by Katherine Applegate
PRMS hardcover 300 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction w/ fantasy (talking animals)
Cina recommended
Ivan - a silverback gorilla, taken as a baby with his sister Tag. She died en route to America. His gorilla name is Mud (because he liked to draw using it)
Stella - older elephant, from a circus, most of her life in captivity (domain vs. cage)
Bob - stray dog
Ruby - baby elephant
"Humans waste words. They toss them like banana peels and leave them to rot."
"Patient is a useful way to be when you're an ape. Gorillas are as patient as stones. Humans, not so much."
My favorite part was pages 207-213 when Ivan gets angry. Excellent! I loved the ending. This is based on a true story. I love what Applegate has written in this novel.
Julia - artist, gives Ivan "Not-Tag" (stuffed gorilla), George's daughter
George - cleans the mall, is compassionate toward animals
Mack - owns the mall, down on his luck, money-focused
Friday, August 29, 2014
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Here I Am
story by Patti Kim, illustrations by Sonia Sanchez
Hennepin County Library paperback picturebook
genre: immigration fiction, friendship
This lovely wordless picture book has a lot going on. A boy moves from Asia with his parents and baby sister into a large American city. When he accidentally drops a special seed from home and someone picks it up, he is forced to get out of the apartment and into the new community around him. This would work well with The Arrival, Home of the Brave, or other immigrant stories.
Hennepin County Library paperback picturebook
genre: immigration fiction, friendship
This lovely wordless picture book has a lot going on. A boy moves from Asia with his parents and baby sister into a large American city. When he accidentally drops a special seed from home and someone picks it up, he is forced to get out of the apartment and into the new community around him. This would work well with The Arrival, Home of the Brave, or other immigrant stories.
The Manny Files
by Christian Burch
Hennepin County Library audiobook 5 discs
read by Daryl Anderson
genre: YA / kid fiction, humor
Too bad main character Keats Dalinger is only a third grader. This is a delightful book about two professional parents who hire a nanny to watch their four children (at the start of the story, Lulu is in 7th grade, India in 4th, Keats 3rd, and Belly - Mirabelle - is three years old). After they go through the "nanny of the month" - Uncle Max's comment - they find "the Manny." He's a man nanny and he is different from anyone they have ever met.
Delightful story. I really enjoyed it. Cried during chapter 24 . . . very well-done. A little put off by the child-like view Keats has of the world. Odd that his sister India, only a year older, is so much more savvy. How did he not know until the very end of the story that Uncle Max and the Manny were a couple?
Craig as a bully and Keats showing compassion - nice.
Hennepin County Library audiobook 5 discs
read by Daryl Anderson
genre: YA / kid fiction, humor
Too bad main character Keats Dalinger is only a third grader. This is a delightful book about two professional parents who hire a nanny to watch their four children (at the start of the story, Lulu is in 7th grade, India in 4th, Keats 3rd, and Belly - Mirabelle - is three years old). After they go through the "nanny of the month" - Uncle Max's comment - they find "the Manny." He's a man nanny and he is different from anyone they have ever met.
Delightful story. I really enjoyed it. Cried during chapter 24 . . . very well-done. A little put off by the child-like view Keats has of the world. Odd that his sister India, only a year older, is so much more savvy. How did he not know until the very end of the story that Uncle Max and the Manny were a couple?
Craig as a bully and Keats showing compassion - nice.
Every Good & Perfect Gift
by Sharon K. Souza
Hennepin County Library paperback 367 pages plus author extras
genre: Christian fiction, relationships
DeeDee (Doris Day) and Gabby (Angel) are best friends from the moment they meet as kids. DeeDee is dynamic and daring. Gabby is careful. They marry a pair of good friends who start their own software business right out of college. DeeDee decides she wants to have a child before she is forty, after having declared herself someone who never wanted to become a mother. Fertility issues ensue.
I thought the book would be perfect for a woman struggling with fertility or fascinated by every aspect of pregnancy. That does not include me. I thought DeeDee was overbearing and selfish. I thought Gabby was a wuss who needed to live her own life.
I marked a bunch of pages, but I don't really feel like writing about this book. We had a good discussion at book club last night. Most of the women liked it better than I did. I liked the husbands and laughed at some of their lines. The scene where Gabby's dad dies made me sad. I loved Sonny's prayer!
Page 171 - Love how Gabby described her mom's Bible and talked about wanting her own Bible to be as worn-out! Amen! Her mom was wonderful and commented on how she wished she'd had a friend like Gabby in her life.
In the author section, under the question of what she wants readers to take away from this book, Souza says (in part), "I've experienced the truth of Proverbs 18:24: 'There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.' In her darkest moments, Gabby learned that the Lord reaches out to us in compassion, spanning the gap between our need and His Provision."
Hennepin County Library paperback 367 pages plus author extras
genre: Christian fiction, relationships
DeeDee (Doris Day) and Gabby (Angel) are best friends from the moment they meet as kids. DeeDee is dynamic and daring. Gabby is careful. They marry a pair of good friends who start their own software business right out of college. DeeDee decides she wants to have a child before she is forty, after having declared herself someone who never wanted to become a mother. Fertility issues ensue.
I thought the book would be perfect for a woman struggling with fertility or fascinated by every aspect of pregnancy. That does not include me. I thought DeeDee was overbearing and selfish. I thought Gabby was a wuss who needed to live her own life.
