Book Fair

Whew!  Book Fair season is over! We had a fantastic turnout for our fair, but after the cut in profit margins, we only made a little over $1,000.  We took in nearly $5,000 last week!  Can you believe it?  To make a long story short, Scholastic has cut back and so we reap the negative benefits.  


Soon, we'll have lots of new books for our library!  Mr. Davis generously purchased books as well...$789 worth!  Wow!  Kids, you should thank him.

After trying to work my way through The Poisonwood Bible, I abandoned it to begin again later.  I wanted to read My Thirteenth Winter, a memoir for teens who struggle with math.  The author has a math disability much like dyslexia and explains in detail her inability to understand mathematical concepts.  Would be a great book for math teachers and those students who struggle in math to read.  I was drawn to the book because I never took to math easily in school.  

I am currently reading Knit the Season:  a Friday Night Knitting Club book.  I'm loving it because it's all about Christmas in New York...a place I've never been, but the author describes the scenery so well that I feel like I have!


Many have requested a book list for Christmas.  I've no time to create an extensive list of my personal favs, so I'll just list some that are popular right now:





Diary of a Wimpy Kid 4:  The Ugly Truth
The Red Pyramid
The Heroes of Olympus, Book One;  The Lost Hero
The Necromancer Book 4 of The Alchemyst series
The 39 Clues series

*Want to make your tween happy?  Take them to the bookstore and let them pick out their own!  You wouldn't believe how many students have never been to buy their own book before.  What a treat that would be!

Happy Reading!  and Merry Christmas!
RC

 

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a holiday that reminds us to be thankful for our many blessings.  Here are a few of mine:

-the ability to see
-the ability to read
-the ability to speak

-my workplace
-my coworkers
-my students

-great authors
-great illustrators

-friends who love books
-students who love books
-parents who buy their kids books
-kids who still let their parents read to/with them


-my faithful blog followers...all 4 of you!  


I am thankful for so much more, but wanted to keep this list "bookish".  ;)


So this Thanksgiving holiday, let's take the opportunity to not only BE thankful, but to SHOW our appreciation and TELL others how thankful we truly are.  


And when you sit down to read this week, be thankful that you CAN.  Illiteracy is a disease this country isn't working hard enough to cure.


Happy Thanksgiving Reading to you and yours...
RC

Book Characters

If you ever have trouble keeping a multitude of characters straight, such as when reading a series of books in which new characters are constantly being added, you may want to create a visual character map to help you remember.

After finishing another book in my favorite historical romance novelist's series, I had a virtual pool full of characters facing swirling in my head and I became frustrated as I tried to picture them.  Some of the characters I hadn't thought of for over two years...So, I logged onto the author's website and downloaded the character family tree (thank goodness she created one) and copy/pasted her inspiration pictures to a Word document so I could refer to the pictures while reading her next novel.  I tagged each picture with the character name and made short comments below each to remind me of their relationship to other characters in the series.   

So, if keeping up with characters is a problem for you as well, take a tip from this visual learner and create a character map.  I can't wait for her next book...released in September 2011...I'll be ready!

Happy Reading!
RC

MNMS 6th Graders

Well, I officially invited the 6th graders to follow my blog.   I'm going to try to post new arrivals to our library and upcoming events and contests.
Since this is the only means of communication with me outside of school, I hope some of them subscribe.

I also introduced the students to the Voki.com website.  We created a Voki avatar together.  I'm sure some of them will take a closer look at that site.  Voki avatars are great...you can send them out across the web with messages.  Love it!

Plan on finishing the public library's community book read selection, Pay It Forward this weekend.  If you'd like to join me, we'll be having a book club discussion/dessert at the Greenville branch on Friday, December 3rd.  Visit either library for a free copy of the book and to register.  It's completely free.  Shouldn't last more than an hour.  I think it begins at 5:30.

Need to check the 6th grade's "fake" blog we created today for comments.
Happy Reading!
RC

Rules Author in Owensboro!

I'm running a quick contest at school to provide 3 students (1 6th, 1 7th and 1 8th grader) to meet Cynthia Lord, the author of Rules.  Not only did she receive the Kentucky Bluegrass Award in 2008, she is one of our student population's favorites.  I love this book for it's humor, honesty and morality.

