tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18784267011807202402024-02-26T01:03:16.290-06:00This Purple CrayonDigital Reflections on Paper SelectionsNatalieSaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13992326607932492183noreply@blogger.comBlogger173125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878426701180720240.post-67534159521712024082012-09-02T14:06:00.001-05:002012-09-02T14:06:45.695-05:00August Reading Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/171470000/171472012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/171470000/171472012.JPG" width="137" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6393631-smile">Smile</a></i></b> <b>by Raina Telgemeier </b>(2010, Graphix) --- Raina is just a few days away from getting braces when it happens. She trips on the sidewalk, lands flat on her face, mouth gushing blood, and two of her front teeth are missing. Well, one has fallen out, and the other is squashed up into her gums. Awesome. So begins her agonizing teeth-related adventures. This autobiographical graphic novel follows Raina through middle school, where she deals with so-called friends, boy troubles, and lots of trips to the orthodontist. You'll laugh tons, feel bad for her some, and most of all, be happy it's not you! If you've read and loved this one, check out Telgemeier's new graphic novel, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13436373-drama">Drama</a>, with a new set of characters but the same hilarity and charm.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1316636422l/1902241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1316636422l/1902241.jpg" width="131" /></b></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1902241.The_Adoration_of_Jenna_Fox">The Adoration of Jenna Fox</a></i> by Mary E. Pearson </b>(2008, Henry Holt & Co) --- Jenna Fox has been in a coma for the past year. When she wakes up, she can't remember anything. She doesn't recognize her mother or her father, and she doesn't seem to know simple words for things. Besides her memory being fuzzy, she gets the feeling that something is not right. Her father is still living on the other side of the country, while Jenna and her mom are holed up in a fixer-upper house, in an isolated part of town. When Jenna slowly uncovers some devastating secrets about her accident, she doesn't know how she'll ever trust her parents again, or live with herself. Great dystopia to add to your collection, folks.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1324955449l/11112619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1324955449l/11112619.jpg" width="133" /></b></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11112619-fever">Fever</a></i> by Lauren DeStefano </b>(2012, Simon & Schuster) --- This is the sequel to <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8525590-wither">Wither</a></i>, so if you haven't read that yet, I suggest you skip this section. Seriously. Okay, I warned you. Rhine and Gabriel have escaped from her husband's mansion, and they're hoping to find their way to New York to reunite with Rhine's brother. But the journey is long and not without bumps. If I thought that <i>Wither </i>was a little strange, I have no idea what to say about this book. I couldn't put it down, but I couldn't tell you why. Mostly, I just wanted to be done with it. But like all good trilogies, the surprising twists at the end left me needing to read the last book in the series, which will be out sometime eventually. Another dystopia. I know, I have a problem.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1333822506l/1217100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1333822506l/1217100.jpg" width="133" /></b></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1217100.Thirteen_Reasons_Why">Thirteen Reasons Why</a> </i>by Jay Asher </b>(2007, Razorbill) --- Clay Jensen gets a package in the mail, no return address, with 13 cassette tapes in it. On the tapes, Hannah Baker tells the stories of the 13 people who helped bring her to the decision to commit suicide. Listen to find out where you rank on the list, Clay. The tapes are circulating amongst those 13 people so that each person can know what they did to Hannah to bring her to such drastic measures. Oh, how painful this book was to read. I want to say that I hated it and that I put it down instantly. But I was morbidly curious, and I had to finish it. Other books that also made me feel uncomfortable and sick to my stomach include <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17162.The_Chocolate_War">The Chocolate War</a> </i>by Robert Cormier and <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/439288.Speak">Speak</a> </i>by Laurie Halse Anderson.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1337187623l/10798416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1337187623l/10798416.jpg" width="131" /></b></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10798416-the-statistical-probability-of-love-at-first-sight">The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight</a></i> by Jennifer E. Smith</b> (2012, Poppy/Little Brown) --- Hadley's at the airport, ready to hop on a plane to London to attend her father's second wedding, except the plane is already down the runway. Rescheduling to catch the next flight, Hadley's now stuck at the airport, an emotional wreck, when a cute British boy comes to her rescue. The two get to talking and spend the entire flight together sharing stories. Once the plane lands, reality sets back in and Hadley is whisked away to get ready lightning fast for this wedding she really doesn't want to witness. Yeah, I thought this was going to be a sweet love story, but it's really more about Hadley and her relationship with her dad, which is fine but not what I was led to believe by the adorable cover and title of the book. Sorry if I just ruined it for you. Just thought I'd give a fair warning.<br />
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I can't believe that's the last of my summer reading! I sure hope I can find time to squeeze some books in this month. Speaking of which, I'm off to go read...<br />
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} catch(err) {}</script>NatalieSaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13992326607932492183noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878426701180720240.post-7121808335187804132012-08-05T10:23:00.000-05:002012-08-05T10:23:36.393-05:00July Reading RecapLet's get right to it - I'm pretty impressed by my July reading. Hope I can keep up the momentum in August...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1275635676l/544424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1275635676l/544424.jpg" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/544424.Leaving_Paradise">Leaving Paradise</a> </i>by Simone Elkeles</b> (Flux, 2007) --- I love Simone Elkeles. She's a mom from the suburbs of Chicago who decided one day that she felt like writing romance books for teens. How do you not love her? This one's about Caleb, who's just been released from juvie, where he served a year for a hit and run while drunk driving. His co-star, love interest is Maggie, who he hit and severely injured in aforementioned incident. How the two end up on speaking terms, let alone entangled in a romantic relationship, is very hard to imagine, but Elkeles makes it happen. Life takes them both in unexpected directions, that's for sure. As always, an enjoyable, if not so plausible, story.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1275674397l/6609765.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1275674397l/6609765.jpg" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6609765-out-of-my-mind">Out of My Mind</a></i></b> <b>by Sharon Draper</b> (Atheneum, 2010) --- Melody is an 11 year-old girl who senses colors when she hears music and has a whole lot of deep thoughts and musings - but she can't quite communicate them. She has cerebral palsy, and she's spent most of her life without control over her limbs or the ability to speak clearly. This, then, leads people to believe that Melody is dumb, especially the students in her grade at school. But obviously, this is not the case, and Melody is just waiting for the chance to show her peers and her family that she has loads to say. While not my favorite book ever, it is definitely one I think should be read because of its unique perspective.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1309200951l/11699055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1309200951l/11699055.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1RD1Lp_caSvNJLA_yD1Y22Ew_8owLAPU_lHqav-T1s8lGUW4fqkL31YQy7QyHqCMo8LriEREheLF8M6Cp0L4l44TswhXtVyHfVkjcd2957sgBAIKv2LGB5VNlia9bUkyN3-QC9XhnhY/s1600/4crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1RD1Lp_caSvNJLA_yD1Y22Ew_8owLAPU_lHqav-T1s8lGUW4fqkL31YQy7QyHqCMo8LriEREheLF8M6Cp0L4l44TswhXtVyHfVkjcd2957sgBAIKv2LGB5VNlia9bUkyN3-QC9XhnhY/s1600/4crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11699055-the-disenchantments">The Disenchantments</a></i> by Nina LaCour</b> (Dutton Children's, 2012) --- I wish I could read this book again right now. Or I wish I had paid more attention the first time and recorded all those quotable lines. Because I could give you a plot summary, but that won't tell you much about why I LOVED this book. (I'm going to anyway.) The Disenchantments are a teen band made up of three girls and their manager friend Colby. Since forever, Colby and Bev have been planning on taking a year off after high school and traveling Europe. But before they can start on their global tour, the band will be making its last rounds around the country since most of them have just graduated. Essentially, it's a music-themed road trip novel. BUT IT'S SO MUCH MORE! It's all about the relationships in this one. And the notion of living in the moment because pretty soon everything is going to change. And how to deal with that change but still enjoy their time together now. Oh, just go read it already!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166796585l/17020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166796585l/17020.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17020.13_Little_Blue_Envelopes">13 Little Blue Envelopes</a> </i>by Maureen Johnson</b> (HarperCollins, 2006) --- Ginny's just received a package in the mail from her beloved aunt (who also happens to be dead), and in it are instructions to pack a bag and head to the airport. She has 13 adventures to unfold in each little blue envelope, but she can only open one at a time. London, Amsterdam, Paris, and much more - Ginny travels through Europe on a quest to understand her aunt better and lead a more interesting life of her own. For those of us longing to travel, this seems like the right book to do it vicariously.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1341532430l/8525590.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1341532430l/8525590.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8525590-wither">Wither</a></i> by Lauren DeStefano </b>(Simon & Schuster, 2011) --- Summary says it best: "<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children. When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape..." I'm a sucker for dystopias, what can I say? But the more I read, the less wowed I am. I definitely enjoyed this book and will be reading its sequel, but they've fallen into my comfort zone (books as food) of reading. </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168548111l/34262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168548111l/34262.jpg" width="135" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34262.Peter_and_the_Starcatchers">Peter and the Starcatchers</a></i> by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson</b> (Disney, 2006) --- I don't know how many times I almost picked this book up but then was put off both by its size and cover illustrations (I'm horrible, I know). So, when it showed up on the Battle of the Books list, I finally had no choice but to read it. I thought I'd slug through it and just be tired. Not the case! First off, had I known that it was written as a prequel to <i>Peter Pan</i>, I may have felt differently. There's loads of adventure and humor, and we learn how Peter and his lost boys came to live in Never Land, or a version of it, at least.</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1301851361l/8537327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1301851361l/8537327.jpg" width="132" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8537327-inside-out-and-back-again">Inside Out & Back Again</a> </i>by Thanhha Lai </b>(Harper, 20<span style="font-family: inherit;">11) --- </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Recommended to me by my 4th and 5th grade Vietnamese students. They kept passing the library copy around, so I just bought my own. I can see why they liked it so much. The beginning is set in wartime Saigon but describes the everyday culture and life well. The latter half of the book relates the ELL experience, learning the language, eating weird American food, and fitting in at school (or really, really not), among other things. The snippet says, "</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Inspired by the author's own childhood experience of fleeing Vietnam as a refugee and immigrating to Alabama, this tween novel told in verse is sure to capture young readers' hearts and open their eyes."</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1328844055l/8953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1328844055l/8953.jpg" width="136" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8953.Freak_the_Mighty">Freak the Mighty</a> </i>by Rodman Philbrick </b>(Scholastic, 1993) --- I read this book because it's on our <a href="http://www.ncslma.org/ms-bob-info.html">Battle of the Books</a> list this year. It's a friendship story between Max, a giant of an eighth grader with a seemingly small intellect, and Freak, the one with the small body but ginormous brain. The two team up to become Freak the Mighty, which you can see on the cover, illustrated by David Shannon. I don't really have much to say about this book. Some people absolutely love it and think it's the most touching tale of friendship. Eh. It was fine. It's dated, for sure. I'm curious to see what my students will think of it. </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/2e/Ttyl.jpg/300px-Ttyl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/2e/Ttyl.jpg/300px-Ttyl.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/301023.ttyl">ttyl</a> </i>by Lauren Myracle </b>(Abrams, 2004) --- You would think that with the amount of times this book has ended up on <a href="http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/">ALA's Most Frequently Challenged Books</a> list that I would have certainly have read this one already. Nope. Not until recently. And like always, I have no idea what was so offensive. The book is told through instant messages between three best friends (which is now a dated concept, I think), so you can imagine what it's like. Chatting about school, girls they despise, boys they like, things they're excited about, things that stress them out - just eavesdrop on some teen girls gossiping and you basically get this book. Why the girls like it? Because they can relate. Why the adults hate it? Because they don't want their little baby girls to relate. </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327880382l/11870085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327880382l/11870085.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1RD1Lp_caSvNJLA_yD1Y22Ew_8owLAPU_lHqav-T1s8lGUW4fqkL31YQy7QyHqCMo8LriEREheLF8M6Cp0L4l44TswhXtVyHfVkjcd2957sgBAIKv2LGB5VNlia9bUkyN3-QC9XhnhY/s1600/4crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1RD1Lp_caSvNJLA_yD1Y22Ew_8owLAPU_lHqav-T1s8lGUW4fqkL31YQy7QyHqCMo8LriEREheLF8M6Cp0L4l44TswhXtVyHfVkjcd2957sgBAIKv2LGB5VNlia9bUkyN3-QC9XhnhY/s1600/4crayons.jpg" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: inherit;"><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11870085-the-fault-in-our-stars">The Fault in Our Stars</a></i></b></span> by John Green <span style="font-family: inherit;">(Dutton, 2012) --- You know about this book, right? You've probably read it<span style="font-family: inherit;"> already. I don't know what took me so long. I guess there are only so many cancer books I can read in one summer. Ah, but this one is so much more than that. Cancers aside, Hazel and A</span>ugustus are just two normal teens hopelessly enamored with each other. The blurb says, "<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind." I haven't loved all of John Green's books, I'll admit, but this one I do indeed love. So much that a quote from the book is going up on my library wall!</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"> </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Natalie" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/46/A8E946BB58EE0C8B07270C074060B1E4.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a> <script type="text/javascript">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266744842l/3599928.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266744842l/3599928.jpg" width="127" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3599928-carter-finally-gets-it">Carter Finally Gets It</a> </i>by Brent Crawford </b>(Hyperion, 2009) --- I heard about this book a few months ago because it was being <a href="http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20120510_11_0_BROKEN877767">challenged at an Oklahoma middle school</a> (in the end, it was not removed from the library). What's better to draw a crowd than a potential book banning, I say? But, it pains me to admit - I completely understand why the mother wanted this book off the shelves. My goodness! Crawford truly lets us into the inner workings of the teenage male mind, no holds barred. Carter is just starting high school, and there is basically one thing on his mind - he needs to lose his virginity already. Mind you, it's hilarious (sad for Carter, I'm sure) and totally relatable, but I was taken aback by how matter-of-fact and blatantly sexist some parts were. From watching broken porno tapes permanently on fast forward to learning which base corresponds with which sexual encounter to trying out for every sport at school in the hopes of gaining popularity, Carter really just is trying to figure it out. And as you can tell by the title of the book...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1325667729l/11735983.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1325667729l/11735983.jpg" width="130" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11735983-insurgent">Insurgent</a> </i>by Veronica Roth </b>(HarperTeen, 2012) --- How many times have I told myself not to start reading a series unless it has been published in its entirety? I think it's time authors started realizing the agony they put us through. I loved <i>Divergent</i>, but I read it half a year ago, so my connection to the series just wasn't there anymore. Chicago! Dystopia! Things that excite me, to be sure. But I don't remember why all the factions are fighting each other. And I don't know why Tris is running for her life just about all the time. I read the book quickly, as I generally do with these dystopia-types. Sure, I liked it. But I can't say much more than that. I'm sure you can find rave reviews elsewhere.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1313063835l/22628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1313063835l/22628.jpg" width="142" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKV_aUysA8HvbsomRH_S_e4ZVXhec4sDAg-l0gQQfDh4MURiMW_JfvbtwARaTXQWgax_blkuiS4F-9yi8eo6mz28ZAsfyS2Arz3IrQ90XubLzte4FeOc-LsrNHqfrs389aNN86r01PGgM/s1600/5crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKV_aUysA8HvbsomRH_S_e4ZVXhec4sDAg-l0gQQfDh4MURiMW_JfvbtwARaTXQWgax_blkuiS4F-9yi8eo6mz28ZAsfyS2Arz3IrQ90XubLzte4FeOc-LsrNHqfrs389aNN86r01PGgM/s1600/5crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22628.The_Perks_of_Being_a_Wallflower">The Perks of Being a Wallflower</a> </i>by Stephen Chbosky </b>(MTV Books, 1999) --- I read this book in high school when it was first published, and I've been reading it every couple years since then. I don't do this with any other book, so I guess that makes it my favorite. I love Charlie. I love love love him. The entire book is told through letters that Charlie writes to a mysterious, unnamed "friend." He writes about his first year of high school (set in the 90s), the upperclassmen friends he makes, and life as he sees it. He's naive and definitely a wallflower - he watches others and wonders why they do what they do. He's not the most socially adjusted, but that's just part of his charm. The <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1659337/">movie comes out in September</a>, and it looks nothing like what I imagine the book to be. Of course, I'm going to see it anyway.<br />
