Uncategorized – Page 105 – Peaceful Reader

Ruby Lu; Empress of Everything

(2006)

Peaceful Girl and I read this together and we love Ruby Lu. If you haven’t yet met Ruby Lu, think Ramona with an Asian-American background. Ruby Lu; Brave and True is the first in the series and I really hope there will be more (ahemm, Lenore Look, are you listening) because they are so much fun to read. In this adventure several important events occur. Ruby Lu’s cousin, Flying Duck emigrates from China and stays with Ruby Lu’s family. Everyone speaks Chinese now at home and Ruby Lu has to share her room. Because Ruby Lu spends time helping her cousin in school, Ruby Lu falls behind and the two have to spend part of the summer in (dreaded) summer school!! The two take an eye test together(Ruby Lu hopes to fail so she can get glasses) and because Flying Duck is deaf, Ruby Lu learns (and we do too) some sign language. Ruby Lu makes a list of things she wants to accomplish over the summer and crosses them off as she goes-as a fellow list maker I loved her little notes.

This is one of those easy-to-read chapter books meant to bridge the gap between easy readers and more difficult chapter books. The Ivy and Bean series by Annie Barrows fits nicely into this category as does Jeremy Bean. I think this is a fast growing market and I’m glad-we are having a great time reading them at home. Peaceful Girl is reading another one to me, Mimmy and Sophie; all around the town by

Miriam Cohen.

5/5 peaceful stars, highly recommended for elementary fiction

Liz B.’s review at A chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy’s

Mitali Perkins talks about Ruby Lu right here.

BlogCritics Review

Movies and more

Last night in our continued attempt to watch Oscar nominated movies my husband and I started Nine with Daniel Day Lewis, Penelope Cruz, Sophia Loren, Nicole Kidman, Dame Judy Dench and many more. The scenery is beautiful, the women are beautiful but the singing and the plot didn’t grab us at all. We ejected it from the player.

We replaced it with Julie and Julia and we loved it!! It helped that we were making cinnamon twists in the kitchen while we were watching. And I’m a little embarressed it took me so long to watch this movie since it has cooking and blogging in it. Meryl Streep (of course) is spot on as Julia Child, Stanley Tucci is great as her husband, Paul and we really liked Amy Adams role as Julie Powell. The two stories of Julia and Paul’s life through their time in Paris as she discoveres cooking wraps around Julie’s search for her own higher purpose, taking on this 365 day challenge to cook everything from Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I applaud her courage and while I wouldn’t want to cook many of those very meaty recipes, it was an inspiring process! Lots of scenes stick out in my mind like the wedding conversation between Julia’s parents and her and Paul about McCarthy and how Meryl carries the conversation out to the dance floor. Of course, now I want to read the book. There are not alot of movies I rewatch but I would this one, especially with my mom. I grew up with her watching Julia and I know she tried many of the recipes long ago and I think I remember several meltdowns as Julie did, attempting to recreate what Julia did so easily.

I also watched An Education this afternoon and thougth it was charming as well. Carey Mulligan is very good as a high school student experiencing an adult relationship.

I have my ballot ready, right next to my class of champagne!!

I’ve already watched a little of the Red Carpet and I was happy to hear Jennifer Lopez discussing the movie Precious and how life-affirming its message is.

Will you be watching??

Oscar Frenzy

My husband is a drama king. While I’ve always enjoyed going to the movies, eating movie popcorn and watching the Oscars, he’s raised the experience to a whole new level for me. He likes to watch all the Oscar nominated movies before the Big Night. I don’t think we’ve ever completely accomplished this goal but its fun to try!

So here’s my rundown so far:

Precious

Lee Daniels-Director
based on the novel Push by Sapphire.

