Monday Reading - a good week!

Ricki and Kellee at Unleashing Readers and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts host this meme that encourages bloggers to share what books they're reading. It's a terrific place to find new titles to enjoy, to use with students.

I've read 13 of 26 books now on my #MustReadIn2014 list, and added to Gathering Books CORL challenge. (See above and the button on the right)

       It’s been a good week with time to read and catch up on writing, cleaning, just being home. I had a wonderful week of vacation at the beach with family before last week, and then spent time at school helping interview for a new staff member. I’ll be in and out planning for the beginning of the school year from now on. We start officially on the 20^th-16 more days!

chapter books - both YA

The Dream Thieves – written by Maggie Stiefvater

          I don’t know why I wait so long to read a book that I’ve had since it came out, but finally I took the time! And now I have to wait for what’s next. This time, book two, holds more mystery, new characters, and consistent tension that kept me reading quickly. I love Stiefvater’s writing. The fantastical creations woven in with real characters is exciting stuff, and I imagine older students love the complexity of the story. Here are those same characters, Gansey, Ronan and Adam, along with Blue and her family playing a larger role, plus a new sinister character, the Gray Man. The deepening of the characters enriched the story, and made me the reader care about the outcome even more. I hope Maggie Stiefvater writes the next one quickly!

It's Monday - Fabulous Reads!

Thanks to Jen at Teach.Mentor.Texts and Ricki and Kellee at Unleashing Readers for hosting our

Monday Reading community. Come see what everyone shares! 
          Tweet at #IMWAYR

          It's taken a while in this busy final weeks of school, but what a wonderful time I had reading this recent, poignant book by Gae Poliser. I loved meeting Francesca Schnell (known as Franki), her friend Lisette, Lisette's boyfriend Bradley, and four year old Franki Sky. Yes, all of them play a part in the puzzle of who Franki Schnell is, discovering hope in her life after the tragedy of her little brother drowning in the ocean (which she blamed herself for). Life is not easy, it is complicated, and as Franki keeps figuring out the truths of her life, and using them to get better, I found myself hurrying in the book, wanting to discover what important thing she would discover next. I'm not a teen any more, but really the life lessons shared in this book apply to all of us! I know many of the mature middle school students in my school will love the voice in this book, and connect to those mixed up feelings so aptly shown.
(This book meets the challenge of the Gathering Books blog found here, named CORL: 2014 (Check Off Reading List and Carrie Gelson's #MustReadIn2014 here)

It's April--Poetry Month and Reading Goals

   

  It's Tuesday, & time for the weekly Slice of Life at the Two Writing Teachers blog. Today I'm starting some poetry sharing, but this year I hope to share different things, poems, books of poetry, lessons I believe are good with students. My One Little Word this year is "wander", so I'll be "wandering" in the poetry world, & continuing to link with others, too.
       Today, I'm also linking with Carrie Gelson in a group formed because we thought we had too many books at home that were from last year and still haven't been read. You can find the group at Carrie's blog, There's A Book for That. It's titled #MustReadIn2014, & this is our round-up for the first three months. You can access my goal list up at the top of this page.

31/31 It's Monday, It's the final SOLC, It's Chalkabration - We move on!

(special note: some font sizes seem stuck-cannot reduce it unless it's too small-sorry for the crazy size!)   The Last Day, #31 of the Slice of Life Challenge at Two Writing Teachers! Tweet at #SOL14  for It's Monday, What Are You Reading: Jen at TeachMentorTexts, Ricki and Kellee at Unleashing Readers. Tweet at #IMWAYR
Here are reviews for Non-fiction Picture Book Wed. at Alyson Beecher's Kid Lit Frenzy.

     

                   

Betsy Hubbard of Teaching Young Writers and Two Writing Teachers has been hosting a Chalk-a-bration where we share poems chalked on the last day of the month. Here's mine, for all the slicers who wrote through the month. Congratulations! 

And, congratulations to my three colleagues who also sliced every day: Suparna at Me and My Soliloquy, Max at Teaching From Behind, and Susan at UnderConstruction. Max's class posted all month, too!

It's Monday!

10 of 31 Slicing And Time to Share What I've Been Reading (aside from blogs)!

Cross-Posting-

Happy Reading everyone! Day Ten of the Slice of Life Challenge at Two Writing Teachers

           Tweet at #SOL14  

 It's Monday! What are you Reading? is hosted by Jen at TEACH.MENTOR.TEXTS, and shared with Ricki and Kellee at UNLEASHING READERS.   

         And, also visit Sheila at BOOK JOURNEYS for more reviews.  Great books shared!

 Tweet! at #IMWAYR

Finished FanGirl by Rainbow Rowell that met two challenges on the sidebar this week.  Week by week this year, I hope I can find time to read all that are on the list in a page posted above.  Go to Carrie Gelson's post here to discover what it's all about and who's participating (tweet at #MustReadin2014), or go to Gathering Books with Myra, Fats & Iphigene to see their CORL challenge!    