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Hello July, what books will you bring me this month?<br />
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In the last month, I've finished off my second full year as an elementary school librarian; packed, moved, and unpacked my entire life four states southeast; and spent two weeks overseas - all the while, looking for another job as a school librarian in my new locale. Reading, unfortunately, has not been a priority as of late.<br />
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Now that I'm sitting on my new couch in my new house and I have some time to reflect, I can't help but think of how spoiled I've been all my life. <b>I've always lived in a place:</b><br />
<ol>
<li><b>with a public library </b></li>
<li><b>with a thriving public library </b></li>
<li><b>with a thriving public library only a 5 minute drive away</b></li>
</ol>
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Sure, I know that not everyone is this fortunate. But thinking you know and experiencing it for yourself are two very different things, my friends. </div>
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When I moved to Champaign six years ago, my family was busy unloading the truck while I drove myself over to the public library just four minutes away to get my library card. And I instantly checked out an armful of books to be enjoyed amongst my unpacked boxes later that night. That's normal, right? </div>
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On my most recent move, I'm embarrassed to say that it took nearly a week for me to get myself over to the public library. Mostly because I was first rejected by the library that I thought I would call my own (it's a county library, yet it's named for the town I live in - confusing). Because I live in another county, I did a little research to find out where my actual library is - in a town 20 minutes away. Really?! (Again, you must remember how spoiled I've been - libraries, to me, are like grocery stores. They need to be within walking distance.) </div>
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The library itself is a nice little library. I even checked out a book when I got my card. A book. Not an armful. Instead, I went to the Barnes & Noble (also 20 minutes away, but in the other direction) to buy some books. Me! Buy books! Unheard of. But what was I to do when the library didn't have what I wanted? This is something I've never experienced before, and it perplexes me. I'm used to having a stack of books sitting next to me, wherever I may be sitting in my house, just begging to be read. I've always had plenty of reading options. </div>
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And this gets me thinking about my kids. Or my former students, rather. And how they would lament that the library didn't have anything good. Because they had something specific in mind, and maybe we didn't have it or it was checked out at the time. But instead of letting them leave the library empty-handed, I put my reader's advisory skills to use, and I helped them find another book they might like. Maybe they'd read it, or maybe it would stay in their backpack all week long. If they read it, maybe they'd like it and want more, or maybe they'd still feel that big, gaping hole of what they actually wanted to read. This is my long-winded way of saying - I get it now. I'm sorry we didn't always have what you wanted to read, and I understand that it's utterly disappointing. </div>
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Though, I really shouldn't wallow and bemoan my new library. It's different than the one I had before, and I just have to adapt. No longer will I be checking out dozens of books just to have options at home - but for having to drive 40 minutes, I'd really like to. Maybe I'll spend more time at the library, browsing, and being my own reader's advisor. Finding older authors and titles that I never had a chance to read before. And if I really, really want that new release, I guess there's always the bookstore. </div>
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What I'm most afraid of is that I'll read less. I won't be as excited about reading. I'll get bored. I won't go to the library because it's too far away. Or maybe I just won't go as frequently because it's so far away. </div>
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I never understood people who didn't go to the library in my previous towns. We had fantastic libraries with plenty of branches to serve everyone. Now I wonder about the people in my neighborhood. Do they go to the library? Are they readers? How do they acquire their reading material? And what about the kids? Especially now that it's summer, and they aren't checking out books from their school libraries. They can't walk or ride their bikes to the library or even a bookstore. So are they not reading? Whenever my students couldn't find what they were looking for at our library, I always directed them to the public libraries in town, which were in walking distance and/or easily accessible by bus. Some went, some didn't, but they all had the option. What happens when you eliminate that option?</div>
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Times like these, I feel very sheltered. And, of course, spoiled. I may not have had the healthiest book budget for my school library, but my public libraries were well-funded and loved. The community supported them and patronized them frequently. Is this the case with my new library? Or are people as lazy as me and not happy to travel the miles to visit and check out a book? </div>
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I hope that the answer to some of these questions is that more people are reading e-books, so they're just downloading their books, whether borrowed from the library or purchased online. I would be too if my Kindle hadn't just died right after the warranty expired (I mean, just days after! It's like they timed it!). Maybe I'll start reading on my iPad more, since I still have Kindle books purchased that I haven't read yet. But I don't want to lose reading paper books. And with this quote, I think I'll wrap this blog entry up (which read much more like a diary entry - my apologies) on a lighter note:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Smell is the most powerful trigger to the memory there is. A certain flower or a whiff of smoke can bring up experiences long forgotten. Books smell... musty and rich. The knowledge gained from a computer is... it has no texture, no context. It's there and then it's gone. If it's to last, then the getting of knowledge should be tangible. It should be, um... smelly.</span></blockquote>
-Giles (<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i>, Season 1, Episode 8)<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Natalie" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/46/A8E946BB58EE0C8B07270C074060B1E4.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a></blockquote>NatalieSaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13992326607932492183noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878426701180720240.post-60733765984189833972012-05-06T18:30:00.003-05:002012-05-06T18:30:45.301-05:00April Reading RecapThe next few months will be sparse, both in blogging and reading. Life is moving too fast, and I must remember to stop and look around. :)<br />
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Which is how I'm six days into May, and I haven't blogged about my April reading yet! Eek!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKV_aUysA8HvbsomRH_S_e4ZVXhec4sDAg-l0gQQfDh4MURiMW_JfvbtwARaTXQWgax_blkuiS4F-9yi8eo6mz28ZAsfyS2Arz3IrQ90XubLzte4FeOc-LsrNHqfrs389aNN86r01PGgM/s1600/5crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKV_aUysA8HvbsomRH_S_e4ZVXhec4sDAg-l0gQQfDh4MURiMW_JfvbtwARaTXQWgax_blkuiS4F-9yi8eo6mz28ZAsfyS2Arz3IrQ90XubLzte4FeOc-LsrNHqfrs389aNN86r01PGgM/s1600/5crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11594337-the-one-and-only-ivan">The One and Only Ivan</a> </i>by Katherine Applegate </b>(2012) --- I LOVE this book! It's my favorite book of the year, easily. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Ivan is the gorilla on the cover, and he lives on display in a mall, with a couple of other animals that are meant to attract tourists. Ivan's gift is art - he loves to paint. The story is told in short chapters in his voice, and it's lovely. Sad, of course, since wild animals are really not meant to be held captive, but also sweet and sensitive with a touch of humor. I'm a big crybaby, so I was sobbing through most of this book, but that just signals a job well done in the writing department, I think. Oh, this is an instant all-time favorite!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9036147-like-pickle-juice-on-a-cookie">Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie</a> </i>by Julie Sternberg </b>(2011) --- I bought this book for my library with my 2nd and 3rd grade students in mind, especially the ones that love Eileen Spinelli's novels in verse (<i>Where I Live </i>& <i>The Dancing Pancake</i>). It's the story of a little girl who has to deal with losing her first and favorite babysitter (the babysitter moves away), which can be a hard thing. It's sweet and emotionally on target.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9465166-hooray-for-amanda-her-alligator">Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator!</a> </i>by Mo Willems </b>(2011) --- It's by Mo Willems, so I'm supposed to love this book. The kiddos will, for sure. Especially since it has chapters. And it's in his signature style. But I'm not a fan of this one. It's a friendship story, I guess. But I prefer me some Elephant & Piggie any day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1RD1Lp_caSvNJLA_yD1Y22Ew_8owLAPU_lHqav-T1s8lGUW4fqkL31YQy7QyHqCMo8LriEREheLF8M6Cp0L4l44TswhXtVyHfVkjcd2957sgBAIKv2LGB5VNlia9bUkyN3-QC9XhnhY/s1600/4crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1RD1Lp_caSvNJLA_yD1Y22Ew_8owLAPU_lHqav-T1s8lGUW4fqkL31YQy7QyHqCMo8LriEREheLF8M6Cp0L4l44TswhXtVyHfVkjcd2957sgBAIKv2LGB5VNlia9bUkyN3-QC9XhnhY/s1600/4crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11233988-i-want-my-hat-back">I Want My Hat Back</a> </i>by Jon Klassen </b>(2011) --- I read this when it came out last year and was unimpressed, but after I bought it for the library and read it again, I learned to appreciate its genius. It's one of those books that kids will get right away - they'll be shouting at you (the book) during storytime because they know something the main character doesn't know. And that's a wonderful thing. :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1RD1Lp_caSvNJLA_yD1Y22Ew_8owLAPU_lHqav-T1s8lGUW4fqkL31YQy7QyHqCMo8LriEREheLF8M6Cp0L4l44TswhXtVyHfVkjcd2957sgBAIKv2LGB5VNlia9bUkyN3-QC9XhnhY/s1600/4crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1RD1Lp_caSvNJLA_yD1Y22Ew_8owLAPU_lHqav-T1s8lGUW4fqkL31YQy7QyHqCMo8LriEREheLF8M6Cp0L4l44TswhXtVyHfVkjcd2957sgBAIKv2LGB5VNlia9bUkyN3-QC9XhnhY/s1600/4crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12652459-yoko-learns-to-read">Yoko Learns to Read</a> </i>by Rosemary Wells </b>(2012) --- I can't look at this book with an objective eye because it's been such a hit with one of our 1st grade ESL classes. First of all, who doesn't love Rosemary Wells? Yes, she gave us Max & Ruby, but she also gave us Yoko & Friends, and I just love this little Japanese cat. This is the story of Yoko learning to read in English, something even her mother can't do. But her mother does read to her every night, from one of the three Japanese books that they own. Oh, this is such a touching story about a parent learning to read in English right alongside her child, not uncommon among our international student population.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10301573-tales-for-very-picky-eaters">Tales for Very Picky Eaters</a> </i>by Josh Schneider </b>(2011) --- This is an early reader, and it won the Geisl Award, so I decided to read it when it came in a box filled with new books. It's supposed to be a clever tale, I think, with a father outsmarting his son by getting the son to eat foods that are not all that appealing to him. The chapters are very short and each describe a different food incident. Eh, I didn't love it. And I don't know if kids will pick it up on their own. Best to be shared with a family member, perhaps.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/451246.Getting_Started_with_English_Language_Learners">Getting Started with English Language Learners</a> </i>by Judie Haynes </b>(2007) --- Read this for a professional development book club. Because I've been working with ESL students for 3 years now, I felt like I learned much of the content in this book on the job. Probably should have read it a couple years ago! I did appreciate the first chapter on debunking common language myths (no, children don't acquire language faster or better than adults - differently, yes). The appendix is also rather useful.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Natalie" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/46/A8E946BB58EE0C8B07270C074060B1E4.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a><script type="text/javascript">
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</script>NatalieSaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13992326607932492183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878426701180720240.post-75385628293828617552012-04-01T11:36:00.000-05:002012-04-01T11:37:45.861-05:00March Reading Recap<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Middle Grade</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1RD1Lp_caSvNJLA_yD1Y22Ew_8owLAPU_lHqav-T1s8lGUW4fqkL31YQy7QyHqCMo8LriEREheLF8M6Cp0L4l44TswhXtVyHfVkjcd2957sgBAIKv2LGB5VNlia9bUkyN3-QC9XhnhY/s1600/4crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1RD1Lp_caSvNJLA_yD1Y22Ew_8owLAPU_lHqav-T1s8lGUW4fqkL31YQy7QyHqCMo8LriEREheLF8M6Cp0L4l44TswhXtVyHfVkjcd2957sgBAIKv2LGB5VNlia9bUkyN3-QC9XhnhY/s1600/4crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10425811-liesl-and-po">Liesl & Po</a> </i>by Lauren Oliver </b>(Harper Collins, 2011) --- Liesl has just lost her father and is locked up in the attic by her stepmother (and the Cinderella similarities end there). She's sick with grief and scared of never stepping foot outdoors again. Enter Po, a ghost who shows up in Liesl's room from the Other Side. The two form a sort of friendship and set out on a quest to return Liesl's father's ashes to the willow tree by the house they used to live in. All the while, Will, an apprentice's boy, makes a grievous error in delivering the most powerful magic ever, and is now on the run for fear of punishment. The two stories collide and produce something so wonderful I had to give it four purple crayons. :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6696385-the-other-half-of-my-heart">The Other Half of my Heart</a> </i>by Sundee T. Frazier </b>(Delacorte, 2010) --- <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Minerva (Minnie) and Keira King are twin sisters, but you couldn't tell by looking at them. Minnie takes after their father, with her pale skin, freckles, and red hair, while Keira looks more like their mother, dark-skinned and dark-haired. Their differences don't mean much to the girls - at least not to Minnie, our narrator. When their maternal grandmother invites them to North Carolina for ten days during the summer to compete in the Miss Black Pearl Preteen pageant (I mean,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><i>program</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">), Keira is thrilled because it means performing and prancing (all things a diva like her enjoys) and getting in touch with their African-American roots. Minnie, on the other hand, is less than thrilled - not because she doesn't want to learn more about her black history, which she desperately does, but because she's so shy and timid. This is most definitely a book about identity - finding out who you are and who you want to be. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1RD1Lp_caSvNJLA_yD1Y22Ew_8owLAPU_lHqav-T1s8lGUW4fqkL31YQy7QyHqCMo8LriEREheLF8M6Cp0L4l44TswhXtVyHfVkjcd2957sgBAIKv2LGB5VNlia9bUkyN3-QC9XhnhY/s1600/4crayons.jpg" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11288619-the-mighty-miss-malone">The Mighty Miss Malone</a> </i>by Christopher Paul Curtis </b>(Random House, 2012) --- </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Mmm, did I love this book! Miss Deza Malone has just finished the school year as the top student in her class, and she is flying high. She's living in 1930s Gary, Indiana, where times are tough for most folks, but all she can think about is how her teacher wants to personally tutor her next year and how she just got the most beautiful blue gingham dress as a gift. Her family is fantastic, with an alliterating father who affectionately calls her the Mighty Miss Malone because of her smarts and sassiness, a mother who always tries to do the right thing, and a brother who will always defend her honor. But it's the 1930s, and the Great Depression is making it hard for families to earn a living and stay together. So the story goes for the Malones too when Deza's father moves to Flint, Michigan to find a job, and the family later follows in hopes of reuniting with him. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11387515-wonder">Wonder</a> </i>by R.J. Palacio </b>(Random House, 2012) <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">--- </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><i>Wonder </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">is one of those books that all the librarians think will win the Newbery Award in January. I'm not one of them. Not because it's not a good book. It's a great book! But it didn't hook me like it did the others. It's about a boy named August who has never been to a real school because of his severe facial deformities. He's had loads of operations and surgeries in his 10 year-old life, and he just hasn't had the time to go to regular school... until now. August is starting 5th grade at a private middle school, and for good reason, he is terrified. What if the kids make fun of him? What if he can't make friends? What if his teachers stare at him? What if the homework is too hard? Starting middle school is hard enough for a</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><i>normal </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">kid, but how hard will it be for someone who looks so different from everyone else? </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10137620-eight-keys">Eight Keys</a> </i>by Suzanne LaFl<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">eur </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">(Random House, 2011) --- </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Elise is just starting middle school and feeling a little different about the activities she and her best friend Franklin do. Playing pretend isn't "cool" in middle school, and Elise thinks she wants to fit in. She lives with her aunt and uncle - her mother died when she was born, and her dad died when she was very young - and she loves them like parents. But one day, when Elise is feeling ready to grow up and out of her childish ways, she discovers a key hanging in the barn, a key that has her name on it. When Elise finds the door that matches that key, she's thrown into a puzzle created by her father especially for her - one that will help her remember her past, take note of her present, and believe in her future. One key down, seven to go!</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Young Adult</b></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9593911-pandemonium">Pandemonium</a> </i>by Lauren Oliver </b>(Harper Teen, 2012) --- This is the second book in the Delirium trilogy, so I won't say too much about it in case you haven't read the first - which I absolutely loved. As it is with many sequels, this book's story was just eh for me, but what I did appreciate very much was Oliver's writing. She has such a pleasing way with words that I can't describe to you very well except to say that it tickles your heart and makes you sigh happily. Or maybe that's just me... I mean, really, look:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,<br />
