We Are All Welcome Here

We Are All Welcome Here by Elizabeth Berg is the story of Paige and Diana Dunn. It is the summer of 1954 in Tupelo, Mississippi, the town of Elvis Presley's birth, the civil rights tensions are mounting and demonstrations are increasing. Paige is trying to give Diana a normal life, which is difficult because Paige is inflected with polio and spends a great deal of her time in an iron lung. Diana is a typical teenager interested in making money for clothes and magazines, ignoring authority figures, trying to figure out boys, and to escape the small town life. Peacie is Paige's rough-talking black caregiver and the primary disciplinarian of the home.

As the summer passes, hate and more adversity will be showered on this struggling household. How each woman finds their way to independence , understanding and peace concludes our story.

This would be a great book to discuss in history or science class. The setting of the story in the 1950s during the polio outbreak in our country touches on the fears and phobias of a counrty that was scared. I vividly remember taking the vaccine for polio and how my family was so scared when my little sister, Linda, contracted polio. We didn't know if she would live or not. Interesting book and I recommend it.

Heaven

I have read several books by Angela Johnson and really enjoyed them. However, for some strange reason, Heaven, didn't do it for me. Maybe it wasn't the book, but the location where I began reading it, I was getting a pedicure and it was very loud.

Heaven is the story of Marley and her family that live in Heaven, Ohio. Marley has a great life, she lives with her parents and little brother, has a wonderful Uncle Jack that writes Marley letters about his travels around the country, and a great best friend, Shoogy. Everything changes when Marley's family receives a mysterious letter addressed to: Monna Floyd. Who is Monna Floyd and does she have anything to do with Marley tells the remaining of the story.

In the past I have liked the author past work, but for some reason this just didn't work for me. Who knows ?

Janette Rallison

I sure am glad that I am not in high school anymore. Some great person said," It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.", that describes my high school experiences. Two books by Janette Rallison, All's Fair in Love, War and High School and Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Free Throws looks at the best of times and the worst of times.

Samantha Taylor is the head cheerleader who just receives her SAT scores, her very low SAT scores. Samantha knows that she must do something to make her self attractive to " good universities". She decides to run for Senior Class President and then her troubles really begin. All's Fair in Love, War, and High School looks at the ups and downs of Samantha as she runs for Senior Class President.



Life, Love and the Pursuit of Free Throws tells the story of best friends, Josie and Cami. Josie loves Ethan and Cami loves basketball. But Cami has a secret, she too like Ethan. It looks like he may like her, too. What is she going to tell Josie?

I really enjoyed both books and think both high school and junior high girls would enjoy them.

Beach House

In my younger days, I hated scary books. I never wanted to read anything that made me shiver in my shoes and look out the window for that escaped killer, who was hunting me down. But as I matured, I really did change. I now enjoy reading about the serial killer who mutilates all his victims and then send messages to the police department for them to come and find him.. Love that kind of stuff.

Beach House by R.L.Stine is that type of book. It is summer and all of the students are on the beach. A killer is stalking them one by one. A killer who never leaves a clue and has found a very special place to hide. This book has some very unique text features and teachers should consider using this book to teach them.

Young adults will love the book. It is bloody, gory and intriguing with some romance. Just right for middle and high school students.

Richard Peck

I love reading books in a series, but I hate reading them out of order. Richard Peck's A Long Way from Chicago and A Year Down Yonder tells the stories of Grandma Dowdel and her two granchildren, Joey and Mary Alice. The first book A Long Way from Chicago is the story of a grown-up Joey looking back at his childhood when he and his sister went to visit their grandmother every summer for one week. The story is told by using short stories which represent the yearly trips to grandma's house. Grandma Dowdel is a larger than life character who teaches her grandchildren the important things of life.

A Year Down Yonder is Mary Alice's story. During the depression, Mary Alice must leave her parents in Chicago and she goes to live with her Grandmother in the country Mary Alice is continually amazed and delighted with her grandmother's antics and how much she is like her grandmother.

Both books are great fun and you will fall in love with Grandma and all the trouble she gets into.

