Peaceful Reader

Green Books

Booking Mama’s post from today turned me on to a new concept and I have to share it with everyone! It kind of amazes me how things can almost pass you by. I’d never heard of Eco-Libros before but now I’m ready to plant trees for every book I read. I wish I would have known about their challenge previously but I will find a way to particpate anyway.

I spent time at my public library today and found several books with the help of Tina, who happened to be there with her youngest. I “found” Jodi Piccoult’s new-ish Handle with care, which I have not read yet. Now I have to read it in 7 days!! I really have to start The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Anne Schaffer because my book club meets in two weeks and I haven’t started. I also have to finish Year of the dog (tonight) for tomorrow’s 5th grade book club. Crazy-Yes!!
Other books I found at library:
The shadow speaker by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu (for teen and me to read)
Looking for alaska by John Green (I want my teenager to read it when he finishes Liar)
The bite of the mango by Mariatu Kamara (for teen, husband and myself to read-high hopes)
Satchel; The life and times of an american legend by Larry Tye (for husband-he loves baseball history)
The year we disappeared; a father~daughter memoir by Cylin Busby and John Busby(for teen and me to read)
My goal was to finish reading Journey of Dreams by Marge Pellegrino but so much got in the way this weekend. (Like my mom showing up last night by surprise:)
I need to finish lesson plans for this week, my observation MAJOR lesson plan to be handed in to my principal tomorrow and make an Asian dessert for 5th grade book club tomorrow!
What the heck was I even doing picking out books at the library or hanging around on the computer!! I know most of you can relate to this whirlwind schedule! Tell me what your crazy drama looks like??

Be peaceful-
Michelle

Picture Books

Peaceful girl and I read a fantastic picture book last night at bedtime.

Homegrown house by Janet S. Wong and illustrated by E.B. Lewis is a story about transition and finding your comfort right where you are. The young narrator tells us how she’s moved from house to house as her family experienced change through new jobs. Now she lives some place within walking distance from her Grandmom and she likes where she is, even though it’s not a dream home. Her Grandmom says:
” it takes time to settle into a house, to learn to love it right, to make it feel homegrown.”

Mom gets a raise so they house hunt for a better house but our young narrator works hard to convince her parents the house they live in now is their perfect house!! She wants to be close to Grandmom and all that her house has to offer-she wants consistency in her life!

I moved many times growing up as we followed the journalistic dreams of my Dad. Moving can be exciting but at some point you get tired of leaving your friends behind, finding new favorite spots. This book exemplifies that struggle very much for this young girl. E.B. Lewis’ illustrations are very natural and draw you more into the story. Recommended-5/5 peaceful stars

Sent by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Two weeks ago I was so excited when my two new boxes of Titlewave books arrived because inside was a copy of Sent! I read it over that next week and loved it. I didn’t want to put it down-life always gets in the way though and I did have to stop more than a few times-but I was always anxious to pick it back up!

Sent (2009) is the second in Margaret Peterson Haddix’s new Missing series. Click here to read my thoughts on Found, the first one in the series.

This outstanding new series mixes history with sci-fi time-taveling fun! Most children would love to find out they are related to royalty-and in this book 13-year-old Chip is Edward V, King of England and Alex is his younger brother Richard, Duke of York. Edward is worried their uncle, Richard of Gloucester is going to have them killed and take the throne for himself. Jonah, Chip, Alex and Katherine travel back to the 15th Century to “fix time” and interesting things happen to teenagers trying to fit into language, mannerisms and costumes of a very different time period. I loved imagining independent Katherine existing in a the not-to-female-friendly 15th Century! I don’t know a lot about this historical era but it is very exciting to read all the mystery and intrigue of the day! Highly recommend this series and cannot wait to see where the next book will take us. 5/5 peaceful stars

Click here for Margaret Peterson Haddix’s exciting website.

Looks like she has a brand new book out in November!! No mention of when the third Missing book will be out though.

I know you’re all asking “what else was in those boxes of new books??”

For curious minds here is a partial list:

Allie Finkle’s Stage Fright by Meg Cabot

Umbrella Summer by Lisa Graff

43 Old Cemetary Road; Dying to meet you by Kate Klise

Julia Gillian (and the quest for joy) by Alison McGhee

the entire new and improved Herculeah Jones mystery series by Betsy Byars

The Clever Stick by John Lechner

Elephants cannot dance! by Mo Willems

A pocket can have a treasure in it by Kathy Stinson

Read it, don’t eat it! by Ian Schoenherr

Yeah, more forthcoming reviews to write:)

What about you? What has you excited this week?

