also subtitled: How We Can Learn to Fulfill Our Potential
by Carol Dweck, PhD
Hennepin County Library audiobook 8 discs
read by ??? I don't remember and the jacket doesn't list her name!
genre: non-fiction
I am still on the last disc, but need to get this back to the library. I requested this in June or July and just got it three weeks ago. There's still a long waiting list!
Interesting . . . I won't go back and re-listen to the first part of disc one, but I know the author is not the reader. I even made a note in my car. "Reader voices - Dweck yuk." She did her own intro and it was almost painful to listen to her! I was/am so glad that the professional reader did the rest of the book. I'm kind of surprised that her name isn't listed on the jacket!
I loved the first quarter of this! People who read it over the summer said it was dull and not worth the time to read. I was pleasantly surprised by the power of having a growth mindset vs. a fixed mind set (something I'm too often guilty of). There were times when I thought I should get this audiobook for my dad . . . would he "get" it? The characteristics of a classic fixed mindset - blaming, perfectionism, etc. . . . SO him! (And me, too often, I admit.)
I made a note on bullies vs. victims. I had a bit of a problem with this section. It seemed to me that Dweck overgeneralized. The examples that she gave about Columbine almost made it sound as though Klebold and Harris were taunted mercilessly and their tormentors were never reprimanded. That contradicts what I've read about the situation. I don't think of those two teens as "victims."
When she did the section on athletes, I thought "Enough!" She went on and on and on . . . it wasn't only a long section; it was repetitive. This was definitely overkill. I wonder if it's because she found it the most interesting, or she thought her readers would.
The section on teaching (this is the problem with not having a print copy - I don't remember the chapter titles and don't have time now to look them up) was mostly on parenting and coaching (more athletics!). There was a little on teachers like me, but not nearly as much as I'd have liked. I can take the basic ideas and try to foster the growth mindset (or actively teach my students about it) but she didn't do as much here as I'd have liked.
Some of her generalizations and extrapolations (especially in the section on relationships) were pretty wild. I know she's done a lot of research, but humans are complex (not just Bobby Knight being "complicated") and have many factors playing on their decisions and actions.
Overall, I'm really glad I "read" it. It made me realize how much of a fixed mindset I tend to have and how limiting that is.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Love and Other Perishable Items
by Laura Buzo
Hennepin County Library hardcover 243 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction, romance
Told through the writings of 15-year-old Amelia and 21-year-old Chris, this story is set in Sydney, Australia. Amelia gets a job cashiering at a grocery store. She feels like an odd duck - she doesn't smoke (hates it, in fact) and is too young to go to the pub. She loves chatting with Chris. He is interesting, charismatic, and smart. Over the course of time, she falls in love with him but is held back by the gap between their ages and her social awkwardness.
Lovely story, but a little too alcohol-focused for me. I don't think I'll buy it for PRMS, but it is a nice coming-of-age story that kept my attention.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 243 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction, romance
Told through the writings of 15-year-old Amelia and 21-year-old Chris, this story is set in Sydney, Australia. Amelia gets a job cashiering at a grocery store. She feels like an odd duck - she doesn't smoke (hates it, in fact) and is too young to go to the pub. She loves chatting with Chris. He is interesting, charismatic, and smart. Over the course of time, she falls in love with him but is held back by the gap between their ages and her social awkwardness.
Lovely story, but a little too alcohol-focused for me. I don't think I'll buy it for PRMS, but it is a nice coming-of-age story that kept my attention.
Coaltown Jesus
by Ron Koertge
Hennepin County Library hardcover 122 pages
genre: YA prose poetry, realistic fiction
Walker's brother Noah is dead and neither Walker nor his mother have really come to terms with it. When Walker cries out a prayer, Jesus shows up and talks with him. This Jesus is much more earthy than Walker anticipates, but their conversations and interactions effect change in Walker's life.
This is a super quick read (122 pages of prose poetry!) yet there is a lot going on. Still contemplating a purchase of it for PRMS.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 122 pages
genre: YA prose poetry, realistic fiction
Walker's brother Noah is dead and neither Walker nor his mother have really come to terms with it. When Walker cries out a prayer, Jesus shows up and talks with him. This Jesus is much more earthy than Walker anticipates, but their conversations and interactions effect change in Walker's life.
This is a super quick read (122 pages of prose poetry!) yet there is a lot going on. Still contemplating a purchase of it for PRMS.
Monday, October 27, 2014
I Lived on Butterfly Hill
by Marjorie Agosin
YAC book hardcover 454 pages
genre: YA historical fiction
What I liked about this book: the cultural aspect (set primarily in Chile during Pinochet's revolution, though he is not named), the relationships (friends, family, neighbors), some of the lovely details (the pelicans, the houses, etc.)
I tried really hard to like the book as a whole, but it took me longer than normal to read it due to its slow pacing and contemplative tone. Celeste Marconi is a very young protagonist (eleven years old at the start, but even later as a fourteen-year-old, she comes across as very young) and she has a childlike reaction to so many things that she encounters. There were some nice moments in the book, but I can't enthusiastically recommend it to other readers.
YAC book hardcover 454 pages
genre: YA historical fiction
What I liked about this book: the cultural aspect (set primarily in Chile during Pinochet's revolution, though he is not named), the relationships (friends, family, neighbors), some of the lovely details (the pelicans, the houses, etc.)
I tried really hard to like the book as a whole, but it took me longer than normal to read it due to its slow pacing and contemplative tone. Celeste Marconi is a very young protagonist (eleven years old at the start, but even later as a fourteen-year-old, she comes across as very young) and she has a childlike reaction to so many things that she encounters. There were some nice moments in the book, but I can't enthusiastically recommend it to other readers.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
The Testing
by Joelle Charbonneau
Hennepin County Library audiobook 10 discs
read by Elizabeth Morton
genre: YA dystopian
I thought this story was okay. The premise seems a bit of a stretch . . . seven wars have devastated the earth, poisoning the water, land, and creatures. The people who survived are trying to revitalize the land. So . . . each colony's best and brightest students are sent to Tosu City for the testing. The testing is barbaric and weeds out young people who err by letting them die horrible, violent deaths.
