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Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers
Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers | Maxwell King
Fred Rogers (1928-2003) was an enormously influential figure in the history of television and in the lives of tens of millions of children. As the creator and star of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, he was a champion of compassion, equality, and kindness. Rogers was fiercely devoted to children and to taking their fears, concerns, and questions about the world seriously. The Good Neighbor, the first full-length biography of Fred Rogers, tells the story of this utterly unique and enduring American icon. Drawing on original interviews, oral histories, and archival documents, Maxwell King traces Rogers's personal, professional, and artistic life through decades of work, including a surprising decision to walk away from the show to make television for adults, only to return to the neighborhood with increasingly sophisticated episodes, written in collaboration with experts on childhood development. An engaging story, rich in detail, The Good Neighbor is the definitive portrait of a beloved figure, cherished by multiple generations.
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Twainy
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Pickpick

This was a very comprehensive bio. I never really saw this series but he seems to have been a very nice man who cared about children. Great narration!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Anja145
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jlhammar
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I loved this 2018 documentary so much. Really inspiring. I‘d like to try the tagged biography sometime.

#OminousOctober #Sweater
@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Eggs Well done 👍🏼 2y
58 likes1 comment
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Kristy_K
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Bailedbailed

I loved Mr. Rogers growing up, but this was too slow and uneventful for me. He was a rich, shy child and I felt that could have been summed up in a chapter as opposed to dragging it out.

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Adventures_of_a_French_Reader
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Pickpick

My book club picked this book for November (still catching up on my reviews...), and I really enjoyed discovering Fred Rogers, his childhood, his vision for TV programs intended for children, and how his concept evolved over time. Some people feel like there wasn't much details in this book about his private life, but I felt it was enough, I didn't need to know more personal things.

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IamIamIam
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Pickpick

An in depth look at one of the most revered public figures of our time, this book did not disappoint! I learned so many things about how Mister Rogers developed his child psychology approach to television, became a Presbyterian minister, remained 143lbs for most of his adult life! 😁 If you have fond memories of the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, this is not to be missed! #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks ❤️❤️❤️ 3y
peaKnit I love Mr. Rogers… 3y
IamIamIam @peaknit You would love this book!!! I cried so many times! 3y
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TheAromaofBooks Oh this sounds so interesting!!! 3y
IamIamIam @TheAromaofBooks I was really blown away at how well thought out his whole career was, not just his tv show! 3y
TheAromaofBooks I really like it when biographies tell the story of a person's life instead of just trying to dig up “dirt“ on them. 3y
IamIamIam @TheAromaofBooks The best thing about this book is that there's so little dirt to find! Lol, his sons were a bit rambunctious as teens and that was the most shocking thing in the book! 3y
31 likes1 stack add7 comments
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IamIamIam
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A gorgeous afternoon to wrap up my lovely summer lunch hours before the cooler weather starts setting in. 🌞

So many interesting tidbits in this book & such an incredible insight into a man who was so far ahead of his time. He'd be right at home nestled into today's world of children's television!

Michael Keaton got his start in show biz as a crew member for Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and predictably, chaos ensued! No spoilers here, though! 😏

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IamIamIam
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My daughter is a big Mr. Rogers fan & thanks to Amazon, we were able to watch a lot of old episodes during last year's lockdown. I remember this episode and being so moved by how easily he explained a dead fish and it opened a discussion for us about what's going to happen when our 10 year old dog passes away. I might have been more fascinated than my daughter watching this particular episode. ❤

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IamIamIam
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My reading time has been significantly affected by working full time after 13 years and a summer where every weekend holds something different. School starts on Wednesday and it's the first year I won't be home at the end of the day. 😕

I'm about halfway done with this one. I just got to the famous Pastore Congressional hearings where Fred Rogers secures funding for public television probably forever. 😁 What an amazing guy he was!

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SpeculativeFemale
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#QuotsyAug21 @TK-421

When I think of #crayons I always think of the how crayons are made Mr. Rogers episode. His show was just such a big part of my childhood.

