Hermione Granger’s Unofficial Life Lessons and Words of Wisdom: What
would Hermione (from the Harry Potter series) Say?
Written by Euphemia Pinkerton Noble
This is an interesting read for fans of the Harry Potter
series of all ages. The author presents questions written in a journal format.
Noble chooses situations that pop up in our everyday lives and then poses the
question of how Hermione would answer.
Hermione Granger is the smartest witch at Hogwarts. She is a
hard worker, who places a high value on loyalty, friendship and love. Hermione
often chooses the more difficult path because she knows it is the right, if not
easy, thing to do. At first, the boys ignore or resist her, but eventually come
to know she is the one who holds things together.
Noble urges her readers to first read through the book
quickly and make a few notes about the questions they find most relevant to
themselves. I particularly enjoyed the section on facing challenges and chasing
dreams in which so many middle-grade and teen readers will find much to think
about. The last section on believing in yourself probably sums up Hermione’s
philosophy on life best.
This book could become an asset for preteens and teens who are struggling to develop their own views. Parents, grandparents, and teachers might find this book a good way to open family discussions.
If you enjoyed reading this post, please subscribe by clicking on the word Follow or by hitting the orange RSS FEED button in the upper right-hand corner of this page.
I gave this book the title, A Split Decision because I am of two minds about the book. The book is wonderful for children who are receptive to communicating with the spirit world like the author who is a clairvoyant. The little girl sees her deceased grandmother at the foot of her bed when she goes to bed at night. Her grandmother tells her not to be afraid and that she is there to help. Grandma tells her that seeing her is a special gift.
For children who are receptive to the idea of a spirit world, this is an excellent approach to the subject. The illustrations are drawn as if the little girl were drawing the story from her point of view. On the other hand, some children will find the concept of deceased relatives appearing to them frightening and threatening.
I would give this book five stars for parents and teachers who would use it appropriately with children who are receptive toward the idea of communicating with the spirit world. Those who do not read the book’s summary or reviews may be in for a surprise when they read it to a child. I would recommend it to be used with children ages seven and older.
If you enjoyed reading this post, please subscribe by clicking on the word Follow or by hitting the orange RSS FEED button in the upper right-hand corner of this page/
P.I.N.K. stands for persistence, intelligence, necessary and kind. The author writes this book as a guide for parents to help daughters become aware of and respond to gender equality bias. She provides suggestions as to how to approach the topic. Parents will need to modify these suggestions depending on the age and individual personality of their child.
Topics discussed include how to navigate online, how to discover appropriate STEM models, how to minimize stress and become successful in science projects, how to create a STEM friendly environment for your daughter at home, how to develop and sustain interest in STEM during the tween and teen years, how to make your daughter comfortable in social settings that empower girls, and how to create a gender bias-free environment in your own household.
This book could become a valuable resource for parents who want to encourage positive self-image and self-confidence in their daughters to succeed in any type of role or career situation.
If you enjoyed reading this post, please subscribe by clicking on the word Follow or by hitting the orange RSS FEED button in the upper right-hand corner of this page.
I would heartily recommend this book for parents and educators who are interested in navigating the tricky world of special education. For parents who suspect that something is just not right, this book provides an introduction to the types of disabilities and treatments available. Teachers who have not been trained in the field of special education need a basic understanding of the problems and resources available to treat them.
This book is divided into three sections. The first part explores the endless jargon employed in the educational testing, developing the plan, and implementing the Individual Educational Plan that each diagnosed child is entitled to have. This is a very scary and confusing process for parents. In the second section, the author explains who are the members of the team, how long the process takes, and how a parent can successfully advocate for their child. The third section is an alphabetical listing of the most common disabilities found in children, accommodations available within the school, reference links to resources, and how to reinforce what is taught in the school setting right in the home.
The world of special education is often written in legal language fraught with difficulty to understand. The way an IEP is developed and implemented varies greatly from state to state and school district. This book gives parents and teachers a good introduction and provides a readable reference source. As an educator with forty years of experience in general and special education, I would highly recommend this handbook to those about to become familiar with the special education world.
If you enjoyed reading this post, please subscribe by clicking on the word Follow or by hitting the orange RSS FEED button in the upper right-hand corner of this page.
This book relates the story of Wesley and Rory, two twin boys who were more different than alike. Wesley is curious and impetuous, while his twin Rory is cautious and unassuming. Set in the 1950s, the tale begins when the boys are five years old and residents of an orphanage. Up to this point, they had spent a good deal of time in and out of foster homes. When Mr. and Mrs. Barnes show up at the orphanage and appear interested in the boys, they are not overly optimistic about a permanent placement.
