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.
Friday, August 15, 2014
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.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
500 Things to Know About the Ancient World
by Carolyn Howitt
PRMS hardcover 151 pages
genre: non-fiction, ancient history
Interesting, quick read. Lots I knew, but much more that I did not. Organized by theme (clothing, food, weapons, etc.) and included info from ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Sumer, Aztec, Maya, Viking, Anglo-Saxon civilizations. I was surprised with all the gorgeous images and cool info that a few tidbits were repeated . . . the picture of a cuneiform for practice writing appeared twice (pages 33 and 140).
What Hernando Cortes did to the Aztecs saddens and horrifies me. To think of him gaining their trust, robbing them blind, and then murdering so many people . . . he also destroyed native texts and art. The perceptions of good and evil were not exactly what Jesus teaches in Scripture.
PRMS hardcover 151 pages
genre: non-fiction, ancient history
Interesting, quick read. Lots I knew, but much more that I did not. Organized by theme (clothing, food, weapons, etc.) and included info from ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Sumer, Aztec, Maya, Viking, Anglo-Saxon civilizations. I was surprised with all the gorgeous images and cool info that a few tidbits were repeated . . . the picture of a cuneiform for practice writing appeared twice (pages 33 and 140).
What Hernando Cortes did to the Aztecs saddens and horrifies me. To think of him gaining their trust, robbing them blind, and then murdering so many people . . . he also destroyed native texts and art. The perceptions of good and evil were not exactly what Jesus teaches in Scripture.
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Code Name Johnny Walker: the Extraordinary Story of the Iraqi Who Risked Everything to Fight with the U.S. Navy SEALs
by Johnny Walker (alias) and Jim DeFelice
Hennepin County Library hardcover 277 pages
genre: non-fiction memoir, war stories
This was definitely not my kind of book. The war, killing, machismo, etc. just turns me off. The cultural differences between what he described about living in Iraq as a child (not to mention later during the war) and what is familiar to me are stunningly different. My notion of honor and the Iraqi notion of honor are radically different. Reading about Chris Kyle (and the recent Jesse Ventura lawsuit) makes me more curious about this man and his American Sniper book . . . though I still don't like war books.
Soheila and their kids coming to America - it would be interesting to hear their perspective on the difference between life in Iraq during war and life here. This book was very, very positive toward the SEALs. There were lots of different missions and it all seemed to blur together - both for the audience of this book and for the protagonist himself. DeFelice's author note at the end talked about this difficulty of remembered how things happened.
Iraq seems to be a very messed-up country. The destruction and corruption are so devastating! How can people have hope to see better days when there are so many factors conspiring against them? The Shia and Sunni . . . even though he explained them pretty carefully, it still doesn't make much sense to me. Why are these people so busy hating one another and trying to exterminate the others? When he talked about informants giving bad "intel" to cause their neighbors / enemies pain and distress, all I could think of was how messed up that is. So if I get mad at one of my neighbors, I can call the police, lie and say they are terrorists, and watch as their house gets torn up and they are terrified by men storming their home with guns? Not okay.
The author's emphasis was continually on building up instead of tearing down, but I don't think anyone in Iraq is listening to him.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 277 pages
genre: non-fiction memoir, war stories
This was definitely not my kind of book. The war, killing, machismo, etc. just turns me off. The cultural differences between what he described about living in Iraq as a child (not to mention later during the war) and what is familiar to me are stunningly different. My notion of honor and the Iraqi notion of honor are radically different. Reading about Chris Kyle (and the recent Jesse Ventura lawsuit) makes me more curious about this man and his American Sniper book . . . though I still don't like war books.
Soheila and their kids coming to America - it would be interesting to hear their perspective on the difference between life in Iraq during war and life here. This book was very, very positive toward the SEALs. There were lots of different missions and it all seemed to blur together - both for the audience of this book and for the protagonist himself. DeFelice's author note at the end talked about this difficulty of remembered how things happened.
Iraq seems to be a very messed-up country. The destruction and corruption are so devastating! How can people have hope to see better days when there are so many factors conspiring against them? The Shia and Sunni . . . even though he explained them pretty carefully, it still doesn't make much sense to me. Why are these people so busy hating one another and trying to exterminate the others? When he talked about informants giving bad "intel" to cause their neighbors / enemies pain and distress, all I could think of was how messed up that is. So if I get mad at one of my neighbors, I can call the police, lie and say they are terrorists, and watch as their house gets torn up and they are terrified by men storming their home with guns? Not okay.
The author's emphasis was continually on building up instead of tearing down, but I don't think anyone in Iraq is listening to him.
Monday, July 28, 2014
Freakboy
by Kristin Clark
Hennepin County Library hardcover 427 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction
Written in prose poetry, this is a story told from three viewpoints. Brendan is a wrestler who doesn't love wrestling. He has a little sister, Courtney, toward whom he is loving. His girlfriend Vanessa (another perspective) is also a wrestler. She enjoys ceramics and is struggling to maintain her friendship with two girls as she becomes more and more focused on Brendan. Angel is a transgender living as a young woman. Her perspective is the third. Angel's story is the most compelling, although Brendan's is clearly the focus of the book. Angel was abused by his biological father as a child. His mother died when Angel was quite young. He loves his little brother Frankie, but runs away to live with his aunt until her new boyfriend starts threatening him. Having sold his body, lived homeless, and gone hungry, he now works in a gathering place for GLBTQ youth.
Difficult to read and think about kids actually dealing with gender identity issues (Brendan decides on "gender fluid" since he identifies both ways), this book is a fairly quick read with lots of provoking themes. At one point as Brendan commits suicide, he is forced to think of how the discovery of his corpse would impact his little sister.
My favorite part was Angel praying and talking about God's love.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 427 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction
Written in prose poetry, this is a story told from three viewpoints. Brendan is a wrestler who doesn't love wrestling. He has a little sister, Courtney, toward whom he is loving. His girlfriend Vanessa (another perspective) is also a wrestler. She enjoys ceramics and is struggling to maintain her friendship with two girls as she becomes more and more focused on Brendan. Angel is a transgender living as a young woman. Her perspective is the third. Angel's story is the most compelling, although Brendan's is clearly the focus of the book. Angel was abused by his biological father as a child. His mother died when Angel was quite young. He loves his little brother Frankie, but runs away to live with his aunt until her new boyfriend starts threatening him. Having sold his body, lived homeless, and gone hungry, he now works in a gathering place for GLBTQ youth.
Difficult to read and think about kids actually dealing with gender identity issues (Brendan decides on "gender fluid" since he identifies both ways), this book is a fairly quick read with lots of provoking themes. At one point as Brendan commits suicide, he is forced to think of how the discovery of his corpse would impact his little sister.
My favorite part was Angel praying and talking about God's love.
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Far Far Away
by Tom McNeal
Hennepin County Library paperback 369 pages
genre: YA fantasy, mystery
This grabbed my attention! At first I thought it was just weird (reminiscent of Gaiman's The Graveyard Book) . . . and then I couldn't put it down! Jeremy Johnson Johnson can hear the voice of Jacob Grimm's voice. People just think he's strange. Ginger Boultinghouse is curious.
Mystery - where have the random children disappeared to over the years?
Tension - will Jeremy be able to save his home and his grandfather's legacy, The Two Book Bookstore?
Romance - does Ginger like Jeremy or Conk more? Will she and Jeremy kiss?
Creepy - why does Deputy McRaven seem to always be lurking around?
One thing I really loved about this book was that the foreign phrases - German, Swedish, etc. - were all translated. This was wonderfully written and a very engaging book. Weird, but quite good. It makes me curious about other books by this author and his wife (they write many together).
I marked one passage - on page 104, Ginger is praying and Jacob is listening. At the end of her prayer, she says, "Please give shelter to those without shelter, food to those without food, and hope to those without hope. Amen." The ghost observes, "A kind prayer . . . drawn from a well of pure belief. I had once had such a well from which to draw and felt a fresh pang that I no longer did." This made me think of people I really know.
Hennepin County Library paperback 369 pages
genre: YA fantasy, mystery
This grabbed my attention! At first I thought it was just weird (reminiscent of Gaiman's The Graveyard Book) . . . and then I couldn't put it down! Jeremy Johnson Johnson can hear the voice of Jacob Grimm's voice. People just think he's strange. Ginger Boultinghouse is curious.
Mystery - where have the random children disappeared to over the years?
Tension - will Jeremy be able to save his home and his grandfather's legacy, The Two Book Bookstore?
Romance - does Ginger like Jeremy or Conk more? Will she and Jeremy kiss?
Creepy - why does Deputy McRaven seem to always be lurking around?