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mariaku21
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Pickpick

King's book took me across the years and presented Fred Rogers as a child, a teenager, a young man trying to find his way to a married man, to the Mr. Rogers I grew up with and every variation in between as well as the people in his life, the ups and downs and I got to learn a lot about Fred and his life in a way that I never knew.⁠

Even now, I'm tearing up thinking about this book. Good tears.⁠

Tomigirl44 Have you heard the podcast series about him? I think it‘s called Findjng Fred (2019?) - I loved it. 4y
mariaku21 @Tomigirl44 I didn't! But now I know what to listen to next after my current podcast listens! Thank YOU!! 4y
Tomigirl44 @mariahku21 Glad I could help! 😊 4y
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monalyisha
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Mehso-so

Sometimes repetitive & sometimes striking the wrong tone (e.g. when describing Rogers‘ unhappiness at Dartmouth College, King writes, “He didn‘t cry & complain, or drop out of college & wander around the country trying to find himself”). I didn‘t especially need to know which industries were thriving in Fred‘s childhood hometown or about the intricacies of TV‘s cathode ray tubes. Still, it was nice to learn more about “Fred Time” & proceed slowly.

Tamra Have you seen the movie? I haven‘t yet but have wondered about it. 4y
monalyisha @Tamra Yes! My husband & I saw the documentary in theaters & bawled our eyes out. We just watched the Tom Hanks film a few weeks about & enjoyed it. It‘s more about a fictional journalist (inspired by real-life journalist Tom Junod) than it is *strictly* about Mister Rogers — but that‘s very much in keeping with the Mister Rogers message: to give of yourself, take the focus away from that which is self-serving, & care about your neighbors. 4y
72 likes2 comments
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monalyisha
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“Childhood is not just clouds and balloons. In fact, childhood goes to the heart of who we all become.”

Cathythoughts Great quote ❤️ 4y
53 likes1 comment
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monalyisha
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“Also, Rogers was very busy planning for the new center at Saint Vincent College, making public appearances, & traveling. Yes, he was retired, but he was busy as ever. He spent a good deal of time... making detailed plans for the children‘s media center at the college.”

If it feels like I‘ve been reading this book forever, this is why.

MommyWantsToReadHerBook Writing like that drives me crazy! 4y
Scochrane26 I agree that he‘s a bit wordy. 4y
monalyisha @Scochrane26 The book probably could‘ve been a third shorter than it is. 4y
48 likes3 comments
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monalyisha
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It‘s easy to convince people that children need to learn the alphabet & numbers...How do we help [them] realize that what matters even more than the superimposition of adult symbols is how a person‘s inner life finally puts together the alphabet & numbers of his outer life?...Whether he uses the alphabet for the declaration of war or the description of a sunrise—his numbers for the final count at Buchenwald or the specifics of a brand-new bridge.

Come-read-with-me This looks like so much fun!!! 4y
Tera66 So sweet! 4y
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monalyisha
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“When Santa Claus [visits the Neighborhood]...Daniel Tiger blurts out that he is not always good. Santa replies, “Good people aren‘t always good. They just try to be.”

Hestapleton ❤️😭 4y
monalyisha @Hestapleton Literally me, anytime I see or hear anything remotely related to Mister Rogers. 😅🙈 I‘ve been engaged in a very comforting deep dive into his life & work, & have been *exceptionally* weepy. 4y
MommyOfTwo ❤️ 4y
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monalyisha
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Things I‘ve held in my hands today.

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booklover3258
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Pickpick

My review of this book can be found on my Youtube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/9c27NmWcT_c

Enjoy!

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PurpleTulipGirl
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Pickpick

Charming biography of Mr. Rogers. I always loved the Land of Make Believe.

