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The Art of Racing in the Rain

The Art of Racing in the Rain

A novel by Garth Stein

2008, HarperCollins

This book has been resting on my tbr pile for about a year. My book club will be discussing it in January so I thought I should pick it up and get it read. As with many good things I don’t know what took me so long. I really enjoyed Mr Stein’s style of writing and look forward to reading his other books.

The unique twist about this one is its point-of-view-from the dog-entirely from the dog, which makes for a different sort of plot. This is not Marley and Me by Josh Grogan, which is about a dog and a-laugh-a-minute read. Enzo is not a bumbling spastic dog-he has his moments-but he is far more introspective than many dogs or humans for that matter. I believe in the dog world there are dogs similar to Enzo’s energy, who have it all figured out. Our current sweet dog, Tarah is not an Enzo. Our last dog, Taylor was an Enzo-she was an amazing listening dog and helped me through many trials in my life. I digress though but this book brings up so much of the idea of a dog’s humanity. I don’t know whether Garth Stein even has a dog but if not, he has spent a fair amount of time talking through Enzo.

Enzo, a lab-terrier mix and his owner, Denny, live together in an apartment in Seattle. Denny, an auto-parts technician during the day, spends his evening and weekends pursuing his dream of race car driving. Denny meets Eve and they fall in love, get married and Eve learns to share Denny with Enzo. Eventually, they have Zoe and life would be complete except generally, with the good there is bad lurking. Eve has brain cancer and Enzo can smell it. Through all the ups and downs of life a dog is there as Enzo is, helping his owner brave the storm. The story of Denny, with tragedies swirled in is the story of life, because like we say in my family “stuff happens!”

My thoughts: I loved the easy manner of the dog giving us his take on life, his and Denny’s. While not overly didactic there are moments of rare insight from Enzo such as this great paragraph when Enzo is extolling the virtues of how watching television has broadened his doggie horizons:

“They talk a lot about Darwin; pretty much every educational channel has some kind of show about evolution at some point, and it’s usually really well though out and researched. However, I don’t understand why people insist on pitting the concepts of evolution and creation against each other. Why can’t they see that spiritualism and science are one? That bodies evolve and souls evolve and the universe is a fluid place that marries them both in a wonderful package called a human being. What’s wrong with that idea?” p 18, The art of racing in the rain

Enzo’s thoughtful ramblings are just one of the many reasons I loved reading this book.

Garth Stein’s website-click here.

Highly Recommended-Adult

4.5/5 peaceful stars

Read more blog posts about this great book-

Reading for the Joy of It

Yoga, dogs and chocolate

Caribousmom

Splendor on Christmas

Splendor; The Luxe #4

Anna Godbersen

Alloy Entertainment, 2010

I’m overjoyed to have read this lovely tale and yet sad, sad, sad to have completed it! I tried hard to finish reading it last night while I was waiting for Santa but my eyes grew way too weary and I had to close the book. After we finished unwrapping all of our wonderful gifts I finished reading while everyone else was playing new PS3 games and I was drinking my traditional Christmas Bloody Mary.
The book, written by Anna Godbersen and the drink, concocted by my husband=both delicious!

(Subtle spoilers Beware)

Godbersen’s conclusion to the Luxe series brings resolution in some way to each and every character-some good, some bad. Elizabeth is happily setting up her new house purchased for her by her husband, Mr. Cairns and dealing with her pregnancy. She makes some startling discoveries about her husband and I cheered her as she connected the dots! Her sister, Diana, is tripping around Cuba, working and searching for Henry Schoonmaker. Henry is in Cuba not seeing the war as he planned but helping his Colonel with sailboat racing. He feels like a failure until he finds Diana again. Penelope Schoonmaker, Elizabeth’s diabolical “best friend” and Henry’s wife has found something to keep her occupied while Henry is off “battling” the enemy. A prince has come to town and Penelope sets her sights on wearing this particular crown, even with her husband heading back to town. Carolina Broad, maid turned heiress, learns some valuable lessons as well and her story, while interesting does not turn out how she expects it at all.

