Heaven

by Angela Johnson
PRMS paperback 138 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction, coming-of-age, relationships

Marley lives with her parents and brother Butchy in Heaven, OH. Her best friend, Shoogy, comes from a perfect family but cuts herself. Bobby asks Marley to watch his baby, Feather. Marley has spent her life wiring money to her uncle Jack and receiving letters from him. Then a letter comes on behalf of Monna Floyd and everything Marley thought she knew comes into question.

I read this because it came back to the media center damaged. I wanted to know if it was worth replacing. Johnson is a wonderful author and this won a Coretta Scott King award . . . but I don't think it will "sell" well to my readers. Published in 1998, it's a bit on the old side, too. It's beautiful, but I probably won't replace it.

Obsidian

a Lux novel
by Jennifer L Armentrout
Hennepin County Library paperback 335 pages
genre: paranormal romance

This was highly recommended by a ninth grader who is near & dear to my heart. I requested it from the library, got it, and had to hurry and read it because there's a waiting list for it. It was cleaner than I anticipated (lots and lots of sexual tension and attraction, but not much activity). I'm glad that I didn't read the back before reading the book . . . and I don't want to spoil it here. Obviously, the incredibly gorgeous neighbor, Daemon, is not an ordinary person. But Katy's introduction to this supermodel hottie is a rude one. He is insulting and condescending. She throws his rudeness right back at him and decides she is better off not making friends in this new town in West Virginia. Until she meets Daemon's sister Dee. This was an exciting page-turner. I can see why my student recommended it ("Jennifer Armentrout is my *favorite* author!!!) but I don't plan to read more. Although it is less cloying than other books in this genre, it is basically a teen hormone book. One I would consider adding to my collection if I had a bigger budget . . . it has the sex appeal without the actual sex!

Snow Day

by Billy Coffey
Hennepin County Library hardcover 195 pages
genre: Christian fiction

Sweet, cute little book that made me frustrated by halfway through . . . it's more a collection of vignettes with morals than an actual novel. Thirty-something Peter Boyd takes a snow day when his kids have one. A day away from his factory job (that may not exist much longer) gives him a chance to reflect upon his life . . . and go to the Super Mart. For bread and milk and stocking stuffers and the first of many, many, many encounters with people who help him realize some deep truth about life.

I liked it okay. Some of the stories were cute (like the kid sledding down the hill despite his mother's concern). But it was too episodic and moralistic for me. Yes, the morals were good ones. And some of them even felt genuinely meaningful. But it just didn't work as a piece of fiction for me. More chicken soup for the soul, anyone?

Bone: Quest for the Spark

Book 2
by Tom Sniegoski
PRMS paperback 234 pages
genre: YA adventure

I'm not sure where I originally got this, but it's not as much fun as the graphic novels. I read it to see if I wanted to buy book one and continue it as a collection. No, I don't. I had to force myself to read it. It actually "feels" like the tone and mood of the graphic novels, but the cast of characters just didn't do it for me.

Tom Elm (young hero, identified by the Dreaming to lead the quest)
Percival Bone (flies the Queen of the Sky ship and tinkers with things)
Randolf Clearmeadow (Veni Yan who has lost his confidence and is helping with the quest)
Abbey & Barclay (twins, obnoxious, Percival's niece and nephew)
Roderick the raccoon
Stinky & Smelly - the two stupid rat creatures
Lorimar - tree spirit
Nacht (sheer evil being, determined to destroy the Dreaming)
the Constable (a human, taken over by an evil spirit to do the Nacht's bidding)
King Agak - leader of the rat creatures
Bears - Al, Bobby, & ?

If You Don't Feed the Teachers, They Eat the Students!

subtitled "Guide to Success for Administrators and Teachers"
by Neila A. Connors
PRMS paperback 143 pages
genre: professional / morale

This was a re-read for me, and once again I was struck by how much it is geared toward *administrators* and makes me think of Sue Kreuser and all the amazing things she did as our building leader at PRMS. I miss her so much! It doesn't help much that my own morale is low - tiredness and stress can be overwhelming. There are many, many great ideas in this book.

