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Reviewed by Serena Nanda: Wadjda is the story of a quietly but ingeniously, rebellious ll year old girl in Saudi Arabia, determined to buy and ride a bicycle. In Hold Tight, Don't Let Go, Magdalie makes one unsuccessful effort after another to survive after the Haiti earthquake, particularly after her decision to refuse to sink to selling sex. Malala recounts her experiences as she and her father fight the Taliban for the right of girls to go to school in Pakistan. Hawaii, The Lost Kingdom, introduces us to Hawaii’s last queen, Lili’ukalani, not widely known to Americans, perhaps because her fight for independence was ultimately unsuccessful.   more »

Just a weeks' worth of training can improve vision in older adults, according to new research in the journal Psychological Science. The findings show that training boosted older adults' sensitivity to contrast and also their ability to see things clearly at close distances. While some age-related declines in vision can be traced to the eye itself, research suggests that decline in other aspects of vision are the result of changes in brain function. more »

Aided by the convenience and constant access provided by mobile devices, especially smartphones, 92% of teens report going online daily — including 24% who say they go online "almost constantly," according to a new study from Pew Research Center. More than half (56%) of teens — defined in this report as those ages 13 to 17 — go online several times a day, and 12% report once-a-day use. Just 6% of teens report going online weekly, and 2% go online less often. Much of this frenzy of access is facilitated by mobile devices. Nearly three-quarters of teens have or have access to a smartphone and 30% have a basic phone, while just 12% of teens 13 to 17 say they have no cell phone of any type. more »

Rose Madeline Mula writes: Hamlet had it easy. All he had to figure out was whether "to be or not to be?" — a one-time dilemma, at least if he chose "not to be." My soul-searching question, which I am compelled to ask of every item in my closets and drawers, is "to pack or not to pack?" You'd think that it would get easier every time I travel. Wrong. If anything, it seems to get harder.     more »