The Very Hungry Caterpillar

It's never too early to foster a love of reading...

Reading to his moose.

Apparently, the caterpillar wasn't the only one who was very hungry!!

April Books

Yes, I know I'm a little late...

One of my favorite things to do in the whole wide world is to talk about books. I love, love, love to hear about books people are reading - why they're reading it, do they like it or not and why, would they recommend it, and so on. And I love to talk about the books that I have read. If it's good I want everyone I know to read it. And if it's not so good, well then I don't want my my friends to waste their precious time reading it.

That's one of the reasons I love the blog world so much. There are people out there just like me! People who do not think it is a huge waste of time to make reading lists and to set reading goals and to share with each other about books. And even though I love reading "Book Blogs," I would still much rather sit across from you on the couch and goosh over a book than write it up in paragraphs. Partly because when I blog about a book I never really feel like I am really doing it justice.

So here's my solution. Instead of pulling teeth to write something eloquent about each and every book I read, I will instead do a monthly summary. Some books may get paragraphs, some may get sentences, and some may get bulleted lists. And no promises that any of them will qualify as eloquent!

So here goes April...

1.) Mommy Laughs: The Naked Truth About the First Year of Mommyhood by Jenny McCarthy (04/04)

Loved this one, but not quite as much as BabyLaughs. Still really funny, though! 

2.) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (04/08)

Loved it!! I'm on the waiting list for the sequel and I can hardly stand the wait!

3.) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (04/13) audiobook

I loved his writing style. I enjoy audiobooks, but I want to actually read another one of his books just to appreciate the style. 

4.) Get Out of That Pit by Beth Moore (04/15)
Really great book! I won't say a lot here because I plan to do a separate post just for this one!

5.) Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz (04/15)

An enjoyable read. I think students in the intermediate and middle level grades would really enjoy it and learn a lot too. She definitely puts a lot of information in there, even though it's disguised in 

6.) Number the Stars (04/22)

I remembered reading this book in fifth grade, but I didn't remember much about it. Pretty much all I remembered was that it was about the Nazis, a young girl, and that it took place in Copenhagen. 

This is a quick read (like, only 2-3 sittings), but is still a really great book. It tells the story of two neighboring families, one Jewish and one not, and how one family risks it all to save the other. I also loved how it gave details of everyday life of people living in the Nazi occupied countries of WWII. For example, the book describes how the families deal with rations on food, leather, and electricity, the way they have to use bomb curtains at night, and how they deal with the presence of Nazi soldiers on their streets. 

Students in the intermediate grades would not only enjoy this book, but would learn a lot too. (Shoot, I learned some things! For example, did you know Denmark destroyed its own naval fleet just so the Germans couldn't use it?) Boys and girls can enjoy it, but I think girls will be more affected by the strong female lead characters. 

7.) The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (04/30)

Maybe it was because everyone talked so highly of this book, but for me, it just kind of fell flat. I mean, it was an okay book and all, just not this great book that I was expecting. 

The book follows a boy who, as a baby, somehow eludes a murderer by escaping to a graveyard. The inhabitants of the graveyard (yes, ghosts) agree to take him in and raise him. The concept is interesting, but still I was bored for about the first 2/3 of the book. The ending was suspenseful, but not really edge-of-your-seat, can't-put-it-down suspenseful. I have not read any of the Newbery Honor books from this year, but somehow I just don't think that this one is better than the Honors. 

Spring Reading Thing 2010 - Progress Week 5 (1/3 of the Way Through!)

For my complete list, click HERE.

Week 5: April 24th

* Finished this week:

Number the Stars

* Currently reading:

The Graveyard Book (86/307)

The Happiest Baby on the Block (1/260)
* Total Books Read:11
* Total Pages Read: 1695 pages

Week 4: April 17th - Lots of cleaning : ) = Not so much reading : /

* Finished this week:
The Book Thief

Get Out of That Pit

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village
* Currently reading:

The Graveyard Book (10/307)
* Total Books Read: 10
* Total Pages Read: 1482 pages

Finding Time to Read

I have had several people ask me how I find time to read so much. This question always makes me laugh, because there are so many people who are able to read WAY more than I can and I myself wonder how they do it. I mean, I LOVE to read, but I don't think there is anyway I could sit for long enough to read as much as some of the other bloggers I follow! I just get too antsy!

