Children's Book Review: Welcome to the Symphony By Carolyn Sloan

WELCOME TO THE SYMPHONY
A Musical Exploration of the Orchestra Using Beethoven's Symphony No. 5

By: Carolyn Sloan

Illustrated by: James Williamson

Published: October 27, 2015
Publisher: Workman Publishing

Non-Fiction

I am beyond thrilled to share this wonderful book with you. If you have young children, I am begging you to share this book with them. Every elementary music teacher should have this book in their back pocket (well not really because it won't fit). Piano teachers, homeschooling families, and anyone who loves music will find so many wonderful things about this book.

Three cute little mice attend the symphony and for two of them, it is a first-time experience. Through fabulous artwork on each page and definitions of all the parts of a symphonic orchestra, children will learn along with the mice in the book.  With the tabs on the side, readers will be able to hear parts of the symphony as well as the various instruments involved in a symphony.

As various parts of the symphony are explained, a corresponding number will allow the child to press a button and hear more of the explanation, for example, including what it means to tune an instrument, the main theme of Symphony No. 5, and the harmony of the piece.  There are also buttons for each instrument that corresponds with the picture and explanation on the page.

I appreciate how the illustrator has shown the instruments proportionately according to their size. For example the above photo shows the bassoon, which is not a small instrument, and its size when in relation to being played.

This is a book I would have loved when our children were younger and one I will keep in my personal library to pull out when I watch our neighbors kids or to take along to school when I substitute teach. The very end of the book includes more information for the adults including how to raise your child to love music.

Carolyn Sloan - source

Carolyn Sloan is a songwriter and musician who writes music for theater, television, and children. She is also a music educator at the Berkeley Carroll School in Brooklyn, New York, where she lives with her family.  For more information, check out her website, HERE. 

James Williamson is an illustrator, designer, and artist. He lives with his wife in Brooklyn, New York. 

If you would like to purchase a copy of WELCOME TO THE SYMPHONY, click the photo below:

I will be linking up this review with other bloggers on Booking Mama's Kid Konnection. Click HERE to see other posts related to children's and YA books.


A post from 6 years ago today - Snow Day #6
A post from 3 years ago today - Author Interview with H.W. "Buzz" Bernard
A post from 1 year ago today - My Year of Reading and Best Books of 2014


Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. I was not compensated in any way for this review. If you choose to purchase this book through the above link, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. Thanks for supporting SincerelyStacie.com. 

Books that Came My Way in November

November ended up being even busier than I expected. Of the 18 days school was in session, I subbed 12 of them. Then I also had other commitments on my free days and traveled a couple times as well. I had very little reading time over the last month and it has continually frustrated me. But, I have to remind myself that it is just a season that I am in right now, and I just have to do the best I can with the time I am given. Some days I have time to read or write reviews and other days I don't.  We are traveling over the Christmas break and I am looking forward to catching up on some reading both in the car and on the beach. 

As always, if I am choosing to read a book, then you can be sure that I truly think it is worthy of my time. Of course, some books just find their way to my mailbox without my previous knowledge. I am only going to spend time reading and reviewing books that I enjoy. If I'm not feeling it, I'm going to put it aside. I can't get to all these great books that come my way, but at least I can tell you about them here and I hope to review them just as soon as I can!

If you would like to purchase any of these books, 

clicking on the photo of the book will take you directly to Amazon.  

If you choose to purchase, I will receive a small commission 

without you having to pay any more for your purchase.  

I appreciate your support of SincerelyStacie.com reviews. 

I'm linking up with The Deliberate Reader to share our stacks of books for November. To see her Stack of Books as well as other bloggers' Book Stacks, click HERE. 

Books and Music for Review

THE NEWSMAKERS
By: Lis Wiehl
To Be Published: January 19, 2016
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Format: Paperback

I am a huge fan of Wiehl on the Fox News Network and am anxious to read one of her novels. 