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,<br />
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,<br />
push,<br />
push,<br />
push,<br />
like Raven taught me to do.<br />
The old life is dead.<br />
But the old Lena is dead too.<br />
I buried her.<br />
I left her beyond a fence,<br />
behind a wall of smoke and flame.</span></span></blockquote>
Happy sigh.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-l97_4LLe8zWbMTAfU2lNedU8Kik4cypep0cXlWV5m8h5ixUOAse4RBTZ2fzHYNtPhIyCZa9mz9hUQfamH0yJmLn9y0pqiG_VxbPWc3iEklYjq9DAWn8RvFvraJFLk31SwTmkOUUs28U/s1600/2crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-l97_4LLe8zWbMTAfU2lNedU8Kik4cypep0cXlWV5m8h5ixUOAse4RBTZ2fzHYNtPhIyCZa9mz9hUQfamH0yJmLn9y0pqiG_VxbPWc3iEklYjq9DAWn8RvFvraJFLk31SwTmkOUUs28U/s1600/2crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8573642-incarnate">Incarnate</a> </i>by Jodi Meadows </b>(Katherine Tegen Books, 2012) --- In this world, there is only a finite number of souls that are in existence. When one dies, it will eventually be reincarnated into a new body, but the soul is still the same and has all the memories of past lives. Interesting premise, I thought. And then we have the protagonist, Ana, who defies this order and is actually a Newsoul. Brand new to this world. Living amongst others who have had hundreds of lives and are all friends or at least friendly. She is utterly alone - and she is feared and despised because her new life meant that an old soul is now gone forever. I tried to like this book, I really did. But so much of it felt unoriginal to me - I swear there were Death Eaters in this book. Click the title to go to GoodReads where lots of people enjoyed this book and write about its merits. I'm just not one of them.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Thank you, Spring Break for letting me read so many books! What did you read? </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Natalie" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/46/A8E946BB58EE0C8B07270C074060B1E4.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a> <script type="text/javascript">
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</script>NatalieSaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13992326607932492183noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878426701180720240.post-3482794133822252772012-03-25T20:33:00.000-05:002012-03-25T20:33:14.847-05:00The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320500210l/11288619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320500210l/11288619.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Mighty Miss Malone </i>by Christopher Paul Curtis<br />
published January 2012 by Random House Children's<br />
320 pages (hardcover), Middle Grade<br />
<br />
In 1930s Gary, Indiana is where you'll find Deza Malone, a smart and sassy young gal. Nicknamed the Mighty Miss Malone by her alliteration-obsessed father, Deza (pronounced like the beginning of "desert") is just named the top student in her class at the end of the year and is propositioned by her retiring teacher to stay on as a tutee in the upcoming school year. Deza is thrilled at the prospect (as long as her best friend can come too) since she absolutely adores her teacher and also aspires to become a teacher when she grows up. Unfortunately, this doesn't come to pass as Deza's father has been out of work for some time, was in a boating accident, and has now left the family to find work in Flint, Michigan. It's the Great Depression, for sure, and Deza's family is struggling to stay together. After her mother receives notice that she will no longer be needed as a housekeeper for a well-off white family (they're going to travel abroad to escape the Depression, hah!), she decides to take Deza and her older brother Jimmie to Flint too. But they haven't heard from their father lately, and they don't have a reliable way to get there or people to stay with when they do. So, they take it one day at a time and hope for the best.<br />
<br />
I don't read a whole lot of historical fiction, but besides the boxing match between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling, this could have been contemporary realistic fiction. We are in our own Depression, and I know students who could certainly relate to the events in this book - their dads living in other cities looking for a steady paycheck, families being torn apart just to make ends meet. But what I love about this book and what makes me want to hand it to each and every one of those kids is the cohesive, tightly-wound family unit. The Malones have a motto - "We are a family on a journey to a place called Wonderful." The parents are kind, encouraging, and wise in the lessons they teach their children. When Deza comes back from the library one day, she asks her parents what it means to be "a credit to your race," as the librarian called her (yes, it hurts me so), and her father so eloquently describes it as a warning growl, letting you know exactly who that person is (and that they are most certainly not on your side). Life lessons are expertly handled with care in this story.<br />
<br />
I should also mention that this is no surprise coming from Christopher Paul Curtis. I like to stagger my reading of his books because I just don't think it's fair to all the other books out there (like Phoebe and her oatmeal raisin cookies - <i>Friends </i>reference). His writing is so skillful - how else do I describe it? Luscious? Thoughtful? Masterful? Ooh, some touchy-feely words, I know. But it's just such a pleasure to read. When I hand this book to students, I will cross my fingers that they'll like it, and if they don't, I'll just chalk it up to inexperience. They will someday.<br />
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As for me, I thoroughly enjoyed it.<br />
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<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Natalie" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/46/A8E946BB58EE0C8B07270C074060B1E4.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a> <script type="text/javascript">
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</script>NatalieSaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13992326607932492183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878426701180720240.post-24622881971045278682012-03-03T17:10:00.000-06:002012-03-03T17:10:29.425-06:00February Reading RecapI traveled a ton in February, so most of my reading was done in airports and cars. More travels to come in March, so I hope to get tons knocked off my ever-growing to-read list...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312232453l/3143260.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312232453l/3143260.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3143260-ten-big-ones">Ten Big Ones</a> </i>by Janet Evanovich, read by Lorelei King (2004) --- I love the Stephanie Plum audiobooks. I started reading this series in grad school for an Adult Pop Lit class, and I got hooked. It's my guilty pleasure, and I usually read 1-2 a year (otherwise they get too repetitive). This one was the most dangerous yet, I think. Stephanie manages to tick off a high-profile gang member and now there is a hit on her. Of course she survives, but it gets pretty intense! As always, Lula and Grandma Mazur (and Stephanie's lack of common sense) provide for some comic relief. And Stephanie's love life is a mess - this one's for Ranger fans.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1317794278l/11235712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1317794278l/11235712.jpg" width="132" /></a></div><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11235712-cinder">Cinder</a> </i>by Marissa Meyer (2012 debut) --- A science fiction Cinderella story?! Oh, how I love thee! Cinder is a delightful little cyborg living in New Beijing with her stepmother and stepsisters. She's a talented mechanic who's hired by Prince Kai himself to fix his personal android. All the while, a plague is spreading through the city, and medical testing for a cure now includes willing cyborgs - since they're not considered fully human. There's a lot going on in this story, but it's so NEW and FRESH and just lovely. Even if you're not a fan of science fiction, if you like a good fairy tale retelling, check this one out. But I suspect many of you already have. Although I think this could have been a standalone novel, I can't wait to read more in the series!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1274496810l/3239487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1274496810l/3239487.jpg" width="157" /></a></div><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3239487-yummy">Yummy: The Last Days of Southside Shorty</a> </i>by G. Neri (2010) --- From Goodreads:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">In August of 1994, 11-year-old Robert “Yummy” Sandifer [...] fired a gun at a group of rival gangmembers, accidentally killing a neighborhood girl, Shavon Dean. [...] The story made such an impact that Yummy appeared on the cover of TIME magazine, drawing national attention to the problems of inner city youth in America.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"> </span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><em>Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty</em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">relives the confusion of these traumatic days from the point of view of Roger, a neighborhood boy who struggles to understand the senseless violence swirling through the streets around him. Awakened by the tragedy, Roger seeks out answers to difficult questions — was Yummy a killer or a victim? Was he responsible for his actions or are others to blame?</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1309532537l/10798428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1309532537l/10798428.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10798428-the-queen-of-kentucky">The Queen of Kentucky</a> </i>by Alecia Whitaker (2012 debut) --- I don't read a whole lot of contemporary realistic fiction, but the cover and title of this one reeled me in. Though I've never lived in Kentucky, my best friend is from there, so I felt like Whitaker's description of this small, southern town was just right. I suppose it helps that she's from there too. The story is about a girl who is just starting public high school after going to a private school for her elementary days. She doesn't want to be seen as a country bumpkin, so she changes her style and joins the cheerleading squad - she just wants to fit in, and most of all, be popular. Yes, it's one of those stories. And I enjoyed it just fine. It's nice to see a change of scenery in this book - I've certainly grown tired of the Upper East Side trend. And the main character has spunk and a real personality that I grew to like, even if I didn't appreciate her decision-making skills.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327890796l/10959277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327890796l/10959277.jpg" width="135" /></a></div><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10959277-the-future-of-us">The Future of Us</a> </i>by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler (2011) --- Gosh, I wanted to like this book so much. It had such a great premise! Imagine the year is 1996, you've just logged onto AOL for the first time, and a window pops up that says it's Facebook. It has your name, your birthday, a picture of someone who could be you in 15 years, and a bunch of personal postings about what you're having for dinner or how your marriage is failing. Fantastic idea, right? Except that the main characters, Josh and Emma, are absolutely annoying - Emma, especially. All she cares about is who she's going to marry in 15 years. Really... really?! If you found a portal to the future, is that honestly the only thing you want to know? I like that all of their decisions affected their Facebook status and altered the future - I just wish it didn't all revolve around the husband issue. Teens think about WAY more than that, my goodness.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1279840327l/7327325.jpg" /></span></div><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7327325-the-limit">The Limit </a></i>by Kristen Landon (2010) --- Hmm, quite a lot of science fiction this month. I was excited about this book because it's a dystopia that my 5th graders would enjoy, and I haven't seen too many of these for younger MG readers. In this book, families are not allowed to accrue any debt, and if they do, their teenagers may be whisked away to work off the debt. Matt's mother accidentally goes slightly over their limit one day while grocery shopping with the kids, and as soon as they get home, there are people ready to take Matt away to the government facility where he will work. Matt's a smart kid, so he gets a high-paying job on the top floor of this building, but he starts to notice that something is not quite right about this place...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Natalie" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/46/A8E946BB58EE0C8B07270C074060B1E4.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a> <script type="text/javascript">
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">K-3 January Favorites</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327932758l/10168924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327932758l/10168924.jpg" width="167" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10168924-blackout">Blackout</a> </i>by John Rocco (2011)</b> --- It's the shape and size of a picture book, but I'd call it a beginning graphic novel because of the use of large panels. This book absolutely deserves the Caldecott Honor it was awarded this year. It's stunningly illustrated, with colors that pop right off the page, and the story is wonderful. A little boy just wants to spend some time with his family, but they're all too busy - until the power goes out on their block, and then everyone gathers together and actually socializes in person rather than through their techno gizmos. This blackout takes place in summer, but we've had our fair share of blackouts in the winter too. It's a gorgeous book with a great story, and I can't wait to share it with students.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320459811l/1788118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320459811l/1788118.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1788118.Where_in_the_Wild_">Where in the Wild? Camouflaged Creatures Concealed... and Revealed</a> </i>by David M. Schwartz and Yael Schy, photographs by Dwight Kuhn (2007) --- Yep, a nonfiction book ended up in my favorites pile. But this one has some tricks up its sleeves. Because it's about camouflaged creatures, each page has a photograph and an accompanying poem/riddle that gives you a clue as to what's hiding in the photograph. Then! You fold open the photograph page, so you're looking at a trifold now - with the center page exposing the hidden animal in full color and the rest of the photograph dulled. And then we get to the nonfiction part of the book, where the animal and its camouflage technique are explained. So much fun! And there are two more books in this series! </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1278192879l/7309806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1278192879l/7309806.jpg" /></a></div><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7309806-lulu-and-the-brontosaurus">Lulu and the Brontosaurus</a> </i>by Judith Viorst, illustrated by Lane Smith (2010) --- I LOVE THIS BOOK. Lulu is a spoiled brat, but you can't help but love her... eventually. Her birthday is coming up, and she wants a brontosaurus, end of story. No other pet will do. When her parents kindly tell her that she won't be getting a brontosaurus for her birthday, she takes off into the forest to catch one on her own. She encounters some ferocious critters that she is not so nice to and finally comes across a solo brontosaurus that thinks a pet is a very good thing. There are surprise twists and laugh out loud moments along with a wonderfully sassy song that Lulu sings on her way to and from the forest. Kids will love to sing along - I can't wait to read it to second grade students!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>MG/YA Read in January</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1213157697l/2479275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1213157697l/2479275.jpg" width="167" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2479275.A_Beginning_a_Muddle_and_an_End">A Beginning, a Muddle, and an End: The Right Way to Write Writing</a> </i>by Avi (2008) --- <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">You'll either be pleasantly amused or endlessly irritated by this book. Avon the snail wants to write, but he doesn't know how or where to start. His friend, Edward the ant, gives him some sometimes helpful advice, while the two have delightful exchanges filled with all kinds of fun wordplay. I don't know what child would choose to read this and enjoy it as much as my adult self did. A budding writer, perhaps. Nonetheless, I appreciated it immensely and would often go to sleep giggling over their antics.</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1281429075l/7411232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1281429075l/7411232.jpg" width="133" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7411232-exile">Exile</a> </i>by Anne Osterlund (2011) --- I read <i>Aurelia </i>in 2010 (published 2008) and waited two years for the sequel. Only to find out it's a trilogy. This would normally frustrate me, but Osterlund's writing is so lovely, I don't mind the wait. I could have easily read this book in one sitting, but I stretched it out over four days just so I could savor it. Aurelia has just survived an attempt on her life, and she's promptly set off to tour her future kingdom, to get to know the people and the land. The politics are crazy, and her life is still in peril, but she has Robert at her side to keep her safe and calm. This book is all about her journey across the land, so it's not exactly action-packed, which is fine, so long as the third book wraps this story up nicely. </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327984155l/12615862.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327984155l/12615862.jpg" width="131" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/578200.Have_a_Hot_Time_Hades_">Have a Hot Time, Hades!</a> </b>by Kate McMullan (2011) --- The Myth-O-Mania series was originally published in 2002, but they got cover re-designs last summer and are now much more attractive, which is, of course, why I bought them for my school library. That and the fact that my students are into Greek mythology. They are eating this series up - there's never a copy on the shelf. So, I thought I should read one to see what it is that the kids are reading. It took me two months to finish this book, when I know students are reading them in less than a week, but I just couldn't get into it. The language is very contemporary even though this is somewhat of a retelling. This is why the kids like it - they're easy to read, funny, and make Greek gods accessible to students who aren't strong enough readers forthe <i>Percy Jackson and the Olympians </i>series. </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327944558l/11329536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327944558l/11329536.jpg" width="138" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; line-height: 19px;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Big City Otto </i>by Bill Slavin (2011) --- </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">I don't know how I feel about this graphic novel. Otto is such a sad, sad elephant. He misses his best friend Georgie, who's been chimp-napped. There is a little bit of humor sprinkled in throughout the book, most notably Otto using a port-o-potty and ending up being lifted on top of a building (which although it's funny is also scary!). Otto and his parrot friend Crackers (a truly unfortunate name) go on a quest to find Georgie and run into all sorts of trouble, even getting involved in a candy store robbery. Gosh, what is wrong with this book?! Personally, it was appalling to me, but I know students who will pick it up and love it because it doesn't simplify the world for them, and it tells it like it is. If it wasn't for the conversation Otto had with the gators who mistreated him and tricked him into doing illegal things, I may have sent this book back to Follett. In a way, it's like street lit for kids, and I think they'll appreciate it. I think.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><img alt="Natalie" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/46/A8E946BB58EE0C8B07270C074060B1E4.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></span></a> <script type="text/javascript">