I marked a bunch of pages, but I don't really feel like writing about this book. We had a good discussion at book club last night. Most of the women liked it better than I did. I liked the husbands and laughed at some of their lines. The scene where Gabby's dad dies made me sad. I loved Sonny's prayer!
Page 171 - Love how Gabby described her mom's Bible and talked about wanting her own Bible to be as worn-out! Amen! Her mom was wonderful and commented on how she wished she'd had a friend like Gabby in her life.
In the author section, under the question of what she wants readers to take away from this book, Souza says (in part), "I've experienced the truth of Proverbs 18:24: 'There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.' In her darkest moments, Gabby learned that the Lord reaches out to us in compassion, spanning the gap between our need and His Provision."
Monday, August 25, 2014
Edible: an adventure into the world of eating insects and the last great hope to save the planet
by Daniella Martin
Hennepin County Library hardcover 247 pages
genre: non-fiction, entomophagy (insect eating)
This was interesting and well-written, but didn't convince me to change my dietary habits. Eating bugs makes sense since they are plentiful, nutritious, and easy to harvest. Until they become easily available, I'm not going to go out of my way to access them. The only bugs for food I've seen have been insanely expensive. I am not interested in harvesting my own for food.
page 49 - in talking about prehistoric humans - "Despite the fact that women were providing a daily stream of protein, insects were less valued culturally, of course, than the giant mammoth kill that fed the whole tribe for a month and got all the hunters laid like crazy. Seriously, coming in from the bush dragging a giant dead animal made you the caveman version of Jon Bon Jovi crossed with Bear Grylls - rock star, killer, provider. Those cavewomen couldn't get their leather panties off fast enough, even while their own daily drudgery was overlooked as less culturally valuable."
page 83 - the section where she talks about her friend trying to get rid of slugs without being cruel . . . was a bit much for me. How is letting them drown in beer - "at least they will die happy" - any better than driving them out into the country and letting them go? (Yes, her friend actually did that until she realized that she was altering the ecosystem in the countryside by adding more slugs to it.) I am completely okay with squishing bugs that I don't want in my space.
page 135 - eating the huge Japanese hornet larva that grow into an adult hornet which "reach well over an inch long and has a quarter-inch stinger with venom so potent it can dissolve human flesh." Her willingness to try different insects around the world was admirable in the name of research but reminded me of the guy who had a tv show about eating disgusting things.
page 145 - I actually liked the part where she was in Thailand in a store she describes as a "Thai Costco" (even though it's not actually a Costco store). She tears up at the frozen food aisle - "Nestled between the ostrich patties and the crocodile filets is a small but solid section of frozen insects in one-kilogram bags. Fat white sago palm grubs stacked together like wontons, frosty crickets, potato string-like bamboo worms, and nutlike silkworm pupae. Just sitting there, like it's normal. I stand there and stare for a while. Some people fly thousands of miles to see the Taj Mahal, Chichen Itza, or the Sistine Chapel. I, apparently, had flown this far to stand gaping at the frozen food aisle."
If and when we actually get to the point of them being this easily accessible in America, I might be willing to eat insects. A lot of her points actually make sense.
I have to admit that I ran out of time and skipped pages 192-225 (essential list of edible insects) and 227-247 (recipe section). This is due at the library and cannot be renewed because it's on hold. I won't get it again later . . .
Hennepin County Library hardcover 247 pages
genre: non-fiction, entomophagy (insect eating)
This was interesting and well-written, but didn't convince me to change my dietary habits. Eating bugs makes sense since they are plentiful, nutritious, and easy to harvest. Until they become easily available, I'm not going to go out of my way to access them. The only bugs for food I've seen have been insanely expensive. I am not interested in harvesting my own for food.
page 49 - in talking about prehistoric humans - "Despite the fact that women were providing a daily stream of protein, insects were less valued culturally, of course, than the giant mammoth kill that fed the whole tribe for a month and got all the hunters laid like crazy. Seriously, coming in from the bush dragging a giant dead animal made you the caveman version of Jon Bon Jovi crossed with Bear Grylls - rock star, killer, provider. Those cavewomen couldn't get their leather panties off fast enough, even while their own daily drudgery was overlooked as less culturally valuable."
page 83 - the section where she talks about her friend trying to get rid of slugs without being cruel . . . was a bit much for me. How is letting them drown in beer - "at least they will die happy" - any better than driving them out into the country and letting them go? (Yes, her friend actually did that until she realized that she was altering the ecosystem in the countryside by adding more slugs to it.) I am completely okay with squishing bugs that I don't want in my space.
page 135 - eating the huge Japanese hornet larva that grow into an adult hornet which "reach well over an inch long and has a quarter-inch stinger with venom so potent it can dissolve human flesh." Her willingness to try different insects around the world was admirable in the name of research but reminded me of the guy who had a tv show about eating disgusting things.
page 145 - I actually liked the part where she was in Thailand in a store she describes as a "Thai Costco" (even though it's not actually a Costco store). She tears up at the frozen food aisle - "Nestled between the ostrich patties and the crocodile filets is a small but solid section of frozen insects in one-kilogram bags. Fat white sago palm grubs stacked together like wontons, frosty crickets, potato string-like bamboo worms, and nutlike silkworm pupae. Just sitting there, like it's normal. I stand there and stare for a while. Some people fly thousands of miles to see the Taj Mahal, Chichen Itza, or the Sistine Chapel. I, apparently, had flown this far to stand gaping at the frozen food aisle."
If and when we actually get to the point of them being this easily accessible in America, I might be willing to eat insects. A lot of her points actually make sense.
