I think you've heard me say before that in many ways easy books are the most difficult titles to write. They are most perfect when they are most simple. And they are most simple, when they limit their text complexity. Can you make complex characters and plots with such small words? You can. These did.

Older than easy but not yet novels. The fact of the matter is that while Easy Books are hard to write, Early Chapter Books are hard to categorize. They're also ideal bedtime books for older children, which means that with the European imports you get a lot of experimentation. American early chapter books are pretty much just written to please. Here then are the books written with 6-9 year olds in mind.

This year, ALA established the first Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table (GNCRT). Long gone are the days when we would pooh-pooh anything with a panel or a little sequential art. And so, in celebration of their status, I cast aside the "graphic novel" moniker. Long live, comics! Long live, panels! And long live speech balloons!

Shares of Indian food and grocery delivery firm Swiggy rose 2.5% in their trading debut on Wednesday, after its $1.4 billion IPO last week, but pared initial gains on concerns about its path to profitability. The stock listed at 420 rupees ($4.98) on India's National Stock Exchange, compared to…

Dogecoin shot higher on Tuesday night, extending its postelection surge after President-elect Donald Trump formally announced the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency, which he referred to as "DOGE" in his statement. Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, former Republican…

Examining MicroStrategy’s record-shattering $21bn ATM Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. History, they say, doesn’t repeat, but it often rhymes. Bitcoin-hodling MicroStrategy is an excellent example. In early 2000, MicroStrategy embodied the…

Shares of Indian food delivery giant Swiggy rose nearly 8% on their trading debut Wednesday after its IPO became the country's second largest this year. The company raised 113.27 billion Indian rupees ($1.34 billion) in its IPO that closed Monday, pricing its shares at 390 rupees apiece. The IPO…

At least 10 Ukrainian soldiers died in the Donetsk region after the Kurakhovo Reservoir dam was blown up, TASS reported, citing Russian security forces. The blast flooded nearby areas, trapping soldi...

Rivian and Volkswagen Group have finalized a multi-billion-dollar joint venture to develop software, paving the way to let the German auto giant leverage the EV startup’s more technical chops in the coming years. Volkswagen will invest up to $5.8 billion by 2027, about 16% more than when the deal…

Korea Zinc said on Wednesday it has decided to withdraw its plan to issue new shares worth $1.8 billion after the proposal sparked an investigation by the financial watchdog and a sell-off in the company's stock.

RWE AG announced on Wednesday that its adjusted net income in the first nine months of the fiscal year 2024 decreased by 1.4% annually to reach €1.6 billion. Its external revenue lost 24% in contrast ...

RWE AG announced on Wednesday that its adjusted income in the first nine months of the fiscal year 2024 decreased by 1.4% annually to reach €1.6 billion. Its external revenue lost 4.9% in contrast wit...

More to come......

Shopping for clothing is one of my favorite past times — and with all the early Black Friday apparel sales happening now, it's starting to feel like Christmas morning! Apparel and shoes are seeing some of the biggest markdowns with popular brands like Lululemon, Nike, Adidas, Patagonia and more…

Japan's Mizuho Financial Group will take a 15% stake in Rakuten Group subsidiary Rakuten Card for 165 billion yen ($1.06 billion) in a further deepening of the two companies' strategic alliance, they said on Wednesday.

One expert says Australia is "on the verge of reclaiming childhood after it had been stolen for 15 years."

In This Article: TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Mizuho Financial Group will take a 15% stake in Rakuten Group subsidiary Rakuten Card for 165 billion yen ($1.06 billion) in a further deepening of the two companies' strategic alliance, they said on Wednesday. The share transfer is planned for Dec. 1,…

Access to this page has been denied because we believe you are using automation tools to browse the website. This may happen as a result of the following: - Javascript is disabled or blocked by an extension (ad blockers for example) - Your browser does not support cookies Please make sure that…

Netherlands-based Just Eat Takeaway announced today that it is selling Grubhub to Wonder in a deal valued at $650 million. The company said that it expects the deal to be completed by Q1 2025. “The sale of Grubhub to Wonder will increase the cash generation capabilities of Just Eat Takeaway.com…

In This Article: (Bloomberg) -- The yen weakened beyond 155 per dollar for the first time since July, raising the risk that Japan will enter the currency market to try to slow the depreciation. Most Read from Bloomberg The Japanese currency slid as much as 0.4% to 155.15 against the dollar,…

Bitcoin fell 3.4% in the past 24 hours to trade at $86,855, potentially indicating profit-taking by investors, according to a BRN analyst.

What was Learned? I can not say 2012 has been the best of years to this point, while at the same time several new thing’s have been picked up this year though. Some of the primary thing’s I picked up this year were new techniques pertaining to the SEO industry, time management and Cold Fusion […]

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog. Here’s an excerpt: A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 6,600 times in 2013. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 6 trips to carry that many people. Click here to […]

Steam Deck OLED: Limited Edition White will be available worldwide on November 18th, 2024 at 3PM PST. This model will cost $679 USD, and will be available in all Steam Deck shipping regions, including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong via Komodo.

The post Steam Deck OLED: Limited Edition White, Launching Worldwide on November 18 appeared first on ThinkComputers.org.

AMD's latest gaming handhelds, powered by the Ryzen AI 365 and HX 370 processors, have shown impressive performance benchmarks, surpassing the ASUS ROG Ally X equipped with the Ryzen Z1 Extreme by 15-20%. This marks a significant advancement in portable gaming technology, particularly with the introduction of AMD's Strix Point architecture.

The post AMD Ryzen AI 365/HX 370 Handhelds Outperform ROG Ally X by 15-20% appeared first on ThinkComputers.org.

In this episode, Frak, John, and Melissa do what they had not yet done together as hosts and friends: discuss and unpack J.K. Rowling's harmful rhetoric regarding transgender people. We strongly encourage you to listen to 15.2: Sorting It Out, the episode we released right after her tweet in December, for information and facts on why what she is doing is so difficult to parse. 

Here is a link to the twitter thread we referenced debunking JKR’s statements:

https://twitter.com/carter_andrewj/status/1270787941275762689?s=21

We also touch on the future of the show, and the state of things in the pool. (You'll get it when you listen.)  PotterCast is hoping to recommit to what it did much more in the early days when we didn't all have other jobs: highlighting a wider expanse of fandom, creation, and fun. We appreciate your patience!

In the Drums(tm) we detail our latest videogaming habits!

Join our patreon! http://patreon.com/pottercast - Now, you can also join our Discord community there!

It's our 15-year PotterCast anniversary! WHAT!? This is our live show that we did to celebrate, the video of which you can access at fb.com/pottercast. In this episode, we do some nostalgia, we do some mailbags, we do some Q&A, we play some Quiplash, and we reflect on the magic of the past and the promise of the future.

Here are ways to support the show!
Join our patreon! patreon.com/pottercast - Now, you can also join our Discord community there!

You can also buy PotterCast-related merch at mischiefmerch.com!

When your 2020 wrapped congratulates you on all four episodes of content you produced this year, it must be PotterCast!

Welcome to season 16, in which we are, we swear, on the edge of actually producing this thing at a normal clip. See how it's going to start to work in this episode in which we introduce a few new segments — a bit of opening chatter (including an IN-Depp conversation as Frankie puts it) with your gang, then two new segments: POTTER PONDERINGS (in this episode, we wonder what it takes to make a Hufflepuff go dark) and HEY NETFLIX (in which we pitch spinoff shows about the Potter universe — today, what would we want from a show about the Ministry of Magic?). Then join us to chat in the drums as usual!

~*~

Here are ways to support the show!
Join our patreon! patreon.com/pottercast - Now, you can also join our Discord community there!

You can also buy PotterCast-related merch at mischiefmerch.com!