Television reporter Erica Sparks has just landed her dream job at Global News Network. Beautiful, talented, and ambitious, Erica grew up dirt poor, worked her way through Yale, and is carrying a terrible secret. She moves to Manhattan to join GNN, leaving Jenny, her adored 7-year-old daughter, in the custody of her ex-husband. Erica’s producer at the network, Greg Underwood, is handsome and compelling. Scarred by her divorce, Erica is wary of romance, but there’s no denying the mutual attraction.

On one of her first assignments, Erica witnesses a horrific Staten Island ferry crash. Then she lands a coveted interview with presumptive presidential nominee Kay Barrish. During the interview Barrish collapses. Erica valiantly tries to save her with CPR. The footage rivets the world—GNN’s ratings soar and Erica is now a household name.

But she’s troubled. What a strange coincidence that both events should happen on her watch. It’s almost as if they were engineered. Is that possible?

Erica’s relentless pursuit of the truth puts her life and that of her daughter in danger. Her investigation leads her into the heart of darkness—where the future of our democracy is at stake. 



THE FORGOTTEN ROOM
By: Karen White, Beatriz Williams, and Lauren Willig
To Be Published: January 19, 2016
Publisher: NAL
Format: Paperback

I received this as an eBook last month. I prefer paperbacks and was thrilled to receive this version as well. I love all these authors individually, so a book by the three of them together has to be a hit! 

1945: When the critically wounded Captain Cooper Ravenal is brought to a private hospital on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, young Dr. Kate Schuyler is drawn into a complex mystery that connects three generations of women in her family to a single extraordinary room in a Gilded Age mansion.

Who is the woman in Captain Ravenel's portrait miniature who looks so much like Kate?  And why is she wearing the ruby pendant handed down to Kate by her mother?  In their pursuit of answers, they find themselves drawn into the turbulent stories of Gilded Age Olive Van Alen, driven from riches to rags, who hired out as a servant in the very house her father designed, and Jazz Age Lucy Young, who came from Brooklyn to Manhattan in pursuit of the father she had never known.  But are Kate and Cooper ready for the secrets that will be revealed in the Forgotten Room? 



CALLED TO PRAY
By: Linda Evans Shepherd
Published: September 15, 2015
Publisher: Revell Books,
Format: Paperback

I feel led to pray for someone every single day. When I meet an ambulance with lights and sirens flashing, I pray for the first responders, for the patient, and for their family. When I hear about a tragedy on the news, I pray for all involved. When I see a student struggling at school, I pray for them. I am more a situational-prayer person rather than someone who prays regularly, mindfully, repetitively. I am hoping this book will inspire me to continue praying those prayers I feel led to pray. 

When you feel a nudge to pray, what will you do?

Most of us have felt it at one time or another: that unexplained prompting in our hearts to stop and pray for a friend, a loved one, or even a stranger. Sometimes we are even awakened from a deep sleep with an even deeper need to go to God in prayer. Where do those urges come from? Are they truly from God? Or are they merely stray thoughts? And if we respond in prayer, are others’ lives affected at all?

In CALLED TO PRAY, Linda Evans Shepherd shares dozens of inspiring true stories of people who have heeded God’s call to pray and the astonishing results of those impromptu prayers. Through accounts of people being protected from harm and rescued from danger, of needs being met and hearts being encouraged, you’ll see that God is involved in an active and dynamic relationship with us—and that we can be part of his plan to bless others.

If you have ever wondered if prayer has any real effect or doubted that God communicates with us personally, this heart-stirring book will amaze, inspire, and equip you to respond to those holy promptings.



WELCOME TO THE SYMPHONY
By: Carolyn Sloan
Illustrated By: James Williamson
Published: October 27, 2015
Publisher: Workman Publishing Company
Format: Hardcover

I LOVE music. We exposed our children to all kinds of music during pregnancy and all the way through their childhood. I am totally convinced that our children's love of music and their musical talents are greatly connected to introducing music to them at a very early stage. We loved the Baby Einstein videos and books that were popular years ago and this book reminds me of those. This would make a great gift for a child!

