Top Ten Series I haven't finished but should…

This meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. 

Most of these are unfinished due to the time crunch that is my lovely life.

1. Fablehaven by Brandon Mull.  I’ve read the first three and want to finish.
2. Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix.  I read the first two and moved on.
3. Rick Riordan writes faster than I can read. I have the last book of Percy Jackson and the two more Kane Chronicles and I haven’t even started on his other series…

4. Michael Scott’s The Alchemyst. I’ve read these first 4 and have two more to go.
5. Anna Godberson’s second series, Bright Young Things. (not as riveting as The Luxe)
6. Lois Lowry’s The Giver series. Keep meaning to get this done and now the last one is coming out.
7. The Daughters series by Joanna Philben. I’ve read one and want to read the next two.
8. Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments series.  I loved the first one.  Promise to finish series before movie arrives in theatres!
9. Kristin Cashore’s Bitterblue.  I’ve read the first two-loved them.
10. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins.  I want to read the second one, Lola and the boy next door, before the last one is out.
When I first started writing I thought I was keeping up but my list easily kept growing!  Thanks to  the lovely ladies at The Broke and Bookish for reminding me of all I need to read this Fall.  I’ve already clicked around to many other TTT and I have a new list started, Series I need to read!

Louise Erdrich; books with historical significance

I don’t know why it took me so long to discover this wonderful series.  Next year I plan to put it on our 5th grade book club reading list.  Thank you to V. for pushing me toward this title.

The Birchbark House (1999)

Omakayas and her family are Ojibwe Indians living on Madeline Island.  The year is 1849 and Omakayas (Little Frog) is seven years old.  She has one older sister, Angeline, and two younger brothers; one a baby and the other, Pinch, is pure trouble.  The book is set up on the cycle of the seasons as this small tribe of Ojibwes enjoy the  warm days of summer preparing for fall and winter.  The snowy months prove difficult for the tribe as many are short on food and sickness robs Omakayas of her baby brother.  Erdrich set it up nicely in this seasonal manner  to help us feel in the moment with this peaceful tribe.  I have a romantic notion for Native tribes and this book shares all the positive as they begin to feel the encroachment of the white man on their land and Omakayas understands more about her gift for dreams.

The Game of Silence (2005)

The sequel to The Birchbark House continues the thread through seasons with several adventures.  Another small tribe arrives by canoe, bedraggled and starved, as they escape from the white man and sickness.  Old Tallow gets lost during a heavy snow as she searches for game to hunt and Deydey leads the priest on a mission just as the ice over the lake begins to crack and break.  Any of these problems demonstrate the difficulties native people had even without the added fear of losing their way of life.  Omakayas learns to accept her dreams as she uses a particularly powerful dream to rescue her father.  She is a strong and unique young female character who takes pride in her family and the way of life she’s too often taken for granted.

A quote:

“The air cooled quickly.  It was a little cold to sleep outside, but Deydey spread out the fire and built it up to a huge blaze.  When the fire had all burned down to a bed of coals, he spread out the coals and then all of the family heaped sand on top of the big spread-out remains of the fire.  They were making their bed. The soft comfortable sand was their mattress.  Underneath, the coals would continue to give off a gently heat.  They all lay down under the stars.   There were no mosquitos or flies when the air was so chilly.  Yet the warmth from underneath kept them comfortable.  Deydey made this sort of sand bed often on his trips, and the children loved for him to make it for them.” (72-73, The Game of Silence)

Louise Erdrich’s native heritage helped to shape this series as she recounts events in her own family’s past.  I have a few other books ahead of it but I plan to read the third and final book, The Porcupine Year. A post by Carol Hurst talks about The Birchbark House. The Game of Silence is discussed in this article at KidsReads and The Porcupine Year has this article also at KidsReads.

The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander; #11

The Book of Three
(1964)

The Chronicles of Prydain was a favorite of one of my college professors.  She ran the Library Science program at the time I was studying to be a teacher-librarian.  Any time I see the series I think of her and because I’m taking a class on fantasy I decided to give it a try.  I’ve no idea why it took me so long-it was a wonderful!



