The WM Review Connection

By Jennifer Tomasino

Rubbabu Cars

I was a local toy shop last month and spotted these amazing little toy cars. They weren’t like anything I had ever seen before. The consistency of the toy is spongy, but solid, and they have an almost fuzzy feeling exterior. I asked about the cars and learned a couple of cool things.

Rubbabu is a company that uses 100% natural rubber with no synthetic fillers. The result is a unique toy that is also very environmentally friendly. Plus the material is anti-microbial, hypoallergenic, and flame retardant.

I was originally worried that the “fuzz” on the outside of the toys would flake off or that the coating on the outside of the tires would be less that resistant to my teething baby. But I have been very impressed. For all my son’s gnawing, the car seems to be in perfect shape!

Another plus was the price, I bought a couple of the smaller sized cars as stocking stuffers for Christmas and didn’t break the bank. These cars have made perfect diaper bag toys, and even work for the bag of “church toys” since they are soft and don’t make noise when hurled at the floor. :-)

I have since learned that my local toy store is one of a handful of retailers, but you can order the cars online as well. There’s also a bunch of blocks, puzzles, and other products made from the same materials.

Reviewed by Alyssa Ast

Title: The Kite Runner
Author: Khaled Hosseini
Publisher: Riverhead Books 2003
Price: Varies

Recommended? Yes

Review:
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini has been on my "to read" list ever since I read A Thousand Splendid Suns, also by author Hosseini. A Thousand Splendid Suns was such an amazing book that I knew I was going to love The Kite Runner-- and I was right. Once I began reading the book, I just couldn't put it down. From page one, the book is engaging, suspenseful, heartbreaking and heartwarming. It really is a must read.

The story involves the main character, Amir, and his journey from childhood through adulthood, which takes place in Afghanistan and America. The author does an excellent job portraying Amir and the other characters in the book. He does an wonderful job connecting you with the characters, placing the reader inside the character's head until you fall in love with them.

The tone and language the author uses paints vivid images in your head, placing you right there in every scene. Just when you think you've figured the novel out, a surprising twist takes place and leaves you guessing to the very end.

I couldn't put this book down. I blew off work and read it from cover to cover in two days. It's not a book you read once, and let it sit. It's a book that will remain amazing no matter how many times you read it. The books contains many life lessons everyone can carry with them.

I highly recommended The Kite Runner!

by Laura Ast

Title: Kaptain Vamp
Author: Joanne Lecuyer
Illustrator: Amy Rottinger
Publisher: Topsy Books
Genre: Children
Recommended: Yes

Allistaire Arturius Doppleganger Varning the IV is a twelve year old (in human years) part vampire. He lives life like your average, normal twelve year old. Allistaire doesn't bite people or drink blood. He can eat anything as long as he gets a balanced, daily diet of raw meat.

Rich is Allistaires best friend. He also knows all about Allistaire and his family being vampires. Both Allistaire and  Rich are really into comic books and since Allistaire has the usual vampire abilities of running faster, being very strong and hearing a conversation a mile away, they decide he should become a super hero. Allistaire also wants to show humans that vampires aren't all bad. Kaptain Vamp is the name Allistaire and Rich choose.

The first Kaptain Vamp act is to put a stop to the three Tambor brothers from bullying the kids at school. No one really saw Kaptain Vamp as he stopped the Tambor boys, so Rich and Allistaire decide to do another good deed. Mrs. Woolley uses a walker and always crosses the street in front of the bus. Rich decides to ride his bike going the opposite direction and Allistaire can save them both. The breaks go out on the bus and Allistaire saves their lives for real and they don't even know it.

There are plenty of great illustrations as well. I think kids of about 3rd and 4rth grade would enjoy this story because it shows a great friendship, trust, accepting differences in others, two loving families and the courage to stand up to bullies.

by Laura Ast

Title: Two Moons of Sera
Author: Pavarti K. Tyler
Publisher: Fighting Monkey Productions
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended: Yes

Two Moons of Sera (2MOS) is a fantasy book written for teens and young adults. I haven't been a teen or young adult for many, many years, but I really enjoyed this book. It is short, 47 pages, though the book has 55 pages. 2MOS is a quick, can't put it down read.

The story starts with a terrified Sualwet  woman/teen named Nilafay, being chase, and then captured, by Erdlanders. Sualwets, are water dwellers and Erdlanders are land dwellers. They are also enemies.

Serafay, Nilafay's daughter, who says she is a mistake, being neither Sualwet or Erdlander is the result of Nilafays's capture. Serafay has traits of both, being able to breath under water and live on land. Nilafay scavenges items from ship wrecks to make their life easier on land.

One day, Sera meets a man, who she thinks is an Erdlander, stealing pages from books she left to dry out on the beach. His name is Torkek. He says he is a mistake, too. Soon after, tragedy strikes and Sera and Tor must run for their lives.

This is Volume 1 in the series. It has a cliffhanger ending which leaves you wanting more. More comes in January of 2012. I can hardly wait.

Title: Dancing In Your Bubble; Ancient Teachings; Modern Healing

Author: Teri J. Dluznieski

Publisher: Self-published

Genre: Self-help / Philosophy

Recommended and Reviewed by: Sarah Porter-Pennington

“When you need a guru, one will find you.”

Although I heard this quote while watching a documentary produced by PBS, it brought a little enlightenment to how I discovered Teri J. Dluznieski and her book, “Dancing In Your Bubble”.

Before meeting Teri, I had been going through a bit of an identity crisis - a personal rough patch that I’ve been referring to as my “early-life crisis”.

To make a long story short, I wasn’t happy with most things in my life. I was second-guessing every major decision I had ever made in my life, particularly those concerning my education and career. And, I was wallowing so deeply in self-pity that I was lucky if I managed to get out of bed before 2pm. My productivity, and therefore my income, dropped to scary lows. I kept trying to make positive changes in my self and in my life, but I seemed to keep trying to backslide.

And that’s where and when Teri and “Dancing In Your Bubble” danced into my life.

In this new-age, self-help book, Teri uses easy-to-follow language to explain the ancient teachings of the indigenous people of the High Andes mountains of Peru, and how they can be applied to our emotions and modern lives. The wisdom shared in Teri’s book can be used by anyone, regardless of religious beliefs to bring enlightenment to the deeper reasons for the troubles in our lives so that readers can work to live happier lives.

Teri explains the Andean belief that everything is made up of energy and how your poq’po (poke po) – your personal energy bubble that surrounds and encompasses you - becomes clogged with useless energy. She goes on to teach readers exercises to use to push out the useless energy “hucha” and pull in “sami”- refined, nourishing energy.

Teri’s book is filled with additional teachings of the High Andes peoples, along with workbook pages, activities and self-questions aimed at helping readers heal past emotional and mental wounds to live happier, more fulfilling lives.