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April 30, 2015

Picture Book Review: The Red Bicycle: The Extraordinary Story of One Ordinary Bicycle by Jude Isabella

The Red Bicycle: The Extraordinary Story of One Ordinary Bicycle by Jude Isabella
In this unique nonfiction picture book, the main character is a bicycle that starts its life like so many bicycles in North America, being owned and ridden by a young boy. The boy, Leo, treasures his bicycle so much he gives it a name -- Big Red. But eventually Leo outgrows Big Red, and this is where the bicycle's story takes a turn from the everyday, because Leo decides to donate it to an organization that ships bicycles to Africa. Big Red is sent to Burkina Faso, in West Africa, where it finds a home with Alisetta, who uses it to gain quicker access to her family's sorghum field and to the market. Then, over time, it finds its way to a young woman named Haridata, who has a new purpose for the bicycle -- renamed Le Grand Rouge -- delivering medications and bringing sick people to the hospital.

This book makes an excellent choice for cultural studies classes; author Jude Isabella has provided several terrific suggestions in the back of the book for projects large and small, while a map shows the distance the bicycle traveled across the Atlantic Ocean.

Award-winning illustrator Simone Shin's digitally composed artwork includes evocative depictions of Alisetta's and Haridata's communities in rural Africa, creating vivid comparisons between Leo's life and their lives. Youngsters will learn how different the world is for those who rely on bicycles as a mode of transportation, and how one ordinary bicycle -- and a child's desire to make a difference -- can change lives across the world. This book also offers an excellent opportunity for expanding character education lessons on caring, compassion and empathy to include the wider world.
Honestly, it's the first time I listen about bicycle's donations. Probably wouldn't have ever known if it wasn't for this book. It's such a great idea, to donate your bicycle to needed communities, where a bicycle is more than a transportation system but also a tool for work, or even an ambulance!

It's a short book as most of the picture books, but you can follow the amazing journey of a red bicycle from USA to Burkina Faso. I used to have a red bicycle, and when it was too small for me I gave it away to one of my father's coworkers for his son for Christmas. I always wanted a new bike, I imagined myself on Sundays just enjoying the wind and the sun while driving my bike, but now I see bikes in a whole new light. At the end of the book there is a list of places you could contact for bike donations it you have some bikes you don't use more.

It has beautiful illustrations by Simone Shin, and being a non-fiction story, not only children will enjoy it but also learn a way to help communities in need around the world.

Published March 1st 2015 by Kids Can Press
Add it to Goodreads

April 29, 2015

WoW: Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Emmy & Oliver by Robin BenwayMy pick: Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway
Emmy’s best friend, Oliver, reappears after being kidnapped by his father ten years ago. Emmy hopes to pick up their relationship right where it left off. Are they destined to be together? Or has fate irreparably driven them apart?

Emmy just wants to be in charge of her own life.

She wants to stay out late, surf her favorite beach—go anywhere without her parents’ relentless worrying. But Emmy’s parents can’t seem to let her grow up—not since the day Oliver disappeared.

Oliver needs a moment to figure out his heart.

He’d thought, all these years, that his dad was the good guy. He never knew that it was his father who kidnapped him and kept him on the run. Discovering it, and finding himself returned to his old hometown, all at once, has his heart racing and his thoughts swirling.

Emmy and Oliver were going to be best friends forever, or maybe even more, before their futures were ripped apart. In Emmy’s soul, despite the space and time between them, their connection has never been severed. But is their story still written in the stars? Or are their hearts like the pieces of two different puzzles—impossible to fit together?

Readers who love Sarah Dessen will tear through these pages with hearts in throats as Emmy and Oliver struggle to face the messy, confusing consequences of Oliver’s father’s crime. Full of romance, coming-of-age emotion, and heartache, these two equally compelling characters create an unforgettable story.
Expected publication: June 23rd 2015 by HarperTeen

April 27, 2015

Bookmark Monday #5

bookmark monday

Bookmark Monday is a weekly meme created at Guiltless Reading, where you can show all your pretty bookmarks...or bookmarks you want to have! If you want to join, just go here.