Anyway, the answer to the question is I really am not sure how I find time to read. Some weeks I feel like I have a lot of time and am able to read a lot, but then some weeks I feel like I barely had any time at all. What the difference is, I have no idea. So here are some thoughts about how I manage to find the time to read...

• I ALWAYS have a book with me. I usually carry a big purse so that I am able to stick a book in it. Even if I am reading a big, thick book I will still carry a smaller one with me that I read whenever I can. This allows me to read in places like the bank drive-thru line, waiting rooms, and yes, even the checkout line at WalMart.
• By the time I get home in the afternoons, get the car unloaded, get any groceries put away, and get the dogs out, I need a break! I find that even if I have a lot of work to do, giving myself 20-30 minutes to just sit and do something I enjoy actually makes me more productive when that time is over. If I try and just work straight through, my body complains and my mind whines and I'm grumpy and just not very productive. Granted, some days I get home too late or have something important to do and don't get this much-needed time. I loathe those days. (And yes, I do know that once Jacob arrives and grows up I may not get this time either. Just let me enjoy it while it lasts!)
• Jeff and I do watch a lot of TV together, but some shows are just a little to much for me (i.e. 24) or I am just not into them like he is. While he watches these shows, I usually clean or read.
• AM - I try to make it a priority to take a few minutes before I leave the house in the morning to spend some time in Scripture. Sometimes if I am reading a good Faith-Building book, I will read some of it here too. Most days we're talking just a few minutes here though.
• PM - On nights when I don't fall asleep on the couch, I have to unwind before bed. I do spend time in Scripture/Faith-Building books, but some days my brain will just not turn off and I have to read for 30 minutes or more.

So there you have it. It's not a master plan or anything. Really it just comes down to the fact that reading is something I love to do and I just make time for it. Even if it's just a little bit here and there, it adds up.

March Books

One of my favorite things to do in the whole wide world is to talk about books. I love, love, love to hear about books people are reading - why they're reading it, do they like it or not and why, would they recommend it, and so on. And I love to talk about the books that I have read. If it's good I want everyone I know to read it. And if it's not so good, well then I don't want my my friends to waste their precious time reading it.

That's one of the reasons I love the blog world so much. There are people out there just like me! People who do not think it is a huge waste of time to make reading lists and to set reading goals and to share with each other about books. And even though I love reading "Book Blogs," I would still much rather sit across from you on the couch and goosh over a book than write it up in paragraphs. Partly because when I blog about a book I never really feel like I am really doing it justice.

So here's my solution. Instead of pulling teeth to write something eloquent about each and every book I read, I will instead do a monthly summary. Some books may get paragraphs, some may get sentences, and some may get bulleted lists. And no promises that any of them will qualify as eloquent!

So here goes March...

1.) Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell (03/06)

Eh, this one was just okay for me. I haven't seen the movie yet and the book didn't really leave me wanting to run out and see it ASAP. Julie was likable enough I guess, but I had trouble relating to her in a lot of ways. She seemed pretty negative at times and ranted a lot about all of the "dumb Republicans" she worked for. If you know me, you know that didn't really sit well. I did find some of her descriptions of cooking the food interesting, but it seemed like a lot of food I would never eat. We're plain folk around the Borland homestead. Plus, some of her descriptions were down right disgusting. I mean, really, I could have lived a fully happy, healthy life never knowing how lobsters are killed or how marrow is dug out of a bone. Yuck. Combine that with my queasy pregnant gag reflex and, well, you can just imagine.

2.) How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell (03/10)

This book was too cute! And, unlike my first book of the month, it did leave me wanting to see its movie version. This book is pretty short and filled with cute kid-like sketches. This made it a super fast read. But, unlike some fast reads, it still had substance. The hero was likable and very relatable for a wide age range. The plot kept me pulled in and waiting to see what happened next. I definitely plan on checking out the other books in this series in the near future.