One thing I really loved about this book was that the foreign phrases - German, Swedish, etc. - were all translated. This was wonderfully written and a very engaging book. Weird, but quite good. It makes me curious about other books by this author and his wife (they write many together).
I marked one passage - on page 104, Ginger is praying and Jacob is listening. At the end of her prayer, she says, "Please give shelter to those without shelter, food to those without food, and hope to those without hope. Amen." The ghost observes, "A kind prayer . . . drawn from a well of pure belief. I had once had such a well from which to draw and felt a fresh pang that I no longer did." This made me think of people I really know.
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Rose Under Fire
by Elizabeth Wein
Hennepin County Library audiobook 10 discs
read by Sasha Pick
genre: YA historic fiction
What to say about this amazing book? I was moved by it. Rose Justice is an 18-year-old pilot moving planes for the RAF during WWII. She is sweet, smart, and strong. When she is forced to land by German Luftwaffe and sent to Ravensbruck, her life changes forever. Getting to know the Polish "rabbits," the women who have been experimented on, and experiencing the horrors of the camp traumatize Rose.
Pick's narration was exquisite. This book was simply amazing. Because it starts off in a more light-hearted manner, the contrast with the camp is sharp. Rose grows up more than any young woman should have to.
Hennepin County Library audiobook 10 discs
read by Sasha Pick
genre: YA historic fiction
What to say about this amazing book? I was moved by it. Rose Justice is an 18-year-old pilot moving planes for the RAF during WWII. She is sweet, smart, and strong. When she is forced to land by German Luftwaffe and sent to Ravensbruck, her life changes forever. Getting to know the Polish "rabbits," the women who have been experimented on, and experiencing the horrors of the camp traumatize Rose.
Pick's narration was exquisite. This book was simply amazing. Because it starts off in a more light-hearted manner, the contrast with the camp is sharp. Rose grows up more than any young woman should have to.
The House of Hades (Heroes of Olympus, book 4)
by Rick Riordan
PRMS hardcover 583 pages
genre: YA fantasy, mythology
It was easier for me to keep the characters straight in this book. Percy and Annabeth, Jason and Piper, Frank and Hazel. Leo. Nico. Coach Hedge has always been pretty clear . . . Kill! Anyhow, another fun romp through modern day Earth with a huge infusion of Greek and Roman mythology. The trip through Tartarus (Bob!) and Leo's exile to Calypso's island were my favorites. I am eager for the next book!
<Above posted 7.22.14 Below added 11.8.21>
With all the books that I've never read, I'm not sure why I'm "re-reading" these . . . but I do tend to want to finish a series once I've started. I listened to this on Libby audio. It's nice to have an audiobook when I do so much driving, though sometimes the car / phone bluetooth technology doesn't work the way I expect.
Friday, July 18, 2014
How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character
by Paul Tough
Hennepin County Library hardcover 201 pages
genre: non-fiction, education and research
Tough did a lot of research for this book and organized it by these sections: How to Fail (and How Not to), How to Build Character, How to Think, How to Succeed, and A Better Path. My favorite section was How to Think which primarily looked at the impact of studying chess on students' achievement. I also appreciated the specific students' experiences that he wrote about (and his observations of his parenting in light of all he learned in the course of writing this book).
page 21 - looking at executive function as malleable. ". . . researchers have found that there is something uniquely out of balance about the adolescent brain that makes it especially susceptible to bad and impulsive decisions." How do we teach teens to have better impulse control? One big factor appears to be nurturing parenting (surprise, surprise).
page 30 - affection and attention have an impact on development. First found in studies with rats (licking and grooming), the results were seen in humans as well (with other nurturing behaviors exhibited by mothers).
page 33 - " . . . regular good parenting - being helpful and attentive during a game of Jenga - can make a profound difference for a child's future prospects."
page 37 - "The early nurturing attention from their mothers had fostered in them a resilience that acted as a protective buffer against stress. When the regular challenges of life emerged, even years later - . . . - they were able . . . to assert themselves, draw on reserves of self-confidence, and make their way forward."
page 60 - talked about traditional character education being ineffective. This reminded me of the time I tried to get Alex out of a class at JHS that I knew was a filler class for a teacher's load. It was not "required" by the state of MN for graduation, but it was required by JHS. Bogus. As though a quarter-long class on character ed was going to make these 14 and 15 year olds become respectful, responsible people . . . this also makes me think about our efforts in advisory. What is our purpose?
I really love the idea of working with kids and emphasizing that both intelligence and character are malleable! Instead of acting as though kids are "done" as thinkers and be-ers by the age of 13 . . . we need to stress to them the importance of continuing to develop their intelligence and their character. That said, I definitely see a world of difference between high intelligence and low intelligence as students walk in the door. I just need to think about HOW they can CHANGE and help them to see their role in changing their intelligence and character.
Middle school . . . young enough to change and old enough to be metacognitive. Perfect!
page 116 - chess teacher "I try to teach my students that losing is something you do, not something you are." I definitely loved this "how to think" section best!
page 120-1 "Perhaps what pushes middle-school students to concentrate and practice as maniacally as Spiegel's chess players do is the unexpected experience of someone taking them seriously, believing in their abilities, and challenging them to improve themselves."
page 161 - "And so the traditional American high school was never intended to be a place where students would learn how to think deeply or develop internal motivation or persevere when faced with difficulty - all the skills needed to persist in college. Instead, it was a place where, for the most part, students were rewarded for just showing up and staying awake."
In some ways, this book has so much going on that I want to re-read it. In other ways, I am glad to be done with it. This might be one to read during the school year and think more deeply about my own students. Right now, I'm too immersed in summer.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 201 pages
genre: non-fiction, education and research
Tough did a lot of research for this book and organized it by these sections: How to Fail (and How Not to), How to Build Character, How to Think, How to Succeed, and A Better Path. My favorite section was How to Think which primarily looked at the impact of studying chess on students' achievement. I also appreciated the specific students' experiences that he wrote about (and his observations of his parenting in light of all he learned in the course of writing this book).
page 21 - looking at executive function as malleable. ". . . researchers have found that there is something uniquely out of balance about the adolescent brain that makes it especially susceptible to bad and impulsive decisions." How do we teach teens to have better impulse control? One big factor appears to be nurturing parenting (surprise, surprise).
page 30 - affection and attention have an impact on development. First found in studies with rats (licking and grooming), the results were seen in humans as well (with other nurturing behaviors exhibited by mothers).
page 33 - " . . . regular good parenting - being helpful and attentive during a game of Jenga - can make a profound difference for a child's future prospects."
page 37 - "The early nurturing attention from their mothers had fostered in them a resilience that acted as a protective buffer against stress. When the regular challenges of life emerged, even years later - . . . - they were able . . . to assert themselves, draw on reserves of self-confidence, and make their way forward."
page 60 - talked about traditional character education being ineffective. This reminded me of the time I tried to get Alex out of a class at JHS that I knew was a filler class for a teacher's load. It was not "required" by the state of MN for graduation, but it was required by JHS. Bogus. As though a quarter-long class on character ed was going to make these 14 and 15 year olds become respectful, responsible people . . . this also makes me think about our efforts in advisory. What is our purpose?
I really love the idea of working with kids and emphasizing that both intelligence and character are malleable! Instead of acting as though kids are "done" as thinkers and be-ers by the age of 13 . . . we need to stress to them the importance of continuing to develop their intelligence and their character. That said, I definitely see a world of difference between high intelligence and low intelligence as students walk in the door. I just need to think about HOW they can CHANGE and help them to see their role in changing their intelligence and character.
Middle school . . . young enough to change and old enough to be metacognitive. Perfect!
page 116 - chess teacher "I try to teach my students that losing is something you do, not something you are." I definitely loved this "how to think" section best!
page 120-1 "Perhaps what pushes middle-school students to concentrate and practice as maniacally as Spiegel's chess players do is the unexpected experience of someone taking them seriously, believing in their abilities, and challenging them to improve themselves."
page 161 - "And so the traditional American high school was never intended to be a place where students would learn how to think deeply or develop internal motivation or persevere when faced with difficulty - all the skills needed to persist in college. Instead, it was a place where, for the most part, students were rewarded for just showing up and staying awake."
In some ways, this book has so much going on that I want to re-read it. In other ways, I am glad to be done with it. This might be one to read during the school year and think more deeply about my own students. Right now, I'm too immersed in summer.
Survival Lessons
by Alice Hoffman
Scott County Library hardcover 83 pages
genre: non-fiction, self-help
Written when the author was struggling with cancer, this book is almost like a devotional (but without the element of faith in God Almighty). It's a beautiful book of reflections, advice, photographs, and wisdom. This is a book I would buy and give to people diagnosed with cancer. It is beautiful.