Using one of the most famous works in classical music—Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony—here is the perfect way to introduce a young child to the world of classical music. This charming and interactive picture book with its panel of 19 sound buttons is like a ticket to a concert hall, taking readers on a journey from the exciting first moment when the musicians begin tuning up to the end of the first movement (attention newcomers: don’t clap yet!). At each step of the way, readers learn the basics of classical music and the orchestra: What is a conductor? What is a symphony? Who was Beethoven? The different aspects of music: melody, harmony, tempo, theme. And the families of instruments—strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion.

But the best part is that every critical idea is illustrated in gorgeous sound. The sound panel allows readers to hear the different parts of the symphony and voices of the music—the famous beginning of the Fifth, what a clarinet sounds like, the difference between a violin and a viola, what a melody is, and what harmony is. Kids will want to match their voices to the A note that tunes the orchestra, dance to the rhythmic passages—and, of course, sing along to da-da-da-daah!




I WANT TO EAT YOUR BOOKS
By: Karin Lefranc and Tyler Parker
Published: September 22, 2015
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Format: Hardcover

I love books that instill a love a reading. I can't wait to share my thoughts on this book and add it to my stash of books for subbing in the elementary classroom. Zombies are big right now with kids. In fact, our daughter is doing a zombie adventure as part of their Social Studies curriculum. I think kids are going to love this one!

He’s limping strangely down the hall with outstretched arms and a groaning drawl. A zombie! Could it really be? You race to class, but turn to see he’s sitting in the desk right next to you!

But odds are you’ll probably be okay, because this is no ordinary zombie. This zombie doesn’t want to eat your brains—he wants to eat your books! Hide your textbooks and your fairy tales, because the little zombie is hungry and he doesn’t discriminate between genres. Will the school library be devoured, or will the children discover something the zombie likes to do with books even more than eating them?




SAM'S TOP SECRET JOURNAL
Book Three: Memorial Day
By: Dr. Sean Aldeman
Published: October 28, 2015
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Format: Paperback

I love the premise of this book and think it is an important one to read and share with others.


Sam is a ninth grade girl trying to enjoy her first year of high school. Sam knows she has Down syndrome but she doesn't feel different; even though other kids sometimes treat her that way. Sam's new adventure involves a mini family reunion, exploring the interesting spaces of a retired military base and learning how hard it can be to "do the right thing". Challenges and new mysteries are all chronicled in Sam's private journal. In this book, Sam discovers that being yourself isn't just about what people can see; sometimes what you can't see is the most important part.



THE WITCHES OF CAMBRIDGE
By: Menna Van Praag
Published: February 9, 2016
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Format: eBook

I read her previous book, THE HOUSE AT THE END OF HOPE STREET and loved how she brought literary women to life. You can see my review, HERE. 

"Be careful what you wish for. If you re a witch, you might just get it." 

Amandine Bisset has always had the power to feel the emotions of those around her. It s a secret she can share only with her friends all professors, all witches when they gather for the Cambridge University Society of Literature and Witchcraft. Amandine treasures these meetings but lately senses the ties among her colleagues beginning to unravel. If only she had her student Noa s power to hear the innermost thoughts of others, she might know how to patch things up. Unfortunately, Noa regards her gift as a curse. So when a seductive artist claims he can cure her, Noa jumps at the chance, no matter the cost. 


Noa s not the only witch in over her head. Mathematics professor Kat has a serious case of unrequited love but refuses to cast spells to win anyone s heart. Her sister, Cosima, is not above using magic to get what she wants, sprinkling pastries in her bakery with equal parts sugar and enchantment. But when Cosima sets her sights on Kat s crush, she conjures up a dangerous love triangle. 


As romance and longing swirl through every picturesque side street, the witches of Cambridge find their lives unexpectedly upended and changed in ways sometimes extraordinary, sometimes heartbreaking, but always enchanting. 




CONCUSSION
By: Jeanne Marie Laskas
Published: November 24, 2015
Publisher: Random House
Format: eBook

I first heard about this book because the movie is coming out soon. Then I was asked to review it. The coincidence is that our son is doing his English research paper on Long-Term Brain Injuries in Professional Football Players. So, of course, our son is reading this book before I get a chance to read it.