This one should win because it’s gritty and good. The performances are fantastic from Mo’nique, as the abusive mother, to newcomer Gabourey Sidibe in the title role. Even the smaller roles shine with Mariah Carey, as a concerned social worker, and Lenny Kravitz is wonderful as a gentle male nurse. All adults should see it, especially those working in education or any field closely related to education or if you’re human. Why, you ask, do I think this is the worthwhile movie of the year? I think the performances are that good and it shows a very real look at the struggles many of our children face at home. I work in a small urban area and I see younger versions of Precious both male and female. Precious is growing up in a very abusive home, with a mother constantly attacking her. She finds salvation through a teacher. It won’t win the Oscar even though it should. If you’ve hesitated seeing this movie please go-it is well-worth the price of admission. Click here for IMDb info. I haven’t read the book yet but it is on my list.

Sapphire Interview on NPR

For Sister Rose’s views on both Precious and The Blindside-click here.

The Blindside

John Lee Hancock-Director

based on the book by Michael Lewis

I like this one also. For me, it was about a family stepping outside the box to care about another human being. Michael Oher(Quentin Aaron) is homeless and forgotten. A family friend gets him a place at a Christian high school based on the idea that Michael will eventually play football for them. S.J. (Jae Head) befriends him even though there is a huge age and size difference. Leigh Ann (Sandra Bullock) and Sean Tuohy (Tim McGraw) bring him home one day and slowly Michael becomes part of the family. Michael and S.J steal the show. I think it dealt really well with racial issues of today. My favorite scene is where Collins, S.J.’s older sister, a cheerleader at the school, is studying with her friends in the library and gets up to join Michael at another table, separating herself from her friends negative views. All it takes is getting up and moving but it is the simple fact of doing it that makes all the difference. There are two good scenes with Leigh Ann lunching with her wealthy friends that demonstrate this personal upheaval as well. This movie, while feel-good, is not my idea of Oscar-worthy. I’m interested in reading this book as well just to see how Hollywood changed it. IMDb info-click here.

Avatar
written and directed by James Cameron

In the first 20 minutes of this movie I almost walked out…but it’s not like me to give up so I stayed and loved it. It combines many themes but some are close to my heart. It has an interesting cast; Sigourney Weaver plays Dr. Grace Augustine, an interesting choice with her leads in Alien; Giovanni Ribisi, love him-disliked his role as a money-hungry boss, Parker Selfridge; and Stephen Lang as the seriously over-the-top GI Joe Colonel, with bulging muscles and no neck. I don’t consider myself a techno-head but there were a lot of cool devices in this movie as they zoom to Pandora to fight/understand more about this alien race. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is placed on Dr. Augustine’s team to find out more about the alien race. The problem arises when The Colonel and Parker decide negotiation time is over, they want the magical rock under the special tree. The visuals are incredibly beautiful and the story is pretty stunning-this will probably win because it is flashy Hollywood and good-I don’t really want James Cameron to win again though. I think he already has a bit of an inflated noggin-perhaps he could just win for original screenplay. IMDb info-click here.

Crazy Heart
Scott Cooper-Director
based on the book, Crazy Heart by Thomas Cobb

We saw this just the other night and really liked it. Jeff Bridges plays the aging country singer, “Bad” Blake and Maggie Gyllenhal is a reporter for the local Santa Fe newspaper on a mission to interview him. Chemistry occurs and love happens but in between there’s a lot of drinking. Colin Farell plays the young country star, Tommy Sweet, and Robert Duvall is lovely as Bad’s best friend, Wayne. The music is wonderful and Jeff Bridges disappears into this role.
IMDb info-click here.

Up in the Air
Jason Reitman-Director

This one is an interesting look at the single life. Ryan Bingham(George Clooney) thinks he has the perfect life traveling, working, completely free of any connections until he meets Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga). It’s the ultimate hook-up love affair until the Ryan’s company grounds him and he’s forced to look at life from a different angle. Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick)is the young business associate he’s forced to share the ropes with, and Jason Bateman plays Bingham’s boss, Craig Gregory. I liked this one as well.
IMDb page-click here.

The Hurt Locker
Kathyrn Bigelow-Director

War story-watched the first half and couldn’t handle any more but very well done!!
Should win but probably won’t-too intense for Hollywood. IMDb info here

Loved Up but don’t know why it’s in the Best Picture category.
District 9-yuck-why, why why?
Still to watch in the next day: Julie and Julia, A Serious Man, Invictus and An Education. I missed Fantastic Mr. Fox but I hope The Princess and the Frog or Up wins best animated.