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Crazeedi
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Congrats @BarbaraBB ! You always have the greatest post! I am recommending "The Good Neighbor". Mr. Roger's is an icon in western PA. And especially now, his wisdom is sorely needed.
#ThinkLocalGiveAway

TheDaysGoBy Boy do we need more people like him in the world. The book was great too! Wonderful pick! 4y
BarbaraBB This sounds so good. Especially right now. Thanks for entering 💚 4y
Tanisha_A Ooh I watched the Tom Hanks movie. Soo good. 4y
49 likes3 comments
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JimmyCira13
Pickpick

Such a fantastic journey through the life of Mister Rogers. It has not only affected the way I parent, but also my approach to ministry! It‘s a must read!

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BookmarkTavern
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Let‘s get personal. 🤝

1. I think we‘ll always change our views of people based on more information. But that‘s not necessarily a bad thing.
2. Tagged! A great biography of an amazing man (and the audiobook is read by LeVar Burton!)
3. Hatshepsut

#sundayfunday Don‘t forget to tag me, and thanks for playing!

TReads Mister Rogers AND Levar! 😍 SOLD! #stacked 5y
BookmarkTavern @TReads It‘s fantastic! I hope you enjoy it! 😁 5y
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MoMogrl
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this biography. I listened to the audio book and Levar Burton is a great narrator. I learned so much that I never knew before about Fred Rogers life, even having grown up watching Mr Rogers Neighborhood.

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Gissy
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1. Intriguing
2. Yes! Because I needed mental sanity in this quarantine! 😌It has been my anti-coronavirus medicine during social distancing but not with books📚❤️Don't worry, everything that is going to enter into my home, will be disinfected first! But be carful with online shopping there are a lot of hackers during this emergency time. Thank you @Gaylagal2 for tagging me!🤗❤️❤️❤️

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Karen3
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Pickpick

Being a Mr.Rogers devoted child, it was so fun to go back and hear about his life. I‘m not usually a fan of this genre but I loved it. My audiobook time has been all but cut since I‘m not commuting to work anymore so this one took a long time to finish. 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Joysiam
Pickpick

Filled with lovely details of Fred!!

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BookmarkTavern
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#KeepLitsyPositive

“There was something else my mother did that I‘ve always remembered: “Always look for the helpers,” she‘d tell me. “There‘s always someone who is trying to help.” I did, and I came to see that the world is full of doctors and nurses, police and firemen, volunteers, neighbors and friends who are ready to jump in to help when things go wrong.” - Fred Rogers

https://www.covid19mutualaidslc.com

#slc #slclitsy #notbookrelated

LoverOfLearning Absolutely, hopefully, one doesn't have to travel too far to find someone to help them. 💝 5y
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NAM99
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Pickpick

There was a lot about Fred Rogers that I found so interesting in how he went about creating Mr. Rogers Neighborhood but his love for piano was what I found most relatable.

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kellyann28
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Post 1 of 2. There were SO many goodies in my #ReadintheNewYear package from @wanderinglynn that I have to do two posts. She is amaaaazing! Mr. Rogers was a childhood enjoyment of mine so I can't wait to read that! The little paper is an audio book about the movie The Princess Bride. I've actually not ever seen that movie so I will make a point to watch it first! I love my socks, sloth bookmarks and cute bookish pins! @Chrissyreadit @MeganAnn

wanderinglynn I hope you enjoy The Princess Bride. It‘s one of my all-time fave movies & books. If I‘d know you hadn‘t seen it, I would‘ve sent the book and the movie too! 😂 (edited) 5y
kellyann28 @wanderinglynn 😂😂 No worries! My husband has seen it and likes it so I'm sure he will sit down and watch it with me! 5y
MeganAnn 😍🎉✨❤️👏🏻 The Princess Bride is one of my favorites 😘 5y
30 likes3 comments
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Kenyazero
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Pickpick

