Monday, June 29, 2015

Ready, Set, Kindergarten by Paula Ayer


Ready, Set, Kindergarten was a different sort of book to me.  I have to admit it was difficult for me to even follow along.  Here is an example of how the words are put together in the book.  Whoosh on my jacket. Smoosh on my shoes. Dressing myself. I’m getting ready!  The book continues in this same type of dialogue throughout the entire book.  I had high expectations when I began this book... but... they were quickly smooshed
After reading this book SEVERAL  times I assume they were trying to let the reader know that this young girl has accomplished so many thingsand next up for her is kindergarten the title lets me know that.  lol    
I personally would have preferred a storyline that flowed while reading.  However, if you are okay with fragmented sentences to tell the story, you will probably enjoy this book.   
The illustrations are adorable though!!
Disclosure:  I recieved a Kindle version of this book from Annick Press Ltd. through the NetGalley reviewer program at no charge.  In exchange, I agreed to review Ready, Set, Kindergarten and to give them my honest opinion in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission Guidelines. 

  

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Schneider Pens - Made in Germany!!


Until last week I had never ever heard of Schneider pens.  Have you seen or heard of them before?  If not, maybe it's because they are made in Germany.  They have been a pen manufacturer for over 75 years.  Who knew?   Stride, Inc. is the exclusive distributor of Schnieder in the U.S.  They are a small, family owned busines and are women-owned and operated.  If you would like to learn more about this company click here.  Schneiders offer a wide assortment of pens and I’m going to tell you about the ones I was sent to try out.  First, I have to confess that I am hoarder of pens and can never get enough of them!!  I could summarize these pens quickly by saying simply that they are AWESOME! 
   

Let me tell you first about the Slider Memo XB ViscoGlide Ballpoint Pens. These pens came in a pack of 4 colorful pens (green, violet, pink and orange).  When I picked up one of the Slider Memo XB Pens I was pleasantly surprised on how lightweight it actually was.  The cap fits snuggly on the top of the pen while you are busy writing!  As I gripped the barrel, it felt a little bit thicker than most of the pens I normally use.  However it felt comfortable against my fingers while I wrote.  Another important thing that I noticed was that the ink dried quickly.  Yeah!!! Sadly, these pens are not refillable! 


I also received a red Slider Memo XB ViscoGlide Ballpoint Pen.  I’m not sure why, but this pen did not seem to write like the previous Slider Memo XB Pens.  Weird.  It left small dots as I wrote on the paper.  It left me curious if it would smear when I highlighted it…so of course… I tried it out.  It did smear just a tiny bit, but just where the dots were. 


The Schneider Xpress .8 Porous Point Black Pen reminded me of writing with a felt pen…but so much better.  The ink is waterproof…and I of course had to check that claim out.  Let’s just say that you could use this pen when writing the address on an envelope to send a letter and it would remain readable for its entire journey.  Wow!  Pens have come so far.  I read that you could leave the cap off for THREE days and it would NOT dry out.  I decided I didn’t want to experiment with this pen...because I really like it!! 


The Schneider Slider Basic XB Ballpoint Pen also has the new ink technology which allows the pen to glide by writing.  The ink dries very quickly and it did not smear when I highlighted.  Yeah!!  It has a ribbed rubber grip, and is feels small after using the previous pens…but still quite comfortable to hold.



The Schneider Slider Rave XB is a retractable pen.  It also has the amazing Viscoglide ink technology that is awesome.  There are some pens that I don’t feel like I have the control when I write.  This is one of them.   I’m not sure what the difference is…but there is definitely a difference for me. 




The Slider edge 1.0 Viscoglide Black Ballpoint Pen has a three-edge barrel.  Since it has the three-edge barrel it was will probably not be rolling off of your desk.  The ink dries quickly too, which is a must for me!  It drives me nuts when I smear the ink.  I love this new Viscoglide technology!!  