My thoughts: I really loved this series and am sad to have finished reading it. I liked the closure this final book brought to these characters I love. While not a Hollywood ending the book does a great job of showing us in what direction each character will head and each character proves to be a survivor in one way or another. I am excited to see what other topics or time periods Anna Godbersen will take on. This series is so well-thought out, the plot intertwining us with such great details from this glittering era.

Highly Recommend-YA fiction

4/5 peaceful stars

Click here to read my stepdaughter’s review of the second Luxe novel.

African Acrostics

African Acrostics; a Word in Edgeways

Poems by Avis Harley; photographs by Deborah Noyes

Candlewick Press, 2009

I knew the moment I took this book out of its bubble-infused envelope it was going to be amazing and it is. Just look at that attention-grabbing front cover! Students will flock to this book whether they are researching animals, poetry or just looking for a great book to enjoy.

The opening poem, in African Acrostics, reminds me of Shel Silverstein’s “invitation to young readers”:

“Welcome, all poets-both new

or well versed. Non-rhymers or

Rhymers! Come,

dive in headfirst!”

What follows is a well-written and unique poetry book with very real, close-up animal portraits. The beginning poem tells the reader just what an acrostic poem is, which is helpful. Many of us regard an acrostic poem as one made up of the letters of a name, but the form is much broader than that. Harley uses a variety of words to form her poems, which makes the reader work to relate the names to each animal. It is an inspiring method and serves to bring this form of poetry to life. For example: the ostrich poem anchor word is “fatherly advice” and the poem relays a father’s wisdom to his son. The father teaches his child to ignore humans (they only want your feathers) and to enjoy life for who he is! I now want to sit with my family and make acrostic poems on Christmas morning. Animal, poetry and nature lovers should unite over this beautifully done book. I can’t wait to share it with students and teachers in the new year.

Highly Recommended-elementary

5/5 peaceful stars

This book was a picnic basket gift.

***This post has been in my brain for several days but much has kept me from my computer. Then today I had a “crown lengthening” done and oh, my the pain that followed-and I have a fairly high threshold-was astounding! I had to take a painkiller (half) to get me through the last half of the day. All I can hope is the pain will diminish so I can enjoy Christmas.

Be Peaceful,

michelle

451 Challenge

I’ve decided to join this 451 Challenge. I do this trepidly as I’m already busy but it seems like an important one. I had to do some research, figuring out which books appealed to me, many of the titles were somewhat unknown to me. I’ve picked several so far and once I make my final selections I will post them here.
After looking over the list I was happy to see a few I’ve already read so I had to list them here:
1. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
2. Gone with the wind by Margaret Mitchell
3. Harry Potter series of 7 by J.K. Rowling
4. Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins-I was very excited and amazed to find this one on the list.
5. Night by Elie Wiesel

6.Peace like a river by Leif Enger

7. The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

8. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

9. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

10. The Hobbit by Tolkein

11. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

12. The Lord of the Rings by Tolkein

13. Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

14. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

15. The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx

16. The Sleep Book by Dr. Seuss-(if it counts I’ve read all of his:)

17. The Stand by Stephen King

18. To kill a mockingbird by Harper Lee

19. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

20. Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance by Robert E. Pirsig

21. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffinegger

If any of these titles intrigue you, flip over to the 451 Challenge blog, hosted by Elizabeth at As Usual, I Need More Bookshelves.

Here is how it will work: between January 1, 2010 and November 30, 2010, participants are challenged to read books on the 451 master list. There will be several levels of participation:

Spark – read 1-2 books from the master list
Ember – read 3-4 books from the master list

Flame – read 5-6 books from the master list

Blaze – read 7 or more books from the master list

Re-reading is acceptable, as are crossovers with other challenges. Audio, print, and e-books are all acceptable. Each month, participants will be encouraged to post their reviews on the challenge blog, and each review posted will be an entry into a grand prize drawing for a $25 gift card to the online bookseller of the winner’s choice.