To know more about the book, just Google it.  You'll love it.  To know more about the contest, email me or see me at school.  Deadline to return the persuasive essay required is Thursday, November 11th.

If you'd like to meet Cynthia Lord on your own, be at Burns Middle School in Owensboro at 7:00 pm on Monday, November 15th.

Now I'm off to order a copy of Lord's latest book for young adults...Touch Blue. 
Happy Reading!
RC

Election Day: a great day to vote and read!

Yes, it's the first Tuesday in November...not only a day to exercise your right to vote, but a great day for education employees and students across Muhlenberg County to curl up with a good book.

Currently, I'm reading George Ella Lyon's novel, Sonny's House of Spies.  I have recently placed this book on the Kentucky Bluegrass shelves of our library to supplement the collection.  (The shelves are always empty!  Go North Middle readers!)  However, some of the subject headings may be too controversial for our patron community, so I'm previewing.  Have to say, so far it's a difficult read for young adults.  I'm enjoying the suspense and doing quite a lot of foreshadowing.  I'll let you know.

The book event was a HUGE success.  I've decided to call it the "Fall Book Frenzy".  Our principal has requested we do this every year.  I agree!  Photos and video are available on the G drive of our school server.  Have created a bulletin board of photos and displayed them outside the library doors.  You should come by to look at them!


Cynthia Lord, author of Rules, will be in Owensboro on November 15th.  The school librarian welcomes the public to meet her at 7 pm that evening.  Want more information?  Shoot me an email.  Would be happy to share.

Back to my book...I have to know what happened to Sonny's dad!
Happy Reading!
RC

Better Late than Never!

Sorry, folks!  What are my excuses for not posting in such a long time?  Well, September was a blur with work and my son's golf activities.  October barely started and it was time for a break!  Whew!  A much needed break.  My family and I just returned from Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  If you haven't visited the mountains in eastern Tennessee, you're missing one of God's greatest creations.  I usually try to read an Appalachian tale while I'm there, but unfortunately I carried with me a book I'd already read, Clay's Quilt by Silas House.  Although I am a big fan of rereading your favorites, I just couldn't resist finishing a series I'd started and reading a book that came highly recommended by LT and LJ (LT's beautiful daughter).

One quick note on reading Silas House while in the mountains:  If you have the opportunity to read a novel set in the exact place you're visiting, do it.  The experience is a surreal one.  (Students, surreal means "having an oddly dreamlike quality", according to Answers.com.) Not only are you able to "see the movie in your mind", but you can almost feel as if you've been transported into the story.  Good authors do this anyway, but you can take the experience to the next level by connecting with your environment. 

Because it's been such a long time since I've posted anything, how about a list of books I've recently read and enjoyed?

      1.  The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins  (5 books in this series for young adults.  I loved each one.  This is the author of The Hunger Games Trilogy, the newest craze in young adult literature.  I give it 5 stars!)

     2.  Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwarz (debut novel, chosen for Oprah's Book Club several years ago, I recommend this for high school students or adults only.  I give it 4 stars.  This would make an excellent book club selection if you're looking for one.  Lots to discuss.  I have questions for LT and LJ!)

     3.  Mr. Monster by Dan Wells (Sequel to I Am Not a Serial Killer.  Adults only.  Better than the first book, so I give it 5 stars.  This is a trilogy and I can't wait for the final chapter in this unique story.  If you like a thriller, then you'll love this author.)
     4.  Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins  (The final chapter in The Hunger Games Trilogy.  If you haven't read this yet, my advice is to choose either Peeta or Gale and stick to your choice.  I didn't, and when I arrived at the end of the story, it didn't matter that much to me who ends up with Katniss.  Take my advice and you'll give it 5 stars.  I have to give it 4 stars because I was an inactive reader.)  :(
   
That's all I have time for now...I want to report that our Eclipse Book Event was a success and the upcoming book event for teachers and students is quickly approaching.  Wednesday, October 27th will be an exciting day for readers at MNMS.

