PICTURE BOOK - I Pledge Allegiance by Pat Mora & Libby Martinez

Illustrated by Patrice Barton

2014, Alfred A. Knopf

available in paper ($7.99) and HC ($16.99)

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  3.97 - 234 ratings

My rating: 4

Endpapers: A large, faint American flage with the words of the pledge in bold font

1^st line/s:  'On Monday when I get to school, my teacher, Mrs. Adams, asks, "Did your great-aunt pass her test?"'

My comments: A good story and I very much enjoyed the illustrations.  Ms. Mora and Ms. Martinez collaborate on this story based on their great-aunt, who they called Lobo,  who became an American citizen in her late 70s.  It's also a story about memorizing The Pledge of Allegiance - both remembering the words and thinking about what they mean.  Very much recommended.

Goodreads:  Patriotism across the generations as a little girl and her great aunt learn the Pledge of Allegiance together.
     Libby's great aunt, Lobo, is from Mexico, but the United States has been her home for many years, and she wants to become a U.S. citizen. At the end of the week, Lobo will say the Pledge of Allegiance at a special ceremony. Libby is also learning the Pledge this week, at school-at the end of the week, she will stand up in front of everyone and lead the class in the Pledge. Libby and Lobo practice together-asking questions and sharing stories and memories-until they both stand tall and proud, with their hands over their hearts.

MOVIE - Don Jon

R (1:30)

Wide release 9/27/2013

Viewed at El Con, alone

RT Critic: 83  Audience: 70

Cag: 5/Loved it - I've changed it from 4.5/Liked it a lot (or even more than a lot)

Written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Relativity Media

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johanssen, Julianne Moore

My comments:  Yup, I liked this one a lot.  I'm writing this a few weeks after seeing the movie, and I still remember details...details of the relationship between the two protagonists, the weekly Sunday dinners around the dinner table when Jon visits his parents and younger sister, and the relationship that you watch grow between Gordon-Levitt's character and Julianne Moore's character.  Even the fact that Jon only attends night classes because his girlfriend "requires" him to and he is somewhat successful adds to the dimension of his personality.  I love the way the story...and the character's individual stories....unfolded.  This was a really good one. And although pornography is the startling centerpiece of the movie, when I think back on what really made me think had nothing to do with that.....

Rotten Tomatoes:  Jon Martello (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a strong, handsome, good old fashioned guy. His buddies call him Don Jon due to his ability to "pull" a different woman every weekend, but even the finest fling doesn't compare to the bliss he finds alone in front of the computer watching pornography. Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson) is a bright, beautiful, good old fashioned girl. Raised on romantic Hollywood movies, she's determined to find her Prince Charming and ride off into the sunset. Wrestling with good old fashioned expectations of the opposite sex, Jon and Barbara struggle against a media culture full of false fantasies to try and find true intimacy in this unexpected comedy written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.