Jeanne Marie Laskas first met the young forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu in 2009, while reporting a story for GQ that would go on to inspire the movie Concussion. Omalu told her about a day in September 2002, when, in a dingy morgue in downtown Pittsburgh, he picked up a scalpel and made a discovery that would rattle America in ways he’d never intended. Omalu was new to America, chasing the dream, a deeply spiritual man escaping the wounds of civil war in Nigeria. The body on the slab in front of him belonged to a fifty-year-old named Mike Webster, aka “Iron Mike,” a Hall of Fame center for the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the greatest ever to play the game. After retiring in 1990, Webster had suffered a dizzyingly steep decline. Toward the end of his life, he was living out of his van, tasering himself to relieve his chronic pain, and fixing his rotting teeth with Super Glue. How did this happen?, Omalu asked himself. How did a young man like Mike Webster end up like this? The search for answers would change Omalu’s life forever and put him in the crosshairs of one of the most powerful corporations in America: the National Football League. What Omalu discovered in Webster’s brain—proof that Iron Mike’s mental deterioration was no accident but a disease caused by blows to the head that could affect everyone playing the game—was the one truth the NFL wanted to ignore.



PIANOSCAPES FOR THE TRAILS OF NORTH AMERICA
By: Laura Sullivan

I used to play the piano every single day. I took lessons for 13 years and played in numerous recitals, piano contests, and accompanied choirs while growing up. As an adult, I played for our church services and other events. But, the arthritis in my right hand has made it difficult for me to play. I can play the piano but then I'll pay for it the next week with pain. So, I frequently turn to Pandora for piano music while I am working, making supper or just background music while I read. I was thrilled to have an opportunity to check out Laura Sullivan's music and I'll be telling you about it soon. Until then, you can find her music on Pandora and Spotify!

Books I Purchased

THE HAUNTING OF A SUNSHINE GIRL

By: Paige McKenzie

Published: March 24, 2015

Publisher: Weinstein Books

Format: Paperback

My daughter chose this book at her school's Scholastic Book Fair. I love supporting book fairs because I know it allows the school to build up their library of books. 

Something freaky's going on with Sunshine's new house . . . there's the chill that wraps itself around her bones, the giggling she can hear in the dead of night, and then the strange shadows that lurk in her photographs. But the more weird stuff that happens, the less her mom believes her. Sunshine's always had a quirky affiliation with the past, but this time, history is getting much too close for comfort . . .

If there is something, or someone, haunting her house, what do they want? And what will they do if Sunshine can't help them?

As things become more frightening and dangerous, and the giggles she hears turn to sobs and screams, Sunshine has no choice but to accept what she is, face the test before her and save her mother from a fate worse than death.

The first in a frighteningly good new series based on the popular YouTube sensation The Haunting of Sunshine Girl Network, created by Paige McKenzie. 

THE DOGS OF CHRISTMAS

By: W Bruce Cameron

Published: October 15, 2013

Publisher: Forge Books

Format: Paperback

Another Scholastic Book Fair purchase. I bought it for my daughter, but after reading the description, I'm not sure it is really for her. I'll have to add this one to my stash. 

While nursing a broken heart, Josh Michaels is outraged when a neighbor abandons his very pregnant dog, Lucy, at Josh's Colorado home. But Josh can't resist Lucy's soulful brown eyes, and though he's never had a dog before, he's determined to do the best he can for Lucy—and her soon-to-arrive, bound-to-be-adorable puppies. 

Soon in over his head, Josh calls the local animal shelter for help, and meets Kerri, a beautiful woman with a quick wit and a fierce love for animals. As Kerri teaches Josh how to care for Lucy's tiny puppies and gets them ready to be adopted through the shelter's "Dogs of Christmas" program, Josh surprises himself by falling for her. 

But he's fallen even harder for his new furry family, which has brought incredible joy into Josh's life. He barely has time to sit down, between chasing after adventurous Sophie and brave Oliver, but when he does, his lap is quickly filled by the affectionate Lola. And Rufus and Cody's strong bond makes Josh wonder about his own relationships with his family. 
With Christmas and the adoption date looming, Josh finds himself wondering if he can separate himself from his beloved puppies. At odds with Kerri, Josh isn't willing to lose her, but doesn't know how to set things right. Can a surprise litter of Christmas puppies really change one man's life? 

