Quest for the Tree Kangaroo by Sy Montgomery

by Carol2 Comments
Quest for the Tree Kangaroo by Sy Montgomery, photographs by Nic Bishop (Suggested reading level: Ages 9-12) This is the third collaboration between Montgomery and Bishop that Amber and I have read. We're huge fans and this book was as great as we expected it to be. The book follows biologist Lisa Dabek and her team of scientists and local guides through the rugged, remote cloud forest of Papua New Guinea in search of the Matschie's tree kangaroo. This elusive, adorable creature is fascinating. The team first has to find and capture the kangaroos and then they can fit them with radio collars to learn more about them. It is certainly not an easy effort, but Dabek's love for the animals shines through, and conservation efforts of the local people are also highlighted. Bishop's photographs capture the expedition in brilliant detail. Stunning close-ups of plants, insects, and birds vie for attention with panoramas of moss-draped trees in the eerie, ancient forest. And the tree...
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Game Night – Stone Age

by Carol3 Comments
It can be hard to pick a new game every week to spotlight from the stacks in our basement and those our friends own. Today's, though, is an interesting one. We've only played it about three times, but it seems good. Stone Age Designer: Michael Tummelhofer Art by: Michael Menzel Manufacturer: Rio Grande Games Year: 2008 Players: 2 - 4 Time: 60-90 minutes Ages: 10 and up You're living during the Stone Age, struggling to survive and prosper. Each player has a tribe whose members are sent out to farm, gather food, make tools and collect resources. In that way it reminds me of other games. You send your guys out to do certain jobs, then, usually, a dice roll decides how well they did. Each round you need to feed your tribe, but you also want to collect resources to trade or build huts with. Players' tribes do not directly fight each other, although resources and the spaces available for each job can be scarce. So,...
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Over the Top Award

by Carol8 Comments
Freda from Freda's Voice awarded me this lovely award! Thank you very much!! Here are the rules: Answer the following questions using single word answers. Then pass the award to 5 other people and let them know. Your cell phone? On Your hair? Curly Your mother? Creepy Your father? Missed Your favorite food? Italian Your dream last night? None Your favorite drink? Cocoa Your dream/goal? Read What room are you in? Office Your hobby? Books Your fear? Ants Where do you want to be in 6 years? Beach Where were you last night? Home Something that you aren't? Hungry Muffins? Blueberry Wish list item? Socks Where did you grow up? Ohio Last thing you did? Lunch What are you wearing? Sweater Your TV? Off Your Pets? Mutt Friends? Loud Your life? Good Your mood? Happy Missing someone? No Vehicle? Saturn Something you're not wearing? Earrings Your favorite store? On-line Your favorite color? Purple When was the last time you laughed? Earlier Last time you cried? Book Your best friend? David One place that you go to over and over? Groceries Facebook? Nope Favorite place to eat? Out Single word answers are hard. Just so you know, I don't...
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The Handy Answer Book for Kids (and Parents) by Gina Misiroglu

by Carol5 Comments
The Handy Answer Book for Kids (and Parents) by Gina Misiroglu The title sums this book up. It answers a myriad of questions with brief, usually only one or two paragraph, clear responses, so while you may have to look elsewhere for more in-depth info, this gives you at least an answer to start with. It covers everything from outer space to math to animals. It answers questions like "What is a booger?" and "How does a cellular phone work?" The sheer variety of topics is amazing, really. "What is Euclid's elements?" I had no idea. "How thick is a lightning bolt?" I never even considered the question. It even explains why women in some countries wear veils. Of course, it can't cover everything. For example, I wanted to see what it said about Christmas - nothing. But I did find "Are angels real?" In many religions, angels are powerful spiritual beings who live with God but who sometimes become involved in the...
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Movie – Disney’s A Christmas Carol

by Carol8 Comments
Disney's A Christmas Carol I truly enjoyed this re-imagining of Dicken's classic story. We all know the basic plot. Scrooge is a bitter old man, with no joy or charity in his heart. He is visited by three "spirits," the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future, who convince him that he needs to change his ways. I read the story a couple of years ago, but from what I remember, the script stayed very close to the original, with some added flying and chase scenes to make full use of the 3D. The 3-D, by the way, was very well done. Sometimes I get tired of all the 3-D movies that have been coming out lately, but I thought it worked nicely in this case. This was the creepiest version of the story I've seen, but I mean that in a good way. The ghosts could be downright scary at times. I was thankful that we were seeing it in the middle...
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