Newberry and Caldecott Award Winners

Well, my computer has been down for three days, so I spent most of that reading and watching movies. I am always interested in books that receive all the big awards, kinda like the oscars. I enjoy seeing who wins and then I scream, "Oh my god, that won.. It's awful. I just don't see that at all." I do the same thing with books. I am always surprised about who wins the Caldecott and the Newberry Awards and this year is no exception.

The Newberry Award is given to the best children's book for the previous year. This year's winner is Criss Cross by Lynn Rae Perkins. I read this book and for the most part was disappointed. The main characters are 14 years olds who are at crossroads in their lives. Children's books, IMHO, don't have 14 year ol characters. The book is told from the point of view of each character. The interesting thing about the book is that the author uses many different forms of writing; poems, letters, newpaper articles. It would be a great books to use to teach genre writing for a seventh grader and above. But a children's book, I think not.

The Caldecott Award is given to the best illustration in a children's book for the previous year. This years winner is The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norman Justus. I read this book and loved the story, but the pictures.... Ick. It looked like the illustrator has drawn the people and then thrown pastels at the drawings. The story is about a window at a little girl's grandparents house and how the window connect sher grandparents to the world. Great story.. Pictures disappointing.

It amazes me how some people love a particular book and some one else hates it. We always need to remember that what the reader brings to the reading of the book is so important.. Good lesson for all readers.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

Great authors are great authors regardless of their intended audience. Kate DiCamillo is a great author. I just finished The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. Fantastic book. there are so many teaching points to this book that a teacher could probably spent all semester teaching with this book. Literary elements glore can be found in this book; Author studies, comparisions between Edward Tulane and the Velveteen Rabbit, voice, and first person narration are just a few..There is even a great journal topic taken from a quote form this book"How can a story end happily if there is no love?" Great topic.

Edward Tulane is a china rabbit who is owned by a girl named Abilene, who loved him dearly and treated him with the utmost respect and care. One day, Edward is lost and goes on a remarkable journey and recieves a miracle; the miracle of love.

Cut

I don't do pain.. I am a wimp... I can't understand people who enjoy self inflicted pain. Cut by Patricia McCormick is the story of Callie who is a cutter. Callie also doesn't talk to anyone either, especially her therapist at Sea Pines, where her parents sent her after discovering she cuts herself. Callie becomes involved with the other guests at Sea Pines,finds her voice, and confronts the demons that are haunting her.

This was a good book to read, but I sure would not have wanted to live this life. Callie is a teenager with no hope and blames herself for everything. The sad thing about this book is that I am sure that there are many teens out there who feel exactly the same way.

Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia

I read kid books. I read young adult books. Not just because it is my job to know what is out there, but there is a lot of great kid and ya books being published. They tell a great story, have wonderful characters, and weave magic in hearts and souls. I read one yesterday that captured me.
I read a newspaper review about this book and decided I definitely had to read this one. Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia by Barbara O'Connor was such an enjoyable read. Bird is an outcast, she has no friends in Freedom, Georgia. She has two goals in life: one is to get noticed in Freedom and the second is to go to Disney World. Bird might get her chance to reach both goals in one shot. Her school decided to participate in a statewide spelling bee. The only drawback is that each participant must have a partner and no one will ever ask Bird, so she must find a partner. She asks Harlem, another social outcast in Freedom, to be her partner. Harlem finally agrees to be her partner and if they study hard enough, Bird might get everything she has ever wanted.

Size 12 in not Fat

Size 12 is Not Fat is the newest book by author Meg Cabot. I like Meg Cabot. Whether she is telling a story of Princess Meg or her newest recurring character, Heather Wells, I know I will be getting a funny and enjoyable read. Heather Wells, former rock star, now wears a size 12. Since her recent weight gain, she has lost her boyfriend, her pop idol life , her recording contact and her money( her mother took her money and went to Argentina). However, things are looking up because she has a new job as the assistant dorm director at one of New York's finest colleges. Everything is going great until a dead body is found at the bottom of the elevator shaft.
The cops and college president are willing to write it off as an accident, but not Heather. She knows college girls and ... girls do not elevator surf. No one wants to listen, so Heather becomes girl detective.