That’s it!  I’m done!  It is finished!  I hope you saw something that you liked.  If so, please head on over to Shoplet.  Shoplet now offers shopper over 1,000,000 products!  I'm confident that they can help you with promotional products or office stationary.  They even have a wide selection of Medical Supplies.  


***Disclosure*** I received these pens at no charge from Shoplet.com.  In exchange I agreed to write an honest review of them.  The opinions expressed here are my own.   

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Worms by Bernard Priot






This book is written from the point of view of a young child.  A young boy is forced to sit through a fancy dinner with his parents and employees of his father.  They talk about things that he doesn’t understand and he becomes quite bored! 

His father asks him to bring in the salads and he is more than happy to escape from the boredom.

When he sees the salads on the cart, in the kitchen, he suddenly has a wonderful idea on how to make things more interesting at the dinner table.

This is a humorous book which will most certainly bring a smile to the reader's face.  The illustrations are simple, but they portray animation that bring this book to life.



Disclosure:  I received this e-book from Kids Can Press through the NetGalley reviewer program free of charge. In exchange, I agreed to review this book and give my honest opinion in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission Guidelines.

New Trent Airbender 1.0 - iPad Case & Keyboard



The New Trent Airbender 1.0 came packaged in a very nice heavy box, which made me eager to check it out!



When I opened the box I was pleasantly surprise by how beautiful and sleek it looked. Isn't it beautiful?


I immediately plugged in the keyboard using the USB cord that was provided. As I carefully removed my iPad out of its rubbery heavy duty case, I was pleased to see that it had protected it perfectly. My iPad looked brand new!!!

I popped my iPad into the new case with the keyboard making sure that all the cut-outs lined up with the iPad. I immediately realized there was no covering for the face of my iPad. Yikes!! I’m not sure I’m going to like this because the iPad is touching the keyboard when the case it closed. I am not happy about this at all!




Before using the keyboard with my iPad I had to pair the keyboard with my iPad. Turn it on, push the connect button... and then it does it all for you...Easy Peasy!!!



I was then ready to type. Hmmm. I have no idea why I need the keyboard. LOL!!! However, I figured it out pretty quickly.



The case is easy to close. Just lay the ipad on the keyboard and push in the silver bracket at the back of the keyboard. Then it happened... I picked up the case to put it on my nightstand...and it slid right out of my hand! Yip I dropped it!!! Luckily it dropped on my bed, so there was no damaged. This case is way too slick!! It definitely needs more of a grippy texture on the outside of the case.


When you are ready to use your iPad again all you need to do is adjust the silver bracket (there are knotches on the piece that slides in and out). Place the iPad on one of the two trays at the top of the keyboard. And then you are all ready to go again.



You don't have to worry about the keyboard shifting as you type because there are 4 rubber feet on the bottom.

Basically I love the keyboard and the idea that the case could protect my iPad, but I don't think that this particular case is sturdy or protective enough for my iPad.

Friday, June 26, 2015

Starring Shapes by Tania Howell


 

Everywhere we look there are shapes. The shapes (and the children) are excited about the auditions for the Shapeston Elementary School play. Throughout the book, each shape is given the spotlight and the reader learns a little bit about each of them... such as their experience and what they like to do in their spare time!

The author highlights six different shapes: Triangle, Square, Circle, Rectangle, Rhombus and Oval. As each shapes is given the spotlight the author points out where the reader might find the shape in their everyday life.

This book is such a fun way to introduce shapes to young children or to reinforce the names of shapes with older children.

The illustrations are colorful and bright! I can visualize my students creeping closer and closer to be able to see all the illustrations up close!

In my first grade classroom, I will definitely be using this book as a springboard for a shape hunt of objects in our classroom as well as outdoors



Disclosure: I received this e-book from Kids Can Press through the NetGalley reviewer program free of charge. In exchange, I agreed to review Starring Shapes and give my honest opinion in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission Guidelines.

