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Secret Agent 23 Skidoo

Underground Playground
NOT- -AVAIL-ABL-E.
COPY ISBN
Gr 1—5—23 Skidoo raps his way through 16 hip-hop/rap songs, with some help from his wife and daughter. A number of other musicians join in as well, giving excellent performances on a variety of instruments. Several vocalists also lend their dulcet tones to these songs. The playlist includes "Road Trip," "Mind Over Matter" (be yourself), "Secret Handshake" (true friendship), "Opposite Day" (brush your face, wash your teeth, etc.), "Speak the Truth," "Ride the Butterflies" (overcoming nervousness), "Chase the Rain" (everything changes), "Bored Is a Bad Word" (and imagination is the cure for boredom), "Never Stop Asking" (a love song from a dad to his child), and several others. A lively, creative offering for young hip-hop aficionados.—Beverly Wrigglesworth, San Antonio Public Library, TX
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 , Apr 01, 2011

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