Hi guys!! I'm back from Bogota and had an amazing time! I spend most of my time at La Candelaria, which is at the historical downtown of the city and also a very bohemian place full of students. That is why I found these cool bookmarks from www.puntagraphic.com. I couldn't say where because honestly I was just walking and found them on a little shop that didn't have a name (or I didn't see it).

Bookmarks from Bogota

Bookmarks from Bogota

Bookmarks from Bogota

If you are interested, you can see some of my pics from Bogota at instagram @magabygc and my travel blog www.yahorapadonde.com

April 23, 2015

Movie Review: McFarland USA

McFarland USA

I wanted to see this movie because first, I'm a fan of Juanes, a Colombian singer who sings the song 'Juntos' (Together) for this movie, but also because it's based on the real history of a group of young men, sons of immigrants (mostly Mexicans), living in a small and poor town called McFarland, and I wanted to see how Disney showed their lives.

The story begins with coach White, who only could find a job at this poor town very different from what he and his family wants. But instead they found a community that even with their cultural differences, welcome and befriends them.

I liked that even when it was a Disney movie, it shows without being excessively dramatic, the real life of these kids trying to participate in a community where basically they didn't have chances to progress.

It's based on a real story, which always makes it more interesting to me. The movie has some changes. but it doesn't change the ending and it makes you think: Would you be able to do something like this? Help some kids and in the process changes their lives, the lives of their families and a whole town?

I really liked McFarland, USA, although sometimes I thought it was a little bit slow (but my boyfriend disagree). It's much more deep than I thought, I'll admit I was expecting the typical american dream movie, and I found a realistic story with a happy ending. 




April 22, 2015

WoW: Between Us and the Moon by Rebecca Maizel

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Between Us and the Moon by Rebecca Maizel
My pick: Between Us and the Moon by Rebecca Maizel
A luminous young adult novel that evokes Judy Blume’s Forever for a new generation.

Ever since Sarah was born, she’s lived in the shadow of her beautiful older sister, Scarlett. But this summer on Cape Cod, she’s determined to finally grow up. Then she meets gorgeous college boy Andrew. He sees her as the girl she wants to be. A girl who’s older than she is. A girl like Scarlett.

Before she knows what’s happened, one little lie has transformed into something real. And by the end of August, she might have to choose between falling in love, and finding herself.

Fans of Jenny Han and Stephanie Perkins are destined to fall for this story about how life and love are impossible to predict.
Expected publication: June 30th 2015 by Harper Teen

April 20, 2015

Bookmark Monday #4


Bookmark Monday is a weekly meme created at Guiltless Reading, where you can show all your pretty bookmarks...or bookmarks you want to have! If you want to join, just go here.

Bookmark Flowers from Colombia

Bookmark Flowers from Colombia

I bought this bookmark at a little magical bookstore called 'abaco libros y cafe' last year at Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. It's very simple, but I loved the flowers, and as it says the tag, all of the flowers are native from that country. Isn't it beautiful?

I'm actually going back to Colombia tomorrow!! I know, crazy, right?! But this time to Bogota. It will be for a couple of days, so maybe I'll be a little bit inactive, but I'm pretty sure I'll find new bookmarks :) If you are interested, you can follow my travel at instagram @magabygc, my travel blog and also snapchat: magabygc.

Have you been at Bogota? I'm pretty sure I'll spend my days at free museums and drinking Juan Valdez hehe. Have a great week!

April 16, 2015

Movie Review: The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner is based on the books written by James Dashner. I haven't read any of the books, I know they were really popular, but I wasn't interested. I wasn't sure about the movie either, but I really liked it! I watched it at home and usually at home I get distracted, but not with this movie.

The story was mostly new to me, I knew a group of boys were trapped inside a maze, but that was it. So I really enjoyed the development of the movie. Why are they there? Who put them there? It kind of reminded me to another movie, Cube, which scared me a lot, and also to Lords of the flies.

It's a movie full of action, everything happens fasts. The maze is dangerous, but I think more dangerous was having all of those boys trapped inside and fighting for dominance. Personally, I'd have been one of the people that wanted to find an exit, even if that meant getting lost at the maze.

