void constructorWithOutsideShrio() throws Exception {
    when(provider.getSecurityManager()).thenReturn(null);
    securityService = new IntegratedSecurityService(provider, postProcessor);
    assertThat(securityService.getPostProcessor()).isEqualTo(postProcessor);
    assertThat(securityService.getSecurityManager()).isNull();
    assertIntegratedSecurityService();
  }

  @Test
  public void constructorWithSecurityManager() throws Exception {
    when(provider.getSecurityManager()).thenReturn(securityManager);
    securityService = new IntegratedSecurityService(provider, null);
    assertThat(securityService.getPostProcessor()).isNull();
    assertThat(securityService.getSecurityManager()).isEqualTo(securityManager);
    assertIntegratedSecurityService();
  }

  @Test
  public void constructorWithSecurityManagerAndPostProcessor() throws Exception {
    when(provider.getSecurityManager()).thenReturn(securityManager);
    securityService = new IntegratedSecurityService(provider, postProcessor);
    assertThat(securityService.getPostProcessor()).isEqualTo(postProcessor);
    assertThat(securityService.getSecurityManager()).isEqualTo(securityManager);
    assertIntegratedSecurityService();
  }

  private void assertIntegratedSecurityService() throws Exception {
    assertThat(securityService.isIntegratedSecurity()).isTrue();
    assertThat(securityService.isClientSecurityRequired()).isTrue();
    assertThat(securityService.isPeerSecurityRequired()).isTrue();
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The 2013 season has ended uncharacteristically early for the Yankees. Since 1995, the team has played October baseball 17 times. The only miss before this season was in 2008.
2013 is the season in which age finally caught up to the team. Baseball is a young man's game, and trying to remain competitive when you're starting line-up features 6 players over the age of 33 was going to be an adventure. That five of the six suffered serious injury isn't a huge surprise. That the sixth, RF Ichiro Suzuki, played 148 games this year should be. 2014 will probably be the season when age and the salary cap finally sink the team. Ownership has repeatedly announced they plan to drop payroll below $187 million, a drop of $40 million from this season. Of that, about $93 million is already committed to a handful of players. That leaves precious little to shore up a team that is going to lose some key players, has two key contributors entering free agency and not much in the farm system. Let's take a look at the internal options for next year – and what can reasonably be expected.
When you feature three shortstops on your major league roster, you realistically don't have any. For a team that featured a future Hall-of-Famer at the position since 1996, it's a strange place to be. Yet the Yankees would be insane if they think Jeter can be an everyday shortstop at age 40, especially coming off a season in which he never healed from a season ending injury in 2012. Do the Yanks stand pat, praying that the talented, but erratic Nunez can blossom while Jeter plays perhaps 30-40 games in the field? Equally concerning is the situation at third, where the safe bet is that PED King Alex Rodriguez will serve most, if not all, of his record 211 game suspension. He didn't look like a major league caliber fielder during his abbreviated stint this season and the options behind him aren't terrific. First appears set with the return of Mark Teixeira, but how effective will the 34 year old be coming off major wrist surgery?
But the biggest question of all is what to do about Cano. The guy is talented, but he's always lacked the inner drive that transforms talent into greatness (ever watch him run out a ground ball or routine double?). He often looks bored and tends to press when the team needs him most. Still, without him the Yankees could face a total power outage in 2014 and beyond. Reports today have him asking for a 10 year, $310 million contract. Given their financial commitments, there's no way the Bronx Bombers resign him at anything close to that price. But they really don't have any options at second base, They could get a decent second sacker in free agency, but there aren't any of Cano's caliber, or even any viable long term solutions available.
The outfield could actually be okay next year, provided Soriano and Ichiro don't break down. Gardner is never going to be a stud outfielder, but does possess speed and a great glove. Wells is a waste of a roster spot at this point, while Almonte showed signs of being at least a quality fourth outfielder in limited duty.
This could be the worst starting rotation in baseball next season. No, really – I'm not joking. The team is losing three members from this year's rather mediocre staff (unless GM Brian Cashman has aneurysm and resigns Hughes). That leaves an aging and increasingly ineffective CC Sabathia as the lone proven quantity. Ivan Nova has shown flashes, but not consistency. Phelps will probably develop into a reliable back-of-the-rotation pitcher. Adam Warren probably earned a shot at a starting spot with his strong effort out of the bullpen. Barring a free agent signing, that means the Yanks will hope that Pineda, Nuno or Banuelos can come back from injury plagued seasons and turn their talent into major league performance.
This was the strongest unit for the Yanks in 2013 and looks to be again in 2014. Of course, replacing Mariano Rivera is impossible, but David Robertson should be more than adequate as the closer. The setup corps will suffer from the promotion of Robertson and the likely move of Warren to the rotation, but adding Cabral (who has looked good as a LOOGY) and Betances should be adequate. Chamberlain is addition through subtraction at this point.
This entry was posted on September 26, 2013 by Ray Rothfeldt. It was filed under Sports and was tagged with 2014 Season, Alex Rodriguez, baseball, Derek Jeter, New York Yankees, Playoffs.


