The new iPad, which launched on Friday, sold three million units over the weekend. “The new iPad features a stunning new Retina™ display, Apple’s new A5X chip with quad-core graphics, a 5 megapixel iSight® camera with advanced optics for capturing amazing photos and 1080p HD video, and still delivers the same all-day 10 hour battery […]Read more "Digital Potpourri 3/20"

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/12/nyregion/nonfiction-curriculum-enhanced-reading-skills-in-new-york-city-schools.html The results of a promising study in New York were released last week (link above) showing that a reading curriculum based on developing nonfiction reading skills creates stronger readers. Are we surprised? The study was designed by the Core Knowledge people and takes place in an environment in which states are adopting the Common […]Read more "Nonfiction Reading: Did We Know This Already?"

Congratulations to The Carusos! They are the winners of Meltdown! The Nuclear Disaster in Japan and Our Energy Future by Dr. Fred Bortz! This week,two lucky winners will receive copies of The Knife and the Butterfly by Ashley Hope Pérez! After a marijuana-addled brawl with a rival gang, 16-year-old Azael wakes up to find himself […]Read more "Free Book Friday!"

Recently I came across an article on modern etiquette (or lack thereof) that, at first glance, might seem to have Cranky Old Journalist written all over it. As in, “Kids these days . . .” with a disappointed shake of the head. But I found it substantive and interesting. Go take a look:  The Etiquette […]Read more "Etiquette, Civility, and Citizenship"

Some interesting reads from the book and publishing world, and more. The 20 Most Beautiful Bookstores in the World “With Amazon slowly taking over the publishing world and bookstores closing left and right, things can sometimes seem a little grim for the brick and mortar booksellers of the world. After all, why would anyone leave […]Read more "Digital Potpourri"

As Dr. Fred and I were talking about his Fukushima anniversary blog entry, we shared information about some amazing artistic endeavors that have come out of the disaster. I’m always in awe of and impressed by the way people turn instinctively to the arts to make sense of tragedy. Here are a few of the […]Read more "Fukushima One Year Later: Art to the Rescue"

Domenica asked author Fred Bortz for his thoughts on the one-year anniversary of the nuclear and natural disasters in Japan, which he discusses in his new TFCB title Meltdown! The Nuclear Disaster in Japan and Our Energy Future (interior spread above; cover below). Here’s what he has to share with our readers. A year ago […]Read more "Deciphering the Lessons of Fukushima"

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Congratulations to Erika (@MoonlightReview) and Karen Benson‏ (@Kobenson)! They are the winners of Draw the Dark and Drowning Instinct! This week in honor of the first anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated the Tohoku region in Japan, we are giving away a copy of Meltdown! The Nuclear Disaster in Japan and Our Energy […]Read more "Free Book Friday!"