I think what I liked more were the surprises, eventually finding out why were they there, and the ending, ¡wow! I wasn't expecting that. Now I want to see the next movie: The Scorch Trials.

Have you seen The Maze Runner? Did you like it? Have you read the books?




April 15, 2015

WoW: Don't Ever Change by M. Beth Bloom

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Don't Ever Change by M. Beth Bloom
My pick: Don't Ever Change by M. Beth Bloom
Eva has always wanted to write a modern classic—one that actually appeals to her generation. The only problem is that she has realized she can't "write what she knows" because she hasn't yet begun to live. So before heading off to college, Eva is determined to get a life worth writing about.
Soon Eva's life encounters a few unexpected plot twists. She becomes a counselor at a nearby summer camp—a job she is completely unqualified for. She starts growing apart from her best friends before they've even left for school. And most surprising of all, she begins to fall for the last guy she would have ever imagined. But no matter the roadblocks, or writer's blocks, it is all up to Eva to figure out how she wants this chapter in her story to end.
Perfect for fans of E. Lockhart, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell, Don't Ever Change is a witty, snarky, and thought-provoking coming-of-age young adult novel about a teen who sets out to write better fiction and, ultimately, discovers the truth about herself.
Expected publication: July 7th 2015 by HarperTeen

Add it to Goodreads

April 14, 2015

Top Ten Inspiring Quotes from Books

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by www.brokeandbookish.com. I've been participating some weeks at my other blog Historias Imaginarias, but I also want to share my lists with you :)

This week's topic is:

Top Ten Inspiring Quotes from Books

“If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire


“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

April 13, 2015

Bookmark Monday #3

Bookmark Monday

Bookmark Monday is a weekly meme created at Guiltless Reading where you can show all your pretty bookmarks...or bookmarks you want to have! If you want to join, just go here.


Today I'm going to show you two new beauties I got this weekend as a gift from my boyfriend. They are made of paper by local designers: hola don pepito. The first one says something like 'Reading is tasty/enjoyable' and the second one says 'Pause. I'm your pause button'. My translations aren't exact... 'rico' in spanish means something delicious when it's food, or enjoyable when you are having a good time, or rich! hahaha

Some of their designs are also available at USA at @el_tendederousa.

bookmarks hola don pepito

bookmarks hola don pepito

bookmarks hola don pepito

bookmarks hola don pepito

Did you like them? I fell in love the moment I saw them, it would be great it they were made of a harder material, but I just have to be careful.

April 11, 2015

Movie Trailer: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Did you know there is a movie based on the book Me and Earl and the Dying Girl? I didn't! I was surprised to discover the trailer at another blog, and it seems great. The release date is June 12, 2015 at USA. (IMDb)

Here is the trailer. Have you read the book? I think the book sounds good. Do you recommend it?




April 10, 2015

Movie Review: Insurgent

Insurgent movie

I've read a lot of reviews about the Insurgent movie, and most of them said it was so different to the book, they didn't enjoyed it. But I haven't read the book, I only read Divergent, and I've learned that if I compare a movie to a book, it would always be disappointing..

Since I didn't read Insurgent, I did enjoyed a lot the movie. It was full of action and easy to get into the story. The movie theater was full of people, and they reacted every time something happened.

As always with YA books and films, I feel like the characters are a bit immature and too dramatic sometimes. That didn't stop me to understand Tris, and her actions...but it wasn't surprising.

My favorite was Four. I don't remember Four leaving a great impression on me when I read Divergent, but in the movies he did. Not only because he is hot (I have to be honest haha), but also more mature that the others. I liked to discover more about his family too.

I love plot twists, so Insurgent didn't fail at that, but it you have read a lot of dystopia, it won't really be a surprise. Anyway, the reason I didn't read Insurgent was because I thought it was going to be a slow book, only to make longer the series. I'm happy the movie wasn't like that, it was full of action and plot. Now I'm curious about the book, if it's so different, what really happens?

What do you think? Did you like the movie? Should I read the book?