Great book and I am looking forward to the next one in the series.. Slated for publication in January 2007. :-0

Alas, Babylon

In 1959, I was in first grade in Ottumwa, Iowa. I loved going to school and everything about it. During that time we practiced duck-n cover drills, because we knew that the Russians were trying to destroy and kill us all. About once a month we would have these drills, just to be on the safe side. I also remember the shelter sign that was posted on my elementary school. Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank was written in 1959 and tells the story of America being hit by an hydrogen bomb.

Randy Bragg is the brother of military man Mark Bragg. When Mark sends his brother a telegram, which ended with their family' private signal "Alas Babylon", Randy knew the country was in big trouble. Mark immediately send his wife and two children to Randy for safe keeping.
As predicted, those Russians hit the United States with multiple bombs, wiping out major cities and communication signals. The residents of Fort Repose, Florida, are left to survive without knowing what is going on in the rest of the country.

This is a great book that I read for my f2f book group and I am anxiously waiting our discussion.
Before 9-11, no one believed it could happen here, now we are all believers. Scary, thought-provoking book.

Copper Sun

I generally don't write to authors, but I just finished this great book, so I had to. Copper Sun by Sharon Draper is the story of Amari, a fifteen year old African girl who is stolen from her village and sold to the highest bidder. She is given to the master's 16 year old son as a birthday gift. Amari learns that even in captivity there are people who love her, but nothing is more important than freedom.

Even though this book is considered a fiction title, the facts of the story are true. During the 1700s in this country slave trade was a booming business. Draper tells the story about Fort Mose, two miles north of St. Augustine, Florida where if slaves could make it to Fort Mose they were free. I had never heard of this town before, I thought all slaves headed north, not south.

Draper includes many resources; including books and web sites, for teachers to use in continuing the study of slavery in America. I highly recommend that this book be used as a companion book for US History teachers and students.

The Lightning Thief

As a lover of great books, I often find myself reading the same type of book over and over and over again. This year I decided that I would try and expand my horizon and diversify my reading habits. Reading The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan is a book for young adults that I never would have read if I hadn't tried to expand my reading habits. It was a delightful book and I am anxiously awaiting the next in the series when it comes out in April 2006.

Percy Jackson is a 12 year old boy who has ADHD and is about to get kicked out of boarding school... again. Percy can't just stand by and let a bully at school pick on his scrawny best friend. Percy lives with his mother and his loser stepfather, who can't stand the sight of Pearcy. On his way home from boarding school mythical creatures begin popping up everywhere. Percy then believes that the Roman and Greek gods are alive and well in the 21st century. And he realizes that he has made one of them very very angry. Percy sets off on a quest to find Zeus's stolen lightning bolt and return it to him. He also finds out that he may be the son of a god!!!

This is a really good book and would be a great companion book to use when teaching the Greek and Roman gods. It places the gods during our time and the reader see how the gods would work and play in our society.. Great book.

Flight

I love good picture books. Books, where the text and the illustrations go hand in hand, to tell a great story.. Flight, by Robert Burleigh and illustrated by Mike Wimmer, is one of those stories.

Flight is the story of twenty five year old, Charles Lindbergh's trans-Atlantic flight from New York to Paris, France. Young and foolish, many thought; especially when he left without a radio and a parachute. "Oh that crazy kid!" But he had a dream and he had to try. The rest is history.

This book wouldn't be complete without the pictures of Mike Wimmer. The illustrations are bold, vivid, and dramatic...

This is a great story for those who have a dream and won't let it go, until they follow their dream.

Young Adult Literature in the Classroom

Young Adult Literature is one of the newest genre in the literary world. It has a great following by teachers, librarians and young adults. It is so popular that all teachers should be looking at what is and how do I use it in my classroom.

