ALSC blog

The Official Blog of the Association for Library Service to Children- Blog

http://www.alsc.ala.org/blog

Bloggers: They currently have 14 bloggers who are working in libraries around the country. They also utilize guest bloggers from time to time. 

Summary: According to their website: The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is a network of more than 4,000 children’s and youth librarians, children’s literature experts, publishers, education and library school faculty members, and other adults committed to improving and ensuring the future of the nation through exemplary library service to children, their families, and others who work with children.

Strength/Weaknesses: The ASLC blog is a great resource for children’s librarians with almost daily updates. However, I did not see a section for award winners on the blog. The page about their bloggers has a link to their individual pages so librarians can have access to even more resources. 

Uses: This blog has suggestions for what to do if your program needs a makeover, suggestions for books for story time, helpful posts for people who are new children’s service managers, etc. Most of the blog posts are tagged and the category list is on the right side of every page, making it easy to search for specific topics. For example, clicking on Programming Ideas brought up all the posts related to programming. There were not, however, tags for awards, which would have been a helpful section.

Audience: This is a blog for children’s librarians.

Read-alikes: http://www.abbythelibrarian.com by Abby Johnson, http://showmelibrarian.blogspot.com by Amy Koester, http://100scopenotes.com by School Library Journal

Awards: This blog has won no awards.

Crankenstein

Crankenstein - picturebook

Berger, Samantha. Illus. Dan Santat. Crankenstein. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2013. Print.

ISBN-13: 9780316126564

Summary: Crankenstein is a picture book about a little boy who gets very cranky when things don’t go his way. 

Strength/Weaknesses: Crankenstein is a delightfully illustrated book about a boy who gets upset over things- waiting in long lines, having to take cough medicine, when it is too hot for popsicles. People of all ages can relate to Crankenstein during these times. He is drawn to look similar to Frankenstein’s monster in a green color with a scowl on his face. He seems to always be cranky, that is until he meets another Crankenstein and laughter changes him back into a kid. Even the endpapers follow Crankenstein’s moods-the front has a gray and rainy look, while the back has smiling sunshine pictures. Removing the dust cover reveals even more gems-the front cover has a picture captioned ‘Anatomy of a Crankenstein’ with an illustration of Crankenstein with labels such as “A sneer from ear to ear” and “runny nose woes.” The back cover shows the back of Crankenstein and more labeled parts. This book is a funny book that kids will love. It is a topic they will be able to identify with and is beautifully illustrated with full color pages. 

Uses: Crankenstein can be used in the early grades to talk about made-up words - ‘Crankenstein’ and ‘MEHHRRRRR’ and how these words make this little boy seem very cranky. It can also be used during a unit on feelings with other books of a similar nature. 

Audience: Crankenstein is recommended for ages 3-6.

Read-alikes: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst, Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds, illus. by Peter Brown, Llama Llama Mad at Mama by Anna Dewdney

Awards: This book has won no awards.

Zoobooks magazine

Zoobooks- Children’s magazine

Zoobooks. Wildlife Education, Ltd., 2014. Print.

Summary: Zoobooks is a magazine for children that covers a different animal or animal group in a way children can understand. The issues I reviewed were “Hippos,” “Lions,” “Ducks, Geese & Swans,” and “Insects.” Zoobooks is published ten times a year.

Strength/Weaknesses: Each issue covers the anatomy, habitat, eating habits, & role of a single animal or animal group. It is a full color, glossy magazine that has a combination of photographs and color illustrations. Large pictures of the animals, short paragraphs and captions under the pictures help keep kids interested. The center section of the magazine is a pullout section with activities for kids that relate to the animal of topic. Each issue that I reviewed had drawings by kids and the activities included a crossword puzzle, word search, and scavenger hunt, although they did vary slightly in each issue. The answers for each activity was included in this section as well. There is an online website for the magazine where readers can take a 20 question quiz about the current issue, however most of the online content is for subscribers.  (www.zoobooks.com) 

While the pictures are very colorful, some may be a little scary for younger readers, for example, the Insects issue had quite a few close up photographs of various insects.

Uses: This magazine would supplement an elementary social studies or science curriculum. The publisher offers a subscription rate and allows one to purchase an entire library or single editions. It could also be used in a reading center for children to choose during a free reading time. 

Audience: Zoobooks magazine is recommended for ages 6-12. The company has other magazines for younger readers- Zoobies for ages 0-3 and Zootles for ages 3-6.

Read-alikes: Ranger Rick, National Geographic Kids, 

Awards: According to their website, Zoobooks “is the proud winner of the Parents' Choice gold award 8 years in a row.”