Now to start a book just for me...Seduced by a Highlander by Paula Quinn.   She's become my favorite author and facebook friend.  Just like it sounds, this is an adult novel.  Historical romance.  But it's not a raunchy novel...I love the history and relationships Quinn builds among her characters.  Still, I can't recommend it to kiddos!  Sorry students!

Happy Reading!
RC

A Bunch of Book Stuff!

It's so nice to finally have a few moments to myself to reflect upon what I've read lately.  (School starts back and although I don't stop reading, I do tend to put off the ole reading record!)

So, let's see...adults would enjoy knowing that the sequel to The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs is as delightful as the first.  Knit Two picks up five years after the first book (I wouldn't dare spoil it for you!) and helps those of us who have never lost someone as close as a best friend or mother understand what true mourning feels and looks like...from a man and woman's perspective.  Very tastefully done.  I enjoyed it immensely.  Am waiting for the Holiday season to read the third...Knit the Season.

Another adult novel I recently absorbed was The Passage by Justin Cronin.  Whew!  What a tome!  (Look up that word, kids.)  Comparable in length to The Host, by Stephenie Meyer, I was exhausted by the time I finished.  Enjoyed the apocalyptic vampire story, yet hated the ending.  And how disappointing is that?  I haven't been this disappointed in an ending since finishing Relentless by Dean Koontz (for adults, kids)!  I would recommend The Passage, but I'm afraid for my life if one of my reading buddies works that hard to make it through only to be as discouraged as I was.  Obviously, Cronin has a sequel.  And obviously, I'll read it because I HAVE to know what happens.  It has to answer some of my burning questions!    I wasn't a bit surprised when I learned that Hollywood producers were looking to make the movie.  Of course, it would take 5 films to tell the book's story!  What a moneymaker! 

Tweens would enjoy knowing that our school library's copy of Mockingjay arrived today.  Yes, that's the pre-ordered copy (which I received 1 week after it was released! Ugh!) of Suzanne Collins' third book in an awesome series.  Start with Hunger Games, then immediately read Catching Fire and somehow get your hands on this third book.  You will thank me.  It's our school's overwhelming favorite.  Adults love it just as much as tweens.  And, because a good reader will often sniff out other books by an author they enjoy, I ordered the entire set of Collins' Gregor the Overlander series.  I am pleased to report the feedback is positive and the books are flying off the shelves!  Success. 

This past month at school has shown me that we have a building full of excited readers.  (And several of the students like to read as well!)  We have recently brought back our STARS program, which is basically a silent-sustained-reading program.  Every year, teachers and students begin each day with 15 minutes of silent reading.  It's a nice way to start the day.  Focuses everyone.

Two book events happening soon are the Eclipse Book Event on September 30th and the Biggest Book Study Ever on October 27th.  More information to be announced on both events later.

Now, what page was I on?
Happy Reading!
RC

Beautiful Creatures

I'm expecting lots of tweens to enjoy this book! (Especially Twilight fans) Beautiful Creatures, by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl is a romance novel that spans several generations of Southern families. I love how the authors intertwine themes like prejudice, friendship, romance with a fantasy plot while maintaining a historical perspective.

The authors met over coffee one day and while talking about young adult literature, decided to write a novel themselves. They came up with a story arc, recorded in on the only available surface (napkins) and then went to work recording the history of two families...the Duchannes girls and the Ravenwood boys. Without getting too caught up with dark magical themes, they record the struggle between light and dark, good and evil, nice and mean, right and wrong...you get the picture.

We have the romance between Ethan and Lena to keep us interested, the Civil War town of Gatlin to set the stage and a ghost to lead us back in time to add just the right amount of magic. Of course there are villains. Boys will LOVE Ridley. (They won't have a choice. Not going to reveal why...) I am most interested in Macon Ravenwood, the patriarch of the family. I think he's a vampire.

And I say "I think" because for the first time, I'm reviewing a book I'm not quite finished with. I only have a few chapters, but my inference will hopefully be correct. I'm also predicting I won't have time to properly record this blog entry if I don't do it now. Every time I sit at the computer, my kids take the opportunity to ask me to do something for them. Something vital to their survival. Has to happen NOW. Mothers will understand what I'm talking about.

