We Are Free You and Me by Colin Kaepernick and Nessa Diab

We Are Free You and Me by Colin Kaepernick and Nessa Diab

Not only are Kaepernick’s children’s picture books thought provoking and fun to read aloud, they are an example of social entrepreneurship of the purest kind, as 100% of their proceeds go to Know Your Rights Camp, which provides over $1.75 million in partnerships and collaborative grants to Black and brown communities as well as all-inclusive camps that are conducted nationwide to educate and empower Black and brown youth to be the change they want to see.

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PlayMakers Rep's Rendition of Lynn Nottage's Crumbs from the Table of Joy Is a Soul-Pinching, Conversation-Generating Production

PlayMakers Rep's Rendition of Lynn Nottage's Crumbs from the Table of Joy Is a Soul-Pinching, Conversation-Generating Production

… Sometimes evoking Denzel Washington in the 2016 movie Fences, at other times John Amos in the 1970's sitcom Good Times, John Mark's laugh is contagious; and the earnestness with which he portrays Godfrey's rage-suppressed angst and desire to do well by his family is commendable.

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Mrs. Doubtfire at DPAC Is WONDERFUL!
Published, Arts, Relationships Melissa Rooney Published, Arts, Relationships Melissa Rooney

Mrs. Doubtfire at DPAC Is WONDERFUL!

I had my doubts about going to see the Durham Performing Arts Center's presentation of the 2021 Broadway musical comedy Mrs. Doubtfire. I couldn't imagine anyone holding a flame to Robin Williams' performance in the movie. But I was more than pleasantly surprised -- at some points, nearly ecstatic -- by two-time Tony nominee Rob McClure's multifaceted performance as Daniel Hilliard, the man-child protagonist of the production.

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Van Gogh Exhibit Gives Me Fever

Van Gogh Exhibit Gives Me Fever

Not long ago, I was rolling my eyes at another selfie taken in front of the giant reproduction of Starry Night covering the entrance of every venue for the Van Gogh Immersive Experience. Two days ago, I found myself at a show in Raleigh. When I got home, I researched the things I'd learned and found that we're not as sure of Van Gogh's history as we think.

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Home Is Where the Heart Is (Emma Dodd's Love You Books)

Home Is Where the Heart Is (Emma Dodd's Love You Books)

“Home Is Where the Heart Is features a mother cat and her young kitten, who live in a house that clearly has human owners. The story uses simple and repetitive words to describe what “home” means to all of us, emphasizing the security that notion provides even when we are far away from our physical house and/or one another.”

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This Book Is Banned: A Hilarious Picture Book about Censorship and Free Speech

This Book Is Banned: A Hilarious Picture Book about Censorship and Free Speech

“Let’s face it. Without their caretakers' insistent input, most children do not know that books are being made unavailable to them at their schools. It’s debatable whether adult caretakers who oppose book bans even want them to. But the adult-child combination who reads This Book Is Banned together will have fun discussing the issue of “banning” in the hypothetical, thanks to the busy and engaging illustrations and text that await them.”

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See the Ghost: Three Stories About Things You Cannot See
Education, Children's Books, Published, Children Melissa Rooney Education, Children's Books, Published, Children Melissa Rooney

See the Ghost: Three Stories About Things You Cannot See

“Though it is meant to be read by early elementary students, middle-grade students will enjoy reading this book to their younger siblings and classmates, thanks to the clever trickery within its pages. For the same reason, See the Ghost makes a good, non-baby-ish picture book to share with reading-challenged students in middle-school and beyond.”

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Sound Problems Make Ride the Cyclone a Bumpy Ride
Published, Arts, Relationships, Community, Inspiration Melissa Rooney Published, Arts, Relationships, Community, Inspiration Melissa Rooney

Sound Problems Make Ride the Cyclone a Bumpy Ride

“The highlight of the production is Kayla Petrille's expert portrayal of the doll-like Jane Doe, particularly her piercing, siren-like voice whenever she opens her mouth and especially when she sings. This is no surprise, as Petrille teaches voice lessons full time and has the most performing experience among the actors. “

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Lights! Costumes! Magic! Beetlejuice Brings the DPAC Audience to Its Feet!
Published, Arts, Relationships, Community Melissa Rooney Published, Arts, Relationships, Community Melissa Rooney

Lights! Costumes! Magic! Beetlejuice Brings the DPAC Audience to Its Feet!

“The costume and physical appearance of Lydia (Isabella Esler) is delightfully reminiscent of Christina Ricci's wardrobe as Wednesday in the 1991 film adaptation of The Addams Family or the costumes that Winona Rider wore when she played Lydia in Tim Burton's 1988 movie Beetlejuice. Whether speaking or singing, Esler's voice is prominent and clear, with the made-for-stage lilt and vibrato of a pop star.”