COUNTING BY 7S

By: Holly Sloan

Published: September 16, 2014

Publisher: Puffin Books

Format: Paperback

I saw this travel through the book blogger world with many rave reviews, so I purchased it at the Scholastic Book Fair. I will probably tuck this in our daughter's advent calendar this month.

Willow Chance is a twelve-year-old genius, obsessed with nature and diagnosing medical conditions, who finds it comforting to count by 7s. It has never been easy for her to connect with anyone other than her adoptive parents, but that hasn’t kept her from leading a quietly happy life... until now.

Suddenly Willow’s world is tragically changed when her parents both die in a car crash, leaving her alone in a baffling world. The triumph of this book is that it is not a tragedy. This extraordinarily odd, but extraordinarily endearing, girl manages to push through her grief. Her journey to find a fascinatingly diverse and fully believable surrogate family is a joy and a revelation to read.

THE NIGHTINGALE

By: Kristin Hannah

Published: February 3, 2015

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Format: eBook

This was a Cyber Monday Kindle Deal. I've been wanting to read it since it came out, but as it usually goes, I rarely have a chance to read the books I want to read. I couldn't pass up getting it for $1.99 and hope to read it soon!

In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France...but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When France is overrun, Vianne is forced to take an enemy into her house, and suddenly her every move is watched; her life and her child’s life is at constant risk. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates around her, she must make one terrible choice after another. 

Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old girl, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets the compelling and mysterious Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can...completely. When he betrays her, Isabelle races headlong into danger and joins the Resistance, never looking back or giving a thought to the real--and deadly--consequences.

BREAD & WINE

A Love Letter to Life Around the Table

By: Shauna Niequist

Published: April 9, 2013

Publisher: Zondervan

Format: eBook

This was a Daily Kindle Deal this month. I love the connection of food and family and this one sounds wonderful!

This book is a collection of essays about family relationships, friendships, and the meals that bring us together. BREAD & WINE is a celebration of food shared and life around the table, and it reminds us of the joy we find in connection and relationship. It's about the ways that God teaches and nourishes us as we nourish the people around us. It's about hunger, both physical and otherwise, and the connections between the two. Recipes are included for the dishes you can almost taste as you read about them. 

As always, let me know if you read any of these books and share your thoughts. I hope all of you find pockets of time to sit by the fireplace or in your favorite reading spot with a blanket, a beverage, and a book.

A post from 1 year ago today - Product Review: Superior Selections Original Water Crackers
A post from 2 years ago today - 12 Days of Kindle Deals
A post from 3 years ago today - A Little Monday Inspiration 
A post from years 7 ago today - A Snowman Idea and Storytime

#52ListsProject - Mood-Boosting Songs

I mentioned in a previous post that I purchased the book, THE 52 LISTS PROJECT. It's a book that focuses on weekly journaling based on lists.  I love making lists and thought this sounded like a great way to remember a year.

I purchased the book for my 43rd birthday and decided I would do a list every week for this year. Even though the journal begins in Winter with Week 1, I started my list during Fall with Week 40. So, I'll be moving through the book a bit backwards, which is hard for my organized brain, but I didn't want to be writing about winter topics in spring or summer in winter.

I'll be sharing my lists here, hopefully one a week. My first list is already a week behind. It's the story of my life right now and I'm just rolling with it. I seem to be behind on a lot of things right now. Maybe I should make a list of all of the things I'm behind on......or not!

I thought that sharing these lists might help you get to know me a bit better and make me a little more accountable to actually getting this done each week. Since I am behind, I'll likely have two lists to share this week.

Some weeks the topics may be too personal to share completely on here, but I'll at least tell you about the lists and some of the things on it. At the end of each list, the author offers an idea to expand on that week's list. For example, this week it suggests making a playlist of all the songs you listed. I'm in the process of creating that!

If you are interested in learning more about THE 52 LISTS PROJECT, click HERE to be taken to the author's website. You can also purchase the book, HERE.

So, for my first list of the year, I'm starting with List 40...