Be Peaceful,

Michelle

ps: the book fair has been busy today as well-and it has taken me all day to write this (yikes!) because of bfair business and visitors stopping by –Tina from booksaremything dropped by and bought two books!!

Busy Book Fair Day

It’s conference time in the Cedar Valley and during this time it is tradition for the library to hold a book fair! I thought today would be a slow start today and I would have plenty of time to blog…that didn’t happen so here I am posting at 9:56! I’m glad it was busy (my feet hurt though) and I’m ready to go home.

Here are highlights from what people were reading and buying at the fair.

Diary of a wimpy kid; dog days by Jeff Kinney-hands-down most popular book bought by kids
Boys are dogs by Leslie Margolis
Allie Finkle’s Rules for girls, Best Friends and Drama Queens by Meg Cabot
I spy fly guy by Tedd Arnold for the younger set

Nonfiction rocked a lot as well:
See how they run; campaign dreams, election schemes, and the race to the White House by Susan E. Goodman (okay, so nobody bought this one but lots of people looked in it.)

Tomorrow’s another day at the fair.
Tomorrow is probably won’t be as busy
then I will be able to write in the middle of the day!!

Be Peaceful…
Michelle

Halloween List

I read quite a few Halloween books over the last few weeks and I fell in love with a few. While it is after Halloween I share them with you so you will be prepared for next year.

Last night Peaceful girl and I read Hush, Baby Ghostling (2009) by Andrea Beaty and Pascal Lemaitre. This writing team is also responsible for the great Doctor Ted and Firefighter Ted. We really liked the coziness of Hush, Baby Ghostling and little girl loved comparing ghostling’s life to hers. “Ahh, he’s going to bed during the day.” “Ohhh, he likes the lights all out-not one bit of light.” It was cool to listen to her figure out ghost mama loves her baby too! 4/5 peaceful stars

One of my favorites this year is Boris and Bella (2004) by Carolyn Crimi and Cris Grimly. I read this to Peaceful girl, because it is about a messy monster (like her) and Peaceful husband, because it’s a sweet love story! Boris is neat and tidy and Bella, quite messy and they, of course, don’t like each other! When each decide to have a Halloween party they are sadly disappointed when they find out everyone is heading to Harry Beastie’s party instead. They can’t resist and end up there themselves-the rest is monster history! If this book is ever made into a feature length film I vote for Helena Bonham Carter to play Bella!! 5/5 peaceful stars

I actually read Anne Rockwell’s (2001)Pumpkin Day, Pumpkin Night a lot in the last few weeks. It demonstrates how a fiction book, with imaginary characters, can give us true information. This book does a great job of showing students the whole pumpkin to jack-o-lantern experience. Not all students get to design, scoop out slimy pumpkin guts, and create a glowing pumpkin face-this book does just that. I am a big fan of Anne Rockwell’s books.

The Perfect Pumpkin Pie (2005) by Denys Cazet is a rollicking fun time of a read with any grade. The detailed illustrations lend a creepy atmosphere and the refrain will have kids “reading” with you. It goes like this:

“Pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkin pie! I must have one before I die. It must be round and brown as toast, or I’ll haunt this house a hungry ghost. It must be perfect, or a ghost I’ll stay, and haunt this house and never, ever go awaaaaaaay!” said by the creepy and dead Mr. Wilkerson.

Pumpkin Circle-great nonfiction read-aloud as well! What were your favorite Halloween books this year?

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! (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:

“We walk amongst the trees as we continue along the outskirts of this village. The burnt smell is not fresh, but days old. Some of the buildings have no roofs.” p. 95, of Marge Pellegrino’s Journey of Dreams

Okay, I couldn’t resist that third sentence-it was so descriptive and matches up with teaser #1 And teaser #2. Politics and Prose synopsis.

Every day blogging…

I’ve decided to try a writing experiment! I know this has been done by others en masse but on my own I just want to try and blog every day through November. It’s a grateful month-and I’m grateful to my blog for the joy it brings me so I am going to give it more attention. I blogged yesterday about Abigail Iris, the one and only and today I am just putting my challenge in writing.