I have to admit that I ran out of time and skipped pages 192-225 (essential list of edible insects) and 227-247 (recipe section). This is due at the library and cannot be renewed because it's on hold. I won't get it again later . . .
Monday, August 18, 2014
We Were Liars
by E. Lockhart
PRMS hardcover 225 pages
genre: YA mystery
The start of the book sets the scene and characters. The majority of the book is Cadence's struggle to remember what happened leading up to her accident. The end finally answers the questions! I think kids will really like this. For some reason, I did not.
The Sinclairs are a wealthy, snobbish family. Cadence, her cousin Mirren, their cousin Johnny, and their friend Gat are the four "liars." They do not necessarily agree with their grandfather or their parents (most of the dads are AWOL). They are typical teens, but their lives take a dramatic turn one summer day.
PRMS hardcover 225 pages
genre: YA mystery
The start of the book sets the scene and characters. The majority of the book is Cadence's struggle to remember what happened leading up to her accident. The end finally answers the questions! I think kids will really like this. For some reason, I did not.
The Sinclairs are a wealthy, snobbish family. Cadence, her cousin Mirren, their cousin Johnny, and their friend Gat are the four "liars." They do not necessarily agree with their grandfather or their parents (most of the dads are AWOL). They are typical teens, but their lives take a dramatic turn one summer day.
Trouble at the Wedding
by Laura Lee Guhrke
Hennepin County Library audiobook 8 discs
read by Anne Flosnik
genre: historical romance
Christian De Quesne, Duke of Scarborough, needs to find a way to save his estate after his brother spent it dry and died. He is opposed to marrying an American heiress after a bad experience in his youth.
Annabel Wheaton does not care about love. She is marrying the Earl of Rumsford as a business proposition: he needs her money and she needs his status. Growing up poor in the country, she is tired of being shunned by "society."
Yes, it is predictable and typical of romances. So why do I bother? Eh. Escapism. Romance. Happy ever after.
I like this author's work. The vocal work by Flosnik was pretty good. I would read more of this author, but ought to avoid it like the plague. So many good books to read! And I spent time on this.
Hennepin County Library audiobook 8 discs
read by Anne Flosnik
genre: historical romance
Christian De Quesne, Duke of Scarborough, needs to find a way to save his estate after his brother spent it dry and died. He is opposed to marrying an American heiress after a bad experience in his youth.
Annabel Wheaton does not care about love. She is marrying the Earl of Rumsford as a business proposition: he needs her money and she needs his status. Growing up poor in the country, she is tired of being shunned by "society."
Yes, it is predictable and typical of romances. So why do I bother? Eh. Escapism. Romance. Happy ever after.
I like this author's work. The vocal work by Flosnik was pretty good. I would read more of this author, but ought to avoid it like the plague. So many good books to read! And I spent time on this.
Friday, August 15, 2014
It's Complicated: the social lives of networked teens
by Danah Boyd
Hennepin County Library hardcover 215 pages plus notes and index
genre: non-fiction, research on teens and social media
This was harder for me to get through than I anticipated. There's a lot to digest in this book; it would be a great discussion for educators! I need to get it back to the library, so these are the places I noted:
page 12 (introduction) - "In networked publics, interactions are often public by default, private through effort." This is so true! It almost makes me paranoid to think that things I write on Facebook or shop for on Amazon are pretty much available to the entire world. Since FB continues to change settings, I have no idea who can see what I post. I don't post anything that I'm ashamed of, but it's hard to be completely cognizant of what is "out there" about me online. A person really does have to work at keeping things private if that's the goal. (Or be like Louie and don't have much of an online presence at all.)
page 19 (introduction) - "Coming of age is rife with self-determination, risk-taking, and tough decision-making." Yes! And this is no different now than in the 1910s, the 1810s, etc. Some of what teens grapple with is age-old. Technologies just change the specifics.
page 22 (introduction) - "Eszter Hargirtai has quipped, many teens are more likely to be digital naives than digital natives." Love this! Boyd points out that the popular term "digital natives" implies that current youth naturally have some inherent tech skill. "The teens I met knew how to get to Google but had little understanding about how to construct a query to get quality information from the popular search engine. They knew how to use Facebook, but their understanding of the site's privacy setting did not mesh with the ways in which they configured their accounts."
page 28 (introduction - last page!) - "This book is not a love letter to youth culture, although my research has convinced me that young people are more resilient that I initially believed."
page 30 - She talks about audience and how teens and adults tend to view online info differently. The schism between what teens share about themselves and adult perceptions about what that communicates creates conflict and misunderstanding. Interesting stuff.
page 51 - In the same chapter on identity, Boyd says, "They (adults) take content out of context to interpret it through the lens of adults' values and feel as though they have the right to shame youth because that content was available in the first place. In doing so, they ignore teens' privacy while undermining their struggles to manage their identity." I can't completely agree with her here, although I understand the point she's making. If teens (or ANYONE) choose(s) to post photographs or comments online, they are no longer private! You cannot say that something posted online ought not be used or misused by others who have access to it. The decision-making about what to post is something kids need to learn.
page 72 - In the chapter on privacy, Boyd quotes a mom who basically says that she has the right as a parent to see whatever her child does on the computer. Boyd calls this "intensive parenting" and describes these parents in what I think seems a very negative way. Again, I have to disagree. Parents can definitely go too far on this spectrum, but parents have to be aware of what their children are doing. I think of kids who've gone on shooting rampages . . . and then their computers are filled with hate speech. Hello? Parents?