It's kind of like a Hunger Games with more strategy and lying. I have more notes out in my car. I'll probably update this entry, but it's not worth a lot of effort. It kept my attention and now I know how to booktalk it. I may or may not read books 2 and 3 . . .
Hennepin County Library audiobook 10 discs
read by Elizabeth Morton
genre: YA dystopian
I thought this story was okay. The premise seems a bit of a stretch . . . seven wars have devastated the earth, poisoning the water, land, and creatures. The people who survived are trying to revitalize the land. So . . . each colony's best and brightest students are sent to Tosu City for the testing. The testing is barbaric and weeds out young people who err by letting them die horrible, violent deaths.
It's kind of like a Hunger Games with more strategy and lying. I have more notes out in my car. I'll probably update this entry, but it's not worth a lot of effort. It kept my attention and now I know how to booktalk it. I may or may not read books 2 and 3 . . .
Thief of Glory
by Sigmund Brouwer
Hennepin County Library paperback 319 pages
genre: Christian historical fiction
I loved this! I can hardly wait until Monday for our book club discussion! And I cannot believe that I've never heard of this author before. I need to get more of his books!
I don't want to spoil this for those who haven't read the book, so I'll be brief here. Set in the Dutch East Indies (now called Indonesia), a young boy named Jeremiah has his world turned upside down in a day. He meets and falls instantly in love with Laura Jansen. He also meets and instantly loathes Georgie Smith. Soon after, the Japanese take over the island and put all the Dutch men into work camps. The Dutch women and children are held in a small, barbed wire-enclosed camp guarded by Japanese soldiers with guns. This story is told with such vivid language - the sights, sounds, experiences, and emotions are powerful. The scene with the python - incredible! I was holding my breath!
The things I did NOT like:
- The author uses so much foreshadowing that there were times I felt that I already knew where the book would end. Enough already! Just tell the story.
- The cover image . . . is that woman supposed to be Laura? Elspeth? What is she symbolizing there?
Possible spoilers:
page 228-9 - I love the way that Sophie responded to young Jeremiah's doubts, questions, and frustrations with God and faith. "I understand," she said. "It is sometimes difficult, with evil around, to believe in what is good."
page 238 - "Our bodies are the carriers of our souls. Too often we get lost in the physical world when our souls should focus elsewhere. Just as often, we get lost in the darkness of our souls when our bodies can so easily provide escape and distraction."
page 263 - "To be human is to tell story, and to tell story is what makes us human. Our lives are unfolding stories, and when we lose our stories, we lose ourselves."
page 281 - Finally! I finally find out (almost at the end of the book) why he didn't meet her! Grrr. This was an "aha" moment that made a huge difference in the storyline!
page 296 - "What a gift given to me, that at my age, I still felt that little catch in my heart at an unexpected glimpse of her." Sweet.
page 302 - I love when Laura says, "Unless there is more to life on earth than this life on earth. Like my grandmother, I believe there is, that we have a soul and another destination. That's what gave her courage in the Jappenkamp. Now I need to find that same courage."
page 304 - "This was a new sensation for me, the feeling of being able to trust the help of someone. I was proud of my daughter and, more importantly, was able to tell her that by leaning in and whispering. My reward was a radiant smile from her."
page 310 - "It would be wonderful if we could always see that what we have in common as humans outweighs our differences."
page 318 - Hooray! "Thus, in solitude one night all these decades later, while still cognizant of the words I spoke, I found the strength and courage to fold my hands together and bow my head and finally ask His mercy."
Another thing that bothered me . . . he spent SIXTY years of his life with a woman he didn't love, and then a daughter with whom he shared almost no affection or real communication. Such a sad waste of a lifetime! I'm glad most of the story focused on the year he was ten.
added 10/28/14
Book club discussion was enjoyable last night. No surprise, since this was such a good book. I added a marker to pages 44-45 where Jeremiah's dad sits down to talk with him and prepare him for the future. That is a remarkable scene. This is a book I would actually re-read . . .
Hennepin County Library paperback 319 pages
genre: Christian historical fiction
I loved this! I can hardly wait until Monday for our book club discussion! And I cannot believe that I've never heard of this author before. I need to get more of his books!
I don't want to spoil this for those who haven't read the book, so I'll be brief here. Set in the Dutch East Indies (now called Indonesia), a young boy named Jeremiah has his world turned upside down in a day. He meets and falls instantly in love with Laura Jansen. He also meets and instantly loathes Georgie Smith. Soon after, the Japanese take over the island and put all the Dutch men into work camps. The Dutch women and children are held in a small, barbed wire-enclosed camp guarded by Japanese soldiers with guns. This story is told with such vivid language - the sights, sounds, experiences, and emotions are powerful. The scene with the python - incredible! I was holding my breath!
The things I did NOT like:
- The author uses so much foreshadowing that there were times I felt that I already knew where the book would end. Enough already! Just tell the story.
- The cover image . . . is that woman supposed to be Laura? Elspeth? What is she symbolizing there?
