Kinectimals

Kinectimals forXBOX 360

Kinectimals is one of the simulation games that can be played on the XBOX 360 with the Kinect sensor bar.  You first select a pet to train and can choose from five different animals.  The adorable bengal tiger is one of the choices.  You teach your pet to do tricks by performing them yourself, and after they've mastered the trick, you either perform the trick so your pet will mimic you or you can give voice commands. You must take good care of your pet by loving it, petting it, hugging it, brushing it, playing fetch with it using toys, buying accessories for it, and more! All these actions help build up a type of discovery meter, the more you do with your pet the more the discovery meter builds up and in turn, the more of the island you are able to unlock.

Jumanji, The Movie

Johnston, J. (1995) Jumanji. Sony Pictures

When Alan Parrish, (played by Robin Williams), finds an old board game, he has no clue what awaits him. When he and friend Sarah Whittle start to play, he is pulled into the game and she is chased from the house by bats. Fast-forward 26 years to when brother and sister Peter and Judy Shepherd start to play. They free a now grown Alan from the game, but in the process release monkeys, mosquitoes, and a lion. They realize they must finish the game to make everything return to normal. Reuniting with the adult Sarah, they attempt to stay alive long enough to do just that.

A wonderful family movie, (although may be a bit scary for the very young), that is full of suspense, adventure, and fantasy.

Jumanji, The Book

Van Allsburg, C. (1981)  Jumanji

Judy and Peter find a board game and take it home, in anticipation of some excitement.  When all of the make-believe items in the game, including a lion, an erupting volcano and a dozen wild monkeys, begin coming to life, the children are no longer bored. Chris Van Allsburg magically transforms an ordinary house into an exotic jungle.  He is a master at creating fantastic stories and characters.  Jumanji, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book and winner of the 1982 Caldecott Medal, is sure to amaze and thrill even the most jaded young reader.

Fantasy Genre Presentation

Here's some information and recommended titles in the Fantasy genre that my partner, Laura Rodriguez, and I discovered.  Take a look!

GenreProject_DereRodriguez[1]

More PowerPoint presentations from Wendy Dere

Amulet, Book Two

Kibuishi, K. (2009) The Stonekeeper's Curse(Amulet, Book Two) 
The Stonekeeper's Curse is book two in Kazu Kibuishi's Amulet series of graphic novels.  Emily and Navin have rescued their mother, but she is dying from deadly poison. Now Emily and Nevin have to travel with the strange crew they found in the house to the city of Kanalis. There they encounter even more intriguing characters, but hopefully they'll find an answer to their mother's illness.  Little do they know that their problems are menial compared to what's really going on in their world.   

American Born Chinese

Yang, G.L. (2008) American Born Chinese.  ISBN-13: 978-0312384487

American Born Chinese tells the story of Jin Wang, a son of Chinese immigrants, who struggles to assimilate at a predominately white school after moving from San Francisco's Chinatown to the suburbs. Jin's story is interwoven with the legend of the Chinese folk hero Monkey King, and a sitcom starring a negatively stereotyped Chinese cousin named Chin-Kee. 

Growing Pains

Here are some great resources that my partner, Rachel Cloues, and I found for a mini collection on growing up, puberty and adolescence.  Take a look!

Non_fiction_Project

Don't Behave Like You Live in a Cave

Verdick, E. (2010) Don't Behave Like You Live in a Cave.  ISBN-13: 978-1575423531

Full-color cartoons and humorous, kid-friendly text teach kids how to make smarter choices about how they behave at home and at school so they stay out of trouble, feel good about themselves and their choices, and get along better with family, friends, and teachers.

Mars Needs Moms: The Movie

Zemeckis, R. (2011) Mars Needs Moms. Walt Disney Pictures

Take out the trash, eat your broccoli – who needs moms, anyway? Nine-year-old Milo finds out just how much he needs his mom when she’s nabbed by Martians who plan to steal her mom-ness for their own baby moms-to-be. Milo embarks on a quest to save his mom in a wild adventure that involves stowing away on a spaceship, navigating in a new world and planet and taking on the alien nation and their leader. With the help of a tech-savvy earthman named Gribble and a rebel Martian girl named Ki, Milo just might find his way back to his mom – in more ways than one.

I was fortunate enough to be able to preview this movie before its official release date on March 11, 2011.  The underlying message is a hopeful one in that tweens could find new appreciation for their mothers at a time when family relationships begin dwindle.

Mars Needs Moms Trailer