page 78-9 - In the chapter on addiction, Boyd does a nice job of delineating true addictions (gambling, alcohol, technology) and differentiating them from teens who spend a lot of time online so that they can socialize with their friends (my generation's time at the mall). "The language of addiction sensationalizes teens' engagement with technology and suggests that mere participation leads to pathology."
page 80 - "Teens turn to, and are obsessed with, whichever environment allows them to connect to friends. Most teens aren't addicted to social media; if anything, they're addicted to each other."
page 83 - "Many adults believe that they have a sense of what's 'good' for teens - school, homework, focus, attention, and early bedtime - and many teens are acutely aware of how much society values such adult-oriented pursuits. But many adults are unaware of how social their everyday experiences are and how desperate teens are to have access to a social world like that which adults take for granted." (Makes me wonder if the author has children . . . parenting is different when you're doing it than when you're theorizing about it.)
page 92-3 - She mentions The Shallows by Carr (which I've read and reviewed), Everything Bad Is Good for You by Johnson, and Now You See It by Davidson . . . I wish I had more time!
page 102 - "Online safety is also a particularly complicated issue, in part because a culture of fear is omnipresent in American society. . . " The "culture of fear" really resonated with me. Her examples are quite good and it makes me want to read more about this idea.
page 120 - again she writes about the culture of fear, the role of the media, and more in her chapter on danger. Very interesting that the media hypes a danger, but when the truth is found (and is less scintillating), they are not conscientious about sharing the actual situation. The fear and panic are incited, but the calm resolution is missing.
page 123 - In talking about Amanda Todd's case, Boyd says, "The internet is not just a place where people engage in unhealthy interactions. It's also a place where people share their pain. Although not all youth who are struggling cry out for help online, many do. And when they do, someone should be there to recognize those signs and react constructively. Increasingly, there are tremendous opportunities to leverage online traces to intervene meaningfully in teens' lives. But it requires creating a society in which adults are willing to open their eyes and pay attention to youth other than their own children." To me, this is contrary to her earlier point about giving teens privacy and adults staying out of teens' online business as they learn to navigate social networks!
page 125 - "Although most teens are doing okay, those who aren't really aren't." She talks about how kids who are struggling online are often the ones who are struggling in all or many facets of life.
page 136 - on bullying, "The language of bullying often presumes that there's a perpetrator and a victim. By focusing on blaming the perpetrator and protecting the victim, well-intentioned adults often fail to recognize the complexity of most conflicts."
page 141 - self-harm / self-bullying online . . . what a bizarre concept. Why on earth would a kid bullying him/her self online? To create drama, sympathy, . . . ? I just don't get it.
page 172 - "Yet just because people have access to the internet does not mean that they have equal access to information." Inequalities still exist! The teen who has a laptop, smart phone, etc. has an advantage over a teen who uses the internet at the public library.
page 177 - Literacy chapter! "Whether in school or in informal settings, youth need opportunities to develop the skills and knowledge to engage with contemporary technology effectively and meaningfully. Becoming literate in a networked age requires hard work, regardless of age."
page 181 - "Even though media literacy programs have been discussed and haphazardly implemented for decades, most people have little training in being critical of the content that they consume."
page 188 - "Wikipedia can be a phenomenal educational tool, but few educators I met knew how to use it constructively." She had great info on using Wikipedia's revision history and discussion pages educationally. I love this! She goes on to say on page 191 "Wikipedia provides an ideal context for engaging youth to interrogate their sources and understand how information is produced."
After the just-over 200 page book, she has six pages on the profiles of the teens she spoke with across the country, 23 pages of notes, 22 pages of bibliographic info, five pages of acknowledgements, and an eight-page index. Whew! Good stuff, but weighty.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 215 pages plus notes and index
genre: non-fiction, research on teens and social media
This was harder for me to get through than I anticipated. There's a lot to digest in this book; it would be a great discussion for educators! I need to get it back to the library, so these are the places I noted:
page 12 (introduction) - "In networked publics, interactions are often public by default, private through effort." This is so true! It almost makes me paranoid to think that things I write on Facebook or shop for on Amazon are pretty much available to the entire world. Since FB continues to change settings, I have no idea who can see what I post. I don't post anything that I'm ashamed of, but it's hard to be completely cognizant of what is "out there" about me online. A person really does have to work at keeping things private if that's the goal. (Or be like Louie and don't have much of an online presence at all.)
page 19 (introduction) - "Coming of age is rife with self-determination, risk-taking, and tough decision-making." Yes! And this is no different now than in the 1910s, the 1810s, etc. Some of what teens grapple with is age-old. Technologies just change the specifics.
page 22 (introduction) - "Eszter Hargirtai has quipped, many teens are more likely to be digital naives than digital natives." Love this! Boyd points out that the popular term "digital natives" implies that current youth naturally have some inherent tech skill. "The teens I met knew how to get to Google but had little understanding about how to construct a query to get quality information from the popular search engine. They knew how to use Facebook, but their understanding of the site's privacy setting did not mesh with the ways in which they configured their accounts."
page 28 (introduction - last page!) - "This book is not a love letter to youth culture, although my research has convinced me that young people are more resilient that I initially believed."
page 30 - She talks about audience and how teens and adults tend to view online info differently. The schism between what teens share about themselves and adult perceptions about what that communicates creates conflict and misunderstanding. Interesting stuff.
