Our district is considering restructuring the teacher-librarian role into a more 21st Century technology specialist plus asking that IT specialist to share two schools while an assistant will care for the daily upkeep of the actual library hub. We are working to create a better understanding of what we (if you’re worth your paycheck) do everyday in our schools.
We wear many hats and I can’t imagine taking my job on the road or focusing more on technology. For me technology is one tool to use in creating authentic learning for students. I do want my students to learn and feel I balance the old and the new at my current position. This video was shared by someone in my district and I want to share it because it does go into detail on the importance of all our roles.
It’s up! It’s up! My guest post about Joan of Arc is up at Shelf Employed. Click over and read mine as well as others. Jen Bryant (author of A River of Words; the story of William Carlos Williams) shares the ideas that connect Emily Dickinson and Georgia O’Keefe.
Ah, Spring Break has been a treat of restorative time at home to heal and get some projects done. We invited friends over for dinner on Wednesday night to socialize which gave me the first few days of break to ponder what to make. One of their daughters eats gluten-free so I was looking for something that would be versatile without making my own kids blanch from a lack of carbs. I also had a pile of sweet potatoes on my counter begging to be used so I went to my Pinterest board, Eat Drink and Be Merry to search for something I’d drooled over previously. I’d pinned it from the The Novice Chef via Janssen.
Doesn’t it look delicious (see photo below). Mine were served on a bed of greens as well but I didn’t make the delicate creme fraiche laced on the top All I did to make it gluten-free was to lightly toast a few corn tortillas and add the filling in. I opted to make my own black beans by soaking them a day before and cooking them in my slow cooker the day of; they simmered with bay leaves and half a diced onion. I made a lot and plan to freeze a batch of them in packets of 2-3 for future lunches. I had one yesterday and it was even better than Wed. night. I love leftovers but my family does not; so perfect for me to take to school and reheat.
At the table I served them with my own homemade salsa from last summer (made with my mom), chopped avocado, and a spicy sour cream and green chili dip I created to take the place of the fancier (and more time consuming creme fraiche). They were a hit and this recipe will easily become one of my favorites-it would help if I could just get Teenage Boy to like sweet potatoes. I can imagine this as a great potluck meal.
This post is linked to Weekend Cooking at Beth Fish Reads. Pop over and see what every one else is cooking up!
Did you know that March is women’s history month! We have a whole month to celebrate. My son would be shocked by this as March means basketball! Crazy. I could put together a bracket for him with important women he should know-he might absorb the information better that way.
Tomorrow (Saturday) I will be featured at Kidlit’s blog, which has featured a variety of inspiring posts about women. I chose to write about Joan of Arc as I had been recently inspired by this movie starring Leelee Sobieski. Joan was an amazing young women and accomplished much in her short life. Tough having your life cut short by 44 men looking for a reason to get rid of you. Sadly women in today’s world continue to be mistreated based on what we wear and how we act.
My husband, a peaceful man, says it’s part of man’s nature to be a conqueror and that some men just can’t grasp woman as a person instead of an object. Maybe a drug could be invented to make men more docile and thus able to work and understand women without objectifying them. Would it work? Please click to Kidlit and read my post and all the others who’ve been featured this month. A heartfelt thank you to Margo and Lisa for all the work that goes into each post.
I recently finished up I don’t know how she does it by Allison Pearson, which delves into the work force mentality because Kate spends her days working at breakneck speed as a Hedge fund manager surrounded by men who cast disparaging comments around like bait, hoping to either further their career or at least to demean the woman sitting next to them. Look forward to my upcoming review of this still-timely book but in the meantime go read about Joan of Arc, a young woman juggling kings, priests, angels, her family and a sword.
Happy Friday! (oh, Spring Break, where have you gone…)
I’ve always wanted to play along with The Broke and the Bookish meme and today I’m avoiding another post I need to write so it seems like the perfect day to play along. Today’s topic is top ten of any genre.
Peaceful Reader’s Top Ten Historical Fiction Novels for YA and elementary
So enlightening to browse back through old lists, reminding myself of all these wonderful books. Thanks for the joy. Now back to that other writing I need done for tomorrow!
Oh, I am in serious need of a break to regroup and heal. Luckily we are staying home this year. I’ve had a cold for what seems like 2-3 weeks and I just cannot shake it. I finally went to the drugstore and purchased Thera-flu because I’ve done all my good homeopathic methods to better health and it just keeps hanging on. I want to spend this coming week doing fun things NOT blowing my nose and smelling like vapor rub. Bleech.
Luckily I’ve been to the library (with Tina) so I have a pile of good books to read. I have a special blog post to write about the beautiful Joan of Arc for Kidlit Celebrates Women’s History! My post will be featured on March 17th but every day they have an interesting post to check out.
I finished I don’t know how she does it by Allison Pearson this morning. I skipped church to sleep and in order to get back to sleep( after helping frustrated daughter find something great to wear to church) I had to read a little.