Final Friday

Today is the last day for us to be at our old elementary. Everyone is finishing boxing things up and we had a lovely lunch together, sharing memories and positive ways to move into our new building. I have been in the new building for a few weeks now. Just me and the construction crew!
I’ve finished moving things around, re-alphabetizing the shelves and setting up my office in an effecient manner, I hope. I’ve also been working on a project to get our 5th graders reading more chapter books and series titles. When students come back on the 4th it will be like the beginnng of library classes all over as I show them where everything is located and how the computer system works. For the first time students will have access to good, fast computers and be able to look up books using Destiny. As we go through all these changes I want to emphasize reading, naturally and am going to put forth a challenge to them. Beginning with with the fifth grade it will look something like this.

1. For each book they read that I’ve read they will receive 15 points.
2. For each book on my recommended list (see left side bar “don’t leave 5th grade w/out reading these) they will also receive 10 points.
3. For each book in a series they will receive another 10 points and if they read at least three in a series they will double their total.
4. The goal is to get to 70 points. Invitations to a library pizza party will be given out to 50 point students.

Does this sound too complicated? This is meant to encourage them to read but yet not be accelerated reader. I have a list of series titles and it has varying reading levels on it so if not a strong reader you could read Ron Roy’s Capital Mysteries or Emily Rodda’s Fairy Realm and still receive 10 points. On the other end of the spectrum they could be reading The Lightning Thief or the Erin Hunter writing team‘s new Seekers series.
Let me know what you think or how I could tweak this idea???

Picture Books

I’ ve had a very hectic day at school, back and forth between buildings. Here it is at the end of my work day, trying to steal a few blogging moments.
Peaceful Girl and I read two great picture books the other night and I just had to share them with you.
We read Tomie dePaola’s new Strega Nona’s Harvest (2009) and were delighted with the garden theme. It begins like this: “It was spring, and all the snow had melted.” Just that line gave us such a warm feeling as we are snowed in to our shins!! Strega Nona brings out packets of seeds and explains how the seeds need to be planted carefully, according to each plants requirements. She even has her always helper, Big Anthony spread the compost and manure so the plants will have plenty of vitamins. This is great information for students to hear-what it takes to grow a good garden. There is even mention of planting by the light of the full moon, a tradition in my family, which causes my husband to laugh and roll his eyes, until he eats the potatoes!!

I loved the addition of lots of Italian phrases and words like “Arriverderci, buonanotte-good-bye and good night,”-wonderful for children to hear a new language. I don’t remember as many Italian phrases in other Strega Nona stories-this one seemed to have more and I very well could be wrong. Please feel free to correct me if I am. I looked through the original Strega Nona and didn’t find as many. The first one does a great job of describing Strega Nona, the Grandma Witch:

“She could cure a headache, with oil and water and a hairpin. She made special potions for the girls who wanted husbands. And she was very good at getting rid of warts.”

I think this new Strega Nona will encourage readers to discover dePaolo’s many other books, Strega Nona or otherwise.

Highly Recommended for Elementary Everybody

5/5 peaceful stars

The second book we read, Hogwood Steps Out; A very good pig by Howard Mansfield and Barry Moser is funny!! Even from the cover it invites humor with the face of that sweet pig. This one begins: “Mud. That’s wat I smell this morning. It’s rich, it’s inviting.” You can see we are looking at life from a pig’s point-of-view and this makes it very funny but not silly. Whoever thought they wanted to get into the head of a pig-but once there we find an adventursome, strong-willed and happy pig!! The pictures are realistically-drawn and you can imagine exactly what it would feel like to be the pig as well as the neighbors Hogwood encounters on his walk around the neighborhood. Hogwood is one smart pig even as he is being led back to his pen!

