Month: July 2013

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? –From Picture Books to YA is a weekly meme startted by Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee at Unleashing Readers.  This is a chance for bloggers to recap their week of reading and share their plans for the next reading adventures they will take.  Visit the host blogs for a list of great blogs participating in this meme and a whole host of titles to add to your to-read lists.

This week I was still at my sister’s house so I was still doing more television watching and hanging out than reading.  I was able to get a few great books read though.

Books I Finished This Week:

I have had The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z by Kate Messner on my Kindle for quite some time.  I thought this one was for younger students so I wasn’t really in any rush to read it.  I was wrong.  This is a wonderful story (as are all Kate’s books) about a girl in middle school who has a hard time juggling all that she has to do.  Gianna is unorganized and has a hard time keeping track of her school work, which in this case might affect her qualifications for the cross country regionals.  Gianna has a leaf project to do for science class in which she needs to collect and classify leaves to find out more about the trees in her area.  Add in the fact that she would rather be creating art and that her grandma is not doing so well and her mom doesn’t seem to listen when Gianna brings it up, and you can see how the struggle to get finished might be a big one. With the help of her family and friends she just might get this done in time.  I loved this book.  Gianna is such a true messy middle school student.  There is also a theme of family and accepting that bad things might be happening to your loved ones.  It is so scary to think that a loved one might develop Alzheimer’s disease.  This is an issue that is dealt with in a great way in this book.  I am glad to know of a book to recommend if I find out any of my students are dealing with this issue.  I can definitely see recommending this book to a lot of my students who will identify with Gianna and her struggles to get her school work done.

Earthbound by Aprilynne Pike is a really exciting new book which is coming out on July 30th. I was lucky enough to get it from NetGalley.  I really enjoyed the story and will absolutely recommend it to students this fall.  Please see my full review here.

This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel is a story about Victor Frankenstein as a child.  I loved the imaginative story about dipping into the world of alchemy when his brother is very ill.  I am a huge fan of Gothic novels so this story was right up my alley with the mystery and the creatures.  It is fun to consider what might have made Victor Frankenstein into the mad scientist who created such a weird monster later on in life.  I definitely recommend this book to grades 6 and up, especially to students who are interested in reading Frankenstein.

On Writing by Stephen King is a book that everyone who wants to write novels should read.  It is full of good advice.  I wasn’t expecting to read so much about his life, but I think that is what makes it a great book for writers.  There is so much truth to what he shares with his readers about how he became a bestselling author.  I love the idea of writing from a situation rather than plotting.  I think this makes a lot of sense and I am going to try that approach with my story.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who is ready to get serious about writing.

Books I am Currently Reading:

What’s Next?

Title: Earthbound
Author: Aprilynne Pike

Publication: July 30, 2013 by Razorbill

Source: NetGalley

My Summary: 

When Tavia Michaels becomes the sole survivor of a plane crash, her entire life changes.  Her parents die in the crash and she ends up living with an aunt and uncle that she hardly knows.  Then, just when she feels almost healed, she starts to see weird things that other people aren’t seeing.  Soon things are happening to her that are so strange she has a hard time believing they actually happened.  Tavia sets out to discover what is going on and ends up on the road.  She has to navigate her new world and figure out who she can trust and who she is running from.   As she runs, Tavia tries to discover what is happening to her, and begins to learn about a whole new supernatural world that she could never have imagined.

My Thoughts: 

      This book kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading.  I was so intrigued by the mysteries in the story.  I could never have guessed any of this!  I love it when authors surprise me.  Tavia is a very likable character and I was rooting for her throughout the book.  She is genuinely confused about what is happening and this confusion creates a lot of tension for the reader.
      I was fortunate enough to see Aprilynne Pike at a library event a couple of months ago and I was impressed with how fun and witty she is.  I immediately started reading Wings, which I had bought at the event, and was impressed with this author’s style.  So when I saw Earthbound on NetGalley, I knew I wanted to read it.  I was not disappointed in the least.  The writing in this book is intelligent and the characters are believable and witty.  I really felt for Tavia, because I think I would react in much the same way as she did in this kind of situation.  I enjoyed her voice throughout the story.
      The other thing I enjoyed in this book, of course, is the fact that there are multiple kissing scenes.   I love the fact that they are there, but also they are not too crazy.  I can feel confident recommending the book to my middle school students without worrying about whether it is too mature for them.  I was really intrigued by the inner conflict that Tavia feels, and was really eager to figure out why she felt the pull that she felt.