Music All Around Me

Music All Around Me - Music CD

Hartmann, Jack. Math All Around Me: Making Early Childhood Math Fun Through Music 'N' Movement. Hop 2 It Music, 1998. CD.

Summary: Jack Hartmann takes basic math skills and sets them to music. Skills include shape recognition, patterns, basic counting, calendar skills, and counting on. 

Strength/Weaknesses: Most children love music and many of the songs on this album would be useful to supplement teaching basic math skills. Count by 2’s is a great one to teach skip counting at this age. Hartmann's music is popular with many in early childhood. According to one Pre-k teacher, "Jack Hartmann is like the early childhood equivalent of Bon Jovi. Every time he is at a convention, it is packed and everyone is jumping and screaming and singing along."

A few of the songs, however, seemed to be a stretch for math (Shake Your Hands, for example) and there was not much variety in how the songs were performed.  Too often the songs sounded much like the one preceding it and gave the CD as a whole a monotonous feel.

Uses: Because of their repetitive nature, many of the songs would be very useful in a Pre-k and kindergarten class to help teach and reinforce math skills. Birthdays and Today, Yesterday & Tomorrow are good examples to use when teaching about the calendar. And while Going on a Treasure Hunt is one that I would not use in math, Preschool children will love the call and response nature and movement of the song. 

Audience: Math All Around Me is recommended for ages 3-8.

Awards: This CD has won no awards.

Bink & Gollie

 Bink & Gollie - Graphic Novel

DiCamillo, Kate and Alison McGhee, illustrated byTony Fucile. Bink and Gollie. Somerville: Candlewick Press. 2012. Print.

ISBN-13: 978-0763659547

Summary:  Bink & Gollie follows two best friends-one very tall and one very small-through three stories. The first one is about Bink and her obsession with very long rainbow colored socks. The second is all about Gollie and her desire to spend some time alone imagining herself climbing the Andes Mountains. The third is about a marvelous new companion Bink has found and the resulting jealousy of Gollie. 

Strength/Weaknesses: Bink & Gollie is a genre bender of sorts-a picture book meets graphic novel meets early reader. It is a delightful tale of two girls and their quirky friendship. Early readers will enjoy the graphic novel type pictures and quick dialogue. This book would help students make a great transition from picture books to early chapter books. 

While the three short stories end quickly and are not tied together by storyline, the authors do include a few running themes-pancakes, the rainbow socks and roller skates help tie them together. There are a few words that are advanced for lower elementary (for example: implore, marvelous, companion, extraordinary to name a few) but these could be explained in the context of the story. 

Uses: This book can be used with kindergarten, first & second grade. 

The following information is from a lesson plan by: Librarians of Jefferson County Public Schools: http://media.jefferson.k12.ky.us/sandbox/groups/librarymediaservices/wiki/bd98d/attachments/83a7c/KBA%202011-12%20KBA%20Lesson%20Plan%20Guide.pdf Other books and resources are available there as well.

One Common Core aligned activity for each grade could be:

Grade 2 

As a class encourage students to pull the details from the story to answer the companion worksheet statements about their best friend.

Kindergarten and Grade 1:
Use pages 4 and 5 from the Candlewick Press teacher’s guide for a double sided worksheet.
The first is a matching page, and the second gives the students an opportunity to draw themselves into a scene in the book. 

Candlewick Press Teachers’ Guide: http://www.binkandgollie.com/images/BinkGollie_guide1.pdf

Audience: Bink & Gollie is recommended for ages 6-8.

Read-alikes: Odd Duck by Cecil Castellucci, Ivy & Bean by Annie Barrows

Awards: 2011 winner of the Theodor Seuss Geisel award

The Hidden Girl: A True Story of the Holocaust

The Hidden Girl: A True Story of the Holocaust - non fiction

Kaufman, Lola Rein, and Lois Metzger. The Hidden Girl: A True Story of the Holocaust. New York: Scholastic, Inc. 2008. Print.

ISBN-13: 9780545200530

Summary: Eight year old Lola goes into hiding when her mother is shot and killed by a Nazi soldier. First, she goes with a Ukrainian woman but is almost discovered. Then she is sent to a farm and hides in a hole with another family. The only possession she has is an embroidered dress her mother made for her. After the war, she is shuffled between various homes and is finally reunited with an uncle. Like many other hidden children, she remained silent about her time during the war for many years and finally began to tell her story when she was contacted about donating items to the Holocaust museum. 

Strength/Weaknesses: This autobiography is a glimpse into what it was like for children during World War II who had to go into hiding to survive. The reader will sympathize with Lola while she is hiding with strangers in a hole at a farm, not being able to talk aloud, stand up, or go outside the hole and living in constant fear of being discovered.
The writing is a little choppy. It is written in present tense and seems to jump rather quickly from one scene to the next.
Overall, it is a look into one girl’s story of her time during the Holocaust and how she survived because of the kindness and bravery of non-Jewish strangers. 