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published October 2011 by Random House<br />
467 pages (hardcover), YA<br />
<br />
I have to give you what's written on the inside flap because it's most of the reason why I read this book. I know it's long, but it's a whole lot more concise than any summary I'd write!<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living <em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </em>the dead—or rather, the <em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">undead</em>? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?</div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune, and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.</div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal disease that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.</div></span></span></blockquote>C'mon, how do you not rush to the library to get your hands on this book after a description like that? Nora Dearly is my favorite kind of female character - stubborn, feisty, and smart. When she's kidnapped by undead soldiers, she assesses the situation and makes the best of it. Sure, it takes her a moment or two to come to grips with her strange new reality, but she's practical and chooses to ask questions instead of cower in fear. I wish more of the book were told in her perspective, but in fact, it alternates between quite a few characters.<br />
<br />
I also loved the setting in this book and actually wanted more backstory and description. I kept checking the covers for a map or something, but no such luck. New Victoria in 2195 is an interesting concept, and I love the world Habel has created there. It's wonderful steampunk - a blend of the old and the new. The society has modeled itself after a more genteel time period, the Victorian Era, but one that they ultimately never could have known in great detail because of the many hundreds of years separating them. So, they try to behave in ways they imagine that the Victorians did, but who are they kidding? There are Punks and free-thinkers and people who do not appreciate the classist society they've created. Not to mention the walking dead.<br />
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Anyhow, I liked this book. I wanted to love it, but the alternating perspectives were irksome. The dialogue was also odd to me - sometimes it would be very contemporary and others very Victorian. I understand why, but it was still a little jarring to read. But because I like the story and the setting, I will definitely be reading more from the Gone With the Respiration series.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Natalie" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/46/A8E946BB58EE0C8B07270C074060B1E4.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a> <script type="text/javascript">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1RD1Lp_caSvNJLA_yD1Y22Ew_8owLAPU_lHqav-T1s8lGUW4fqkL31YQy7QyHqCMo8LriEREheLF8M6Cp0L4l44TswhXtVyHfVkjcd2957sgBAIKv2LGB5VNlia9bUkyN3-QC9XhnhY/s1600/4crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1RD1Lp_caSvNJLA_yD1Y22Ew_8owLAPU_lHqav-T1s8lGUW4fqkL31YQy7QyHqCMo8LriEREheLF8M6Cp0L4l44TswhXtVyHfVkjcd2957sgBAIKv2LGB5VNlia9bUkyN3-QC9XhnhY/s1600/4crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9961796-lola-and-the-boy-next-door">Lola and the Boy Next Door</a> </i>by Stephanie Perkins </b>--- I could not put this book down! I started it before bed and didn't stop until the wee hours of the morning. Ms. Perkins truly has a talent for nailing those teenage romances. Lola is head over heels in love with her boyfriend, but he's a few years older and not always pleased about having Sunday brunch with her dads (yes, I said dads). When Cricket, Lola's first love, moves back into the house next door, Lola is inexplicably drawn to the boy who broke her heart. Who's it going to be? The hot, older bad boy boyfriend or the always-on-her-mind former flame? Delicious, I say! A wonderfully sweet book read over Winter Break.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgis616UX_9Ai577JUKBT2W7kki-oESWPx2iWhsMs2is9-1IYxUzyykiCpX3R9aPK7l5kO2y2kugCVOPVaQOKomC_RdehiU8AgnMYhbfCzUPzP9nYVPzNhOSXbdU-z2nWCZuSJEcovCpWk/s1600/fourcrayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgis616UX_9Ai577JUKBT2W7kki-oESWPx2iWhsMs2is9-1IYxUzyykiCpX3R9aPK7l5kO2y2kugCVOPVaQOKomC_RdehiU8AgnMYhbfCzUPzP9nYVPzNhOSXbdU-z2nWCZuSJEcovCpWk/s1600/fourcrayons.jpg" /></a><b><i>Divergent </i>by Veronica Roth (<a href="http://thispurplecrayon.blogspot.com/2011/12/divergent-by-veronica-roth.html">review</a>) --- </b>Oh, what a pretty little dystopia. Why did I wait so long to read this book? Like <i>Lola</i>, I read this book in one sitting. That's become my preferred method of reading lately. I don't like to slug through books. I like to gobble them up. And this one, my friends, was rather tasty. I can't wait for the next book, <i>Insurgent</i>, to come out in May so that I can see if Amity really is my favorite faction. Dauntless is definitely not for me...<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Looking back... 2011 Challenges</b></span><br />
I may have started the year out strong, but as soon as summer ended and work began, I fell into a crazy hectic schedule with very little time for reading. So it's no surprise that I failed nearly all of my challenges. If you're curious, you can head on over to my <a href="http://thispurplecrayon.blogspot.com/p/2011-challenges.html">2011 Challenges</a> page to check out my stats.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Looking forward... 2012 Challenges & Reading Goals</b></span><br />
I'm not going to be overly ambitious in 2012. Because I know that this year will be filled with life changes (good ones, I hope!) that will take up a lot of my would-be reading time. But I have set a few more realistic challenges for myself...<br />
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Last year was my first year participating in the Debut Author Challenge hosted by The Story Siren, and I failed pretty miserably. The goal is to simply read 12 YA/MG books by debut authors. Me? I read 3. So, to redeem myself and to read more from new authors (because I tend to rely on old favorites), I'm joining the <a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com/2011/11/sign-ups-for-the-debut-author-challenge.html">2012 Debut Author Challenge</a> with the goal that I'll read at least 6 books from debut authors. Twice as many as last year, but still half as many as everyone else.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/challenges/207-2012-reading-challenge" style="font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none;">2012 Reading Challenge</a>
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Since I use Goodreads for my reading activities, I also joined their reading challenge and set a goal of 150 books to read in 2012. Goodreads tells me that I read 140 books in 2011 (though I know I read more than that, counting picture books), so 10 more should be no problem.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXpdcwuqr2vh_EFLTnL4WtkhlCUbMSnupj2zxuSjMVNtS6ESYh2JnFdzJOaSfAzEZyjUuxR1Q3A8CWua5Tezf8NmA6-NWvNmAYnzZ9rnicm4LlInkm4bC0ikWYgpE1pK5CcYQ7vVkvxg/s1600/100books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXpdcwuqr2vh_EFLTnL4WtkhlCUbMSnupj2zxuSjMVNtS6ESYh2JnFdzJOaSfAzEZyjUuxR1Q3A8CWua5Tezf8NmA6-NWvNmAYnzZ9rnicm4LlInkm4bC0ikWYgpE1pK5CcYQ7vVkvxg/s200/100books.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Finally, I hope to read a couple more books from my <a href="http://thispurplecrayon.blogspot.com/p/filling-in-gaps.html">Lifelong Reading List</a>, starting with <i>Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close</i>, since the movie comes out this month. I also need to add quite a few books to that list...<br />
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So, those are my meager goals for this year, I think.<br />
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2012, I don't know you very well, but I hope I'll like you and all the new books you bring me!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Natalie" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/46/A8E946BB58EE0C8B07270C074060B1E4.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>
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Sarah from <a href="http://yalibrariantales.blogspot.com/">YA Librarian Tales</a> was my Secret Santa for the <a href="http://holidayswap.wordpress.com/">Book Blogger Holiday Swap</a> this year, and she was fabulous. I got the package in the mail yesterday while expecting guests and squealed in delight when I saw the box wedged in between my doors. Here's the before picture - isn't it nice that she wrapped each gift? I totally didn't think of that for mine...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizKywxfrHmmsgqOiTwO08Ku07jBJd-idtYkpNnst12fGLJb_C4-wkYIvM5lVfQSJVFZk6-57UFnyoG6vH0KmXkmpm6OIsitaLmgBX9ga04o5bg7vy1B40-5S0t-LITo_c17CUVXEsOwyQ/s1600/IMG_2633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizKywxfrHmmsgqOiTwO08Ku07jBJd-idtYkpNnst12fGLJb_C4-wkYIvM5lVfQSJVFZk6-57UFnyoG6vH0KmXkmpm6OIsitaLmgBX9ga04o5bg7vy1B40-5S0t-LITo_c17CUVXEsOwyQ/s320/IMG_2633.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And after! She got me two of my favorite books that I did not own:</div>
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<i>A Sick Day for Amos McGee </i>by Philip Stead</div>
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<i>The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks</i> by E. Lockhart</div>
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And some cute tech speak magnets and a Mockingjay bookmark. Woo! :) </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">THANK YOU, SARAH! </span></div>
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<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312232043l/8879121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312232043l/8879121.jpg" width="141" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8879121-zita-the-spacegirl">Zita the Spacegirl</a> </i>by <a href="http://www.househatke.com/">Ben Hatke</a> --- A science fiction graphic novel with a girl protagonist? Woohoo! Zita and her best friend are outside one day when they discover this giant crater. Inside it is what looks like a remote control with just one big red button. Well, what are big red buttons for if not pushing, so Zita does just that and her friend, poof!, disappears. Zita goes after him and finds herself on another planet, galaxy even with all sorts of aliens and creatures. She slowly befriends a couple and begins her quest to find her friend. An absorbing read with illustrations that remind me a lot of <i>Amulet </i>- will definitely appeal to that crowd.<br />
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<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1267323526l/2856830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1267323526l/2856830.jpg" width="141" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1RD1Lp_caSvNJLA_yD1Y22Ew_8owLAPU_lHqav-T1s8lGUW4fqkL31YQy7QyHqCMo8LriEREheLF8M6Cp0L4l44TswhXtVyHfVkjcd2957sgBAIKv2LGB5VNlia9bUkyN3-QC9XhnhY/s1600/4crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1RD1Lp_caSvNJLA_yD1Y22Ew_8owLAPU_lHqav-T1s8lGUW4fqkL31YQy7QyHqCMo8LriEREheLF8M6Cp0L4l44TswhXtVyHfVkjcd2957sgBAIKv2LGB5VNlia9bUkyN3-QC9XhnhY/s1600/4crayons.jpg" /></a><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2856830-what-my-girlfriend-doesn-t-know">What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know</a> </i>by <a href="http://www.sonyasones.com/">Sonya Sones</a> --- I've read a Sones book every month for the past three months, and that makes me happy. That also means that she's going to have to start pumping out books a whole lot more frequently if this trend is to continue. Just saying. Ah, I don't think I've read this particular one before, and I, of course, enjoyed it almost as much as my favorite, <i>What My Mother Doesn't Know</i>. It picks up where <i>Mother </i>leaves off but is written mostly in Robin's voice (Sophie's new boyfriend) instead. I just love Sones' poetic prose!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9539092-lost-and-found">Lost & Found</a> </i>by <a href="http://www.shauntan.net/">Shaun Tan</a> --- This is a collection of Shaun Tan's early works; you know, before he became famous for the inventive and gorgeous sepia-toned wordless graphic novel <i>The Arrival</i>. The three stories in this book are admittedly odd and rather dark (I wouldn't buy it for my elementary school, that's for sure), but have a bit of hope and charm reflective of Tan's style. A quick read with few words and lots of quirkiness.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1RD1Lp_caSvNJLA_yD1Y22Ew_8owLAPU_lHqav-T1s8lGUW4fqkL31YQy7QyHqCMo8LriEREheLF8M6Cp0L4l44TswhXtVyHfVkjcd2957sgBAIKv2LGB5VNlia9bUkyN3-QC9XhnhY/s1600/4crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1RD1Lp_caSvNJLA_yD1Y22Ew_8owLAPU_lHqav-T1s8lGUW4fqkL31YQy7QyHqCMo8LriEREheLF8M6Cp0L4l44TswhXtVyHfVkjcd2957sgBAIKv2LGB5VNlia9bUkyN3-QC9XhnhY/s1600/4crayons.jpg" /></a><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9571687-mudkin">Mudkin</a> </i>by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/232483.Stephen_Gammell">Stephen Gammell</a> --- <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">My review from Goodreads: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">The negative reviews of this book make me laugh - a book with few words? How dare he! (Pardon the sarcasm.) I generously appreciated this whimsical story of a girl playing outside after the rain on a muddy day. Her conversations with Mudkin were inspired - do we really need to know what he says? No; we can INFER! Inference is such a tricky skill to teach, but this book practically does it itself without needing much teacher direction. Love it. Will recommend to teachers, for sure.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7075298-cloaked">Cloaked</a> </i>by <a href="http://alexflinn.com/">Alex Flinn</a> (<a href="http://thispurplecrayon.blogspot.com/2011/11/cloaked-by-alex-flinn.html">review</a>) --- I liked <i>Beastly </i>best (and I haven't even seen the movie yet), then <i>Cloaked</i>, and finally <i>A Kiss in Time</i>, when comparing the fractured fairy tales I've read by Flinn. <i>Cloaked</i> had a lot of unexpected twists and turns that I sometimes appreciated (other times I was just like, huh?), and I did enjoy the little love story too. As long as Flinn keeps writing these retold fairy tales, I'll keep reading them!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1RD1Lp_caSvNJLA_yD1Y22Ew_8owLAPU_lHqav-T1s8lGUW4fqkL31YQy7QyHqCMo8LriEREheLF8M6Cp0L4l44TswhXtVyHfVkjcd2957sgBAIKv2LGB5VNlia9bUkyN3-QC9XhnhY/s1600/4crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1RD1Lp_caSvNJLA_yD1Y22Ew_8owLAPU_lHqav-T1s8lGUW4fqkL31YQy7QyHqCMo8LriEREheLF8M6Cp0L4l44TswhXtVyHfVkjcd2957sgBAIKv2LGB5VNlia9bUkyN3-QC9XhnhY/s1600/4crayons.jpg" /></a><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6798354-igniting-a-passion-for-reading">Igniting a Passion for Reading: Successful Strategies for Building Lifetime Readers</a> </i>by <a href="http://www.stevelayne.com/">Steven Layne</a> --- A must-read for anyone who works with children and young adults. Steven Layne is an educator and public speaker, so I was wary that he wouldn't address the librarian side of things, but I was pleasantly surprised to find how warmly and intelligently he speaks of librarians and what we do. He starts the book with a rationale for reading aloud (at all grade levels) and focuses each chapter on different ways to get students excited about reading. I found that I was already doing quite a few things right (I'd hope so!), but I also learned new strategies and tricks that I immediately implemented in my own practice. Simple things like a special bookshelf or display area of my favorite books, a sign or bookstand with what I'm currently reading, book talks, book passes, and much more. I'd be happy to lend it to anyone if you can't get ahold of a copy!<br />
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published May 2011 by <a href="http://www.harpercollins.com/books/Divergent-Veronica-Roth?isbn=9780062024022&HCHP=TB_Divergent">HarperCollins</a><br />
496 pages (hardcover), YA<br />
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Dystopian Chicago. Need I say more?<br />
<br />
That's all I needed. Perhaps you require a little extra.<br />
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Beatrice is at that delicate, life-changing age, 16, when she needs to decide what to make of herself. Which of the five factions of the city (Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless, Erudite) will she choose to dedicate her life to? She was brought up in Abnegation, with her selfless parents and brother, but she's never quite fit in. She's curious, asks too many questions, and doesn't always think of others before herself. So, at her choosing ceremony, Beatrice gives up her family ties and joins the daredevil Dauntless. But to prove herself to this new faction, Beatrice, now Tris, has to go through a series of trials that will truly test her strength, physically, emotionally, and mentally. Plus she has a BIG secret to hide. And a budding love interest with one of her trainers. And the possibility that she will die before she proves herself as a member of Dauntless. Woo!<br />
<br />
I can't hide how much I loved this book. Picture this - a Thursday after school. No errands to run. No lesson plans to write. No new shows on the television. Time! Time to read! Curled up on the couch with my very own copy of <i>Divergent </i>(which I've had since the summer; yes, shame on me). I start reading and can't stop. A tweet, quick dinner, and six hours later, the book is finished, and I'm thoroughly sated. Time for bed! That, my friends, is what I call a luxurious evening at home. I haven't had one in a long while and was so happy to share it with this wonderful book.<br />
