{THIRSTday} 12/27/12

 It's THIRSTday!

David Etkin over at {Eat the Book} started what is called {THIRSTday}: a picture of a beverage and book of choice.  I asked if I could join and participate with this on Thursdays and of course he said yes.  Several of us were discussing about being better bloggers in 2013, and this is a fun and quick way to get in another post and share what we are reading. 

I started Son by Lois Lowry... I'm almost halfway and oh! my! I have so many questions.  Eager for the answers, hopefully they will be answered.

It's Monday! (and Christmas Eve!) What are you reading? 12/24/12

Merry Christmas readers! 

Last week I read two chapter books and reviewed See You at Harry's here:

 

I'm still listening to Bruiser by Neal Shusterman - since I've been off this week, I haven't been in my car much to listen to it.  I thought the following picture book was MAGICAL:

						And I'm currently reading: What are you reading this week?  Be sure to hop over to: Teach Mentor Texts and Book Journey the hosts of  It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Book Gap Challenge

Today, Donalyn Miller introduced the Book Gap Challenge over at the Nerdy Book Club blog.  She challenges us, as readers, to think about what do we need to work on as a reader.  Funny, I ask this question to my students all the time and I ask them to make a commitment to what they think they need to work on.  Reflecting on this, I know what I need to work on as a reader, but I will admit, I have not been very good at keeping those commitments.  So inspired and motivated by Donalyn's post, I have now sat and pondered about my book gaps and here they are (in no particular order):

1) Professional Literature: I think I've started about five or six different professional literature titles in the past year or two and have not finished a single one.  And not that they aren't any good, I guess I just became distracted.  Maybe I started too many.  Whatever the case, this is a reading gap I have, so I will commit to finishing the few that I started and reading the following recently purchased. 

 

2) Non-Fiction: When the 2012 Nerdy Book Club nominees were announced I went, "Yikes!" I read very few of the non-fiction books nominated.  Another major book gap of mine.

3) Poetry: Another genre I read little of when I read the titles of the Nerdy Book Club nominees.

4) Adult fiction: There are so many titles I have been eyeing for a long time now, others purchased that are collecting dust on my shelf.  I often feel guilty when I pick up an adult title because I feel a commitment to my students to keep up with new releases and to be able to suggest titles to them.  I am a part of a book club where I thought I would read at least one adult title per month, but our group is now picking Young Adult selections more often, which I don't mind of course. Now it just seems I may have to work on reading adult fiction more on my own now. :) 

So those are (a few) of my book gaps.  Good luck to everyone participating in the Book Gap Challenge.  Happy Reading!

Book Review - See You at Harry's

I'm not sure why I wait to read a book when I hear it's amazing.  I often buy books when they are released and then they sit on my shelf for awhile.  But I think sometimes that books find a way into a reader's hands at just the right time, and this was the case for me with See You at Harry's by Jo Knowles.

I had the honor and privilege to hear Jo Knowles speak about her latest book while at the 2012 ALAN convention.  I love learning about the story behind the story, and I believe that can make reading the book more powerful.  Based on Jo Knowles' experience of growing up in a restaurant business, this is a book about so many things other than that.

I found that the restaurant aspect of the book became a backdrop for plot layers weaved throughout story.  The narrator, Fern, is twelve years old and feels invisible in the midst of the family business and her little brother, Charlie.  Fern was named after Fern in Charlotte's Web because her mother thought, "From the moment you were born, I could tell you had a special soul.  I knew you'd be a good friend. A hero." (p. 3) Fern is trying to make sense of her family.  Holden, her older brother, is making "new friends."  Sarah, the oldest of the siblings, is taking a year off from school and helping with the business, and then there is three year old Charlie who is the "center of everything." Mom is always meditating or doting on Charlie and dad is minding the business. 


I thought Knowles was going to take the book in a certain direction but doesn't and it shocked me to the core.  Knowles quietly builds to this event and turns the family's world upside down.  Fern immediately starts blaming herself for what happens and slowly begins to realize that others in the family are doing the same.