Uses: This book could be used to supplement a unit on World War II or when discussing autobiographies. This website has some more examples of books that can be used in the classroom http://www.carolhurst.com/subjects/history/holocaust.html

The website for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum also has a list of books dealing with this topic. http://www.ushmm.org/research/research-in-collections/search-the-collections/bibliography/childrens-books

Lola Rein Kaufman and Lois Metzger spoke about the book and Mrs. Kaufman’s experience here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quhKxMUb_UQ

Audience: The Hidden Girl:A True Story of the Holocaust is recommended for ages 9-13.

Read-alikes: There are many books dealing with children’s experience during the Holocaust. A few examples are: Escape: Children of the Holocaust by Allan Zullo, The Girl Who Survived: A True Story of the Holocaust by Bronia Brandman & Carol Bierman, I Am a Star: Child of the Holocaust by Inge Auerbacher 

Awards: This book has won no awards.

Tangled

Tangled- movie

Tangled. Dir. Nathan Greno, Byron Howard. Perf. Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi. Walt Disney Pictures, 2010. DVD.

Summary: Tangled is a retelling of the classic Rapunzel story. As a baby Rapunzel is kidnapped because her hair has the magical ability to heal. She is kept isolated in a tower and yearns to see the floating lights every year on her birthday. When a thief happens upon her tower, she uses it as a way to get out of the tower and experience the world outside. She also discovers the truth about herself.

Strengths/Weaknesses: (This section contains spoilers for the movie) Tangled has all the appeal of a typical Disney movie-the charming guy, the funny animals, the feisty female. While Rapunzel may seem helpless at first being stuck in the tower, she shows her strength and bravery several times throughout-i.e. helping Flynn escape the guards, confronting Mother Gothel. Tangled is a fun movie for the whole family. However, there are a few moments that might be too intense for younger viewers. Flynn is stabbed by Mother Gothel and dies before being revived by Rapunzel and when Mother Gothel falls out of the window after she begins aging when Rapunzel’s hair is cut are two examples. 

Uses: Tangled would be a great movie to use in conjunction with a fairy tale unit. Students can do fairy tale retellings, read the picture book Rapunzel by Paul O Zelinsky and the graphic novel Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon Hale & Dean Hale, and discuss the differences. 

Audience: Tangled is rated PG for mild brief violence. 

Watch-Alikes: Brave, Frozen, Enchanted

Awards: 
Won: Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television, Grammy Awards, 2012
Best Song, Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards, 2010
Best Animation, National Movie Awards, UK, 2011

Top Box Office Film, ASCAP Film & Television Music Awards, 2011

Monkey Me and the Golden Monkey

Monkey Me and the Golden Monkey (Book 1) written and illustrated by Timothy Roland- early reader

Roland, Timothy. Monkey Me and the Golden Monkey. New York: Scholastic, Inc. 2014. Print.

ISBN 9780545559768

Summary: Clyde is a very active kid. His twin sister, Claudia, tries to keep him out of trouble. His class takes a trip to the museum where Clyde eats a radioactive banana. Now, every time he gets excited he turns into a monkey.  Claudia knows this can be more trouble, but when an artifact is stolen from the museum and a stranger shows up at his school, Clyde knows a monkey may be just what is needed to save the day. This is the first book in a series. Book 2 was published in March 2014. 

Strength/Weaknesses: This is a high interest book about a very active little boy. Many kids will be able to relate to energetic Clyde. The illustrations on every page (also by Timothy Roland) move the pacing along. Roland’s use of a comic strip whenever Clyde turns into a monkey helps separate the two sides of Clyde.
There are some words that may be a little advanced for this age group, for example-radioactive and gamma ray. Overall, though, I believe most readers will be able to follow along just fine. 

Uses: This book is a good one to use with reluctant readers on the upper end of the age range because of the short chapters, fast pacing and high interest story. It would also be good to use as an introduction to graphic novels. 

Audience: Monkey Me and the Golden Monkey is recommended for ages 6-8.

Read-alikes: Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborn, Marty McGuire by Kate Messner, Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park, Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown

Awards: This book was published in January of 2014. At the moment, there have been no awards given to this book. 