Possible spoilers:
page 228-9 - I love the way that Sophie responded to young Jeremiah's doubts, questions, and frustrations with God and faith. "I understand," she said. "It is sometimes difficult, with evil around, to believe in what is good."
page 238 - "Our bodies are the carriers of our souls. Too often we get lost in the physical world when our souls should focus elsewhere. Just as often, we get lost in the darkness of our souls when our bodies can so easily provide escape and distraction."
page 263 - "To be human is to tell story, and to tell story is what makes us human. Our lives are unfolding stories, and when we lose our stories, we lose ourselves."
page 281 - Finally! I finally find out (almost at the end of the book) why he didn't meet her! Grrr. This was an "aha" moment that made a huge difference in the storyline!
page 296 - "What a gift given to me, that at my age, I still felt that little catch in my heart at an unexpected glimpse of her." Sweet.
page 302 - I love when Laura says, "Unless there is more to life on earth than this life on earth. Like my grandmother, I believe there is, that we have a soul and another destination. That's what gave her courage in the Jappenkamp. Now I need to find that same courage."
page 304 - "This was a new sensation for me, the feeling of being able to trust the help of someone. I was proud of my daughter and, more importantly, was able to tell her that by leaning in and whispering. My reward was a radiant smile from her."
page 310 - "It would be wonderful if we could always see that what we have in common as humans outweighs our differences."
page 318 - Hooray! "Thus, in solitude one night all these decades later, while still cognizant of the words I spoke, I found the strength and courage to fold my hands together and bow my head and finally ask His mercy."
Another thing that bothered me . . . he spent SIXTY years of his life with a woman he didn't love, and then a daughter with whom he shared almost no affection or real communication. Such a sad waste of a lifetime! I'm glad most of the story focused on the year he was ten.
added 10/28/14
Book club discussion was enjoyable last night. No surprise, since this was such a good book. I added a marker to pages 44-45 where Jeremiah's dad sits down to talk with him and prepare him for the future. That is a remarkable scene. This is a book I would actually re-read . . .
The Golden Day
by Ursula Dubosarsky
Hennepin County Library hardcover 149 pages
genre: YA ??? realistic fiction, historical
I don't remember what it was in a booklist that piqued my interest on this title . . . but I'm really glad I got it from the library rather than just buying it for my collection. It's weird. Eleven girls in an Australian school have Miss Renshaw as their teacher. She takes them to the park where she chats with "Morgan," the groundskeeper. One day, . . . things happen and Miss Renshaw is gone. The girls are questioned, but remain quiet about the day's events.
Set primarily in 1967, the last few chapters occur in 1975. I didn't see the ending coming. And it wasn't entirely satisfactory, as endings go.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 149 pages
genre: YA ??? realistic fiction, historical
I don't remember what it was in a booklist that piqued my interest on this title . . . but I'm really glad I got it from the library rather than just buying it for my collection. It's weird. Eleven girls in an Australian school have Miss Renshaw as their teacher. She takes them to the park where she chats with "Morgan," the groundskeeper. One day, . . . things happen and Miss Renshaw is gone. The girls are questioned, but remain quiet about the day's events.
Set primarily in 1967, the last few chapters occur in 1975. I didn't see the ending coming. And it wasn't entirely satisfactory, as endings go.
A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl
by Tanya Lee Stone
gift paperback 223 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction, coming-of-age, prose poetry
The bad boy is never mentioned by name, but we know that he is a handsome football player who is trying to have sex with as many girls as possible at his high school. At least he uses condoms.
The story is told through the perspectives of three of the girls he gets involved with - Josie, a freshman; Nicolette, a junior; and Aviva, a senior. Their strengths and weaknesses are shown in their struggles to be true to themselves as they get completely wrapped up in this gorgeous new boyfriend.
I like Josie's addition to Blume's book Seventeen . . . I wonder if teen girls will see this as a cautionary tale or an enticement to the pleasures of sexual experimentation. This won't be added to my middle school collection, but I am curious to hear a teen's response to it.
gift paperback 223 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction, coming-of-age, prose poetry
The bad boy is never mentioned by name, but we know that he is a handsome football player who is trying to have sex with as many girls as possible at his high school. At least he uses condoms.
The story is told through the perspectives of three of the girls he gets involved with - Josie, a freshman; Nicolette, a junior; and Aviva, a senior. Their strengths and weaknesses are shown in their struggles to be true to themselves as they get completely wrapped up in this gorgeous new boyfriend.
I like Josie's addition to Blume's book Seventeen . . . I wonder if teen girls will see this as a cautionary tale or an enticement to the pleasures of sexual experimentation. This won't be added to my middle school collection, but I am curious to hear a teen's response to it.
Monday, October 20, 2014
Peer Gynt
by Henrik Ibsen
Hennepin County Library hardcover 153 pages
genre: play, realism? fantasy?
The copyright on the physical book I got from the library is 1906! The checkout sheet (see pic below) had dates from July 15, 1944 to June 16, 1947.
This was odd. I didn't really understand it. This is part of my desire to have a better handle on some of the cultural references I encounter (Citizen Kane, for example). I wanted to have a frame of reference when someone said "Peer Gynt." But I need to dig deeper than just reading the script for the play.
Peer comes across as a complete selfish jerk. Even his own mother is torn between wanting to protect him and wanting to hurt him in act one. He bedded someone else's bride, then the troll princess, then has Solveig wait for him for five decades or so. He was a slave trader and a liar. This was odd and confusing. I wonder if I'll ever go see it on stage.
From Wikipedia:
Ibsen wrote Peer Gynt in deliberate disregard of the limitations that the conventional stagecraft of the 19th century imposed on drama.[9] Its forty scenes move uninhibitedly in time and space and between consciousness and the unconscious, blending folkloric fantasy and unsentimental realism.[10]
Hennepin County Library hardcover 153 pages
genre: play, realism? fantasy?
The copyright on the physical book I got from the library is 1906! The checkout sheet (see pic below) had dates from July 15, 1944 to June 16, 1947.
This was odd. I didn't really understand it. This is part of my desire to have a better handle on some of the cultural references I encounter (Citizen Kane, for example). I wanted to have a frame of reference when someone said "Peer Gynt." But I need to dig deeper than just reading the script for the play.