To their surprise, the Barnes couple and their other adopted daughter introduce the boys to a relatively stable environment, although Mrs. Barnes is a strict disciplinarian who puts up with no-nonsense. The first part of the book speaks of their early years, adjustment to middle-class suburbia, and relationship to their peers.
A dramatic event sets the scene for Part Two. A four-year-old boy is kidnapped and murdered. Wesley is obsessed with this case and the suspected murderer, who is a fifteen-year-old girl. Wesley is haunted by her and feels that he knows her. She is the missing link to finding out his identity and family roots. He becomes a self-appointed detective and partners with a newspaper journalist to solve the mystery.
Evans develops his characters well. The reader identifies and empathizes with them. Read this compelling tale to piece together the clues. Recommended for readers ages twelve and older.
If you enjoyed reading this post, please subscribe by clicking on the word Follow or by hitting the orange RSS FEED button in the upper right-hand corner of this page.
Etty lives in the town of Brightwater, a seaside town that
is rumored to be inhabited by witches. Etty lives with her human father and her
mother who is a vampire hunter. Every day Etty must endure training sessions in
a secret room that is hidden away in the basement of her house. Etty has one
friend, a classmate named April Showers. They have not spent much time together
lately as Etty has spent the summer at a vampire hunting training camp.
When Etty and April return to school in September, things
become awkward. A new boy named Vladimir Dox has all the markings of a vampire,
dark glasses, red lips, pale skin, and strange behavior. April befriends Vladimir;
Etty is skeptical. Then two people are murdered, and April reveals her
grandmother has given her a ring for protection. Etty discovers that April
comes from a family of witches who don’t want vampire hunters interfering with
their work.
When a schoolmate and Etty’s mom disappear, April and Etty decide to take Vladimir with them to investigate. What will happen to this strange alliance? Is Etty’s mom in danger? Will they solve the murder mystery and discover who is the vampire lurking around the town? What will happen to the friendship between April and Etty?
If you enjoyed reading this post, please subscribe by clicking on the word Follow or by hitting the orange RSS FEED button in the upper right-hand corner of this page.
Publisher’s Synopsis: Wes Rockville, a disgraced law-enforcement agent, gets one last chance to prove himself and save his career when he’s reassigned to a 232-year-old secret government organization.
The Witches Protection Program.
His first assignment: uncover a billion-dollar cosmetics company’s diabolical plan to use witchcraft for global domination, while protecting its heiress Morgan Pendragon from her aunt’s evil deeds. Reluctantly paired with veteran witch protector, Alastair Verne, Wes must learn to believe in witches…and believe in himself.
Filled with adventure and suspense, Michael Okon creates a rousing, tongue-in-cheek alternate reality where witches cast spells and wreak havoc in modern-day New York City.
Wes Rockville is berated by his father, Harris, who is the
head of an elite detective division. Wes and his team have just lost a prisoner
and Harris is furious about his son’s failure. Wes receives a new assignment,
which is to be his last chance. He is disappointed but not surprised. After
all, Wes is constantly compared to his successful siblings.
Wes takes the subway to the Dumbo neighborhood in Brooklyn,
where he will enter a world he could never imagine. He walks into a room full
of high-tech equipment and is shown a film about witches. Wes discovers that
twenty-first-century witches are real and that he has been assigned to the
Witches Protection Program. He enters a fast-moving world of good witches,
Davinas, and bad witches, Willas.
Wes will experience an adventure he could never conceive of. The plot involves an international conspiracy, a bit of romance, steampunk and a crime novel rolled into one. Characters are fanciful but believable and compelling. Readers are gripped as the story evolves with many twists and turns along the way. Recommended for young adult and adult readers who enjoy crime novels, fantasy, adventure, science fiction and romance.
Enter For A Chance To Win An Autographed Copy Of Witches Protection Program And A $100 Amazon Gift Card!
One (1) grand prize winner receives:
A copy of Witches Protection Program autographed by Michael Okon
A $100 Amazon gift card
Three (3) winners receive:
A copy of Witches Protection Program autographed by Michael Okon
Giveaway begins July 8, 2019, at 12:01 A.M. MT and ends August 8, 2019, at 11:59 P.M. MT.
