6/3/2023 0 Comments Epic books for kid![]() Minerva Keen’s Detective Club by James Patterson and Keir Graff Sad and beautifully written, this is a magnificent tribute to elephants and the youngest member of this multi-animal family. Ruby’s story is heartbreaking because it’s close to the truth of how elephants are treated– hunted, abused, and separated from their families. Ruby’s new aunties help her to honor Stella, and it helps Ruby realizes that Stella was with her all along…and that she IS ready for the Tuskday growing up ceremony. Also, Ruby shares that she misses her beloved auntie Stella. After that, Ruby was rescued and cared for by a kind man, then captured again by greedy black-market animal traders and sent to the zoo in the mall, where they all met. ![]() So s he tells her uncles (Bob and Ivan) about her life before, her life in Africa when she was happy and loved until hunters slaughtered her herd. ![]() It’s an epic animal adventure of danger, bravery, and exploration!Įven though her aunties are excited, Ruby is dreading Tuskday because she associates tusks with the pain of hunters. When our hero Wix leaves to scout more food, he discovers the rat’s betrayal, dangerous predators, including hawks and crows, and a strange beaver kingdom. The house mice are scrounging to survive from what the humans left, but there isn’t enough food for their community. I love the art in this graphic novel about a post-apocalyptic time with no humans and only animals. Written in verse, this is an unflinching, emotionally-charged look at disordered eating and body dysmorphia. He concludes that it’s not his job to change, to bend or twist to what others want, but only to be himself. As he grapples with his identity and makes a new friend, Will begins to realize that he’s a work in progress and eating, his body size, and his shape aren’t bad. He eats away the sadness and doesn’t eat to try to fix it, and it’s a horrible cycle. Will is self-loathing about his body size, which makes his eating even more disordered. And as Mila pursues her goal, she learns that she can be herself…and that, in the end, her other friends really do accept her for who she is. Even still, she and her friend Ajay work to expose the chefs with a little help from her Philipino folk-magic potions. ![]() Her favorite celebrity chefs arrive in town to open a restaurant across the street, but they’ve stolen the food truck’s menu and recipes! Mila’s determined to prove the theft, but it’s difficult with no power or influence. All you need to do is decide which book to read first! 10 New Middle Grade Books, May 2023Ī delicious story with a determined heroine who overcomes the odds against her! Mila loves helping her dad at his food truck of Philiipoino Indian fusion food. As always, there’s something for everyone. If you’re looking for new middle grade books, this May brings new titles with fantastic stories and topics! You’ll find magic, murder, mystery, heartbreak, and body size issues. ![]()
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![]() ![]() It's just too funny when Lorca is addressing the severed head, and even more so when the head is seen to speak! A pretty good finish and highly amusing gore and creature effects add to the appeal of this movie which if not great is still pretty good. Familiar faces Alfonso Carvajal as tribe leader Ramu and Bruno Punzalan as henchman Razak are fun, but not as much as Garcia, who seems to be relishing his role Lorca cheerfully discloses at one point that he's "madder than ever". Yarnall, known for appearances in movies like "Live a Little, Love a Little", "The Velvet Vampire", and "The Mechanic", is super sexy and a commendably, fairly feisty type, and Liza Belmonte is also a real looker as helpful local Laida. The acting basically gets the job done, with Ashley effective as the stolid hero. But, as with any of these Filipino horror movies, the inherent atmosphere of the locale comes through strong, and accompanied by the expectedly (and endearingly) grandiose music by Tito Arevalo, "Beast of Blood" does have the perfect "midnight movie" feel to it, and does have the legendary Eddie Romero in its director's chair if you watch enough of these movies, Romero's is one name you'll start to see repeatedly. Lorca is keeping the severed head of the monster alive in his lab, for one thing! This is overall not as much fun as one might wish it to be, as it has a mostly uneventful first half, and the movie does mostly consist of a trek / pursuit through the jungle. Lorca, now played by Filipino film veteran Eddie Garcia, is very much alive and still up to no good. He's now in the company of nosey, stubborn reporter Myra Russell (Celeste Yarnall) and a captain played by Beverly Miller (Miller also concocted the story for this entry). Bill is rescued, and one year later he returns to the island upon hearing stories of what may still be going on there, even though the villainous Dr. Bill Foster (John Ashley) is sailing away from the island when the monster of "Mad Doctor" causes the destruction of the boat. "Beast of Blood" picks up where its predecessor, "Mad Doctor of Blood Island", leaves off, so in essence both movies are one long story. Definitely worth seeing especially as part of a double feature with Mad Doctor of Blood Island. What can I say, I took it on its own terms and I liked it, high art its not. Its not bad, but