So I leave you to hopefully record Beautiful Creatures on your "To Read" list. This is a novel for everyone. Mothers, daughters, tween boys who like fantasy, the 8th grade teacher needing to teach the Civil War in an interesting way, the English teacher wanting examples of descriptive writing, the book club leader needing something different that can truly be "discussed".

May I say it's refreshing to read something NOT inspired by the recent vampire trend?

Don't miss the opportunity to read an original Southern tale, written by Southern gals. And if you read it aloud, it sounds best with a Southern drawl.

Happy Reading Ya'll
RC

GoodSearch

It's that time of year...new school supplies are carefully packed into spotless backpacks, new lunchboxes are purchased (because I can't stand the smell of old juice boxes!), the choices about what to wear on the first day are made, and I begin my mourning period. Mommy guilt gets me every August. Summer is gone for Kentucky school kids. The rest of the nation appears to be gearing up for summer while we're anticipating fall break! But somehow we remind ourselves just how fortunate we are to be happy and healthy and we start the new school year with a positive attitude each time.

That's why I'm thinking about GoodSearch this morning. One of the highlights of my job as a librarian is watching as tweens get excited about books. I use peer pressure to my advantage - former reluctant readers often become curious as their "reader" friends want to visit the library instead of pass notes when they have some "down time". I have my fair share of converts each year. (smile)

In order to finance one of our more popular reading events, the Book Fair Cafe, we rely upon the money earned from searches and shopping through GoodSearch.com. So far, we've earned 11 cents this year and that's just not enough! (hysterical laugh) In the past few years, we've earned $369.48. They send us a check each December and we deposit it in our Rewards Day Fund. In May, LT and I go shopping for cafe supplies and spend the money.

When you shop online, go through GoodSearch to reach your websites because sometimes online stores will donate a % of your purchase to your "charity".

So I'm going to make a better effort to advertise GoodSearch more. Starting now.

The process is a simple one. (I'll admit that GoodSearch is not as productive a search engine as Google, but since our school earns 1 cent for each search, at least you can feel good about donating to a local "charity". )

1. Go to www.goodsearch.com
2. Set your "charity" as Muhlenberg North Middle School
3. Click the verify button to lock in your selection.
4. You may begin searching. Each search gives MNMS a penny.
5. Each time you revisit GoodSearch, please check to see that the charity you are searching for is MNMS.



*Sometimes we have to put down our fiction and face reality...books cost money!
Happy Reading!
RC

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: an eclipse novella

It's been quite a while since I read a novella. What is a novella, you may ask? The simple answer is a "short novel". However, I decided to investigate and found several interesting definitions on the Internet: a novella is "shorter than a novel but longer than a novelette", "between 20,000 and 50,000 words", and/or "fewer conflicts than a novel, but more than a short story". Whew!

After reading the Twilight Saga and viewing the movie version of Eclipse, I decided to read Meyer's latest addition to the collection. There were several moments while watching the movie, where I felt as if I was missing something...I knew I'd understand once I read the novella. Now, I want to see the movie again so that I can be in on all the "secrets".

When you read a book and then watch the movie, you are privy to the hidden messages and clues left by the author. The viewers who have never read the book don't know what they're missing. It is "over their head". I've often giggled during a Harry Potter movie while my husband misses the joke. And despite my best effort, I can't explain to him what he's missed. Since he refuses to read novels, he'll never "get" the joke! How sad!

For those of you who are truly interested in reading Bree Tanner's story, please understand that you'll not get her complete biography. As the title suggests, Stephenie Meyer provides you with Bree's thoughts shortly after being made a vampire up until the moment of her second death.
You won't be disappointed, especially if you've been craving more gory scenes from a Meyer book...she doesn't skimp on the gore. I lost count after 5 limbs were ripped from vampire bodies and I have no idea how many vampires were burned or how many were created in total. They are truly savage vampires, thirsty for blood, without an ounce of compassion or regret. All except Bree, who manages to retain her humanity.

That is, until she feels the burn...

