Biographies by Margaret Davidson

I love biographies. I remember reading one when I was a little girl about Clara Barton. After I read it I wanted to be a nurse. But that soon changed when I realized I couldn't stand the sight of blood. I read four biographies by Margaret Davidson and for the most part I really enjoyed then, Thomas Edison, Frederick Douglass, Louis Braille, and Helen Keller. I learned something about each person I read about. These books could be used to introduce biographies and could possible be used to help students write an autobiographical piece of writing.

Lists!!!

I make lists, lost of lists. I have lists for movies I wants to watch. I have lists for places I want to visit. I have lists for CDs I want to buy. And I have lists for books.Lots of lists about books. Historical books I want to read listed in chronological order. Young Adult books I want to read is another list. But then I have another list of books I want to read and this list tells me if I can check them out of the library or not. This is like the holiest of holy list. I am constantly changing this list by adding new books and occasionally I will actually read something from this list. I decided that I needed to start reading some of the books off this list since the library might have to cull the book I wanted to read.

So I went back to the earliest book I placed on my holy of holy list. It was published in 1970!!!!!!!!! How long has this book been on the list and what in the world was this book about and who was Betty Brock? I was shocked when I got the book from the Library and the book was a children's book No Flying in the House. What was even more shocking was the book was great.

A tiny talking dog, Gloria, and her young charge, Annabel Tippens, need a home. How does a dog happen to be raising a young girl? Mrs. Vancourt can't resist a talking dog who can do 367 different tricks. She takes them in to live with her. Where are Annabel's missing parents? Gloria and an evil cat named Belinda both know. But it is left to Annable to discover on her own.

I would use this book as a reading for enjoyment book. I think our kids would enjoy it and it is a great story.

Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume

Every generation needs one.... A friend who will tell you that it is okay to worry about whether your boobs will ever get big.. A friend who will worry with you about starting your period. A friend who knows what it is like when your parents get divorced and you think that you are the cause of it. Judy Blume has been that friends for many young adults.

Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume edited by Jennifer O'Connell is a series of essays written by authors whose life has been impacted by the writings of Judy Blume. Each author talks about how they could identify with the main character of each book they read. Judy Blume was the first woman to look girls straight in the eye and tell it the way it is.

Is there a Judy Blume for this generation? I hope so.. It's amazing that we ever got along without her.

What type of inner child are you?

Your Inner Child Is Happy

You see life as simple, and simple is a very good thing.You're cheerful and upbeat, taking everything as it comes.And you decide not to worry, even when things look bad.You figure there's just so many great things to look forward to.

http://www.blogthings.com/howisyourinnerchildquiz/">How Is Your Inner Child?

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

I hate it when I get distracted from a book by life. That is exactly what happened with my first Newberry Challenge book Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli. I have been extremely busy at work and actually took some teachers to a reading conference. It has taken me about 3 weeks to read an 184 page book. So for me to write a review would be a disservice to Jerry Spinelli. The first half of the book was great and the last half was such a disconnect with me, it just wouldn't be fair.

How To Be Popular

I like Meg Cabot's writing, I really do. This is the second book I have read by her this past month and I think she really speaks to teenagers. All of can identify with wanting to be popular but doing the one thing that makes us the laughing stock of the school.

How to be Popular by Meg Cabot tells the story of Stephanie Landry who is dying to be popular. Five years earlier, Steph spilled a Big Red Super Big Gulp over Lauren, the most popular girl at high school, and her brand new white skirt. Since that day when anything dokey happens at school people are always saying " Don't pull a Steph !" or " That was so Steph !" or " Don't be such a Steph !". For five long years Stephanie has been enduring this crap from everyone at her school. Now she has found a secret weapon to fight back.... a book titled How to be Popular.

Steph takes the book to heart and plans her first day assault on popularity. Oh she gains popularity, alright, but can she do the hardest thing all of.... Staying popular.

Great book for both boys and girls. I think all teenagers would enjoy this one,

Eggs

Whenever I pick up a book and am thinking about reading it, I always look at the cover art. The book, Eggs, written by Jerry Spinelli, has my mind predicting about this book. First, I look at the cover art. As you can see it is a pretty neat cover. I think back to my teenage years and wonder what a picture of six eggs might represent. Oh no, surely it isn't about egging, Which I know nothing about. :-) Maybe it is about a farm or maybe someone is getting pregnant.. The cover really makes me want to read the book. It is amazing that the title isn't even on the cover, yet I knew what the title was immediately.

David is a nine year old boy whose mother has accidentally died. He lives with his grandmother, while his father, a salesman, comes home on the weekends. David is in so much pain that he refuses to make friends with anyone in his town and is mean to his grandmother. He eventually build a strange friendship with a thirteen year old girl named Primrose. Primrose is sarcastic and hurts almost as much as David. She lives with a flighty psychic mother and a framed picture of her "father." Despite their differences, David and Primrose forge a tight yet tumultuous friendship, eventually helping each other deal with what is missing in their lives.

This book grabbed me by the throat and wouldn't let me go... I ached for this two kids, I wanted to move them in with me and wrap my arms around them. the both needed someone to love them.

Pants on Fire

I love Meg Cabot. She writes funny books and I love to laugh. And laugh I did with her newest book, Pants on Fire. Teenage girls will love this book and many will really identify with it.

Katie Ellison is a liar. She lies to her parents, she lies to her brother, she lies to her best friend, she lies to her two boyfriend, who aren't aware of each other and most importantly, she lies to herself. She tells so many lies that she can't keep the lies straight . All of her lying started with that night, four years ago, when Tommy Sullivan was driven out of town.

