by Stone Marshall | Dec 6, 2014 | parent-news |
MILPITAS (KPIX 5) — A seven-year old Bay Area girl got a big publishing company to change some of their books.
Parker Dains was in the children’s section at the Milpitas Public Library where she found a book that started her on a journey.
“I picked it up and read the title – ‘Biggest Baddest Book of Bugs’,” she said.
The book was part of a series covering pirates, monsters, bugs and beasts. But, that wasn’t the problem.
“When I saw the back cover, it said biggest baddest books for BOYS, and it made me very unhappy. Girls can like bugs too,” Parker said.
So, Parker told her dad they needed to do something, and she wrote a letter straight to the publisher.
Less than a month later, Abdo publishing wrote back to Parker.
“They took my advice very well and in the letter I saw is true, they’re not even lying,” Parker said.
Parker’s dad is very proud of her daughter’s passion.
“When she decides what it is she wants to do as far as a career, she is going to take it and she’s going to run with it, and no one is going to slow her down,” father Michael Dains said.
Parker says she wants to be a writer when she grows up, among many other things.
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by Stone Marshall | Dec 5, 2014 | parent-news |
The Holiday Family Adoption Program, a Spencer-area holiday staple, allows generous area families, businesses and service groups to share in the holiday spirit and bounty.
It’s easy to “adopt” a family. You can contact The Daily Reporter Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at 262-6610 and let us know the number of the family you wish to “adopt.”
Then the fun begins.
You can shop for items on the wish list, wrap them up and drop them off at one of two drop-off days; Saturday, Dec. 6 or Saturday, Dec. 13, from 8:30 a.m. until noon on both days. The collection location will be at the Depot Building on the Clay County Fairgrounds.
Then, on Sunday, Dec. 14, the Spencer Volunteer Firemen, Spencer Rotary volunteers and area UPS employees will deliver the gifts to families.
It is not necessary to purchase everything on the lists. These are “wish lists.” However, all items donated need to be clean and in excellent condition, if not new. Wrapping the gifts is also appreciated.
Donations of food and cash are also welcome. All food donations will be split among the families, and cash donations are used to purchase gifts for families who may not be “adopted.” Cash contributions may be sent to the Holiday Family Adoption Program, in care of The Daily Reporter, PO Box 197, Spencer, Iowa 51301.
Food donations may include canned or boxed food items, paper goods, cleaning supplies or other non-perishable supplies.
This year the need is great, and success lies in the generous support of the people of Spencer and the surrounding communities.
Below is the list available for adoption. Call the Daily Reporter to select a family to adopt.
Family 57
Female, age 16: Size XL shirts, size 10 socks, games, books — Nicolas Sparks and Lorraine McDaniels, full size sheets (zebra).
Female, age 13: Size 2XL shirts, size 9-10 socks, games, puzzles, full size sheets, books — “Bridget Jones” and “Magic Treehouse” series.
Female, adult: Size 2XL sweater, cutting board, earth tone pillows.
Family 61
Female, age 15: Adult size S shirts, junior size 3 jeans, size 6-7 socks, likes makeup, jewelry, Christian music.
Male, age 13: Youth size XL shirts, size 12 slim jeans, socks size 5-6, likes trucks, racing, camo.
Female, age 11: Adult size S shirts, junior size 3 jeans, socks size 6-7, likes books and drawing.
Female, age 35: Size 2XL sweatshirts, sweatpants, size 22 jeans.
Male, age 37: Size L shirts, sweatshirts, size 31×30 jeans, socks 8-10.
Family 69
Male, age 48: Size 32×34 jeans, size L T-shirts.
Female, age 46: Size 14 jeans, size L T-shirts.
Male, age 16: Size 44×30 jeans, size XL T-shirts, sweatpants, books.
Female, age 14: Size 12-13 jeans, art supplies, paper, colored pencils.
Female, age 9: Girls size 12 or 16 jeans and shirts, knitting machine/yarn, markers, colored pencils, coloring books, Barbies/clothes.
Family 73
Male, age 13: Mens size XL hoodies, long sleeve shirts, size 38×32 jeans, socks, likes Legos, video games, fishing, outdoor activities and archery.
Female, age 39: Size 8.5 snow boots, socks, size XL long sleeve shirts, size 16 regular jeans, likes to read, crochet, crafts, baking, cooking, and coffee. Any household and toiletry items.
Family 77
Male, age 11: Mens elastic waist or 42×30 pants, Mens size XXL shirts, size 10.5 shoes, likes Legos, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, “Minecraft,” books.
Male, age 13: Mens elastic waist or 38×32 pants, Mens size XL shirts, size 11.5 shoes, “Minecraft,” sports things, books.
Female, age 9: Womens size L shirts, size 9-10 jeans or elastic waist pants, likes Monster High, art, music, books, coloring.
Family 80
Male, age 36: Size 4XL or 5XL winter coat, sweatpants, shirts, gloves.
Female, age 37: Size 2XL long sleeve shirts, size 20P jeans.
Male, age 16: Size 2XL shirts, size 38×32 jeans, books, games.
Female, age 15: Women size M shirts, size 7 jeans, size 8.5 winter boots.
Male, age 9: Boys size 10-12 shirts, jeans, size 5 winter boots, hat, gloves, trucks.
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by Stone Marshall | Dec 5, 2014 | Minecraft News |
Yes, Minecraft players can now download Star Wars classic skin packs which will only launch for Xbox One and Xbox 360.
