December 2, 2015
The Travel Adventures of PJ Mouse
PJ Mouse, an adorable little stuffed animal, was lost and alone until young Emily heard his cries for help. Now, along with his new family, PJ gets to travel the world-discovering exciting new places and people along the way in PJ Mouse’s two books set in Canada and Queensland.
About the Travel Adventures of PJ Mouse in Canada
Come join PJ on his first adventure across Canada as he hikes on a glacier in the Rockies, finds a salt lake in the prairies, and walks on the ocean floor in Nova Scotia.
My Thoughts
In this first story, we meet the adorable PJ mouse and how he came about meeting his special human friend, Emily. They instantly form a special bond that is full of love, kindness and great humour! PJ joins Emily and her family as they travel across Canada, learning all about great sites including glaciers and a salt water lake. Poor little PJ always somehow happens to get into trouble! Canadians will love either reading this to their child or having their older child read it, not only is the story funny but they will learn a lot about Canada too! The illustrations are also the perfect touch to this story, sweet and simple!
Rating: 5/5
About The Travel Adventures of PJ Mouse in Queensland
Come join PJ on this, his second adventure, along the coast of Queensland, as he snorkels at the Great Barrier Reef, chats with a Loggerhead turtle in the midst of a great undertaking, and explores the tropical rainforest until he has to be rescued by one of the local friendly wildlife.
My Thoughts
In the second followup story, PJ finds himself with his family heading to Australia! He learns all about travel, airplanes and passport. I love the special friendship he has with Emily. She always takes such good care out of him as she straightens his stuffing, calms his fears and encourages him. I loved how PJ thought he would have to walk upside down since he was heading to the land down under! In this story, we not only have a good laugh but we also learn a lot about Australia. A win win for all parents alike!
Rating:5/5Â
You can purchase a copy of these books on the authors website, Amazon, Amazon.ca and Barnes & Noble.
About the Author
Gwyneth Jane Page (Jane), who holds an MBA from Simon Fraser University, has called many countries home. She grew up in such places as England, Peru, the USA, and the Caribbean, and has also lived in Australia and Canada. She now resides in Victoria, BC with her husband and four children. The PJ Mouse books are based on Jane’s family trips with the real stuffed animal, PJ, who was found by Emily, Jane’s youngest daughter.
Megan Elizabeth, Jane’s second oldest daughter, has lived in Canada and Australia and travelled extensively with her family and PJ. Having been artistic since she was a little girl, illustrating the PJ Mouse books has enabled her to combine her love of travel with her love of art. Megan completed her studies at VanArts and is now building her career as a professional photographer as well as an illustrator. She currently resides in Victoria, BC with her family.
The Giveaway!
Enter to win Book One set in Canada, PJ mouse stuffed toy and sticker passport! Open to residents of Canada and the US. Good luck!
Disclosure: I received a copy of these books in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
December 1, 2015
The Golden Braid By Melanie Dickerson
In the Golden Braid, the one who needs rescuing isn’t always the one in the tower.
About The Golden Braid
Rapunzel can throw a knife better than any man. She paints beautiful flowering vines on the walls of her plaster houses. She sings so sweetly she can coax even a beast to sleep. But there are two things she is afraid her mother might never allow her to do: learn to read and marry.
Fiercely devoted to Rapunzel, her mother is suspicious of every man who so much as looks at her daughter and warns her that no man can be trusted. After a young village farmer asks for Rapunzel’s hand in marriage, Mother decides to move them once again–this time, to the large city of Hagenheim.
The journey proves treacherous, and after being rescued by a knight–Sir Gerek–Rapunzel, in turn, rescues him farther down the road. As a result, Sir Gerek agrees to repay his debt to Rapunzel by teaching her to read. Could there be more to him than his arrogance and desire to marry for riches and position?
As Rapunzel acclimates to life in a new city, she uncovers a mystery that will forever change her life. In this Rapunzel story unlike any other, a world of secrets and treachery are about to be revealed after seventeen years. How will Rapunzel finally take control of her own destiny? And who will prove faithful to a lowly peasant girl with no one to turn to?
My Thoughts
A modern, mature twist on a childhood fairy tale that both young adults and adults alike will enjoy.
The beginning of the novel was slower but as we get about a third of the way through the novel, I could not put the book down! It was such an interesting perspective of the Rapunzel fairy tale. We have this strong, fierce young lady who can paint, sing and throw a knife as well as any other boy in her village. But she also defers to her mother’s demands and restrictions, which include never showing her hair (which we find out the reasoning behind this near the end of the story) and to never trust a man.
It was beautiful to watch Rapunzel’s story unfold in such a unique manner and to watch her grow into an independent young lady who embraces the unknown. Thrown in the romance with a knight who tries so hard to deny his feelings and you have a story you will not want to put down! I definitely know I couldn’t.
You can find more reviews on the Litfuse Blog Tour page. You can purchase a copy here.
Rating: 4.5/5
About the Author
Melanie Dickerson is the author of The Healer’s Apprentice, a Christy Award finalist and winner of the National Reader’s Choice Award for Best First Book. Melanie earned a bachelor’s degree in special education from the University of Alabama and has been a teacher and a missionary. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Huntsville, Alabama.