This was an amazing read. I didn't realize just how dedicated Mr. Rogers was to children. His family was pretty amazing as well. This book also provides a great look at TV history. I was delighted to hear a familiar voice from my childhood narrating the audio book. #mrrogers #tvhistory #mediahistory #childhoodeducation #education #history #wontyoubemyneighbor #onceasinfonianalwaysasinfonian

blank I loved this one, too! 5y
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Crazeedi
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Wise words

curiouserandcurioser @Crazeedi Have yoy read The Simple Faith of Mr. Rogers yet? 5y
Crazeedi @curiouserandcurioser no not yet, I'll definitely look for it! Thank you!! 5y
curiouserandcurioser @Crazeedi Let me know if you cant find it bc if its not in bookstores, i could order it for you from faith gateway♥️ 5y
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Crazeedi @curiouserandcurioser I will. Thank you so much, his faith played a big role in his life and work 5y
curiouserandcurioser @Crazeedi It certainly did-i just loved him-our pastor says to be Jesus with skin on and Fred Rogers wad most certainly that! 5y
Crazeedi @curiouserandcurioser we keep trying our best, Fred Rogers was close... 5y
curiouserandcurioser @Crazeedi He sure was🥰 5y
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Crazeedi
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Started the tagged book. He was part of my daughters childhood, therefore part of my life as a mom. He always said the right thing...💗
Also fits #Nonfiction2020 @Riveted_Reader_Melissa

blank I love Mr. Rogers and I loved this book! 5y
Crazeedi @laurenslibrary he's our own hero isn't he!😊 5y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa I hope the book is as wonderful as he was! 5y
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Fridameetslucy He‘s always been my role model and hero. 5y
Crazeedi @Riveted_Reader_Melissa so far it is, telling of his childhood... 5y
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TheDaysGoBy
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Congrats @Chrissyreadit on all your milestones! I read a lot of great books this year but the only one I gave 5 stars to was The Good Neighbor. It was really a great year for me with nonfiction. A book I‘m looking forward to reading in 2020 is The Book Thief. I‘m late to the party on that one and it‘s been on my shelf for a while so I wanna tackle it

#thankyougiveaway

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shortsarahrose
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Pickpick

Audiobook read by Levar Burton. Fred Rogers is a surprisingly complex man, though he always lived true to his values. A valuable reminder that their are kind people in this world. Narrative was a bit repetitive and some of the background/contextual information felt unnecessary. But still a worthwhile listen.

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abookishbutterfly
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Happy World Kindness Day! Remember to extend some of that kindness to yourself. ❤️

LiteraryinPA Thanks for this reminder! 💗 5y
59 likes1 stack add1 comment
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TheDaysGoBy
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Pickpick

This book was great! Being born and raised in Pittsburgh, exposure/love for Mister Rogers‘ Neighborhood is as automatic as becoming a Steeler fan. That said, I learned so much about Fred Rogers and it‘s made me more appreciative of his great talents. And listening to the audiobook narrated by LeVar Burton from Reading Rainbow just added to my childhood nostalgia.

#NFNov #biography @rsteve388 @Clwojick

Clwojick 6 pt. 5y
Scochrane26 I loved this book so much! 5y
TheDaysGoBy @Scochrane26 It was so good! Listening to it on audio was even more fun with them throwing Fred Rogers singing at the end 5y
27 likes3 comments
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TheDaysGoBy
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Listening this on audio and I‘ve learned so much. Like, Fred Rogers was red and green colorblind. Or that he‘d lived in Toronto which is where he first got in front of the camera in the way he did for Mister Rogers‘ Neighborhood. It‘s all been so interesting!

#NFNov #TIL @rsteve388 @Clwojick

Addison_Reads I read this earlier in the year and absolutely loved it. 5y
TheDaysGoBy @Addison_Reads I‘m really enjoying it so far. Also having LeVar Burton from Reading Rainbow read it has just added to the experience…and the childhood nostalgia I‘m getting 😂 5y
TheSpineView I am looking forward to the movie. I think Tom Hanks is the perfect choice. I want to read the book first but I might not get to it in time. 5y
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TheDaysGoBy @TheSpineView I agree. I‘d like to see the movie and Tom Hanks I‘m sure will be great. He did awesome playing Walt Disney in Saving Mr Banks - he seems to handle those types of roles well 5y
Clwojick 4pts! 5y
31 likes6 comments
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jesseastin
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Rainy afternoon in Portland. Happily ensconced In Powell‘s (again), checking out a few possibilities.