If you are a Minecraft player as well as Star Wars fan, then you will have real fun placing blocks while building anything you can imagine. It’s up to you if want to take Minecraft’s unending adventures in the character of Luke Skywalker or the ruthless figure of Darth Vader.
According to EuroGamer, the latest skin pack contains 55 skins featuring the characters in the original trilogy, including the furred biped Ewok and short rodent-like Jawa. PlayStation fans might get a little upset because the deal is only between Disney and Microsoft for now. And it’s not the last X-box exclusive Star Wars-theme because Microsoft is promising gamers some major updates stating that fans can “look forward to even more downloadable Star Wars content releasing in the future.” Players can expect the addition of “ridable horses, along with enemies such as bats, witches and the Wither, plus new items such as beacons, hoppers, haybales and fireworks.” Microsoft just bought Mojang and Minecraft last September in an incredible $2.5 billion.
Other characters included in the Star Wars Classic Skin Pack DLC are Leia, Han, Chewbacca, Tusken Raider, Stormtrooper, C-3PO, Blockade Runner Soldier, Ben Kenobi, Greedo, Governor Tarkin, Boba Fett, Bossk, Dengar, Yoda, Rancor, Rancor Keoer, Oola, Zuckuss, R2-D2, Scout Trooper, etc. Which character do you like best? Still you can choose to recreate your top Death Star moments, Endor and Hoth moments, if you are in the mood.
According to Inquisitr, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia dominate the exclusive skin pack with seven different gears for each of them. Han Solo has three outfits. The new skins are now available in Xbox Store for $2.99 and you can find the complete list of your adored characters of Star Wars in there. When the new trilogy arrives in December 2015, another marketing opportunity may come along the way. Microsoft and Disney probably saw the perfect timing.
Meanwhile, wind of reports say that the first teaser trailer of the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be released Friday in the U.S. theatres. The film officially opens December 18, 2015.
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by Stone Marshall | Dec 4, 2014 | parent-news |
More than a dozen authors had something special to be extra thankful for over the Thanksgiving weekend: President Obama bought their books at Politics and Prose Bookstore in Washington during a shopping trip on Saturday.
The Associated Press reports that Obama and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, purchased 17 books, including “Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth and Faith in the New China,” by Evan Osnos; “Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End,” by Atul Gawande; and “All the Light We Cannot See,” a historical novel by Anthony Doerr.
This was the second year in a row that Obama has come to Politics and Prose on what’s dubbed “Small Business Saturday.”
Virginia thriller writer David Baldacci and Washington scholar Azar Nafisi were also at Politics and Prose over the weekend — but not in their usual role as guest speakers. Along with several other well-known writers, they were working in the store as celebrity clerks — part of the Indies First program sponsored by the American Booksellers Association. Not surprisingly, their books were among the hottest sellers at the store this weekend:
• “All the Light We Cannot See,” by Anthony Doerr (Washington Post notable fiction of 2014).
• “The Narrow Road to the Deep North,” by Richard Flanagan (Washington Post top 10 book of 2014).
• “Being Mortal,” by Atul Gawande (Washington Post top 10 book of 2014)
• “The Escape,” by David Baldacci.
• “Empire of Sin,” by Gary Krist (Washington Post top 10 book of 2014).
• “The Stranger,” by Chuck Todd.
• “Let Me Be Frank With You,” by Richard Ford.
• “The Georgetown Set,” by Gregg Herken.
• “The Republic of Imagination,” by Azar Nafisi.
No matter what political struggles Obama may be enduring this season, the reader in chief is clearly in sync with the capital’s literary tastes. Doerr’s novel set during WWII and Gawande’s book about end-of-life medical care are on a winning streak across Washington. Kramerbooks in Dupont Circle reports that “All the Light We Cannot See” and “Being Mortal” were the bestselling fiction and nonfiction titles there, too. Other strong sellers at Kramer’s this weekend included “Redeployment,” a debut collection of stories by Iraq war veteran Phil Klay, which won a National Book Award last month, and “Suspended Sentences,” by recent Nobel Laureate Patrick Modiano. (Look for Michael Dirda’s review of three novellas by Modiano this Thursday.) Amy Poehler’s comic memoir, “Yes Please,” and Roxane Gay’s new collection of essays, “Bad Feminist,” sold briskly, also.
The managers of One More Page Books in Arlington sent this delightfully eclectic list of bestsellers in their store over the weekend:
• “Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Little Golden Book,” by Diane Muldrow.
• “Lila,” by Marilynne Robinson (Washington Post notable fiction of 2014).
• “Unbroken: An Olympian’s Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive,” by Laura Hillenbrand (the YA adaptation).
• “Diary of a Wimpy Kid #9: The Long Haul,” by Jeff Kinney.
• “Gone Girl,” by Gillian Flynn.
• “All the Light We Cannot See,” by Anthony Doerr.
• “Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption,” the original adult version by Laura Hillenbrand.
• “Tabula Rasa,” by Kristen Lippert-Martin, a YA author who will be at the store for a panel discussion on Thursday.
• “Slip of the Keyboard: Collected Nonfiction,” by Terry Pratchett.
• “Minecraft: Combat Handbook.” One More Page owner Eileen McGervey says, “All Minecraft books have been selling like crazy this fall.”
At Washington’s new indie Upshur Street Books, the top-selling titles this weekend were:
• “Yes Please,” by Amy Poehler.
• “Bleeding Edge,” by Thomas Pynchon.
• “Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage,” by Haruki Murakami.
• And, of course, “All the Light We Cannot See,” by Anthony Doerr, who is having a very happy holiday indeed.
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