REVIEWS+

Back in School

NOT- -AVAIL-ABL-E.
COPY ISBN
Gr 3—6—This collection contains six original, school-related songs written by Anthony Coviello and performed by sixth graders at Our Lady of Mercy Academy in Jersey City, New Jersey. Known as The Jellybeans, this all-girl group originally recorded these songs as a school fundraising project. Covering such topics as the excitement of the first day of school ("Back in School"), not wanting to get out of bed so early in the morning ("Let Me Sleep"), and having too much homework ("The Way Too Much Homework Blues"), these songs are filled with energy and happiness by their performers. While the production values are not top of the line and the voices of The Jellybeans are often wispy and slightly off key, it is very rare to find children's music actually made by children. This album would be a good addition to school collections as a solid example of what students can accomplish with a lot of practice and the support of their teachers and parents.—Veronica Schwartz De Fazio, Plainfield Public Library District, IL
In this beautiful, heartrending, yet horrifying film, North Koreans tell their stories of imprisonment, sexual slavery, torture, murder, and escape to China or South Korea during the nearly 50-year regime of Kim Il Sung (1912—94). The interviews are illustrated through the interspersion of dance sequences, archival news footage, and drawings. Particularly interesting are the North Korean propaganda films celebrating Kim Il Sung as God and showing in the face of mass starvation happy workers, elaborate military displays, and the creation of a new flower in 1988 in honor of the 46th birthday of Kim's son and successor, Kim Jong Il. A valuable time line traces 20th-century events in Korea. Bonus features include previously unreleased footage of camp refugees. This mesmerizing film displays excellent production values and is highly recommended for Asia collections.—Kitty Chen Dean, formerly with Nassau Community Coll., Garden City, NY
Reviewed by Kitty Chen Dean , Feb 01, 2011

Be the first reader to comment.

Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?