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
November 30, 2015
Kids Write 4 Kids Challenge
Children by nature are expressive and imaginative. They come up with the best stories and leave you craving for more. It is when we encourage our youth to keep up with their creativity, to continue to explore the world of reading and writing that this passion grows. We need to ignite the love of reading and writing at a young age so that they do not become discouraged later on in life.
This is the reason why the Ripple Foundation launched the Kids Write 4 Kids Creative challenge for children in grades four to eight, to inspire, encourage and foster a love of reading and writing. This will be the fourth year of the creative writing challenge and they are looking for Canadian youth to share their stories. The bonus: The winning story (or stories) will be published in digital and print! How exciting would that be? Who wouldn’t want to see their work in print!
Here is what they are looking for in the Kids Write 4 Kids Challenge:
- Canadian youth in grades four to eight, enrolled in a school in Canada.
- Story must be original and written by the author submitting the story.
- One entry per an author.
- Stories must be written in English.
- Stories can be fact, fiction, poetry – the choice is yours!
- Stories will be printed as they are submitted (so double-check that spelling and grammar)
Some of the past winning titles include; Escape from the Taco Shop, A Truly Gross Adventure and The Wish. You can see the complete list of winners here.
Head over to the Kids Write 4 Kids Creative challenge place to find more information on how to enter your little author’s story. Be sure to check out this interview to meet the authors.
November 30, 2015
Computer Science, Coding & Microsoft #CodeGeneration
Technology is evolving rapidly and you can clearly see this all around us. Items that may not have been on your radar ten to twenty years ago are common place now. The computer science sector has taken off but the skill sets needed are not there. It is projected that by 2019, the skills gap in the Canadian IT sector will be 182,000 jobs! (ICTC). That figure is astonishingly high especially when compared to the fact that one in four of Canadian youth are part of the working poor and youth unemployment is at an all time high.
So where does coding come in? It is clear that computer science and coding is the way of the future and by giving students the tools to compete in these jobs, they too can have a successful and rewarding career. Coding is a fun, exciting and unique experience that is easy to learn and something that our youth can get in to. I know for myself, I have fallen in love with the coding behind websites and watching it build up. Taking courses in coding has been an enriching experience for me over the last three months.
To encourage students to dive into the world of computer science, Microsoft is launching the #CodeGeneration campaign starting now and running through Computer Science week (December 7-13).
The campaign includes:
- Coding challenges on the #CodeGeneration website.
- Hour of code sessions at Microsoft stores across Canada.
As if that wasn’t awesome enough, Microsoft is partnering with Code.org to offer Minecraft coding tutorials! I am sure there are many of you with Minecraft fans in the house, so this would be perfect for them to check out and get started with.
Get ready to learn, explore and code with Microsoft from now until December 13. Looking forward to seeing what you ‘code’!
November 25, 2015
Beat the Holiday Shopping Madness with RBC Avion Holiday Boutique
I love the holiday season! The shopping, finding the perfect gift, the baking and all the added in family time. The draw back at this time of the year is that everyone is also in the mood to shop!. This results in long waits for parking spots at malls, long line ups in stores, nowhere to sit, long lines to pick up a drink and having to drag around your purchases and heavy jackets. This all works together to dampen the merry spirit you may have left your home in (especially if you have children in tow!).
RBC understands how this can ruin your holiday shopping expierence and came up with a pretty unique way to combat the holiday rush to benefit their Avion customers: The Avion Holiday Boutique at Yorkdale Shopping Centre!
The Avion Holiday Boutique experience starts with valet parking. Avion customers need to head to the South side of the mall and are directed to a drop off area. Avion Holiday Boutique staff are there to help you out of the car, take your keys and give you a slip that matches the slip they keep on your keys. They then park your car for you. There is no searching for a parking spot, no circling the parking lot, no long walks! Valet service was something I wasn’t sure I would even like but I was amazed at how much this simple service made our shopping trip! As a little tip, if you call the number on the slip of paper they give you fifteen minutes before you want to leave they can have your car ready for you on your way out! Or you can do what we did and just wait under the outdoor heaters and it only took an additional five minutes for them to bring our car around.
After you drop off your car, you can quickly head over to the Avion Holiday Boutique to drop off your jackets and if you are thirsty you can grab a drink at their cafe that is located in the centre of the boutique. The decor and music inside the Avion Holiday Boutique will have you in the mood to get your holiday shopping done! Christmas trees, holiday rewards, winter decorations and a musician playing on a piano compliments the boutique holiday experience.
The complete list of Avion Holiday Boutique services at Yorkdale Shopping Centre include:
- valet parking
- coat and parcel check
- VIP lounge (with WiFi) and cafe
- concierge services
- gift wrapping services
The overall Avion experience helped make our Saturday afternoon shopping an incredible experience. I never felt rushed, frustrated or wanted to leave early which usually happens when I feel overwhelmed while holiday shopping. I was relaxed and was able to focus on finding the perfect gift for my family members which at the end of the day is the most important part.
Additional Avion Holiday Experiences will also be open in Halifax at the Halifax Shopping Centre and in Ottawa at the St. Laurent Centre. An Avion Holiday Boutique will also be open in Burnaby, B.C. at the Metropolis.
Make sure to follow RBC on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with new information, special holiday information and more!
Disclosure: I am part of the RBC® Avion Holiday Boutique Influencer Campaign and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.