Synopsis:

Taran is bored with his assistant Pig-Keeper duties, even though his charge is none other than Hen Wen, Prydain’s only oracular pig.  He’d rather be doing something more heroic, like making swords and learning to use them.
When Hen Wen escapes and Taran goes after her, he finds himself farther from home than he’s ever been.  Soon he begins to realize that heroism is not easy task.  With the dreaded Horned King on the loose and King Arawn gathering the forces of evil, Taran must look past his own dreams to warn the population of Prydain-before it’s too late. 


I love how fantasy so easily transports me away to another land and this one did just that.  I imaged trudging through the lands of Prydain with Taran, Eilonwy and Gwydion as they follow through with each quest and do battle with the Horned King.  This one has very typical good vs. evil crisis but the characters bring it completely to life.  Eilonwy is a natural rebel-always curious and never willing to just follow along.  She is perfect example of a positive female character and she can do a little magic!  I also love a hero who’s shy and humble and Taran and Prince Gwydion both have these characteristics.  I’m anxious to read the next in the series, The Black Cauldron, to discover the next adventure awaiting Taran and Eilonwy.

Did every one else read this one in high school?  Better late than never for me!

28 Days of Things I Love; #11
I love me some magical fantasy!

November Reading Recap and a few mini-reviews!

Teenage Boy exclaimed the other day: “This year is going by so fast!” and I agree.  December is just around the corner.  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving spent in Deephaven, MN with my younger brother and his family.  The weather was gorgeous and the food was spectacular!  My brother has emerged as quite an eclectic chef and we had a non-traditional meal with King Salmon as the main course.  The salmon was caught in Lake Superior this past summer by my 9-year-old nephew!  A truly amazing feat and he was all smiles as we ooh’ed and aaah’ed over his tasty fish.

My reading in November was quirky:

 Bright Young Things by Anna Godberson (my shelf):  Ugh.  So wanted this to be as good as The Luxe series.  It was not.

 The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman (library):  This deserves a much longer review but suffice it to say I loved Hoffman’s writing and will search for more of her prose.

 Spellbound (The 2nd book of Elsewhere) by Jacqueline West (library):  I loved this little series-perfectly creepy with a strong young female heroine. I reviewed it here.

 The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her own making by Catherynne M. Valente (library):  I waxed poetically about this book here after just a few chapters.  The book stayed consistently superb.  The vocabulary alone puts it in a category all its own.  I had to look words up.  Such a treat.  The author’s website offers a preview of the book.  Go on click and check it out!

Organizing the Disorganized Child by Martin L. Kutscher and Marcella Moran (new purchase):  Trying to help my Groovy Girl out a little here-this is filled with many great tools like this clock.

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan (my shelf):  I don’t love it as much as The Lightning Thief but it is a good adventure with mixed race siblings.  I love learning about ancient Egypt.  I’ve had this on my shelf since it was first published-glad to be finally crossing it off my list.  The same nephew that was responsible for bringing in the salmon was a little disgusted with me-he’s read ALL of Riordan’s books-some more than once!  He was all like “well, have your read The Son of Neptune??”  Ahh, not yet.


What have you been reading??
Happy December.

Summer Reading; Boredom Begone

While everyone else has shared their amazing BEA books and bling I have a different kind of exciting box of books-the box of books I cart home every summer to read.  I have a little contest at school in which students are challenged, prodded, and cajoled into reading books I’ve bragged about.  It works on a few.  Books have points and if they get a certain amount of points then they are invited to a frolicking fun pizza party in the library.  There’s prizes.  And pizza.  This year there was even mini ice cream cones! 

Each summer I have to read a few more books to keep ahead-I’m not really vying for the points but I have to have new ones to rave about.  I swear the box gets heavier every year and each year I pray that I actually get them all read.  