page 51 - In the same chapter on identity, Boyd says, "They (adults) take content out of context to interpret it through the lens of adults' values and feel as though they have the right to shame youth because that content was available in the first place. In doing so, they ignore teens' privacy while undermining their struggles to manage their identity." I can't completely agree with her here, although I understand the point she's making. If teens (or ANYONE) choose(s) to post photographs or comments online, they are no longer private! You cannot say that something posted online ought not be used or misused by others who have access to it. The decision-making about what to post is something kids need to learn.
page 72 - In the chapter on privacy, Boyd quotes a mom who basically says that she has the right as a parent to see whatever her child does on the computer. Boyd calls this "intensive parenting" and describes these parents in what I think seems a very negative way. Again, I have to disagree. Parents can definitely go too far on this spectrum, but parents have to be aware of what their children are doing. I think of kids who've gone on shooting rampages . . . and then their computers are filled with hate speech. Hello? Parents?
page 78-9 - In the chapter on addiction, Boyd does a nice job of delineating true addictions (gambling, alcohol, technology) and differentiating them from teens who spend a lot of time online so that they can socialize with their friends (my generation's time at the mall). "The language of addiction sensationalizes teens' engagement with technology and suggests that mere participation leads to pathology."
page 80 - "Teens turn to, and are obsessed with, whichever environment allows them to connect to friends. Most teens aren't addicted to social media; if anything, they're addicted to each other."
page 83 - "Many adults believe that they have a sense of what's 'good' for teens - school, homework, focus, attention, and early bedtime - and many teens are acutely aware of how much society values such adult-oriented pursuits. But many adults are unaware of how social their everyday experiences are and how desperate teens are to have access to a social world like that which adults take for granted." (Makes me wonder if the author has children . . . parenting is different when you're doing it than when you're theorizing about it.)
page 92-3 - She mentions The Shallows by Carr (which I've read and reviewed), Everything Bad Is Good for You by Johnson, and Now You See It by Davidson . . . I wish I had more time!
page 102 - "Online safety is also a particularly complicated issue, in part because a culture of fear is omnipresent in American society. . . " The "culture of fear" really resonated with me. Her examples are quite good and it makes me want to read more about this idea.
page 120 - again she writes about the culture of fear, the role of the media, and more in her chapter on danger. Very interesting that the media hypes a danger, but when the truth is found (and is less scintillating), they are not conscientious about sharing the actual situation. The fear and panic are incited, but the calm resolution is missing.
page 123 - In talking about Amanda Todd's case, Boyd says, "The internet is not just a place where people engage in unhealthy interactions. It's also a place where people share their pain. Although not all youth who are struggling cry out for help online, many do. And when they do, someone should be there to recognize those signs and react constructively. Increasingly, there are tremendous opportunities to leverage online traces to intervene meaningfully in teens' lives. But it requires creating a society in which adults are willing to open their eyes and pay attention to youth other than their own children." To me, this is contrary to her earlier point about giving teens privacy and adults staying out of teens' online business as they learn to navigate social networks!
page 125 - "Although most teens are doing okay, those who aren't really aren't." She talks about how kids who are struggling online are often the ones who are struggling in all or many facets of life.
page 136 - on bullying, "The language of bullying often presumes that there's a perpetrator and a victim. By focusing on blaming the perpetrator and protecting the victim, well-intentioned adults often fail to recognize the complexity of most conflicts."
page 141 - self-harm / self-bullying online . . . what a bizarre concept. Why on earth would a kid bullying him/her self online? To create drama, sympathy, . . . ? I just don't get it.
page 172 - "Yet just because people have access to the internet does not mean that they have equal access to information." Inequalities still exist! The teen who has a laptop, smart phone, etc. has an advantage over a teen who uses the internet at the public library.
page 177 - Literacy chapter! "Whether in school or in informal settings, youth need opportunities to develop the skills and knowledge to engage with contemporary technology effectively and meaningfully. Becoming literate in a networked age requires hard work, regardless of age."
page 181 - "Even though media literacy programs have been discussed and haphazardly implemented for decades, most people have little training in being critical of the content that they consume."
page 188 - "Wikipedia can be a phenomenal educational tool, but few educators I met knew how to use it constructively." She had great info on using Wikipedia's revision history and discussion pages educationally. I love this! She goes on to say on page 191 "Wikipedia provides an ideal context for engaging youth to interrogate their sources and understand how information is produced."
After the just-over 200 page book, she has six pages on the profiles of the teens she spoke with across the country, 23 pages of notes, 22 pages of bibliographic info, five pages of acknowledgements, and an eight-page index. Whew! Good stuff, but weighty.
Monday, August 11, 2014
Akiane: Her Life, Her Art, Her Poetry
by Akiane Kramarik and her mother, Foreli Kramarik
Hennepin County Library hardcover 128 pages
genre: memoir
How odd for a child of twelve to have an autobiographical book published! I was curious after reading about her somewhere else. Her personal story is quite interesting. Her paintings and drawings are stunning - especially of people's faces. Her poetry just doesn't do much for me . . .
Most of all, I love that her dreams and visions and conviction about God showing her things to draw and write impacted her family, her neighborhood, and people around the world. I hope she continues to glorify God!
Hennepin County Library hardcover 128 pages
genre: memoir
How odd for a child of twelve to have an autobiographical book published! I was curious after reading about her somewhere else. Her personal story is quite interesting. Her paintings and drawings are stunning - especially of people's faces. Her poetry just doesn't do much for me . . .
Most of all, I love that her dreams and visions and conviction about God showing her things to draw and write impacted her family, her neighborhood, and people around the world. I hope she continues to glorify God!