    I would absolutely recommend this book to teens and adults alike.  This is an original idea and I am very curious to find out what else happens in this series.  You must go buy a copy for your class library as soon as it is available.  This will be one of the most popular new titles you have!

5 out of 5 stars

Title: Sorta Like a Rock Star
Author: Matthew Quick
Publication: May 1, 2010 by Little, Brown and Company
Source: Library Book

Goodreads Summary: 

Amber Appleton lives in a bus. Ever since her mom’s boyfriend kicked them out, Amber, her mom, and her totally loyal dog, Bobby Big Boy (aka Thrice B) have been camped out in the back of Hello Yellow (the school bus her mom drives). Still, Amber, the self-proclaimed princess of hope and girl of unyielding optimism, refuses to sweat the bad stuff. But when a fatal tragedy threatens Amber’s optimism—and her way of life, can Amber continue to be the rock star of hope? With an oddball cast of characters, and a heartwarming, inspiring story, this novel unveils a beautifully beaten-up world of laughs, loyalty, and hard-earned hope.

My Thoughts:

Amber is full of spirit and she works so hard to boost the spirits of everyone around her.  I loved this character and she reminded me a lot of the protagonist in Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli.  I was impressed with the strength in this female character and also with the vulnerability she displays later in the story.  This is a story about a teenager who is dealing with more than she should have to deal with and the people in her life who support her.  I loved Amber’s voice throughout the story.  She is witty and funny and optimistic.  This book surprised me at every twist and turn.  I was touched in a deep way and tears were streaming down my face throughout the entire second half of the book.  Quick did an amazing job of bringing an eclectic mix of characters to life in this great story.

Here’s a highlight from the book.  In this scene Amber is riding a bike to the church where she volunteers, with her little dog in the basket of the bicycle:

     We are flying through the cold January air, out of town, across the tracks, and into the ghetto.  There are a lot of down-and-out people in this town, and they usually stare at me when I ride my bike through.
      The first time this happened, it scared me a lot, because it sorta looked like these people wanted to kill me, but I have since learned a trick.
      Whenever someone looks at me like they want to stomp my face in, I now look the person in the eyes, smile really huge, wave, and say, “Hope you’re havin’ a great day!” It’s pretty wild because doing this really works.  If you don’t believe me, try it yourself.  Even the meanest-looking people will get this really stunned look on their faces, but then the smile blooms, and they usually wave back and say something nice like “God bless you!” or “Same to you!” It’s a pretty cool trick, and maybe even a pretty killer way of life, if you are a crazy spiritual ho like me. True? True. 

Don’t you just love her voice? I would highly recommend this one to teens and adults, grade 8 and up.  I enjoyed Boy21 as well and will certainly be watching for more from Matthew Quick.

5 out of 5 stars

I am joining in on this weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Each week there is a different top ten list topic and a bunch of bloggers weighing in.  Head on over there to see more of the great blogs participating.

This week we are sharing our top ten best/worst movie adaptations.  I decided to split my list between best and worst adaptations.

Best Movie Adaptations:

Worst Movie Adaptations:

I couldn’t even get through this movie.  I love the Stephanie Plum books, but the characters didn’t match the pictures I had in my head at all!  I might give this one another chance soon, but I am not sure about it.

The Golden Compass is another movie that I was really upset with.  This is an amazing book and for a while it was hard to get kids interested in it because the movie was so horrid.  It is not surprising that this was a hard movie to make because the story and characters are so complex.  I wish they would have just left this book alone.  

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? –From Picture Books to YA is a weekly meme hosted by Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers.  This is a chance for bloggers to recap their week of reading and share their plans for the next reading adventures they will take.  Visit the host blogs for a list of great blogs participating in this meme and a whole host of titles to add to your to-read lists.