Year of the Dog

Year of the Dog by Grace Lin- fiction

Lin, Grace. The Year of the Dog. New York: Little, Brown and Company. 2005. Print.
ISBN-10: 031606002X

Summary: Pacy is an Asian-American girl trying to find her place in the world. When her mom tells her that this year, the Year of the Dog, is the for family, friends and finding oneself, Pacy, the middle child with two sisters, sets out to find her talent. During this year she meets a new friend, struggles with disappointment, and begins to discover a talent all her own. The Year of the Dog is a sweet story about family and friendships.

Strengths/weaknesses: The Year of the Dog gives great insight into one Asian-American family. Pacy attends a school where she and her older sister are the only Asian students in the school. Even with the arrival of another Asian-American student, Pacy still struggles with being different-her friend can speak both English & Taiwanese and Pacy complains that doesn’t see kids like herself in books or plays. Students can relate to Pacy in feeling different from their peers at times. 
Although set in current day, the author uses Pacy’s mom to relate tales of what it was like growing up in Taiwan. These stories help contrast Pacy’s experiences in an American school. 
While this book is recommended for ages 8-12, the writing style may be too simple for some advanced older readers in this range. 

Uses: Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month is celebrated in May and this would be a great book to use. Students can read about & discuss Chinese horoscopes-find out what year they were born & symbolic meanings, practice calligraphy and Chinese symbols. 

Audience: Year of the Dog is recommended for ages 8-12

Read-Alikes: Ramona Quimby books by Beverly Cleary, Ivy and Bean books by Annie Barrows , The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long Shang (for the older end of the age range)

Awards/Honors: (from the author’s website http://www.gracelin.com)
• 2006 Fall Publisher's Pick
• Starred Booklist Review
• 2006 ALA Children's Notable
• 2006 Asian Pacific American Librarian Association Honor
• 2006 National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) GOLD Winner
• 2007-2008 Texas Bluebonnet Award Masterlist
• 2007 Nene Awards Recommended List (Hawaii's Book Award Chosen by Children Grades 4-6)
• 2007 Cochecho Readers' Award List (sponsored by the Children's Librarians of Dover, New Hampshire)
• NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing 2006
• Kirkus Best Early Chapter Books 2006
•2006 Booklist Editors' Choice for Middle Readers
•Cooperative Children's Book Center Choice 2007
•Boston Authors Club Recommended Book
•2007-2008 Great Lakes Great Books Award nominee
•2007-2008 North Carolina Children's Book Award nominee
•2007-2008 West Virginia Children's Book Award nominee
•2009 Beverly Cleary Children's Choice Award (OR) nominee

•2009 Pacific Northwest Young Readers Choice Award (WA, OR, ID) nominee

Skulduggery Pleasant audiobook

Skulduggery Pleasant audiobook
Written by Derek Landy, read by Rupert Degas

Landy, Derek. Skulduggery Pleasant. Read by Rupert Degas. HarperChildren’s Audio, 2007. MP3.  
ISBN10: 0061341045

Summary: When twelve year old Stephanie’s quirky Uncle Gordon dies a stranger shows up at the reading of the will. Stephanie discovers the man is an old friend of her uncle’s named Skulduggery Pleasant, who also happens to be a detective, a sorcerer, and a walking, talking skeleton. When he tells Stephanie that he believes Gordon was murdered, they set off to find answers- and Stephanie discovers she has more power in her than she realized. 

 Strengths/Weaknesses: While on the upper end of the middle grade reading range, Skulduggery Pleasant is a novel that some advanced 9-year-old readers would also enjoy. The author, Derek Landy, does an excellent job of mixing in humor and sarcasm right when things seem to be getting a little too scary. It is interesting also to note that while one of the main characters is a girl, the book is not promoted as a “girl book.” 

The narrator, Rupert Degas, does a wonderful job of adding drama and intrigue to the story. Even though he has a deep, gravelly voice, he changes it for each character when they speak and it lends itself well to the suspenseful nature of the story. The jazzy music and sound effects after each chapter help hold the suspense. They do seem a little long at times, especially when tension has built at the end of a chapter and the reader is eager to find out what happens next.

Uses: At the end of the story, there is an interview with the narrator as the Skulduggery Pleasant character where he answers questions that were submitted by fans. This could be extended into the classroom or library by having students or book club members write what questions they would ask, then have the others answer how they think Skulduggery would.
Another way to use this novel would be to host a kid friendly murder-mystery program after having read the book. 

Audience: Skulduggery Pleasant is a delightfully humorous mystery novel for kids ages 10-14. 

Read-Alikes: This book is great for fans of fantasy, magic, mystery, and adventure. Other books that like this include: Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer, Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan, Harry Potter series by JK Rowling.

Awards: Odyssey Award Honor Audiobook, 2008

The Fault in Our Stars

This is a SPOILER FREE review of the Fault in Our Stars by John Green except for the last paragraph (I have a warning before the spoiler)!