The Beet Fields
by Gary Paulsen
Hennepin County Library audiobook 3 discs
read by Macleod Andrews
genre: YA coming-of-age
This was a re-read and I love Paulsen's ability to tell stories! Andrews' vocal work is wonderful. I always wonder how much is fiction and how much is true to Paulsen's own experience. I would love to share some of the opening sections with working in the beet fields with the Mexicans . . . with my students. But some of it is inappropriate for middle school.
Hennepin County Library audiobook 3 discs
read by Macleod Andrews
genre: YA coming-of-age
This was a re-read and I love Paulsen's ability to tell stories! Andrews' vocal work is wonderful. I always wonder how much is fiction and how much is true to Paulsen's own experience. I would love to share some of the opening sections with working in the beet fields with the Mexicans . . . with my students. But some of it is inappropriate for middle school.
Wednesday, August 06, 2014
How to Teach Like a Pirate: Increase Student Engagement, Boost Your Creativity, and Transform Your Life as an Educator
by Dave Burgess
Ramsay County Library paperback 176 pages
genre: non-fiction, education, pedagogy
Overall, I liked this book. I'm just now feeling ready to start thinking about another school year. Since the last one was so rough, I am relieved to have read this extremely positive book about being a great teacher.
page 30 - "Every student in your class in those first few days of the semester is evaluating whether or not your room is an emotionally and psychologically safe environment. They're wondering if it is worth their time and effort to give school a real shot. After all, it's easier to not give your best and then blame failure on a lack of effort, than to be forced to realize you really don't have what it takes. At least you can save face with your peers when you fail if you don't try in the first place." This immediately made me think of kids like this - don't try at all, because then you don't have to lose face if you fail.
page 36 - Brain awareness and filtering. I like his example of not being aware of minivans at all to being hyper-aware of Honda Odysseys after buying one. Priming the brain to be receptive to creative ideas will make those ideas appear everywhere!
page 41 - "We must collectively agree educating the next generation is worth the time and effort and that our students deserve to be uplifted and inspired." Love this!
I love his example of alchemy on pages 52-54 but I'm too lazy to write it all here. He had three different things that were niggling his brain and he was able to bring them together for a beautiful solution! Strips of paper left from origami, assembly-line lesson, and helicopter-making shared by student.
Two questions to ask: If your students didn't have to be there, would you be teaching in an empty room? Do you have any lessons you could sell tickets for?
page 60 - I sometimes struggle with this idea - that we need to make learning as entertaining / engaging as possible for kids. At some point, the world will not cater to their needs and expectations. What then? Do they tell their boss that their job isn't fun enough? I understand what the author is saying about getting kids excited about learning (instead of turned off by it), but I question our need to continually ramp things up to keep them entertained.
page 62 - reframing - I like this! "Sometimes we need to change our students' perceptions of the material we're teaching." This is a great strategy to get kids away from "History is boring." or "I'm bad at math." This makes me think of Dr. Idzerda at St. Ben's! I also like, "Don't position your material as if it is awful-tasting medicine! Position your content as if it's amazing!"
page 69 - "Act as if" Even when you don't feel enthusiastic about your lesson, act as if you are . . . and the way you feel will probably change.
page 70 - "As a teacher, your days comprise enough positive and negative experiences to either make you feel energized and amazing or beat-down and depressed. What you choose to attend to creates your reality."
page 78 - "In addition, no content standard in any class at any level is more important than nurturing and building a love of learning." Amen.
So he had a list of questions in the second half of the book that I do NOT want to re-type. I may just need to buy a copy of the book to use these to find ways to make lessons better. Here are the topics (with 4-8 questions under EACH one):
Kinesthetic Hook
People Prop Hook
Safari Hook
Picasso Hook
Mozart Hook
Dance and Drama Hook
Crafts Store Hook
Student Hobby
Real-World Application
Life-Changing Lesson
Student-Directed
Opportunistic
Interior Design
Board Message
Costume
Props
Involved Audience
Mystery Bag
Storytelling
Swimming with Sharks
Taboo
Mime
Teaser
Backwards
Mission Impossible
Reality TV
Techno Whiz
Contest
Magic and Amazing
Chef
Mnemonic
Extra-Credit Challenge
page 157 - "An all or nothing mentality exacerbates the fear of failure. If you believe everything you do has to work one hundred percent of the time, you are less likely to take risks and step out of your comfort zone."
PIRATE stands for Passion, Immersion, Rapport, Ask and Analyze, Transformation, and Enthusiasm. I want to teach like a pirate!
Ramsay County Library paperback 176 pages
genre: non-fiction, education, pedagogy
Overall, I liked this book. I'm just now feeling ready to start thinking about another school year. Since the last one was so rough, I am relieved to have read this extremely positive book about being a great teacher.
page 30 - "Every student in your class in those first few days of the semester is evaluating whether or not your room is an emotionally and psychologically safe environment. They're wondering if it is worth their time and effort to give school a real shot. After all, it's easier to not give your best and then blame failure on a lack of effort, than to be forced to realize you really don't have what it takes. At least you can save face with your peers when you fail if you don't try in the first place." This immediately made me think of kids like this - don't try at all, because then you don't have to lose face if you fail.
page 36 - Brain awareness and filtering. I like his example of not being aware of minivans at all to being hyper-aware of Honda Odysseys after buying one. Priming the brain to be receptive to creative ideas will make those ideas appear everywhere!
page 41 - "We must collectively agree educating the next generation is worth the time and effort and that our students deserve to be uplifted and inspired." Love this!