April 9, 2015

Dewey’s 24 hour readathon

Dewey’s 24 hour readathon

I feel like I need a little bit of motivation to read so the Dewey's 24 hour read-a-thon seems like a great idea! It's going to be on April 25th, 2015, which is saturday, a good day for me to read. You can join here but if you want to participate, but aren't sure you can read, you can join as a cheerleader!

I'm going to be posting must of my updates at my twitter @ohmybooks and also here on my blog :) If you decide to join, please let me know!

April 8, 2015

WoW: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
My pick: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!
Expected publication: May 5th 2015 by Bloomsbury Children's

April 7, 2015

Movie Review: Paddington

Paddington

I remember Paddington from my childhood. I don't know if I read the book or watched one of the tv shows but I knew about this little bear and really wanted to see the movie...and it didn't disappointed me! Paddington is so cute, I just loved him, he is adorable. The story is simple, a little bear that goes from Peru to London looking for a home....but it isn't as easy as it seemed. It's an easy story for children to follow, but I also liked the small comments about society... 

It was an adorable film, I loved it. But besides recommending it to you, I wanted to ask you to help Cholita, a 'paddington' bear in Peru who was mistreated and suffered a lot at the hands of a circus. She's now being saved, but the Animal Defenders International is asking for donations to move her to a better home where she can have treatment and live in peace.




April 6, 2015

Bookmark Monday #2

Bookmark Monday

Bookmark Monday is a weekly meme created at Guiltless Reading where you can show all your pretty bookmarks...or bookmarks you want to have! If you want to join, just go here.

Cat bookrmark


Cat bookrmark

Cat bookrmark

This kitty bookmark was made by an artisan at Valparaiso, Chile. It's made of paper and I think glue. The artisan name is Victor Catro Kurts (gatosvalpo AT gmail.com) and he sells all kinds of handmade cat crafts at Paseo Gervasoni. I thought it was so cute, I had to buy one!

What do you think? Do you like it? I can't resist to buy bookmarks when I travel and specially if they are handmade. Also, who can resist cats? hehe.

April 2, 2015

Movie Review: Cinderella

I've been thinking about posting a little of other things, like movie reviews or about my life, at my blog but wasn't sure if you would like to read about this here. After Bloggiesta, I realize must people like these kinds of posts...so I'm starting to post my opinion about movies since I actually see as many movies a year as I read books, maybe more! :) I'm still thinking about what else would you like to see here, so if you have ideas, please let me know.

Cinderella

Cinderella is the new Disney movie made with real people, based of the old animated movie. I think we all know about the story and in this case it's the same. I must admit, princesses movies weren't my favorite when I was a little girl, but I was curious about this version and more after hearing many good things about the movie....also because I really wanted to see the new Frozen short, Frozen Fever. ;)

I was surprised, because even when I knew exactly what was going to happen, I really liked it. My favorites were the mice (so cute!), but also liked Ella as a character. She shows that what's inside is what is worth it. Her goodness is infinite and we need more people like her in the world. Also, I loved the dancing scene and the dress!.

Super recommended, it was a good surprise even for someone like me that isn't a fan of the traditional princesses. I hope Disney do more of these real people movies, Cinderella was great.


April 1, 2015

WoW: Tonight the Streets Are Ours by Leila Sales

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

From the author of This Song Will Save Your Life comes a funny and relatable book about the hazards of falling for a person you haven't met yet.

Seventeen-year-old Arden Huntley is recklessly loyal. Taking care of her loved ones is what gives Arden purpose in her life and makes her feel like she matters. But she's tired of being loyal to people who don't appreciate her—including her needy best friend and her absent mom.

Arden finds comfort in a blog she stumbles upon called "Tonight the Streets Are Ours," the musings of a young New York City writer named Peter. When Peter is dumped by the girlfriend he blogs about, Arden decides to take a road trip to see him.

During one crazy night out in NYC filled with parties, dancing, and music—the type of night when anything can happen, and nearly everything does—Arden discovers that Peter isn't exactly who she thought he was. And maybe she isn't exactly who she thought she was, either.
Roadtrip, yay!!

Expected publication: September 15th 2015 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux