Children's Book Review: When I Grow Up by Jason Bardwell

When I Grow Up!

Author: Jason Bardwell

Publisher: Amazon CreateSpace

Date: October 5, 2012





About The Author
Jason Bardwell is an independent author and artist who has written and published two children's books. I recently read and posted a review of his first book ~ Beware of the Teacher!

I Wonder What I'll Be?
Children are often asked what they want to be when they grow up. This picture book provides a nice selection of occupations that children will want to learn more about.

The book begins with a confused young man thinking about all the possibilities that he will consider in the future. The color illustrations show the same young man on each page of the book dressed in appropriate clothes for his occupation.

He might be a game show host, astronaut, scientist, teacher....the sky is the limit! The author invites the young reader to draw a picture of himself doing the job he is dreaming about on the last page of the book. The author shares his address and asks the reader to write comments about the book and send him the picture in the mail.

My Thoughts
Many children are encouraged to think about their future career path at an early age. This book will spark the imaginations of young readers and open many doors of opportunity for future research and learning.

Young readers will love the full-page color pictures of the same young man through-out the book. At the end of the story, the young man realizes that it doesn't matter what kind of job he does, he will always be a unique individual with special talents and skills.

I really like the author's invitation to interact with his readers. Children will enjoy writing a letter to the author (with a little help from a parent or teacher) and sharing their unique drawing.

This book offers an entertaining opportunity to explore future career opportunities and practice some art and writing skills. I highly recommend this book for pre-school and early elementary children.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

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Post Grad - A Movie Review

I recently saw the movie Post Grad and would like to share my thoughts about it. This is a romantic comedy that takes place during the economic recession that we are dealing with right now. Many people should be able to relate to the frustration, anger and even desperation that plagues Ryden Malby, the main character in this movie.

Ryden has done everything right in planning a successful future. She graduates from college with excellent grades and has her heart set on a job as an editor at a big publishing company. She doesn't get her dream job and she soon realizes that she will have to move back home with her eccentric family until she can afford to get a place of her own.

The Malby family is a real hoot. Her father, Walter Malby, is always getting into some kind of hilarious situation. Walter backs over a neighbor's cat and presides over the cat funeral and burial. He also spends a night in jail for buying "hot" belt buckles on eBay and trying to sell them. Ryden's paternal grandmother, Maureen Malby, is a real delight. Maureen is played by Carol Burnett and I have been a Carol Burnett fan for a long, long time.

Ryden goes through several terrible jobs before she is finally hired at the large publishing company that she had her heart set on. She loves her job and finds herself working long hours. The problem is, she also has a guy friend who has been in love with her for years. Ryden does not realize how much she cares about Adam until she loses him. When Adam moves across the country to attend law school at Columbia, Ryden has a decision to make.

Does love trump career? Does Ryden leave her dream job and move to New York to be with Adam? What would you do?

This was an enjoyable movie that has some good laughs and some job searching situations that many people (young and older) can relate to . There are some slow parts during the show where I found myself snoozing off (I do that sometimes when I am sitting in a dark, quiet room.) I was kind of hoping for a different ending for Ryden, but it appears that young women are still willing to give up everything to keep a man. Been there, none that.

MOVIE RATING: 2.5 Stars (Out Of Four Stars)

The Power Of Who By Bob Beaudine - A Review

The Power of Who; You Already Know Everyone You Need To Know by Bob Beaudine teaches us a new way to think about business and personal networking.

Mr. Beaudine says, "Networking as we know it is crap. It doesn't work!" He explains that it is a waste of time to depend on acquaintances or strangers to help us achieve our goals or find our dream job. The better strategy is to focus on our inner circle of friends and family members. These are the people that believe in us and want to see us succeed.

The "100/40 Strategy" says the average person could make a list of 100 people they have known during their life. You are then told to make a list of 40 things you want to do and accomplish in life. You can then connect the dots and use the people from the "Who" list to help achieve goals on the "What" list.

Mr. Beaudine is a wonderful storyteller and shares some fascinating personal experiences in this book. One of the most poignant lessons that he shares is "Clue 4 - Rejection" in Chapter 6. He tells of a high school basketball coach that called him off the bench and into a game when the team was 18 points behind and two minutes left before the final buzzer. Bob miraculously scored 10 points in less than one minute. The coach called a time out and yelled, "Beaudine - you hog! Get off the court. First team, you're in!" The team lost, 50 - 42.

Mr. Beaudine acknowledges that there are "hog callers" and "dream killers" everywhere. They have no appreciation for your gifts and talents. "Go where you're celebated, not just tolerated." Your "Who" are your real friends who love you and want to see you succeed.

I have decided to apply the concepts in this book to my own life. I want to re-connect with friends that I have neglected in the past few years. I will nurture and treasure my "Who" in a new way. Thank you, Mr. Beaudine!