Wednesday, March 31, 2010

“For fun family time, some board games that are worth a try (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)” plus 2 more

“For fun family time, some board games that are worth a try (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)” plus 2 more

For fun family time, some board games that are worth a try (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

Posted: 30 Mar 2010 03:31 PM PDT

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Bowl for kids sake (The Simcoe Reformer)

Posted: 30 Mar 2010 07:59 AM PDT

Posted By JACOB ROBINSON TIMES-REFORMER

Posted 1 day ago

There was an Olympic-sized effort put forth by organizers, sponsors and players at the Bowl for Kids Sake event Sunday in Simcoe, which was perfect because the 2010 Winter Games just happened to be the theme.

The 'Do You Believe...' slogan became more of statement, as red and white clad bowlers, teams, sponsors and volunteers combined to raise more than $30,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Haldimand and Norfolk despite what some experts may have forecasted.

"We've gotten our name out there -- they were saying that 2010 is the year that charities are going to get hit from the economy, I'd like to know which charities they're talking about because we're doing well," said Carrie Stratford, resource coordinator of Big Brothers Big Sisters. "We're really out there in the community and they really support us which is great."

This was the second time the organization has booked the Whitehorse Family Entertainment Centre for both Saturday night and Sunday morning time slots. The former has been such a hit that it's forced an expansion.

"It seems that the Saturday night -everybody likes it. It's a good chance to get out, have fun and you can make a night of it, so it really seems to be working out," said Stratford.

"(Next year) we're going to expand on the Saturday and probably start later on Sunday."

A host of local dignitaries were on hand, and in adding to the Olympic theme, local resident and torch bearer Sue Veltri attended. Not only did Veltri come dressed in her attire from when she was part of the relay through Simcoe on Dec. 22, she also had the torch she carried, prompting Stratford to exclaim, "It works so well it's fantastic, I wish the Olympics happened every year."

The torch was a hit, especially among the youngsters in the crowd, which is exactly what the event itself is designed for.

"There's lots of kids out there that really need that support in their life -that role model, someone to look up to and have fun with," said Todd Knechtel, an in-school mentor with Big Brothers and player with Norfolk County bowling team.

"I wanted to give to the community and knew of this program and thought 'What a great way.' It's a very small commitment, just one hour a week ... with the little time that I could give, it was very valuable in a huge way."

Knechtel is paired with little buddy Charlie. The two meet to do a variety of activities, and learn from one another.

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"It's actually been pretty fun I think," said Charlie. "We usually play sports in our gym, and we'll play board games and stuff ."

As they readied to hit the lanes, Charlie wasn't about to go easy on Knechtel.

"I actually really like the bowling, because I get to beat him," he said with a laugh. "And I find it exciting because I usually don't get to go out that much bowling and stuff ."

Big Brothers and Big Sisters currently have more than 50 children on the waiting list, and thanks to events like Bowl for Kids, they may soon become active participants.

"Without fundraising, without the community being so generous and giving, it would make it very challenging for them to run these special programs like the one that Charlie and I are in," said Knechtel. "Fundraising is so huge, and it's more and more challenging each year, so with people supporting such a great cause, it's invaluable to Big Brothers and Big Sisters."

To get involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters Haldimand Norfolk, log on to bbbshn.ca.

Jacob Robinson

519-426-3528 ext. 121 jrobinson@bowesnet.com

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Books for Kids | Tales offer big-league pleasure (The Columbus Dispatch)

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 05:34 AM PDT

With another season of Major League Baseball set to open Sunday, a new Mike Lupica novel for young readers, The Batboy, is well-timed.

The New York Daily News sports writer and ESPN commentator - whose previous books for young readers include Heat and Travel Team - has a knack for pace and plotting, especially when describing critical moments in big games.

The Batboy looks at both teen travel ball and the major leagues through the eyes of 14-year-old Brian, a good-but-not-great player who has landed his dream job: batboy for the Detroit Tigers.

The Tigers, including a player whom Brian has worshipped all his life, are fictional, but their personalities and the issues faced seem authentic.

Most perplexing is Brian's hero, Hank Bishop, a slugger suspended for steroid use who has returned to professional baseball. When Brian meets Bishop and stammers out his admiration, the hitter smiles broadly and says, "Was I talking to anybody?"

"Were you?" Brian says. "No, sir."

"Then don't talk to me," Bishop says.

Other players are far more civil to the boy - including a shortstop who secretly dispatches Brian to McDonald's for the junk food he craves in defiance of the manager's health-food orders.

Brian spends the summer with the Tigers, his own team and his mom.

His dad, a former major leaguer, left long ago and maintains almost no contact with his son.

Lupica, who frequently addresses father-son themes in his stories, deals realistically with another troubled relationship in The Batboy.

At the same time, he captures the thrill of a sport that makes kids such as Brian love the game.

Other new baseball titles

• All Star!: Honus Wagner and the Most Famous Baseball Card Ever (Philomel, 32 pages, $17.99, ages 6 to 10) by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Jim Burke: One of the greatest players of all time was Honus Wagner, born homely and bowlegged to a poor Pennsylvania coal-mining family. Accompanied by Burke's large oil-painted illustrations, All Star explains how Wagner became one of the greatest shortstops - and how a rare baseball card sold for nearly $3 million in 2007.

• No Easy Way: The Story of Ted Williams and the Last .400 Season (Dutton, 32 pages, $16.99, ages 6 to 10) by Fred Bowen, illustrated by Charles S. Pyle: In 1941, the summer before a lot of major leaguers went off to fight in World War II, Ted Williams hit .406 - as the last player to hit above .400 for a season. Bowen makes the tale exciting and easy to understand for young readers. The illustrations are a mix of the animated paintings by Pyle and photographs of Williams.

ngilson@dispatch.com

The Batboy: (Philomel, 256 pages, $17.99, age 10 and older) by Mike Lupica

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