If you live in Miami or are in the area, you’ve gotta eat at Heavy Burger! Read all about it here on Wandering Educators!

If you love puppets, you’ll love this book too! 10-Minute Puppets by Noel MacNeal. Read my review on LA Parent Mag’s website.

Here’s a link to my latest review on LA Parent Magazine. The book is called Firsts: Origins of Every Day Things That Changed the World by Wilson Casey. It’s one of those really fun and educational trivia books with short paragraphs. Fun for the whole family!

I reviewed three new books for LA Parent Magazine. If you have kids who are curious about how we grow our food, you’ll want to check these out! I particularly liked The Life of Rice.

If you are planning a visit to NYC, are there now visitng or live there full time, buy this guidebook. It really is invaluable. Frommer’s cuts through all the junk so you don’t have to…

Read my review on Wandering Educators.

Click here to read my review for LA Parent Magazine of The Boss Baby by Marla Frazee (one of the best children’s book illustrators). It is the CUTEST boook ever!

Click here to read another review of Lilly P Badilly on I Like it Frantic. Thank you Deb for the review!

Lucky Hot Dogs and More * * * * * (Five Stars)

4251 N State Road 7
Hollywood, FL 33021
Phone 954-967-0809
Fax 954-967-0810

www.LuckyHotDogs.com

If you are a hot dog lover, you’ve got to try Lucky Hot Dogs. Owner Dick Simon does everything right at his new restaurant:

• It’s in a great location on 441, across from the Seminole Bingo Hall and a block from the Seminole Hard Rock Casino.
• It’s immaculate, inside and out.
• It’s charming.
• The service is excellent.
• The food is great.
• The prices are terrific.
• AND I got a FREE hot dog, because it was my birthday yesterday!
• Even the customers were real friendly too.

Look for the big yellow building on the corner of Stirling Road and 441 (State Rd. 7)

Coming from Chicago, I can only eat Vienna hot dogs. In fact, whenever I see the photo of a Vienna dog with the Vienna logo, my mouth waters. These are absolutely the best, highest quality dogs you can eat. Like me, Dick Simon is from Chicago originally. He’s been in South Florida for 35 years. He was retired but jumped at the chance to open this new place, and I’m so glad he did!

Dick Simon proudly showing me around Lucky’s

A Chicago Style hot dog all the way, with a side of Black Jack Fries

Italian Beef sandwich dipped all the way

In addition to dogs and Italian beef, other specialties include Polish Sausage, fried sausage, grilled salami sandwiches and fish and chips. There are also burgers, chili and chicken tenders on the menu and plenty of sides. (My regular fries were terrific – hot, tasty and perfectly salted.) You can even get fresh main course salads here. There’s ample counter space to eat inside the well air-conditioned restaurant as well as a few tables with umbrellas outside. There’s also a drive thru window, but I’d rather order inside and enjoy the total experience. Also, there’s a cute Hall of Fame on the wall for the youngest hot dog eaters. Pick up a sandwich card for frequent visitors so you can get a free hot dog after  so many visits.

Lucky Hot Dogs is the kind of place that will quickly become your favorite sandwich shop. Even if I didn’t write this 5-Star review, I’m sure Dick Simon would remember me when I come back for more great eats. He’s just that friendly.

Read my latest review on LA Parent Magazine here. It is called Watch This Space by Hadley Dyer, and is a sort of intro for kids to urban planning. It’s clever and sophisticated.

Read my interview on Wandering Educators with author Tyler R. Tichelaar, Phd., who penned an impressive, comprehensive guidebook about his home town. His book is called My Marquette, and if you have ever thought about writing about your home town, this interview will give you the insight you need to do it. You can read my review of the book on Amazon.

I bought Renoir in the 20th Century in the Philadelphia Museum of Art Gift Shopm after visiting the traveling Renoir Exhibit there. Here’s my review of this big, beautiful book on Amazon.

You’ve got to watch this awesome video on NPR showing the birth of a monarch butterfly!

http://karenswhimsy.com

Check out this cute book I reviewed for LA Parent. It is for little kids who love to help their parents in the kitchen.

Here’s a cute book that just might be a perfect gift for your child during the winter holidays.

I reviewed Mama is it Summer Yet? by Nikki McClure for LA Parent Magazine.