Fangirl – written by Rainbow Rowell    

          I fought my way through this book, consistently wondering, about where and who and why. It took me a few weeks to finish, just busy with other things, but I looked forward to reading pages at the end of every single day. After liking Eleanor & Park so much, I wasn’t sure that Rainbow Rowell could write another with characters so fascinating and loveable. She did. It really is a book for older adolescents because even as old as I am, the college girl still in me was so touched by the connections I made with the characters’ thoughts, relationships, and their earnest struggle to make things right.  While the reader might think that these are characters who are a little bit quirky, I think that they were just honest with their needs and wants, and didn’t hide behind what’s deemed as “cool”, like those who resist anyone seeing who they really are.

Monday Reading - Lots Going On

Happy Reading everyone!

 It's Monday! What are you Reading? is hosted by Jen at TEACH.MENTOR.TEXTS, and shared with Ricki and Kellee at UNLEASHING READERS.   

         And, also visit Sheila at BOOK JOURNEYS for more reviews.  Great books are being shared!

 Tweet! at #IMWAYR

        Hurrah! Cybil's winners were announced on Friday, Valentine's Day! The winners can be found here! Congratulations to everyone!

#NFPB10for10 - Remember that Wednesday, Cathy Mere and Mandy Robek are hosting this event!  Don't miss it!

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I read a book that met two challenges on the sidebar this week.  Week by week this year, I hope I can find time to read all that are on the list in a page posted above.  Go to Carrie Gelson's post here to discover what it's all about and who's participating (tweet at #MustReadin2014), or go to Gathering Books with Myra, Fats & Iphigene to see their challenge!    

It's Monday...

  It's Monday! What are you Reading? is hosted by Jen at TEACH.MENTOR.TEXTS, and shared with Ricki and Kellee at UNLEASHING READERS.   

         And, also visit Sheila at BOOK JOURNEYS for more reviews.  Great books are being shared!

 Tweet! at #IMWAYR

        Don't forget the Cybil's winners will be announced on Valentine's Day! The finalists-all wonderful books-can be found here!

             It’s been a good week of reading and finding wonderful books, many of which I find because of those who share on “It’s Monday, What Are You Reading” with Kellee, Ricki and Jen. Thanks everyone. I hope you find a few books here you will enjoy.

          For the CORL challenge at Gathering Books (see on the right), and #MustReadIn2014 (see above).

far far away – written by Tom McNeal

               I think I am a reader who loves variety. I love mystery, newly created worlds whether fantastical or dystopian, and sentimentality. I like characters who touch me, whether humans or animals, and in the case of this story, ghosts. Jeremy Johnson Johnson has heard “voices” since early childhood, and although he is teased throughout his small village because of it, he is comforted by the voice, who happens to be one of the Grimm brothers. Through teenage yearnings to do something out of the ordinary, Jeremy is talked into a small adventure by a girl he knows from high school. Smart and pretty, Ginger wants adventure. One night, Jeremy, Ginger and two of her girlfriends set out to play a trick on the town baker. It is a trick, but with far-reaching consequences the teens rarely expect, and this time, Jeremy’s ghost, supposed to be his protector from The Finder of Occasions, is also caught up in the events that happen next. I don’t want to spoil your read. The pages turn easily, sometimes quickly in extreme tension, and the characters grow ever more endearing as the plot thickens. There are fairy tales told and lived within this book! ”When the king’s son sees the portrait of the princess, his love for her is so great that if all the leaves on all the leaves were tongues, they could not declare it.” I loved the story, believe it’s definitely YA and older.

Reading - Making Terrific Plans for 2014

 It's Monday! What are you Reading? is hosted by Jen at TEACH.MENTOR.TEXTS, and shared with Ricki and Kellee at UNLEASHING READERS.   

         And, also visit Sheila at BOOK JOURNEYS for more reviews. Thanks to all these blogs we are able to discover many, many new books!  Thanks Ricki, Kellee, Jen and Sheila!

 Tweet! at #IMWAYR

New challenges!  See the sidebar for all three.  Today I'm checking off a couple of books that are on my TBR list.  Week by week this year, I hope I can find time to read all that are on my list found here in this post.  If you're interested in having a group help you keep track of your reading, go to Carrie Gelson's post here to discover what it's all about and who's participating (tweet at #MustReadin2014), or to Gathering Books with Myra, Fats & Iphigene to see their challenge!  

                   The Latinos in Kidlit Challenge is here!

     For contemplating challenges here in this new year when many are making resolutions and signing up for challenges, enjoy the quote!  "I hope everyone who is reading this is having a really good day.  And if you are not, just know that in every new minute that passes you have an opportunity to change that."  Gillian Anderson

Here are books that I completed for the challenges:

Allegiant – Veronica Roth

           Finishing a series over several years is challenging, especially since I read each of the first two books when they first were published. Also, considering this includes a main group that belong to a faction named "dauntless", my "daunting" task is to write about a book series I thoroughly enjoyed without giving much away to those who haven't read number three!   I feel that sometimes this particular book was a bit slow going.  Some details seemed to be repeated more than I needed, and I wanted to "get on with" the story.  There was less action and perhaps that was part of what I missed. None of this prevented me from enjoying the book thoroughly, however.