Young Adult Literature in the Classroom edited by Joan Elliott and Mary Dupuis is a book that I highly recommend for all teachers of middle and high schools. Librarians should read it, too. This book has great ideas for teachers and librarians both. It is a way to keep young people reading when reading isn't always "cool".

Teachers will find the information vital to developing students who enjoy reading and becoming lifelong readers. Great book.

Vegan Virgin Valentine

Sometimes you read a book and you aren't for sure what to say about it.Vegan Virgin Valentine by Carolyn Mackler is one of those book. Mara Valentine is your typical over achiever. She is always in control. She is shooting for being number one in her class, on the year book staff, is dually enrolled in high school and college, and has a job. She has already been accepted to Yale and plans on attending John Hopkins for summer classes. She has the final months of her senior year planned out and nothing is going to get in her way.

WRONG! Coming to live with Mara and her parents; is her pot smoking, super slutty, pain in the butt niece, V. One the first day that V is at school, she is making out with Mara's former womanizing boyfriend. Oh the shame!

Before you know it, Mara is dreaming about boys, grilled cheese sandwiches, and not going to John Hopkins over the summer. V is getting serious about school and even tries out for the school play. What is the world is going on!

This book is humorous and will delight those who are around 13-18 years.

When Jeff Comes Home

We all have fears. For the last 20 years, my biggest fear has been that someone would kidnap my only child, my reason for living, Greg. For the majority of those years he was hardly ever out of my sight. He never played in the front yard without me, I always knew where he was and who he was with. Even now out 20, he calls me when he is leaving town and when he gets back home (I love you for doing that, Greg) When Jeff Comes Home by Catherine Atkins stirs all of those fears.

Three years ago, Jeff was kidnapped at knife point. He is returned to his family and is expected to live a normal life. Oh my GOD!!!!! What is a normal life???? Jeff has a difficult time living with himself over what he did to stay alive. He constantly worries about his family and friends accepting what happened to him.

This book broke my heart and I wept for all the parents who have lost children and all the children who have lost their innocence to these vultures. This is a bold book and I couldn't recommend this to any age group except high school and up.

Dancing in Red Shoes will Kill You

The cover art of Dancing in Red Shoes Will Kill You by Dorian Cirrone just jumps up and grabs the reader. A ballerina is dancing around holding two pumpkins for breasts. What in the world. The cover immediatley grabbed my attention and the book had my attention form the beginning to the end of the book.This book was truly a good book.

Kayla attends an Fine Arts school in Florida. An aspiring ballerina, she longs to get some good parts. But she has one problem--- or should I say two problems. That's right, her breasts are too big..As Kayla deals with her breast problem, her sister, Paterson, an artist, deals with censorship over a painting she has completed for her senior project. Both girls try to deal with conformity, censorship, and sexism and still maintain a sense of humor..

I would strongly recommend this book for high school students.. I loved it.

Ralph Fletcher

I would love to be a writer. But writing is hard work and frankly, I am a little on the lazy side. I spend lots of time reading about writing and how I can improve my writing. I just finished four books by Ralph Fletcher; Breathing In, Breathing Out, A Writer's Notebook, Live Writing and Mansfield Dreams. The first three books talk about improving your writing and gives the writers lots of great ideas to use in writing. One of the main ideas encourages the writer to write daily.. that is what I am trying to do.

Marshfield Dreams is the memories of Fletcher and his early childhood. As one of nine children, the adventures to read are hilarious and provoke lots of my own childhood memories. It is a great book and I really enjoyed the book.

Flush/ Hoot

Hoot by Carl Hiassen is the story of a young boy whose father works for the government. He moves around a lot and sometimes finds himself being picked on. He becomes involved with another young girl and her "weird" brother in fighting a business expansion that would be an environmental disaster. It is a good book that could be used as a read-aloud of older elementary and middle school students. But I thought Flush was a much better book.

Flush is the story of a young boy who explores the dumping of waste from a gambling boat. No one believes that the boat is actually dumping sewage into the river from previous nights adventures. But they are...

I think using Flush and Hoot as an author study could be a great activity to do with our students.