Watching the Oscars is exciting and we often have a little family party, with dress-up clothes and kiddie cocktail champagne. Many parts about this go against my natural, hippie-side: so much money spent as well as the inflated salaries of actors. It’s like going to the movies though…one night of fantasy!

What about you? Will you tune in to find out “and the Oscar goes to…”???

Oh the places you'll go

We celebrated the great rhyming man ~~today~~ yesterday in great style. About a week ago I talked my sweet husband into performing his skit, “The Sneetches” with three high school students and 12 fifth grade students at my school. He, reluctantly (only because he has much that he juggles at his own job), agreed to take it on. Monday night I brought him home a dryer box and he cut it and painted it to make the “wondrous contraption” for adding and removing stars. If I haven’t mentioned it before I love having a dramatic husband, who can act, direct and make his own scenery. I bought 12 yellow t-shirts from a near by big box craft store-hey, they were 1/2 price-and we were in the skit-making business! They performed the skit four times and my husband did a dramatic reading of Yertle the Turtle, which is his all-time favorite because it is about government crushing the little guy. Students talked about the skit all the rest of the day so I guess it was a hit. I’ve already mentioned to my husband he might want to pencil us in for next year and tonight at dinner I hinted he might want to add to his Seuss repertoire!!

Dr. Seuss has been a favorite of mine for years. I have lovely memories of reading early readers such as One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish to my two little brothers. My son (the 14 yo) always wanted to read Seuss during that first grade period when we expected him to read to us…little did we know at the time he picked Seuss because he had them memorized!! He’s still talented like that because today he was one of the teenagers working with the younger ones. He played Sylvestre McMonkey McBean, the huckster.

I’m so glad, glad, glad for 1. having a family I can count on, 2. crossing this celebration off my list for the week, 3. and because it went really well for all involved!

Now I can move on to planning my next major school event-The Yoga Project!! Next week a certified yoga teacher will come to our school and work with 12 students to make a yoga DVD for classroom use. I have been working on this project for what seems like months (and its not exactly something you can throw together in a week-see top paragraph). I have a little anxiety-hopefully it will go well!!

I miss Dr. Seuss-not that I ever met him-but I would love to see what he would be producing today. Perhaps a look at pollution (did that –McGilligott’s Pool), environment (hhmmm, did that, The Lorax), war (did that too-The Butter Battle Book),diversity (oh, did that too, Horton Hears a Who)-Wow, okay still I’m sure he would find new ways to entertain, persuade and inform!

I hope you had a wonderful day celebrating in your own way and if you are new to Dr. Seuss I recommend almost all-there’s a wocket in my pocket-we don’t know what went wrong there-way too wonky for us!!
Click here and here for two great Seuss sites-I am now an expert at getting the gifts into the chimneys and the second site I used with 4th and 5th grade students-they had to read the whole article about Dr. Seuss and answer questions-it was good, fun and best of all, really made them think and process information! Some of them garrrrrumfed about it but they got it done (it was only 4 questions-jeez!)
Leave a comment and let me know what you did for Dr. Seuss’ birthday or what your favorite Seuss book/character is.

Happy Reading-

Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan (2009)

Told in three voices, Claire, Jasper and Peter, try to explain the events right after September 11, 2001. All three are teenagers living in New York City,attempting to grasp the transformation that undertakes their city. Claire is the first one to speak, taking us quickly through the first plane crash and the second. She rushes from her class to find her younger brother, Sammy and stays there, waiting for her mom to come, praying for her mom to arrive, willing her mom not to be dead. In Jasper’s first chapter he sleeps through the entire event, then can’t stop watching it on television, emotionless. Peter is outside Tower Records, listening to music and has to walk up to Washington Square Park to see the first hole in the tower.

