Review: You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?! by Jonah Winter

Children's book on Sandy Koufax
is a grand slam read
for baseball fans of ALL ages!

"You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?" is a picture book biography about the greatest left-handed pitcher of all time. This book takes you through Koufax's early life and his years with the Dodgers (the good and bad years), eventually moving onto his peak years and early retirement.

"You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?" delivers a good overview of Koufax’s incredible story. It is chock-full of baseball statistics, which are all nicely placed along the sides of the book. Andre Carrilho's art was perfect. Though simple in design and color scheme, it leaves an impact. I think the reflective cover is cool and very eye-catching. "You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?" is perfect for parents and grandparents to share with their young baseball fans.

Please Note: Due to all the statistics, children 4-8 (which the book is geared towards) would benefit from the book being read to them.

Big Announcement Concerning The Hunger Games Movie!

Studio Acquires Worldwide Distribution Rights To Color Force’s Film Version Of Suzanne Collins’ Best Selling Futuristic Young Adult Novel.


Find out which studio here.

Review: Seventeen Presents 500 Style Tips: What to Wear for School, Weekend, Parties & More!

Let Seventeen take the stress out of STYLE!

• Do you find yourself stressing out over what to wear?
• Do you spend hours in your closet looking for the perfect outfit?
• Are you always looking for style tips?

If you answered yes to any of these questions than I have the book for you!

Brought to you by the magazine that you trust for all your fashion needs, Seventeen Presents 500 Style Tips has tips for an occasion. Whether its for school, parties, dates, work, the weekend or the pool, these tips are sure to make your wardrobe a hit!

Review: Dope Sick by Walter Dean Myers

Do you believe in second chances?

Lil J has hit hard times, he can’t relax and his money is low. When his friend Rico finds a way to make some quick cash, he goes along to make the deal. This deal was suppose to be easy but when the buyer turns out to be an undercover cop, everything goes wrong. He would do anything to change what happened and when he stumbles into an abandoned crack house, that might be possible.

This book was interesting, intriguing and nothing short of magical. I love the fact that you are just as puzzled by what is taking place as Lil J. The story flows perfectly. With every flashback comes another piece to the puzzle of Lil J’s life. The book does feature elements of drug use, violence and most of the story takes place in an abandoned crack house but with that lies a story showcasing the power of second chances. After reading this book, you will begin to ask yourself the question asked throughout the story, “If you could change one thing, what would it be?”

Reading Rocket Bookmobile!

Definitely the coolest ride!

The Denver Public Library’s (DPL) new Reading Rocket bookmobile will hit the road today, making its first stop at Schmitt Elementary in the Ruby Hill neighborhood. It is the first of two new bookmobiles that will serve 28 Denver Public Schools (DPS) and 15 community centers. A second Reading Rocket is scheduled to arrive in April 2009. The Reading Rockets will replace DPL’s current bookmobile, which has been in service since 1997.

Each one of the bio-diesel powered vehicles is handicap-accessible. Both bookmobiles feature two computer stations and can hold up to 3,000 books, CDs and DVDs. Combined they will reach approximately 9,000 students and Denver residents. The bookmobiles will be hard to miss, with colorful, space-themed artwork designed to capture the imagination of children.

The Reading Rockets were designed to make reading fun and inspire a love of reading. “The Reading Rocket bookmobiles will reinforce DPS’ literacy programs in a modern and creative way,” said Tom Boasberg, superintendent of Denver Public Schools. “We believe the Reading Rockets will help encourage our students to become avid readers and life-long learners.”

So everyone in Denver should be on the lookout for it!

It would be really cool if other places had a bookmobile too. There is a great need for more encouragement to read. Hey that sounds like a slogan! :)

Review: Play Me by Laura Ruby

It's always easy to be the heartbreaker, never easy to have your heartbroken!