There are two things you should know about me at the outset:

1. I am not a very patient person

2. I do not like stories whose sole purpose seems to be to Make You Cry. For example- most stories involving animals & anything by Nicholas Sparks (full disclosure- I have never actually read a Nicholas Sparks book, but have several friends who have & who have cried every time and I have seen the Notebook. I bawled for ten minutes after that movie ended)

The first one is important because I was one of the Lucky (?) ones who got an early copy of John Green's new novel The Fault in Our Stars. When it came in I vowed to wait as long as I could to read it. I did, however, open it to see if my copy had been doodled in by John's brother or wife (I got a Hanklerfish!). My every intention was to wait until Jan 10, the official release date. I almost made it. I started Sunday & ended up staying up waaay past my bedtime to finish it.

On the second point- I know there are people who love those kinds of stories. I am not one of those people. I feel like a lot of those books are overly melodramatic just to get the tears flowing.

THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE BOOKS!

Sure, the characters have cancer and sure, there were a few tears, but it is handled with well and not in a stab-you-in-the-heart-and-twist kind of way.

The Fault in Our Stars is a story about Hazel. She has cancer and, as the book flap says, Hazel has been nothing but terminal. She meets a cute boy named Augustus at her Cancer Support Group & her outlook on life begins to change.

John Green has been one of my favorite authors since I read Looking for Alaska and discovered the VlogBrothers videos. Paper Towns ranks in my top ten favorite books of all time. Hazel & Augustus, like many of his characters, are people who I would have loved to have been friends with in high school (as a matter of fact, other than the cancer, I know people a lot like them). The quick wit, the humor, the heartbreak, are all great elements in this story. I laughed out loud quite a few times & teared up a few times as well. The way he handles these characters and the way they deal with their cancer, their families, and their friends is done with grace while allowing the them to be irreverent about their diagnoses. This irreverence was authentic to the characters.

When I finished the book I re read the last paragraph about five times because that is exactly how the story needed to have ended. This is one of the most beautiful stories I have read.

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

I have to admit, when Hazel & Augustus talked about their favorite book -An Imperial Affliction & how it ended there was a small part of me that was afraid he might take that same route with this book.

Also I really loved the scene where Hazel & Isaac read their eulogies to Augustus. It was such a touching scene. My favorite part though is Augustus' letter about Hazel. So beautiful, so perfect.

After Obsession

After Obsession by Carrie Ryan & Steven E Wedel is a creepy supernatural story told from two perspectives. Aimee is a teenager who has the same psychic abilities of her late mother. Alan is part Navajo who is in tune with his mystic side. Alan moves to town with his mom to help out his cousin Courtney who happens to be Aimee's best friend. While they are drawn to each other, they also know they must work together to fight the River Man- an evil spirit who is responsible for deaths over the years & is taking over the town again.

I loved this book. The chapters switched between Aimee & Alan. Sometimes this can be distracting, but in this story it transitioned well. I cared what happened to these characters & would love to read more about them (maybe more mystical evil-spirit fighting!)

5 Stars!

2011-what I did & what I read

Every year I like to post a wrap up of my year- mostly so I can keep a record for myself.

2011 was a pretty good year overall I will have to say.

Theatre played a huge part in my year.

I was honored to play a role in two productions this year. The first was Bethel's production of All My Sons. That was possibly the best show I have been a part of. The cast, direction, set were all spot on. It was an intense story & I got to play a bitchy neighbor. :)

Probably the one of the biggest things for me this year was singing onstage in front of people I know. I have always loved acting in plays & one of my goals for a long time has been to be in a musical & be confident enough to do it with people I know in the audience. During the summer I was in a musical version of the Jungle Book. The show started with me onstage by myself.....singing in another language. I was so nervous, but I did it! I am so appreciative of the rest of the cast for being so supportive & encouraging, especially right before curtain that first night when I was about to have a heart attack.

One of my most memorable moments was the last night of dress rehearsal when I missed a cue & didn't come out during my song with Rene (the mother wolf). Thank goodness that was just dress rehearsal.

I also learned to knit this year. My friend Jessica showed me how to cast on (which I can never remember so I have to look up videos on it) & the knit stitch. I learned how to do other things by watching videos. My current project is a mini Ravenclaw house banner that I am double knitting (where the image shows on both sides, in contrasting colors). Knitting is something that I have been wanting to learn to do since I learned to crochet many years ago.

This year I was introduced to the roller derby. I love the Nashville Roller Girls & look forward to watching more games this coming season.

I saw only one show-Wicked- this year. I need to see more.

I made some new friends (mostly thanks to the theatre) who have become some of my favorite people on the planet.