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Samplergal
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Mehso-so

3.5 stars. The book was inconsistently entertaining, and the biggest negative was the narrator, Lavar Burton. I know, right? The ups and downs of the narrator might work on other books, it was simply annoying to me. And I adore Mr. Rogers. And Lavar Burton. Read the real book. Skip the audiobook.

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SauerPatch
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Pickpick

For some reason I‘m still discovering, this year I‘ve had this unexplainable fixation on Mr. Rogers, so I ate up just about every word of this, although some parts get pretty deep into names and networking of that era of television. It gets somewhat repetitive with frequent reminders of names and details, but I can only assume that‘s for the sake of those reading bits and pieces. I‘ve never read many bios; perhaps that‘s standard?

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SauerPatch
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Its raining 🌧 all day, one babe is asleep 😴 and the other occupied with Paw Patrol, 🐾 so I‘m sitting down for a cozy reading sesh. ☺️ As a mom of two young children, I don‘t get many of these! (At least not during daylight. 😉) I‘m also a VERY slow reader, hence why I‘m still chugging away at a book I started probably two months ago. 😬

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SauerPatch

“You rarely have time for everything you want in this life, so you need to make choices. And hopefully your choices can come from a deep sense of who you are.”
-Fred Rogers

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TheBookAddict
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Pickpick

Just finished listening to this book. I enjoyed it, but it did take me a few #hoopla borrows to finish it. I don‘t read much nonfiction and it was long. I wouldn‘t say that it‘s a complete biography of Fred Rogers. It was mostly a biography of the show, because it didn‘t have much about his personal life. His life was glazed over. Nevertheless, he was a great man who is definitely missed. This world needs more people like him. 👇🏽

TheBookAddict And my #audiocrocheting paid off. 😆 what do you guys think? I made it for big books (used HP and the Goblet of Fire to make it) or for multiple small books. I‘m thinking of making more and selling them. I have patches for the other houses as well. 😏 #booksleeve #HP (edited) 5y
Texreader ❤️❤️❤️ It‘s gorgeous! You are so talented! 5y
TheBookAddict @Texreader thanks! 😊 5y
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Lizpixie That is an awesome booksleeve! I‘d definitely buy one🙋🏻‍♀️ 5y
TheBookAddict @Lizpixie 🙌🏽 thanks for the support. I‘ll definitely be sharing my page and options once I get it all figured out. 🙂 5y
Tanisha_A So pretty! 😍 5y
TheBookAddict @Tanisha_A thanks. 😊 5y
LorieL Follow Gryffindor here! 🙋🏻‍♀️ 5y
TheBookAddict @LorieL 🙂 👋🏽 5y
LorieL @TheBookAddict *Fellow 😉 5y
TheBookAddict @LorieL 😆 I didn‘t notice the typo. I read it as “fellow.” 5y
BethM I love it! I‘d totally buy one! 5y
TheBookAddict @BethM thanks, I‘ll make sure to share the link when I get it all squared away. 😊 5y
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TheBookAddict
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Finishing this #audiobook on #hoopla. It‘s taking me a while, like most nonfiction books do...unless they are titled Becoming or Born A Crime 😉😅. I still enjoy it, it makes me think of what a great man Fred Rogers was and what a difference he made in kids‘ lives. I wish I had watched his show more.