Highly Recommended-Elementary Everybody

5/5 peaceful stars

Be Peaceful to yourself-

Ghost Story

Book One, 43 Old Cemetary Road; Dying to meet you (2009)
by Kate Klise, illus. by M. Sarah Klise

The sister team of Kate and M. Sarah Klise created a charming ghost story through letters written back and forth between a cast of characters. The story line is fun and the cast of characters have names that will make children giggle. There is the writer, Ignatius B. Grumply (I.B.), who is trying to write a book after a 20 year absence in the publishing world. Anita Sale is the real estate agent who helps Grumply find a writing haven-at 43 Old Cemetary Road, of course. Grumply’s lawyer is E. Gadds and his publisher is Paige Turner. The broken down house at 43 Old Cemetary Road belongs to Professors Les and Diane Hope, who have fled the country to study paranormal activity on the European Continent, leaving their young son, Seymour Hope, behind at the house. This pun-filled cast is rounded out with the resident ghost, Olive C. Spence, and a private investigator, Frank N. Beans!! This book is only about 150 pages long, quick read and I think students will love it.

While not a scary ghost story I like the message of family is who ever makes you feel safe and Seymour feels safer with a ghost than with his own parents. This theme is cherished by many students who don’t live in typical mom/dad family situations. Seymour takes care of himself, even mows the yards for neighbors but he likes to have Olive and Ignatius around. This would make a wonderfully, quick read-aloud as well as an intro into letter-writing as well. The second book, 43 Old Cemetary Road; Over my dead body is out as well.
Find a copy of other well-written books by this duo right here.Here at Highland we have “Shall I knit you a hat; a Christmas Yarn“, a wonderful tale of sharing and giving for this time of year.
Find the book here.

Highly Recommended-Elementary Fiction (2nd-4th grade)

4/5 Stars

TT The Best Bad Luck I Ever had

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! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here is my teaser for the day:

“Do you have the new Sears and Roebuck catalog?” Pa didn’t say hello to Mr. Walker either, but that only made me feel a little better. “Yes,” Mr. Walker said, reading into his desk and pulling it out. “Is something wrong?” p53 The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had by Kristin Levine

I love how saving the day could come from the S & R catalog!!

Family Reading

Peaceful girl and I have been reading quite a lot lately and I’ve been remiss on writing about these books.
Last night we finished Ruby Lu, brave and true by Lenore Look, illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf (2004). We read this one because our friend, V, said the second one (Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything) was great. we thought we should read the first one first and it was also great! Ruby loves doing magic, loves living on 20th Avenue South and thinks everyone should wear reflective tape. Her neighborhood is the fun kind, where everyone plays together and gets along-that is until Christina moves in. Christina wears summer clothes not sweaters and makes fun of Ruby and her friends on 20th Ave. South but eventually she comes around. Ruby is especially adorable when she finds she will need to share her room with her young cousin, Flying Duck, who is soon to emigrate to America. Flying Duck arrives wearing some reflective tape of her own! Peaceful girl and I are excited to check out Ruby’s next book. Lenore Look has a popular new series out, Alvin Ho-I think there are two books so far!

Highly Recommended for Elementary Fiction

5/5 peaceful stars

Recently we finished Henrietta; there’s no one better by Martine Murray. This one was just plain silly and I still don’t really get it. Henrietta likes to make things up and her mind moves fast, lightning fast-so fast it didn’t all gel together-for me or little girl. Read more here.

Recommended for the fun drawings-Elementary Fiction

2/5 peaceful stars

A while ago Peaceful Girl and I finished The Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler and loved it. What girl doesn’t dream about waking up and finding out you’re a mermaid. Emily lives on a boat with her mom and everything is smooth until she takes her 7th grade swim class and grows ah yes, a mermaid tail. Lots of fun discoveries about her family are uncovered and there are two more books rounding out this fantasy series. Recommended Elementary Fiction -(while she is in 7th grade the audience is more elementary-4th-5th grade) 4/5 peaceful stars

What are you reading with your children??

Inspiration for the day

I found this great little video while browsing my copy of Shelf Awareness. I love how excited the children are to get this brand new book. I love how small the Internet makes the world. I was already having a pretty darn great day and yet it made my Monday brighter! Take a minute to watch, then take another minute to tell me what you think.