Peer comes across as a complete selfish jerk. Even his own mother is torn between wanting to protect him and wanting to hurt him in act one. He bedded someone else's bride, then the troll princess, then has Solveig wait for him for five decades or so. He was a slave trader and a liar. This was odd and confusing. I wonder if I'll ever go see it on stage.
From Wikipedia:
Ibsen wrote Peer Gynt in deliberate disregard of the limitations that the conventional stagecraft of the 19th century imposed on drama.[9] Its forty scenes move uninhibitedly in time and space and between consciousness and the unconscious, blending folkloric fantasy and unsentimental realism.[10]
Ouran High School Host Club
by Bisco Hatori (story & art)
Hennepin County Library paperback upaged
genre: YA manga, romance
"In this screwball romantic comedy, a poor girl at a rich kids' school ends up working for the school's swankiest club - and gets mistaken for a boy!"
Sigh. A student requested this series. I really don't like manga. This is relatively clean (though I'm not quite sure if the "hosts" offer sex to their "guests" or if it's all just flirty). The characters are all stereotypical. The drawing style has the big eyes and "beautiful" people down. The focus is on money, family status, fitting in, etc.
I can honestly say that this wasn't repugnant. I can also honestly say that I'm spending enough of my budget on graphic novels and manga already. I'm not going to add another title to my collection unless my budget increases a lot.
Hennepin County Library paperback upaged
genre: YA manga, romance
"In this screwball romantic comedy, a poor girl at a rich kids' school ends up working for the school's swankiest club - and gets mistaken for a boy!"
Sigh. A student requested this series. I really don't like manga. This is relatively clean (though I'm not quite sure if the "hosts" offer sex to their "guests" or if it's all just flirty). The characters are all stereotypical. The drawing style has the big eyes and "beautiful" people down. The focus is on money, family status, fitting in, etc.
I can honestly say that this wasn't repugnant. I can also honestly say that I'm spending enough of my budget on graphic novels and manga already. I'm not going to add another title to my collection unless my budget increases a lot.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
by Avi
PRMS paperback 221 pages
genre: YA historical fiction, adventure
Spoiler alert!
It has been a long time since I read this and I wanted to see if it would work for book clubs. I still love this story - the adventure, the changes in Charlotte's perspective, the characters . . .
I had forgotten the ending. Her dad's fierce rejection of her experiences and perspective. Her decision to run away and re-join the ship's crew. I think it's a good choice for book club. It's a very accessible book.
PRMS paperback 221 pages
genre: YA historical fiction, adventure
Spoiler alert!
It has been a long time since I read this and I wanted to see if it would work for book clubs. I still love this story - the adventure, the changes in Charlotte's perspective, the characters . . .
I had forgotten the ending. Her dad's fierce rejection of her experiences and perspective. Her decision to run away and re-join the ship's crew. I think it's a good choice for book club. It's a very accessible book.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
The Good Luck of Right Now
by Matthew Quick
Hennepin County Library hardcover 284
genre: realistic fiction
Bartholomew Neil - 38, unemployed, has taken care of his mother until her recent death from cancer, odd, somehow both intelligent and moronic . . . , gentle, timid
Father McNamee
Wendy - therapist
Arnie - "group" therapy guy with the yellow room
Max - cat lover who uses the F word incessantly
Girlbrarian - Elizabeth, Max's sister,
Richard Gere - entire book is written in letters to him
This was amazing and worth reading. I don't have time to blog now. I'd like to read more of Quick's work, both the YA and Silver Linings Playbook. He's an intriguing author!
Hennepin County Library hardcover 284
genre: realistic fiction
Bartholomew Neil - 38, unemployed, has taken care of his mother until her recent death from cancer, odd, somehow both intelligent and moronic . . . , gentle, timid
Father McNamee
Wendy - therapist
Arnie - "group" therapy guy with the yellow room
Max - cat lover who uses the F word incessantly
Girlbrarian - Elizabeth, Max's sister,
Richard Gere - entire book is written in letters to him
This was amazing and worth reading. I don't have time to blog now. I'd like to read more of Quick's work, both the YA and Silver Linings Playbook. He's an intriguing author!
World War Z: an oral history of the zombie war
by Max Brooks
Hennepin County Library audiobook 10 discs
genre: zombie fiction
read by: a huge, amazing cast of people
This surprised me. I still really dislike zombie stuff - it's too creepy and gross. But the socio-economic, political commentary interwoven into the "eyewitness" interviews were fascinating. Brooks has created an intriguing tale. I'd love to talk to someone about the story . . . maybe I should get together with Sarah Rother!
Wow. I blogged this book exactly three years ago. That's almost creepy. I listened to the audiobook again because I remembered that I had been pleasantly surprised. I shouldn't make notes while I'm driving, but here are some of what I noted:
Hennepin County Library audiobook 10 discs
genre: zombie fiction
read by: a huge, amazing cast of people
This surprised me. I still really dislike zombie stuff - it's too creepy and gross. But the socio-economic, political commentary interwoven into the "eyewitness" interviews were fascinating. Brooks has created an intriguing tale. I'd love to talk to someone about the story . . . maybe I should get together with Sarah Rother!
Wow. I blogged this book exactly three years ago. That's almost creepy. I listened to the audiobook again because I remembered that I had been pleasantly surprised. I shouldn't make notes while I'm driving, but here are some of what I noted:
- culture, history, philosophy, psychology . . . I love how the author weaves so much into the narrative
- don't like: swearing, gross stuff, zombies in general
- universal health care in the U.S. - wouldn't that be nice!
- accents, voices, narrator (journalist) - love how "real" this seems
- chapter on U.S. and war weariness . . . costs of war in dollars and lives
- vaccine / big pharma / FDA underfunded / money and power - too real. Makes me sad.
