The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child

by Donalyn Miller
Hennepin County Library paperback 211 pages

I read this over a year ago, but found hand-written notes while cleaning up and realized I had never blogged about it. Here goes:

pg. 86 - Bucking the Sarge (Curtis) / read-alouds / Tripping Over the Lunch Lady (stories?) / The Sixth Grade Nickname Game (Korman) . . . I think I wanted to read / buy these titles for PRMS . . .

pg. 93 Genres - Poetry, traditional literature (better name than "classics"), fantasy, science fiction, realistic, historical fiction, mystery, biography / autobiography, informational, true crime . . . then I added a post-it note that says "humor," "romance," "paranormal," "dystopian"

pg. 114 - Why you should read children's books as an adult (book by Jen Robinson) - blog by her???

pg. 116 - websites! sources - Books That Don't Bore 'Em (Blasingame) / www.goodreads.com / http://jkrbooks.typepad.com / teenreads * link on my page!

pg. 137 - do book commercials

pg 165 - Notion that one teacher cannot tell another what to do / not do

I recall being really excited by this book. She promotes reading and kids respond. Too often, teachers' efforts serve more to dampen students' enthusiasm for reading. It's so exciting to see kids "get it" and get excited about books. I wish all language arts teachers would read this!

Anya's Ghost

by Vera Brosgol
PRMS paperback 221 pages
genre: YA graphic novel ghost story, coming-of-age

This was so weird and good! My favorite part was when Anya realized what a scumbag Sean was and when she said, "I don't think murder is an appropriate reaction to disappointment." Drawn in black and white, it has an appealing style. The ghost Emily's transformation is especially creepy.

Drama

by Raina Telgemeier
PRMS paperback 233 pages
genre: YA graphic novel, realistic fiction

Callie is a seventh grader who loves theatre, but tends to stay backstage. She and her friend Liz are designing sets and costumes (respectively) for their middle school's production of Moon Over Mississippi. The drama is both offstage and on. It includes romance, broken hearts, unrequited love, and coming-out stories. It is well-written and drawn.

Divergent

by Veronica Roth
PRMS paperback 487 pages
genre: YA dystopian adventure romance

I'm so glad I read this! I like it a lot better than some of the other dystopian stuff I've read lately. Tris (Beatrice) has been raised in the Abnegation faction, but doesn't feel that she belongs there. She struggles too much with serving others and being selfless. When she goes to be tested, she learns that she is Divergent and can choose her faction. But she is also warned not to let anyone know; it is very dangerous to be Divergent. She chooses Dauntless (after watching her brother Caleb choose Erudite). Amity and Candor are the other factions. Four (Tobias) is one of her trainers in Dauntless, but he becomes her friend and then her love interest as the story progresses. I'm intrigued enough to want to read the second book, Insurgent!

Also Peter, Eric (nasties), Christina, Al (friends) and the evil mastermind of Erudite. At the end of this story, our heroes are safely tucked away in Amity, but aware that the temporary refuge will not last.

added 2/24/14:
Notes that I had on a piece of paper at the lake -
Tris (Beatrice)
Four (Tobias)

5 Factions - Dauntless / Abnegation / Amity / Erudite / Candor

Peter
Eric
Christina
Al
brother - Caleb

4 stars out of 5

Interesting that the movie is out next month and this is a super popular book right now. All three of my school copies are out and I have a waiting list! I haven't yet had time to read book #2 (which is probably also checked out). Good stuff!



The audiobook was narrated by Emma Galvin. Her vocal work was fantastic! I remember really disliking book two . . . and have never read book three. After listening to this, I kind of want to watch the movie again. Not sure what it is about this story that I like so much.

All I Need

by Susane Colasanti
Hennepin County Library hardcover 212 pages
genre: teen romance

I wonder if all Colasanti books are like this . . . it was actually boring to read. Skye and Seth fall in love at first sight. After two days together, they both know they are soul mates who are destined to be together. Through a misunderstanding, they don't get one another's contact info. So Skye heads back to her junior year of high school and Seth goes for his freshman year of college. And they spend the entire year pining for one another. Yeah. Whatever. Not sure why my eighth grade girls are crazy about these books . . . there is a lot of kissing, but no real story.

The Monsters' Monster

by Patrick McDonnell
Hennepin County Library hardcover 32 pages
genre: children's book, monsters, kindness / behavior

I love this book! Three terrible little monsters build a huge monster, hoping it will be the biggest and the worst of them all. But the creature who comes out is sweet and kind. They are horrified, but watch him and learn.

172 Hours on the Moon

by Johan Harstad
Hennepin County Library hardcover 353 pages
genre: SciFi horror

I shouldn't have read this so soon after The Dumbest Generation. The teens in this book were selfish, vapid, and kind of idiotic. The premise of the story was not even remotely realistic. Three teenagers (none of them Americans) are selected by lottery to go to the moon on the next NASA mission. None of these teens actually wants to go. NASA is doing this for PR and to get more funding (from Norway, France, and Japan? Well, that's where the kids are from). Sigh. I really couldn't enjoy it because it bugged me so much. I think there are some students who would enjoy it. There was definitely some suspense in the "will anyone make it out alive?" sense. Not a book I'll rave about, that's for sure.

Extra Yarn

by Mac Barnett & illustrated by Jon Klassen
Hennepin County Library hardcover 32 pages
genre: children's book, fantasy

Annabelle finds a box with yarn on a dreary cold day. She knits a scarf for herself and for her dog. She knits more scarves until the town is blanketed by her colorful creations, but the yarn doesn't run out. So she knits for cars, houses, trees . . . until a horrible archduke steals the box from her. (She had refused to sell it to him, even for millions of dollars.) A lovely book and definitely fun to look at!

Z is for Moose (That's Me!)

by Kelly Bingham
Hennepin County Library hardcover 32 pages
genre: picture book

This is on our 2013 Litwits list. A very cute book! Zebra is conducting a show of the alphabet, but his friend moose can hardly wait his turn. When M ends up as "mouse," moose has a tantrum. A funny story, an alphabet story, and a story of friendship as zebra makes sure that moose feels included.