Senor Parrot's Perch

Book Review: Albert Einstein by Kathleen Krull

Dan — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 04:45:36 +0000

In this neat little biography, Kathleen Krull clearly explains the most extraordinary implications of Einstein's theories, and his thought processes in developing these.

The Hobbit – The Movie

Dan — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 06:05:48 +0000

Are there any other similarities between The Hobbit, the book and The Hobbit, the movie? I'm sure there are, but not too many. See if you can come up with some of your own.

Wreckit Ralph makes a great date night with my girls

Dan — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 05:46:47 +0000

Saw Wreck It Ralph with my two daughters tonight. We all loved it. See it if you can. Like so many Pixar movies (Disney now) it had that inside out view that can be so rich for enternaing material. Tonight was mixed up and not going as planned. I was going to see a movie [...]

Presidential Cookie Election Contest

Dan — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 16:21:44 +0000

Once again Obama won the Madison College pesidential cookie sale held on November 5. It was a blowout, with the president beating Romney with well over twice as many sales. Proceeds went to the Red Cross to aid Hurricane Sandy victims.

Reboot

Dan — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 14:01:14 +0000

I’ve been pretty busy with projects lately-really, the last two years. I’m winding these down to make time foe writing. So, I thought I’d kick this blog off again.

Science Fair Blues

Dan — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:27:24 +0000

It's science fair time at my daughters' school. Science rules. Science Rocks. When I heard this yesterday evening, I was pumped, ready to spring into action and make...whoops, I mean, guide, my third-grader in her science fair project.

INK, a Kid’s Nonfiction Blog

Dan — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:58:11 +0000

Kid's Nonfiction is important because it seeds the fallow ground of our kids' minds and produces much different results than fiction. Unlike learning magic, nonfiction actually empowers kids to see the possibilities within themselves and it works like much like the yellow brick road to Oz, taking kids to a place where they can grow wiser and find answers to their questions.

Get Your Game On

Dan — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 03:29:07 +0000

If you live in the Madison, WI area, I'd recommend looking for I'm Board, a new store specializing in board and RPG games. It's on University Avenue in Middleton, just west of Middleton Cyclery on the same side. They have an open game room with many games available to play and scheduled times for other games where kids and adults from around the area can meet and play.

Using Non-Fiction to Bolster Core Knowledge in the Classroom

Dan — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 13:16:37 +0000

My own daughters are drawn to reading science books, probably in large part because their mother is a microbiologist and I just love the stuff, and we both enthusiastically encourage it. But if they weren't well written, telling a rich story, I don't think they'd have anywhere near the interest that they do. On trips to the library they will grab an armful of books about the ocean or physics to take home to read just for pleasure reading.

Interview with Cressida Cowell, Author of How to Train Your Dragon – Link

Dan — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 16:34:42 +0000

I enjoyed this MovieWeb interview with children's book author Cressida Cowell, who wrote the How to Train Your Dragon books. In the interview, she talks about her feelings about having her fantastic book made into an animated movie. She also talks about her unique summers spent on an isolated island with her family that in many ways inspired her writing.