Walk on the Wild Side by Nicholas Oldland



Three friends (who happen to be a moose, bear, and a beaver) decide it is a good day to climb a mountain! After walking for a while, they discussed what they could do to make their walk more interesting. Racing to the top of the mountain would definitely make it more interesting... so the race began. This adventure leads to a Walk on the Wild Side!

I love the simplicity of the pictures and I think my first grade students will love them too! The illustrations are fun to look at as your eyes move from each of the adorable characters.

This fun book has so many possibilities for using in my classroom. Here are just a few that would be awesome to incorporate while reading to students:

·      Teamwork
·      Competition
·      Friendship
·      Nature
·      Habitats
·      Kindness
·      Cause/Effect



I will definitely be adding this book to my library collection.!!!


Disclosure:  I received this e-book from Kids Can Press through the NetGalley reviewer program free of charge. In exchange, I agreed to review this book and give my honest opinion in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission Guidelines.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Fellowes Saturn 3i 95 Laminator Review


          This Fellowes Saturn 3i 95 Laminator was sent to me a few weeks ago from Shoplet to review for them.  Oh my goodness!  Who wouldn’t want their own personal laminator?  You might say I was a bit excited when I started to unpack it. 
         
           After I read the instructions, I quickly used the Fellowes Saturn 3i 95 Laminator to laminate some centers for my classroom.  There are four buttons on the front that you push to let the machine know how thick the pouch is (3, 4 or 5 mil) or another button (that looks like a snowflake) to laminate without heat.   When it is ready to use, a green light will appear behind the button you pushed.   It did not take long for the laminator to warm up... about a minute!   If you look closely you can see the green light on the 3 mil button!   Easy Peasy! 


      The laminator will accommodate various sizes of documents and there are pouches available for them!  When you are ready to laminate, place document inside the pouch.  Next insert pouch with the sealed edge first.  Make sure you use the markings on the machine so the document will feed correctly. Then...sit back and watch. 




        
          To catch the lamination as it goes through the laminator, there is a bar in the back that needed to be attached (easy to do)!   

          
          There is a red release lever on the back of the laminator that you can see in the picture above.  You will need this if there is ever a misfeed in the machine. I hope I never have to use it but it’s nice to know that there is a release button available to get the misfeed out if it happens.
         
          If you are like me, you have a tendency to forget things sometimes.   Luckily, this laminator has an automatic shutoff that will put it into standby mode after about 30 minutes of not being used.   I like this safeguard because it will save energy as well as preventing the laminator from overheating. 

          My school has a very nice laminator that I will use for most of my larger projects that need laminating.  However, I will definitely put this one to good use at home.  It is lightweight and easy to move from one place to another.  During the summer if I see something that I want to use in my classroom, I always print it... and now... I can laminate it immediately after printing.  Yeah!!!

          I found this laminator extremely easy to use and that is so important to me.  If you are looking for a laminator for small projects, or a small office,  you should definitely take a look at this one!

          I hope that you will give Shoplet.com the opportunity to fill all your needs for Office SuppliesPromotional Products, Medical Supplies, and Office Stationary.  Ordering is easy and they have a wonderful assortment of products! 


***Disclosure*** I received this Fellowes Saturn 3i 95 Laminator at no charge in exchange for my honest review of their product.
  The opinions expressed here are my own and reflect what I thought about this laminator.  








Wednesday, June 10, 2015

REVIEW: A Worthy Pursuit by Karen Witemeyer



This past week every available moment I had was spent reading A Worthy Pursuit by Karen Witemeyer.  This author is completely new to me and she has now officially became one of my favorite authors!

A Worthy Pursuit is a historical romance fiction which is beautifully written.  With a mixture of suspense and romance it definitely had a way of touching my heart. 

The uniqueness of each of the characters make the book even more appealing.  Charlotte is a teacher who is suddenly left without a job.  She takes 3 of her students with her when she leaves the school which causes some major problems throughout the book.