Which reminds me. I haven't had my second cup of coffee!
Happy Reading!
RC

Radiant Shadows

Wicked Lovely Book #4, Radiant Shadows written by Melissa Marr, was a struggle to read. To understand, you must read the series as I have been forced to ... with many months in between each book and with many fantasy plots/characters to muddle my memory of Marr's unique faery world. I'll admit that she beautifully paints a picture of her "world", with just enough rebellious teen angst to draw in even the most reluctant teen reader, but she does not do what so many other young adult authors do, that is, she doesn't remind the reader of each character's journey. She simply continues to build and build and build upon her story with each new book and I was forced to read Wicked Lovely twice just so I could begin Ink Exchange (#2). I refused to reread both when Fragile Eternity (#3) was released and I paid dearly. With the fourth book now complete and added to my journal, I almost dread having to read the final book, which is due to be released in February of 2011. I can't even remember the title. Oh, and while reading, I felt so much like a tween reader...I couldn't remember the title, character names, etc... Perhaps we as educators should take this into account the next time we question a reader. Did the author do a good enough job writing the book so that the student COULD make a connection? We assume all authors are good authors simply because they have a book published. Not so.

Although I enjoyed the first book immensely, I would not recommend reading this series unless you can pick them up and read them all consecutively.

Exhausted and frustrated beyond belief!
Happier Reading!
RC

Anything But Typical

Well, I polished off another one of our Kentucky Bluegrass Award Nominees last night. Anything But Typical, by Nora Raleigh Baskin, is an opportunity to step inside one 6th grade boy's brain. And you'll be intrigued, because this is no "neurotypical" brain. Jason Blake has Autism and doesn't think or respond like you might assume he would. For anyone interested in Autism Spectral Disorders, this novel successfully manages to help the reader understand what goes on inside not only Jason's mind, but the minds of his classmates, teachers, therapists, parents and total strangers.

Another surprising lesson learned from this novel could be how to successfully write a story. Jason is a creative author and takes the reader through the writing process as he weaves another story throughout his own. I could see this novel being used in a writing class to teach empathy and short story writing.

Not every young adult will "get it" and may soon put down the novel because they don't understand where Jason's story is "going". Gifted readers and adults will understand right away that Jason is unique. His mind works differently. Therefore, "his" writing is different. But those readers who stick with this story will be rewarded. (Jason has his own idea about rewards, by the way.)

I highly suggest this book to talented readers and writers, as well as anyone who has a particular interest in the Autism Spectrum Disorders. All teachers should read this book.

Besides, there's a character named Rebecca that piqued my interest! For those who have read this book, you'll understand what I mean when I say, "You go, girl!"

Happy Reading!
RC

The Friday Night Knitting Club

As LT promised, The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs was a "precious" read. The book jacket promised a "Steel Magnolia story set in Manhattan". Check! Walker & Daughter, a yarn shop set above a deli in Manhattan, is the setting for a group of women that I had no problem connecting with. Each character held some resemblance of a life well-lived. Each woman at a different stage in a typical, yet unique life. Something to remember, something to look forward to...but more importantly, something to consider as we live our life each day. Are we holding on to grudges that are impeding us from moving forward and living the life God provided us with? Are we reaching our potential? What is our path? What about regret? Will there come a time when I'll be the mentor? When do we stop being the daughter and become the friend? Does that happen?

An author that can manage to put these questions (and more) in a reader's mind while simultaneously entertaining, is a successful one. It doesn't take much to make me cry, and for the record, I usually avoid books that I know will have that emotional pull on me. However, after finishing the last page, recording a few quotes that I never want to forget and texting LT to thank her again for sharing this book with me, I logged on to our public library to look for the sequel, Knit Two.

I laughed, I cried, I neglected the family for an hour while I finished the last part of the book...
Happy Reading! (But don't read the end of this book without tissue!)
RC

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

Well, I finished the Millenium Trilogy several days ago and can't stop thinking about Lisbeth and Mikael. And to think the work was delivered shortly before the author's death. After reading his biography at www.stieglarsson.com, I can't help but wonder if the author's death was natural? If you read this trilogy, you'd understand. (And remember, students, this is one for adults.) I seem to be haunted by places like Goteborg, Stockholm, Uppsala, and Soedertalaeje. The nagging urge to see these places for myself just won't go away. I've Googled them...they're beautiful, just as I imagined them. Just as Larsson described them. Wow, what a legacy he left behind of his love for his country and his fight for democracy and human rights.

