Mark Graham
Bio
I am a person who really likes to read and write and to share what I learned with all my education. My page will mainly be book reviews and critiques of old and new books that I have read and will read. There will also be other bits, too.
Stories (710/0)
Sunny Days
Sunny days keeping the clouds away.... Who remembers the children's program that started each show in this manner. It is a show that is still on that teaches young children their letters, numbers and even foreign language mainly Spanish. Now the program also shares many social issues as well to help learn about cultural diversity. There are many characters that range from a big bird to two friends, a grouch and a 'snuffaluggagus' as well a vampire.
By Mark Graham30 days ago in Critique
Guardian Angel
Who believes in guardian angels? I am a believer for there have been many times that I have felt someone following me and there was no one there when I looked. There were a few times when I thought I seen someone who looked familiar but I knew it could not have been them for they were, for lack of a better word, DEAD. Guardian angels to me are angels that one may or may not see who seem to help make decisions or protect us from harm. One experience I had when swimming when I was younger and pushed off the dock into the creek for, I was little and did not know how to swim yet I felt like someone was pulling me up and over to the ladder.
By Mark Grahamabout a month ago in Critique
Hey You Guys!!!!
Who remembers learning about phonics on a children's show known as 'The Electric Company"? Back in the seventies on PBS there was an educational show by this name that had famous actors like Rita Moreno and Morgan Freeman and a few others too. This was a show that taught us the rules of phonics and sounding out letters and words. There were fun skits live and animated throughout the show showing and telling each skill. There were lessons on blends as well as on hard and soft sounds. This show made learning to read fun. This was one show that I watched, I believe made me a reader for life for just see for now I am a book reviewer.
By Mark Grahamabout a month ago in Critique
Romper Room
Who remembers the play group on television say back in the late sixties? There was a show called 'Romper Room' and the 'teacher' that I had at that time was Miss Sally. There was a big bee that liked to help the kids in the 'classroom' as well. There was a round table where the teacher and children would sit and make a craft after Miss Sally would show them how. She would also read a picture book to them and us at home. There were even movement games like walking on if I remember right were called Romper Stompers where the child would place their feet on plastic upside cups attached to ropes and pull up so they will walk or march wherever. Miss Sally had a magic mirror of sorts where she would 'see' all the children at home and sing a song. There is a little song she sang and the only words I remember is something like 'romper stomper boo'.
By Mark Grahamabout a month ago in Critique
Medical Titles
One day I was just thinking about an idea for a critique and thought of various titles. I started to think about all the different medical titles that there are in the medical profession. Here is a list of question and answer that can also be made into flashcards.
By Mark Grahamabout a month ago in Chapters
Eight is Enough
Here is another old television show that I watched in the late seventies and early eighties. It is entitled 'Eight is Enough' that is all about a family of eight children and the ups and downs of living at the time in history of inflation, the Gas Crisis, and various other personal and professional issues that affected us all at this time. The program starred Dick van Patten and Diana Hyland then Betty Buckley and a cast of characters of the children from Grant Goodeve, Willie Ammes, Adam Rich and others. To me this was an updated version of 'The Waltons' where the children all had a particular talent from writing, medicine, business, the arts, etc. I guess that was to be expected for 'Eight is Enough' was produced by the same company as 'The Waltons' for even Will Geer who played Grandpa on 'The Walton's played a character on 'Eight is Enough'. Watching these old or somewhat old and maybe outdated shows are still fun to watch and remember what you were doing at that time in history. By the way I have the Roku channel that allows me to watch some of my old favorite television shows from a bygone era.
By Mark Grahamabout a month ago in Critique
Second Grade
Who out there remembers Second grade? Second grade was the time that I learned about 'cursive handwriting' and really quite enjoyed it. It was like doing art with words. I do remember I was not really one that was good with doing math skills at the time, but I did learn and remember these skills. This was the decade of the 'New Mathematics' that started when I was in First grade in 1970. The teacher also did more science and social studies and health lessons as well. My second-grade teacher was Miss Latimer and she was young and made learning fun.
By Mark Grahamabout a month ago in Critique
September
What does the month of September remind you? For me it was always the Back-to-School time of the year. I was the kind of kid that like buying school supplies and still am since I still need these kinds of things as a writer. Nothing like opening a new spiral notebook or composition notebook. Back to the topic this was the time I got to see old school friends again and catch up with what we all did over the summer. There were new books even though they were quite outdated by the time I (we) got to use them. Wish there was 'DonorsChoose.com' back then. This was the early seventies when I went to school. We had books from the 1950's and early 1960's.
By Mark Grahamabout a month ago in Critique
Family Affair
Hey everyone, I am going to start an on-going new series of critiques on old television shows that I grew up on back in the late sixties and the seventies. The first one is 'Family Affair' starring Brian Keith and Sebastian Cabot who played Mr. Bill Davis and Mr. French. This was the story of a bachelor uncle and his gentlemen's gentleman who was found to take care of his two nieces and a nephew. Many of the situations that being that this program was a situation comedy would cover subjects like how a single 'father' raised children to issues like the one that I just watched dealing with 'latchkey children'.
By Mark Grahamabout a month ago in Critique
Birthright
Nora Roberts has written 'Birthright' the story of Callie Dunbrook aka Jessica Cullen a woman who was kidnapped and adopted illegally. Callie is an anthropologist who is the head of an archeological dig in a small town and at the same time learns that she may be the daughter of another woman other than the mother that raised her. Nora Roberts does show and tell her stories and with this one you can see the details of the dig along with all the events that she creates for Callie and all involved. You will feel for Callie, the mothers and fathers, and even Callie's friends.
By Mark Grahamabout a month ago in Critique