The grandfather's grandaughter is one of the children she takes with her.  He hires a couple of men to bring her back to him.  Stone is one of these men and he refers to himself as a “retriever,”

Stone took this job knowing exactly what he was going to do with all the money from this job.  He did not foresee that there might be another side to the story other than what the grandfather had told him.  Charlotte was very protective of the child that Stone came to get and she was willing to protect the child at all cost.   They both have faith in God and they put their trust in Him many times throughout the book.  As the story moves along Stone and Charlotte slowly develop a relationship that forces them to trust each other. 


You will have to read the book to find out all the details, but I highly recommend it!


Discosure:  I received this e-book from Bethany House through the NetGalley reviewer program free of charge. In exchange, I agreed to review this book and give my honest opinion in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission Guidelines.

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

All the Little Fathers by Margaret Wise Brown



          This book has some wonderful pictures that illustrate how different animal fathers might interact with their children.   Each father is doing something different with their child.  For example the horse fathers are leaping with their children while the monkey fathers are swinging with their children. Eventually, the fathers put their children to bed.  Short…  Simple…  Cute!

          This would definitely make a wonderful bedtime story or possibly a sweet Father’s Day gift.  As a teacher I would definitely use it as a writing activity for the children to write about what they like to do with their father. 


     
Discosure:  I received this e-book from Parragon Inc. through the NetGalley reviewer program free of charge. In exchange, I agreed to review this book and give my honest opinion in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission Guidelines.

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

The Hiding Place (Young Reader's Edition) by Corrie Ten Boom



          It has been over 30 years ago that I first read the original book The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom.  Unlike most of the books that I read so many years ago, this is one that will never forget! I had to put it down so many times because the details and the events that happened were more than my young mind was able to taken in.  I was excited to see that there was a newly revised book for younger people.

          Corrie Ten Boom was a watchmaker at her father’s place of business.  Their home was a place that people enjoyed visiting and there was always an abundance of Christ’s love.   During World War II she and her entire family risked their lives to help Jews escape from the Nazis.  It is amazing how Corrie and her family were able to save many of God's chosen people.  They were eventually betrayed by a former employee and her whole family was arrested. 

          They were all taken to Hitler’s concentration camps.  While there they experienced things that are hard to even begin to imagine!  Corrie’s shares some of the evil as well as the miracles that could only be from God that she experienced while in the camp. 

           This is a truly remarkable book that shows an unwavering faith in God by Corrie Ten Boom.  A definite must read!



Discosure:  I received this e-book from Chosen Books through the NetGalley reviewer program free of charge. In exchange, I agreed to review this book and give my honest opinion in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission Guidelines.




Twisted Innocence by Terri Blackstock



     Twisted Innocence is the 3rd book in the Moonlighters series written by Terri Blackstock.   If you are anything like me, you want to start reading any series at the beginning. The first book in this series is Truth Stained Lies and the second book is Distortion.   I was a tiny bit concerned when I started the book because it had been a few months since I read the last book.   However, it only took me a couple of chapters to remember the important details of the previous books.  

     The Cramer children have been the primary focus of each of these books.  The siblings continue to be plagued by a character in the previous books.  

Holly, the youngest sibling is robbed by junkies in her taxi cab. She is an unwed mother of Lily, a one month old baby. She has made some bad choices in the past and taking care of her baby has now became her top priority.  When the police come to her house asking questions about Creed Kershaw, she was all ears.  He was a suspect in a murder they were investigating.  Since Creed was the father of Lily, she knew she needed to act fast to find out if Creed knew about his daughter... and if he did, what his intentions were.

     Her investigation which primarly starts out to protect her baby suddenly takes her in a direction that she never expected.  She and her entire family are now in extreme danger.  I was on the edge of my seat as I read this book.  I completed this book in just few days because I couldn't put it down!  It definitely has its share of suspense! 

     The characters cling to their faith in God throughout each of their circumstances that come into their life.  It was a wonderful reminder to me that there is no way we can ever redeem ourselves no matter what we do.


Discosure:  I received this e-book from Zondervan through the NetGalley reviewer program free of charge. In exchange, I agreed to review this book and give my honest opinion in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission Guidelines.