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Q&A with Amberjack Author Melissa Rooney, Creator of Eddie the Electron
Education, Children's Books, Published, Children Melissa Rooney Education, Children's Books, Published, Children Melissa Rooney

Q&A with Amberjack Author Melissa Rooney, Creator of Eddie the Electron

My Ph.D. advisor urged me to come back to work for him, eventually making me an offer he thought I couldn’t refuse. When I finally admitted that I hated lab work and, by no means, wanted to return to academics, he asked me, insistently, how I was going to put my degree to use. I told him I’ve always wanted to write a children’s book, he gave me a deadline, and Eddie the Electron was born.

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Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill Earns a Standing Ovation at the Durham Performing Arts Center

Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill Earns a Standing Ovation at the Durham Performing Arts Center

When the musical debuted in 2018, it became the highest-grossing production at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, MA, which is no surprise, given that Alanis Morissette's album by the same name is considered one of the most important albums of the '90s and of the alternative rock genre in general, selling 33 million copies, topping the charts in 13 countries, and winning five GRAMMYS, including Album of the Year….

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Durham Students Sparkled in An Evening to Shine on Feb. 21st at DPAC
Published, Arts, Community, Inspiration, Education, Music Melissa Rooney Published, Arts, Community, Inspiration, Education, Music Melissa Rooney

Durham Students Sparkled in An Evening to Shine on Feb. 21st at DPAC

An Evening to Shine is an annual event, presented at the Durham Performing Arts Center by Durham Public Schools (DPS), in partnership with the Durham Public Schools Foundation, which showcases the talents of dedicated youth from every public school in the county. [Of note, the DPS Scholarship Foundation merged with the DPS Foundation in 2020.] Only a handful of students are selected from each school, and they must commit to five weekly two-hour rehearsals, plus two full days of preparation at DPAC before show time…

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Simple, Proven Self-Care Strategies for Kids

Simple, Proven Self-Care Strategies for Kids

As with other essential disciplines, teaching your child the importance of self care begins with you. You must model healthy habits in your own life and show your child real-life examples of prioritizing them. This is not only good for your child, it’s good for you. With the help of Melissa B. Rooney, we share some simple tips…

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FrazierTales Collection Volume 1 by Mark and Chris Frazier is Vivid and Easy-to-read
Children, Relationships, Children's Books Melissa Rooney Children, Relationships, Children's Books Melissa Rooney

FrazierTales Collection Volume 1 by Mark and Chris Frazier is Vivid and Easy-to-read

Today I review Frazier Tales Collection Volume 1, written by Mark and illustrated by Chris Frazier. It’s a hardcover volume of three illustrated children’s stories, so it’s a good value for money. And there are a lot of illustrations, all of them quite detailed and of the quality garnered by Ren and Stimpy or Rocko’s Modern Life, both Nickelodeon series…

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Playing Possum a No Win
Published, Children, Relationships, Community, Essays Melissa Rooney Published, Children, Relationships, Community, Essays Melissa Rooney

Playing Possum a No Win

Three weeks ago, my son spotted a tiny opossum outside our house. The next day, he found the opossum in our garage. An Internet search suggested it was about 13 weeks old – too young for weaning. We put the little guy in a newspaper-lined box with fruit, cat-food and water. Over the next few days, our neighbors and we had rounded up 5 littermates…

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Graveyard Surprise

Graveyard Surprise

By Melissa Rooney. For SCBWI Carolinas “Ignite the Spark” Zoom group (18 Oct 2002). Assigned Prompts: Write a children’s story, 250 words or less, using the following prompts: 1) take a location from childhood and strip everything normal about it (if usually crowded, make it barren, etc.); 2) the starting lines, “It’s okay, they’re not as scary as they look;”and 3) the image of a sign reading, “Beware, the Trees Talk.”

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Paperhand Puppet Intervention's 2022 Summer Show, The Meanwhile Clock and Other Impossible Dances, Is Like a Pilgrimage to a Corroboree

Paperhand Puppet Intervention's 2022 Summer Show, The Meanwhile Clock and Other Impossible Dances, Is Like a Pilgrimage to a Corroboree

Going to a Paperhand Puppet Intervention performance is like pilgrimaging to a Australian aboriginal corroboree, where magical ceremonies teach ancestral truths, pulling everyone present into the community. And it's all the more impactful when it occurs in a ruins-like amphitheater in a forest in the heat of a late-summer sunset…

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