What’s in the box, you say…

From my school library shelves:
Countdown by Deborah Wiles
Turtle In Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm
Wishworks, Inc. by Stephanie Tolan
Storm Runners by Roland Smith
The Great Wall of Lucy Lu by Wendy Wan-Long Shang
A Drowned Maiden’s Hair by Laura Amy Schlitz (after loving The Night Fairy by her I have to read this one)
Grip of the Shadow Plague (Book 3-Fablehaven) by Brandon Mull (I’m anxious to continue this series)
The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas (I plan to pick up #2 and #3 half way through the summer ‘cuz I think I’ll like these)
Olive’s Ocean by Kevin Henkes (someone told me it isn’t age-approriate for our library…)
Only May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm
Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy
Sabatotaged by Margaret Peterson Haddix (just to finish this series up)
I also have to read Swindle by Gordon Korman this summer for a reading committee and I have books to read for Iowa Children’s Choice nominations.  Egads.  Can it be done?
Which one most interests you on my list?
I spent many of my summers with my grandmother, Lavera, while I was growing
up and she always told me only a fool gets bored!  I’m no fool, Grandma!

Friday Feature; A Book Lover's inventory!

Okay, truth be told, I don’t love all inventory but I do love beep, beep, beeping my way through the fiction books.  It is much more than just a book count; it is review of what I have, what’s been popular and not-so-popular.  While I’m doing this inventory I’ve been compiling a summer reading list with a notebook tucked next to my computer. 

As you might imagine it is slow-going but oh, so much fun!  I’ve been busted several times sitting on my step stool immersed in a book.  Even my trusted assistant, Janice, jokingly said “hey, no reading during inventory!”  I can’t help it, going through the fiction section makes me reminisce about the books I’ve read, popular books with students this year, books I want to recommend to specific teachers and sadly, good books that don’t fly off the shelves. 

I found these books irrisistible and had a difficult time setting them back on the shelf to continue with inventory.  I expect to go back to them very soon and may take a couple home tonight.

Treasures unearthed as I’ve done inventory.  Click on the title for a synopsis.

1. On the Run by Gordon Korman (I was roped in instantly to the Falconers troubles)
2. Silent to the Bone by e.l. Konigsburg (same here with what happened to the baby)
3. Iqbal by Francesco D’Adamo (made me think of The Breadwinner)
4. The Brooklyn Nine by Alan Gratz (baseball)
5. Stumptown Kid by Carol Gorman (baseball)
6. Over the River by Sharelle Byars Moranville (loved The Snows)
7. Roxie and the Hooligan by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (bullies)
8. Poison Ivy by Amy Goldman Koss (bullies)
Here’s a quote I found inside Baby by Patricia MacLachlan:

I wondered what she would do when Lalo went off-island to high school.  Maybe she would wither away among all the books with all the words in them until no one could ever find her again unless they opened a book. (17)

What was I doing on page 17 of Baby, you could ask?  I’m pretty sure I’ve read it so I flipped through to read a page or two and no kidding, flipped right to that quote!  Perfect for me.  Inventory is a blast!

Have you read any of the above books?  Would you recommend any of them?

Book Fair Shopping

My book fair is all set up.  I stayed late to do it on Friday after school so it will be all set for Monday.   In between classes and during conferences I’ve done some serious browsing and there are so many books that I want; some for school and some for myself.  Here’s a partial list:

1. The Summer of Moonlight Secrets by Danette Haworth. 

Welcome to The Merriwether, Florida’s once-grand-hotel built on Hope Springs, where nothing is quite as it seems.  Hidden staircases give way to shadowy servants’ quarters, and old-fashioned speakeasies make for the perfect hide and seek spot.  Allie Jo Jackson knows every nook and cranny of The Meriwether-she’s lived there her whole life-and nothing surprises her, until the first time she spots the beautiful Tara emerging from the water of the springs.  Tara’s shimmery skin, long flowing, and fondness for moonlight swims hint-and once Allie Jo and her friend Chase discover Tara’s secret, nothing will ever be the same.
2. The Healing Spell by Kimberly Griffiths Little.

Eleven-year-old Livie is keeping a secret, and it’s crushing her.  She knows she is responsible for her mother’s coma, but she can’t tell anyone.  And it’s up to her to find a way to wake her mamma before anyone uncovers the truth of what really happened. 