Eddy Rochester is a movie fanatic and a wannabe famous filmmaker. When his hit online TV show "Riot Grrl 16" is in an MTV contest to be on a reality show called The Producers. Eddy and his team has a lot of work to do. "Riot Grrl 16" is about him and all the girls that love him. All the girls except Lucinda Dulko, who isn't as easily charmed by Eddy. With Lucinda being so unattainable and independent, Eddy couldn't be more attracted. Play Me takes you through the stress of Riot Grrl 16, his relationship with his actress mother, and his countless female friends.

Play Me is very realistic. You quickly become engrossed in the story because of it's believability. You get a great understanding of Eddy and his friends. I love Eddy's sarcasm and how he and his friends talk about movies. You really feel like your in the conversation. Laura Ruby writes from a male perspective just as well as she writes from a female perspective. Eddy is the perfect male protagonist. Play Me has a great plot and great characters. It is a book that you will instantly become connected with and will be entertained to the very end!

Review: Girls Against Girls: Why We Are Mean to Each Other and How We Can Change by Bonnie Burton

Stop the fight and UNITE!

Have you ever wondered why girls are so mean and cruel to each other? Why girls ignore, taunt, tease and even threaten other girls? Well, Girls Against Girls asks those very questions and most importantly gets answers.

Girls Against Girls is a guide that shows why girls treat each other the way they do and how girls can change. The book explores real scientific theories about why girls are cruel to each other, steps to take when things get out of hand and advice on how to unite and empower each other.

The book is broke into 6 effective chapters. The topics in the 6 chapters are tackled through movie quotes, various informative facts and amazing advice.

Along with advice from Bonnie Burton, you get advice and stories from female rock stars, artists and writers. Some featured are Jenny Conlee (member of the indie band The Decemberists), Jane Wiedlin (founding member of The Go-Go’s), Anastasia Goodstein (author of Totally Wired: What Teens and Tweens are Really Doing Online) and many more. Along with giving advice and stories, best-selling author and Seventeen Magazine advice columnist Jessica Weiner provides the books forward.

I really feel everyone should read this book. In reading it, you can understand and analyze the different behaviors around you and your own behaviors. Once your done analyzing, you can begin to understand the reasons for people’s behaviors and realize how important it is to change your behaviors.

This insightful book is packed with a lot of information. It’s great graphics, interesting stories and the books teen-appealing writing style makes Girls Against Girls a quick read.

So in closing, I will leave you with a quote from the book said by Jessica Weiner “We have to look at each other as allies, not enemies, and rise above the media’s messaging to us that says we have to hate other girls and women. What we need in this world right now is more unity and less cattiness. The only way we can change this is if we, each in our own way, begin to look at this issue and take action!”

So what are you waiting for - take action!

Giveaway Time Again!

Do you watch USA Network's Burn Notice?

If you do, this is the giveaway for you!

In celebration of Season 2, I am having a "Burn Notice Prize Pack Giveaway"!

For details and to enter, check out my other blog here!

Good Luck!

Book Review: Detective Jermain Vol. 1 by Misako Rocks!

Move over Nancy Drew, there is a new detective in town!

Jermain is a sixteen-year-old senior in High School. She is also the daughter of famous detective parents. When she notices students in her school acting strange, she quickly jumps into detective mode to solve the case. With the help of her two friends, Andy, the sweet and smart boy next door and Travis, the cool and popular boy next door. Detective Jermain will not rest until this mystery is solved.

Detective Jermain is a fun graphic novel. You get the mystery/suspense and an unexpected love triangle. The art is amazing. I even found myself trying to draw the characters. I love Misako Rocks! layout of the panels. Unlike with some graphic novels, I never had a hard time finding out which came next.

As the story moves along, they gather clues and meet possible suspects. While this is happening, you are trying to guess who the culprit is.
NOTE: You will be guessing all the way to the end and more than likely you won’t be right.

Detective Jermain is a quick cool read that has a great reveal at the end. The story leaves you wanting more. There is a Vol. 2 in the works so I can’t wait to join Detective Jermain on the next adventure.