November 2016

Great Reads for Growing Minds

Meteorologist Kenny Brittney Shipp is Changing the Climate Loggins of Children’s Literature Cuts Footloose with CMA/Radio Disney New Children’s Book Artist Jessie Chris Takes the Stage

Steve Carr Girl Power: Brings Middle School: The Worst Francesca Cavallo and Elena Years of My Life to the Big Screen Favilli Reinvent the Fairy Tale

Dr. Nicolas Bazan Pens a Powerful Tool to Raise Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness

Let Them Eat Dirt: Raising Children in a World of Balance

www.StoryMonsters.com $7.95 US and 10.95 CAN Story Monsters Ink Contents November2016 In this issue… Features For many of us, Kenny Loggins wrote the soundtrack of our childhoods. 04 Kenny Loggins From “I’m Alright” to “Danger Zone” to “Whenever I Call You Friend,” the Cuts Footloose with New Grammy Award-winning musician has had us kicking off our Sunday shoes Children’s Book for the past three decades. Now, he will capture our children’s hearts as 08 Steve Carr well by turning one of his most beloved songs into a picture book about Brings Middle School: The a dance party at the zoo, where the animals cut loose, and it’s set to the Worst Years of My Life to the Big Screen same catchy tune that sent toes tapping when the film first boogied across the big screen in 1984. 12 Meteorologist Brittney Shipp Also in this issue, we meet film director Steve Carr, meteorologist Brittney is Changing the Climate of Shipp, CMA/Radio Disney Artist Jessie Chris, authors Francesca Cavallo Children’s Literature and Elena Favilli, and neuroscientist Dr. Nicolas Bazan, who tells us about 16 CMA/Radio Disney Artist his book, Una Vida, and his goal to raise awareness for Alzheimer’s Disease. Jessie Chris Takes the Stage Do you want to know the secret to healthy kids? Let them eat dirt! At least 20 Girl Power: that’s what the new books says. Our special contributor Shirin Zarqa- Francesca Cavallo and Elena Lederman tells us all about it. Favilli Reinvent the Fairy Tale 24 Dr. Nicolas Bazan It’s election season! If you’re not pleased with the choices of candidates Pens a Powerful Tool to this year, we have 20 kids who are ready to take the podium and change Raise Alzheimer’s Disease the world. Find out what they would do if elected president inside! Awareness Tell us what you think of this issue! Email your comments 28 Let Them Eat Dirt: Raising Children in a World to [email protected]. of Balance

27 School Bookings Directory 31 Where in the World is Story Monster? 32 Conrad’s Classroom 34 How Does Your Garden Grow? 36 Holiday Gift Guide 42 Kids Can Publish 44 Monster Munchies 46 Monsters at the Movies 48 Book Reviews 55 Storytime Pup 56 Juicy Jack’s Spanish Corner 58 Liv On Life Wishing All of Our Readers a Very Happy Thanksgiving! 59 Activity Page

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Dr. Nicolas Bazan Pens a Powerful Tool to Raise Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness by Melissa Fales

Neuroscientist Dr. Nicolas Bazan set his first novel, Una Vida: A Fable of Music and the Mind, in his beloved adopted hometown of New Orleans. The book, which was recently made into a movie, is a suspenseful tale about an aging jazz singer whose past is a mystery, even to her, having lost most of her memory to Alzheimer’s disease.

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“I wrote Una Vida because I want more people to learn about Alzheimer’s. I want to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s and offer hope to those who have been affected by it.”

The backdrop forUna Vida is the caregivers have in the life of Big Easy’s French Quarter with its Alzheimer’s patients.” historic sites, colorful characters, and ubiquitous jazz music. A Bazan weaves his love of jazz scientist named Dr. Alvaro Cruz throughout Una Vida, a musical meets a street performer named style he believes embodies the very Una Vida and becomes fascinated soul of New Orleans. However, by her, her singing, and her Bazan says music of any genre struggle with Alzheimer’s. The has a powerful ability to affect the book follows Cruz’s efforts to brain. “Music can awaken patients Institute of Psychiatry,” he says. understand her past even as her with Alzheimer’s unlike anything He later returned to Argentina disease rapidly progresses. else,” he says. “In my own research, in the 1970s to begin a research I’ve seen a definite connection institute. When choosing characters for his between music and the mind. book, Bazan said he was careful to In 1981, Bazan and his family include a caregiver for Una Vida. Bazan also co-wrote the screenplay moved to New Orleans in order to “One of the critical issues in this for the recently released film escape the political chaos of their terrible disease is that patients version of Una Vida, produced by homeland. “We’ve been in New not only need caregivers, but they Monterey Media. Although it’s Orleans almost 36 years now,” need them in a different way than been well-received, winning 14 Bazan says. “We love it here. I love those with other diseases,” Bazan film festival awards in America and the culture of this city.” says. “Because cognition is lost, a Canada, Bazan said he was never Today, Bazan is the director of patient can become lost in their out to make money with the film. the Louisiana State University own house. I built in the element “We’re donating 70 percent of Neuroscience Center of Excellence of a caregiver because I wanted to the proceeds towards Alzheimer’s where he studies different portray the profound significance research,” he says. aspects of brain diseases. “I’m Born in Los Sarmientos in trying to discover fundamental Tucuman, Argentina, Bazan traces mechanisms that will lead us to his interest in the medical field understand what’s wrong at the back to an experience he had as a cellular and molecular level of a boy. His aunt was taking him to a brain affected with Alzheimer’s,” piano lesson when she suffered an he says. “There is currently epileptic seizure. “It was traumatic no cure for Alzheimer’s. Only for me,” he says. “That’s when I treatment. We need to identify and became interested in the brain.” understand these issues before we can start to work on a cure.” After attending medical school in Argentina, Bazan completed his In addition to Una Vida, Bazan post-doctoral work at New York’s has written four other books, Columbia University College of including The Dark Madonna, Physicians and Surgeons and at which follows Dr. Cruz on a trip to Harvard Medical School. “My Poland. Bazan also plans to write first job was on the faculty at the books for children and teenagers University of Toronto, Clarke about brain health. “There’s a

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tremendous need to inform young According to Bazan, many people Alzheimer’s is a terrible disease, people about how important aren’t aware of the staggering I truly believe that one day, the brain is,” he says. “I’ve come statistics regarding the number research will conquer it.” up with five recommendations of people affected by Alzheimer’s for how to take care of the brain each year. “One woman out of For more information about Dr. so these young people will have five over the age of 65 will have Nicolas Bazan and Una Vida, visit healthy brains in the future.” Alzheimer’s,” he says. “In men, www.UnaVidaNovel.com. • one out of 11 over the age of 65 Bazan notes that while the number will. One thing we are actively one risk factor for Alzheimer’s is researching is why it’s so much November is National age, the number one environmental more prominent in women. Alzheimer’s Disease factor is a traumatic brain injury. Women like Una Vida.” “One example is when a child Awareness Month. receives a concussion from playing Without giving away the ending sports,” he says. “The more we of the book or film, Bazan says it know, the more we fear that the was important for him that Una mild to moderate concussions a Vida ultimately offers resolution child might receive from playing for the characters. “If you write soccer might have long-lasting about a terrible disease like this, or consequences. It’s something we make a movie about it, you don’t haven’t quantified yet, but we are want people to become depressed,” looking into it. I’d like to educate he says. “I wanted to expand parents and guide children about knowledge and at the same time this.” send a message of hope. Although

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