text:
Category Archives: PNR Thursday
Meet @KimKasch and The Viking Princess #PNRThursday
Posted on December 17, 2015 by Linda / Lyndi
Today is the final Paranormal Thursday post, so please welcome Kimbra Kasch, author of The Viking Princess. This truly sounds like a unique and fascinating paranormal romance.
I'm a romance writer who grew up in a family with 9 kids and only 1 t.v. so I spent my days reading and, later, writing. I love books. . .maybe because I never got to pick t.v. shows we watched. But I'd run home after school to catch the last fifteen minutes of Dark Shadows…
I've just had my first novel published and am looking to share it with the world. It's a story I was inspired to write after visiting Hamlet's Castle and seeing an enormous Viking statue down in the tunnels next to the dungeons.
During the dark ages, the Vikings were more than merely heathen marauders. In truth, they were brave explorers. Men and women who took the original Captain's Oath, vowing to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man (or woman) had gone before.
They were not the pillagers that the British portrayed them to be but people searching for new lands and new civilizations and along the way, they faced gripping family sagas that questioned more than their strength, agility and patience. These journeys brought into question alliances and loyal friendships, while testing their faith. And, there was nothing more important than family relationships. If a Viking couldn't count on his family to help him survive, he perished.
But it wasn't only the men, these warriors were women as well as men, who stood side by side on the battlefield. Perhaps that is the reason and the truth behind the tales of the Valkyrie and Valhalla, which still haunt the stories of the Vikings.
The VIKING PRINCESS is one such tale of the extraordinary lives and epic adventures of two people: Holger Danske and Morgaine LeFey.
And Holger Danske was not the first Danish Prince to appear on the printed page or to share a well-known castle as his home. Hamlet's story is set in the same structure that stands on the sound between Denmark and Sweden. Holger's home is in Kronborg Castle, known to most English speaking people as Hamlet's Castle.
It was there, inside this Castle that I first was introduced to Holger Danske and the legends surrounding his iconic life. He was a warrior, a Prince destined to become King of all the Norse lands during the time of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round table.
I found it odd that everyone had heard of King Arthur and his magical sword, Excalibur, which he received from the Lade of the Lake (a Norse Goddess) who had also given such a sword to Holger Danske. Holger's sword was named "Cortana", and was made from the same metal and magic as Excalibur. Yet no one I talked to outside of Denmark had ever heard of Holger or his sword.
And, even more interesting was the fact that Holger and the Vikings invaded England, yet somehow, even as enemies, Holger and King Arthur's half-sister, Morgaine LeFey, were able to share a forbidden love.
Theirs was a romance that threatened two kingdoms.
THE VIKING PRINCESS has never been told outside of Denmark…until now. Morgaine and Holger faced an attraction more powerful than any sword, stronger than any warrior and more magical than all the powers of Merlin.
He laughed at her, making her senses bristle.
She was not amused. "Am I humorous?"
"I have heard you are many things," he replied, "but humor has never been cited as one of your virtues."
"First you laugh at me, and then you belittle me. Is this the way you treat all women?"
He pulled back on the reins. His horse slid to an immediate standstill. Then, burying his face into her hair, he whispered in her ear, "I have shown enormous restraint. Would you like me to show you how I treat all women?"
The burning ember inside her flared to a flame. The muscles low in her belly tightened, as she clenched her legs tighter, wrapping them around his steed. Sucking air into her lungs, she felt the immediate pulse of desire race through the core of her body. She wanted to reach back over her head and wrap her arms around his neck, to pull him even closer.
It was all she could do to hold her tongue and keep from begging him, when all she wanted to say was, "Yes, yes, please show me."
Her body motionless, she could feel the warmth of him as his hands grew bold, slipping beneath the soft linens covering her, his fingers gently gliding up over her stomach, traveling beneath her breasts and edging up…
A voice whispered inside her head. What are you doing? This man is your enemy. He intends to kill you, your brother, everyone you love…
She grabbed his wrists, holding him still and steady. "You have caught me, kidnapped me, and dragged me here. I may be your prisoner, but do not think that I am interested in your advances."
His body tensed and he pulled back his hands, gripping her firmly about the waist. "I, Holger, the prince over all the Norse lands, have never had a woman decline the privilege of being my lover."
"Prince or pauper, it matters not to me what rank you hold, for I, too, am highborn and accustomed to many privileges," she snapped back, unwilling to let him bask in his own conceit. "And being your lover is not a privilege I would prize."