And I need to make some of these brownies . . . I'm intrigued.
Scott County Library hardcover 83 pages
genre: non-fiction, self-help
Written when the author was struggling with cancer, this book is almost like a devotional (but without the element of faith in God Almighty). It's a beautiful book of reflections, advice, photographs, and wisdom. This is a book I would buy and give to people diagnosed with cancer. It is beautiful.
And I need to make some of these brownies . . . I'm intrigued.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Winger
by Andrew Smith
Hennepin County Library hardcover 439 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction
Wow. This one had a bit too much swearing for me, but it is the perfect book for a ninth grade boy. Ryan Dean West is a 14-year-old junior at a private school. He plays rugby, but struggles to relate to his older peers in the junior class. He is in love with his best friend, Annie Altman, but gets frustrated when she sees him as a "little boy." He's also extremely horny and turned on by almost any female that he finds attractive.
Chas Becker / JP Tureau / Seanie / Joey / the various adults . . . the characters are wonderfully drawn and the story is very engaging. I was somewhat surprised by the ending.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 439 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction
Wow. This one had a bit too much swearing for me, but it is the perfect book for a ninth grade boy. Ryan Dean West is a 14-year-old junior at a private school. He plays rugby, but struggles to relate to his older peers in the junior class. He is in love with his best friend, Annie Altman, but gets frustrated when she sees him as a "little boy." He's also extremely horny and turned on by almost any female that he finds attractive.
Chas Becker / JP Tureau / Seanie / Joey / the various adults . . . the characters are wonderfully drawn and the story is very engaging. I was somewhat surprised by the ending.
Monday, July 14, 2014
Golden Boy
by Tara Sullivan
Hennepin County Library hardcover 347 pages plus a glossary of Kiswahili terms
genre: YA fiction
Habo is an albino living on a farm outside a small village in Tanzania. When his family can no longer afford to live there, they travel to Mwanza to live with his mother's sister and family. En route, they encounter a handsome "hunter" who illegally kills elephants for their tusks, teeth, and toenails. Alasiri is even more sinister than his poaching, though. Soon Habo is running for his life, since some people in Mwanza believe that the body parts of albinos have powerful properties. I both loved and hated this book. It is wonderfully written! The author includes notes at the end about her research for this story. The characters are very well drawn and I enjoyed "getting to know them" except for Alasiri. This is a wonderful book.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 347 pages plus a glossary of Kiswahili terms
genre: YA fiction
Habo is an albino living on a farm outside a small village in Tanzania. When his family can no longer afford to live there, they travel to Mwanza to live with his mother's sister and family. En route, they encounter a handsome "hunter" who illegally kills elephants for their tusks, teeth, and toenails. Alasiri is even more sinister than his poaching, though. Soon Habo is running for his life, since some people in Mwanza believe that the body parts of albinos have powerful properties. I both loved and hated this book. It is wonderfully written! The author includes notes at the end about her research for this story. The characters are very well drawn and I enjoyed "getting to know them" except for Alasiri. This is a wonderful book.
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Into the Wild
Warriors book 1
by Erin Hunter
PRMS hardcover 272 pages
genre: YA fantasy
Students have raved about these books for years. Some kids read them over and over and over . . . and so I finally had to read one so I could connect with the kids who love these. Sadly, I had to force myself to finish this. Warrior cats in four clans hunt, patrol their borders, and fight. Rusty is a housecat "kittypet" who leaves the humans ("twolegs") to explore the woods beyond the fence. He ends up joining Thunderclan and training to become a warrior. He is named Firepaw until the end of the book when he becomes Fireheart. The names, places, and events just didn't do it for me. I can gush enthusiasm for my students' sake but will NOT be reading any more of these. And I'm pretty sure Erin Hunter is a pseudonym for a host of writers who crank these stories out.
by Erin Hunter
PRMS hardcover 272 pages
genre: YA fantasy
Students have raved about these books for years. Some kids read them over and over and over . . . and so I finally had to read one so I could connect with the kids who love these. Sadly, I had to force myself to finish this. Warrior cats in four clans hunt, patrol their borders, and fight. Rusty is a housecat "kittypet" who leaves the humans ("twolegs") to explore the woods beyond the fence. He ends up joining Thunderclan and training to become a warrior. He is named Firepaw until the end of the book when he becomes Fireheart. The names, places, and events just didn't do it for me. I can gush enthusiasm for my students' sake but will NOT be reading any more of these. And I'm pretty sure Erin Hunter is a pseudonym for a host of writers who crank these stories out.
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Midwinterblood
by Marcus Sedgwick
Hennepin County Library audiobook 5 discs
read by Julian Rhind-Tutt
genre: YA . . . weird sort of fantasy but not
I'll just admit it up front. I did not like this book. I keep trying to think of readers who would enjoy this book and it's just not working for me. From the back, "In 2073 on the remote and secretive island of Blessed, where rumor has it that no one ages and no children are born, a visitor arrives. He is greeted warmly, but something is wrong. Something is hidden on the far side of the island. Something that, as if in a dream, he cannot reach."
Things I liked: the language at times was lyrically beautiful. I am intrigued by the going back in time, but not by how the stories did and did not connect. After 2073, it went to 2011 (with archaeologists), to 1944 (?) and a WWII pilot, to 1902 and an artist who painted Midwinterblood, to 1848 which was referred to as the witch part but was really about two children being told a story of two lovers by their nanny who isn't really there. Next up was tenth century Vikings and a vampire and last was an unknown time during a blood moon when the young lovers are first (last) introduced.
The reader changed his volume and accent so often that I wondered if he has ever listened to his work . . . especially in a car. Parts of the story were incomprehensible even after hitting rewind and re-listening.
Elements that were consistent between the seven "parts" of the story:
- Characters named Merle and Eric (though portrayed as lovers OR siblings OR mother and son, etc.)
- a hare features in each story (humorously, though, it initially sounded like "hair" and didn't make much sense)
- the dragon orchid whose properties (depending on how it is prepared) can heal, maintain youth, provide immortality, cause forgetfulness, cause impotence . . . don't drink the tea!
- references to the devil . . . "well, speak his name and his horns appear"
- the moon (flower, hunter, snow, etc.) I didn't track these carefully because I didn't want to go back and re-listen to the stories
This was a very strange story. Perhaps I'm just not sophisticated enough to "get" it.
Hennepin County Library audiobook 5 discs
read by Julian Rhind-Tutt
genre: YA . . . weird sort of fantasy but not
I'll just admit it up front. I did not like this book. I keep trying to think of readers who would enjoy this book and it's just not working for me. From the back, "In 2073 on the remote and secretive island of Blessed, where rumor has it that no one ages and no children are born, a visitor arrives. He is greeted warmly, but something is wrong. Something is hidden on the far side of the island. Something that, as if in a dream, he cannot reach."
Things I liked: the language at times was lyrically beautiful. I am intrigued by the going back in time, but not by how the stories did and did not connect. After 2073, it went to 2011 (with archaeologists), to 1944 (?) and a WWII pilot, to 1902 and an artist who painted Midwinterblood, to 1848 which was referred to as the witch part but was really about two children being told a story of two lovers by their nanny who isn't really there. Next up was tenth century Vikings and a vampire and last was an unknown time during a blood moon when the young lovers are first (last) introduced.
The reader changed his volume and accent so often that I wondered if he has ever listened to his work . . . especially in a car. Parts of the story were incomprehensible even after hitting rewind and re-listening.
Elements that were consistent between the seven "parts" of the story:
- Characters named Merle and Eric (though portrayed as lovers OR siblings OR mother and son, etc.)
- a hare features in each story (humorously, though, it initially sounded like "hair" and didn't make much sense)
- the dragon orchid whose properties (depending on how it is prepared) can heal, maintain youth, provide immortality, cause forgetfulness, cause impotence . . . don't drink the tea!
- references to the devil . . . "well, speak his name and his horns appear"
- the moon (flower, hunter, snow, etc.) I didn't track these carefully because I didn't want to go back and re-listen to the stories
This was a very strange story. Perhaps I'm just not sophisticated enough to "get" it.
Wednesday, July 09, 2014
The Nazi Hunters
by Neal Bascomb
Hennepin County Library hardcover 215 pages
genre: non-fiction, history
The location, capture, and trial of Adolf Eichmann for his crimes during WWII makes a captivating story. The focus is on the people who worked together to bring him to justice. The photographs and maps add a lot to the story. It's clearly written for teens. I haven't decided whether or not to buy it for school, though. I'm curious to hear other people's reactions at our Litwits gathering in August. In some ways, it almost made Eichmann seem like a sympathetic figure. The author actually does a stellar job of telling the stories, detailing the atrocities and the intensity with which Eichmann hunted down and deported Jews to camps. But he is such a pathetic figure by the end (and insists he did not kill anyone; he was just following orders) that you almost start to feel sorry for him . . .
