Bersih 3.0

~ Posted on Saturday, April 28, 2012 at 12:28 AM ~

To my friends & relatives who are participating in the Bersih 3.0 event on 28th April,

please be careful, stay on alert and stay safe.

Just be careful please.

God bless us all and Malaysia.

Image credit: Google search

2 Corinthians 13:11 (NIV) Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

Romans 12:17 (NIV) Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.

James 3:18 (NIV) Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness

Book Review - Branded (Ms D. Perdue Henderson)

~ Posted on Saturday, April 28, 2012 at 12:05 AM ~

Sometime in mid March this year, I received a request  from the author to review her book. I decided to check it out and the plot seems interesting. And then I decided to review it once I read the comments left by the author which is as below:

"The reason I wrote Branded is to bring awareness to the fact kids are kidnapped every day and not by family members. I understand the subject of child abduction for sex trade is difficult for some people to accept, but it is a reality in today's world. Thousands are reported missing every year and found on the internet naked, against their will.

Most people know that kids get kidnapped and some are even killed. They feel bad for them, but think they're exempt from getting involved. But, if this problem is ever going to go away we need to get involved as a community. People care, that's obvious, but sometimes they just need to be reminded to be pro-active too."  So here goes my review for the "Branded" book:

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Title: Branded
Author: Ms D. Perdue Henderson

Publisher: CreateSpace (February 12, 2011)
ISBN-13/-10:  978-1456476113 / 1456476114
Paperback:  166 pages
Dimension:  6 x 9 x 0.4 inches

Description from the product page:
"Amy Collins is your typical everyday 12 year old, awkward, self-conscious, and innocent in the ways of sex and sexual relations. She has problems dealing with a new school, getting to places on time and dealing with a brother that loves to antagonize her. Little did she know that her life was about to change and get a bit more complicated.

One day, as she was walking home from school, she was thrown into a parked van and tied up. Then she was locked in an attic, drugged, beaten, raped, and required to work in a sex camp for the next 5 years, forcing her to grow up faster than expected.
This is a story about her experiences, what she did, how she coped, who she made friends with, and who she fell in love with."

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This book is about a 12 year old girl name Amy Collins who got abducted and being forced into prostitution.  As you read on, you find out how she tried to understand what happened and why she was targetted, how she attempted to escape few times and then decided to stay on, how she coped with her new life and identity and how years later on she emerged from her ordeal.

I do feel disappointed when reading how close Amy was to her freedom but she decided to stay put. There are certain parts in the book which I felt are unnecessary or deserved longer plot - such as how Amy took over the operations and the way she handled the business for the brief period was a bit too general and seems too easy.

In my opinion, this book is worth reading but do expect a twist at the end!

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You can get this book from Amazon .

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I received no monetary compensation for this review, I was provided with a PDF copy of the book by the author in order to facilitate my review. All opinions expressed in this post are my own. Please do your own research when purchasing products, as your opinions may differ from mine. And if you'd like to read my previous book reviews, you can do so by reading this post of mine called "My Book Reviews"

I'm a full-time mummy

iPad App Review - The Berenstain Bears' BIG Bedtime Book

~ Posted on Friday, April 27, 2012 at 7:43 AM ~

Wow! I go ga-ga over apps with the word 'collection' or 'big book' in it. When I saw the press release for this app, I immediately requested for it! Another reason why I wanted to review this app is because Jan Berenstain, who with her husband, Stan, wrote and illustrated the Berenstain Bears books that have charmed preschoolers and their parents for 50 years, died few months ago and I think it would be nice to have a collection of the stories kept in my iPad for my children to treasure. Anyway, my review as below...

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* Title: The Berenstain Bears' BIG Bedtime Book
* Price: $5.99
* Category: Books
* Released: Apr 04, 2012
* Current Version: 1.08
* Size: 57.6 MB
* Language: English
* Seller: Oceanhouse Media, Inc.
* Rated: 4+
* Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.Requires iOS 3.0 or later

Description from the product page:

"When Mama and Papa Bear go out for the night, Brother and Sister aren't too sad. Why? Because they have wonderful Mrs. Grizzle—the best babysitter and storyteller ever!

The Berenstain Bears' BIG Bedtime Book features six original bedtime stories from Mrs. Grizzle's beloved collection. So climb into bed and experience bedtime at the bears' treehouse! This app includes:
* Little Red Grizzly Hood: A little cub visits her grandmother in the woods and encounters a very tricky wolf.
* The Three Billy Goats Gruff Meet the Bogg Brothers: Three goat brothers are determined to outsmart the hungry inhabitants under the bridge.
* The Three Little Cubs and the Big Bad Pig: The three little cubs see how their special houses, built from their favorite treats, fare against a very hungry pig.
* The Gingerbread Bear: Grandma and grandpa bear are in for a surprise when their freshly baked gingerbread bear hops right off the pan!
* Goldibear and the Three People: Goldibear strays too far outside the forest and encounters some terrifying creatures - people!
* The Little Red Hen: The little red hen enlists the help of the duck, the cat, and the pig to plant and harvest the wheat.
"

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I have some of the Berenstain Bears' story apps on my iPad such as "The Berenstain Bears Trim the Tree", "The Berenstain Bears’ Bedtime Battle" and "The Berenstain Bears Do Their Best".

What's good?

* It is engaging and interactive and I love that we can also touch the objects in each page on the screen and the words pop out to tell you what it is!

* I like the concept of the stories in this app! I initially thought it will be just the replica of the folklore stories (such as Three Little Pigs) remake into Bears instead of Pigs, but hey, turns out, the stories came with a twist and a very cute lesson to learn from!

* Our personal favorites in this app have got to be the "The Gingerbread Bear" and "The Three Little Cubs and the Big Bad Pig"!

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You can purchase the "The Berenstain Bears' BIG Bedtime Book" app from the iTunes App Store.

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I received no monetary compensation for this review, I was provided with the promo code by the sponsor to redeem the application for free from iTunes Store in order to facilitate my review. All opinions expressed in this post are my own. Please do your own research when purchasing products, as your opinions may differ from mine. And if you'd like to read my previous iPad Apps reviews, you can do so by reading this post of mine called "My iPad App Reviews"

I'm a full-time mummy