This was a better reading week for me.  I stayed at a hotel over the weekend to give my sister and her husband some privacy.  I love staying in hotels by myself because I get to read in a big fluffy bed until the wee hours of the morning…and that is just what I did.

Books I Finished This Week:

Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick was a quick and riveting read.  I was hooked from the very beginning and had a hard time putting this one down until I was finished with it.  As with all of the Printz books I have read so far, this book was amazing and well-written.  Please see my longer review of this book here.

Unbelievable by Sara Shephard is the fourth book in the Pretty Little Liars series.  I enjoyed this book and I know that many of my students will enjoy the series.  There are enough differences at this point in the book series that I am interested in finding out what happens.  It is kind of fun to compare what has happened in the show to the book series details.  This is nothing spectacular but a fun read.

I absolutely LOVED Sorta Like a Rockstar by Matthew Quick!  I fell in love with the protagonist, Amber Appleton.  She is a positive and hopeful force in her world and I hope that there really are people like that out there in the world.  Amber deals with some tough situations in very real ways and my heart broke for her and her pain.  This book really reminded me of Stargirl in the way that both protagonists worked to make the world a happier place for people around them.  I am absolutely going to purchase this book for my classroom library as soon as I get home.  I will also probably be posting a longer review of this one sometime this week.

Rump: The True Story of Rumplestiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff was a fun and quick read.  I love reading fractured fairy tales and seeing how creative authors can be when they spin classic stories.  This one was a funny book and I really enjoyed the story.  I would recommend it to grades 4 and up for a fun adventure.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain really gave me some food for thought.  The book helped me to understand myself and my husband better.  The ideas in this book also made me really think about the structures and procedures in place in my classroom.  There are many things to consider and I am glad I read this fascinating book.

Currently Reading:

What is next?

Title: Revolver
Author: Marcus Sedgwick

Publication: September 27, 2011 by Square Fish

Goodreads Summary: 

In an isolated cabin, fourteen-year-old Sig is alone with a corpse: his father, who has fallen through the ice and frozen to death only hours earlier. Then comes a stranger claiming that Sig’s father owes him a share of a horde of stolen gold. Sig’s only protection is a loaded Colt revolver hidden in the cabin’s storeroom. The question is, will Sig use the gun, and why?

My Thoughts: 

      I really liked the tension in this novel. It created a suspenseful story and I really had no idea what would happen. I definitely could connect with Sig and I was sucked into imagining what I would do in his situation. I like the way the narrative wove back and forth between Sig and the story of what happened with his father ten years ago. I also liked the way the author used quotes from that period of history to help ground his story and make it feel more realistic. The other element in this novel that I think is important is the setting. This is a harsh, cold, and lonely place which adds extra conflict because there is no going outside without preparing for it so Sig can’t just run. I thought the author did a fantastic job of describing the cold so that the reader can really imagine it. Although I am not sure that every reader would really feel it the way those of us that experience winters that can sometimes be harsh do. Although winters in Wisconsin are nowhere near as harsh as winters in the arctic circle, I have been outside in subzero temperatures and can thus feel the cold in this excerpt:

“He tugged at the latch, and before he’d even stepped outside the cold had him, grasping him, squeezing his chest and biting his face. The wind clawed at his mouth and nose, but a hundred miles north of the Arctic Circle, Sig had learned the trick of holding his breath inside until he knew which way the wind was attacking. Still it stole up the backs of his legs and over his face, finding a way in to drain him of his heat.”

This is a book that I picked up and read in one sitting. The story is well-written and the mystery kept me intrigued until the very end. I was also fascinated with the short glimpse of life for gold miners in the arctic. I think this book would appeal to fans of adventure books. I highly recommend it for grades 8 and up.

I know I will also be looking for other books by Marcus Sedgwick. Find more info about the author at http://www.marcussedgwick.com/

4 out of 5 stars

Ruth and Stacey at Two Writing Teachers host the Slice of Life every Tuesday.

     I used to love the 4th of July.