I liked Peter Malkin's perspective the best of all in this book (filled with many, many people).
Hennepin County Library hardcover 215 pages
genre: non-fiction, history
The location, capture, and trial of Adolf Eichmann for his crimes during WWII makes a captivating story. The focus is on the people who worked together to bring him to justice. The photographs and maps add a lot to the story. It's clearly written for teens. I haven't decided whether or not to buy it for school, though. I'm curious to hear other people's reactions at our Litwits gathering in August. In some ways, it almost made Eichmann seem like a sympathetic figure. The author actually does a stellar job of telling the stories, detailing the atrocities and the intensity with which Eichmann hunted down and deported Jews to camps. But he is such a pathetic figure by the end (and insists he did not kill anyone; he was just following orders) that you almost start to feel sorry for him . . .
I liked Peter Malkin's perspective the best of all in this book (filled with many, many people).
Monday, July 07, 2014
Better Nate than Ever
by Tim Federle
Hennepin County Library audiobook 5 discs
read by the author
genre: YA realistic fiction
Interesting. I really like the fact that the author read his own work. Nate's innocence and ignorance are endearing, but I'm not sure if this book would appeal to many of my students. The immersion in Broadway shows and adventuring to NYC on a lark are fun. I enjoyed it and Nate's exploration of who he is and what he wants out of life.
Nate Foster is 13 and relentlessly bullied at school for being a "fag" and worse names. His best friend Libby helps him take off for New York to audition for E.T. the Musical but he is woefully unprepared for the Big Apple and all the new things he sees and hears. I almost cried when his aunt Heidi showed up. A sweet story.
Hennepin County Library audiobook 5 discs
read by the author
genre: YA realistic fiction
Interesting. I really like the fact that the author read his own work. Nate's innocence and ignorance are endearing, but I'm not sure if this book would appeal to many of my students. The immersion in Broadway shows and adventuring to NYC on a lark are fun. I enjoyed it and Nate's exploration of who he is and what he wants out of life.
Nate Foster is 13 and relentlessly bullied at school for being a "fag" and worse names. His best friend Libby helps him take off for New York to audition for E.T. the Musical but he is woefully unprepared for the Big Apple and all the new things he sees and hears. I almost cried when his aunt Heidi showed up. A sweet story.
Out of the Easy
by Ruta Sepetys
Hennepin County Library hardcover 346 pages
genre: teen historical fiction
Sepetys has done it again! This book is captivating and I could not put it down! Josie Moraine is a 17-year-old daughter of a prostitute living in the French Quarter of New Orleans. She wants to get away from the world she has known and the men who frighten her. Could she find a way to go to Smith College?
The characters are wonderfully drawn - Patrick Marlowe, his dad Charlie, the madam Willie Woodley, Cokie (Willie's employee), Jesse Thierry, the prostitutes . . . this was a very compelling story with elements of mystery and intrigue. The ending made me cry. I loved it.
Initially, I thought I wouldn't buy it for my middle school collection, but it's actually fairly clean (in terms of language and sex) and it's a very well-written story!
<Above posted 7.7.2014. Below added 11.8.2023.>
Sepetys is one of my favorite historical fiction authors. I listened to the audiobook on Libby. Read by Lauren Fortgang, I was surprised by aspects of the story I had forgotten. Josie trying to deal with Carlos' mob man on her own . . . Josie's mom stealing the watch Willie gave her for her 18th birthday . . . This book is quite good. I liked the author's notes after the story, too.
Friday, July 04, 2014
War Brothers: The Graphic Novel
by Sharon McKay, art by Daniel LaFrance
Hennepin County Library paperback 165 pages
genre: YA teen graphic novel based on reality
This was a beautifully done treatment of a horrifying topic. Joseph Kony's abduction and corruption of children to make them killers is a brutal reality. The writing and art are successful in asking some tough questions as they show us the story of Jacob and his friends. So much pain! This is an incredible book.
Hennepin County Library paperback 165 pages
genre: YA teen graphic novel based on reality
This was a beautifully done treatment of a horrifying topic. Joseph Kony's abduction and corruption of children to make them killers is a brutal reality. The writing and art are successful in asking some tough questions as they show us the story of Jacob and his friends. So much pain! This is an incredible book.
Chasing Shadows
by Swati Avasthi
Hennepin County Library hardcover 308 pages
genre: teen fiction, fantasy, relationships
Twins Corey and Holly have a girlfriend / best friend in Savitri. The three of them enjoy "freerunning" in Chicago and pushing their physical limits. Then their lives are changed in the blink of an eye. Most of the story is told from Holly's and Savitri's perspectives, with plenty of graphic novel pages thrown in to tell parts.
Liked:
- inclusion of graphic novel pages
- psychological depths in friendship and parent/child relationships
- details and descriptions
- Avasthi is a Minnesota author and I've met her!
Disliked:
- lack of clarity about Holly's delusions and future
- wouldn't get it for middle school . . . they already make careless decisions. I would hate for students to think "Hey, freerunning sounds like fun! I think I'll try it." It sounds terribly dangerous and I was surprised to learn that it's an actual sport.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 308 pages
genre: teen fiction, fantasy, relationships
Twins Corey and Holly have a girlfriend / best friend in Savitri. The three of them enjoy "freerunning" in Chicago and pushing their physical limits. Then their lives are changed in the blink of an eye. Most of the story is told from Holly's and Savitri's perspectives, with plenty of graphic novel pages thrown in to tell parts.
Liked:
- inclusion of graphic novel pages
- psychological depths in friendship and parent/child relationships
- details and descriptions
- Avasthi is a Minnesota author and I've met her!
Disliked:
- lack of clarity about Holly's delusions and future
- wouldn't get it for middle school . . . they already make careless decisions. I would hate for students to think "Hey, freerunning sounds like fun! I think I'll try it." It sounds terribly dangerous and I was surprised to learn that it's an actual sport.
Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal
by Mary Roach
Hennepin County Library audioCDs, 7 discs
read by Emily Woo Zeller
genre: non-fiction science
The problem with "reading" this as an audiobook is that I didn't get to see any of the pictures. I've just requested a print copy so I can look . . . because I'm just that curious. Roach did very thorough research and wrote with some humor. Zeller does a spectacular job with reading, though I didn't love some of her funny "character" voices on interview quotes. Overall, a fascinating and disgusting book about digestion, burps, farts, feces, etc. More than I wanted to know, but it held my attention!
addendum 7/11/14
I got the print book from the library. The images are disappointing. The black and white photos don't add much to the story; some look like stock images (a photo of a bathroom "occupied" sign). There is one per chapter and only a few really mattered (the drawing of Beaumont in his coat with epaulets and St. Martin with his bare chest and stomach hole) to the overall story.
Hennepin County Library audioCDs, 7 discs
read by Emily Woo Zeller
genre: non-fiction science
The problem with "reading" this as an audiobook is that I didn't get to see any of the pictures. I've just requested a print copy so I can look . . . because I'm just that curious. Roach did very thorough research and wrote with some humor. Zeller does a spectacular job with reading, though I didn't love some of her funny "character" voices on interview quotes. Overall, a fascinating and disgusting book about digestion, burps, farts, feces, etc. More than I wanted to know, but it held my attention!
addendum 7/11/14
I got the print book from the library. The images are disappointing. The black and white photos don't add much to the story; some look like stock images (a photo of a bathroom "occupied" sign). There is one per chapter and only a few really mattered (the drawing of Beaumont in his coat with epaulets and St. Martin with his bare chest and stomach hole) to the overall story.
Wednesday, July 02, 2014
Confessions of a Bad Teacher: the Shocking Truth from the Front Lines of American Public Education
by John Owens
Hennepin County Library paperback 241 pages
genre: non-fiction expose'
I need to start off by saying that some of this resonated with me but most of all, I was appalled. He taught for less than one full school year and he takes it upon himself to write this? If it were written as a memoir, telling his story of his life and this chapter in it, the book would work. "The shocking truth from the front lines" is a bit much. He was in one school for less than one year. He saw and talked to some other teachers who taught in other schools (also in NYC). Whatever.