These are the 14 strategies for S.A.N.E. (Self-disciplined And Nurturing Enthusiasts) people. I scanned them here to refer back to, though perhaps I should make cards and display them on my desktop as constant reminders. I certainly don't feel very sane these days . . .

At the end of the book, she lists 150 Fat-free D.E.S.S.E.R.T.S. (Defining Experiences Structured to Support, Encourage, and Reward Teachers' Spirit). I don't want to violate copyright law, but I wanted to make note of some of the ideas here (where I'll look at them again):

1. Faculty Birthday Party Celebrations
2. Secret Pal for the Year and/or Holidays
3. "You Need a Laugh" Awards
4. "Another Great Week" Get-Togethers with Coffee and Snacks
5. Organize Discussion Groups to Look for Solutions to Challenges
6. Suggestions / Questions / Concerns Box
7. T.G.I.T. Refreshments and Luncheons (Thank Goodness It's Today)
8. Spruce Up and Maintain a Pleasing Teachers' Lounge.
9. Monthly Wellness Sessions and Updates
10. "Take a Teacher to Lunch," "No Bus Duty," and "Release Time" Coupons
11. Swap Classrooms and/or Assignments for a Day or a Week
12. Shadow a Colleague for a Day

These titles don't include the blurbs of info. I'm too tired to do anything else with this. The book is on my Professional shelf at 371.2 Con.

From reviews on GoogleBooks:
(these made me laugh . . . )

Review: If You Don't Feed the Teachers They Eat the Students!: Guide to Success for Administrators and Teachers

User Review - Goodreads

Great ideas and advice for administrators and teachers! I just wish it was research based.

Review: If You Don't Feed the Teachers They Eat the Students!: Guide to Success for Administrators and Teachers

User Review - Goodreads

I can't even finish this book. There is absolutely no substance. And for the record, I did read all the way up to the desserts so I'm not basing my dislike of the book on just a chapter. It was so repetitive and made me feel brain-dead.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Hennepin County Library audiobook 7 CDs
read by Paul Boehmer, Susan Duerden, Roselyn Landor, John Lee, and Juliet Mills
genre: Historical fiction

This was a re-read for me, as I enjoyed the story so much the first time I encountered it. The cast does a marvelous job of bringing the many characters to life. This is one I could own and enjoy over and over again.

Set in 1946, author Juliet Ashton is ready to start a new book and move past the war. Receiving a letter from a stranger on the island of Guernsey, she begins corresponding with members of the literary society. But this group of readers is like no other she has ever encountered! What a delightful story of books, reading, and people. It is an amazing and beautiful story.

 

<Above posted 11.17.2013. Below posted 2009.>

 

by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (her niece)
hardcover, mine, 278 pages

I'll have to blog later. I'm running out of time! Excellent book. Swept me up.

Later:
Told entirely in letters, this story of a young woman dealing with post-WWII emotions captivated me. Juliet Ashton is the central character who is drawn to the island of Guernsey, which was occupied by German forces during the war. Just a lovely, lovely book! There were times I almost made a "cheat sheet" of all the different characters, but I read it quickly enough (on the beach in Naples, Florida) that I was able to keep it all straight. The romance, the history, the characters - all made it a delightful read! This is our CMSW book club title for March. I look forward to the discussion!

 

<This below added 6.2.2023.>

 

I love this story so much! I think it's a love letter to books and reading as much as it is a love story between Juliet and Dawsey or between many of the characters and the island itself.  I did a re-listen to the audio version on the Libby app. 

I recently made the connection between Izzy Bickerstaff (Juliet's nom de plume during the war) and the fictitious Mrs. Miniver of British WWII morale building.

I should go back and check my print copy, but I'm pretty sure that we only read letters TO Sophie (Sidney's sister and Juliet's dear friend) but none FROM her. Interesting.

I noticed some of the book / movie differences rather glaringly. The movie came out in 2018 and I've watched it twice. (I really like this story!) I thought it was pretty faithful to the book, but there are things that are quite different. (Like the crabby and self-righteous Adelaide Addison. In the movie, Juliet initially stays in her house and she has a different name - I think. I like the letters / book version better, even though she remains a completely awful person either way.)

