Anythink blog

Princess Mononoke movie poster

The Film Guide: Favorite Miyazaki Movies

Aug 5 2013
As some of my previous blog posts have mentioned, I love animated movies. My favorite animated filmmaker is Hayao Miyazaki. His movies cover many topics, but focus on coming-of-age stories and interactions with nature. These deep and visually impressive films pull at the heart-strings while...
This is an excellent book for a family read aloud.

Happy Birthday, Colorado! Celebrate with these Centennial State reads

Jul 29 2013
On August 1, Colorado will celebrate its 137th birthday! Colorado is often referred to as the "Centenial State" because President Ulysses S. Grant signed the proclamation admitting Colorado into the Union in 1876, the centennial year of the United States Declaration of Independence.   Here are some...

Life on the Spectrum: Chapter Books Featuring Characters with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Jul 16 2013
According to the National Autism Association's website, autism now affects 1 in 88 children. Autism is a spectrum disorder, meaning that symptoms very widely from child to child. Some children are...
Children who are surrounded by books learn to incorporate reading into their daily habits.

Getting Your Kids to Love Books: Tips for parents and caregivers

Jul 15 2013
As a parent who raised two avid readers and also had a number of child literacy experiences here at Anythink, I would like to share my ideas to get kids to love reading. I am lucky enough to talk to caregivers of all ages every day, and I have seen many behaviors that help our children get excited...

Summer Reading: An Introduction to Strong Series Characters

Jul 11 2013
I look forward to each summer like I'm a kid waiting for school to be out. Not because I actually get a kids-length summer vacation, but because many authors release new books in some of my favorite series. These series are at the top of the list because their lead characters have become my...
Pull the tabs!

Get Interactive: Picture books with hands-on storytelling

Jun 27 2013
My favorite kind of picture book is one that encourages interaction. The experience of hearing a story really comes to life when kids can add to it and help make it their own. More and more picture books come with some kind of interactive element these days, but I'll focus on a few of my favorites...
"Raging Bull" movie poster

Sports Builds Character: The Film Guide

Jun 24 2013
Sports movies offer many different avenues to express emotion. Movies that make you feel like floating on clouds as the heroes overcome giant obstacles or movies that delve deeper into the psyche of flawed and interesting individuals can have markedly different personalities. Here is a list of a...
Vicktory Dog Lucas sporting his Best Friends hat

Vicktory Dogs: Tales of pit bull rescues

Jun 24 2013
In April 2007, 51 pit bulls were seized from the Bad Newz Kennels belonging to Michael Vick. At that time, Michael Vick was the star quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, leaving sports fans shocked and animal lovers outraged. A media frenzy ensued and the question arose: What will become of the...

One For The Road: Audiobooks that will grab your attention

Jun 20 2013
Planning a road trip this summer? Audiobooks are a great way to make the drive time more enjoyable and memorable. Here at Anythink, we have a great collection of audiobooks to choose from.  When choosing an audiobook, I pay close attention to the narrator. A great narrator will grab your attention...

Need a Hero?

Jun 17 2013
Have you ever imagined you had superpowers or wished you were a superhero? Most people have. Superhero movies and comics are extremely popular -- from Iron Man to The Green Lantern to Thor. But, for some reason and despite their popularity, superhero comics and movies are sometimes labeled as dorky...
The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred

Bi-lingual Story Time: In the Kitchen

Jun 14 2013
This past winter my family had the chance to visit Mexico. We all tried our best to brush up on our Spanish language skills before we left. We did OK, but I think we'll need more work if we plan to return. Spanish skills aren't just helpful when traveling; they're useful here at home, too. To make...

Second Acts: Inspirational Reads to Inspire Change

Jun 11 2013
Many people I know have been in their careers for more than 20 years, some even retiring from the same company they started with out of college. Often they cannot understand how people today have multiple employers before they even turn 30. I was one of those people. I loved my company and what I...
Hard Boiled Movie Poster

Foreign Action Extravaganza: The Film Guide

May 31 2013
As the summer spectacles roll out I fondly look back at all giant action movies. There are underappreciated films in the genre, many of which have been foreign films in the past few years. With dynamic action scenes and interesting cinematography, these action films all bring something different to...

Bibliophile

May 29 2013
Anythink recently added a new book to its collection titled My Ideal Bookshelf by Thessaly LaForce and Jane Mount. When I first saw this book on the New and Notable shelf, I snatched...
Adaptation Movie Poster

Keeping it Odd: the Film Guide

May 23 2013
There are many odd and interesting films that exist, and here is a list of some movies that have kept it weird. These fall through many different genres and use different art styles, but all have quirky bits that make them notable. Genres can be limiting and these movies prove that. Dystopian...

Warmer weather means fresher food

May 22 2013
Spring is my favorite time of year. I love everything about it. I love the clean smell of the rain, I love feeling the spring sunshine again, and I love seeing the first spring flowers peeking up through the snow. This spring, as the saying goes, has "come in like a lion," and I thought the snow...
Young Anythinker Paige holds a baby chick

Fun with Feathers: Embryology at Anythink

May 14 2013
I had never seen a chick being born. Even when I was a young child living with my parents (and we had a chicken coop in the backyard), my only contact was when I was feeding them or gathering eggs. There was never a situation where I got to see a chick being born. I’m kind of sad about that now. To...

The Summer Road Less Traveled: Books to inspire creative vacations

May 8 2013
This is the time of year when my family starts to plan our summer vacations. I say vacations because we never take an extended tour of any place, but focus our exploits on long weekends that usually involve a road trip. Road trips remind me of my childhood in the station wagon with the fold-up jump...

Fuel for Your Space Dreams

May 2 2013
If you could travel to space, would you? Many people, including myself, have dreamed about becoming an astronaut and visiting outer space. This past Monday, Virgin Galactic, the world's first commercial spaceline, brought that dream one step closer to reality. VG's SpaceShipTwo successfully...

Plain and Simple

Apr 30 2013
I have noticed a growing fascination with all things Amish and I'm wondering why. What is it? Is it the simplistic lifestyle of the Amish that fascinates so many people who are running around, constantly on the go from here to there? Are some people perhaps a little envious of the slower-paced,...

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