My favorite parts were the specific stories of students (names changed, of course) and the actual messages from his administrators. Poor guy definitely had a tough situation! But then, he left a publishing career to get a teaching license to try to make a difference in the lives of kids who need more. Admirable!
page xiv - as he's going on about "if I were a good teacher . . . " in each situation, I thought of how it definitely feels as though teachers are expected to handle many, many different kinds of kids and situations (many beyond our control) with expertise. ". . . each lesson every day would be tailored to each of my 125 students' individual needs - targeting every gradation between illiterate and near-college - and revised constantly." Yep. That's pretty much what we're expected to do.
page 5 - Time and the demands on teachers . . . so true. And people just don't get it. "After climbing the corporate ladder and having had teenage jobs cleaning ovens and scooping dog poop, I can honestly say that I've never had a worse, more demoralizing, more enervating job than teaching at Latinate Institute. Every second of the day was filled with demands and - sadly - students whose needs still weren't being addressed despite all the efforts I could put in."
pages 102-3 - Classroom management. Yep. It's tough! I love his analogy to Cesar the Dog Whisperer. Funny! I wish it were something that were easier to learn. "From what I could see, classroom management skills come with experience." Yes, they do.
pages 120 - the school hugging phenomenon . . . I know what I've seen, but I didn't realize that it had become such an issue! The Today Show, the New York Times, sociologists studying it . . . Perhaps it's just not as big a problem in the Midwest. "In schools, widespread hugging can, at best, be a time-wasting hallway-snarler, at worst, it can become aggressive physical contact and harassment." Interesting!
page 131 - access to a school library . . . sigh. What a difference for the students in the two "small" high schools housed in one building. He sited a crowd-sourced Google Map "A Nation without School Libraries" . . . disheartening.
pages 186-7 - Voice of Mr. X, second grade teacher in southwest Florida . . . this type of anecdote gave more credence to Mr. Owens' account. Some of the issues and concerns he raised certainly are widespread. There are some real horror stories of good teachers treated as though they are deficient. "In my district here in southwestern Florida, 50 percent of my final evaluation for the year will be based upon the test scores of children in grades four and five. I taught second grade this year. This is my first year at this school. So, in effect, half of my effectiveness as a teacher is to be determined by test scores from students I've never taught and most of whom I've never even met."
pages 204-5 One of my pet peeves when we talk about education and accountability is the lack of stress on the impact of kids' home lives. Parents truly are a child's first and most important teachers! Poverty has more of an impact on educational success than any other factor! Teachers can't fix this.
page 218 - "I believe that America should return to the notion of teaching as a long-term career and recognize that the first few years really are an apprenticeship, and as such, new teachers should be matched with veteran teachers who are eager and able to serve as mentor-coaches." That's what a lot of us already do . . . perhaps the Midwest is better about mentoring and supporting new teachers than NYC?
Hennepin County Library paperback 241 pages
genre: non-fiction expose'
I need to start off by saying that some of this resonated with me but most of all, I was appalled. He taught for less than one full school year and he takes it upon himself to write this? If it were written as a memoir, telling his story of his life and this chapter in it, the book would work. "The shocking truth from the front lines" is a bit much. He was in one school for less than one year. He saw and talked to some other teachers who taught in other schools (also in NYC). Whatever.
My favorite parts were the specific stories of students (names changed, of course) and the actual messages from his administrators. Poor guy definitely had a tough situation! But then, he left a publishing career to get a teaching license to try to make a difference in the lives of kids who need more. Admirable!
page xiv - as he's going on about "if I were a good teacher . . . " in each situation, I thought of how it definitely feels as though teachers are expected to handle many, many different kinds of kids and situations (many beyond our control) with expertise. ". . . each lesson every day would be tailored to each of my 125 students' individual needs - targeting every gradation between illiterate and near-college - and revised constantly." Yep. That's pretty much what we're expected to do.
page 5 - Time and the demands on teachers . . . so true. And people just don't get it. "After climbing the corporate ladder and having had teenage jobs cleaning ovens and scooping dog poop, I can honestly say that I've never had a worse, more demoralizing, more enervating job than teaching at Latinate Institute. Every second of the day was filled with demands and - sadly - students whose needs still weren't being addressed despite all the efforts I could put in."
pages 102-3 - Classroom management. Yep. It's tough! I love his analogy to Cesar the Dog Whisperer. Funny! I wish it were something that were easier to learn. "From what I could see, classroom management skills come with experience." Yes, they do.
pages 120 - the school hugging phenomenon . . . I know what I've seen, but I didn't realize that it had become such an issue! The Today Show, the New York Times, sociologists studying it . . . Perhaps it's just not as big a problem in the Midwest. "In schools, widespread hugging can, at best, be a time-wasting hallway-snarler, at worst, it can become aggressive physical contact and harassment." Interesting!
page 131 - access to a school library . . . sigh. What a difference for the students in the two "small" high schools housed in one building. He sited a crowd-sourced Google Map "A Nation without School Libraries" . . . disheartening.
pages 186-7 - Voice of Mr. X, second grade teacher in southwest Florida . . . this type of anecdote gave more credence to Mr. Owens' account. Some of the issues and concerns he raised certainly are widespread. There are some real horror stories of good teachers treated as though they are deficient. "In my district here in southwestern Florida, 50 percent of my final evaluation for the year will be based upon the test scores of children in grades four and five. I taught second grade this year. This is my first year at this school. So, in effect, half of my effectiveness as a teacher is to be determined by test scores from students I've never taught and most of whom I've never even met."
pages 204-5 One of my pet peeves when we talk about education and accountability is the lack of stress on the impact of kids' home lives. Parents truly are a child's first and most important teachers! Poverty has more of an impact on educational success than any other factor! Teachers can't fix this.
page 218 - "I believe that America should return to the notion of teaching as a long-term career and recognize that the first few years really are an apprenticeship, and as such, new teachers should be matched with veteran teachers who are eager and able to serve as mentor-coaches." That's what a lot of us already do . . . perhaps the Midwest is better about mentoring and supporting new teachers than NYC?
Tuesday, July 01, 2014
The Scorpio Races
by Maggie Stiefvater
PRMS hardcover 404 pages
genre: teen fantasy, romance
killer water horses (capaill uisce)
Kate "Puck" Connelly (horse Dove)
brothers Gabe (wants to go to the mainland) and Finn (tinkerer, fixer)
Sean Kendrick (capaill uisce Corr)
Benjamin Malvern - owns half the island
George Holly - rich American, loves horses
Love of horses comes through! Weird story, but entertaining.
Loved page 252-3 where Peg is giving Kate advice about attracting a man.
Peg plucks a piece of straw out of Dove's mane. "It's easy to convince men to love you, Puck. All you have to do is be a mountain they have to climb or a poem they don't understand. Something that makes them feel strong or clever. It's why they love the ocean."
I'm not sure that is why Sean Kendrick loves the ocean.
Peg continues, "When you're too much like them, the mystery's gone. No point seeking the grail if it looks like your teacup."
"I'm not trying to be sought."
She purses her lips. "All I'm saying is that you're asking them to treat you like a man. And I'm not sure either of you want that."
There's something discomfiting about what she says, though I'm not sure if it's because I disagree or agree with it. I think of Ake Palsson backing his horse away from me and the combination of her words and the memory sit uneasily in my chest.
"I just want to be left alone," I say.
"Like I said," Peg replies. "You're asking to be treated like a man."
The killer horse concept (coming from the water, made of water, meat-eating) was really weird to me, but it worked. The personalities of the characters and the love of horses worked.
PRMS hardcover 404 pages
genre: teen fantasy, romance
killer water horses (capaill uisce)
Kate "Puck" Connelly (horse Dove)
brothers Gabe (wants to go to the mainland) and Finn (tinkerer, fixer)
Sean Kendrick (capaill uisce Corr)
Benjamin Malvern - owns half the island
George Holly - rich American, loves horses
Love of horses comes through! Weird story, but entertaining.
Loved page 252-3 where Peg is giving Kate advice about attracting a man.
Peg plucks a piece of straw out of Dove's mane. "It's easy to convince men to love you, Puck. All you have to do is be a mountain they have to climb or a poem they don't understand. Something that makes them feel strong or clever. It's why they love the ocean."
I'm not sure that is why Sean Kendrick loves the ocean.
Peg continues, "When you're too much like them, the mystery's gone. No point seeking the grail if it looks like your teacup."
"I'm not trying to be sought."
She purses her lips. "All I'm saying is that you're asking them to treat you like a man. And I'm not sure either of you want that."
There's something discomfiting about what she says, though I'm not sure if it's because I disagree or agree with it. I think of Ake Palsson backing his horse away from me and the combination of her words and the memory sit uneasily in my chest.
"I just want to be left alone," I say.
"Like I said," Peg replies. "You're asking to be treated like a man."
The killer horse concept (coming from the water, made of water, meat-eating) was really weird to me, but it worked. The personalities of the characters and the love of horses worked.