I MET JOHN GREEN! One of the best things about the NCTE conference is being able to hob-nob with some of my favorite authors. John Green happens to be very close to the top of that list & I was excited to hear him speak & get my picture with him for my author wall at school.

Also at NCTE this year I rode in a limo to get real Chicago pizza. This was quite an exciting adventure for me & the other 11 teachers that crammed ourselves in that car.

I read 41 books this year, far less than my goal. I abandoned many books. I may pick some of them back up & give them another go, or I may not. We'll see. My to-read pile is quite huge at the moment.

Now, on to what I read in 2011. I have been in a reading funk the last year or so. I WANT to read, I just think I may be overwhelmed at all the good books to read I just don't know where to start ;)

January
Scott Pilgrim & the Infinite Sadness
Awakened ~ PC Cast & Kristin Cast

Old Habits: A Wicked Lovely Story ~ Melssa Marr

Zombiecorn~ John Green
Red Glove (Curse Workers #2)~ Holly Black
February
Bird in a Box ~ Andrea Davis Pinkney
Dead is Just a Rumor ~ Marlene Perez
Dead is Not an Option ~ Marlene Perez
Dead Tossed Waves~ Carrie Ryan
All My Sons~ Arthur Miller
The Dark & Hollow Places~ Carrie Ryan
March/April
Because of Winn-Dixie
The Last Little Blue Envelope ~ Maureen Johnson
Eighth Grade Bites ~ Heather Brewer
Hare Moon ~ Carrie Ryan
Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone ~ JK Rowling
May/June
Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets ~ JK Rowling
Wings ~ Aprilynne Pike
Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban ~ JK Rowling
Clockwork Angel ~ Cassandra Clare
Boy Meets Boy ~ David Levithan
Unwind ~ Neil Schusterman
Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire ~ JK Rowling
Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix ~JK Rowling
Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince ~ JK Rowling
Forest of Hands & Teeth ~ Carrie Ryan
Evermore~ Alyson Noel
July
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk ~ David Sedaris
Forever ~ Maggie Stiefvater
Beauty Queens~ Libba Bray

Great & Terrible Beauty ~ Libba Bray
Daughter of Smoke & Bone~ Laini Taylor
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy & Goth Girl (audiobook) ~ Barry Lyga
Dumpling Days~ Grace Lin
Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows~ JK Rowling
The Name of the Star~ Maureen Johnson
Wake~ Lisa McMann
Black Heart ~ Holly Black
Every You, Every Me ~ David Levithan
Future of Us ~ Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
Chime ~ Franny Billingsley

Mini book ornament how-to

Author Cheryl Rainfeld posted on her blog how she made book ornaments for her own books. This gave me the idea to make mini books of some of my favorite books to use as ornaments. My goal is to eventually have most of the ornaments on my tree be literature related.

After looking at several how-to blogs for making the mini books I decided to try my own way.

1. Scan the dust cover of your favorite book. I laid it out flat so that the front, spine & back are scanned at one time. If you have a paperback, you can open it & scan the whole cover that way.

Because the dust covers are sometimes longer than the scanner, some of the edges will be cut off.

2. Open the scanned images using a photo editing software (I use Photoshop Elements). Print on white cardstock at 2in x 4in.

3. Cut out the covers & fold into book form so that you can see the spine. Lay out flat & paint on a thin layer of ModPodge. This will help seal in the color & make them shine more.

4. For the inside pages I used a beat up extra copy of Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire. (It almost killed me having to tear up a book, btw) Cut the edges off the sides using a paper cutter then fold the page in half twice. Cut these strips & fold them into thirds & cut. One page is enough for a mini book.

5. Once the modpodge is dry, squirt a layer of hot glue into the spine. Make sure all the pages are turned the same way and stick them in the book. Tap them in place to make sure all of the pages get in there.

6. Trim off any excess. Punch a small hole in the back. Tie a string through the hole & you have an ornament.

OF COURSE I had to make an entire Harry Potter collection.

In which I rave about Barry Lyga's books & give one away

I first picked up a copy of The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga at a used book store because of the title (yes, I do sometimes judge a book by it's cover & title). It is told from Fanboy's point of view. Fanboy is a nickname given to him by Kyra, a Goth girl that befriends him at school after seeing a bully hit him in gym class. Fanboy tries to lay low in school. He's a smart, comic book nerd and that is a recipe for torment in most high schools. He is working on his own graphic novel & plans to show it to a big name comic book writer at the convention he is planning to attend.While Kyra encourages Fanboy on ways to improve his comic, she has her own issues. I loved this book when I read it and even more so listening to the audiobook. I was cackling out loud in the car when Fanboy sees a part of a certain female's body. Just the way that whole scene was written makes me laugh now thinking of it.