- I'm an interesting mix of gullible and skeptical . . . one of the chapters talked about research done in the 1970s in Moscow. The scientist stood outside a door and waited. Soon enough, a line of people formed behind him, even though there was no point or purpose to the line. It sounded believable enough to me, so I googled it. I tried lots of different combinations of key words. This article is the closest I came up with.
- Darnell, dog handler - "used to hate dogs" ". . . dirty, smelly, slobbering germ bags that hump your legs." refused to pet them "oversize barking hamsters" (I waited until I was parked to hit the back button to re-listen and get the text.)
- dogs and dog handlers in the military - dogs as assets, not equipment. Made me think of Cracker, Best Dog in Vietnam!
- decimate - one of every ten (literally) not to completely wipe out
- South Africa / Redeker (?) Plan - actor too hard to hear and understand, even when I cranked the volume up.
- horrific, yet fascinating
- Brooks is a talented storyteller.
- I spend a lot of time in my car and audiobooks help pass the time.
- This is an intriguing idea - post-Zombie war interviewing.
- It already seems very dated. Set in what seems to be the late 1990s or early 2000s, technology and society have changed a lot since this was written! (We have fewer and fewer survivors of the Holocaust, Pearl Harbor, etc. . . . )
- Just googled it. Written in 2006, it was made into a movie in 2013. Extremely confident I wouldn't like the movie.
One Word: that will change your life
by Dan Britton, Jon Gordon, and Jimmy Page
Hennepin County Library hardcover 89 pages
genre: non-fiction motivational
Considering it's such a short little book, it sure took me a long time to read this thing. Dana had raved about it during workshop week. I tried to keep an open mind, but it kind of bugged me.
Early on in the book, the authors talk about how important it is to take time to consider your one word. "Take the time to look inward by opening your heart." This idea and the "assignment" to pick one word was thrown at us in a meeting during workshop week. WHY we were doing it and WHAT to do with it wasn't terribly clear. (This concern is not with the book itself, but with how this concept was introduced to staff.)
The religious theme of the book was curious to me . . . as a Christian, I should enthusiastically embrace the references to God, right? "Get a God word, not just a good word. When we look up, we recognize that God knows what is best for us." The problem I have with this is that I wonder who their audience is? Everyone? I think most non-believers would be put off by this. I don't know that, but I think it's distinctly possible. As a follower of Jesus Christ, I don't think they go far enough. Why pick one word per year to focus on? Why not continually study God's Word and seek his guidance daily? If you are trying to evangelize, go all-out! This just seemed like a self-help book with a dose of God on the side.
So my "one word" for this school year is "Listen." I had brainstormed a bunch of words in the staff meeting and picked "power" - thinking of the power of the Holy Spirit, the power I feel when I am right with the Lord, and wanting to empower my students. But as I reflected over the weekend, the word "listen" spoke to me. Listen to God's voice. Listen to others. Don't talk so much! I like this word and the suggestions to "keep your One Word front and center" are good:
Pet Peeve Alert!!!
WHY do editors and proofreaders let crap get published with so many errors!!!!
Page 72 starts with "One Word basketball and placed it in their locker room before every game!" This sentence doesn't make sense here and doesn't work as a caption for the images below it. On the previous page, there are three paragraphs. This is the last two lines of the middle paragraph, repeated on the next page for no apparent reason other than carelessness.
There was another one, but my non-post-it bookmark fell out. Irritating! Doesn't anyone care about doing quality work any more?
Hennepin County Library hardcover 89 pages
genre: non-fiction motivational
Considering it's such a short little book, it sure took me a long time to read this thing. Dana had raved about it during workshop week. I tried to keep an open mind, but it kind of bugged me.
Early on in the book, the authors talk about how important it is to take time to consider your one word. "Take the time to look inward by opening your heart." This idea and the "assignment" to pick one word was thrown at us in a meeting during workshop week. WHY we were doing it and WHAT to do with it wasn't terribly clear. (This concern is not with the book itself, but with how this concept was introduced to staff.)
The religious theme of the book was curious to me . . . as a Christian, I should enthusiastically embrace the references to God, right? "Get a God word, not just a good word. When we look up, we recognize that God knows what is best for us." The problem I have with this is that I wonder who their audience is? Everyone? I think most non-believers would be put off by this. I don't know that, but I think it's distinctly possible. As a follower of Jesus Christ, I don't think they go far enough. Why pick one word per year to focus on? Why not continually study God's Word and seek his guidance daily? If you are trying to evangelize, go all-out! This just seemed like a self-help book with a dose of God on the side.
So my "one word" for this school year is "Listen." I had brainstormed a bunch of words in the staff meeting and picked "power" - thinking of the power of the Holy Spirit, the power I feel when I am right with the Lord, and wanting to empower my students. But as I reflected over the weekend, the word "listen" spoke to me. Listen to God's voice. Listen to others. Don't talk so much! I like this word and the suggestions to "keep your One Word front and center" are good:
- write it down and post in prominent places
- create a screen saver
- paint on a sign and hang where you'll see it every day
- take a picture and save it on phone
- keep a journal with insights about the word
- discuss with family
- sayings or quotes that relate to word
- song
- poem or prayer
- share with a "stretch team" - (e.g. the Academy PLC)
Pet Peeve Alert!!!
WHY do editors and proofreaders let crap get published with so many errors!!!!
Page 72 starts with "One Word basketball and placed it in their locker room before every game!" This sentence doesn't make sense here and doesn't work as a caption for the images below it. On the previous page, there are three paragraphs. This is the last two lines of the middle paragraph, repeated on the next page for no apparent reason other than carelessness.
There was another one, but my non-post-it bookmark fell out. Irritating! Doesn't anyone care about doing quality work any more?
Kite Runner
by Khaled Hosseini
Hennepin County Library hardcover 329 pages
genre: realistic fiction
I can't believe it has taken me so long to read this! Jenifer gave me her book club copy a few years ago and it sat on my shelf until August. Ben had chosen it as his summer reading book, but hadn't started it so I gave him my/his mom's copy. Then I got a copy from the library so we could talk about it. Sigh. My time-management skills continue to challenge me.