3.) The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game (03/25)

I loved, loved, loved this book. I don't know what it is about this month and my apparent "movie theme." I promise it's not on purpose. But this book definitely DID leave me wanting to see the movie version. I fell in love with Michael Oher and would like to research more about him. His story is absolutely incredible! The only thing others may or may not like about this book is that part of it (like whole chapters) is devoted strictly to the history and strategy of the NFL. These chapters were still interesting and I did learn a little. Sometimes, though, I was kinda confused. But the confusion never lasted long and didn't effect the book at all. Plus, I am lucky enough to have a football-lovin' husband to (not s0) patiently explain things to me when needed. : )

4.) Nancy Drew 5 - The Secret of Shadow Ranch by Carolyn Keene (03/28)

This one was my fifth Nancy Drew of the year. I'm working on reading a lot of them for this challenge. I liked the plot of this one, but a few of the same things annoyed me. Like how Nancy and her girlfriends are out of high school, but have no jobs and no plans for college or anything. Also, Bess, one of Nancy's friends seems to be maybe a little heavier than the other girls - and this fact is apparently important enough to allude to several times, always in a negative way.

5.) Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan (03/30)

The second installment of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. This one surely did not disappoint! I had to speed through this one because it was requested by someone else at the library, but I probably would have read it just as fast anyway because it was so good! I can't wait to get my hands on the third one. I definitely recommend this series to anyone ages 10-110.

6.) Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices (03/31)

This book was really neat. It was a very quick read (like, less than 20 minutes), but since it is part of my Newbery Challenge, I am going to count it. As you might have guessed, the book is full of poems meant to be read by two people. The poetry is great and the way it is presented is even better. I think I may have my higher reading group work with a few of these just to see how they do. Plus, I have no doubt these poems will sound better when read aloud the way they were meant to be. 

7.) A Visit to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers by Nancy Willard (03/31)

Once again, this is a very short book, but since it is for my Newbery Challenge, I am going to count it. This is another collection of poems, but I was not nearly as impressed with this one as Joyful Noise. Sorry Newbery committee, you missed your mark this year. Especially since one of 1982's Honor Books was Ramona Quimby, Age 8. I mean, come on - Ramona could whip the pants off this book!

Another Twilight Book?!?

This came from the Scholastic Blog, InkSplot26. Just had to pass it along...

BREAKING NEWS! Stephenie Meyer, the author of the Twilight series (for ages 12 and up), is releasing a NEW book in the Twilight series on June 5, 2010! Titled The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, it will be shorter than the other Twilight books - only 192 pages, and told from the perspective of Bree, a character originally featured in Eclipse.

Here's a quick summary: 
"In another irresistible combination of danger, mystery, and romance, Stephenie Meyer tells the devastating story of Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion."

It sounds really cool, but wait there's more! The book will go on sale on June 5, but if you can wait until June 7, you can read it online in English for free until July 5, 2010. It's Stephenie Meyer's way of saying thank-you to her fans. On her website she says, "You all have bought a ton of my books, and I wanted to give you this story as a gift."

Thanks, Stephenie!

Happy Bookmark Day!

The Bibliophilic Blog is hosting Bookmark Day today, March 15th. Head on over and check it out! To celebrate, I am posting this, of course, and my homeroom kids will all be getting I Love Reading bookmarks today. 

I must admit, I'm a sucker for a good bookmark. There are just so many! They come in all shapes, sizes, and styles. I have bookmarks that I love because I think they are just too cute, some that are dainty, some that feature my favorite books, some I love for the Bible verses they quote, the list goes on and on...

But here's the thing. Half the time, my bookmark ends up being a receipt or a post it note or something. Why is that?? And another thing - why do some bookmarks have to be so stinking expensive? I refuse to pay big bucks for a bookmark - I would definitely lose it! Just check out this out. It's the bookmarks for sale on Barnes&Noble.com. Over $30 for a bookmark?!? Just think of all of the books you could buy with that instead!

Just for fun, the bookmark I am using right now is one that I got a few Valentine's ago. It's one of the nice metal ones that has a metal heart attached to it with a piece of thick string. It is read and pink, of course, and has pictures of Valentine foods on it. The quote reads: "The miracle of love is that love is given to us to give to one another." So true. And it reminds me of one of my favorite sections of scripture: 

"And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Romans 5:5

How true is that? The only reason I can love anyone else is because it is the overflow of the love that God has poured into my heart. 

Newbery Medal Reading Challenge

Since 1922, 89 Newbery Medals have been awarded. Of these, I have read 16 of them. However, I only really remember 8 of them. 8! Can you believe it? And as an elementary school teacher, I feel like my number should be a lot higher than that! No, the Newbery Medal is not the be-all, end-all of what makes a good book. I sometimes read a book and get frustrated that it is such an awesome book and yet received no recognition. On the other hand, sometimes I read a book that has won a prestigious award and I hate it. But no one can argue that on the whole, Newbery books are awesome books for intermediate children and as an intermediate teacher, I feel I should definitely make an effort to read more of them.