if you are expecting a straight horror film you may end up very disappointed, despite a great monster. Some of Lorca's victims do cause mayhem, but the majority of the film concerns trying to find Lorca and the kidnapped reporter. The man-beast is effectively off camera for most of the film following the opening battle (I have to say the make up here is infinitely better than in Mad Doctor). Sure there are some horrifying moments, but on some level this is more an adventure/ mystery film than a real horror movie. A sequel it is, but its not as scary (nor as gory nor as titillating). What it was missing was the set up that the first film gives it.If you watch the two films together I think you'll find it a better film than when it's viewed all alone. I was never a big fan of this film prior to the back to back viewing because I always felt that it was missing something. Finally watching this in close proximity to Mad Doctor I found that the film plays much better than it does as a stand alone film. ![]() It isn't long before its realized that Dr Lorca is back and up to his old tricks. On the island Ashley finds that many people he believed dead survived the final battle of the first film and that some how the "green men" have returned. A year or so later Ashley heads back to Blood Island to investigate stories that weird things have begun to happen again despite the death of the evil Dr Lorca. As John Ashley waxes poetic about his time on the island fighting monsters the man beast from the first film appears (he was seen to have secreted himself in a lifeboat at the end of Mad Doctor) and a battle occurs which destroys the ship and leaves Ashley as the only survivor. ![]() Literally picking up hours after the first film, the film begins on the boat sailing away from Blood Island. Its the fourth (or third if you don't count the unrelated Terror is a Man) in the Blood Island saga. This the direct sequel to Mad Doctor of Blood Island. ![]() ![]() ![]() To preview all animation effects on the slide, on the Animations tab, under Preview, click Play. Hold down CONTROL, click the motion path on the slide, and then on the shortcut menu, click Close Curve. Hold down CONTROL, click the motion path on the slide, and then on the shortcut menu, click Open Curve. On the Animations tab, under Animation Options, click Reorder, and then click the animation that you want. To select an animation effect that is in a numbered stack, you must view the full list of animation effects on the slide. If two animation effects are set to play at the same time, they are represented by a numbered stack. Release the mouse button to stop drawing the path.Įach animation effect is represented on the slide by a number next to the object, which indicates the order that it will play in. Release the mouse button to stop drawing the path.ĭraw a path that appears hand-drawn, or scribbledĬlick the position on the slide where you want to start the path, hold down the mouse button, and then drag the pointer in any direction. Double-click at any point to stop drawing the path.Ĭlick the position on the slide where you want to start the path, hold down the mouse button, and then drag the pointer in a direction to draw a straight line. Click wherever you want to change between these drawing methods. Or, click and then hold down the mouse as your move the mouse in any direction to draw a path that appears hand-drawn. Double-click at any point to stop drawing the path.ĭraw a freeform path that includes straight linesĬlick the position on the slide where you want to start the path, move the pointer in a direction to draw a straight line, and then click at any point that you want to create a corner. Click wherever you want a curve apex in the path. To draw the motion path that you selected, do one the following:Ĭlick the position on the slide where you want to start the path, and then move the pointer along a line. On the Animations tab, under Motion, click Paths, and then click Draw Curve, Draw Freeform, Draw Line, or Draw Scribble. Select the text or object that you want to apply an animation effect to. The arrows that show the motion path when you are editing the animation are not visible to your audience during the slide show. To change a custom path once you've drawn it:Ĭontrol+click or right-click the custom path and click Edit Points. If you selected a Curve or Freeform path:Ĭlick the start point, and then click each time you want to begin a change of direction.Ĭlick and hold the mouse button to trace the shape you want, and then release the button when you're done. The drawing method is different depending on the type of path you choose. To draw a custom path animation, select the object you want to animate and click Animations > Path Animations, and then select an option under Custom. The animation now moves the graphic from the least visible place on the slide (lower right) to the most visible (upper left). Move your cursor over the animation end-point until it changes to a double arrow with a line through it, and then click and drag to the lower-right corner of the slide.įinally, click Effect Options > Reverse Path Direction. With the rectangle still selected, click Animations > Path Animation, and then under Basic, click Turn.