Month: April 2022

Better Nate movie

Pamela SimboliLeave a comment

The critically acclaimed Better Nate Than Ever middle school book opened in movie theaters earlier this month. An unpopular 13 year-old boy longs to appear on stage in his school play. Disappointed when he doesn’t get the part he wants, Nate plans a secret trip to run off to New York City and audition for a Broadway show. The author, Tim Federle, also directs this LGBTQ friendly Disney movie.

Irish cozy

Pamela SimboliLeave a comment

Carlene O’Connor has created the fictional Irish town of Kilbane and the O’Sullivan 6 family to fall in love with. Siobhan is the oldest girl of the family who all help run the family bistro in the village. When book #1 begins, the parents have already been killed in a car accident and the 6 children are learning to get along on their own. Murder in the town keeps Siobhan busy and we meet the local residents who all become suspects. This is a fun series to listen to on audio (free) through Hoopla as the Irish accent adds to the atmosphere and coziness of the plot. Also available in print or CD, be sure to visit this series which will have you longing to book a ticket to Ireland.

The Broken Circle: a Memoir of Escaping Afghanistan

marybethLeave a comment
Enjeela Ahmadi-Miller has written a moving story of her family’s escape from Kabul, Afghanistan in 1979. Russia had invaded the country and murdered the democratic president, Daoud Khan and 17 members of his family, including his baby granddaughter, installing a new communist president in his place. Enjeela’s mother left for India with her two sisters, for a heart operation, and her father hires a guide to lead his four remaining children out of the country as well. Enjeela’s description of her travels is very poignant; much of the trip was spent on foot, and it was a very harrowing journey. The family is eventually re-united, so there is a happy ending to her story.

From book to movie: Bad Guys

Pamela SimboliLeave a comment

Dreamworks is releasing an animated movie edition of Australian author Aaron Blabey’s Bad Guys books later this month. The popular graphic novel series is now up to 15 titles. The hero and villain main characters combine a wolf, shark, fox, snake and more. The action sets up the good guys against bad guys in a hilarious action adventure. Young fans of Timmy Failure, Big Nate, Bad Kitty, Wimpy Kid, Dog Man and Tom Gates’ books will find much to love in these books and now the first movie.

The Ocean Calls: A Haenyeo Mermaid Story

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I came across this book recently and it reminded me of the Lisa See novel The Island of Sea Women, about the female South Korean divers who harvest a variety of sea life to sell for their income. This story is the children’s picture book version, with wonderful illustrations by Jess Snow and informative text by Tina Cho. There is a brief explanation of haenyeo on the back pages, and I found it to be a fascinating subject.