All the Truth That's in Me
by Julie Berry
Hennepin County Library hardcover 274 pages
genre: teen fiction, mystery
Creepy but a page-turner. Setting is reminiscent of The Scarlet Letter . . . Judith has returned to Roswell Station after two years of being missing. Her tongue has been cut out and she cannot speak. Her mother forbids her to even try to speak, so she becomes a mute who cannot remember what happened to her.
The book had very short chunks of text in each section. It made for an interesting flow to the book. (I have trouble putting a book down unless it's a major chapter break.)
Before / After / Book One (ends with battle ending and the Homelanders' defeat) / Book Two (ends with Lucas asking and Judith deciding to live in the colonel's cabin alone) / Book Three (Judith's return from the cabin and disaster, her mom won't let her back in) / Book Four (conclusion) / Now
Darrel - brother
Lucas Whiting - love interest
Maria & Leon - young couple, unlikely friends
Goody Pruett - busybody, surprise to me at the end of the book!
Rupert Gillis - icky school teacher
Abijah Pratt - Lottie's dad . . . and more
The main thing that didn't work for me was her mother's repugnance and lack of love for her daughter. Really? Because her husband died? Because she thought Judith had been tainted? Because Darrel was younger and cuter? This didn't work for me, but overall the book was gripping.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 274 pages
genre: teen fiction, mystery
Creepy but a page-turner. Setting is reminiscent of The Scarlet Letter . . . Judith has returned to Roswell Station after two years of being missing. Her tongue has been cut out and she cannot speak. Her mother forbids her to even try to speak, so she becomes a mute who cannot remember what happened to her.
The book had very short chunks of text in each section. It made for an interesting flow to the book. (I have trouble putting a book down unless it's a major chapter break.)
Before / After / Book One (ends with battle ending and the Homelanders' defeat) / Book Two (ends with Lucas asking and Judith deciding to live in the colonel's cabin alone) / Book Three (Judith's return from the cabin and disaster, her mom won't let her back in) / Book Four (conclusion) / Now
Darrel - brother
Lucas Whiting - love interest
Maria & Leon - young couple, unlikely friends
Goody Pruett - busybody, surprise to me at the end of the book!
Rupert Gillis - icky school teacher
Abijah Pratt - Lottie's dad . . . and more
The main thing that didn't work for me was her mother's repugnance and lack of love for her daughter. Really? Because her husband died? Because she thought Judith had been tainted? Because Darrel was younger and cuter? This didn't work for me, but overall the book was gripping.
The Energy Bus
by Jon Gordon
Hennepin County Library hardcover 166 pages
genre: motivational story
bus driver named Joy / George is passenger / allegory / kind of hokey / Christian-sounding, but more self-focused on one's own power
Rules:
#1 - You're the Driver of Your Bus
#2 - Desire, Vision, and Focus Move Your Bus in the Right Direction
#3 - Fuel Your Ride with Positive Energy
#4 - Invite People on Your Bus and Share Your Vision for the Road Ahead
#5 - Don't Waste Your Energy on Those Who Don't Get on Your Bus
#6 - Post a Sign That Says NO ENERGY VAMPIRES ALLOWED on Your Bus
#7 - Enthusiasm Attracts More Passengers and Energizes Them During the Ride
#8 - Love Your Passengers
#9 - Drive with Purpose
#10 - Have Fun and Enjoy the Ride
I like this (page 78): "It's got to be a habit. Positive energy is like muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets. The stronger it gets the more powerful you become. Repetition is the key and the more you focus on positive energy the more it becomes your natural state."
Five ways to love your passengers:
1. Make Time for Them (be with them and focus on them)
2. Listen to Them (care about their perspective)
3. Recognize Them (honor them, praise them / feed the good dog)
4. Serve Them (serve their growth)
5. Bring out the Best in Them (want them to succeed)
3 reflections from 95 year olds:
- Reflect more. Enjoy more moments.
- Take more risks and chances.
- Leave a legacy
The "steps" at the back of the book are different from the 10 rules . . .
1. Create Your Vision
2. Fuel Your Passion with Purpose
3. Write Down Your Vision / Purpose Statement
4. Focus on Your Vision
5. Zoom Focus (ID goals)
6. Get on the Bus
7.
8. <#6>
9. Navigate adversity and Potholes
10. <#8>
11. <#10>
All in all, I had two conclusions reading this:
1. Yes, attitude is important and mine was pretty bad this past year.
2. This won't matter if our building leader isn't planning on actually leading this way.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 166 pages
genre: motivational story
bus driver named Joy / George is passenger / allegory / kind of hokey / Christian-sounding, but more self-focused on one's own power
Rules:
#1 - You're the Driver of Your Bus
#2 - Desire, Vision, and Focus Move Your Bus in the Right Direction
#3 - Fuel Your Ride with Positive Energy
#4 - Invite People on Your Bus and Share Your Vision for the Road Ahead
#5 - Don't Waste Your Energy on Those Who Don't Get on Your Bus
#6 - Post a Sign That Says NO ENERGY VAMPIRES ALLOWED on Your Bus
#7 - Enthusiasm Attracts More Passengers and Energizes Them During the Ride
#8 - Love Your Passengers
#9 - Drive with Purpose
#10 - Have Fun and Enjoy the Ride
I like this (page 78): "It's got to be a habit. Positive energy is like muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets. The stronger it gets the more powerful you become. Repetition is the key and the more you focus on positive energy the more it becomes your natural state."
Five ways to love your passengers:
1. Make Time for Them (be with them and focus on them)
2. Listen to Them (care about their perspective)
3. Recognize Them (honor them, praise them / feed the good dog)
4. Serve Them (serve their growth)
5. Bring out the Best in Them (want them to succeed)
3 reflections from 95 year olds:
- Reflect more. Enjoy more moments.
- Take more risks and chances.
- Leave a legacy
The "steps" at the back of the book are different from the 10 rules . . .
1. Create Your Vision
2. Fuel Your Passion with Purpose
3. Write Down Your Vision / Purpose Statement
4. Focus on Your Vision
5. Zoom Focus (ID goals)
6. Get on the Bus
7.
8. <#6>
9. Navigate adversity and Potholes
10. <#8>
11. <#10>
All in all, I had two conclusions reading this:
1. Yes, attitude is important and mine was pretty bad this past year.
2. This won't matter if our building leader isn't planning on actually leading this way.
One Perfect Spring
by Irene Hannon
Carver County Library paperback 367 pages
genre: Christian fiction, romance
I really enjoyed this one! I like Hannon's style and want to read more of her books. Claire Summers is single mom (husband left) to Haley. Keith Watson is an employee for builder David McMillan. Watson just wants to do his job and thinks that his boss' charitable giving is a waste of time and money. When Haley writes a letter asking for help finding her neighbor's son (after overhearing an adults only conversation), David sets Keith to the task.
page 161 - talking about spending time in prayer, trusting God. Good stuff! So true . . . God has "impeccable credentials in the trust department."
page 218 - Shawn & Debbie (David's adult daughter) "Do you know how annoying it is being married to a guy who's always so smart and insightful?" Reminded me of Louie!
page 295 - spending time w/God - you won't regret it."Time spent with the Lord's Word and in worship is never wasted."
I loved Keith's mom, too. She was wonderful! Dealt with adoption issues, feelings of abandonment, living with no regrets, untimely deaths, faith, etc.
Carver County Library paperback 367 pages
genre: Christian fiction, romance
I really enjoyed this one! I like Hannon's style and want to read more of her books. Claire Summers is single mom (husband left) to Haley. Keith Watson is an employee for builder David McMillan. Watson just wants to do his job and thinks that his boss' charitable giving is a waste of time and money. When Haley writes a letter asking for help finding her neighbor's son (after overhearing an adults only conversation), David sets Keith to the task.
page 161 - talking about spending time in prayer, trusting God. Good stuff! So true . . . God has "impeccable credentials in the trust department."
page 218 - Shawn & Debbie (David's adult daughter) "Do you know how annoying it is being married to a guy who's always so smart and insightful?" Reminded me of Louie!
page 295 - spending time w/God - you won't regret it."Time spent with the Lord's Word and in worship is never wasted."
I loved Keith's mom, too. She was wonderful! Dealt with adoption issues, feelings of abandonment, living with no regrets, untimely deaths, faith, etc.