One of my favorite scenes (and probably the most heartbreaking to me) is when Fanboy is mentally beating himself up in the bathroom at the convention. I won't give anything thing away but I could relate to him.

I loved flawed Kyra and was quite excited when I found out that she got her own book. Goth Girl Rising is the follow up to The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy & Goth Girl. It is told from Kyra's point of view & begins after she spends six months in a psychiatric hospital. She comes back to school expecting everything to be like it was only to find that Fanboy isn't quite the same nerdy guy she new. I know people like Kyra. People who jump to conclusions and think everyone is out to get them. You know Kyra is hurting but at the same time you just want to shake some sense into her.

Barry Lyga has created some wonderfully flawed characters here. Another of his books, Boy Toy, is one of my favorites. That story centers on a high school kid dealing with the aftermath of an affair with a teacher.

Barry also likes Book Bloggers & often gives books & things to bloggers to give away on our blogs. I have a *signed* copy of Goth Girl Rising that I am giving away RIGHT HERE! (For the record- it pains me to give this away! I love this book & I don't currently posses a signed copy of my own.) And since I love these books so much I am throwing in one of my copies (unsigned) of The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy & Goth Girl because you need to read it first.

Here's how you enter:

1. Leave a comment here telling me something you enjoy or enjoyed from high school (me- I was a band nerd. I loved going to competitions on Saturdays)

2. I will give you an extra entry if you post about this contest(facebook, twitter, your own blog, etc) Just let me know where you posted.

I will use an online Randomizer to choose the winner.

Good Luck & Happy Reading!

Contest ends on November 5.

WINNER! JESSICA MERRELL!

Thanks to all who entered :) Be watching for more contests soon.

The Name of the Star- Maureen Johnson

I always stay up way too late reading. Last night I finished Maureen Johnson's The Name of the Star around 1:30. It is set in modern day London. Rory is an American girl attending a boarding school & copy cat Jack the Ripper murders start occurring. Also, Rory starts seeing ghosts & she gets mixed up with a secret government police force.

I love Maureen Johnson. I love her books, her tweets (seriously, follow her. She's is the funniest thing on Twitter), & her cat pictures. One of my all time favorite books is Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes by her & I've really liked everything else I've read that she's written. I knew this one would not disappoint. I was 50 pages from finishing and put off reading for a day because 1. I didn't this story to end and 2. it was INTENSE! I loved loved LOVED the ending & how it sets up perfectly for more.

This one gets my stamp of approval :)

(in a week or so I will be hosting a contest to win a signed copy of Barry Lyga's Goth Girl Rising. Be on the lookout!)

Harry Potter & the Epic Conclusion

THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS! HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY HALLOWS pt2

I went to the midnight premiere of Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows pt2 last night with several friends. It was amazing.

It picks up right where the last left off (so you really have to watch pt1). From the first moment to the last it was quite a ride- suspenseful, scary, touching, funny, sweet...

It wasn't the sob-fest I had thought it would be. I got a little misty-eyed a few times, though. I am ready to see it again! & I really would like to see it in regular-D instead of 3-D. I went back & forth with the 2D glasses at first but the 3D ones worked better here. I think something was wrong with the projection or something bc part of the screen stayed fuzzy.

Here are some of my highlights from my first viewing (in no particular order):

*Daniel Radcliffe absolutely killed as Harry Potter. He has improved so much over the years & I think he was channeling the boy wizard straight from the pages of the novel. When he stepped out from the crowd during Snape's assembly I cheered (which I did quite a few times throughout)

*I simply adored every moment Professor McGonagall was onscreen- from her duel with Snape to her awakening the suits of armor (and that coy little way she delivered that line! "I've always wanted to use that spell") to her absolutely heartbreaking expression when she thought Harry was dead.

*Molly Weasley got her moment! "Not my daughter you bitch!" Way to kick ass, Molly! more cheering for you!

*Neville! Not only has he become a hottie, but he ain't taking no crap! Loved loved loved where he said something to the effect of "Where's Luna? I got the hots & I want to tell her since we'll probably both be dead by morning." AH! & their sweet moment at the end.

*Oh Luna- "you listen to me, Harry Potter!" You tell him, girl!

*Every single scene with Harry & Ginny. (& her agonizing cry when she sees Harry dead)

*Helena Bonham Carter as Hermione-as-Bellatrix.

*Snape's last moments- Alan Rickman is amazing & I have a crush on him.

*Ron & Hermione kiss! & the audience cheers!

