The Starfish Country Home School aspires to be the best school in northern Thailand. The school will accept needy children without regard to their religious affiliation and national or ethnic origin and will provide them a quality education that emphasizes communication skills in Thai and English, technology, mathematics, visual and performing arts, international cultures and developing respect and compassion for others. The Starfish Country Home School Foundation will provide a safe and secure modern residence and personal guidance for all of its students as they mature. Those children that can achieve the required academic excellence will remain at the school until they are ready to attend university and will be further supported at university. The education will always be free, diversified and directed to meet the needs, interests and abilities of the individual student.

My Daddy is a Soldier, by Anne M. StratfordI definitely have a heart for our military families.? They make sacrifices on a daily basis that most of us cannot imagine.? While my husband's cousin was serving his most recent of multiple deployments to Iraq, his wife's grandfather died, his son graduated, and his family endured a gas leak at their residence.? Throughout all of these major events, he couldn't just come home and help- he was serving his country.This isn't an isolated incident- it happens every day.? Wives pick up the pieces while their husbands are gone for months at a time.? Children across the US are without their fathers and mothers who are serving our country.? Yet many of us don't stop to consider how life-altering a parent being gone can really be to a child.Anne M. Stratford has written a beautiful book to help the children of our soldiers.My Daddy is a Soldier is a one-of-a-kind, heart tugging book that is beautifully illustrated, and covers all of the emotions that a child must go through while his or her parent is serving our country.? In the book, the child feels a sense of pride, a great deal of sadness, and shows his bravery while his father is overseas.? The resounding theme throughout, "I CAN DO IT!" help a child to keep his head up while his mother or father are serving our country.As I read the book to my children, they all had to look "one more time" at all the pictures throughout the book.? It is very well illustrated- the pictures are wonderful.? Like many children's books, the pages rhyme, helping to keep the child's attention.? About the AuthorAnne M. Stratford had a successful sales career, and finally left it at the age of 41 to pursue her life-long dream of writing children's books.? This is the first of what I hope to be MANY that she will write!? We truly enjoyed this book.How to purchase this bookThis book retails for $17.99, and exceptional value considering the detail of this hard bound book.? You can buy it HERE for the special child in your life!How to WIN this bookOne lucky reader will win? a copy through Mingle Over Mocha!To enter, please do any or all of the following items. The "Mandatory" item(s) must be completed before getting any additional credits from the "Optional for Extra Credit" section.Mandatory:• Visit Anne M. Stratford's site by clicking HERE, and leave a comment (BE SURE to include? your email address in case you win!!? Sometimes, people never get their prize, because I can't find their email address!!) telling me what you love the most! Optional for Extra Credit:• Subscribe to this blog HERE, and comment that you do.• Follow this blog HERE, and comment that you do.• Post about this giveaway on your blog, and comment with a link to the post!• Digg this post by clicking HERE!• Become a fan of this blog on Facebook by clicking HERE, and comment that you do.• Email this contest out to your friends, and copy me on it at vaagen@bellsouth.net ? • Follow me on Twitter? HERE and ReTweet this: "I would love to WIN a copy of Anne M. Stratford's book "My Daddy is a Soldier" on @vaagen's blog at http://www.mingleovermocha.com/!"? ? Comment below that you did! You can retweet this contest every day for extra entries- simply leave a comment each time you tweet!• Invite friends to follow Mingle Over Mocha on Facebook, and comment that you did!The winner will be chosen by random drawing on http://www.random.org/integers/ on Saturday,? June 19th at 6pm... Just in time for FATHER'S DAY!!? Good luck!Thank you to Anne M. Stratford for donating the free copy of her book for my review!! I was not compensated monetarily for this review, or for any reviews or giveaways on my blog site. All reviews are provided after I receive a free or donated product from the publisher, manufacturer, or PR company. Reviews are written from an unbiased point of view. Only business relationships exist with those who provide products for review. The Author of Mingle Over Mocha is not responsible for your difference in opinion or happiness with this product, or your safety when using this product.Thank you for coming to Mingle Over Mocha with Anna!

News from the Library of CongressAda Limón to Reveal Poem for NASA Europa, Film Festival Lineup of of Rare Cinema and Special Guests Released,? Library Awards More than $200,000 to Five Projects Highlighting Uses of Digital Collections? and More Ada Limón to Reveal Poem for NASA Europa Clipper Mission During Live at the Library in JuneDuring Live at the Library in June, U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón — recently reappointed for a historic two-year term — will unveil her original poem written for the NASA Europa Clipper mission. Plus, celebrations for the Juneteenth holiday will honor African American folk music and photography. Celebrate Pride with a concert saluting Billy Strayhorn on June 8, and view a display of LGBTQ+ collection items in the Great Hall.Learn more.Connecting Communities Digital Initiative Announces Next Round of Award Opportunities for Libraries, Archives, Museums, Higher Education and Artists/Scholars in ResidenceIndividuals and educational and cultural institutions who seek to imaginatively remix and reuse the Library of Congress' digital collections and create projects centering one or more of the following groups, Black, Indigenous, Hispanic or Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander and/or other communities of color — are invited to apply to award opportunities through the Connecting Communities Digital Initiative.Learn more.Library of Congress Festival of Film and Sound Announces Full Lineup of Rare Cinema and Special GuestsThe Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center is announcing the full lineup of rare cinema and special guests to be featured at the inaugural Library of Congress Festival of Film and Sound.? The new four-day film festival will be held June 15-18 in association with the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center at the American Film Institute's beautifully restored 1938 art deco theater in Silver Spring, Maryland.Learn more.Library Awards More than $200,000 to Five Projects Highlighting Uses of Digital CollectionsThe Library of Congress announced that five awards, totaling more than $200,000, have been awarded from the Connecting Communities Digital Initiative through a program available to Libraries, Archives, Museums and Higher Education institutions. The 2023 awardees will use these funds to create projects that offer creative approaches to the Library's digital collections and center Black, Indigenous, and Latino or Hispanic studies.Learn more.Library Completes Digitization of Yongle Encyclopedia, Largest Reference Work of Pre-Modern EraThe Library of Congress has completed a yearslong effort to digitize the Yongle Encyclopedia (Yongle dadian ????), the largest reference work created in pre-modern China, and possibly the world. Digital publication of the 41 volumes held in the Library's collections provides open access to one of the most extensive attempts in world history to capture the entirety of human knowledge in book form.Learn more.