This story is so emotionally-told and I love the character’s David Levithan has created to carry out his thoughts. It’s deep, sad, yet ever hopeful. Claire struggles on her own and takes walks at night, in her city trying to find answers. Peter and Jasper struggle through their first date, and… I have to stop talking about it because you have to read it and it should be read fresh. I am so happy to have this horrific event memorialized because it shouldn’t leave our minds. Levithan does a great job of presenting those arguments over 9/11, which divided the country. The overabundance of flags, and Bush’s decision to go to war in Iraq, are both issues Claire struggles with and she marches against the war. I related heavily with Claire’s feelings and think this should be required high school reading.

This is the first book I’ve ever read that made me want to make a soundtrack to remember it by. Before I take it back to the library I’m going to make a list of the songs Levithan uses and make a playlist. David Levithan’s website-click here.
This book is a rare gem for all. Click there for Rainbow List review.

Highly Recommended-YA Fiction

5/5 peaceful stars
***Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge***

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford (2009)

It’s been a week since I finished Jamie Ford’s debut novel and my thoughts have been languishing in my edit box. There is something about writing a review about certain books, good books, books that I really liked that make it difficult. I don’t know why it is but I’m going to push forward and just do it!

The story:

Henry Lee, a Chinese-American tells his story, alternating between 1942 and 1986, and his friendship with Keiko, a Japanese-American girl and the only other Asian student at his all-white school. Keiko and Henry quickly become friends as they ward off bullies and work in the kitchen “scholarshipping” together. Henry’s already rocky relationship with his father quickly deteriorates as his relationship with Keiko grows. Mr. Lee is a strong Chinese nationalist and Henry’s relationship with Keiko creates this chasm that can’t be healed between son and father.

In the alternating 1986 Henry deals with the death of his wife, Ethel and his estranged relationship with his son, Marty. In the opening pages of the book, Henry still living in Seattle, finds himself in front of the Panama Hotel as the new owner announces unearthing Japanese-American artifacts from the basement of the hotel as they begin a major remodel. Henry’s mind shifts back to Keiko and the events of 1942 when the Japanese community were taken to internment camps during WWII.

My thoughts:

I loved the writing as the story came alive to me through Henry’s eyes. It’s a story of a father’s love, even if misplaced and how children often do the opposite of what is expected. It’s a story of young love and the thrill of being twinkle eyed about another human being. It’s the story of our country at the worst of times, as we allowed ourselves to become irrationally prejudiced against citizens based on their race. I loved how Mr. Ford used Henry’s relationship with Sheldon, an African-American saxophone player, to contrast the racial conflict already occuring for years in our country. Japanese internment camps became our slave quarters of the second World War. I enjoyed this book as much as Kathyrn Stockett’s The Help.
I’m not a fan of Amazon (more of an indie fan) but while scouting around for information on Jamie Ford I came upon this great little author video.-scroll down past the purchasing part to the vid. part.
Jamie Ford’s website-click here.

Highly Recommended-Adult Fiction

5/5 peaceful stars

**Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge**

Terrible Storm by Carol Otis Hurst

Apparently I have a fascination with snow books at the moment as we are still knee-deep and frozen in the Midwest. Terrible Storm relates Hurst’s grandfather’s experiences surrounding The Blizzard of 1888. Both grandfathers were going about their daily business; one was chopping wood and the other delivering milk when the storm hit, they both take cover and remain snowed in for three days. The social grandfather is stuck in a barn with several animals for company while the more solitary grandfather is stuck at the White Horse Tavern with a group of people.

While it isn’t a thrilling tale it has a good storyteller quality to it. Eventually each grandfather makes it back to their own comfort zone by shoveling out with other townsfolk. The illustrations are beautifully drawn and show a different era, making it a wonderful way to show students how people dressed and worked in the 1800’s. No snow blowers or cars (Grandfather Fred delivered milk in a horse-drawn wagon). I love to read this kind of HF to students because they are so amazed by the differences and this one in particular is a quick read, making its point with little text compared to many other elementary historical fiction picture books. I enjoyed the author’s note at the beginning about her grandfathers tales. Click here for Carol Otis Hurst’s website. This one is the perfect choice for an easy read-aloud about history or the weather. I picked this one up from the public library and I think on my next visit I need to look for books on Spring!! I’m picturing a beautiful book about tulips!