I did cook one major meal last week-it was a veggie-filled soup from Tucker Shaw’s book but the soup, advertised in the book as THE sure-fire method for getting better, did not work. Not only that my husband who loves just about anything edible didn’t even finish his bowl. Big waste of lots of veggies. Boo.
What a title. I’ve been reading Flavor of the week by Tucker Shaw for a day or two and while the story is less than fetching each chapter ends with an interesting recipe. Last night this is the recipe I ended with and as I drifted to sleep my thoughts were on breakfast already. Tucker Shaw is the food editor for the Denver Post so it makes some sense that his recipes would be memorable.
Hot-Buttered Maple-Baked Oatmeal (my notes)
2 cups old-fashioned oats (not instant or quick) pinch (sea) salt 1/3 cup maple syrup 3 cups whole milk (i used 1%) 1 (farm fresh) egg 1 T. vanilla (real) 1/4 cup brown sugar 1 tsp cinnamon (hefty sprinkle on top before baking) raisins, coconut flakes or almonds for topping (all optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350*. Position rack in the middle of the oven. 2. In a large bowl combine oats and salt. 3. In a smaller bowl mix together the maple syrup, milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour over oats; mix well. 4. Pour the oat mixture into a glass baking dish (I used a 9 x 13). Bake for about 40 minutes, stirring once midway through. Remove from oven. (We stirred it at 20 minutes and only let it cook another 10-it was perfect) 5. Sprinkle the oats with brown sugar and return to the oven for 5 minutes. The brown sugar will get all melty, which is exactly what you want. 6. Serve in warm bowls with a big hunk of butter and a drizzle of maple syrup that you’ve zapped in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Top with yummy toppings. We had little bowls of brown sugar, raisins, cranberries, and walnuts at the table to sprinkle as well as a little milk pour on top.
My husband did the stirring at 20 minutes and he thought it looked done at that point. As our 9-year-old bounced on our bed earlier he told her about this delicious idea for breakfast and she seemed at best dubious! She was like “I like my regular oatmeal. This sounds too baked, too dry, too crunchy!” He didn’t want it to turn out like her worst ideas and truly it was creamy and wonderful with less cooking time. You decide.
It serves four and all of us had a big heaping bowl. Groovy Girl’s last words “This is actually good. I hope you make it again.” Made my day.
This post is linked to Beth Fish Reads weekly cooking meme, Weekend Cooking. Click her link to check out the other foodie posts and read her thoughts on Beer Wars, the film.
Next up on my to-do list. Cleaning the guinea pig’s cage with Groovy Girl. I know; I can feel the waves of jealousy!
Ahhh, what a week it’s been. I can’t get into it too much at this point but suffice it to say the love affair I have with my job has taken a huge hit in the last 10 days. While all that has been happening I’ve been reading this soothing and poetically written gem by Katherine Hannigan.
(2011)
355 pages
It’s not soothing as in everything is all hunky dory-the book has two major conflicts-but Hannigan has a unique style of writing. She’s also created a very quirky cast of characters. Delly (short for Delaware) Pattison has trouble not getting in little bits of trouble. She is picked on by a bully, Novello, who for the sake of loving Delly can’t help but be mean to her at this point in his life. It makes them miserable and includes some fierce wrestling/spitting matches on the playground. She also has run-ins with a local grocery store maven and Officer Verena Tibbetts has Delly on her “list of The Worst Children in River Bluffs.” (4)
Her reputation follows poor Delly wherever she goes even when she’s trying to help caged-in chickens at the county fair or borrowing a boat for a little river adventure. She gets fed up with her own ability to find trouble when she sees her mother cry over a recent incident. Delly vows to change her ways to make her mother proud. I like this thread of Delly’s tale as it shows a child’s thought process in trying to work out how and why her trouble happens.
Delly in her quest to have better days starts allowing her little brother, RB to hang with her more often. He is able to keep her calm in several situations and even teaches Delly about counting to keep calm. While her and RB are off trying for adventure without trouble-making they see a young boy, sad as can be, drive through town in a beat-up old green Impala. On Monday she finds out the boy is actually a girl named Ferris Boyd. Delly’s teacher, the wonderful Mr. Terwilliger, informs her that Ferris does not speak and is not to be touched. Hmm. Delly’s curiosity is peaked. Delly has her own vocabulary throughout, cataloged in a Delly Dictionary by Hannigan, which adds to her charming character:
After school Delly ran to Ferris Boyd. “Hey,” she said softly, and fell in beside her, like they’d been friends forever.
She waited till they were at the bridge to ask, “Ferris Boyd, did you see? I didn’t fight.” Then she told her, without saying a word, I heard you.
Ferris Boyd stopped and turned to Delly. her eyes were still sad, but there was something else in them. Something like a smile.
It was only a second. Her head went down again, and she was shuffling along the road.