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Lots of people have compared <i>Divergent </i>to <i>The Hunger Games</i>, and okay, I guess I see that. They're both dystopias. They're both rather violent. But the world in <i>Divergent </i>appeals to me much more. Maybe because it's set in Chicago. Maybe more because although it's a dystopia, there's SO MUCH HOPE. I don't know how Veronica Roth made me feel so hopeful, especially in the depths of Dauntless (which is definitely not the faction I would choose :shudder:), but she did. Tris is one strong female, and I believe she can change the whole system. The factions were originally created to play on the good, to have people specialize in these ideal character traits so that they could rid society of all the bad. But over the years it has turned into a competition instead of collaboration, and what used to be good about each faction is now lost in the struggle to remain relevant and most of all, powerful. It's all so complex and political, and I love it.<br />
<br />
I'm really late to the conversation about this book (hey, I was in Italy! and then work took over my life...), but if you honestly haven't read it yet, what are you waiting for? Easily one of the best books of the year. <a href="http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/articlereview/892885-451/best_books_2011_fiction.html.csp">School Library Journal says so too</a>.<br />
<br />
Four purple crayons for a new dystopian trilogy that I can't wait to keep reading! <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11735983-insurgent">Insurgent</a> </i>comes out in May 2012!<br />
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published 2011 by HarperCollins<br />
341 pages (hardcover), MG/YA<br />
<br />
Okay, the front flap is too good not to share:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><div style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I'm not your average hero. I actually wasn't your average anything. Just a poor guy working an after-school job at a South Beach shoe repair shop to help his mom make ends meet. But a little magic changed it all.</div><div style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">It all started with a curse. And a frognapping. And one hot-looking princess, who asked me to lead a rescue mission.</div><div style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">There wasn't a fairy godmother or any of that. And even though I fell in love along the way, what happened to me is unlike any fairy tale I've ever heard. Before I knew it, I was spying with a flock of enchanted swans, talking (yes, talking!) to a fox named Todd, and nearly trampled by giants in the Everglades.</div><div style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Don't believe me? I didn't believe it either. But you'll see. Because I knew it all was true, the second I got cloaked.</div></blockquote>Oh, Johnny. You poor boy. Literally. Johnny's a cobbler (not the yummy kind, though I imagine he might be ruggedly handsome) and a hard, hard-worker. He repairs shoes day and night so that he and his mom can afford to live. One day, Princess Victoriana shows up at Johnny's hotel and his ogling turned accidental meeting changes his life. Victoriana is gorgeous, obviously, and flashy in the spotlight, giving the paparazzi exactly what they want, but she is devastated on the inside. Her brother has been kidnapped and she needs a trustworthy someone to find him. Someone like Johnny. Did I mention that her brother's been turned into a frog? Right. But if Johnny finds him, this frog prince, Victoriana will marry Johnny - not a bad proposition for a boy who has no wealth or any chance at finding love with someone so beautiful. Yes! Of course he'll help! With a magic cloak that can transport him anywhere, Johnny begins his quest to find Victoriana's brother.<br />
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This is a fairy tale retelling of sorts, though it doesn't follow one story but rather seven different ones, which are briefly summarized at the end of the book. This is something I wanted to know beforehand, and I should have checked the back to find it. So, I thought I'd list them for you, just so you know:<br />
<br />
<ul><li><i>The Elves and the Shoemaker</i></li>
<li><i>The Frog Prince</i></li>
<li><i>The Six Swans</i></li>
<li><i>The Golden Bird</i></li>
<li><i>The Valiant Tailor</i></li>
<li><i>The Salad</i></li>
<li><i>The Fisherman and His Wife</i></li>
</ul><div>That's quite a collection of tales! But Flinn weaves them all together so wonderfully. It's an insane adventure that Johnny has, but it works. I liked the story, and I alternated between reading the book and the e-book (which I've never done before!) so that I could finish it. I was a little disappointed in some parts of the writing - the love story was a little too predictable and could have been left a little more elusive. But overall, I enjoyed the story and look forward to more fairy tale retellings from Alex Flinn. A solid three purple crayons. </div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICUl2aBALfqjqecf4Lobt3lLz5JsOZRfNPb0kgY-uELomlHjx1FC-0pNA6kjM5dv1ipCum8hzNgDbZ8MfNVmYfMCJW43TPwux6DQHVd0958Z4Bg27WzrLq_EaW7HkiajsA6-b7RsCk-c/s1600/3purplecrayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICUl2aBALfqjqecf4Lobt3lLz5JsOZRfNPb0kgY-uELomlHjx1FC-0pNA6kjM5dv1ipCum8hzNgDbZ8MfNVmYfMCJW43TPwux6DQHVd0958Z4Bg27WzrLq_EaW7HkiajsA6-b7RsCk-c/s200/3purplecrayons.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div><br />
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<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312073806l/9644001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Jonathan and the Big Blue Boat" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312073806l/9644001.jpg" width="194" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKV_aUysA8HvbsomRH_S_e4ZVXhec4sDAg-l0gQQfDh4MURiMW_JfvbtwARaTXQWgax_blkuiS4F-9yi8eo6mz28ZAsfyS2Arz3IrQ90XubLzte4FeOc-LsrNHqfrs389aNN86r01PGgM/s1600/5crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKV_aUysA8HvbsomRH_S_e4ZVXhec4sDAg-l0gQQfDh4MURiMW_JfvbtwARaTXQWgax_blkuiS4F-9yi8eo6mz28ZAsfyS2Arz3IrQ90XubLzte4FeOc-LsrNHqfrs389aNN86r01PGgM/s1600/5crayons.jpg" /></a><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9644001-jonathan-and-the-big-blue-boat">Jonathan and the Big Blue Boat</a> </i>by <a href="http://philipstead.blogspot.com/">Philip C. Stead</a> --- This could quite possibly be my favorite picture book of the year. Oh, how I love the collage illustrations. And the story! Jonathan, a little boy, has lost his teddy bear and is on the hunt for it, using his big blue boat, of course. Along the way, he meets a host of quirky characters that join him on his journey. I need to get to a bookstore pronto to buy this book! Love love love.<br />
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<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1287692542l/8428064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Demonglass (Hex Hall, #2)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1287692542l/8428064.jpg" width="133" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8428064-demonglass">Demonglass</a> </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">by <a href="http://www.rachel-hawkins.com/">Rachel Hawkins</a> --- This is #2 in the Hex Hall series. In </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><i>Hex Hall</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">, Sophie raised a lot of hell. It's a school for supernatural misfits, and Sophie fit right in. In </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><i>Demonglass</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">, Sophie moves to England with her father, whom she's just met, so that she can learn more about her demon self. This was a good book to read in October, with those spooky nights of howling wind. I like Sophie's spunky character and her forbidden love with her sworn enemy. I'll keep reading the series, I think. </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1298155996l/10327303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Uncommon Criminals (Heist Society, #2)" border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1298155996l/10327303.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10327303-uncommon-criminals">Uncommon Criminals</a></i></b> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">by <a href="http://allycarter.com/">Ally Carter</a> --- Another second in a series (Heist Society #2), this book follows Kat as she breaks out of her lonesome streak and learns to play nice with others. The target - Cleopatra's emerald, that which has never been successfully stolen, except upon its discovery during an archaeological dig long ago. The emerald has quite the history, one that Kat seems to be tangled in. Love the adventure. Will read more in the series.</span><br />
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<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1287080033l/8573653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Scary Godmother" border="0" id="coverImage" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1287080033l/8573653.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8573653-scary-godmother">Scary Godmother</a></i></b> by <a href="http://www.jillthompsonart.com/">Jill Thompson</a> (reviewed at my <a href="http://kingschoollibrary.blogspot.com/2011/10/scary-godmother-by-jill-thompson.html">library blog</a>) --- This is a collection of Scary Godmother stories previously published by Dark Horse Comics. I bought this for the library and thought kids would flock to it this month. Not so much. I don't get it. I absolutely devoured this book. The deeply saturated pictures pop off the page and the content was perfect for this month. But there was no excitement. Sure, it got checked out a couple of times , but it didn't get the peer pass-off. Friends didn't tell each other about it. Sad tale. I still like it, though.<br />
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<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1316639185l/10225299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Bake Sale" border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1316639185l/10225299.jpg" width="142" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10225299-bake-sale">Bake Sale</a> </i>by <a href="http://saravaron.com/">Sara Varon</a> --- I loved Varon's <i>Robot Dreams</i>, so I had high hopes for this graphic novel. While I love her signature drawing style, the story itself didn't do much for me. I don't bake. And I mean that emphatically. I really, really hate to bake. Cookies, cakes, cupcakes - I can't do any of it. So yeah, the subject material was a bit foreign and of little interest. But in the warm, gooey center, it's another friendship story, and I appreciated that. </span><br />
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<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41JykDK5LOL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How to Save a Life" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41JykDK5LOL.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10757806-how-to-save-a-life">How to Save a Life</a> </i>by <a href="http://www.sarazarr.com/">Sara Zarr</a> --- Told in alternating perspectives, this is the story of a girl (not to be confused with <i>Story of a Girl</i>, which I loved by Zarr) who's just lost her father and another girl who's about to give birth. They're similar in age but couldn't have more different stories. Jill's had a tough time dealing with her dad's death, but her mother has seemingly moved on, so much that she's taking in Mandy and adopting her baby. An interesting premise, but I had a hard time getting into it. Realistic fiction is not my favorite genre, especially "issues" novels, and this one read like it sometimes. </span><br />
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<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1297199431l/8709527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Bloodlines (Bloodlines, #1)" border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1297199431l/8709527.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8709527-bloodlines">Bloodlines</a> </i>by <a href="http://www.richellemead.com/">Richelle Mead</a> --- Can someone please tell me what this book was about? Because I ate it up while traveling one weekend, but now I can't remember a darn thing about it. The blurb says that it's about alchemist Sydney moving in with Moroi princess Jill (to keep the Dragomir bloodline safe by hiding Jill away), but the details are kind of fuzzy. That's how it is with these books though. Love em and leave em is what I say, and that's not a bad thing. Can't wait for the next one!</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/9424315-the-hunchback-of-neiman-marcus" itemprop="image" rel="nofollow" style="clear: left; color: #666600; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: underline;"><img alt="The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus: A Novel About Marriage, Motherhood, and Mayhem" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1294515879l/9424315.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(221, 221, 221) 0px 5px 5px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 150px;" width="132" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><b style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9424315-the-hunchback-of-neiman-marcus">The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus</a> </b>by <a href="http://www.sonyasones.com/">Sonya Sones</a> --- I love that I'm too young for this book. I read it anyway because I love Sonya Sones' way with words, but I don't have a nest, and even if I did, it would certainly not be empty at this point, so I really and truly can't relate. If anything, I put myself in the shoes of the daughter going off to college (even though it's been a generous few years since that was true). But anyhow, it doesn't matter if you can relate or not. I still laughed and nearly cried at all the right parts and know that in some decades, I'll appreciate this book a little more.</span><br />
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</div>NatalieSaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13992326607932492183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878426701180720240.post-86627235487605951022011-10-02T19:30:00.000-05:002011-10-02T19:30:47.853-05:00September Reading Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKV_aUysA8HvbsomRH_S_e4ZVXhec4sDAg-l0gQQfDh4MURiMW_JfvbtwARaTXQWgax_blkuiS4F-9yi8eo6mz28ZAsfyS2Arz3IrQ90XubLzte4FeOc-LsrNHqfrs389aNN86r01PGgM/s1600/5crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKV_aUysA8HvbsomRH_S_e4ZVXhec4sDAg-l0gQQfDh4MURiMW_JfvbtwARaTXQWgax_blkuiS4F-9yi8eo6mz28ZAsfyS2Arz3IrQ90XubLzte4FeOc-LsrNHqfrs389aNN86r01PGgM/s1600/5crayons.jpg" /></a></div><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1301924170l/9509298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1301924170l/9509298.jpg" width="132" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9509298-what-my-mother-doesn-t-know">What My Mother Doesn't Know</a> </i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">by Sonya Sones (<a href="http://thispurplecrayon.blogspot.com/2011/09/what-my-mother-doesnt-know-by-sonya.html">my review</a>) --- I re-read and reviewed this book for Banned Books Week and was baffled by why it would be so frequently challenged. So, I visited <a href="http://www.sonyasones.com/index.html">Sones' website</a> and she let me in on the big secret - on page 46 of the book, Sophie is examining her newly developed breasts and performing a little experiment on a cold window. Really? This short poem (that's so totally relatable, might I add) is what people find so offensive? Silliness (and extreme prudishness), I say. Changing bodies are causes for enormous stress and that little poem shows girls they're not weird or alone. It happens to all of us! Anyhow, just thought I'd add that little info since I missed it in my review. So much love for this book! </span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1RD1Lp_caSvNJLA_yD1Y22Ew_8owLAPU_lHqav-T1s8lGUW4fqkL31YQy7QyHqCMo8LriEREheLF8M6Cp0L4l44TswhXtVyHfVkjcd2957sgBAIKv2LGB5VNlia9bUkyN3-QC9XhnhY/s1600/4crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1RD1Lp_caSvNJLA_yD1Y22Ew_8owLAPU_lHqav-T1s8lGUW4fqkL31YQy7QyHqCMo8LriEREheLF8M6Cp0L4l44TswhXtVyHfVkjcd2957sgBAIKv2LGB5VNlia9bUkyN3-QC9XhnhY/s1600/4crayons.jpg" /></a><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179602707l/935618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179602707l/935618.jpg" width="130" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/935618.Lush">Lush</a> </i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">by Natasha Friend (<a href="http://thispurplecrayon.blogspot.com/2011/09/banned-books-week-lush-by-natasha.html">my review</a>) --- I also read this book for Banned Books Week and am so glad I did. After looking at <a href="http://www.natashafriend.com/index.html">Friend's website</a>, I learned that almost one in five adult Americans lived with an alcoholic while growing up. Wow! Here's another "you are not alone" book that some people feel the need to censor. I'm not one for hiding the ugly bits of life - they only get uglier that way. And this book is so empowering for teens that have to deal with more than their fair share of those ugly bits. </span></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312022374l/3338001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312022374l/3338001.jpg" width="156" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><i><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3338001-all-stations-distress">All Stations! Distress! April 15, 1912: The Day the Titanic Sank</a></b></i> by Don Brown --- Children's nonfiction is not a genre I frequent often, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a few nonfiction titles on this year's <a href="http://www.islma.org/Bluestem.htm">Bluestem Award</a> list. What I love about this book is that the amount of research that went into it is blended so well with the narrative. I read it aloud to fifth grade students, and we talked about how the quotes from the book came from people who were actually survivors of the Titanic, and they were pretty fascinated by that. Lots of great discussions!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41RA83RXLdL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41RA83RXLdL.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1RD1Lp_caSvNJLA_yD1Y22Ew_8owLAPU_lHqav-T1s8lGUW4fqkL31YQy7QyHqCMo8LriEREheLF8M6Cp0L4l44TswhXtVyHfVkjcd2957sgBAIKv2LGB5VNlia9bUkyN3-QC9XhnhY/s1600/4crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1RD1Lp_caSvNJLA_yD1Y22Ew_8owLAPU_lHqav-T1s8lGUW4fqkL31YQy7QyHqCMo8LriEREheLF8M6Cp0L4l44TswhXtVyHfVkjcd2957sgBAIKv2LGB5VNlia9bUkyN3-QC9XhnhY/s1600/4crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8662836-chain-reaction">Chain Reaction</a> </i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">by Simone Elkeles --- This is the third book in the <i>A Perfect Chemistry</i> trilogy, and it tells the love story of the youngest Fuentes brother, Luis. He's lived in Colorado with Alex for awhile but has now moved back to the Chicago suburbs, back to the old hood, where living on the wrong side of the tracks could get you killed. And you certainly don't associate with people who live on the other side either. Except that the spicy Nikki Cruz lives in a big ol' house in fancy pants Fairfield, even though her parents are from Mexico too. But she knows nothing of her heritage and is perfectly fine with that. When Luis and Nikki collide (quite literally), there's no mistaking the sparks that fly.</span></b><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"></span></b><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Natalie" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/46/A8E946BB58EE0C8B07270C074060B1E4.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a> <script type="text/javascript">
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<a href="http://www.marshall.edu/library/bannedbooks/Images/whatmymother.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.marshall.edu/library/bannedbooks/Images/whatmymother.jpg" width="141" /></a></div>
<b><i>What My Mother Doesn't Know </i>by Sonya Sones</b><br />
published 2001 by Simon & Schuster<br />
259 pages (hardcover), YA<br />
<br />
Jacket flap:<br />
<blockquote>
My name is Sophie.