The internet went crazy today when a rumor seemed to break through about the always-destined Harry Potter television show — specifically that while no series is actually in the works, WB is now officially shopping for writers and pitches for an HBO Max event. We did a quick-and-dirty reaction pod with our three hosts and our good friend Proma Khosla, a longtime LeakyCon staffer and Mashable entertainment reporter, to break down the news, what it means for the franchise, and what the fandom does now. 

Basically, we decided the fandom just needs to get a trillion dollars together and buy the franchise from JKR. 

You can follow Proma on Twitter at @promawhatup  and read her Mashable articles here!

~*~

Don't forget to follow us on @pottercast on Twitter and @pottercastpod on Instagram!

Join our patreon! patreon.com/pottercast - Now, you can also join our Discord community there!

You can also buy PotterCast-related merch at mischiefmerch.com!

Woo hoo it's PotterCast time and it hasn't even been six months! This week, we are talking about what a TV series starring Arthur and Molly would look like, and pondering what you would or should do if you were to wake up as 11 year-old Harry with all seven books' knowledge in your head. Trippy. 

We are still going through all your amazing emails for guest hosting and will be reaching out to people soon! Please also welcome our new editor, Christine Peruski! It's her first time, y'all, and she did a great job!

~*~

This episode's sponsor is LootCrate! Use THIS LINK (http://multitude.productions/lootcrate) and the code POTTERCAST for a 15% discount on your first box!

Don't forget to follow us on @pottercast on Twitter and @pottercastpod on Instagram!

Join our patreon! patreon.com/pottercast - Now, you can also join our Discord community there!

You can also buy PotterCast-related merch at mischiefmerch.com!

This episode was produced by Christine Peruski and Melissa Anelli. Hosts Melissa Anelli, Frank Franco, and John Noe. PotterCast is (c) PotterCast 2005-2021.

Welcome back! This week (or, when we recorded this, so awhile ago) we have lots of Potter news to discuss. In Potter Ponderings, we're also getting into what Muggle work the wizards could or should be taking on. And on Hey Netflix... you know what, you're going to have to tell us.

We are still going through all your amazing emails for guest hosting and will be reaching out to people soon!

~*~
Don't forget to follow us on @pottercast on Twitter and @pottercastpod on Instagram!

Join our patreon! patreon.com/pottercast - Now, you can also join our Discord community there!

You can also buy PotterCast-related merch at mischiefmerch.com!

This episode was produced by Christine Peruski and Melissa Anelli. Hosts Melissa Anelli, Frank Franco, and John Noe. PotterCast is (c) PotterCast 2005-2021.

Happy 2022 and welcome to season 17! This one was recorded a little bit ago, when we got the title of the next Potter movie, but it's chock full of theories and ideas about what could be coming in the third movie. More soon!

We are still going through your emails for guest hosts! Also, we are still looking for editors so if that's you email us at staff@pottercast.com!

Don't forget to follow us on @pottercast on Twitter and @pottercastpod on Instagram!

Join our patreon! patreon.com/pottercast - Now, you can also join our Discord community there!

You can also buy PotterCast-related merch at mischiefmerch.com!

This episode was produced by Christine Peruski. Hosts Melissa Anelli, Frank Franco, and John Noe. PotterCast is (c) PotterCast 2005-2021.

We haven't seen it yet, but we've seen all the trailers and we have THOUGHTS. John, Frak, and Melissa discuss the "Fantastic Beasts: Secrets of Dumbledore" revelations — like the fact that it's almost certainly the last one.

~*~

Don't forget to follow us on @pottercast on Twitter and @pottercastpod on Instagram!

Join our patreon! patreon.com/pottercast - Now, you can also join our Discord community there!

You can also buy PotterCast-related merch at mischiefmerch.com!

This episode was produced by Melissa Anelli. Hosts Melissa Anelli, Frank Franco, and John Noe. PotterCast is (c) PotterCast 2005-2022.

It's every cat's greatest dream to finally catch that red dot. And sometimes they do (meaning we get tired of holding down the laser and pointing). 

