The Harry-est Town in America

by Justin Glow on

What’s the Harry-est town in America? And I don’t mean body fuzz.

Amazon is running a contest to find out what U.S. town (on a per capita basis) will pre-order the most copies of the new Harry Potter book: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Interesting concept? Yes. Genius marketing idea? Absolutely.

The winning town will be announced shortly after the end of the contest at 11:59 PM PDT on July 15, 2007. Here are the current standings as of right now:

  1. Falls Church, Virginia
  2. Gig Harbor, Washington
  3. Vienna, Virginia
  4. Fairfax, Virginia
  5. Media, Pennsylvania

Visit Amazon’s Harry-est town in America promotion to see the top 100 cities.

One for the Road: The Curve of Time

by Kelly Amabile on

We journey to Canada for our next traveling mom story, a true-life tale originally published in 1962. The Curve of Time: The Classic Memoir of a Woman and Her Children Who Explored the Coastal Waters of the Pacific Northwest was written by M. Wylie Blanchet, a free-spirited mom born in Montreal in 1891.

At the age of 36, Blanchet’s husband died, leaving her alone with their five children on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Although family members said she would never manage, Blanchet did just that, and in fact made time for special journeys of discovery with her kids. For several summers, she and her children explored the waters off of Vancouver Island in Caprice, a 25-foot motorboat. She wrote several magazine articles about their travels, which eventually led to the publication of this delightful memoir about their family explorations.

Blanchet’s book is credited as a well-written Canadian classic that almost reads like fiction at times, with rich descriptions of the places and people they encounter. But it’s all real — one mom’s actual account of the adventures she took with her kids. Cool mom, huh?

Don’t Speak English…Parlez Globish !

by Willy Volk on

If you’ve ever traveled to a country in which English was NOT the Mother Tongue, you’ve undoubtedly run into people who spoke only a smattering of English. Moreover, when non-native English speakers address each other in front of a native English speaker, the results can be confusing, though vaguely English-like. In an effort to get non-native English speakers to be able to communicate more effectively among themselves — and with Americans — Frenchman Jean-Paul Nerriere developed Globish, which he calls “the worldwide dialect of the third millennium.”

Unlike Esperanto — which seeks to replace other languages — Globish is NOT a language: it is only a tool to communicate. With only 1500 words — you can see a Globish “dictionary” in this PDF file — Globish might not be elegant, but it serves a purpose. In fact, with only 182 hours required to learn Globish, people all over the world will be able to speak with the same limited vocabulary. It’s so simple, even Americans can speak it. In fact, I think Globish is what Charla and Mirna were speaking.

Confused? Compare the American version of The Gettysburg Address with the Globish version. Alternatively, have a look at this this explanation of Globish, drafted specifically for American speakers.

One for the Road: Forever Lily

by Kelly Amabile on

I wanted to feature a book this week that had to do with the adoption process, and the journey many mothers or fathers make to bring a child from another land into their lives. Forever Lily: An Unexpected Mother’s Journey to Adoption in China is such a book, but the reviews on this memoir are mixed. Author Beth Nonte Russell accompanies her friend Alex to China, where Alex has arranged to adopt a little girl from an orphanage. But when Alex has a change of heart, it is Russell who winds up adopting the child herself. A strange turn of events indeed.

It’s a true life tale that touches on a wide range of feelings surrounding motherhood and the adoption experience, but some reviews I read claim that the elaborate dream sequences Russell shares throughout her story seem far-fetched, and only serve to distract the reader. If the plot of this real-life adoption at all sparks your interest, pick up a copy and see for yourself — Russell receives some praise for a well-written book that does a fair job of explaining the adoption process, and includes wonderful description about the experience of traveling in China.

One for the Road: The Travel Mom’s Ultimate Book of Family Travel

by Kelly Amabile on

Self-proclaimed Travel Mom Emily Kaufman has written a handy guide for mothers (and fathers!) in search of strategy when it comes to planning a family vacation. Although the reviews are mixed on just how useful this book really is, I thought The Travel Mom’s Ultimate Book of Family Travel was still worth a mention as part of this week’s Mother’s Day reading roundup.

The book is really geared to moms who need help planning their very first family vacation, so it might be a cool Mother’s Day gift for first-time moms itching for a summer vacation. It includes general trip planning advice, as well as a series of suggested family-friendly destinations. Check it out of the library before buying though, as some reviewers have said it’s really only valuable as a primer. Basically, it’s light on content that you’ll need to refer to again and again, but could really offer up some good ideas for rookie travel moms.

Kaufman has two kids of her own, and is a travel contributor to ABC’s Good Morning America and Woman’s Day magazine.