So what am I going to do? My goal is to read 12 NB books a year until I catch up. That's an average of just one a month! Totally do-able, right? And at that rate, I will catch up by... sometime in 2017. 2017?!? Hmm, not quite as soon as I thought. Oh well. Maybe I will really get on a roll and knock them out much sooner than that!

Here are the Newbery Medal Winners that I have read (and remember well enough for them to count!):

1. 2009 The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (04/30/10)
2. 2008 Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz (04/15/10)
3. 1999 - Holes by Louis Sachar (BeforeChallenge)
4. 1994 - The Giver by Lois Lowry (BC)
5. 1991 - Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli (BC)
6. 1990 - Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (04/22/10)
7. 1989 - Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman (03/31/10)
8. 1986 - Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan (BC)
9. 1984 - Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary (BC)
10. 1982 - A Journey to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers by Nancy Willard (03/31/10)
11. 1978 - Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson (BC)
12. 1968 - From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by EL Konigsburg (BC)
13. 1963 - A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (BC)

2010 Total: 5

Next up - 1988's Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman

~Wish Me Luck!!~

My Growing TBR List

How is it that my To Be Read List can get so out of control sometimes?? For example, right now I have ten books on my list:

1. How to Train a Dragon by Cressida Cowell (The movie looks cute so of course I wanted to read the book first!) FINISHED 03/10
2. The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis (Again, the movie looks good and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE most sport stories.) FINISHED 03/25
3. Get Out of That Pit by Beth Moore FINISHED 04/15
4. Baby Laughs: The Naked Truth About the First Year of Mommyhood by Jenny McCarthy (Loved Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth About Being Pregnant. In a lot of ways she is so dead-on it's scary!) FINISHED 04/04
5. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (A recent Newbery Winner, looks spooky) FINISHED 04/30
6. Chasing Vermeer by Blue Billiett (Comes highly recommended by one of the Scholastic staffers that I have always agreed with)
7. Nancy Drew 5 - The Secret of Shadow Ranch by Carolyn Keene (for the Nancy Drew Reading Challenge) FINISHED 03/28
8. Someone Named Eva by Joan M. Wolf (Can't remember where I saw it reviewed, but it sounds really good)
9. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Almost half way through the audio book - but it's 13 HOURS LONG!! I also have the actual book to read too.) FINISHED (04/13)
10. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling (reread) (Because I heart HP and it's for the Harry Potter Reading Challenge)

So my new goal is going to be not to add any more books to my list until I have read at least 6 of the 10 listed above. Can I do it???? I don't know. It's going to be tough, that's for sure. There are just too many good books out there!

How do I decide which books to read first?

Good question. Lately the library has been deciding for me. I love BGPL, especially since they make it so easy to request books. I can go to the online catalog to find books I like. If they are checked out, or are not checked in at the branch closest to me, I can have them sent to the branch of my choice. If the book is available, it only takes a day or two. But for popular books, like Julie and Julia and The Blindside, I may have to wait several days or even weeks! And then when I finally get the book, I only have two weeks to read it since someone is usually waiting for it after me (and I HATE to pay fines!). On the other hand, I have the library here at school too. Books checked out from this library do not have to be turned in by a certain time, so I can keep them as long as needed. But if I keep them too long, I start to feel guilty thinking about the kids who can't check it out just because it is gathering dust in my stack.

So my hope is that by posting about my problem, I will stick to my goal of reading 6/10 before moving on to any others! Some of these are pretty short so I should be able to kick them pretty fast!

Update 03/19 - So my turn just came up for another book that I have been waiting on for weeks from the pubic library. Since it is probably requested by someone else after me, I will need to read it as soon as I finish the one I am on. THEN back to the list!

Update 03/25 - I really do want to read all of the books on this list, I promise! But there are just so many books out there that it is hard to make myself stick to a list of just 10 books! So we'll see. I am already feeling VERY tempted to read other books before I get to some of these...

Update 04/15 - Finally! 6/10 Read!

How am I doing???