I love his example of alchemy on pages 52-54 but I'm too lazy to write it all here. He had three different things that were niggling his brain and he was able to bring them together for a beautiful solution! Strips of paper left from origami, assembly-line lesson, and helicopter-making shared by student.
Two questions to ask: If your students didn't have to be there, would you be teaching in an empty room? Do you have any lessons you could sell tickets for?
page 60 - I sometimes struggle with this idea - that we need to make learning as entertaining / engaging as possible for kids. At some point, the world will not cater to their needs and expectations. What then? Do they tell their boss that their job isn't fun enough? I understand what the author is saying about getting kids excited about learning (instead of turned off by it), but I question our need to continually ramp things up to keep them entertained.
page 62 - reframing - I like this! "Sometimes we need to change our students' perceptions of the material we're teaching." This is a great strategy to get kids away from "History is boring." or "I'm bad at math." This makes me think of Dr. Idzerda at St. Ben's! I also like, "Don't position your material as if it is awful-tasting medicine! Position your content as if it's amazing!"
page 69 - "Act as if" Even when you don't feel enthusiastic about your lesson, act as if you are . . . and the way you feel will probably change.
page 70 - "As a teacher, your days comprise enough positive and negative experiences to either make you feel energized and amazing or beat-down and depressed. What you choose to attend to creates your reality."
page 78 - "In addition, no content standard in any class at any level is more important than nurturing and building a love of learning." Amen.
So he had a list of questions in the second half of the book that I do NOT want to re-type. I may just need to buy a copy of the book to use these to find ways to make lessons better. Here are the topics (with 4-8 questions under EACH one):
Kinesthetic Hook
People Prop Hook
Safari Hook
Picasso Hook
Mozart Hook
Dance and Drama Hook
Crafts Store Hook
Student Hobby
Real-World Application
Life-Changing Lesson
Student-Directed
Opportunistic
Interior Design
Board Message
Costume
Props
Involved Audience
Mystery Bag
Storytelling
Swimming with Sharks
Taboo
Mime
Teaser
Backwards
Mission Impossible
Reality TV
Techno Whiz
Contest
Magic and Amazing
Chef
Mnemonic
Extra-Credit Challenge
page 157 - "An all or nothing mentality exacerbates the fear of failure. If you believe everything you do has to work one hundred percent of the time, you are less likely to take risks and step out of your comfort zone."
PIRATE stands for Passion, Immersion, Rapport, Ask and Analyze, Transformation, and Enthusiasm. I want to teach like a pirate!
Re-reads
I re-read three Mrs. Pollifax books. Why does a person read a spy book which she has already read at least once? I think I just like her cheerful innocence amid the espionage of an older age (most are set in the 70s or early 80s). Fun, relaxing books.
Tuesday, August 05, 2014
A Kiss in Time
by Alex Flinn
Hennepin County Library audiobook 7 discs
read by Angela Dawe and Nick Podehl
genre: YA fantasy, romance
This author certainly has an art of creating obnoxious teen characters, twisting an old fairy tale into a modern-day setting, and making the ending come out well. This is a retelling of sleeping beauty, with the fairies, witch, spindle, etc. Dawe's voicing of Princess Talia was irritating with its little-girl breathiness and odd accent. Podehl voiced Jack with all his teenage awkwardness and sincerity very well. I'm not a fan of Flinn's, but I think he does a great job for a certain type of reader. Between this one and the Beauty and the Beast, I think I liked B and B better . . .
Hennepin County Library audiobook 7 discs
read by Angela Dawe and Nick Podehl
genre: YA fantasy, romance
This author certainly has an art of creating obnoxious teen characters, twisting an old fairy tale into a modern-day setting, and making the ending come out well. This is a retelling of sleeping beauty, with the fairies, witch, spindle, etc. Dawe's voicing of Princess Talia was irritating with its little-girl breathiness and odd accent. Podehl voiced Jack with all his teenage awkwardness and sincerity very well. I'm not a fan of Flinn's, but I think he does a great job for a certain type of reader. Between this one and the Beauty and the Beast, I think I liked B and B better . . .
Saturday, August 02, 2014
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
by Holly Black
Hennepin County Library hardcover 419 pages
genre: YA horror
This book was just creepy. Tana wakes up in a tub after a major drunken party (page one) and finds all her friends are corpses. She can tell they were killed by vampires and she wants to get out before dark falls again. Her ex-boyfriend Aidan (who is a major league selfish jerk) is tied to a bed and alive but infected by the vampires. A vampire named Gavriel is chained to a chair next to the bed. She rescues both of them and off they go to the closest Coldtown (contained vampire city). This book glamorizes the vampire culture while pretending to warn of the horrors. Too many descriptions of blood being licked from fresh cuts . . . too many vivid images of disgusting depravity. I almost liked the budding romance of Tana and Gavriel, but this book was way too horrible for me.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 419 pages
genre: YA horror
This book was just creepy. Tana wakes up in a tub after a major drunken party (page one) and finds all her friends are corpses. She can tell they were killed by vampires and she wants to get out before dark falls again. Her ex-boyfriend Aidan (who is a major league selfish jerk) is tied to a bed and alive but infected by the vampires. A vampire named Gavriel is chained to a chair next to the bed. She rescues both of them and off they go to the closest Coldtown (contained vampire city). This book glamorizes the vampire culture while pretending to warn of the horrors. Too many descriptions of blood being licked from fresh cuts . . . too many vivid images of disgusting depravity. I almost liked the budding romance of Tana and Gavriel, but this book was way too horrible for me.