     When I was a kid we had this Independence Day parade in my neighborhood.  It was not the kind of parade that they close streets for and make floats for.  It was a cheap, noisy, exuberant celebration of the holiday and our neighbors.  We decorated bikes, tricycles, and wagons, and then the whole group of people proceeded to march through the neighborhood throwing confetti, ringing bells, and singing or yelling.  It was a celebration of where we lived as much as the holiday.  We enjoyed being around the other families in the neighborhood and had a free and fun time.
     After the parade, we often loaded up the car and drove off to my grandparents’ house.  Each year our extended family could depend on two gatherings, one at Christmas and one on July 4th.  My grandparents lived in a nice neighborhood which was walking distance from one of the bigger parks in Madison where they set off fireworks.  Every year my family had excellent seats for the fireworks in the front yard of my grandparents’ house or the balcony.  Kids would be running around and we would pig out on the amazing potluck of treats that had been made for that day.  Some years a group of us kids would walk with a few of the moms to the park, where they had a carnival.  I remember coming back from the carnival with all kinds of junk, which at the time was treasure.  I mean, who wouldn’t want a big pair of clown sunglasses with flag designs?  The best part of these days was just the time spent with family.
     As a child, there is nothing better than a free parade followed by a family picnic.  
   
     Then, in the summer of 1991, when I was 13, this holiday changed forever.  On July 2nd, 1991, my father died.  He was at home when he suffered a second heart attack that his pacemaker just couldn’t stop.  I was the one who called 9-1-1 and watched my mother lose her mind with grief.  He was rushed to the hospital but no one could do anything for him at that point.  That summer, the 4th of July celebrations did not exist for us.  The only thing I remember about the week that this happened is that I went out with some friends to get out of the house for a few hours.  We went to a small firework display in a town nearby and all I wanted to do was go home.  I think this is why I think of my dad whenever I see fireworks.  Independence Day is a lot less fun nowadays.

   Today is the 22nd anniversary of my father’s death.  I cannot believe it has been so long since I last saw him.  This week I will celebrate the 4th of July with my sister, her husband, and their baby.  I am so excited to share this holiday with them.  With a new baby in the family, maybe it is time to start a new tradition.  So on Thursday we will cookout, have some beer, and enjoy our time together.  Perhaps we will even find some fireworks to watch.

Happy 4th of July Everyone!

I am joining in on this weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Each week there is a different top ten list topic and a bunch of bloggers weighing in.  Head on over there to see more of the great blogs participating.

This week the Top Ten Tuesday topic really made me think.  I didn’t really think I was intimidated by many books until I started to really consider the books.  Here are my top ten most intimidating books.

Intimidating Classics:

The first book that comes to mind when I think about intimidating books is Ulysses by James Joyce.  I have always been intrigued by this book and have been tempted to try it multiple times.  I keep passing it up, because I am intimidated by the stream of consciousness.  There are so many people who believe this book is very difficult…it can’t be that hard to read, can it?

The second intimidating book is The Wings of the Dove by Henry James.  In theory I should like Henry James’ novels.  I love Jane Austen’s books and many other Romantic British authors.  The style of book that he writes, the comedy of manners, is one of my favorite types of books.  However, I once tried to read The Portrait of a Lady and had to abandon it.  This was the time of my life in which I never abandoned books so this was saying something.

La Caverna by Jose Saramago is a newer classic but it intimidates me because of the complexity of the language.  Saramago was a Portuguese writer and so the translation to Spanish is more likely to be more accurate, which is why I have it in Spanish on my shelf.  I need to have time to focus in order to really get into this one and I just keep passing it up when selecting a new book.

Cien Anos de Soledad (One Hundred Years of Solitude) by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is another book that I should read in Spanish.  I know so many people who enjoy this book.  However, the first time I tried to read it I had to give up after about 100 pages.  I need to try again at some point because I really just don’t see what all those people are raving about so I feel like I must have missed something.

Genre Books That Intimidate: 

Too Long:

Too Heartbreaking:

What books intimidate you?  Please share in the comments below.  

It’s Monday! What are you reading? –From Picture Books to YA–is a weekly meme hosted by Jen and Kellee at Teach Mentor Texts.  Head over to their blog for links to many great blogs and a plethora of good book suggestions.

Books I Finished This Week:

Books I am Currently Reading:

What’s Next?