List Your Top Twenty Mood-Boosting Songs

(I couldn't stop at 20)

"Shake it Off" ~ Taylor Swift

"Single Ladies" ~ Beyonce

"Blurred Lines" ~ Robin Thicke

"Eye of the Tiger" ~ Survivor

"It's My Life" ~ Bon Jovi

"Happy" ~ Pharrel Williams

"Forever All Over Again" ~ Night Ranger

"All I Want to Do" ~ Sugarland

"Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" ~ KT Tunstall

"Because We Can" ~ Bon Jovi

"Do You Believe in Magic" ~ Shaun Cassidy

"Her Name is Alice" ~ Shinedown

"Let it Rock" ~ Kevin Rudolf

"American Woman" ~ Lenny Kravitz

"I Say A Little Prayer" ~ Dionne Warwick

"Outside My Window" ~ Sarah Buxton

"Thrift Shop" ~ Macklemore

"Sexy Back" ~ Justin Timberlake

"Uptown Funk" ~ Mark Ronson

"Have A Little Faith in Me" ~ Jewel

"Love's the Only House" ~ Martina McBride

"Wild at Heart" ~ Gloriana

"Tik Tok" ~ Kei$ha

"You're the One that I Want" ~ John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John

"Miss Little Havana" ~ Gloria Estefan

"We are Family" ~ Sister Sledge

"Roar" ~ Katy Perry

"Just Give Me a Reason" ~ Pink

"Born this Way" ~ Lady Gaga

"Pour Some Sugar on Me" ~ Def Leopard

As you can see I have a wide-variety of musical tastes. I could have listed even more, but I filled up the whole page! If you decide to join me in THE 52 LISTS PROJECT, be sure to let me know in the comments! If you have a song you think I should add to my playlist, tell me about it!  

If you choose to purchase the book through the above link, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. Thanks for supporting SincerelyStacie.com. 

Best of 2013 - Books, Apps, Music, Movies

I am sharing with you some of my "Best Of" from this past year.  Not all of them are things that actually came out in 2013, but instead experienced by me in 2013.  Links will take you to my posted review. Amazon links will take you to my affiliate page and if you purchase, I will get a small kick back without you paying a penny more for the item.

Favorite Book Club Book

I couldn't choose one.  Both of these books were full of discussion and were liked by all of us in book club.  I also have thought back to both of these books several times and still wonder about the characters 

(Yes, I know they aren't real).  This is the mark of a good story, one I can't forget about. 

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline 

Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

Favorite Book Published in 2013

This was also a book club choice, but one I couldn't forget about. 

I would have read it if it we hadn't chosen it for book club. 

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

Favorite Book I Read for My Own Enjoyment

I chose this book because I wanted to read it.  I had heard so much about it and it sounded like a book I would enjoy and I did.  A perfect beach read with history, drama, and romance.  One you can read anytime of year! It also helps if you read it with a friend so you can dish about all the drama.

A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams

Favorite Non Fiction

I really love Memoirs and WILD was a really interesting and inspiring read.  

I am anxious to see the movie version! 

REPLENISH is a book I took a lot of insight from and one I still refer to.

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Replenish by Lisa Grace Byrne

Favorite Children's Book

I've been getting more children's books to review and am really enjoying it.  Since I give Storytime once a month at our local library, it is nice to be introduced to new children's books.  This pick was not a review book, but one I read during Storytime.  It is a new one this year and was a cute, funny story about a sly fox, some smart ducklings, and an even smarter mama goose. 

That is Not a Good Idea by Mo Willems

Best Apps

Once Google removed their feedreader, I needed to find a new one and Feedly has been just the perfect fit for me.  I can use it from my computer or from the app on my iPhone or Kindle.  It is the easiest way for me to stay up to date on all the blogs and websites I want to say connected to.  Since it shows me the title of the post, I can decide if I want to read it or not, read it, and if I want more I can access the website from there.  It also allows me to put them into categories so I can access all those great book blogs in one visit.  