Picture of an interesting find on our river front walk today. There are many river front parks here in Rockford, IL. #ParksOfRockford #PokemonGo

TheBookAddict They make me think of Sleeping Giants, which is a great audiobook for anyone who hasn‘t read or listened to it yet. The book format wasn‘t very appealing to me, but I loved the audiobook series. 😁 (edited) 5y
Caroline2 Awesome!!! 😀 5y
See All 13 Comments
Crazeedi Such a cool picture!! And we watched Mr Rogers every day when my youngest was little, she ran to the couch to be ready to watch. He was a beautiful soul 5y
LibrarianRyan Didn‘t know you were just a little north of me. Cool. And I had to check this audiobook out 4 times. I get it. It‘s wonderful but slow. 5y
wanderinglynn Way to go! 🙌🏻 And what a neat spot to walk! Very cool photo. 5y
TheBookAddict @Crazeedi He was! I watched it a few times, but I was mostly a Barney and Arthur kid. 5y
TheBookAddict @LibrarianRyan Really? Are you in IL too? 😆 I borrowed it a few times and the time before this I didn‘t renew it immediately. I waited until I was ready to pick up from where I left off. 5y
TheBookAddict @wanderinglynn thanks. It was a nice walk. 5y
LibrarianRyan @TheBookAddict Yep. In the capitol City. 5y
TheBookAddict @LibrarianRyan ah, ok👍🏽. I‘ve only been there twice many years ago. 5y
kspenmoll What wonderful surprises on your riverfront! 5y
TheBookAddict @kspenmoll it is, it‘s pretty cool. 🙂 5y
51 likes13 comments
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BookmarkTavern
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Pickpick

In this current world of “cancel culture”, it‘s comforting to listen to the biography of a man so loved and respected who was still human, but also as good as we want and remember him to be.

And having Levar Burton read this to combine two men who influenced my childhood so much was perfection. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

(Also! Go watch the trailer for the movie coming out in November with Tom Hanks! I teared up!)

GondorGirl I cried so hard at the end of this book! 😢😍 5y
theresidentromantic The entire documentary was just a contest of pride between my fiance and I to see who broke into tears first. 🤣🤣 Although, I do really feel bad for his son. Those are some crazy, crazy shoes. 5y
Crazeedi I saw the trailer and cried too. Such a good man 5y
Smrloomis Great review! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 5y
58 likes4 comments
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BookmarkTavern
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🎧 The Good Neighbor, 🎧 Crooked Kingdom, 📕 Envy of Angels
👍🏻 Second-Hand Curses by Drew Hayes
🤭 16, I wish there was a way to delay all my electronic holds coming in all at once

#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

SandyW If you're using Overdrive, go to holds. At the bottom of each book there are 3 options. You want "suspend hold." From there you have a drop down menu. If you are using Libby, go to your shelf and select holds. Then select "manage hold." At the next screen click I the word "active" and then select how long you'd like to suspend your hold. Both of these services keep advancing your hold, so you don't lose your place in line. I use it all the time 5y
BookmarkTavern @SandyW Thank you! That‘s so amazingly helpful. I checked after reading your comment, and you can apparently do it in the Libby app as well! Thanks again! 5y
37 likes2 comments
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SauerPatch
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Picked up these two holds from the library recently and I can‘t wait to get started on them! 💜

Addison_Reads Both are great reads. Happy reading! 😁 5y
11 likes1 comment
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Redjewel_7734
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Pickpick

I have vague memories of watching Mr. Rogers‘ Neighborhood, & a lifetime of memories of jokes about whether my dad is Mr. Rogers & if it‘s a beautiful day in my neighborhood because of my last name. But I never realized what a truly remarkable person Fred Rogers was. He embodied the best of the values we all purport to hold, but this book also shows his very human side as a well. Being read by Levar Burton makes this just a perfect bio.

Tera0707 My maiden name is Rogers, so I totally feel you. I loved Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. They don‘t make shows like they used to 5y
Redjewel_7734 @Tera0707 I know. I also feel that way about cartoons too-I do love my classics like Scooby Doo, Looney Tunes, & the Smurfs 😊 5y
61 likes2 comments
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hwestfall
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I‘ve been too caught up in the news and on Twitter today. I felt overwhelmed. I decided to start this book and have a big cup of tea. It was just what I needed. I am only through the prologue and it is a joy ❤️

Addison_Reads I just recently finished this one. I really enjoyed it; I hope you do too. 💙 5y
10 likes1 comment