3. Radiance by Alyson Noel. 

Riley has crossed the bridge into the afterlife-a place called Here, where time is always Now.  She has picked up life where she left off when she was alive, living with her parents and dog in a nice neighborhood.  When she is summoned before The Council, she learns that the afterlife isn’t just an eternity of leisure.  She’s been assigned a job, Soul Catcher, and a teacher, Bodhi, a possibly cute, seemingly nerdy boy who’s definetely hiding something.  They return to earth together for Riley’s first assignment, a Radiant Boy who’s been haunting a castle in England for centuries.  Many soul catchers have tried to get him to cross the bridge and failed.  But all of that was before he met Riley…(I enjoyed reading Everafter and this seems different yet similar)

4. Saving Zasha by Randi Barrow.  (and for my historical fiction craving)

World War II has just ended when 13-year-old Mikhail finds a dying man and his German shepherd, Zasha, in the woods.  It’s dangerous-some say traitorous-to own a German dog after Germany attacked Russia, so Mikhail must keep Zasha a secret to keep her alive. 

5. 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson.
Lying in bed at night, twelve-year-old Henry York can’t ignore the thumping and scratching he hears on the other side of the wall.  He scrapes off the plaster and discovers doors-ninety-nine cupboards of all different sizes and shapes.  Through one he hears the sound of falling rain.  Through another he sees a glowing room-with a man strolling back and forth!  Henry and his cousin Henrietta soon understand that these are not just cupboards.  they are, in fact, portals to other worlds.    I noticed on the author’s website their are already books 2, Dandelion Fire, and 3, Chestnut King, ready in this series, which means no waiting around for more.

All synopsis notes are from the back blurb on the book. 

That is just from the fiction section. 

A whole ‘nother post is waiting for the fabulous picture books from the book fair!!

and a Rant for the day:

The word of the day is BOOK-whenyou bring your child to the BOOK fair-buy them a book, then if they still want the pencil with the Pokeman eraser, go for it.  But the BOOK is the most important item.  After all it is a BOOK Fair, not a crazy writing utensil fair.  There I’ve said my piece.

The Night Fairy

2010
117 pages

This elementary fantasy is a wonderful easy read for everyone who loves fairies, like we do at our house.  My 8-year-old Groovy Girl makes fairy water every other day (or so it seems) with markers, lots of water, and tiny jars.  The result is sparkly, multi-colored water (think pinks, oranges, sea green) by putting a small (picture the mess in my upstairs bathroom sink) amount of water into the teeny, tiny jars (mini marmalade jars), then sticking a marker tip into the water, and watch the color flow into the water.  Magically,  the marker is not permanetely damaged through this creative process.  She sets these jars on her windowsill, for fairy purposes.  I haven’t figured out why or what fairies do with this water…it just is what it is.

The Night Fairy is an adventure starring Flory, a young night fairy who at three monthes old has her brand-new, beautiful wings snapped off by a blundering bat, swooping through the  night.  She’s left in a sweet, gray-haired human’s backyard and has to learn how to survive without flying.  Luckily, this  human loves animals and is constantly putting treats out for the birds.  Flory befriends a squirrel, Skuggle, who is always hungry and the two learn to help each other. 

Flory was no longer alone.  She felt that she had made a friend, though she wasn’t quite sure what friendship was.  Skuggle was not the best of friends, because he would have eaten her if he could; also, he  never talked anything but food.  flory wasn’t the best of friends, either.  She knew that if she had been able to fly, she wouldn’t have bothered with Skuggle.  She was using him.  All the same, after she struck her bargain with Skuggle, she was less lonely. (32)

She finds other animals along the way; both friends and foes, even helping a hummingbird escape a spider. She uses her mind and her limited use of magic to defend herself and find out more about the world around her.  This imaginative little book is filled with great adventures that many fairy-loving young humans will love.  The end of the story paves the way for, hopefully, more escapades with Flory.  Flory would probably love to live in my daughter’s room with all the fairy water there for her.

Laura Amy Schlitz won the 2008 John Newbery award for her book Good Masters, Sweet Ladies!

The Night Fairy website.
Planet Esme’s review.
Green Bean Teen Queen predicts it as a Newberry Dark Horse winner.

