On a colleague's recommendation last year I joined the Good Reads Reading Challenge.  I set the bar to something attainable (30 books) and enjoyed keeping track of each book. When finished with each book, I could rate it based on a 5 star rating scale......I encouraged friends and colleagues to keep in touch through the app. It was so much fun to see what everyone was reading and how many stars each book received. I exceeding my goal, 35 books....and I still have 5 days to go!

I plan on setting the bar a bit higher for 2018....40 books perhaps?

Great motivation and fantastic way to see what others are reading!

Happy Reading!

"Trevor Noah's unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents' indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa's tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle. 

Born a Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. It is also the story of that young man's relationship with his fearless, rebellious, and fervently religious mother: his teammate, a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would ultimately threaten her own life." Good Reads

Based on a recommendation by a colleague I purchased this book in the hopes of learning something more about South Africa. If nothing else, it would perhaps be funny! Well...I read this book in only a few days and I learned SO MUCH about the history and cultural issues of this amazing country! 
Not recommended for young readers...but mature readers and adults will enjoy this entertaining eye-opening tale about Trevor Noah and his homeland.

Happy Reading!

Fantastic read to open students' minds!

 

Fantastic eye-opening read for all ages!

"It started as an assignment. Everyone in Caitlin's class wrote to an unknown student somewhere in a distant place. All the other kids picked countries like France or Germany, but when Caitlin saw Zimbabwe written on the board, it sounded like the most exotic place she had ever heard of--so she chose it.   Martin was lucky to even receive a pen pal letter. There were only ten letters, and forty kids in his class. But he was the top student, so he got the first one." Good Reads

An amazing story about how one young person CAN make a difference. Caitlin Alifirenka's epilogue states her message so well:" If our story could move people to tears, could it move them to act? I wondered. To be kinder to one another? To take a chance and do good things for deserving people?"

Yes, we will share this message and we will help our students discover how they too can act and make a difference!

Happy Reading!

Best of 2017...IMO!

   

Two of my favorite books  this year are The Wild Robot and The Truth About Twinkie Pie. Both are middle grade books and offer gentle lessons about life and the importance of the people (or creatures) we choose to surround ourselves with.

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown -

I can see this book being taught in Science class. I know that we do not teach books outside of English/ELA courses, however, the message is worth discussing within the context of a science curriculum.

- What is our responsibility towards the environment?

- Are we too reliant on technology?

- How do nature & technology continue to thrive in our future?

The Truth About Twinkie Pie by Kat Yeh

Students often want a story that will tug at their heart-strings. This story is sweet but poignant. It opens the reader's eyes to how quickly a child can go from child to adult with one piece of information. More importantly, the message of the importance of accepting our "families", irregardless of their physical make-up. What makes a family? 

Happy Reading!

  

Spring Break....Bonus reading time :)

Spring Break is a fantastic time to catch up with reading...especially when it's cold and rainy!

I made a trip to Barnes and Noble at the beginning of the week and found OCDaniel by Wesley King. What a wonderful story! A humorous story with a male protagonist exploring Zaps he can't explain. A great introduction to what OCD really does to a person with a side of teen romance. Highly recommended!

My daughter, Celine, found Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon. Realistic fiction with Romance....but that's not the main story line! I am not a big fan of Romance but this book was well worth the read. Not recommended for Middle Grades due to some content. This "content" happens off page.

I am so pleased to have read both these books...can't wait to share more!
Happy Reading!

Books on the horizon...

I am currently reading Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, which is a recommendation from a student. Thanks Emma!

Shatter Me falls into the Dystopian Thriller category...I would add Romance to the list. It is the first in a series of books:

Next on my list: Joust by Mercedes Lackey.... also a recommendation from a student. Thank you Laura!  This one falls in the Fantasy category...which explains why it has taken me 4 years to read it! (Not my favorite genre!)

What's next? A few books that seem like they might be interesting:

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

The Nest by Kenneth Oppel

Illuminae_1.0 by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

I learned of these at a recent conferences who's presenter, Patti Tomjsland, spoke highly of!

What's on your book shelf?

My latest reads.....

Thanks to all the great adult and student fans of Middle Grades and YA books I am surrounded by daily, I was encouraged to read a lot this Winter. The following are the the books I've read:

Bruiser by Neal Shusterman
Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
George by Alex Gino

Happy Reading!