I finished it about a week ago and need to get this copy back to the library. What an amazing, painful story. Amir is the protagonist - a wealthy boy whose mother died when he was young. He loves to read, isn't very brave, and craves his father's approval. Hassan is a "Hazara" - a servant of the lower classes. The boys grow up together, close yet with a gulf between them.
Some places I noted:
page 92/93 - "He knew I had betrayed him and yet he was rescuing me once again, maybe for the last time. I loved him in that moment, loved him more than I'd ever loved anyone, and I wanted to tell them all that I was the snake in the grass, the monster in the lake." Oh my. This scene broke my heart. How Amir could be so incredibly wretched, cruel, and conflicted!
page 178 - The adult Amir has gone to Pakistan to meet with Rahim Khan, his father's good friend and the only adult who understood the child Amir. "I see America has infused you with the optimism that has made her so great. That's very good. We're a melancholic people, we Afghans, aren't we? . . . We give in to loss, to suffering, accept it as a fact of life, even see it as necessary."
One of the things I love about a book like this is how it stretches my understanding of other cultures. This book taught me a little about Afghanistan and some of the joys and pains of being from there. When Rahim Khan talks about greeting the Taliban with joy because they thought better things were in store, it almost makes me want to cry. Hopes dashed.
page 195 - When Amir finds out about Hassan's life (after reading his letter). Oh my. Powerful. Painful.
page 238/239 - The scene in the stadium when the cleric gets up to pray and says "We are here today to carry out Shari'a" . . . his "prayer" appalls me. What hatefulness. I am glad I follow Jesus.
Throughout the book, the photographs of people and places enrich the story so much! They show ordinary people (for the most part) doing ordinary things. I was surprised by how rocky, dry, and non-green the country looks! Where do they grow their food?
page 265-7 - Rahim's letter to Amir. Again, painful and powerful. "But I hope you will heed this: A man who has no conscience, no goodness, does not suffer. I hope your suffering comes to an end with this journey to Afghanistan."
page 288 - When Amir finally tells his wife everything! What a difficult but necessary conversation. I love her reaction. What an amazing woman!
page 307 - Amir turns to God in prayer. Beautiful! Right in the hospital, he prays even though "I haven't prayed for over fifteen years. I have long forgotten the words." He cries out. "There is a God, there has to be, and now I will pray, I will pray that He forgive that I have neglected Him all of these years, forgive that I have betrayed, lied, and sinned with impunity only to turn to Him now in my hour of need, I pray that He is as merciful, benevolent, and gracious as His book says He is."
This made me think of the missionaries who said they find the commonalities between their Christian faith and the faith of their Muslim neighbors and work from that common bond. There is One God.
page 328 - When they are at the picnic and Amir asks Sohrab if he would like Amir to run the kite for him (chase down the ones Sohrab cuts down). When Sohrab nods, Amir says, "For you, a thousand times over." . . . the same thing Hassan had said to him so often.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 329 pages
genre: realistic fiction
I can't believe it has taken me so long to read this! Jenifer gave me her book club copy a few years ago and it sat on my shelf until August. Ben had chosen it as his summer reading book, but hadn't started it so I gave him my/his mom's copy. Then I got a copy from the library so we could talk about it. Sigh. My time-management skills continue to challenge me.
I finished it about a week ago and need to get this copy back to the library. What an amazing, painful story. Amir is the protagonist - a wealthy boy whose mother died when he was young. He loves to read, isn't very brave, and craves his father's approval. Hassan is a "Hazara" - a servant of the lower classes. The boys grow up together, close yet with a gulf between them.
Some places I noted:
page 92/93 - "He knew I had betrayed him and yet he was rescuing me once again, maybe for the last time. I loved him in that moment, loved him more than I'd ever loved anyone, and I wanted to tell them all that I was the snake in the grass, the monster in the lake." Oh my. This scene broke my heart. How Amir could be so incredibly wretched, cruel, and conflicted!
page 178 - The adult Amir has gone to Pakistan to meet with Rahim Khan, his father's good friend and the only adult who understood the child Amir. "I see America has infused you with the optimism that has made her so great. That's very good. We're a melancholic people, we Afghans, aren't we? . . . We give in to loss, to suffering, accept it as a fact of life, even see it as necessary."
One of the things I love about a book like this is how it stretches my understanding of other cultures. This book taught me a little about Afghanistan and some of the joys and pains of being from there. When Rahim Khan talks about greeting the Taliban with joy because they thought better things were in store, it almost makes me want to cry. Hopes dashed.
page 195 - When Amir finds out about Hassan's life (after reading his letter). Oh my. Powerful. Painful.
page 238/239 - The scene in the stadium when the cleric gets up to pray and says "We are here today to carry out Shari'a" . . . his "prayer" appalls me. What hatefulness. I am glad I follow Jesus.
Throughout the book, the photographs of people and places enrich the story so much! They show ordinary people (for the most part) doing ordinary things. I was surprised by how rocky, dry, and non-green the country looks! Where do they grow their food?
page 265-7 - Rahim's letter to Amir. Again, painful and powerful. "But I hope you will heed this: A man who has no conscience, no goodness, does not suffer. I hope your suffering comes to an end with this journey to Afghanistan."
page 288 - When Amir finally tells his wife everything! What a difficult but necessary conversation. I love her reaction. What an amazing woman!
page 307 - Amir turns to God in prayer. Beautiful! Right in the hospital, he prays even though "I haven't prayed for over fifteen years. I have long forgotten the words." He cries out. "There is a God, there has to be, and now I will pray, I will pray that He forgive that I have neglected Him all of these years, forgive that I have betrayed, lied, and sinned with impunity only to turn to Him now in my hour of need, I pray that He is as merciful, benevolent, and gracious as His book says He is."