Friday, June 20, 2014
Potato: the Propitious Esculent
by John Reader
Hennepin County Library hardcover 278 pages
genre: non-fiction
Sadly, I ran out of time to finish this book. I'm only on page 98. But I've renewed it the maximum number of times and I need to move on. I first found out about this book two and a half years ago. My advisory kids wanted to do a potato-themed basket for the school's silent auction. We looked for everything potato-related and this title caught my attention. The gifted kids loved their brainiac status and "the propitious esculent" challenged their minds. I finally (three-ish months ago) requested it from the library just out of curiosity. It's actually a fascinating book! Part one focuses on South America, where potatoes were first cultivated. This book has history, archaeology, sociology, and more. I was fascinated! (And horrified by Pizarro and the pillaging of wealth by the Spaniards.)
Part two is on Europe and the level of the author's research is impressive! I am really enjoying this book. Part three is the World . . . and now I'm thinking of re-requesting it to finish later in the summer. Sigh. I have a LOT of books on my reading list right now. I think I need to just let it go.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 278 pages
genre: non-fiction
Sadly, I ran out of time to finish this book. I'm only on page 98. But I've renewed it the maximum number of times and I need to move on. I first found out about this book two and a half years ago. My advisory kids wanted to do a potato-themed basket for the school's silent auction. We looked for everything potato-related and this title caught my attention. The gifted kids loved their brainiac status and "the propitious esculent" challenged their minds. I finally (three-ish months ago) requested it from the library just out of curiosity. It's actually a fascinating book! Part one focuses on South America, where potatoes were first cultivated. This book has history, archaeology, sociology, and more. I was fascinated! (And horrified by Pizarro and the pillaging of wealth by the Spaniards.)
Part two is on Europe and the level of the author's research is impressive! I am really enjoying this book. Part three is the World . . . and now I'm thinking of re-requesting it to finish later in the summer. Sigh. I have a LOT of books on my reading list right now. I think I need to just let it go.
Thursday, June 19, 2014
The Day the Crayons Quit
written by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Olivers Steffers
Hennepin County Library hardcover picturebook
This is a lovely book! One day Duncan wakes to find that his crayons have left him notes about why they are quitting. The "letters" and drawings are such fun! Most of them are complaining about being overused (blue, red) or underused (pink) but their concerns range much further. My favorite letter is the one from green! Duncan solves the crayons' problems by making a beautiful drawing that uses all of them in a balanced way, earning him good grades in coloring and creativity. Fun book!
Hennepin County Library hardcover picturebook
This is a lovely book! One day Duncan wakes to find that his crayons have left him notes about why they are quitting. The "letters" and drawings are such fun! Most of them are complaining about being overused (blue, red) or underused (pink) but their concerns range much further. My favorite letter is the one from green! Duncan solves the crayons' problems by making a beautiful drawing that uses all of them in a balanced way, earning him good grades in coloring and creativity. Fun book!
It's a Book
written & illustrated by Lane Smith
Hennepin County Library hardcover picture book
This is such a delightful book! Monkey is reading a book when jackass asks him a lot of questions about it . . . while playing on a computer. Simple but clever, I would like to see how kids like it.
Hennepin County Library hardcover picture book
This is such a delightful book! Monkey is reading a book when jackass asks him a lot of questions about it . . . while playing on a computer. Simple but clever, I would like to see how kids like it.
Her Fearful Symmetry
by Audrey Niffenegger
Hennepin County Library audiobook 12 discs
read by Bianca Amato
genre: ghost story
I decided on "ghost story" for a genre because this book is as strange as Niffenegger's Time Traveler's Wife. I liked many aspects of the story during the first quarter of it, but then got steadily more disgruntled. It's beautifully written and Amato's vocal work is exquisite, but it is kind of a warped story.
Twins Edie and Elspeth haven't talked to one another in twenty years. Edie and her husband Jack have twin daughters, Julia and Valentina, who have no real ambitions and live as though they're conjoined twins rather than mirror identicals. When Elspeth dies, she leaves everything to the twins on the condition that their parents never set foot in the London flat and the girls have to live there for at least a year before they sell it.
Elspeth's much younger boyfriend Robert removes her personal papers before the twins come (at Elspeth's request). Upstairs neighbor Marjike leaves OCD Martin just after the funeral. The Highgate Cemetery is a key "character" in this book. Ultimately, I was disgusted and dismayed by "Elspeth," disappointed in Robert, and underwhelmed by the ending. Still, Niffenegger, does something absolutely amazing with language. I was definitely captivated by this story.
Hennepin County Library audiobook 12 discs
read by Bianca Amato
genre: ghost story
I decided on "ghost story" for a genre because this book is as strange as Niffenegger's Time Traveler's Wife. I liked many aspects of the story during the first quarter of it, but then got steadily more disgruntled. It's beautifully written and Amato's vocal work is exquisite, but it is kind of a warped story.
Twins Edie and Elspeth haven't talked to one another in twenty years. Edie and her husband Jack have twin daughters, Julia and Valentina, who have no real ambitions and live as though they're conjoined twins rather than mirror identicals. When Elspeth dies, she leaves everything to the twins on the condition that their parents never set foot in the London flat and the girls have to live there for at least a year before they sell it.
Elspeth's much younger boyfriend Robert removes her personal papers before the twins come (at Elspeth's request). Upstairs neighbor Marjike leaves OCD Martin just after the funeral. The Highgate Cemetery is a key "character" in this book. Ultimately, I was disgusted and dismayed by "Elspeth," disappointed in Robert, and underwhelmed by the ending. Still, Niffenegger, does something absolutely amazing with language. I was definitely captivated by this story.
Page by Paige
by Laura Lee Gulledge
Hennepin County Library hardcover unpaged
genre: YA graphic novel, coming-of-age
Delightful! I love the new graphic novels being created. I need to buy this one for my collection at PRMS. Paige Turner is the daughter of two authors. When they decide to move the family from Virginia to New York City, Paige starts chronicling her personal journey and struggles with who she is. This is such a great teenager book! The artwork is gorgeous and often has stories within the pictures themselves. The relationships (parents / children, new kid / new group of friends, etc.) are realistic and dynamic.
Hennepin County Library hardcover unpaged
genre: YA graphic novel, coming-of-age
Delightful! I love the new graphic novels being created. I need to buy this one for my collection at PRMS. Paige Turner is the daughter of two authors. When they decide to move the family from Virginia to New York City, Paige starts chronicling her personal journey and struggles with who she is. This is such a great teenager book! The artwork is gorgeous and often has stories within the pictures themselves. The relationships (parents / children, new kid / new group of friends, etc.) are realistic and dynamic.
Appointment with Death
by Agatha Christie
Kelly Inn St. Cloud "library" paperback 192 pages
genre: murder mystery
I love Hercules Poirot! This isn't one of my favorites, but I enjoyed it anyhow. The Boynton family is beyond disfunctional . . . Mrs. Boynton has psychotic control over her daughter and step-children. But when she dies, the investigator wants to know the truth. Who did it? And so Hercules is called in and unravels the case in his inimitable way. Christie's writing is familiar and delightful.
Kelly Inn St. Cloud "library" paperback 192 pages
genre: murder mystery
I love Hercules Poirot! This isn't one of my favorites, but I enjoyed it anyhow. The Boynton family is beyond disfunctional . . . Mrs. Boynton has psychotic control over her daughter and step-children. But when she dies, the investigator wants to know the truth. Who did it? And so Hercules is called in and unravels the case in his inimitable way. Christie's writing is familiar and delightful.
Swim the Fly
by Don Calame
PRMS paperback 345 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction, humor
Oh my! This is such a boy book! This will be a great one to recommend to the kids who liked The Downside of Being Up. It's definitely a more challenging read, but it made me laugh out loud and I think some of my readers will appreciate the gross, awkward humor. Three friends set a goal each summer and this year, they plan to see a real-live naked girl. But how will that happen when they are unpopular geeks on the swim team? I'm not sure how I'll book-talk this one effectively (and it does have a fair amount of swearing) but chapter twelve (page 80) is laugh out loud funny . . . the boys have dressed up as girls and are in the girls locker room . . .
PRMS paperback 345 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction, humor
Oh my! This is such a boy book! This will be a great one to recommend to the kids who liked The Downside of Being Up. It's definitely a more challenging read, but it made me laugh out loud and I think some of my readers will appreciate the gross, awkward humor. Three friends set a goal each summer and this year, they plan to see a real-live naked girl. But how will that happen when they are unpopular geeks on the swim team? I'm not sure how I'll book-talk this one effectively (and it does have a fair amount of swearing) but chapter twelve (page 80) is laugh out loud funny . . . the boys have dressed up as girls and are in the girls locker room . . .