It was driving me crazy when they mentioned the "Todt workers" throughout. I tried googling "toad workers" and "tote workers" with the book title and go nowhere. I'm glad I had my print copy to check! They were basically forced labor who the Nazis used to further their engineering projects. They starved and beat them and used them until they died. They were typically men and boys taken from conquered lands.

The Secrets of Mary Bowser

by Lois Leveen
Carver County Library paperback 450 pages
genre: historical fiction

Great book club discussion Monday after school! We all liked the book. The author did a lot of research based on the real Mary Bowser (and Bet Van Lew). The story starts with young Mary as a slave girl in the Van Lew household and follows her through her education in Philadelphia, her return to Richmond to spy for the North, and into her later years. It's still so hard for me to think about people who felt justified in treating other human beings as possessions. Hard issues, but an excellent book!

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity

by David Allen
Hennepin County Library
AudioCDs 7 discs
read by the author
genre: Non-fiction, organization, time management

This was worth waiting for! Not sure where I first heard about it, but I've been on the waiting list for over three months. His system makes a lot of sense to me, but I'm a little intimidated about getting going. I've blocked off the two days after Thanksgiving to "collect" all my "open loops" and do the collecting and processing at home to get my clutter (mental and physical) under control. I have already started on little pieces - like having an errands list and a projects list. The "next action" concept is something I'll have to practice more. I love the point he makes about to-do lists and calendar items. I'm excited to try this and I hope to make progress! I think for now, I'm only going to implement it at home. I really ought to try it at work, too, but I'm just not ready to go there yet.

Scaredy Squirrel & Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend

by Melanie Watt
PRMS hardcover picture books
genre: children's books

One of my colleagues uses Scaredy Squirrel in her classroom and I wondered what it was about. So I took these home yesterday to find out! Scaredy likes to stay in his tree, safe and in his predictable routine. Unexpected situations cause him to make some changes. Very cute books.

Gingerbread

by Rachel Cohn
PRMS hardcover 172 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction, coming-of-age

Cyd Charisse is an edgy teenager who is living with her mom and stepdad. They get tired of her "hellion" behavior and her time spent with "that boy" (aka Shrimp, her surfer boyfriend) so they send her to New York to spend three weeks with her bio-dad Frank. She has only met Frank once when she was five years old. He gave her a rag doll and some gingerbread, so she named the doll Gingerbread. She confides in her doll and still carries it around as a sixteen year old girl.

Cyd is a believable character with a painful secret. This is an odd, but engaging story. It is definitely for my more mature readers.

Mansfield Park

by Jane Austen
PRMS hardcover 408 pages
genre: historical fiction, romance

I forced myself to finish this book. It was the only Austen I had not read. I shall not read it again. Fanny is sent from her overcrowded home to live with her aunt and uncle at Mansfield Park. They are wealthy and egocentric. Fanny is a navel-gazer who can barely function with anyone other than her cousin Edmund. It takes these people forever and five conversations to say one sentiment.

Can you tell I hated it? I'm so glad I'm finally done reading this. It helped that it was on my iPad and I could finish on the drive home from Iowa. I have re-read Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, but I do not think I will ever open this book again. Goodbye, Fanny! Goodbye Crawfords! Goodbye, most awful Aunt Norris! (Not the aunt of Mansfield Park; just an odious sister of hers.)

Dakota Dream

by James Bennett
PRMS paperback 182 pages
genre: realistic fiction, coming-of-age

Floyd has been in foster homes, group homes, and left "hanging" while waiting for a new place to live. He wants a place to belong and sees himself as a Dakota Indian. He refers to it as his Destiny. Calling himself Charley Black Crow, he takes off one day to go to an Indian Reservation. This is where the story begins, then his back story is told while he is on a vision quest.

I read this to see if I should keep it in the collection or weed it. I don't think it has much "kid appeal" since it gets off to a very slow start. I thought about keeping it for the cultural aspect . . . except that he is a white kid who has a tremendous amount of respect for and knowledge about American Indians. I am glad I read it, but I'm not sure it will appeal to my readers.