7/10 Read

Autumn Winifred Oliver Now in Paperback

Whether you are in fourteen, in fourth grade, or forty, you can enjoy Kristin Tubb's Autumn Winifred Oliver Does Things Different. My kiddos and I really enjoyed the book and I posted a "review" here. Miss Tubb came to visit our fourth graders and did an amazing job! 

Today, Autumn makes her debut in paperback. Check it out!

And all my teacher friends out there - check out Miss Tubb's website for info on contacting her for a visit. 

On Becoming Baby Wise

On Becoming Baby Wise by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam, M.D.

I first heard about this book and its principles from our good friends, Jenny and Stuart, but have since heard about its use from several other families, all with wonderful things to say about it. I have also heard some people tell me how dumb they think it is, but when questioned farther, they can't tell you much because they a.) haven't read it, or b.) haven't tried it. So the only thing I felt I could really do was to read it for myself and see.

This book just made sense. The principles seem sound and I can't say anything else other than it just made sense to me. Why wouldn't anyone want to try this? Putting your baby on a schedule will help train their bodies to eat and sleep normally. I really wish I could give you a more elegant synopsis, but it really does seem that simple. Now, I realize raising a newborn is in reality anything but simple, but this system does seem to give great guidance as to what is best for babies. And with most babies sleeping though the night by eight weeks or so, why not?? I really don't understand why anyone who would actually read this book would have a problem with its principles. Scheduling your baby is not detrimental to him/her, but beneficial. The authors do not want you to be clock-watching crazy parents. They encourage some flexibility and understanding when things don't go according to plan.

I actually put off reading this book for quite some time because to me, it just looked boring. I like to read non-fiction, but lets face it, most non-fiction can really put you to sleep! This was definitely NOT the case with this book. It was well-written enough to hold my attention. Each chapter was broken down into manageable categories, which also helped. I read this book in one evening and one afternoon.

I am definitely willing to try the principles in Baby Wise and am actually a lot more hopeful now than I was before reading the book. Before reading it, I thought I had absolutely no idea how to handle a newborn baby. Now I can safely drop the absolutely and say that I have no idea how to handle a newborn baby, but I do know where to start. Hopefully mother nature will take me the rest of the way.

Here is a popular blog that seems to be very helpful: Chronicles of a Babywise Mom.

Blubber by Judy Blume

• Good Book
• Everyone can relate to one of the characters - bully, bullied, bystander...
• Some of the bullying seemed a little extreme to me. I guess it happens though.
• Teachers are portrayed as lazy and uncaring. Never know what is happening. Disinterested. Sadly though, I guess some teachers are like this. 
• Some language that is not suitable for younger or immature students. 

Books Read 2010

I needed somewhere to keep up with all of the books that I have read/will read this year. I don't really have a personal goal since I have no idea what to expect out of this year. After all, I will have a newborn in six months! But I figured here is a good a place as any. And maybe I will even have some accountability if I post the list for others to see.

At a Glance Totals:

Nancy Drew - 5

Memoir - 3

YA/JuvFic - 24

Adult Mystery - 1

Adult Misc - 2

NonFic Family - 3

NonFic Faith - 1

Teaching - 1

Total* - 34

*Some books fit into more than one category.

Jan - 6

Feb - 6
Mar - 7

Apr - 7

May - 3

June - 1

July - 0

August - 1

September - 2

October - 1

January- Thanks to all of the snow days, I have been able to start the year off with a lot of reading!

1.) Nancy Drew 1 - The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene (01/03)

2.) Nancy Drew 2 - The Hidden Staircase by Carolyn Keene (01/06)

3.) American on Purpose by Craig Ferguson (01/11)

4.) Blubber by Judy Blume (01/16) -audiobook

5.) How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else by Michael Gates Gill (01/22) - audiobook

6.) The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie (01/29)

February - more snow days for reading - good now, not so good in June : ) also, my husband had his gallbladder removed. this meant an entire day spent waiting in the hospital and many more quiet days to follow while he recoops at home.

