A girl who loves to read
The Red Balloon Bookshop is a super cool bookstore in St Paul. I would have a million books if that was my bookstore.
The whole first floor was kids books! The whole floor! I saw books by Aimee Bissonette, Jean Reagan, Chris Colfer and Mike Maihack.
There were signs on the wall that visiting authors had signed. That was cool!
I recommend you check it out if you are in Minneapolis/St Paul. They gave me great book recommendations!
Wow in the World is a new podcast by Guy Raz and Mindy Thomas. I know them from Kids Place Live and met both last summer! They are super funny in real life. I had to help Guy with his Penguin facts though.
The podcast has them sharing interesting facts in a way that kids will like. For instance, they had a picnic in a landfill. I bet they really weren’t but you have fun pretending they are.
Kids are really curious and this show helps them. I like to listen in the morning while eating breakfast. I wish there were more episodes already! I guess this also teaches patience.
I recommend this podcast to kids and parents a like! I give it an infinite number of stars!
Chloe’s Friendship Circle has a funny interview with Mindy and they talk about the show.
So this is not a book review but my mom introduced me to Mystery Science Theater 3000. I LOVE it! The movies are bad but you get to talk through them. It is so funny and silly.
This morning we were watching the wizard movie and they even had a song number. That was the coolest thing. The movie was so silly too.
Mom says there are tons of episodes to keep watching. She is enjoying spending Saturday mornings with us watching it and says she used to do the same with her brother and college roommates.
Do you watch MST3K?
Emily Arrow has a new cd coming out April 7th (you can still preorder). I got to listen to the sneak peek of the cd and I just kept listening. This cd will have the song Be A Friend based on Salina’s book!!
Emily’s music has helped me find lots of good books. I really like it when she turns a book into a song. It helps you look at the book differently.
I recommend her cds to teachers, librarians and parents! I am ordering a bunch for my cousins and friends!
Sorry this is later than usual, but I didn’t get to see this film till this afternoon. Hidden Figures is about women put people into space. There were three main characters who were African-Americans. The film show a lot about we used to treat African-Americans differently. They separate bathroom, a separate place on bus, a separate water fountain, a separate seat at court, a separate space in the library… so in general, they were treated unfairly.
These women were good at math and helped do the hard work it took to put men in space. They did math by hand and without a computer. They were the computers. They were important but hidden.
This is a true story. It was a good idea to see it on Martin Luther King JR weekend. He was even in the film!
I liked the movie. It may have been a little old for me. Mom had to explain a number of things for me.
I do think kids should see it. Older kids may get it without adult explanations. Kids like me may need some help.
I do want to learn more about the women in the film and the math they did. I think there are more hidden women in history.
Social media/website: http://www.EmilyArrow.com, twitter:helloemilyarrow
Tell me a little about you: I created a genre of music called KidLit Tunes, or songs about my favorite books written for kids! I have a ukulele named Bow and I perform all over the country and create videos and songs while I travel.
How did you start writing songs about books? I was an elementary music teacher and I wanted to start using books in my music classroom. I couldn’t find many musical resources online that went with the books so I decided to create my own!
How do you pick the books you write a song about? I pick the books based on a few things: the illustrations, the titles, and the way the book makes me feel. Sometimes I totally love a book but it’s not right for a storytime. Or sometimes I love the illustrations but the the title is too long for a song. I always know a right match for a song the first time I read it.
Do you have a favorite song you wrote? I love performing the BE A FRIEND Song inspired by the book by Salina Yoon. It’s so funny to watch audience members do “jazz hands!” with me!
Do you have a favorite kid author? One of my favorite authors is Peter H. Reynolds. He creates the most inspiring picture books and every time I read one, I feel brave and creative.
Do you have a recommendation for kids who want to write songs? I would recommend learning an instrument. Ukulele is a great place to start because it’s a bit simpler than guitar and is a fun instrument to write song with.
Is there a book you really want to write a song about? Tons!! I’m working on a song about the book PENGUIN PROBLEMS by Jory John right now and haven’t finished the verses yet. I have a huge list in a notebook of all of the books I want to write songs about. I add more songs every time I go to a bookstore and feel inspired!