This made me think of the missionaries who said they find the commonalities between their Christian faith and the faith of their Muslim neighbors and work from that common bond. There is One God.
page 328 - When they are at the picnic and Amir asks Sohrab if he would like Amir to run the kite for him (chase down the ones Sohrab cuts down). When Sohrab nods, Amir says, "For you, a thousand times over." . . . the same thing Hassan had said to him so often.
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Shackleton Antarctic Odyssey
by Nick Bertozzi
YAC book, paperback 125 pages
genre: non-fiction graphic novel
This was delightful in many ways! It had some details that weren't included in other books I've read about Shackleton's voyage. There were some great moments of humor along with the courage. The art work isn't my favorite . . . but I've been spoiled by some phenomenal graphic novels. The storytelling was delightful.
YAC book, paperback 125 pages
genre: non-fiction graphic novel
This was delightful in many ways! It had some details that weren't included in other books I've read about Shackleton's voyage. There were some great moments of humor along with the courage. The art work isn't my favorite . . . but I've been spoiled by some phenomenal graphic novels. The storytelling was delightful.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality
by Elizabeth Eulberg
Chaska HS hardcover 261 pages
genre: YA realistic, coming-of-age
This was an interlibrary loan from CHS for one of my students. I was curious, so I read the first chapter. And was hooked. Since my student wasn't at school Friday, I took it home. But I didn't actually open it up until Sunday evening . . . and was almost to the halfway point when I needed sleep. So I brought it to PRMS yesterday and asked the student in question if I could finish it before giving it to her. She was so gracious!
What I like:
It has the romance without going overboard. It has the soul-searching identity issues without being overdramatized. It has wonderful characters with many facets (Taylor, Cam, Benny . . . ). It was just a really fun book to read! I will need to get some of this author's work for my collection.
page 92: "I know that's a tad pathetic, but I think it's normal to want (or crave) the acceptance of the Beautiful People." Yep. That's how I felt in high school. Us and Them.
page 112: "Am I supposed to act different around Taylor? Has anybody written The Dating Guide for Clueless Teenage Girls yet? I need that book." I love the gentle humor in this book. Sometimes it's Lexi using self-deprecating humor, yet she acknowledges that's what she's doing.
page 138: "I remember being seven. I loved that age. Being seven's awesome. You don't have that much responsibility of homework. And it's illegal to work, so you get to play a lot. Being seven rocks. Or it should rock."
Although Lexi despises the pageant scene and how bratty her seven-year-old sister gets, she can empathize and even go out of her comfort zone to help Mackenzie get out of doing pageants. I'm most sorry for the mom, who has spiraled down into obesity, escapism, and overspending as a result of the divorce seven years earlier. Where are this woman's friends?!
Great story. Sweet story. Friendship between Lexi, Cam, and Benny is wonderful.
Chaska HS hardcover 261 pages
genre: YA realistic, coming-of-age
This was an interlibrary loan from CHS for one of my students. I was curious, so I read the first chapter. And was hooked. Since my student wasn't at school Friday, I took it home. But I didn't actually open it up until Sunday evening . . . and was almost to the halfway point when I needed sleep. So I brought it to PRMS yesterday and asked the student in question if I could finish it before giving it to her. She was so gracious!
What I like:
It has the romance without going overboard. It has the soul-searching identity issues without being overdramatized. It has wonderful characters with many facets (Taylor, Cam, Benny . . . ). It was just a really fun book to read! I will need to get some of this author's work for my collection.
page 92: "I know that's a tad pathetic, but I think it's normal to want (or crave) the acceptance of the Beautiful People." Yep. That's how I felt in high school. Us and Them.
page 112: "Am I supposed to act different around Taylor? Has anybody written The Dating Guide for Clueless Teenage Girls yet? I need that book." I love the gentle humor in this book. Sometimes it's Lexi using self-deprecating humor, yet she acknowledges that's what she's doing.
page 138: "I remember being seven. I loved that age. Being seven's awesome. You don't have that much responsibility of homework. And it's illegal to work, so you get to play a lot. Being seven rocks. Or it should rock."
Although Lexi despises the pageant scene and how bratty her seven-year-old sister gets, she can empathize and even go out of her comfort zone to help Mackenzie get out of doing pageants. I'm most sorry for the mom, who has spiraled down into obesity, escapism, and overspending as a result of the divorce seven years earlier. Where are this woman's friends?!
Great story. Sweet story. Friendship between Lexi, Cam, and Benny is wonderful.
Monday, October 13, 2014
Cinder
by Marissa Meyer
PRMS hardcover 387 pages
genre: YA fantasy futuristic
I LOVED this book! It's a Cinderella story with an unlikely heroine. Post-WW IV, Cinder is living and working in the Eastern Commonwealth's "New Beijing" as a mechanic. Repairing androids and other pieces of software and machinery, the crown prince shows up at her booth one day to hire her to fix his android.
Add in a deadly plague, the evil Lunars who can use their glamour "magic" to manipulate people, and you have more fun going on than the stepmother and stepsisters could ever have provided.
I wish I had time to read book two!
PRMS hardcover 387 pages
genre: YA fantasy futuristic
I LOVED this book! It's a Cinderella story with an unlikely heroine. Post-WW IV, Cinder is living and working in the Eastern Commonwealth's "New Beijing" as a mechanic. Repairing androids and other pieces of software and machinery, the crown prince shows up at her booth one day to hire her to fix his android.
Add in a deadly plague, the evil Lunars who can use their glamour "magic" to manipulate people, and you have more fun going on than the stepmother and stepsisters could ever have provided.
I wish I had time to read book two!