7.) On Becoming BabyWise by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam (02/01)

8.) Nancy Drew 3 - The Bungalow Mystery by Carolyn Keene (02/02)

9.) Snowed In by Rachel Hawthorne (02/05)

10.) Front of the Class: How Tourette's Syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had by Brad Cohen (02/08)

11.) The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (02/15)

12.) Nancy Drew 9 - The Sign of the Twisted Candles by Carolyn Keene (02/16)

March - When the weather starts to get warmer, I start to read a little less. That is, until it gets too hot to do anything outside! Then my reading usually picks back up again. But until then, I will just use all those rainy days to get some reading done : )

13.) Julia and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell (03/06)

14.) How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell (03/10)

15.) The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis (03/25)

16.) Nancy Drew 5 - The Secret of Shadow Ranch by Carolyn Keene (03/28)

17.) Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan (03/30)

18.) Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman (03/31)

19.) A Journey to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers by Nancy Willard (03/31)

April - Spring Break!! However, I do have big plans to do a lot of cleaning and school work, so I may or may not get any more reading done than usual : /

20.) Baby Laughs: The Naked Truth About the First Year of Mommyhood by Jenny McCarthy (04/04)

21.) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (04/08)

22.) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (04/13)

23.) Get Out of That Pit by Beth Moore (04/15)

24.) Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz (04/15)

25.) Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (04/22)

26.) The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (04/30)

May - The end of the school year is always crazy and leaves very little time to read!

27.) The Titan's Curse by Rick Riorday (05/09)

28.) The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan (05/18)

29.) The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan (05/28)

June - Um, I did have a baby this month. All spare time was spent sleeping!

30.) The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp (06/07)

July - See June : )

August - I am finally starting to feel human again! School has started and it actually feels good to be back in the swing of things again!

31.) The Second Short Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer (08/19)

September

32.) Mockinjay by Suzanne Collins

33.) Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar

October

34.) The Alchemist: Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flammel by Michael Scott (10/30)

Novemeber

December

35.) On Becoming Babywise: Book II Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam (12/30)

Ramblings About Teaching and Book Review - No Fear in My Classroom

I read this book as part of the Fall Into Reading Challenge.

This book originally caught my attention because I was interested to see what the book had to say about handling parental problems. As a first year teacher, this was one of my biggest struggles last year. I guess I had always idealized being a "teacher." I wanted all of my kids and parents to like me, ya know? After all, I was responsible for their education 35 hours a week. I bust my butt and make sacrifices just so these kids will know that I love them and gain the knowledge they need to help them be successful not just in the fifth grade, but in life. I dedicated four years of my life just to learn how to do this and will probably spend the next thirty years or so doing it. Why wouldn't they like me??

It didn't take me long to realize that not every parent was going to like everything I did. It even seemed that some of them didn't like anything I did. I struggled with this daily. My heart was broken. Luckily I had an entire support system, without which I would probably have been committed to an asylum:

1.) a common sensical, supportive husband 

2.) fellow interns who were going through the same thing 

3.) an awesome mentor teacher to give me reality checks

4.) two really amazing co-teachers to help me through each and every day

5.) a great principal and caring staff members

Even though my skin is a lot tougher this year, I am still learning how to deal with this issue. My parents are also much better this year, which helps a lot, and they all know that this is not my first year. One year of experience makes a big difference, especially to parents. I'm also realizing that of course some of them are going to watch me like a hawk. They send their babies to me everyday and have to trust that I am treating them like my own and giving them the skills they need to complete fourth grade. I would watch me like a hawk too! And I've accepted the fact that even if I have tried my best and made all of the "right" decisions based on my training and experience, there are still going to be parents who don't agree with me or who feel like I have not done enough. Oh well. As long as I know that I have done my best, I can't sweat it. 

So now, back to the book - 

This book was divided into four parts: Personal Fears, Student Fears, Parental Fears, and External Fears. I did gain some understanding from the Parental Fears section, but that was about it. A lot of the Personal Fears didn't apply to me and most of the stuff from the Student Fears section was pretty much common sense. 

Another thing that I don't agree with is that I think some of the right kind of fear is actually healthy in a classroom. A reasonable amount of fear that I am not doing my best keeps me working hard. Students should fear consequences, or else do the consequences really work? Students should fear not learning what they will need in life, that way they will see the importance of the knowledge and pay attention and actually care to learn. 

By the end of reading the book, I was just skimming for good stuff. I can see keeping it as a resource for future use, but that is about it. Don't really recommend. 

Belly Laughs - The Naked Truth About Pregnancy and Childbirth

I read this book several months back when Jeff and I first started thinking about trying to have a baby. I am one of those really weird people who reads books way ahead of time. (I was reading marriage books before we were even engaged. But hey, I wanted to know exactly what it was I would be agreeing to!) A good friend from school had mentioned that this book was hilarious so I decided to give it a try.