<br />
This book is about me.
<br />
It tells
<br />
the heart-stoppingly riveting story
<br />
of my first love.
<br />
And also of my second.
<br />
And, okay, my third love, too.
<br />
<br />
It's not that I'm boy crazy.
<br />
It's just that even though
<br />
I'm almost fifteen
<br />
I've been having sort of a hard time
<br />
trying to figure out the difference
<br />
between love and lust.
<br />
<br />
It's like
<br />
my mind
<br />
and my body
<br />
and my heart
<br />
just don't seem to be able to agree
<br />
on anything.</blockquote>
I think that's enough of a summary, really. You've got the main character (Sophie), the basic content of the book (her love life as a 15 year-old girl), and the style in which it's written (series of poems).<br />
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<i>What My Mother Doesn't Know</i> shockingly made it to #7 on <a href="http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/21stcenturychallenged/2010/index.cfm">2010's Most Frequently Challenged Books</a> list for reasons that I cannot comprehend. So, I'm just not going to even try. Instead, let's talk about why this book is absolutely amazing and why I love it so. :)<br />
<br />
The title of this book makes it sound like it's going to be super trashy, but it's not - not at all! I don't like to do this, but I'm going to reveal the secret of the title for you. Cover your eyes if you really don't want to know. Here it comes ... What Sophie's mother doesn't know is that Sophie doesn't want to wear the ugly rose-printed dress she guilted Sophie into buying and that Sophie actually will be changing at a friend's house into a slinky black dress more suited for the Halloween dance. Oh Sophie, how could you! (Pardon the sarcasm.) C'mon, who hasn't performed the good ol' switcheroo? I know I certainly did as a teen!<br />
<br />
What's wonderful about the book is Sophie's voice. She's so disarmingly honest. Her poems transport you right into the depths of a specific feeling. From the initial sparks of a new crush to the empathy of a lonely classmate and the longing for a better relationship with her mother, Sophie feels everything so acutely that you can't help but feel it a little too. On the back cover of my book, there's a blurb by Laurie Halse Anderson that sums up my thoughts about the story - "<i>Tender and sexy and honest. With the poetry of an innocent kiss and the passion of a teenager's heart, Sones has created a book that feels like real love.</i>" Exactly! It <i>feels</i> like real love.<br />
<br />
I remember reading this book when it first came out and absolutely devouring and adoring it because I could relate to it so well (even though I was a few years older than Sophie), but even reading it again just last night, 10 years later, I'm still right there with Sophie. It's not that it was a good book for me at the time because I could relate to it - it's just a good book, period. It's one that I'll re-read again and again because it'll remind me of what it's like to be a teen in such a beautiful and heartfelt way. Sophie and I are kindred spirits, that's for sure, but I think Sophie's charm can extend to those who may not relate so closely too. Gosh, I want to read it again right now! I'm not properly conveying how excited about and grateful for this book I am. You'll just have to read it for yourself to see why it makes me so giddy and tongue-tied. :)<br />
<br />
So yeah, I was indeed surprised to find this book on last year's Most Frequently Challenged list mostly because it's so old. Ten years is a long shelf life for a YA novel! Does that mean it's on its way to becoming a classic? Are teens still gobbling it up like I did back in the day? I sure hope so! And I hope that this list appearance makes it a little more popular still.<br />
<br />
Five purple crayons for one of my favorite books ever!<br />
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Cross-posted to the <a href="http://bannedbookschallenge.blogspot.com/2011/09/what-my-mother-doesnt-know-by-sonya.html">Banned Books</a> blog.NatalieSaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13992326607932492183noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878426701180720240.post-73446134101737525062011-09-25T12:50:00.001-05:002011-12-04T14:53:31.114-06:00Banned Books Week - Lush by Natasha Friend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><i>Lush </i>by Natasha Friend</b><br />
published November 2006 by Scholastic<br />
192 pages (hardcover), YA<br />
<br />
Thirteen year-old Samantha has a fairly normal life. She has three fantastic best friends, an adorable and energetic four year-old brother, and a mom who is quite obsessed with yoga. Oh, and her dad's an alcoholic. But he's not the blatantly belligerent type. He doesn't come crashing down the street, alerting the neighbors to his unseemly state. No, he just crashes around inside the house and forgets about it all in the morning. After one crash too many, Sam just doesn't know how to deal anymore. She can't tell her best friends because they're just so normal and who knows how they'll react. So, she's been writing notes back and forth to AJK, some anonymous person she "met" at the library. All the while, she's also "mashing" (is that really the new word for kissing?) with a cute high school boy at the water fountain, who just so happens to invite her to a party. You can guess what happens there. This is Sam's life, a bit messy and complicated, but honest and real.<br />
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I downloaded this book last night because it was #6 on <a href="http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/21stcenturychallenged/2010/index.cfm">ALA's Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2010</a> list, and it is now <a href="http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/index.cfm">Banned Books Week</a>. The reasons it was so frequently challenged? Drugs, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group. Yes, alcohol is a drug, and it's a running theme throughout the book. But it's not glorified in any way. Samantha hates that her father drinks. She tries it at a party one night, without thinking really, and realizes even more afterward how horrible it actually is. I won't even go into defending the other reasons because I think they're all unjustified and ridiculous. <a href="http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/lush">Common Sense Media</a> does a good job of highlighting any questionable content, if you're really into judging a book before you read it. The one other thing I'd mention, though, is that it's definitely not "unsuited to the age group." I'd hand this book to a mature 10 year-old, I really would. I have students in 5th grade that would read this and really appreciate it.<br />
<br />
Samantha's voice is just so honest. <i>Lush</i> isn't only about Sam's feelings about her alcoholic father. That would translate into problem novel, and it's definitely not one of those. We get to know her as a complex 13 year-old. A girl who wears baggy shirts because she's developed faster than her friends and doesn't know how to communicate those feelings. A girl who so desperately needs someone to talk to that she writes notes back and forth to someone she's never met. But a girl who still has her head on her shoulders (most of the time) and who knows the difference between right and wrong.<br />
<br />
Natasha Friend articulates Sam's thoughts about her father so well - the way she analyzes his words and movements to tell if he's drunk, the way she checks all the supposedly hidden bottles of alcohol in the house to see if there's any liquid missing. And she makes Sam strong. Sam tells her father the truth - she doesn't believe him when he says he'll stop, and she says so. Although having an alcoholic father is a seriously tough issue, Natasha Friend provides a realistic way for teens to respond, cope, and make amends. It's not cutesy or wrapped up nicely. But it offers hope.<br />
<br />
I'm so glad that I looked at this year's list of challenged books because I definitely missed this one when it came out. And I'm torn between being furious that it's been so frequently challenged and happy that it has been because it means that much more exposure for the book. You don't have to have an alcoholic in the family to get this book. But if you do, goodness gracious, you're not alone, and it feels so good to know that. Four purple crayons to <i>Lush </i>by Natasha Friend.<br />
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<br />
<b>So, that's my banned book reading for the week - what will you read? </b><br />
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Cross-posted to the <a href="http://bannedbookschallenge.blogspot.com/2011/09/lush-by-natasha-friend.html">Banned Books</a> blog.NatalieSaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13992326607932492183noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878426701180720240.post-84704668587345798252011-09-03T13:46:00.002-05:002011-09-03T13:46:53.778-05:00July/August Reading Recap<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">*Title links lead you to the book's <a href="http://goodreads.com/">Goodreads</a> page.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173961142s/348564.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173961142s/348564.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/348564.Flat_Stanley">Flat Stanley</a></i></b> by Jeff Brown<b> </b>---<b> </b>A classic in children's literature, but I had never read it. Cute, though slightly disturbing story if you fail to suspend disbelief. Kids enjoy it though - and who wouldn't like to send themselves to faraway places through the postal service? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1RD1Lp_caSvNJLA_yD1Y22Ew_8owLAPU_lHqav-T1s8lGUW4fqkL31YQy7QyHqCMo8LriEREheLF8M6Cp0L4l44TswhXtVyHfVkjcd2957sgBAIKv2LGB5VNlia9bUkyN3-QC9XhnhY/s1600/4crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1RD1Lp_caSvNJLA_yD1Y22Ew_8owLAPU_lHqav-T1s8lGUW4fqkL31YQy7QyHqCMo8LriEREheLF8M6Cp0L4l44TswhXtVyHfVkjcd2957sgBAIKv2LGB5VNlia9bUkyN3-QC9XhnhY/s1600/4crayons.jpg" /></a><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2934707-bad-news-for-outlaws">Bad News for Outlaws</a> </i>by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson --- The subtitle of this book is "The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal," which doesn't sound all that thrilling until you realize that he was African-American which <i>is</i> pretty special for the time. A picture book biography this book is, but it's one meant for upper elementary students, especially during their studies of Westward expansion. I appreciated the story and will use it especially in lessons on research because the back matter is so thorough and just as engaging as the story itself. Oh, and it's nominated for the <a href="http://www.islma.org/Bluestem.htm">2012 Bluestem Award</a>, too. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1061557.Riding_Freedom">Riding Freedom</a></i></b> by Pam Munoz Ryan --- Another book set in the Wild West and also nominated for the <a href="http://www.islma.org/Bluestem.htm">2012 Bluestem Award</a>. The main character is an orphan girl who is forced to either run away from the orphanage or spend her life working in the kitchen. She loves taking care of and riding horses and dreams of owning her own ranch someday. Don't know which of my students would read this one as it was a bit slow going. I'll be sure to promote it when I know they're studying the same in social studies. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-l97_4LLe8zWbMTAfU2lNedU8Kik4cypep0cXlWV5m8h5ixUOAse4RBTZ2fzHYNtPhIyCZa9mz9hUQfamH0yJmLn9y0pqiG_VxbPWc3iEklYjq9DAWn8RvFvraJFLk31SwTmkOUUs28U/s1600/2crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-l97_4LLe8zWbMTAfU2lNedU8Kik4cypep0cXlWV5m8h5ixUOAse4RBTZ2fzHYNtPhIyCZa9mz9hUQfamH0yJmLn9y0pqiG_VxbPWc3iEklYjq9DAWn8RvFvraJFLk31SwTmkOUUs28U/s1600/2crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6752378-city-of-fallen-angels">City of Fallen Angels</a></i></b> by Cassandra Clare --- Took me an entire month to get through this book. But I persevered. And wish that I hadn't. Bad timing is what I'll call it because I'm sure that if I had re-read the series and picked this one up where the last one left off, I'd be perfectly satisfied. But that was not the case, and I ended up confused and just didn't care about the story or characters anymore. Sad tale, I know. Must not start series unless I know that they are complete. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1RD1Lp_caSvNJLA_yD1Y22Ew_8owLAPU_lHqav-T1s8lGUW4fqkL31YQy7QyHqCMo8LriEREheLF8M6Cp0L4l44TswhXtVyHfVkjcd2957sgBAIKv2LGB5VNlia9bUkyN3-QC9XhnhY/s1600/4crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1RD1Lp_caSvNJLA_yD1Y22Ew_8owLAPU_lHqav-T1s8lGUW4fqkL31YQy7QyHqCMo8LriEREheLF8M6Cp0L4l44TswhXtVyHfVkjcd2957sgBAIKv2LGB5VNlia9bUkyN3-QC9XhnhY/s1600/4crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/207802.Ida_B_and_Her_Plans_to_Maximize_Fun_Avoid_Disaster_and_Possibly_Save_the_World">Ida B</a></i></b> by Katherine Hannigan (<a href="http://kingschoollibrary.blogspot.com/2011/08/end-of-summer-reading.html">review</a> over at my school library blog) --- Oh, how I loved Ida B! She reminded me so much of my students. She's imaginative and free-spirited and lovely - until she learns that her mom has cancer, and then her world just about falls apart. Everything changes, and the only way she knows how to cope is to guard her heart by putting up walls and shutting everyone and thing out. Heartbreaking, yes, but there's hope!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6084399-the-princess-diaries">The Princess Diaries</a></i></b> by Meg Cabot --- I'm not ashamed to say that I've seen the movie countless times and never even thought to read the book. C'mon, Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews! But now that I've read the book, I can appreciate most of the creative liberties taken to revising the screenplay. But why the location change? I love San Francisco, just don't know why NYC got robbed. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><i><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11090324-forever">Forever</a></b></i> by Maggie Stiefvater --- Is it horrible to say that I can't remember this book? I know that Isabel and what's his name, the Narkotika guy (Cole?), were more prominent in this book and that Grace had some shifting control issues, but eh. I'm all about character-driven stories, but I feel like I really missed out in the story department here. The writing was beautiful as always, though. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhNbhf7yVXG44-9_UoSWnVL2W9sNPq1V-G_QrsbtjO2_Z7zPX8XCdqOQNnIrjjguAQCXxiyt5EV_gk2-9EbDA7Huvph9Zw0s4PD8yzsYcdZ30A6V2qhKp-5fcNu6Y7X4feu9MD_mwCog/s1600/3crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6870505-seduced-by-the-wolf">Seduced by the Wolf</a></i></b> by Terry Spear --- It's not summer unless I read at least one paranormal romance not aimed at the YA set. This story was interesting - the main character was a werewolf woman who was also a wolf biologist interested in actual wolves and pack dynamics. But she falls for an alpha male of her own kind... and there goes her independence (compromise, they call it). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKV_aUysA8HvbsomRH_S_e4ZVXhec4sDAg-l0gQQfDh4MURiMW_JfvbtwARaTXQWgax_blkuiS4F-9yi8eo6mz28ZAsfyS2Arz3IrQ90XubLzte4FeOc-LsrNHqfrs389aNN86r01PGgM/s1600/5crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKV_aUysA8HvbsomRH_S_e4ZVXhec4sDAg-l0gQQfDh4MURiMW_JfvbtwARaTXQWgax_blkuiS4F-9yi8eo6mz28ZAsfyS2Arz3IrQ90XubLzte4FeOc-LsrNHqfrs389aNN86r01PGgM/s1600/5crayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11180068-stolen">Stolen</a></i></b> by Lucy Christopher (<a href="http://thispurplecrayon.blogspot.com/2011/07/stolen-by-lucy-christopher.html">my review</a>) --- I haven't re-read this one yet like I said I wanted to, but I'm so glad I bought it for my Kindle because I'll be able to read it again anytime I feel like it, which is a true luxury for me. Just looking at the cover, I get goosebumps all over, and I remember the story and the emotions so vividly. Just go read it. </div>
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NatalieSaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13992326607932492183noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878426701180720240.post-81063625557557017422011-07-19T09:11:00.000-05:002011-07-19T09:11:22.864-05:00Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books Every Teen Should Read<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxR53Iu6lh6RlPGjrwfYGmDmTVYXGYeElFDCD5ZYi3lL7EZ70SrgNcrl7Kuu-jdHud_QeF-4_N0Waz8fVaXwXQU-emZthYxNQ9SsVLWbFXNfZLHRiu7PVe-v2sAbbIFeF3CZ2r-vw0vM5d/s1600/TTT3W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxR53Iu6lh6RlPGjrwfYGmDmTVYXGYeElFDCD5ZYi3lL7EZ70SrgNcrl7Kuu-jdHud_QeF-4_N0Waz8fVaXwXQU-emZthYxNQ9SsVLWbFXNfZLHRiu7PVe-v2sAbbIFeF3CZ2r-vw0vM5d/s1600/TTT3W.jpg" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Top Ten Tuesday is created by and hosted at <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/">The Broke and the Bookish</a>. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Go there to check out more Top 10 lists and add your own to the mix!</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This week's topic is:</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Top 10 Books Every Teen Should Read</b></span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Is it awful of me to change the meme slightly? I've read quite a few lists from others recently, and while I agree with many of the books they've included, I've also seen many people comment on how it's impossible to compose a list of books that every teen should read because every teen is different. So, I thought I'd give you a look into my life instead.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Top 10 Books My Teen Self Loved </b></span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span>(or would have loved had I read them as a teen)</b></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br />
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<i><b><div><a href="http://www.onlinebooksstores.co/files/photo/17/l/children-books-online-0064430227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.onlinebooksstores.co/files/photo/17/l/children-books-online-0064430227.jpg" width="153" /></a><i><b><br />
</b></i></div>Harold and the Purple Crayon</b></i> by Crockett Johnson<br />