Cripes. What a big week. For more details, I direct you to my newsletter which is best for this kind of thing, but in Brief… The Complete Phonogram. 504 pages comprising all three volumes (the first coloured for the first time), all the eighty-odd previously uncollected B-sides and all in an oversized hardback format. If […]

Chelsea’s defense has always occupied one of the central places in the strategy and philosophy of the game. In the..

The post Top 10 Chelsea Defenders of the 21st Century appeared first on Chelsea FC Blog.

Death Stranding Director’s Cut - PlayStation 5 $10.00

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/death-stranding-directors-cut-playstation-5/6471392.p?skuId=6471392

Or "Get 2 for the price of 1" with a selection Xbox, PS, and Switch games:

https://www.amazon.com/promotion/psp/A2E7ICLX5LV22K

Update: Alienwarearena Celebrating Intel® Gamer Days event is over. 

Alienware Arena

New Topic:

Earn up to 1000 Dell Reward Points(DRP) Every Week by playing the spaceship game after completing 4 DAILY QUESTS.

Earn additional ARP/DRP by logging daily via the Monthly Advent Calendar reward. (Day 20,26 for DRP)

Alienware Reward Points(ARP) can be redeemed for MARKETPLACE rewards for physical/digital products.

Tier rewards: You can choose to claim one game each month provided you have enough ARP and Tier status.

100 DRP = $1 Dell Credit 

1 APR = up to ~2cents

 Points expire on the 15th day of the 4th month after earn date.
 

*NOTE: Linking reward account

When registering with Alienware make sure to use the same email address that you use for Dell.

Extra: Earn 100 DRP by Logging into your Dell Reward profile(Earn once a week, Reset every Monday)

Melon Game via Eneba has 13-Months Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Subscription via Xbox Live Gold Conversion (Digital Delivery) on sale starting from ~$56 when you follow the instructions below.

• Note: Offer valid for New or Expired Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers only. For current/active Game Pass Ultimate Members, check this thread.

Deal Instructions:

• Click here to visit the 3-Month Xbox Live Gold Membership product page.
• Click 'Buy Now' on the product page
• In cart, add 5x additional units to your cart (for a total of 6x 3-Month Subscription Cards)
• Click on "Got discount code?" and apply code GoldUS
• Proceed to checkout with 6x 3-Month Xbox Live Gold Membership subscriptions
• Select PayPal or Credit Card as your payment method
  • Note, a service fee will apply here
• Your total should be ~$44.64 (price might vary slightly due to currency exchange volatility)
• Next, click here to redeem your 6x 3-Months Xbox Live Gold codes to your Microsoft account
  • Note: Opt out of 'Recurring billing'
• Next, Join Xbox Game Pass Ultimate by purchasing a 1-Month subscription from GCMGAMES via Eneba for ~$11.14 (price after service fee).
• Next, click here to redeem your 1-Month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate code to your Microsoft account
• You will be prompted to upgrade your Xbox Live Gold to Game Pass Ultimate with a 3:2 conversion. You will have 12+1 month of Game Pass Ultimate after conversion.
• Final total price for 13-Month Game Pass Ultimate membership after conversion should be ~$56

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion

https://www.play-asia.com/crisis-core-final-fantasy-vii-reunion-multi-language/13/70fivr?tagid=16202

Abyss of the Sacrifice 

https://www.play-asia.com/abyss-of-the-sacrifice-multi-language/13/70dr1n?tagid=16202

PlayStation $100 GC $90 w/coupon: FTTCX9645

Xbox $100 GC $88 w/coupon: FTTCX9426

Nintendo $50 GC $45 w/coupong: FTTCX9425

Sonic MotherBoard $189.99

All Gaming items at Fantastech Sale

Everything at NewEgg's Fantastech Sale

My Best Buy Plus and Total members get:

• Get a free extra controller with an Xbox Series X console

• Save $60 on Xbox Series X Diablo IV bundle. 

• Save $400 or $700 on select Samsung gaming monitors.

• Save $30 on Elite Series 2 wireless controllers for Xbox.

https://cag.vg/memberdeals

My Best Buy Membership info