I found this to be a story about love, forgiveness, hope, coming-of-age, friendship, acceptance, and truth. See You at Harry's, ironically, became comforting to me given the devastating events of Sandy Hook Elementary.  When I heard about what happened at Sandy Hook, I was at the devastating part in the book.  I strongly believe that eventually, "All will be well" as much as it can be.  I know it will take a LONG time; I hope the families and community can find comfort in some way, whether it's in a book or elsewhere.  And this is why I feel that books somehow wait on my shelf to be read at just the right moment; and sure enough this was one of them. 

It's Monday! What are you reading? 12/10/12

Please visit Jen and Kellee over at Teach Mentor Texts who are the host of this marvelous meme!

This was a slow week of reading for me as I was battling a cold.  That zapped much of my energy.  But I did finish reading one chapter book, one audio book, and several picture books this week.

First, I finished Reached by Ally Condie. Loved the final conclusion to this trilogy; it had me turning pages.  I so look forward to what Ally Condie has in store next as a writer.  I found myself rereading and bookmarking passages - many were so beautifully written - tidbits of "advice" or outlook on life.  Many moments where I found myself thinking, "Hmmmm..."  I also loved the experience of reading Reached this week as several folks on Twitter and myself tweeted back and forth as we read. The power of a reading community never ceases to amaze me.

I also listened to an audio book this week, Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti. This book started off a little rocky for me; I was not enjoying it at first but it redeemed itself about a third of the way through and this was not due to the narration but to the story line itself.  I think many teens can relate to this book on many levels.  As far as the audio goes, personally, I don't think the narrator captured the feeling correctly at some parts and awkwardly changed her voice for the different characters.  But, she was good enough for me to continue to listen to the audio version. 

Although the characters are high school aged (seniors), I think that Something Like Fate can easily be given to mature readers in 6th - 8th grades. 

Picture books I finished this week and would HIGHLY recommend for all to have in their libraries are:

 

Hello! Hello! and The Monsters' Monster I give 5 stars to and Chloe and the Lion I give 4 stars.

Hello! Hello! is one that can be used for all ages in variety of ways - a great family story to think about all the activities a family can do together that does not involve technology in any way and for high-schoolers to think about what they might be missing out on because of all the technological distractions in life. 

This week I will be reading books to catch up on the Nerdy Book Club Award Nominees; mostly picture books.  I will also be reading Jo Knowles' See You at Harry's (FINALLY!). What will you be reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading?

This past week I finished two books that I was reading for a couple of weeks.  The first was The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh.  This was November's pick for the book club that I am a part of.  The story follows Victoria Jones who has just been emancipated from the foster care system and is left to figure out how to start a life of her own with no skills or help from anyone.  Diffenbaugh writes the story of Victoria, alternating chapters from  Victoria's past and her present.  I thoroughly enjoyed The Language of Flowers and thought that sadly the art of flowers and their true meaning seems to be a lost art. Not sure if the true meaning of flowers is given purposely to people in other parts of the world. I'm curious...

The second was Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian. The first in what is expected to be a YA trilogy.  Told in alternating viewpoints from the three main characters Mary, Lillian, and Kat  - these three teens are set on seeking revenge against fellow classmates.  I caution to put this book into younger hands - definitely for the high school aged.  Burn for Burn leaves you on a serious cliffhanger.  I am interested in reading the next in the series - I'm wondering how the main characters will redeem themselves after seeking the kind of revenge they did...

This week I am reading the much anticipated last book of the Matched trilogy by Ally Condie, Reached.

In addition to reading Reached this week, I requested numerous books from my local library to catch up on 2012 picture book releases. 

First Post in the Blogging World

So I'm finally venturing into the blogging world! I've always been a little intimidated by it and actually signed up here on Google last summer to start a blog and never got around to it.  So I thought, why not?  I love sharing what I read on Twitter and Goodreads and this is just another step.  

But over the past few months I have discovered a new love, paper.  Scrapbook paper.  It was always on my mind to start scrapbooking, and I received a Cricut machine for Christmas and then my creativity took off.  But I actually ended up venturing more into the card making arena than the scrapbooking one.  I was always frustrated by the amount of money I was spending on cards and never finding the right one to give, so I decided to try making my own, and I am now in love with card making.

So I'm not sure how this blogging world will work, and I'm hoping that the two things I love now, reading and card making, can blend well together here.  And both couldn't happen without... paper.  So hence the blog name.  So I hope the readers will enjoy some of my creativity and my book reviews!

Happy Reading and Card Making!

Card Making - some of my designs