I also have a compulsion to either purchase the movies (in Swedish with English subtitles) from Amazon or to download them from some online "free movie" site. I'm trying not to do either. But one can only watch a movie trailer so many times...

Glad to have read this trilogy after all...perhaps crime fiction is for me. As long as it's as good as Larrson's work.

Thanks again LT...
Happy Reading!
RC

Million Dollar Throw

I am pleased to report that this book, written by sports writer Mike Lupica, ended much better than I imagined it would! I thought I had it all figured out, when the author pleasantly surprised me. If you have a tween or teen boy who needs to read some fiction, this book is an easy read. Football, friendship, blossoming love (perhaps, but not too much) and financial hardships are topics for discussion. I don't choose sports fiction for recreational reading, but will definitely recommend this to my middle school boys.

As the title suggests, there's a million dollars at stake if Nate can just make the football throw! Without giving away too much, I'll say that there are plenty who could benefit from his success. His parents are enduring financial hardships due to our nation's economic problems, his best friend has a degenerative eye disease and is quickly losing her sight, Nate begins to fail as the superstar quarterback on the middle school football team, and beyond that, he has been chosen to participate in the Patriot's halftime show. Pressure? Sure. Lots of it. But it's a great lesson for tween boys who seem to be disconnected from reality... there are problems beyond our own. As adults, we know this, but tweens sometime forget.

Lupica does a great job reminding us all that one unselfish act can be worth a million.
Happy Reading!
RC

The Girl Who Played With Fire

Just finished the second book in Larsson's trilogy, The Girl Who Played With Fire. Have to say I will probably finish trilogy although I'm not in love with the author's writing style. Too many underdeveloped characters. Probably due to his work being published posthumously and editors may not want to mess with the original too much. The Swedish names and places gave me trouble at first, but then it is easy to ignore some of the trivial information and stick to the plot. Although the third is out in hardback, I am going to switch gears and read a young adult novel by Mike Lupica, one of our tween boys' favorites.

Million-Dollar Throw is supposed to be one of Lupica's best so far. Apparently, according to the blurb, the story follows an 8th grade boy as his family tries to deal with our economy, he tries to deal with his best friend's illness (she's going blind), and the pressure to win a million-dollars if he can complete a pass during the New England Patriot's halftime show. He's nearly overwhelmed by the pressure to succeed. Haven't we all felt that way before?

I'll let you know what I think...
Happy Reading!
RC

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Currently reading the newest thriller by Stieg Larsson, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. A fellow book buddy of mine had already loaned it to me and highly suggested I read it this summer when I noticed that the book had climbed to #1 and graced the cover of Entertainment Weekly. So, I've been reading it and so far, I'm not hooked. However, I have faith in my book buddies that love the book and will stick it out due to my faith in their opinions and the book's popularity.

Crime fiction...may not be for me.
Happy Reading!
RC

Storm in the Barn

A graphic novel makes the Kentucky Bluegrass Award Nominee List for the first time. In place of our usual nonfiction choice, Storm in the Barn is in fact one of the better historical nonfiction graphics. Part folktale, Matt Phelan's story depicts the Dust Bowl of the 1930s in a way no other author has attempted. What a wonderful teaching tool for US History teachers.

Matt Phelan wrote and illustrated this beautifully crafted graphic novel after much research and study over primary documents and b/w photos from the 1930s. To paraphrase Phelan, if I might, he was 'haunted' by the faces staring back at him from the photographs and knew he needed to tell their story in a new and unique way that would speak to a different audience. He definitely achieves this goal.

I encourage you to pick up a copy of Storm in the Barn, if for no other reason than to gaze upon Phelan's beautiful drawings.

*Matt Phelan illustrated the cover to The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron. You'll recognize his work if you've seen this Newbery Winner before.

Happy Reading...
*And a Happy Father's Day to you fathers out there! One of the best gifts you can give your children is the gift of reading. Share a book with them today!
RC

Flawed

I'm in love. Again. He has red hair that sticks up a little in the front, loves to kiss and is fiercely loyal. The only flaw? He has 3 legs. Yes, he's a dog. His name is Sam and he's the main character in the book I started and finished yesterday. It's that good! Flawed Dogs, by Berkeley Breathed, is a sweet novel based on a picture book of closely the same name. If you've ever loved a mixed breed "mutt" or adopted a dog from the "pound", then you'll cheer for Sam and his "commandos". (Please excuse the overuse of quotation marks.)