Open to legal residents of Canada, Great Britain, Australia, and the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, who are eighteen years of age or older in their state or territory of residence at the time of entry. Void where prohibited by law. Michael Okon is responsible for prize fulfillment.
Kaley Jergins is a spirited fourth-grader who loves playing basketball. While she enjoys practicing with her teammates, Kaley especially enjoys playing with her father, Kyle. Kyle played basketball in college and received a championship ring after participating in The Final Four matches several times.
One-night Kaley’s placid world is turned upside down when her father suffers a heart attack. After his death, she and her mother withdraw. Kaley gives up basketball because the memories of her father pain her too much. One day her former teammate, Drea begs her to attend a game, which Kaley reluctantly agrees to do after much cajoling. A surprise event propels Kaley from her lethargy and convinces her to move on with her life.
This short story is a good way to discuss the topic of death and dying in families who have experienced or who are about to experience a loss. Teachers might also use the book as a read-aloud for class discussion. The author writes an afterword in which she offers suggestions to young readers for coping with the loss of a family member. Recommended for middle-grade and young adult readers.
If you enjoyed reading this post, please subscribe by clicking on the word Follow or by hitting the orange RSS FEED button in the upper right-hand corner of this page.
I recently had the opportunity to present Little Miss HISTORY in animation. Thanks to Silas Merlin, who created the avatar, the character has come to life.
Little Miss HISTORY insists, “If you don’t know your history, you don’t know what you’re talking about.” On the day of our birth, we become a character in history because each of us has an opportunity to create our story and place our mark on history.
As we stand here in the twenty-first century, technology allows us to immerse ourselves in history. In 2003, Linden Lab launched a program called Second Life. Its users, who are called residents, use this technology to create virtual representations of themselves. These avatars can explore the virtual world, socialize and participate with other residents in a group or individual activities. Second Life has its own virtual currency that allows residents to create, shop, and trade virtual property with one another.
In 2014, Linden Lab announced a plan to develop a new virtual world. Content creators began working on the program named Project Sansar. The platform was released in “creator beta” to the public in July 2017. Users create 3D spaces where people can create and share social experiences such as watching videos, playing games, and having conversations. Participants are represented by avatars they create. These avatars contain speech-driven facial animations and motion driven body animations.
Sansar supports virtual reality headsets but can also be accessed with Windows computers. The program is free to use, but like Second LifeSansar has its own economy. Users can buy and sell their virtual creations with the Sansar dollar.
HOW DID LITTLE MISS HISTORY GET INVOLVED IN VIRTUAL REALITY? A few months ago, I was approached by Bernhard Drax to appear on his Book Club Radio podcast. When I heard that Little Miss HISTORY would have an opportunity to appear in virtual reality, I jumped at the opportunity.
Via “draxtor”..and media for all! Drax and his team now offer audio-visual storytelling for many media platforms. Bernhard Drax studied audio engineering at the University of California at Los Angeles and music at the Hochschule fur Musik and Theater Munchen. He is an expert in user-created content in Virtual Reality. His award-winning mixed reality documentary series “The Drax Files: World Makers” is just one of his many video series featured on youtube. https://www.youtube.com/user/draxtordespres
I invite you to join us in a discussion about books, education, and history, past, present, and future!
Check out Little Miss HISTORY’s journey into virtual reality!
If you would like to read the entire interview on the podcast, please go here:
This book is a travel diary written by John Muir, in the summer of 1869. After the Civil War when John Muir returned from Canada, he secured a position with Carlo, a shepherd who was moving a herd of 2500 sheep up to the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Muir, who loved nature and the Yosemite region, jumped at the chance to join the group as a naturalist. He would document the journey, the wildlife, and the scenery along the way.
Readers read Muir’s recollections which are sometimes verbatim details, but also feel the emotion in his voice as he describes the grandeur and majesty of his surroundings. Muir’s love and appreciation of life forms in their natural surroundings come through as he excitedly reports his discoveries. This edition includes maps, drawings, and sketches. For those who appreciate the beauty of the planet, but cannot trek 9,000 feet up into the Sierras, one learns to appreciate the wildlife, the majesty of the sequoias, and the beauty of its pristine waters. Recommended for nature and travel lovers.
If you enjoyed reading this review, please subscribe by clicking on the word Follow or by hitting the orange RSS FEED button in the upper right-hand corner of this page.
September 15, 2019
bamauthor
Comments Off on WHAT TO DO?
Barbara Ann Mojica's BLOG 
You must be logged in to post a comment.