I did read this fantastic book (Our children can soar; a celebration of Rosa, Barack, and the Pioneers of Change) over the weekend and plan to share it with 5th grade this week. This book takes us on a journey from the beginning illustration of slavery and the Civil War, George Washington Carver and ends with Barack Obama’s historic campaign for the presidency. On one hand this book captures the hope and spirit of not only that campaign but our history of change (slow, yes) but through its simple statements it shows how our previous knowledge helps us understand the world around us. If one were to read the book and not know who George, Jessie, Hattie or Ella were the story would not make as great impression. It is all this background knowledge we need to get to our students before they can understand other books like A Friendship for today, Chains, The Watson’s go to Birmingham, or Elijah of Buxton. This book would make a great introduction for many lessons on U.S. History but will make a perfect example of understanding schema for fifth grade students. I love it when a great book like this comes along, which makes it easy to explain a monumental point to students.

Of course, I can’t really finish talking about this amazing book without mentioning the beautiful illustrations created by 13 different illustrators! They are Caldecott- worthy; simple yet meaningful.

Marian Wright Edelman writes a glowing forward to show the giant leaps this book demonstrates! She says “African American history is the collective story of many, many people who never gave up and never turned around, but instead always quietly took that next step forward in faith so their children would be able to go even farther and have better lives.”

Highly Recommended 5/5 stars

Abigail Iris

Abigail Iris; The one and only by Lisa Glatt and Suzanne Greenberg and illustrated by Joy Allen is a very well-written elementary chapter book for the 3rd and 4th grade student. It tells the story of one sweet Abigail Iris who really loves her family (she is “one of many”); she is a little jealous of her “only” friends. Abigail Iris has an older stepbrother and shares a bedroom with her older sister while her three friends are all sibling-free. “Onlies” get expensive shoes like Heelies, new clothes and exciting Spring Break vacations. Genevieve invites Abigail Iris to join her family on a trip to San Francisco! The drive to San Francisco, the stay at the Francis Drake Hotel and the adventures they have in-between show Abigail Iris why being “one of many” has it’s bonus moments as well. This book is wonderful teaching tool without being overly didactic. Peaceful girl and I read this book at bedtime and it created alot of great conversation about families, finances and traveling. The illustrations are whimsical and very much add to this perfect little chapter book. 5/5 stars
Find Lisa Glatt’s website here, Suzanne Greenberg’s site here, and Joy Allen’s creative site here!
Other great posts about Abigail Iris from Kiss the Book,
Semicolon, and Booktopia.

Happy Halloween!!

Lauren Child's poodle thoughts

I love Lauren Child’s work. I fell in love with Charlie and Lola when my daughter started watching the series on tv. I think her collage artwork is stunning. So really, I am a huge fan so I was ultra-disappointed when peaceful girl and I settled in to read her latest, Who wants to be a poodle-I don’t!! The front cover definetely drew us in but right in the first few pages we were thrown. Peaceful girl is working very hard to be a reader and it has been her practice of late to read the first few pages of our bedtime books. She had just recently read me a Charlie and Lola book and she felt confident she could read this one. Her little face fell on the very first page of print though as it is written in fancy cursive script and she said so “can’t read that”! Well, we got past that as I pointed out printed sentences she could handle and we did read it together, but it was a struggle. The story line is wonderfully imaginative-really, a poodle who wants to be more daring, what a fabulous idea!! This time though her artwork goes over the top and makes it difficult to find and read the words. Peaceful girl still liked the book and for all Lauren Child’s fans you will also. For an elementary library though I would rate it 3 out of 5 just because students will have difficulty reading it on their own and it won’t make an easy read-aloud for teachers. More accomplished readers will find it fun and challenging.

Synopsis: Trixie Twinkle Toes lives in the lap of luxury, with every creature comfort a manicured paw away. Adored by the glamorous Mademoiselle Bruleé, the little poodle has a maid to plump her pillows and a cook to prepare her nibbles. But Trixie isn’t happy. She doesn’t like the puffing and poofing and preening. She doesn’t like being dressed in little pink ponchos. She wants to be dazzlingly dangerous and daring. She wants to step in puddles! With a witty text that scampers across the pages and hilarious mixed-media illustrations, Lauren Child offers a one-ofa-kind treat — sure to entice both spirited little readers and deeply devoted dog-lovers alike.

Lauren Child’s website-click here!