Friday, August 01, 2014
Radiance of Tomorrow
by Ishmael Beah
Hennepin County Library hardcover 240 pages
genre: novel, realistic fiction
Sad, beautiful, depressing, hopeful. Although this is a work of fiction, it rings so true. The corruption of people in this story made me so sad. Why are people so evil toward other people? A lot of the scenarios are ones I have read about in the newspaper. Money and food are sent for people who are poor and suffering, but it never reaches them because people in power take it and sell it on the black market to make themselves richer.
I don't even want to list the characters. This is a book worth re-reading!
page 60 - After the principal gives a pep talk: "The teachers could do little with his inspirational messages. They were missing all the ingredients: salaries, school materials, and faith in the educational system itself."
pages 60-1 - Backarie responds to a student who questions the value of education if even educated teachers are poor and hungry: "Its (education's) purpose is far greater than just improving your economic condition. In your case, you all need education so that you can be in a position to take advantage of opportunities that will come along. You cannot wait for the opportunity and then get an education when it arrives. You'll be too late."
page 93 - Comparing Colonel's and Miller's tactics with the mining company's actions: "But what was more violent than making people disbelieve in the worth of their own lives?"
page 124-5 - Salimatu coming home after being raped and Colonel going out for revenge. He says to Bockarie: "I learned something during the war. . . . you are not free until you stop others from making you feel worthless. Because if you do not, you will eventually accept that you are worthless."
page 144 - Benjamin's notes (he reads these before his first day on the job with the mining company): "Teach them how to absorb knowledge as opposed to just memorizing. Teach them to become individual thinkers and not part of the majority that agrees with what is popular."
page 167 - Mama Kadie's speech. Radiance of tomorrow. Strength. So beautiful I had to scan and include the whole thing.
page 170 - Where was the editor?! Proofreader?! Last sentence says "Later that night . . . . Benjamin, his father, Kula, . . . . " Benjamin was dead! This should have said Bockarie. Then later on page 228, a character's name is spelled as Maita instead of Miata. At first, I was trying to figure out who the new character was. Errors like this are so disappointing!
page 236 - " . . . she (Mama Kadie) knew the little girl (Oumu) was ready to receive the stories of the past, the ones that strengthen your backbone when the world whips you and weakens your spirit."
This book is so lyrically beautiful. Beah uses language to paint pictures and affect the reader's mood. He grew up in Sierra Leone, which has 15 languages and 3 dialects. He spoke seven of them. He said that Mende, his mother tongue, is very expressive. For example, where we might say, "night came suddenly," he'd say, "the sky rolled over and changed sides." Or "ball" becomes "a nest of air."
Overall, this was such an unbelievably beautiful book. Hard to read some of the very realistic portrayals of suffering, but so worthwhile.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 240 pages
genre: novel, realistic fiction
Sad, beautiful, depressing, hopeful. Although this is a work of fiction, it rings so true. The corruption of people in this story made me so sad. Why are people so evil toward other people? A lot of the scenarios are ones I have read about in the newspaper. Money and food are sent for people who are poor and suffering, but it never reaches them because people in power take it and sell it on the black market to make themselves richer.
I don't even want to list the characters. This is a book worth re-reading!
page 60 - After the principal gives a pep talk: "The teachers could do little with his inspirational messages. They were missing all the ingredients: salaries, school materials, and faith in the educational system itself."
pages 60-1 - Backarie responds to a student who questions the value of education if even educated teachers are poor and hungry: "Its (education's) purpose is far greater than just improving your economic condition. In your case, you all need education so that you can be in a position to take advantage of opportunities that will come along. You cannot wait for the opportunity and then get an education when it arrives. You'll be too late."
page 93 - Comparing Colonel's and Miller's tactics with the mining company's actions: "But what was more violent than making people disbelieve in the worth of their own lives?"
page 124-5 - Salimatu coming home after being raped and Colonel going out for revenge. He says to Bockarie: "I learned something during the war. . . . you are not free until you stop others from making you feel worthless. Because if you do not, you will eventually accept that you are worthless."
page 144 - Benjamin's notes (he reads these before his first day on the job with the mining company): "Teach them how to absorb knowledge as opposed to just memorizing. Teach them to become individual thinkers and not part of the majority that agrees with what is popular."
page 167 - Mama Kadie's speech. Radiance of tomorrow. Strength. So beautiful I had to scan and include the whole thing.
page 170 - Where was the editor?! Proofreader?! Last sentence says "Later that night . . . . Benjamin, his father, Kula, . . . . " Benjamin was dead! This should have said Bockarie. Then later on page 228, a character's name is spelled as Maita instead of Miata. At first, I was trying to figure out who the new character was. Errors like this are so disappointing!
page 236 - " . . . she (Mama Kadie) knew the little girl (Oumu) was ready to receive the stories of the past, the ones that strengthen your backbone when the world whips you and weakens your spirit."
This book is so lyrically beautiful. Beah uses language to paint pictures and affect the reader's mood. He grew up in Sierra Leone, which has 15 languages and 3 dialects. He spoke seven of them. He said that Mende, his mother tongue, is very expressive. For example, where we might say, "night came suddenly," he'd say, "the sky rolled over and changed sides." Or "ball" becomes "a nest of air."
Overall, this was such an unbelievably beautiful book. Hard to read some of the very realistic portrayals of suffering, but so worthwhile.
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