Snow, Snow, Snowmen

A Really Good Snowman

Daniel J. Mahoney

2005

This is a sweetly told story from the polka-dotted snow ball endpapers to the story inside. Jack is busy building a paper airplane when he hears his little sister, Nancy clomping toward his room and Jack is not excited.He hides his paper airplane behind his back, away from her eyes. The next pages show why Jack isn’t enthused to have Nancy’s help with his plane. She’s messed up other projects of his but luckily, Jack remembers he needs to help his friends at the Shady Woods Snowman Contest. He distracts her by taking her with to the park.
When Jack’s friends, Angie and Melden remind him the rules say only three to a team, Nancy gets pushed to build her own snowman. Everyone’s having fun building their snowmen until Jack hears some older boys teasing Nancy. Jack comes to her rescue and then decides to help her instead of his friends.
Peaceful Girl and I read this moments ago for a bedtime story. Even though the characters are bears, foxes, rabbits and mice she could fully relate to Nancy’s heartbreak over her brother’s quick abandonment and her glory when he returns to assist her.
I’ve tried to explain this often to my teen-age son, the hero worship little sisters place on big brothers and he doesn’t take it to heart as much as I hope. My peaceful girl said this was definetely a two-thumbs-up story and she had some interesting thoughts on the brother/sister relationship. Hits on issues of teasing, bullying, family relationships and winning. Daniel J. Mahoney’s website-click here. After exploring his website I realize I have none of his titles on hand in my school library-I need to change that after reading this one.

Highly Recommended-Elementary

5/5 peaceful stars

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!

Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! You don’t want to give to much away and ruin it for others.
Share the title & author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here is my teaser:

“We don’t even see it at first-we just see everyone else looking up, and then we turn to look back at what they’re seeing. The towers are burning and people are cupping their hands over their eyes and staring straight at it.” p. 7 of David Levithan’s Love is the Higher Law

I’ve only just begin this book but love it and have a new favorite author to explore.

What are you reading to get you through the winter??

Reading with my girl

Peaceful Girl and I finished reading Wild Girl by Patricia Reilly Giff, the author of Eleven and Nory Ryan’s Song amongst many others. I am amazed at the variety of Giff’s story- telling topics! Her latest book is about horse racing and Brazilian immigrants. I’m not a fan of horse racing but years ago I had a Brazilian exchange student stay with our family. Peaceful Girl loves horses as millions of other little girls her age and beyond do! I knew when I picked it up at the library the horse theme would transport PG and it did-we also enjoyed Lidie’s story, which begins with Lidie preparing to leaveJales, Brazil for New York to join her family. She has been living with her aunt and uncle for 4 years, after the death of her mother and the departure of her father and brother for the United States.

Mad at her father for leaving her behind and disappointed because the men in her family see her only as the little girl she was when they left, Lidie finds it difficult fitting in to their world. She’s wanted to be with her family so much but once in New York she feels lost:

I lay there listening to the soft clank of the radiator bringing up the heat. But how quiet this house was. In our kitchen in Jales, Titia Luisa would be singing as she prepared our rice and beans. On the porch, Tio Paulo would be clucking over the news in the papers, the pages he’d drifting down the steps. And outside, Santos the dog would be barking as he chased animals he could never catch. The only quiet one was Gato the cat, up on my bed, staring down into my face, while Maria the canary…p. 25

Eventually she finds her own way to communicate all her hopes for her family, even getting her dad to laugh a little. Lidie just wants them to be together as they were in Jales-happy, talking, sharing in each other’s troubles. Immigration and that outsider experience make the book more than just a horse book or a family story. Rafael and Lidie both share how difficult it is to learn how to fit in to daily life. Even though this was meant for an older audience-beyond a sweet seven-year-old- PG got it and it created good conversation about being a newcomer to this country. Peaceful Girl found it difficult to imagine a world without her mom though and thought life would suck with just her dad and older brother. She enjoyed Lidie’s strong spirit matched together well with her horse spirit as well. If you have yet to read any of Giff’s books she has an outstanding collection. Click here for a list of PRG titles.

Highly Recommended

Middle Grade Fiction

4/5 peaceful stars
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