It was all Delly needed. Ferris Boyd had heard her, too. “All right then.” She grinned. (168)
This tale gently shares many themes with the reader and would make a wonderful read-aloud to understand more about bullies, abuse, anger management, good teaching and the rough road to friendship. Students will cheer for Delaware Pattison.
“Happy Hallelujah”~ Delly
I was encouraged to pick up True because I loved Ida B, her first book.
Hannigan is an Iowa author!
Both books are green and share similar sentiments inside; “We care about the health of this planet and all of its inhabitants. So the first hardcover printing of this book used 100% postconsumer recycled paper (that means that no trees were cut down to create the paper). And that paper was processed chlorine-free, because when chlorine is used to bleach paper, the process creates toxic by-products called dioxins and furans that can make people and animals sick….”
A book company, Harper Collins, that I can fully support! How come more books aren’t produced in this method? To find out more information go to http://www.papercalculator.org.
A teenage friend raved about this book to me when I saw her over Thanksgiving. I’d read lots of positive blog reviews about this series but somehow her adoration over Clare’s writing and for Clary, the main character, made me take serious notice and check it out from the library.
Synopsis: When Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder. Much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with odd markings. This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons and keeping the odd werewolves and vampires in line. It’s also her first meeting with gorgeous Jace. Within 24 hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in an ordinary mundane like Clary? And how did she suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know…
I loved the characters and the action. The teenagers, including the Shadowhunters, act typically sullen and moody. There is enough adventure, sarcastic wit and sinister details to keep me turning pages. I especially enjoyed Magnus Bane’s character; he’s been wiping Clary’s mind for years so her mom could keep Clary out of this world and here she is knee deep in it but without any memories to assist her! While there are some odd details that had me scratching my head I thought overall the tale is quite interesting. I know I will enjoy the rest of this fun series. Does anybody know if this is Hollywood-bound?
Quote:
“Magnus? Magnus Bane?”“That would be me.” The man blocking the doorway was as tall and thin as a rail, his hair a crown of dense black spikes. Clary guessed from the curve of his sleepy eyes and the gold tone of his evenly tanned skin that he was part Asian. He wore jeans and a black shirt covered with dozens of metal buckles. His eyes were crusted with a raccoon mask of charcoal glitter, his lips painted a dark shade of blue. He raked a ring-laden hand through his spiked hair and regarded them thoughtfully. Children of the Nephilim,” he said. “Well, well. I don’t recall inviting you.” (218-219)
A week ago my blogging friend Lisa from Books Lists Life tagged me for a little Q and A game and I intended to answer back the next night. Instead I obliviously went to a meeting the next day that involved the future of my job; the job that I love and had the wind knocked out of me for a few days (still). I’m not going to get into it but we all need to wonder about the future of education in the U.S.
I do want to honor Lisa’s questions with answers so here they are…
Here’s the rules:
1 You must post the rules.
2 Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you’ve tagged.
3 Tag eleven people and link to them on your post.
4 Let them know you’ve tagged them!
Here are Lisa’s questions for me (and the 11 others she tagged):
1. Could you eat the same thing for lunch every day? What would it be? Yes, Sushi. 2. How many library books do you have checked out right now? Only two but they are both overdue. ‘Nuf said. 3. Do you feel strongly about specific music? or more of a music in general type person? I love music in general but am not a fan of heavy metal or opera. I lean toward Jack Johnson, The Grateful Dead, Taylor Swift, John Prine, The Beatles, and Simon and Garfunkel. 4. What is your favorite brick and morter retail store? I love a store on our eclectic Main St. called Vintage Iron. 5. What is your favorite online store? The Gap 6. What is your favorite moment of heartstopping romantic tension? (Book, movie, music, tv, real life, art, anywhere.)Heart-stopping romantic tension makes me think of Claire and Jaime in Gabaldon’s Outlander series. 7. What is the first book you remember reading? Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss over and over to my two younger brothers. 8. Are you creative in any way? How so? Yes, I like to write. I do knit but have yet to really produce items that people will actually wear. 9. Not counting your family, pets, and vital personal documents/pictures, what one thing would you save in a fire? The oval table that sits by my side door. It belonged to my grandmother. 10. What is your favorite type of vacation (museums, beach, cabin, mountains, theme parks)? Hands down; the beach. My second though is the mountains of Colorado. 11. What is the most surprising or unexpected thing you’ve done in the last 12 months? disagreed with my superintendent. Eek. My tags:
1. What book character is crush-worthy to you? 2. What is your favorite library memory; either public or school? 3. What is your favorite state? 4. What is the best time of day for you? 5. If you could direct a movie of one book-what book would it be? 6. What is your favorite guilty pleasure (massage, expensive haircut, high priced coffee)? 7. What is the worst book to movie adaptation you’ve ever experienced? 8. Describe your dream vacation. 9. What musical artist or song would play on the soundtrack of your life? 10. What is the one food that brings back blissful childhood memories? 11. What form of exercise do you actually like?
Peaceful Reader 