Leo and the Lesser Lion
by Sandra Forrester
2009
296 pages
This is Mary Bayliss Pettigrew’s story.  It involves her whole family during the Depression.  Bayliss has an older brother, Leo and an older sister, Kathleen.  Her and Leo are like “two peas in a pod”-pulling pranks and finding all sorts of ways to get in trouble together.  Even though it’s the Depression and her father, the country doctor, gets paid in potatoes the family has a good life, a happy life.  It never lasts, though and this tragedy comes in the form of a boat, given to Bayliss from Leo on her birthday.  The first part of the story deals with Leo’s death and Bayliss’ painful recovery.  While she misses Leo, her father takes in two orphan sisters and this second stage makes the Bayliss’ story shine as she adjusts to making room for these two very different sisters.
 
My thoughts:  I loved Bayliss.  She was plucky and had a wonderful best friend, Annie, who always gave her good advice.  I loved the strong brother/sister relationship between Leo and Bayliss, which thankfully, we get to experience first hand not just in flashbacks.  I thought the struggle in Bayliss’ heart was real and true; how difficult it would be to share your family with strangers when your heart feels broken.  I, also, thought Bayliss’ father’s struggle with God was candid and accurately portrayed.  My favorite character was Tommie Dora, Bayliss’ grandmother, who was rough and a bit crusty but like good bread, really soft and a little sweet in the middle.  This one didn’t make me sob as much as other tragedy books, which was okay and I can’t explain the difference, except maybe because the sadness was mixed with an awful lot of Depression happiness! 
Here’s an example of the joy: 
It couldn’t have been more than two seconds later when somebody jerked the quilt off me, and then Mother was yelling in my ear, “Rise and shine, sugar! This morning is a gift.” 
This morning is a gift.  I’d heard those words hundreds-maybe thousands-of times in my life.  Mother would say them on steamy summer mornings and frosty winter ones.  On any day she judged to be especially fine.  And my mother seemed to think most mornings were especially fine. (p. 43-44 Leo and the Lesser Lion, Sandra Forrester)
I guess it’s because this family comes closer to each other and not apart that I didn’t fall apart-I was rooting for them, too.
I checked this out from my local library so it counts for the library challenge!
Highly Recommended
Upper Elementary/Middle Grade Fiction
5/5 peaceful stars

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Hurrah, Library Day!

I spent a good portion of my day today (sunday) at my local library and wow, did I have a great time.  Let it be noted here though I would have left with less if I had not been with Tina-she is the Queen of knowing ALL the good new books!  I just finished Leo and the Lesser Lion by Sandra Forrester-excellent historical fiction and still need to share my thoughts about it and I just started Ruined by Paula Morris, at the urging of my friend, Angelle.  I  still have tons of books on my own shelves to keep reading so why add more to the chaos???  
Yah, you know the “pain” I’m in…”Hi, my name is Michelle and I’m a book addict…”

Here is what I brought home:

First the picture books:
Osbert in Love by E.C. Kimmel
Puffling by M. Wild
Robot Zot! by J. Scieszka/D. Shannon
Panda Kindergarten by J. Ryder
A Really Good Snowman by D.J. Mahoney
Terrible Storm by C.O. Hurst
Knitty Kitty by D.  Elliott
Red Ted and the Lost Things by M. Rosen
and Tacky Goes to Camp by H. Lester (Tacky is a family fav.-my husband has even dramatized some of Tacky for our children)Helen Lester’s site.

Chapter Books to read with little girl:
Willa by Heart by C.M. Paratore
Dog by Daniel Pennac
Look Out, Jeremy Bean! by A.  Schertle-this one we started last night and reads really well!!
Piper Reed, Navy Brat by K.W. Holt

Chapter books:
The $66 Summer by John Armistead (historical fiction)
Gossip of the Starlings by Nina de Gramont
Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan (Sept. 11th events affect 3 teens)
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford 
The Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech (love Sharon Creech)
Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin (great cover art)

Craziness…
Let it snow, let it snow so I can have a reading day…
Now I have a little mix of everything to keep me and little girl happy!
Going to the library to let our little ones play together and getting a chai tea are just perfect rituals for any given Sunday.
Happy Reading!!