<div>It's the namesake of my blog because it's the one I always go back to when I think about why I love stories so much. I actually first read it in high school - I was browsing my local bookstore and found myself in the picture book section. I randomly picked up <i>Harold</i> and started reading. I had no idea it would be one of the books that changed my life. I didn't feel any different afterward. But then I read it again. And again. And Harold's imagination inspired me. Still does!<br />
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</i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/111180000/111183482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/111180000/111183482.JPG" width="142" /></a></div><div><b><i><br />
</i></b></div><div><b><i>The Perks of Being a Wallflower</i></b> by Stephen Chbosky</div><div>I wore this book out in high school, and it's coming to a theater near you in 2012. The subject material in <i>Perks</i> is quite raw, and perhaps that's why I loved it so. It was so different from my ordinary life as a teen, but the emotions were still all too familiar. I like this line from the blurb - "The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite." Oh, and if I ever start using the word "incidentally," you'll know I've recently re-read this book. :) </div><div><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><br />
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</i></b></div><div><b><i>Fahrenheit 451</i></b> by Ray Bradbury</div><div>I fear the day when this book will no longer be relevant. I don't think it's here yet. But it's awfully close. How can you connect to this book if you already do not see the value in the printed word? I'm afraid many teens do not. But for those who do, like my teen self did (and of course I still do), <i>Fahrenheit 451 </i>will strike a chord. It will reveal a reality that cares not for knowledge or wisdom but is happy for ignorance and complacency. There will always be knowledge seekers regardless of the format, so this one's for them. </div><div><b><i><br />
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</i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://booksthatstackup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/speak-198x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://booksthatstackup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/speak-198x300.jpg" width="132" /></a></div><div><b><i><br />
</i></b></div><div><b><i>Speak</i></b> by Laurie Halse Anderson</div><div>It's already on many required reading lists, but I read it as a senior in high school when it first came out. I remember being completely ripped apart by it. Before then, I had never had so much emotion spew forth all because of a book. I cried and cried and felt too much for Melinda. And I had never experienced anything like it nor known anyone else that had. It's a new classic, for sure. </div><div><b><i><br />
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</i></b></div><div><b><i>The Bell Jar</i></b> by Sylvia Plath</div><div>This was not required reading in high school - I actually picked it up on my own. It's not one that I would even think to recommend, but I remember it vividly from high school. It was the summer after my junior year, and I was attempting to devour the classics. I had read too much Victorian lit and was looking for something with a little more edge, and <i>The Bell Jar </i>certainly fits that description. I like to say that I was Emo before Emo even existed, and this book brought out all sorts of crazy emotions. It was a trend for me - to read the books that evoked strong emotions. Yep, it still is. </div><div><b><i><br />
</i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/49100000/49104584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/49100000/49104584.JPG" width="124" /></a></div><div><b><i><br />
</i></b></div><div><b><i>Catcher in the Rye</i></b> by J.D. Salinger</div><div>You either love it or you hate it, I think. And I happen to love it. Holden Caulfield is a voice you will not be able to get out of your head for weeks after reading <i>Catcher</i>, and it just may stay with you forever. Not that it's a particularly inspiring or heroic voice. He's basically a pain in the rear. But that's why I love him. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Man, my junior year of high school was such an influential reading year. So many of my favorites come from then!</div><div><br />
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</div><div><b>That concludes the "books I read in high school" portion of the list. I read the following books in college and beyond, and they are listed chronologically by when I read them. They're books that I would have loved in high school had they been published back then.</b></div><div><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><br />
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</i></b></div><div><b><i>Uglies</i></b> by Scott Westerfeld</div><div>This was one of my first forays into science fiction, a genre I did not think I would enjoy, and oh, how I loved it! Tally Youngblood, you quietly rebellious little thing, I couldn't help but want to be you. More than the characters though, I was impressed that I could be so into the description of Westerfeld's dystopian society. And the language! Just make it all up, why don't you? Such creativity, how could I not love it?</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kdl.org/image_attachments/0000/6291/51vhnmm8ykl.jpg?1210864968" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.kdl.org/image_attachments/0000/6291/51vhnmm8ykl.jpg?1210864968" width="129" /></a></div><div><b><i><br />
</i></b></div><div><b><i>The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks </i></b>by E. Lockhart</div><div>I remember reading this book in college while lounging with a friend and stopping after every paragraph to discuss something Frankie just wrote or said. It must have been supremely annoying, but I couldn't help it. I would squeal and giggle and just be so happy that Frankie was such a strong girl, so attuned to the injustice happening at her school and unwilling to take her place as a docile woman in a male-dominated society. You go, girl. </div><div><b><i><br />
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</i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSl0elNihKYZw6Vy29Y2pSvv6w-yhf08JVu1FfS37TZOt6RU375MA" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSl0elNihKYZw6Vy29Y2pSvv6w-yhf08JVu1FfS37TZOt6RU375MA" width="132" /></a></div><div><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><b><i>Will Grayson, Will Grayson </i></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">by John Green and David Levithan</span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">My high school self would have LOVED this book. And it was so perfectly channeled while I read it last year - I acutely remembered what it was to be 16 again. There are just certain books that click with you, like kindred spirits, and this was one for me. And shocker - the main characters are both male! Nonetheless, the setting and situations were entirely relatable and believable in a too real way, and I just glowed while reading it. :) I wish that every teen could share that experience! </span></i></b></div><div><b><i><br />
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</i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSP_3KaE5A1Sw-4XNZVgSo4OO4KywyU40I2kp8U3BiOhiTRxizR" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSP_3KaE5A1Sw-4XNZVgSo4OO4KywyU40I2kp8U3BiOhiTRxizR" width="131" /></a></div><div><b><i><br />
</i></b></div><div><b><i>The Sky Is Everywhere</i></b> by Jandy Nelson</div><div>I wish I had this book in college when my grandmother passed away. Not that I'm sold on bibliotherapy, but for me, it would have done a world of good. It still did, as grief seems to be never ending, and I'm quite thankful for it. But I don't think you need to have experienced the loss of a loved one to connect to this story. Maybe to understand some of the choices that Lennie makes that seem completely inappropriate. What I love most about it is that it wasn't a sobfest - there was an equal amount of love and laughter. Thank goodness! </div><div><b><i><br />
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So, those are my Top 10 this week! I'm off to go read some others!<br />
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published May 2010 by Chicken House<br />
304 pages (hardcover)<br />
Kindle edition published February 2011<br />
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On route to a summer holiday in Vietnam with her parents, sixteen year-old Gemma is kidnapped from the Bangkok Airport over a simple cup of coffee. One minute she's staring into a handsome face with beautiful blue eyes, and the next she's lying in a bed wearing unfamiliar clothes and feeling the aftereffects of some nasty drugs. Terrified and confused, Gemma slowly realizes that there is little hope for escape in this Australian never-ending desert, and that Ty, her captor, actually means her no harm. Told as a letter written to Ty, this story is unlike other kidnapping tales in that he's not actually a bad guy. Really.<br />
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For the record, I've never been kidnapped. So, I don't personally know how it feels. But if I ever do, I sure hope it's by someone like Ty. The guy has good intentions, mind you. He wants to save Gemma from her life of plastic parents and ugly concrete London. He's been watching her, and he can sense that she's different like him, that she just might want to run away to the desert and live in isolation on the land. Maybe that sounds crazy. But he's convinced, and he had me convinced too. And Gemma? She's a trooper. She must have aged ten years in the short time they spent together, with all the emotions she went through. She responded quite appropriately to finding out she had been kidnapped - hurt captor, run away. She repeated these actions until they proved useless. Until she grew weary of the fight and realized Ty wasn't fighting back. I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that Gemma and Ty had a complicated relationship. You're supposed to root for Gemma, to want her to escape and find her way home. That's a normal response. But goodness, how could you not feel for Ty? He was severely misguided, yes, but he has such a good heart.<br />
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I never understood it when people finished reading a book and then immediately went back to re-read it. Yeah, I get it now. Maybe not tonight, but I will revisit it soon because I loved it that much. Not just loved it either. I love a lot of books. I can't help it that I love stories so. But because it moved me (I know that's corny, but how else to say it?). It made me feel and think things I didn't think I could, and that is a rare gift. Maybe it's not a feel-good story, but it's a feel-something story, and I do appreciate it.<br />
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Thank you to Chelsea from <a href="http://www.coffeeandcliffhangers.com/2011/06/stolen-by-lucy-christopher.html">Coffee and Cliffhangers</a> for blogging about this book last week and unintentionally giving me exactly the recommendation I didn't know I was looking for. :)<br />
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Do I even have to say it? Five purple crayons for reminding me what it means to be human.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Natalie" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/46/A8E946BB58EE0C8B07270C074060B1E4.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a> <script type="text/javascript">
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This is the first book I've read by Lauren Myracle, and I can't say that I enjoyed it because the subject matter was heavy, but I'm glad I read it. I've been watching a lot of TV lately, <i>The Killing </i>and <i>Twin Peaks </i>come to mind, and this really reminded me of those shows because of the murder mystery feel to it, though it's much more than that.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41hz5KJ+bJL._SL75_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41hz5KJ+bJL._SL75_.jpg" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgis616UX_9Ai577JUKBT2W7kki-oESWPx2iWhsMs2is9-1IYxUzyykiCpX3R9aPK7l5kO2y2kugCVOPVaQOKomC_RdehiU8AgnMYhbfCzUPzP9nYVPzNhOSXbdU-z2nWCZuSJEcovCpWk/s1600/fourcrayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgis616UX_9Ai577JUKBT2W7kki-oESWPx2iWhsMs2is9-1IYxUzyykiCpX3R9aPK7l5kO2y2kugCVOPVaQOKomC_RdehiU8AgnMYhbfCzUPzP9nYVPzNhOSXbdU-z2nWCZuSJEcovCpWk/s1600/fourcrayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11698723-oubliette">Oubliette</a> </i>by Megg Jensen</b><br />
Book two in the Cloud Prophet trilogy - oh, how I hate having to wait for book three! Go check out <a href="http://meggjensen.blogspot.com/">Megg's blog</a> because she's pretty awesome, and she loves to give stuff away! :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51c17f4gj7L._SL75_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51c17f4gj7L._SL75_.jpg" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgis616UX_9Ai577JUKBT2W7kki-oESWPx2iWhsMs2is9-1IYxUzyykiCpX3R9aPK7l5kO2y2kugCVOPVaQOKomC_RdehiU8AgnMYhbfCzUPzP9nYVPzNhOSXbdU-z2nWCZuSJEcovCpWk/s1600/fourcrayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgis616UX_9Ai577JUKBT2W7kki-oESWPx2iWhsMs2is9-1IYxUzyykiCpX3R9aPK7l5kO2y2kugCVOPVaQOKomC_RdehiU8AgnMYhbfCzUPzP9nYVPzNhOSXbdU-z2nWCZuSJEcovCpWk/s1600/fourcrayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10489097-anathema">Anathema</a> </i>by Megg Jensen</b><br />
Ooh, I have such love for this book! It's the first book in the Cloud Prophet trilogy, and I love me a trilogy. I started writing a review for this and the next book, but I have yet to finish it. Perhaps when I read the last book.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1304493588s/11233411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1304493588s/11233411.jpg" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVkefaZZ21tgjENbN8obcZwj0htvXPi3PaBw1LOupbjl0oQDqu1kXburtj8QtHnyrKHh-nLirBe77xOXYj9HiiIpTqrrZHfOWgBPrfvMcY15uU8idunYoiiPCsWJeBjjaxGKp2-srdr4/s1600/threecrayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVkefaZZ21tgjENbN8obcZwj0htvXPi3PaBw1LOupbjl0oQDqu1kXburtj8QtHnyrKHh-nLirBe77xOXYj9HiiIpTqrrZHfOWgBPrfvMcY15uU8idunYoiiPCsWJeBjjaxGKp2-srdr4/s1600/threecrayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11233411-summer-s-crossing">Summer's Crossing</a> </i>by Julie Kagawa</b><br />
This is an Iron Fey novella. Here we have Ash and Puck off on an adventure together. Wait, what? Yes, the two fellas are working together, even though they want to kill each other. Read it on my Kindle because it was free - yay!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1262745104s/4813737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1262745104s/4813737.jpg" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVkefaZZ21tgjENbN8obcZwj0htvXPi3PaBw1LOupbjl0oQDqu1kXburtj8QtHnyrKHh-nLirBe77xOXYj9HiiIpTqrrZHfOWgBPrfvMcY15uU8idunYoiiPCsWJeBjjaxGKp2-srdr4/s1600/threecrayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVkefaZZ21tgjENbN8obcZwj0htvXPi3PaBw1LOupbjl0oQDqu1kXburtj8QtHnyrKHh-nLirBe77xOXYj9HiiIpTqrrZHfOWgBPrfvMcY15uU8idunYoiiPCsWJeBjjaxGKp2-srdr4/s1600/threecrayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4813737-tell-us-we-re-home">Tell Us We're Home</a> </i>by Marina Budhos</b><br />
I wanted to connect with this book more than I did. It's told in three voices of immigrant girls who become friends at school because of their inabilities to fit in with the Americans. More about it <a href="http://thispurplecrayon.blogspot.com/2011/06/nerds-heart-ya-first-round-winner.html">here</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170161179s/43641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170161179s/43641.jpg" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVkefaZZ21tgjENbN8obcZwj0htvXPi3PaBw1LOupbjl0oQDqu1kXburtj8QtHnyrKHh-nLirBe77xOXYj9HiiIpTqrrZHfOWgBPrfvMcY15uU8idunYoiiPCsWJeBjjaxGKp2-srdr4/s1600/threecrayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVkefaZZ21tgjENbN8obcZwj0htvXPi3PaBw1LOupbjl0oQDqu1kXburtj8QtHnyrKHh-nLirBe77xOXYj9HiiIpTqrrZHfOWgBPrfvMcY15uU8idunYoiiPCsWJeBjjaxGKp2-srdr4/s1600/threecrayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43641.Water_for_Elephants">Water for Elephants</a> </i>by Sara Gruen</b><br />
Whoever led me to believe this was a love story did not read the same book. No, it's the story of a man looking back on his life, focusing on memories of his time in the circus as a young twenty-something (where he happens to fall in love). I liked it okay. Haven't seen the movie yet, which is mostly why I read it when I did.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1259599097s/6768377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1259599097s/6768377.jpg" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgis616UX_9Ai577JUKBT2W7kki-oESWPx2iWhsMs2is9-1IYxUzyykiCpX3R9aPK7l5kO2y2kugCVOPVaQOKomC_RdehiU8AgnMYhbfCzUPzP9nYVPzNhOSXbdU-z2nWCZuSJEcovCpWk/s1600/fourcrayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgis616UX_9Ai577JUKBT2W7kki-oESWPx2iWhsMs2is9-1IYxUzyykiCpX3R9aPK7l5kO2y2kugCVOPVaQOKomC_RdehiU8AgnMYhbfCzUPzP9nYVPzNhOSXbdU-z2nWCZuSJEcovCpWk/s1600/fourcrayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6768377-the-red-umbrella">The Red Umbrella</a> </i>by Christina Gonzalez</b><br />
I'm so happy I had the chance to judge this book for <a href="http://nerdsheartya.wordpress.com/">Nerds Heart YA</a> because I may not have read it otherwise, and that would be a shame. Review <a href="http://thispurplecrayon.blogspot.com/2011/06/nerds-heart-ya-first-round-winner.html">here</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1271821157s/6192165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1271821157s/6192165.jpg" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVkefaZZ21tgjENbN8obcZwj0htvXPi3PaBw1LOupbjl0oQDqu1kXburtj8QtHnyrKHh-nLirBe77xOXYj9HiiIpTqrrZHfOWgBPrfvMcY15uU8idunYoiiPCsWJeBjjaxGKp2-srdr4/s1600/threecrayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVkefaZZ21tgjENbN8obcZwj0htvXPi3PaBw1LOupbjl0oQDqu1kXburtj8QtHnyrKHh-nLirBe77xOXYj9HiiIpTqrrZHfOWgBPrfvMcY15uU8idunYoiiPCsWJeBjjaxGKp2-srdr4/s1600/threecrayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6192165-full-moon">Full Moon</a> </i>by Rachel Hawthorne </b><br />