Recognize the author's name, do you? Well, I did too. Seems that Mr. Breathed published a popular comic strip by the name of Bloom County. He's a Pulitzer Prize winner for cartooning as well. The illustrations in Flawed Dogs blow your mind. There are several full-color pages and the novel is sprinkled with black-and-white drawings as well. I think these visuals will help tweens who have trouble creating those movies in their heads that successful readers take for granted.

Here's the full title and a quote from the author's website: (www.berkeleybreathed.com)
Flawed Dogs: The Shocking Raid on Westminster
"A heartwarming and humorous ode to the unconditional and lasting love we and our pets share."

I'm still laughing and crying.
Happy Reading!
RC

SLOB

SLOB absolutely makes my list of "Best Books Ever for Young Adults!". I really need to write that list down sometime, don't I? Anyhow, finished SLOB this morning and had that "can't believe the story has ended" feeling. You know that feeling, right? You smile as you finish the last paragraph, you turn the page hoping for an epilogue, you search the cover and flaps for anything you might have missed before you started the book, and you hold the book close to your chest thankful that you have added this wonderful story to your repertoire of unforgettable stories.

SLOB is one of those books I wish every middle school student could read, and not simply for the lessons taught throughout the story. I love the way Ellen Porter writes. She has her own unique style. When I saw that Booklist compared her to Roald Dahl and Polly Horvath, I thought "yeah, right". But it's so true! As soon as I thought I had her story figured out, she surprised me. And it was a pleasant surprise each time. Porter is an excellent author.

Ellen Porter personally replied to my email yesterday and quoted her author visit price of $1500.00 plus travel expenses. She lives in upstate New York.

If you can't get your hands on a copy of SLOB, try another of her books. She writes the Olivia Kidney Series. I'm sure they won't disappoint.

Ellen Porter for President!
*And you'll never believe what happened to Owen's Oreo cookies! ;)
Happy Reading...
RC

Out of Print Shirts

So excited about a shirt I just received from Out of Print, a company out of New York that scours library stacks and dusty bookstores to find classic book titles to print on tee shirts! Each shirt is "printed and treated to feel like your favorite book". Their mission is to share the gift of reading. Every purchase makes possible the donation of one book to a community in need through their partner, Books For Africa. www.outofprintclothing.com

I ordered the Walden by Henry David Thoreau shirt and it's so cool! I love, love, love the library card tag and the "Book Crossing" label that comes attached to the tag. Don't know about book crossings? Well, you'll have to check out that website as well! www.bookcrossing.com

Gotta gather books to set into the wild...
*Still don't know what happened to Owen's Oreos.
Happy Reading!
RC

Welcome Book Lovers

This is the first official post and my last official work day for the month of June! Now the summer begins...have a stack of books waist-high that I'm anxious to begin. Will reveal more about how and why this blog was born in later posts. I'd like my first post to start strong, so let me tell you about a great young adult book I just finished. Jane in Bloom by Deborah A. Lytton is a fantastic read for tween girls. 6th grader Jane, who desperately wants her ears pierced, must deal with more pressing matters, like the agonizing situation with her older sister, Lizzie. This novel speaks to me about the sister relationship I never had, (and which my husband and children will never know), the importance of spending quality time with EACH of my children, the anorexia/bulimia epidemic spreading fiercely through our youth, and the need to slow down and smell the roses. Literally. As I began this book, I was forced to slow down my reading (which is a good thing, I tend to read too fast) by the author's choppy style. I love how this reflects Jane's thinking. Such a strong, subtle technique. Tween girls will identify with Jane from the first sentence and will come to love her through to the end. There's a romance blooming as well!

Currently, I'm reading Slob by Ellen Porter. Hilarious! Good boy book! I'm trying to solve the mystery of Owen's missing Oreo cookies. Have you seen them?

Back to work...
Happy Reading!
RC