News from the Library of CongressAda Limón to Reveal Poem for NASA Europa, Film Festival Lineup of of Rare Cinema and Special Guests Released,? Library Awards More than $200,000 to Five Projects Highlighting Uses of Digital Collections? and More Ada Limón to Reveal Poem for NASA Europa Clipper Mission During Live at the Library in JuneDuring Live at the Library in June, U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón — recently reappointed for a historic two-year term — will unveil her original poem written for the NASA Europa Clipper mission. Plus, celebrations for the Juneteenth holiday will honor African American folk music and photography. Celebrate Pride with a concert saluting Billy Strayhorn on June 8, and view a display of LGBTQ+ collection items in the Great Hall.Learn more.Connecting Communities Digital Initiative Announces Next Round of Award Opportunities for Libraries, Archives, Museums, Higher Education and Artists/Scholars in ResidenceIndividuals and educational and cultural institutions who seek to imaginatively remix and reuse the Library of Congress' digital collections and create projects centering one or more of the following groups, Black, Indigenous, Hispanic or Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander and/or other communities of color — are invited to apply to award opportunities through the Connecting Communities Digital Initiative.Learn more.Library of Congress Festival of Film and Sound Announces Full Lineup of Rare Cinema and Special GuestsThe Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center is announcing the full lineup of rare cinema and special guests to be featured at the inaugural Library of Congress Festival of Film and Sound.? The new four-day film festival will be held June 15-18 in association with the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center at the American Film Institute's beautifully restored 1938 art deco theater in Silver Spring, Maryland.Learn more.Library Awards More than $200,000 to Five Projects Highlighting Uses of Digital CollectionsThe Library of Congress announced that five awards, totaling more than $200,000, have been awarded from the Connecting Communities Digital Initiative through a program available to Libraries, Archives, Museums and Higher Education institutions. The 2023 awardees will use these funds to create projects that offer creative approaches to the Library's digital collections and center Black, Indigenous, and Latino or Hispanic studies.Learn more.Library Completes Digitization of Yongle Encyclopedia, Largest Reference Work of Pre-Modern EraThe Library of Congress has completed a yearslong effort to digitize the Yongle Encyclopedia (Yongle dadian ????), the largest reference work created in pre-modern China, and possibly the world. Digital publication of the 41 volumes held in the Library's collections provides open access to one of the most extensive attempts in world history to capture the entirety of human knowledge in book form.Learn more.

News from the Library of CongressAda Limón to Reveal Poem for NASA Europa, Film Festival Lineup of of Rare Cinema and Special Guests Released,? Library Awards More than $200,000 to Five Projects Highlighting Uses of Digital Collections? and More Ada Limón to Reveal Poem for NASA Europa Clipper Mission During Live at the Library in JuneDuring Live at the Library in June, U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón — recently reappointed for a historic two-year term — will unveil her original poem written for the NASA Europa Clipper mission. Plus, celebrations for the Juneteenth holiday will honor African American folk music and photography. Celebrate Pride with a concert saluting Billy Strayhorn on June 8, and view a display of LGBTQ+ collection items in the Great Hall.Learn more.Connecting Communities Digital Initiative Announces Next Round of Award Opportunities for Libraries, Archives, Museums, Higher Education and Artists/Scholars in ResidenceIndividuals and educational and cultural institutions who seek to imaginatively remix and reuse the Library of Congress' digital collections and create projects centering one or more of the following groups, Black, Indigenous, Hispanic or Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander and/or other communities of color — are invited to apply to award opportunities through the Connecting Communities Digital Initiative.Learn more.Library of Congress Festival of Film and Sound Announces Full Lineup of Rare Cinema and Special GuestsThe Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center is announcing the full lineup of rare cinema and special guests to be featured at the inaugural Library of Congress Festival of Film and Sound.? The new four-day film festival will be held June 15-18 in association with the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center at the American Film Institute's beautifully restored 1938 art deco theater in Silver Spring, Maryland.Learn more.Library Awards More than $200,000 to Five Projects Highlighting Uses of Digital CollectionsThe Library of Congress announced that five awards, totaling more than $200,000, have been awarded from the Connecting Communities Digital Initiative through a program available to Libraries, Archives, Museums and Higher Education institutions. The 2023 awardees will use these funds to create projects that offer creative approaches to the Library's digital collections and center Black, Indigenous, and Latino or Hispanic studies.Learn more.Library Completes Digitization of Yongle Encyclopedia, Largest Reference Work of Pre-Modern EraThe Library of Congress has completed a yearslong effort to digitize the Yongle Encyclopedia (Yongle dadian ????), the largest reference work created in pre-modern China, and possibly the world. Digital publication of the 41 volumes held in the Library's collections provides open access to one of the most extensive attempts in world history to capture the entirety of human knowledge in book form.Learn more.