I liked <i>Moonlight </i>and was still in the mood for some werewolves, so I picked up the next book in the Dark Guardian series. Each story follows a different girl who is approaching her first transformation and in need of a boy to coach her through it. It sounds awful, I know. But the way it's written is not so. :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1306722698s/9415946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1306722698s/9415946.jpg" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVkefaZZ21tgjENbN8obcZwj0htvXPi3PaBw1LOupbjl0oQDqu1kXburtj8QtHnyrKHh-nLirBe77xOXYj9HiiIpTqrrZHfOWgBPrfvMcY15uU8idunYoiiPCsWJeBjjaxGKp2-srdr4/s1600/threecrayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVkefaZZ21tgjENbN8obcZwj0htvXPi3PaBw1LOupbjl0oQDqu1kXburtj8QtHnyrKHh-nLirBe77xOXYj9HiiIpTqrrZHfOWgBPrfvMcY15uU8idunYoiiPCsWJeBjjaxGKp2-srdr4/s1600/threecrayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9415946-huntress">Huntress</a> </i>by Malinda Lo</b><br />
I read this at the wrong time. I didn't have the attention span for it, and I never felt propelled forward in the story. But the writing is so beautiful! More <a href="http://thispurplecrayon.blogspot.com/2011/05/read-recently.html">here</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1278563012s/3567200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1278563012s/3567200.jpg" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVkefaZZ21tgjENbN8obcZwj0htvXPi3PaBw1LOupbjl0oQDqu1kXburtj8QtHnyrKHh-nLirBe77xOXYj9HiiIpTqrrZHfOWgBPrfvMcY15uU8idunYoiiPCsWJeBjjaxGKp2-srdr4/s1600/threecrayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVkefaZZ21tgjENbN8obcZwj0htvXPi3PaBw1LOupbjl0oQDqu1kXburtj8QtHnyrKHh-nLirBe77xOXYj9HiiIpTqrrZHfOWgBPrfvMcY15uU8idunYoiiPCsWJeBjjaxGKp2-srdr4/s1600/threecrayons.jpg" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3567200-moonlight">Moonlight</a> </i>by Rachel Hawthorne</b><br />
I was in the mood for a werewolf book, and this one fit the mold nicely. More about it <a href="http://thispurplecrayon.blogspot.com/2011/05/read-recently.html">here</a>.<br />
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Today is the day! The first judging decisions of the <a href="http://nerdsheartya.wordpress.com/">Nerds Heart YA Tournament</a> are revealed!<br />
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To review, the Nerds Heart YA Tournament is a way to publicize fantastic YA books with diverse characters and settings that didn't get a whole lot of buzz last year. Nominations were accepted online, and the Nerds Heart YA team, composed of dedicated book bloggers, narrowed the list down to 32 titles. From these 32 books, there will emerge the 2011 Nerds Heart YA Champion!<br />
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Heather from <a href="http://heatherlo.wordpress.com/">Book Addiction</a> and I co-judged the following two books in this first round of judging. Take a look at the <a href="http://nerdsheartya.wordpress.com/2011/05/16/277/">brackets</a> to see what else is coming up soon!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">THE BATTLE</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/45510000/45518945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/45510000/45518945.JPG" width="136" /></a></div><a href="http://img1.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n62/n312991.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://img1.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n62/n312991.jpg" width="133" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>The Red Umbrella</b></i><b> by Christina Diaz Gonzalez</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">published May 2010 by Random House</div><div style="text-align: left;">288 pages (hardcover), MG/YA<br />
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Fourteen year-old Lucia, her little brother Frankie, and her parents are living in Cuba at the start of Castro's Revolution in 1961. This doesn't mean much for Lucia because she's your average Cuban girl - interested in fashion, American magazines, and of course, boys. But the Revolution recruited followers for only so long before it became mandatory to outwardly support Castro or be labeled a rebel and punished as an enemy. This means that either Lucia and her brother sign up for Castro's youth camps or they get sent to the U.S. to try to find a better life. Lucia's parents made the painful decision to send their children away as a part of Operation Pedro Pan, so they flew to Miami, Florida and were taken in by a Catholic church with many Cuban members. From there, the brother and sister were moved to a foster family in Nebraska, who took them in and treated them as their own.<br />
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Goodness gracious, how I loved this book! I'm astonished at how much I liked it since historical fiction isn't a genre I normally read. But I felt like this book wasn't boxed in by genre labels. The Cuban Revolution provided a very distinct context for the story, but the story itself - a family torn apart because of their beliefs, immigrating to another country for a better life, and hoping to reunite - could be plopped into a variety of cultures and/or time periods. Knowing that the book was largely based on the author's parents' personal experiences was a huge bonus because it added that authenticity I would have questioned otherwise. And when a book is that personal, I think the writing really shines. It was such an emotionally-charged story, and the characters and settings were so well-developed that I felt like I <i>knew</i> Lucia and could walk through her Cuban town. When they moved to the U.S., I felt how scared they were that they wouldn't see their parents, that they would even be separated from each other, but how brave they were trying to be so that they could make it on their own. And thank goodness a wonderful and kind family fostered them because I was not going to have a sad ending in this book! That's all I'll say - please go read it if you haven't! It's a gem.</div><br />
<b><i>Tell Us We're Home </i>by Marina Budhos</b><br />
published May 2010 by Simon & Schuster<br />
297 pages (hardcover), MG/YA<br />
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This book is told in different perspectives by three eighth-grade immigrant girls who find comfort in their shared otherness and become friends - Jaya, Maria, and Lola. They live in Meadowbrook, New Jersey but come from different parts of the world, and their mothers are all nannies and/or maids. The girls struggle to fit in at school and to experience what it's truly like to be American.<br />
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I liked this book. In my mind, I kept comparing it to <i>The Help </i>by Kathryn Stockett (which if you haven't read, you need to go do so - like right now) because the mothers in <i>Tell Us We're Home </i>were, in fact, the help. I could relate to much of the book because I come from an immigrant family too, and even though our life situations were different, the feelings of being an outsider and not quite understanding the culture were very familiar. Although I liked getting to know three characters from distinct backgrounds, I felt like I often got their cultures confused, got the characters themselves confused because each chapter jumped from one character to another. And there wasn't one that I was really interested in - they each had a unique story, I guess I just didn't connect with that part. That being said, I think it's a good story, and a story that needs more telling because the immigrant experience is so vast and diverse.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">THE WINNER</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/45510000/45518945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/45510000/45518945.JPG" width="136" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The Red Umbrella </i>by Christina Diaz Gonzalez wins in the First Round of Nerds Heart YA!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">While Heather and I liked both books, we both LOVED <i>The Red Umbrella</i> and declared it our clear winner. Yay! I can't wait to see how the other battles go...</div><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Natalie" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/46/A8E946BB58EE0C8B07270C074060B1E4.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a> <script type="text/javascript">
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</script>NatalieSaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13992326607932492183noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878426701180720240.post-65588246313594759082011-06-10T12:06:00.000-05:002011-06-10T12:06:27.675-05:00I love my Kindle.No, Amazon didn't pay me to say that. And they certainly didn't pay me to write this post. But I felt compelled to. Mostly because it's taken me SO long to get on board with e-readers. Especially with this Kindle thingamajig that just kept disappointing me at every turn. No library lending? No Harry Potter? Bad editing? Hmmph! What do I need it for?<br />
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But it's little. And it doesn't weigh very much. Less than the lightest of paperbacks. Yet I can store as many books as I want on it. Huh. What a thought. Stop rolling your eyes at me; I know I'm a bit slow. Or if you're rolling because you're a non-believer, well, I understand. I was one too. All I can say to that is you just have to try it to believe it. The reading experience is not so different from print books. And dare I say it's enhanced? Yes, I just might. I haven't figured out all of the advanced features, but I do appreciate the built-in dictionary and the ability to highlight favorite passages. I like also that I could change the orientation from portrait to landscape, so that it felt more like I was holding a real book. Yes, it still feels fake to me. I'll get over it, eventually, maybe.<br />
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So, the first book I read on my Kindle was <i>Tell Us We're Home</i> by Marina Budhos. It was a good choice because I had to read it for Nerds Heart YA (and you'll hear more about the actual book in a couple days), which meant that I <i>had </i>to read it. The one thing I missed was the actual feel of turning pages (not quite the same as clicking a button) and being able to physically see how much I've read (a percentage bar of progress isn't enough for me). As for the display screen, it felt just like a book. I read it in bright sunlight without any glare and at night with a lamp just fine. Love it!<br />
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But then comes the lending problem. I'm a library user - hello, I'm a librarian. I buy books for my school library, not for myself. So what's a girl to do with this Kindle when Amazon promises to play nice with libraries soon but never specifies when that will actually happen? Be a savvy shopper, that's what! I certainly can't afford to buy all the new releases, but there are some great books out there that are free or relatively inexpensive, and I was thrilled about this. Because I don't have the luxury of going to my fabulous library here in Italy. They do have libraries, but see, their books are written in Italian. And I don't speak Italian. Mmhmm. So yes, I was saying - let's find some free/cheap Kindle books!<br />
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Here's what I downloaded last night:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/519M92eH5kL._SL500_AA266_PIkin3,BottomRight,-18,34_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/519M92eH5kL._SL500_AA266_PIkin3,BottomRight,-18,34_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><i><b>Shine </b></i><b>by Lauren Myracle</b><br />
published May 2011 by Amulet<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004Y5AV06/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title">$2.99 on Kindle</a><br />
<blockquote><div class="productDescriptionWrapper" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">When her best guy friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it. Richly atmospheric, this daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the name of justice. Against a backdrop of poverty, clannishness, drugs, and intolerance, Myracle has crafted a harrowing coming-of-age tale couched in a deeply intelligent mystery. Smart, fearless, and compassionate, this is an unforgettable work from a beloved author.</div></blockquote><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51iDMrVz4FL._SL500_AA266_PIkin3,BottomRight,-15,34_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51iDMrVz4FL._SL500_AA266_PIkin3,BottomRight,-15,34_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><i><b>The Allegra Biscotti Collection </b></i><b>by Olivia Bennett</b><br />
published November 2010 by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Allegra-Biscotti-Collection-ebook/dp/B004BA57JO/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_4">$0.00 on Kindle</a> - that means FREE!<br />
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This one sounds like a fluffy beach read. Lots of fashion and fun for the younger teen crowd. And it's free!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/6163h+9QXhL._SL500_AA266_PIkin3,BottomRight,-5,34_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/6163h+9QXhL._SL500_AA266_PIkin3,BottomRight,-5,34_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><i><b>Summer's Crossing: An Iron Fey Novella </b></i><b>by Julie Kagawa</b><br />
published June 2011 by Harlequin Teen<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Summers-Crossing-ebook/dp/B004XDYXN0/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1">$0.00 on Kindle</a> - FREE!<br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>A Midsummer's Nightmare? </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Summer Court prankster, King Oberon's right hand, bane of many a faery queen's existence—and secret friend to Prince Ash of the Winter Court. Until one girl's death came between them, and another girl stole both their hearts.</span><div style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Now Ash has granted one favor too many and someone's come to collect, forcing the prince to a place he cannot go without Puck's help—into the heart of the Summer Court. And Puck faces the ultimate choice—betray Ash and possibly win the girl they both love, or help his former friend turned bitter enemy pull off a deception that no true faery prankster could possibly resist.</div></blockquote><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41NHplHCaSL._SL500_AA266_PIkin3,BottomRight,-16,34_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41NHplHCaSL._SL500_AA266_PIkin3,BottomRight,-16,34_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><i><b>Wanderlust: A Love Affair with Five Continents </b></i><b>by Elizabeth Eaves</b><br />
published May 2011 by Seal Press<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wanderlust-Love-Affair-Continents-ebook/dp/B004TM1QW6/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_2">$0.99 for Kindle</a><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Spanning fifteen years of travel, beginning when she is a sophomore in college,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Wanderlust</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">documents Elisabeth Eaves’s insatiable hunger for the rush of the unfamiliar and the experience of encountering new people and cultures. Young and independent, she crisscrosses five continents and chases the exotic, both in culture and in romance. In the jungles of Papua New Guinea, she loses herself—literally—to an Australian tour guide; in Cairo, she reconnects with her high school sweetheart, only to discover the beginning of a pattern that will characterize her life over the long-term: while long-distance relationships work well for her, traditional relationships do not.</span> </blockquote><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51eQZ2enb5L._SL500_AA266_PIkin3,BottomRight,-24,34_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51eQZ2enb5L._SL500_AA266_PIkin3,BottomRight,-24,34_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><i><b>Seduced by the Wolf </b></i><b>by Terry Spear</b><br />
published August 2010 by Sourcebooks Casablanca<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Seduced-by-the-Wolf-ebook/dp/B003V4BPYW/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1">$0.00 for Kindle</a> - yes, that means FREE!<br />
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This looks more like a book my mom would read, with the half-naked man on the cover and all. But look at the pretty wolf! And I have been in a werewolf mood recently. So, hopefully the romance isn't too sleazy for my taste.<br />
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That's FIVE books for less than FOUR dollars! Pretty fantastic, if you ask me. AND! That's not all! There are SO many cheap or free books in the Kindle store that I've already read and wish I hadn't, so that I could read them on my Kindle (because I don't usually re-read, that's not my thing).<br />
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Check out these links for more info:<br />
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<ul><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/digital-text/155009011/ref=pd_ts_zgc_kinc_155009011_more?pf_rd_p=1276331982&pf_rd_s=right-3&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=726696011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1JG0W1P91YQTME9KZRDS">Top 100 Paid and Top 100 Free Children's Books</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/digital-text/155009011/ref=pd_ts_zgc_kinc_155009011_more?pf_rd_p=1276331982&pf_rd_s=right-3&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=726696011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1JG0W1P91YQTME9KZRDS">Sunshine Deals for YA lit - books for $0.99, $1.99, $2.99</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=s9_al_ft_srch?node=2956079011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=right-4&pf_rd_r=18VJWX2PKWAMEQ6F8RDG&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_p=1300190262&pf_rd_i=1000692281">Sunshine Deals for Children's Books</a></li>
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Oh! And I didn't even mention all of the classics that are in the public domain that are free too. I downloaded <i>Jane Eyre</i>, <i>Anna Karenina</i>, <i>Bulfinch's Mythology</i>, and <i>The Tales of the Brothers Grimm</i>. And there are free word games too! Okay, okay, I'm done. Really. :)<br />
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