Wednesday, October 01, 2014
Secrets Over Sweet Tea
by Denise Hildreth Jones
Hennepin County Library paperback 387 pages
genre: Christian fiction
Loved this! She is such a wonderful author! I don't love the style of introducing two major characters per chapter for the first three chapters . . . even though I know the story will weave them together, it's disconcerting at first to try to keep all the characters straight.
Scarlett Jo Newberry - flamboyant pastor's wife, large woman, wears bright clothes, gets into people's business
Pastor Jackson Newberry - almost too-good-to-be-true husband to Scarlett Jo and father to their four (or five?) sons
Grace Shepherd - early morning newscaster, unhappy in marriage, wishes they'd had children
Tyler Shepherd - hockey player, alcoholic, impotent and unwilling to even be affectionate with Grace (unless they're in the public eye)
Zach Craig - lawyer, feels unfulfilled in his marriage, twin daughters always fight, wife is cold and controlling
Caroline Craig - runs a clothing store, kowtows to her mother
There were many more characters, but these are the main ones. I loved Scarlett Jo!
page 23 - I like that Grace can call her friend Rachel to "talk her home" after work. She says "usually I am an advocate for your husband, just as you are for mine. You know Jason always says you're the best friend of this marriage." I think that's a cool idea - to be a best friend to another couple's marriage. To build up and encourage.
page 85 - Never having actually lived in the South, I can only imagine the truth in a statement like this: "The jab was real and purposeful, though delivered with the sugarcoating that Southern women were so adept in adding to insults." This makes me think of the comedian who talked about Southern women adding "bless her heart" to any critical comment . . .
page 122 - "Scarlett Jo watched as Grace studied her. She knew the look. She'd been measured on this scale so many times - the can-I-trust-you? scale. People needed to know that their heart was safe, their story was safe."
page 124 - "Baby, we're all broken. About the time we start believing we're not, that's when it all falls apart and we realize how bad off we are."
page 188 - "Okay, let me make this a little clearer. We come into this world with this carefree child's heart. It's open. Alive. It's connected with God and believes anything is possible. It doesn't know much fear, and it has this kind of abandoned wonder. But then at some point - I don't know when, maybe in high school, maybe in college, maybe after we graduate - something happens to us."
page 248 - "Hold on there, chief. The only one living in the exploding Crayola box is you. Me and Grace here are chocolate and vanilla kind of girls, not rainbow sherbet."
page 252 - made me think of Jodi! "Scarlett Jo read so much, in fact, that her kids said she needed one of those e-readers. But she liked real live books, the kind with paper and ink - which was why she liked Landmark. They still sold read books."
page 331 - Grace's observation that she was "so consumed" with her own story and problems that she never asked Scarlett Jo about her life. How true! We tend to focus on our own stuff and neglect to realize that other people are dealing with their own issues.
page 368 - I could see it coming . . . ugh! But the scene didn't turn out the way I expected. Thankfully.
page 376 - my favorite scene in the whole book! Scarlett Jo has a heart-to-heart with Caroline. Loved this!
What a wonderful book!
Hennepin County Library paperback 387 pages
genre: Christian fiction
Loved this! She is such a wonderful author! I don't love the style of introducing two major characters per chapter for the first three chapters . . . even though I know the story will weave them together, it's disconcerting at first to try to keep all the characters straight.
Scarlett Jo Newberry - flamboyant pastor's wife, large woman, wears bright clothes, gets into people's business
Pastor Jackson Newberry - almost too-good-to-be-true husband to Scarlett Jo and father to their four (or five?) sons
Grace Shepherd - early morning newscaster, unhappy in marriage, wishes they'd had children
Tyler Shepherd - hockey player, alcoholic, impotent and unwilling to even be affectionate with Grace (unless they're in the public eye)
Zach Craig - lawyer, feels unfulfilled in his marriage, twin daughters always fight, wife is cold and controlling
Caroline Craig - runs a clothing store, kowtows to her mother
There were many more characters, but these are the main ones. I loved Scarlett Jo!
page 23 - I like that Grace can call her friend Rachel to "talk her home" after work. She says "usually I am an advocate for your husband, just as you are for mine. You know Jason always says you're the best friend of this marriage." I think that's a cool idea - to be a best friend to another couple's marriage. To build up and encourage.
page 85 - Never having actually lived in the South, I can only imagine the truth in a statement like this: "The jab was real and purposeful, though delivered with the sugarcoating that Southern women were so adept in adding to insults." This makes me think of the comedian who talked about Southern women adding "bless her heart" to any critical comment . . .
page 122 - "Scarlett Jo watched as Grace studied her. She knew the look. She'd been measured on this scale so many times - the can-I-trust-you? scale. People needed to know that their heart was safe, their story was safe."
page 124 - "Baby, we're all broken. About the time we start believing we're not, that's when it all falls apart and we realize how bad off we are."
page 188 - "Okay, let me make this a little clearer. We come into this world with this carefree child's heart. It's open. Alive. It's connected with God and believes anything is possible. It doesn't know much fear, and it has this kind of abandoned wonder. But then at some point - I don't know when, maybe in high school, maybe in college, maybe after we graduate - something happens to us."
page 248 - "Hold on there, chief. The only one living in the exploding Crayola box is you. Me and Grace here are chocolate and vanilla kind of girls, not rainbow sherbet."
page 252 - made me think of Jodi! "Scarlett Jo read so much, in fact, that her kids said she needed one of those e-readers. But she liked real live books, the kind with paper and ink - which was why she liked Landmark. They still sold read books."
page 331 - Grace's observation that she was "so consumed" with her own story and problems that she never asked Scarlett Jo about her life. How true! We tend to focus on our own stuff and neglect to realize that other people are dealing with their own issues.
page 368 - I could see it coming . . . ugh! But the scene didn't turn out the way I expected. Thankfully.
page 376 - my favorite scene in the whole book! Scarlett Jo has a heart-to-heart with Caroline. Loved this!
What a wonderful book!
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