First of all, she was right. This book was extremely funny. But you have to remember that this book was written by Jenny McCarthy. So yes, there were some not-so-nice words and parts that were a little on the vulgar side. Scratch that. Very vulgar. But if you can handle that kind of stuff, then you would love this book. She is brutally honest about the highs and lows of her pregnancy. Some of the chapters had me literally laughing out loud and some have me really, really hoping I don't have some of her troubles!!

I enjoyed her book enough that later on in my pregnancy, I plan to read Baby Laughs - The Naked Truth About the First Year of Mommyhood.   

Splendor (A Luxe Novel)

I wrote about the Luxe series originally here. This book is also part of my Fall Into Reading Challenge you can read about here. For the Luxe website, click here. 

Having enjoyed all three of the other books in this series, I was really looking forward to this one. I couldn't wait to see how Godbersen would wrap everything up. It is such a good series that I don't want to give away any details at the risk of spoiling any of the books. I would definitely recommend this series to anyone.

However, I cannot say that the ending did not disappoint me. I LOVED this series right up until the last 15 pages or so. I just plain did not like how it ended. There was only one story line that I actually liked the ending to. I went to the official website of the series to check out the author's blog and found that I am definitely not alone. There are over 156 comments on her post about the series' end, most of them from outraged or disappointed fans. However, after reading her reaction and reasoning behind her ending, I don't feel so upset about it anymore. Yes, if I had written the series I would have ended it very differently. But I didn't write it. Where I am more of a hopeless romantic, Godbersen is more independent and free spirited. Of course her ending is going to be different from mine. 

But no matter which personality type you are, you can still enjoy the series as a whole. Lots of twists and turns and suspenseful endings. Beautiful details. For more on why I love the series, check out my original post. 

I also found this site with pics of the cover dresses. Really pretty! I think I was born in the wrong century! 

1/2 Price Living

I bought this book for the obvious reason - I wish I could live my life for half the price! 

But I was kind of disappointed in this book. I was hoping it would have lots of good shopping and saving tips, but it really didn't. The only tips it gave were really obvious ones - like get your clothes from consignment sales, meal plan before you grocery shop and use coupons. Seriously. That was all. Most of the book seemed to be helping women justify staying home and not working. That is fine for those women, but I am not one of them. In places it almost seemed as if I should feel guilty for not wanting to do it. I don't deny the benefits of staying home, but it is just not for me for a lot of reasons. (Which is a whole other post in itself!) I really don't need a book to try and guilt me into it - I have a mother for that! 

I read this book as part of the Fall Into Reading Challenge.

2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge

Yep, another challenge. Over the next few days I will be joining several. What can I say? A LOT of good challenges start in January.

Today I am joining the 2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge hosted by J. Kaye's Book Blog. I am signing up for The Mini Challenge - check out and read 25 library books. The next size up is 50. That's almost a book a week and probably too much for me. But who knows? Maybe I'll get there. And I love the idea of supporting local libraries. If it weren't for the library, there would be no way I could read all of the books that I do. Books are expensive! Also, I will be counting books I check out from the library at the school where I teach. I am not really sure if it qualifies, but you can't get much more local than right down the hall! To visit the official challenge page, click here.

So Far, So Good: (date finished) library

1.) Nancy Drew 1: The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene (01/03) AES

2.) Nancy Drew 2: The Hidden Staircase by Carolyn Keene (01/06) AES

3.) Blubber by Judy Blume (01/16) BGPL audiobook

4.) How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else (01/22) BGPL audiobook

5.) The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie (01/29) BGPL

6.) Nancy Drew 3: The Bungalow Mystery (02/01) AES

7.) Front of the Class: How Tourette's Syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had by Brad Cohen (02/08) BGPL

8.) Nancy Drew 9: The Sign of the Twisted Candles by Carolyn Keene (02/16) AES

9.) Julia and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell (03/06) BGPL

10.) How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell (03/10) BGPL

11.) The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis (03/25) BGPL

12.) Nancy Drew 5 - The Secret of Shadow Ranch by Carolyn Keene (03/28) BGPL

13.) Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan (03/30) BGPL

14.) Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices (03/31) BGPL

15.) A Journey to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers by Nancy Willard (03/31) BGPL

