We had so much fun at Darien Idol! Our first-place winner, Sofia, who won a $25 iTunes gift card. Click here to see some great photos of the event, and stay tuned for details on our Rock Out with Rock Band tournament!

If you think the Nintendo Wii's motion controls are cool, then this will ROCK your SOCKS OFF! Microsoft has debuted at E3, a new project they are working on for the XBOX 360 called Project NATAL, which totally redefines entertainment and gaming. Full body controls, no controllers needed = totally awesome!

Just Imagine, total interaction with the gameworld and the characters with a system that recognizes everything from your face to your body movements. The future of gaming is almost here!

Of course, you don't have to take my word for it.

Check the video below to see a demo of  the project and check out Microsoft's demo page here for more info, videos and to sign up to receive updates on the project.

^{_{photo courtesy of flickr user FT Techfeed}}

Alanna and Thom are the nearly identical twin daughter and son of the Lord of Trebond.  Alanna is fearless and dreams of being a wandering Knight, while her brother is studious and longs to learn sorcery.  Alanna is convinced of her destiny, so when her father proposes to send the unwilling Thom to learn Knighthood, Alanna disguises herself as a boy and takes his place.  Alanna’s adventures test her ambition, her duty, and her ability to succeed while maintaining a dangerous secret.  She is determined to not only become a Knight, but also to find a way to defeat the powerful enemies she must make along the way. 

Alanna: The First Adventure is a CD audiobook, read by Trini Alvarado.  Her voice brings to life characters whose adventures will keep you riveted and wanting more.  Alanna is a smart, fearless character who is willing to work hard and risk everything to achieve her dreams.   This is the first book in The Song of the Lioness series about Alanna’s adventures at the palace and out in the world. 

Other books by Tamora Pierce here.

Percy Carey came up in 1970’s and 80’s in Harlem.  In this autobiographical graphic novel, he talks about how as a child he was an extra on Sesame Street, but from there is life goes in a different direction.  Hip-hop was at its beginning and Carey was determined to become an emcee.  He became well known (by the name M.F. Grimm) in hip-hop circles, and can count people like Snoop Dogg, Lady Rage, Suge Knight, Roc Raida, KMD and Tupac Shakur among his friends and acquaintances.  Along with hip-hop came gangs, violence and drugs.  In the opening scene of the book, Grimm tells the story of the gang shooting that kills his brother and paralyses him for the rest of his life.  Along the way he goes to prison, and as one of the few prisoners who can read, becomes an advocate for prisoner’s rights, and finds the determination to change his life.

Sentences is an interesting story that is powerfully drawn.  Carey takes looks at his mistakes head-on without shying away from the violence, while still allowing the reader to be proud of his accomplishments.  Anyone interested in hip-hop and rap will want to read this book, but be warned— the violence, though not very graphically depicted, is there, as are drugs.  The language is pretty rough, with lots of profanity, which is what you’d expect from a hip-hop artist/former gang member.  It is the story of the beginning of hip-hop from someone who was there, and who is willing to talk about both the good and the bad without apology.   

If you like Sentences, you might also be interested in:

50 x 50: 50 Cent in His Own Words by 50 Cent

The Way I Am by Eminem

Born in the Bronx: A Visual Record of the Early Days of Hip-Hop by Johan Kugelberg et al.

Chess Rumble by Greg Neri

Street Scene: How to Draw Graffiti-style by John Lee