Feedly

At first glance, you might think Words of Wonder is an app for kids, but you will be surprised that it is challenging and fun for adults.  Words of Wonder is a cross between Boggle and Candy Crush.  So for all of you addicted to Candy Crush out there, you may want to check this game out.  For wordy's like me, this is the perfect challenge.  You play by making words from the image on the screen.  But sometimes you have to make words in certain areas to make feathers fall, make ink or ribbons disappear, or make words in a short time frame.  You do all this while traveling through a map and achieving levels.  

It is addictive, challenging, and keeps your brain active.  

Words of Wonder

Everyone else in my family is addicted to Dots.  They all have it on their devices and can be heard connecting the dots during their spare time.  In the game, you connect the same colored dots in a straight line and earn extra points by connecting them in boxes.  I've played it, but I'm not as addicted as the rest of my family is.  It encourages strategic planning to get your certain colored dots to line up and create a large box.  Even our daughter who is 8 likes to play it. 

Dots 

Best Movie

I saw this in the theater and I was transfixed throughout the whole movie.  

It angered me, shocked me, saddened me and ultimately, showed me that love can prevail.  

The actors were amazing and I bought the DVD (even though I haven't watched it yet) the day it came out. 

 I want to watch it again soon and hopefully get my husband to watch it with me.  

Les Miserables

Best Song

I'm just really loving Katy Perry right now and every time this song comes on the radio,

 I just have to turn it up.  I think we've all had our moments where we needed to 

ROAR and Katy Perry says just what we are thinking! 

Roar by Katy Perry

I hope you enjoyed my list of favorites from this year.  

If you have a favorite I should know about, let me know if the comments! 

Happy New Year! 

Review: Golden Records: The Magic Continues Celebrity Series, Vol 1

Do you remember Golden Records from when you were a child?  I sure do. Well known and much-loved children's stories were read to you on records and now they have been rerecorded to CD and read by celebrities we know and love today.

Golden Records was dreamed up by Grammy Award-winning music producer Arthur Shimkin in 1948. It was one of the most successful children's record labels in America.  Through richly orchestrated music and the use of A-list talent, Golden Records created a timeless, one of  kind sound, releasing beautiful songs and stories that entertained and educated children for decades.

Tony Shimkin, the son of the late Arthur Shimkin is now carrying on his father's legacy by releasing Celebrity Series:  The Magic Continues, Vol. 1.  This CD is packed with 20 classic songs and stories that combine the digitally restored original recordings of the 50's and 60's with the voices of today's biggest and brightest stars.  Check out the video below:



I was sent this CD for review and I was super excited.  This brought me back to my childhood.  I was a child born in the 70's, but my sisters were born in the 50's, so I am guessing we still had their records laying around for me to enjoy.  I had so many favorites as a child and I enjoyed listening to them all again as an adult.  The kids became interested in the stories and wondered what I was listening to.  It has been relaxing to listen to them in the background throughout the day. I really loved Alicia Silverstone's reading of Rapunzel and Constance Marie's reading of Hansel and Gretel.  I think I could listen to Ed Asner read stories to me all day long.  I plan to use the songs mixed throughout the CD at our monthly story time.  The kids will love to dance along to Yankee Doodle, Animal Fair, and Pop Goes the Weasel.

These CD's would make an excellent stocking stuffer or gift for any child on your list.  I know I will be giving them out as gifts this year.  The stories are timeless and will encourage a love of reading and storytelling in your children.  So, how can you get your copy?  Check them out on:

 iTUNES for $9.99
AMAZON for $9.99
WALMART for $9.00
SELECT-O-HITS for $9.99

To get your own free music download, go to their Facebook page HERE.  You can also follow them on Twitter HERE or Pinterest HERE.

Golden Records will be releasing more CD's in the next few weeks including....

Releasing September 18, 2012

Releasing October 2, 2012

Releasing October 16, 2012

I highly recommend these CD's and encourage you to get them for your family today.  They would be excellent to listen to during trips in the car, during supper time, while your child is getting ready for bed, or as you are having snack time.  The options are endless and with the additional CD's coming out, you will have a whole repertoire of stories to listen to.  

I was provided with a copy of the CD to listen to in order to give this review.  This review is my honest opinion.  I only review products that will benefit myself or my family.  I was not compensated in any other way for this review.