Book Review: Gay & Lesbian History for Kids

Katie September 25, 2015 0 Comments

Gay and Lesbian History for Kids talks about the Century-Long struggle for LGBT rights.  Although this is something that is being talked about a lot recently, this book starts with a chapter “up to the 1900s”.  The timeline in the front of the book starts with 570 BC.  If you think that being gay was not a “thing” until recently – think again!  It even talks about the first sexual reassignment surgery – that happened in 1930!

In addition to all the great information on various gay and lesbian figures through history, there are also many activities throughout for kids to do based on some of the occupations of some of the people mentioned throughout the book. Writing poems, inventing secret languages, making up song parodies, etc.

While this book is geared towards kids, it had a lot of information in it that I didn’t know about – like one of our President’s may have been gay!  It is very informative for kids and adults alike and I think this is very important topic to be sharing with kids so that they can be more accepting of those who are LGBT as well as knowing that it is ok to be LGBT and a lot of really awesome people were too!

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

Part of the popular For Kids series, this book puts the historic struggle for LGBT equality into perspective

Given today’s news, it would be easy to get the impression that the campaign for LGBT equality is a recent development, but it is only the final act in a struggle that started more than a century ago. This timely resource helps put recent events into context for kids ages nine and up. After a brief history up to 1900, each chapter discusses an era in the struggle for LGBT civil rights from the 1920s to today. The history is told through personal stories and firsthand accounts of the movement’s key events like the 1950s “Lavender Scare,” the Stonewall Inn uprising, and the AIDS crisis. Readers will learn about civil rights mavericks, like Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld, founder of the first gay rights organization; Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin, who turned the Daughters of Bilitis from a lesbian social club into a powerhouse for LGBT freedom; and Harvey Milk, the first out candidate to win a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Also chronicled are the historic contributions of famous LGBT individuals, and 21 activities enliven the history. Kids can write a free verse poem like Walt Whitman, learn the Madison line dance, design an AIDS quilt panel, and write a song parody to learn about the spirited ways in which the LGBT community has pushed for positive social change.

Book Review: Dinosaur Amigurumi

Katie September 25, 2015 0 Comments

Dinosaur Amigurumi is a book about crochet dinosaurs and how to make them.  The book features 14 dinosaurs including my favorites Stegosaurus and Triceratops as well as TRex, Pterodactyl and more! The book starts out with abbreviations that will be used in the book as well as some notes on stitches. For each dinosaur there is a photo of the finished product, a list of materials that you will need, some tips and line by line instructions for each piece of the dinosaur. All the dinosaurs are adorable!

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review, I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

Geared toward practitioners of amigurumi, the Japanese art of crocheting stuffed dolls, this is the only how-to book dedicated to dinosaur patterns. Learn how to crochet fourteen adorable prehistoric creatures to cuddle, from familiar species such as Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, and Stegosaurus to Mosasaurus, Edmontosaurus, and other lesser-known but equally lovable varieties.
Each project features complete, well-illustrated instructions, plus full-color photos of the finished model. The patterns are easy to follow and are suitable for crocheters at all skill levels, from novices to experienced hands.

Book Review: Occupy These Photos

Katie September 25, 2015 0 Comments

Occupy These Photos is a book containing 30 photos taken by Mickey Z at various Occupy & Black Lives Matter and other protests.  They say a picture is worth a thousand words and I think these photos beautifully depict what has been going on in New York City as well as other locations in protest.  It’s hard to put into words what these pictures say with very few words. If you’re interested in the protests and want to learn more I definitely recommend you check out this book.

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

Mickey Z. continues his advocacy work by taking his camera to the streets and showing a number of major demonstrations and protests that occurred in NYC between #OWS and #BlackLivesMatter as he saw them. Not a professional photographer but a street photographer capturing those who, like him, turn out daily to protest and demand changes to an unfair and unequal system as it affects all life in NYC, human and non-human.

Book Review: Doll Junk

Katie September 25, 2015 0 Comments

Doll Junk: Collectible & Crazy Fashions from the ’70s and ’80s. The book is broken down by Small Doll Junk, Barbie-size Junk, Ken-size Junk, Big Doll Junk and Leftovers.  I had a lot of fun going through the book and laughing at the various outfits. While I lived through some of the 80s, none of the outfits in the book are any that I remember having.  Although there’s lots I’d have loved to have had! (And a few I’d like to have right now in Katie sized outfits!)

This book is certainly a blast from the past and a must read for any doll or doll clothes collector!

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

“Eeeewww. Fake Barbie® clothes.” Those four words verbalize the faint disgust yesterday’s savvy kids felt when, in the midst of doll play, an inferior, generic, or “clone” dress or top suddenly surfaced from their sizable supply of perfect Mattel doll outfits. The impostors were treated as tainted outcasts and were basically left to rot. Today, a younger generation of doll lovers is on the rise. These leap-for-cheap fashionistas gleefully embrace the very items their quality-conscious predecessors detested. Here, for your viewing pleasure or revulsion, are nearly 800 not-exactly-gorgeous getups and some of the downgraded dolls who wore them, mostly from the ’70s and ’80s (’80s collectors, rejoice! Your time has come!), many in their original packaging. Prepare to shield your eyes from clumsily drawn fashion figures, pathetic attempts at high-fashion lingo, and mediocre package graphics culled from around the world!