But now Tommy Sullivan is back and Katie is sure he is out for revenge. Katie will do anything to keep her "dishonest" life in existence, even if it means telling more lies.

Great book. Girls will love it.

Tallgrass

Whenever I read a new author I am always a little apprehensive. " Will I like the writing style or the author's voice?", "Will I get what they are trying to say?," or some other anxiety thought provoking idea. One thing is for sure I really got Sandra Dallas and her new book, Tallgrass. Tallgrass tells the story of a 13 year old girl growing up in a Colorado town that opens up a Japanese internment camp during WWII. This is a town that Rennie does know. Being a child raised in a world of fairness and equality, Rennie has never seen murder, prejudice, mistreatment of other people or being asked to keep secrets. After reading the book, we know that Rennie sees the world from a different perspective.

This book is part historical novel and part thriller. It shows the worst of times and the best of time. The reader gets to see good and evil.

This was my first Sandra Dallas book, but it won't be my last.

Newbery Challenge

I am participating in a challenge. I think it is where I pick 6 books that won the Newberry award, then read and report on them between May 15 and November 30. Now I just get to pick my six books and wait for the 15th. Hopefully, I will have them picked out by tomorrow.

A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life

A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life by Dana Reinhardt was a great book that I enjoyed reading. Simone is looking for family and discovers that family is all around her.

Simone has always know that she is adopted, she even knows her mother's name. But why all of a sudden are her parents pushing her biological mother on her? She doesn't want to meet her----it drudges up all those emotions, but why are her parents so insistent? "All this meeting your parent pressure" is surrounded by all the big high school pressures; SATs, grades, getting a boyfriend , sex, and of course, your best friend who is dating a skank who you know is going to break her heart.

Simone learns the truth about her biological mother and agrees to meet her, which does drudge up all those emotions and questions. Who is Simone and what truly is a family?

I would highly recommend this book for high school students.

Snow Treasure

I like Historical Fiction and I am pretty sure that our students would too. But when does their lack of background knowledge make it extremely difficult to read a book. Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan was written in 1942 and tells the story of how the children of Norway smuggled thousands of pounds of gold bullion down a mountain, using their sleds. The children did this right under the Nazi guard's watch. Under the watchful eye of the Nazis the children sled down the mountain carrying the gold bullion. http://www.warsailors.com/singleships/bomma.html

It is a great story and based on events that happened in Norway in 1940. As I read this book, I wondered if we could possibly use it in our classrooms and what kind of supports our kids would need to meet the challenges the book holds. The challenges I see: story being set in Norway, the time period, the children's funny names. the whole idea of sledding and snow, and some of the vocabulary. As a classroom teacher, I would use this book for upper elementary but would really think about those supports our students would need to use it successfully in the classroom.

Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining

I read another book tonight to be used for next school year, but I don't think I can use it. It was a great book and I loved it... Every Cloud has a Silver Lining by Anne Mazer tells the story of fifth grader, Abby Hayes. Abby lives with a perfect family, everyone is great at something but Abby. Abby decided to become a soccer star and she eats, sleeps and dreams soccer. Abby gets lots of support from her close friends, Jessica and Natalie who encourage her and recognizes her slow improvement.

I love the way this book was written.Interspersed between the story, we read Abby's journal written with her favorite purple pen. Abby has yet to realize that she is a very talented writer.

This was a great book and I loved the story, yet it is too old for my young students and I am not for sure if it is something that older boys would be interested in...But I really enjoyed reading it and would highly recommend it for junior high and students reading above a fifth grade level.

Dinosaurs Before Dark

I am looking for a book. Several teachers have asked us to expand our book club to also have a selection for younger readers, so I need to find some books.Someone suggested that I take a look at the Magic Tree House books. I really don't know much about them and don't know if our kids would enjoy them.

Well, I just finished my first and still haven't made up my mind. The book, Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osborne was an okay book about a brother, Jack and his younger sister Annie. They find an old tree house that is filled with books and immediately open a book that is about dinosaurs. They next thing you know they are in a land of dinosaurs and exploring the dinosaurs.

I liked the book especially because of the young characters. Also there is a non fiction piece that goes along with most of the books. I like the tie in with books taking you to new and different places. But I am concerned about the vocabulary and wonder if the books are too popular and our kids won't be excited about them. Also it looks like every four books is in a different category; the first four are The Mystery of the Tree House and the second four are Mystery of the Magic Spell. Oh no, what if the kids get into them and then some parent complains about magic spells??? I think I need to read some more the figure out what we might be getting into.

How My Private, Personal Journal became a Bestseller

Wouldn't you die if something you wrote for your personal journal was read and published for every one's reading pleasure. Particularly embarrassing since the evil character in you journal, is your very worst enemy and you are scared she will find out..This is exactly what happens to Jamie Bartlett in HOW MY PRIVATE, PERSONAL JOURNAL BECAME A BESTSELLER by Julia DeVillers. Jamie accidentally turns in a private story from her journal instead of an English assignment and becomes a best selling author almost over night. Then the true fun begins. Every one wants piece of Jamie's time , her new agent, her new publist, new new media coach Jamie spend lots of her time getting facial, manicures, and hair makeovers. With all of the media events to begin shortly after. Jamie starts to panic and wonders when she will be able to meet all these deadlines that others are placing on her.

I would suggest using this book in Junior High and High school. As I teacher I might look at the similarities and differences between Jamie and IS, Sawyer Spencer and Myrna, and Marco Vaga and Connor Griffin. Using a Venn Diagram would give the teacher a great lesson in people's characters. There is nothing in the book that I would rate and R or X rating. Our kids will love this book.