App Review: Toca Birthday Party

App Name: Toca Birthday Party
Developer: Toca Boca
Cost: $3.99
Available on iOS
Recommended for Preschool - Grade 2

Birthdays are a big event in a child’s life and many kids will enjoy playing birthday party over and over again. In this app, kids will choose a birthday party theme, set the table, serve the cake, and open presents. Kids may enjoy playing on their own, throwing a birthday party for themselves or a favorite stuffed animal. There are 3 place settings at each birthday table, so there is an opportunity for extended play with friends of caretakers. There is no competition or ways to win at this app – it’s all about playing and having fun.

All of the apps from this award winning studio come with a “grown ups” section with notes about the creation of the app and ways to use the app to engage with children. 

EVERYONE BRAVE IS FORGIVEN

In February, we will be reading Everyone Brave Is Forgiven by Chris Cleave for our book club meeting.  This novel is set in London and on the island of Malta during World War II.  The story follows the lives of Mary North, Tom Shaw, and Alistair Heath as they interact with one another and live through the horrors of war.

Chris Cleave is the author of five novels:

Everyone Brave Is Forgiven
Little Bee 
The Other Hand
Incendiary
Gold

If you enjoyed Everyone Brave Is Forgiven, you may also like one of the works listed below.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
Bridge of Scarlet Leaves by Kristina McMorris
The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer
The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck
The Race for Paris by Meg Waite Clayton
The Baker's Secret by Stephen P. Kiernan

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App Review: Boynton Moo Media

App Name: Boynton Moo Media
Developer: Loud Crow Interactive
Cost: $2.99 per book
Available on iOS, Amazon, Google Play, and Nook
Recommended for Toddlers and Up

Five of Boynton’s board books (The Going to Bed Book; Moo, Baa, La La La!; Blue Hat, Green Hat; Barnyard Dance; and But Not the Hippopotamus) have been adapted into book apps. The text remains unchanged, but children will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite characters by singing along in Barnyard Dance, dressing the elephant and moose in Blue Hat, Green Hat, and more. The interactive elements extend the stories and allow children and caregivers to play, sing, and read together.

App Review: Duck Duck Moose Nursery Rhymes

App Name: Nursery Rhymes
Developer: Duck Duck Moose
Cost: Free
Available on iOS
Recommended for Toddlers and Preschoolers

There are 6 apps in this series by Duck Duck Moose: Wheels on the Bus, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Old MacDonald, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Peek-a-Zoo, and Musical Me!

These apps appear simple, but are filled with many interactive storytelling and play elements resulting in rich learning experiences and opportunities for repeated play.  In partnership with Khan Academy, Duck Duck Moose aims to provide free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. As a part of this mission, all of their apps are available for free.

The nursery rhyme apps act almost as interactive books based on these classic rhymes. Nursery rhymes are great for young children because they are very rich in vocabulary and are often meant to be sung. Singing slows down language and helps young children to learn differentiate sounds and build their phonological awareness that will help them later when they learn to read.

TALES OF FRIENDSHIP

This week's blog post centers on friendship.  Friendship is a relationship between people that is stronger than an association.  You feel a sense of companionship toward someone you consider a friend, and you care about what they have going on in their lives.  The titles below are about close friendships as well as friendships that didn't work out.

Friendship Cake by Lynne Hinton tells the story of five women from North Carolina.  These five different women come together to create a church cookbook and quickly become more than acquaintances for one another.  This is a story of interpersonal connections and friendship that nourishes the soul.

Friendship Bread by Darien Gee: An anonymous gift of Amish Friendship Bread arrives for Julia and her daughter.  It comes with a note that includes the instructions on how to make the bread and a request to share the bread with others.  Julia is dealing with a personal tragedy and isn't initially interested in the bread, but to make her daughter happy, she agrees to bake some bread herself.  The bread acts as a catalyst for the rest of the story.

Hamilton and Peggy: A Revolutionary Friendship by Laura Elliott details the relationship between Peggy Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton.  Peggy finds herself caught up in the war between Loyalists and Patriots, family and friends.  During this time, she encounters Alexander Hamilton who asks for her help in wooing her sister Eliza which leads to a friendship between Peggy and Alexander.  

Reading with Patrick: A Teacher, a Student, and a Life-changing Friendship by Michelle Kuo: This is a memoir about Michelle's time as a Teach for America volunteer and her mentorship with one of her students, Patrick Browning.  During her time teaching, he begins to thrive under Michelle's attention.  However, she eventually leaves to attend law school and upon graduating, she learned that Patrick ws in jail for murder.  Michelle meets with Patrick over the next several months and continues his education as he awaits trial.

The Feud: Vladimir Nabokov, Edmund Wilson, and the End of a Beautiful Friendship by Alex Beam chronicles the relationship between the American writer Edmund Wilson and the newcomer Vladimer Nabokov.  Wilson became a mentor to Nabokov and this mentorship eventually turned into friendship.  However, the publication of Lolita was the beginning of the end for these two men.

The Roommates by Stephanie Wu: This is a collection of true stories about roommates.  Different people share their stories of making their best friend or lifelong enemy.  This collection will take you on a journey through hotels, camps, college dorms, boarding schools, and more.

Picture from https://ent.sharelibraries.info/client/en_US/evans/search/results?qu=Friendship+Bread&te=&lm=SRCH_LMT-EVANSVILLE

App Review: Play & Learn Science

App Name: Play & Learn Science
Developer: PBS Kids
Cost: Free
Available on iOS, Google Play, Amazon, Nook, and Windows
Recommended for Toddlers and Preschoolers

The 12 games in this app fall under categories that mirror experiences many children will encounter in the real world like shadow play and dressing for the weather. The app gives kids a chance to explore the science behind these every day experiences in a fun and playful way. There is also a well thought out parent section with ideas for extended learning and playing without the app to help children continue to explore their curiosities.

WINTER READS

In Wisconsin, winter is the coldest season of the year.  It occurs when the axis of the Earth in the northern hemisphere is oriented away from the sun.  In our climate, winter brings cold temperatures, freezing rain, and snow.  We also see the shortest day of the year.  Winter traditionally includes the months of December, January, and February.  This means that we still have plenty of winter ahead of us!

To embrace the winter season, check out one of these winter reads.

Winter by Marissa Meyer (4th in the Lunar Chronicles)
Winter by Ali Smith (2nd in the Seasonal Cycle)
Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand
Winter Sisters by Robin Oliveira (2nd in the Mary Sutter series)
Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
Winter Study by Nevada Barr (14th in the Anna Pigeon series)
Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher
Winter Sky by Patricia Reilly Giff
Winter Prey by John Sandford (5th in the Lucas Davenport series)
Winter Rain by Terry C. Johnston
Dark Winter by H.B. Broome
The Winter Station by Jody Shields
Depth of Winter by Craig Johnson (14th in the Walt Longmire series)
Dead of Winter by Kresley Cole (3rd in the Arcana Chronicles)
The Winter Horses by Philip Kerr

Picture from https://ent.sharelibraries.info/client/en_US/evansint/search/results?qu=winter&te=&lm=SRCH_LMT-EVANSVILLE