If you want to purchase THE VIKING PRINCESS click on AMAZON or BARNES AND NOBLE,
Visit me at www.kimbrakasch.com
And www.kimkasch.blogspot.com
Other authors participating in the tour:
Carmen Stefanescu: http://shadowspastmystery.blogspot.ro/
Daisy Banks: https://daisybanks.wordpress.com/
Flossie Benton Rogers: http://flossiebentonrogers.com/blog/
M. S. Kaye: http://booksbymsk.com/
Kim Kasch: http://www.kimkasch.blogspot.com
Cassandra Ulrich: http://cassandraulrich.blogspot.com/
Julie Dárcy: http://juliedarcystoryweaver.blogspot.com.au/
Margo Bond Collins: http://www.MargoBondCollins.com
Adrienne Woods: https://woodsadrienne.wordpress.com/
N. N. Light: http://princessofthelight.wordpress.com
Penny Estelle: http://www.pennyestelle.blogspot.com
Posted in PNR Thursday, Uncategorized	| Tagged #PNRThursday, excerpt, historical romance, Kimbra Kasch, paranormal romance, vikings, Vikings Princess	| Leave a reply
Love's Intensity by @CassandraUlric1 #PNRThursday
Today's #PNRThursday book is Love's Intensity, young adult romance, by Cassandra Ulrich.
Love's Intensity
Brad loves fast horses, cars, and bikes. Life would be perfect if his stepmother could only mind her own business. Instead, his father hired a longtime friend and her family to work in their home, turning his world into a feudal mess.
He wants to hate the new arrivals and it doesn't help that Kressa, daughter of the newcomers, is the most gorgeous girl he'd ever laid eyes on. With a scent that draws him to her, Kressa causes him more internal conflict than he ever dreamed possible. He falls for her so deeply, he tells her a secret he'd never even told his best friends – that he's training to be a ninja warrior.
Kressa adores her country and loves hanging out with her many cousins. News of the move to Massachusetts comes as a shock to her. She refuses to be happy in this new place working as a servant for a rich man and his mean son, who had the nerve to be cute. And why does her skin tingle every time her hand brushes against his?
Despite her efforts, she finds herself desperately longing for a friendship with the one boy who scowls at her. Matters are only made more complicated when his family and hers clash. When he goes on a dangerous mission, she wonders, will he return so she can tell him he's won her heart or will their families manage to keep them apart?
Brad rode Silver Bullet alongside Kressa and Gentle Rider so the horses faced each other upon his approach. He gazed into Kressa's eyes, longing to learn something new about the girl who lived in his house. Brad removed his riding glove and reached over to brush Kressa's hair away from her face so he could touch her cheek. She did not shrink away. His fingertips tingled where her skin met his.
So beautiful. Brad's heart pumped a little faster and his mind swirled. Does she feel drawn to me too? He shook his head slightly. "We should go back now," Brad said tenderly, realizing once again that the warmth he felt when he touched Kressa also did something to his heart. It was better not to remain alone. He wondered if Kressa would ever admit whether she experienced any affection toward him. He found her hard to read sometimes.
Brad pulled on his glove, led the way back through the forest, and headed for the stable. After brushing, feeding, and watering all four horses, Brad and Kressa strolled back to the house. "Great lesson today. I think before long you'll be able to go out on your own."
"Really? That would be great. How many more lessons do I need?" She said eagerly.
"I would imagine one or two more."
They both laughed at the good news. At that moment, Kressa's dad appeared around some shrubs at the base of the hill. His face held a fiery red glow.
"Kressa, get to the house right now," Mr. Morales said grabbing her arm and pushing her toward their apartment. "I don't know what you were thinking today taking her through those woods, but I don't like it."
"Sir, there's wide open space to run the horses on the other side of the trees. I wasn't trying to seduce her," Brad said, feeling some guilt for touching her cheek earlier.
Mr. Morales shot Brad a fierce look and took Kressa away. She followed, pleading with her father to let her go and trying to convince him nothing happened. Kressa and her father began speaking in Spanish, so Brad could no longer comprehend what was being said. Brad headed back to his room in anguish over what he just witnessed. He picked up the handkerchief and rubbed it on his cheek. He was sorry for causing her so much trouble.
Over the next few hours, Brad spent time on his laptop looking up home schooling rules. He gathered all the information he could and went looking for his father. Brad and his dad needed to do a lot of preparation if Kressa were to start school at home in a week. Finding his father in the office, Brad presented him with the draft for a lesson plan needed. It had to be submitted to the school administration.
Dinnertime proved tense for Brad, and he didn't doubt it was for Kressa as well. He avoided looking at her as much as possible, not because he experienced nervousness concerning their interaction earlier in the day, but because he did not want Kressa's father to take it out on her. She seemed stiff whenever she served Brad a side dish. He knew her reaction was due to her father keeping a close eye on them all evening. Brad wanted to talk to his new friend, but knew it would be better if he waited until morning.
Buy Links: WildChildPublishing | Amazon | B&N | All Romance ebooks |
Bio: Cassandra Ulrich was born on the beautiful island of St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands, located east of Puerto Rico. Living in the tropics fueled her imagination and day dreams. For years, she wrote poetry and entered competitions. However, only many years later did she discover joy in writing stories longer than a few pages.
Website: http://cassandraulrich.com/
Blog Site: http://cassandraulrich.blogspot.com/
Posted in PNR Thursday, Uncategorized	| Tagged Cassandra Ulrich, excerpt, Love's Intensity, paranormal romance, YA, young adult romance	| 1 Reply