*The Forest Again- My favorite chapter in the entire series (really, in any book I've ever read) is chapter 34 of the Deathly Hallows, when Harry makes his final walk to meet Voldemort. "Does it hurt when you die?" <-- that line got me in the book AND the movie. That whole scene is heart-wrenching.

*King's Cross scene was well done also, but EWWW Horcrux Voldy was gross.

*I am SO GLAD they refilmed the Epilogue. They looked so much better than the early pictures....and looked closer to the correct age!

My not-so-hi-lights:

*My only complaint, really, is that Harry did not use the Elder wand to repair his own. Um, that's kind of important.

There were a few other things that I either wished they had done differently or wish they had included. I'll try to add more to this as I think about it (with my fuzzy, sleep deprived brain).

My letter in response to the "Don't say gay" bill

As you may have heard, a senator in my state of Tennessee is trying to get a bill passed through the senate (and it's already passed a committee) essentially saying that discussions, books, or any other material that mentions anything other than heterosexuality are not welcome in elementary or middle schools.

My very first thoughts went to the kids who have committed suicide because they were bullied. In some cases those kids were just perceived to be gay.

I have heard of letters that authors like Ellen Hopkins, Laurie Halse Anderson, Maureen Johnson & countless others have received from kids thanking them for their books because they gave the kids a voice & showed them that they were not alone.

How can anyone who cares for the well being of kids think this is a good idea? I see my first job as a protector of these kids-whether they are in my classroom or not. That's why I wrote a letter to my senator and representative (because the House has a similar bill that hasn't moved yet-HB0229).

If you live in TN, please contact your senator and them him/her to STOP this bill.

Here is my letter:

As a middle school teacher in a TN public school I am deeply concerned about this so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill (SB0049). It is my understanding that as an educator I wouldn't be allowed to acknowledge the fact that students are gay. Please don't forget the recent headlines where kids- some of them in middle school- committed suicide because they were gay or just perceived to be gay. Don't tie our hands where we cannot
address these situations. Don't silence these kids who are struggling with who they are by banning novels that deal with similar situations.
Ask any young adult author who writes on these subjects just how powerful & lifesaving their novels are & ask them how many kids write to them to tell them that.

Be bold enough to say no to this intolerance. Say no to this dangerous bill.

Severe Weather Testing Procedures

We had our TCAP meeting today since our tests are next week. You know the drill-

make sure everything is covered up (bc my Harry Potter poster might give someone an answer)

they aren't allowed to have a book in case they finish early (bc the book might give them an answer)

walk around & make sure they are putting the answers in the correct section but DO NOT look at the test! (bc we'd hate for the teachers to know what the kids are tested on)

lock your door when it's break time (bc a troll might break in and eat the tests?)

etc, etc, etc,

But this last part really takes the cake. Because this is Severe Weather Time, they decided to give us procedures on what to do if weather hits during the test. This is getting ridiculous..........

SEVERE WEATHER TESTING PROCEDURES:

1. Should a severe weather situation occur during testing, please remain calm. To display any kind of anxiety would be a testing irregularity and must be reported.

2. Please do not look out the window to watch for approaching tornadoes. You must monitor the students at all times. To do otherwise would be a testing irregularity and must be reported.

3. Should students notice an approaching tornado and begin to cry, please make every effort to protect their testing materials from the flow of tears and sinus drainage.

4. Should a flying object come through your window during testing, please make every effort to ensure that it does not land on a testing booklet or an answer sheet. Please make sure to soften the landing of the flying object so that it will not disturb the students while testing.

5. Should shards of glass from a broken window come flying into the room, have the students use their bodies to shield their testing materials so that they will not be damaged. Have plenty of gauze on hand to ensure that no one accidentally bleeds on the answer documents. Damaged answer sheets will not scan properly.

6. Should gale force winds ensue, please have everyone stuff their test booklets and answer sheets into their shirts…being very careful not to bend them because bent answer documents will not scan properly.

7. If any student gets sucked into the vortex of the funnel cloud, please make sure they mark at least one answer before departing…and of course make sure they leave their answer sheets and test booklets behind. You will have to account for those.

8. Should a funnel cloud pick you, the test administrator, up and take you flying over the rainbow, you will still be required to account for all of your testing materials when you land so please take extra precautions. Remember, once you have checked them out, they should never leave your hands.

9. When rescue workers arrive to dig you out of the rubble, please make sure that they do not, at any time, look at or handle the testing materials. Once you have been treated for your injuries, you will still be responsible for checking your materials back in. Search dogs will not be allowed to sift through the rubble for lost tests…unless of course they have been through standardized test training.

(BTW, my principal has a great sense of humor. Honestly, I was buying it for the first 3 because it's about this bad. I needed this laugh today) :)