Īfter the animation preview is finished and click Effect Options on the Animations tab, and then click Down Right. On a blank slide, click Insert > Shapes > Rectangle (or another shape if you prefer), and then click in the upper-left corner of the slide to insert it. In the following example, we'll apply a Turn path animation to a graphic, use Effect Options to change the direction of the path, and then we'll use Reverse Path Direction to get the final look we want.Įxample: applying a predefined path animation to a graphic ![]() In most cases, using one of the basic path animations is a perfect choice for adding interest to your slide. Using custom paths Using predefined paths ![]() Choose a predefined path and modify it to fit your needs, or draw your own custom path animation: ![]() 6/3/2023 0 Comments Snail lifespan![]() ![]() Make sure the Ivory Snail has both eyes and all of its tentacles. Along these lines, look to avoid a snail laying upside down or floating on the surface of the water, as these can be signs that the Ivory Snail is dead or dying. Avoid Ivory Snails if they are laying motionless on the bottom of the tank. Also make sure the Ivory Snail is moving, or at least stuck on the glass or other hard surfaces. What to look for: When buying Ivory Snails look for snails that have healthy, non-cracked, non-pitted off-white color shells. This interesting creamy white and orange color combination can really stand out against lush green plants, black substrate or a black background. Its body and foot color are also off-white, with orange spots accenting the top of its head and mouth. An Ivory Snail shell color is off-white, creamy and smooth in texture. Ivory Snails are becoming more popular, and are often readily available in pet stores these days. Our products have been ordered by educational groups, aquariums, zoos, and more.An Ivory Snail is an interesting freshwater aquarium snail to keep. All products from CWG are checked for quality to ensure you receive the order in perfect condition.įrom plush sharks to educational animal growths cycle we offer the perfect toy or gift for any occasion. Our team works hard to ensure you get a great toy. We are happy to serve our wide range of clientele from parents to educators, gift shop owners and many more! Our products make great gifts for your family and friends! Additionally, our lifelike animal figurines and plush make for great displays and educational sets. As a snail grows older, it adds whorls (rings) to its shell in order to accommodate its growing body.Ĭollectible Wildlife Gifts is the market leader in providing high quality, realistic toys of all types! Every one of our items is heavily inspected for quality craftsmanship and authenticity. You can tell the age of a snail by looking at its shell. In some rare cases, they were observed to live even up to 25 years. However, in a safe environment, snail’s lifespan can go much longer to somewhere between 10-15 years. Most snail species live between 2 and 7 years in nature. ![]() The female snail will lay her eggs in a safe place, and then both snails will protect the eggs until they hatch. Once the snail finds a mate, they will start the process of reproduction. T he adult snail life revolves around finding food, finding a mating partner, laying eggs and generally trying to survive. At this stage, the young snail is becoming and adult snail and also starting to look for a mate. As the young snail grows, its shell is also growing larger and larger and in addition, becoming stronger.Īdult, surviving its first few weeks and growing to about half the size of an adult snail, the young snail will start to develop its reproductive organs. The young snail will continue with his search for food – preferably types of food that are high in calcium – and attempting to avoid predators. After a few days, the baby snail will start to look for food on its own. In addition to eating his own egg’s remains, it might also eat shells of other snail eggs around him or even unhatched eggs. The baby snail will spend its first few days feeding on the egg sac that it was born from – as an excellent source of calcium. ![]() It is initially colorless or translucent, but it will start to develop its own color as it grows older. The baby snail looks like a miniature version of the adult snail, and it is already starting to develop its shell. They are often eaten by predators, other snails or even humans (known as snail caviar).īaby Snail, The next stage in the snail life cycle is the baby snail. However, only a small percentage of those will have the opportunity to hatch. The eggs are usually in groups of 80-100. The snail, even inside the egg, already has its shell. Snail’s eggs take about two weeks to hatch, and during this time, the snail egg will develop a thin, protective layer called the operculum. Some snail eggs are even sticky, so that they can attach to surfaces. They can be above the ground or below the ground, depending on the type of snail and the habitat. In order to explain each stage, we will divide the snail life cycle to four stages: Unfortunately, because they are fragile, slow and have low defensive mechanisms, most land snails will not complete their full cycle and die or get eaten.Įggs, are small and round and they are usually white or translucent. They all go through the same stages during their life cycle. There are many different species of land snails and freshwater snails. Snails are interesting creatures that can be found all over the world. ![]() |