16.) Baby Laughs: The Naked Truth About the First Year of Mommyhood by Jenny McCarthy (04/04) BGPL

17.) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (04/08) BGPL

18.) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (04/13) BGPL audiobook

19.) Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz (04/15) BGPL

20.) The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (04/30) BGPL

21.) The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan (05/09) AES

22.) The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan (05/18) BGPL

23.) The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan (05/28) BGPL

24.) The Second Short Life of Bree Tanner (08/19) BGPL

25.) Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar (09/30) BGPL audiobook

Author Visit and Book Review - Autumn Winifred Oliver Does Things Different

Today the fourth and fifth graders at my school were lucky enough to have, as the kids say, "a real live author" come to visit. The author was Kristin O'Donnell Tubb. She has written several books for commercial characters (think ScoobyDoo, Bugs Bunny, Holly Hobbie), but also has a new book out that is all her own, Autumn Winifred Oliver Does Things Different. She was great with the kids. She gave them several good revising strategies to use that will spice up their pieces. Not to mention she was also as cute as a button! Very stylish, but still in a down-to-earth way, you know? 

I ordered Autumn  when I first heard Mrs. Tubb was coming for a visit. The book tells the story of the founding of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a place almost everyone who lives in this part of the country has been at least once or twice in their life. The story is told through the eyes of an eleven year old girl named, you guessed it, Autumn Winifred Oliver. Her family lives in Cades Cove, Tennessee, a town where things never change. But changes are surely on the way. It seems the town will either be lost to loggers stripping the mountains, or to the "Not So" Great Smoky Mountains National Park. And Autumn and her family find themselves stuck right in the middle. You can read an excerpt here. 

I read this book over Fall Break and loved every bit of it. Here's why:

• Some of the messes Autumn gets herself into are so hilarious they literally had me laughing out loud! From riding a coffin down a flooded river to using sticks to prop open the mouths of geese, she definitely does things different! 
• The book is loaded with mountain culture, sayings, and superstitions. It reminded me a lot of Appalachia. Some of the stuff I actually had to look up because I had no clue what it meant. Like, did you know you weren't supposed to burn sassafras wood in your house? It's bad luck and means someone is probably going to die. (You better run straight home and throw out all that sassafras, ya hear?) I also had no idea what a dogtrot was. (Check out the picture at the bottom.)
  
• Parts of the book made me cry. No, not cry. Sob. Openly. But in the good way, you know? I just felt so close to Autumn and her family that when they suffered, I experienced it to. I LOVE books that do that. A mark of a really good writer.

I read this book aloud to a group of fourth graders who read at a pretty advanced level. The dialect did make it kinda challenging, but fun to use for a read aloud. We did have to stop a lot to talk about a lot of the phrases and bits of culture that they(we) did not understand. What I ended up doing was having the kids take notes on the phrases or words that they did not understand or just plain liked. Every chapter or so we would stop and discuss. And then at the end of the book they will have a list of really neat phrases and words that they could borrow for their own pieces. The kids also laugh out loud at the book, even more than I did. They have started using "Autumn" phrases and commenting that they "do things different." It's always neat to watch them have fun with a book as a group. 

How'd you like to have a dogtrot in the middle of your house?

Happy Birthday to ME!!

Yesterday was my birthday. Now, I'm not the kind that likes a lot of attention on my birthday (but a little sure is good!). But I do want to take the time to brag on my husband. Even though he is suffering, and I mean suffering, from the flu, he still made every effort to make my birthday special. He gave me not one, but two of the sweetest cards I have ever received and he dragged his sick self down to B&N to buy me all three of the books that I wanted for my birthday, two of which did not even come out until the actual day of my birthday! Yep, he's pretty much the best.

• Splendor is the last book in the Luxe Series, one of my guilty pleasures you can read about here.
  
• American on Purpose is a memoir by Craig Ferguson, my favorite late night guy (although I am too lame to stay up that late and must DVR!).
• The Pioneer Woman Cooks is the first cookbook by you guessed it, The Pioneer Woman. I read her blog and love her recipes! Check out her website here.

I will update more on these books as I have time to sit down and actually read/look through them! I also got some very nice gifts from my team teachers, but that will have to be saved for another post.