BOOK SALES STRONG FOR FAITH & KIDS
TRENDS YOU’LL CHEER—After a decade in publishing, our team is cheering several trends documented in the latest reports from the Association of American Publishers. Not only are your beloved ink-on-paper books safe as the major medium publishers will continue to produce in coming years—but two themes close to the hearts of our readers turn up as the main signs of growth among book buyers. Please, celebrate this news with us by reading our Cover Story this week—and, please, share this story with friends via email or social media. (Psst! There’s even a conveniently clickable button that lets you print out this column to share with friends—on paper!)
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HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS
Want to see all the holidays? Remember the simple address: www.InterfaithHolidays.org.
RAMADAN ENDS:
‘Eid Mubarak!’
RAMADAN has ended! Now, families are enjoying “The Celebration,” which is the English meaning of the commonly used phrase: “The Eid” as in the words well-wishers exchange, “Eid Mubarak!” You’ll enjoy this holiday column by Stephanie Fenton describing this festival enjoyed by the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims—starting on Sunday morning June 25 and extending into the start of this new week in many communities.
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INDEPENDENCE DAY
PLAN FOR JULY 4—Holidays expert Stephanie Fenton has a column jam-packed with information, fun facts and helpful links about Independence Day 2017—and the traditions associated with this American holiday. For example: Do you know how many changes were made in the text of the Declaration of Independence before it was approved? Stephanie’s got the answer.
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FAITH & FILM:
ED McNULTY, for decades, has published reviews, magazine articles and books exploring connections between faith and film. Most of his work freely published at VisualParables.org.
Ed supports his work by selling the Visual Parables Journal, a monthly magazine packed with complete study guides to films. This resource is used coast-to-coast by individuals who love the movies and by educators, clergy and small-group leaders.
Among Ed’s latest free movie reviews are:
- WONDER WOMAN—Overall, Ed praises this new movie—as have many film critics nationwide—but he declines to give it 5 out of 5 stars because, as he points out, the movie continues to offer violence as the main solution to global conflicts.
- CHURCHILL—Stay home! That’s what Ed says about this rewriting of history that Ed argues—with compelling evidence—gets nearly everything wrong about this hero of World War II.
- THE BEGUILED—If you’re looking for a good movie, this week, and you’re not interested in comic-book heroes or cartoons—Ed does recommend this erotic thriller, giving it 4.5 stars.
CARS 3—”Director Brian Fee, who served as a story artist on the first two films of the Pixar series, redeems the franchise after the critics’ drubbing of Cars 2,” writes Ed, giving the film 5 stars!- MEGAN LEAVEY—Featuring Kate Marla in her best role yet, this “based on a true story” film is part military and part redemption themed, as well the bonding of pet and mistress. (4.5 stars)
- BORN IN CHINA—It’s appropriate that Disney engaged Chinese director Lu Chuan to helm this beautiful nature film, most of which was shot in the China highlands. (4 stars)
- WHITE HELMETS—”We are indebted to Netflix for making documentarian Orlando von Einsiedel’s short film so widely available,” Ed writes. (5 stars)
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