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
An Unintended Journey: A Caregiver's Guide to Dementia
by Janet Yagoda Shagam
Hennepin County Library paperback 377 pages + glossary, index, etc.
genre: non-fiction, self-help
Louise read about 100 pages and said it was good. I flipped through it before returning it to the library (maximum renewals used . . . ) and it looked interesting. I grabbed a shot of page 364 where it talks about "confabulation" - this is one I wish I had read a year ago! We figured out not to worry too much about logic / correcting my mom, but this info helps to make it more understandable. I feel sad about all the times she said she was stupid . . . just because the dementia was affecting her memory. My mom was a sharp person!
Hennepin County Library paperback 377 pages + glossary, index, etc.
genre: non-fiction, self-help
Louise read about 100 pages and said it was good. I flipped through it before returning it to the library (maximum renewals used . . . ) and it looked interesting. I grabbed a shot of page 364 where it talks about "confabulation" - this is one I wish I had read a year ago! We figured out not to worry too much about logic / correcting my mom, but this info helps to make it more understandable. I feel sad about all the times she said she was stupid . . . just because the dementia was affecting her memory. My mom was a sharp person!
Contented Dementia
by Oliver James
Hennepin County Library paperback 273 pages (though I only read 78 of them)
genre: non-fiction, self-help, caregiving for dementia patients
Interesting but I'm not totally "sold" on this one. The author writes about Penny Garner's "SpecialSense" method of dealing with Alzheimers patients (call them "clients," even if they're your family members . . . ). Her three rules are 1. Don't ask questions. 2. Learn from them as experts on their disability. 3. Always agree with everything they say, never interrupting them. There were some aspects of this that make a lot of sense! I could picture my mom's frustration and confusion when we asked her questions and she didn't know how to answer.
page 25 - Penny spent the last 37 hours of her mother's life by her side. "Those hours are among Penny's most precious memories." Her mother Dorothy was Penny's impetus for working on dementia issues. This scene made me think of being by Betty's side and my mom's side at the end of their lives. There is something absolutely incredible about sitting with someone as they cross over from life to death.
page 37 - Alice playing bridge . . . though I understand and appreciate what they're doing to help Alice . . . it seems deceptive and artificial. I don't like lying and this method seems to be difficult and somehow wrong (though the author addresses and dismisses this concern).
page 56 - Analogy of a photo album and intact memories as "green" and positive (emotionally). The newer events are not really remembered, so are blank and cannot be recalled. Trying to picture a blank makes it become "red" - associated with fear, confusion, and other negative emotions.
I really like the personal narratives and stories. Those are the parts of the book that really connect for me. I also like the technique of avoiding questions and returning to familiar, happy topics to avoid confusion and anxiety.
I definitely would recommend this for people whose loved ones are starting to head down the road of dementia forgetfulness and repetitive conversation. I thought of Beth and her mom and dad . . .
Hennepin County Library paperback 273 pages (though I only read 78 of them)
genre: non-fiction, self-help, caregiving for dementia patients
Interesting but I'm not totally "sold" on this one. The author writes about Penny Garner's "SpecialSense" method of dealing with Alzheimers patients (call them "clients," even if they're your family members . . . ). Her three rules are 1. Don't ask questions. 2. Learn from them as experts on their disability. 3. Always agree with everything they say, never interrupting them. There were some aspects of this that make a lot of sense! I could picture my mom's frustration and confusion when we asked her questions and she didn't know how to answer.
page 25 - Penny spent the last 37 hours of her mother's life by her side. "Those hours are among Penny's most precious memories." Her mother Dorothy was Penny's impetus for working on dementia issues. This scene made me think of being by Betty's side and my mom's side at the end of their lives. There is something absolutely incredible about sitting with someone as they cross over from life to death.
page 37 - Alice playing bridge . . . though I understand and appreciate what they're doing to help Alice . . . it seems deceptive and artificial. I don't like lying and this method seems to be difficult and somehow wrong (though the author addresses and dismisses this concern).
page 56 - Analogy of a photo album and intact memories as "green" and positive (emotionally). The newer events are not really remembered, so are blank and cannot be recalled. Trying to picture a blank makes it become "red" - associated with fear, confusion, and other negative emotions.
I really like the personal narratives and stories. Those are the parts of the book that really connect for me. I also like the technique of avoiding questions and returning to familiar, happy topics to avoid confusion and anxiety.
I definitely would recommend this for people whose loved ones are starting to head down the road of dementia forgetfulness and repetitive conversation. I thought of Beth and her mom and dad . . .
Monday, June 09, 2014
Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong
by Prudence Shen & Faith Erin Hicks
PRMS paperback 280 pages
genre: YA graphic novel, realistic
Delightful story of Charlie (captain of the basketball team, mild-mannered), his neighbor / friend Nate (neurotic nerd), and Holly (superpowerful cheerleader who dumped Charlie via text). Both the cheerleaders and the robotics club want some school money for their organizations. When the principal says that the student council can decide between them, a fight for president ensues. Funny, cute, a bit stereotypical . . . delightful little book!
PRMS paperback 280 pages
genre: YA graphic novel, realistic
Delightful story of Charlie (captain of the basketball team, mild-mannered), his neighbor / friend Nate (neurotic nerd), and Holly (superpowerful cheerleader who dumped Charlie via text). Both the cheerleaders and the robotics club want some school money for their organizations. When the principal says that the student council can decide between them, a fight for president ensues. Funny, cute, a bit stereotypical . . . delightful little book!
Saturday, June 07, 2014
The Adventures of Superhero Girl
by Faith Erin Hicks
Hennepin County Library hardcover 106 pages
genre: YA graphic novel fantasy
I love Hicks' work! This delightful little story about a young woman who has a bit of an identity crisis about being a superhero is worth having in my collection. I especially like her dynamic with older brother Kevin, also a superhero.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 106 pages
genre: YA graphic novel fantasy
I love Hicks' work! This delightful little story about a young woman who has a bit of an identity crisis about being a superhero is worth having in my collection. I especially like her dynamic with older brother Kevin, also a superhero.
Will & Whit
by Laura Lee Gulledge
Hennepin County Library, paperback unpaged
genre: YA realistic, relationships
This engaging book centers on Will (Wilhelmina) and her fears - of the dark, of being a burden on her aunt, of missing her parents after their deaths. She loves to make lamps (which bring light) and her friends Autumn (a talented puppeteer) and Noel (an excellent cook). The drawings include many shadow people and other objects, portraying some of Will's fears. Whit refers to hurricane Whitney, which takes out all the power and leaves Will to face her fears in the dark. I'll definitely buy a copy of this for school!
Hennepin County Library, paperback unpaged
genre: YA realistic, relationships
This engaging book centers on Will (Wilhelmina) and her fears - of the dark, of being a burden on her aunt, of missing her parents after their deaths. She loves to make lamps (which bring light) and her friends Autumn (a talented puppeteer) and Noel (an excellent cook). The drawings include many shadow people and other objects, portraying some of Will's fears. Whit refers to hurricane Whitney, which takes out all the power and leaves Will to face her fears in the dark. I'll definitely buy a copy of this for school!
The Mark of Athena
by Rick Riordan
PRMS hardcover 574 pages
genre: YA fantasy
A little confusing with all seven demigod heroes plus extra characters in this story. Basically, Annabeth needs to find the Athena Parthenos (a giant statue of Athena that has been missing for millenia) and the other six heroes need to rescue Nico. Gaea is rising, evil spirits called eidolons are trying to possess the heroes, and there are the usual fights and problems that arise on their journey to Rome. There's also the Greek / Roman problem. Fun, interesting, but not my favorite of his books. Of course, I'll read the next book in the series . . .
Favorite part: Annabeth outwitting Arachne.
PRMS hardcover 574 pages
genre: YA fantasy
A little confusing with all seven demigod heroes plus extra characters in this story. Basically, Annabeth needs to find the Athena Parthenos (a giant statue of Athena that has been missing for millenia) and the other six heroes need to rescue Nico. Gaea is rising, evil spirits called eidolons are trying to possess the heroes, and there are the usual fights and problems that arise on their journey to Rome. There's also the Greek / Roman problem. Fun, interesting, but not my favorite of his books. Of course, I'll read the next book in the series . . .
Favorite part: Annabeth outwitting Arachne.
Tuesday, June 03, 2014
Saints
by Gene Luan Yang
Hennepin County Library paperback 170 pages
genre: YA graphic novel, historical fiction
The yin to his previous novel's yang, this volume traces the perspective of the Christians (both white and converted Chinese) through the story of Four-girl. Her grandfather dislikes her (hence no actual name for her) and calls her a devil child. She becomes a Christian because they are the "foreign devils" everyone dislikes. The conflicts (personal and cultural) and her visions of Joan of Arc are interesting additions to this story. The two volumes (Boxers and Saints) work very well together. I'll buy both of these for my collection.
Hennepin County Library paperback 170 pages
genre: YA graphic novel, historical fiction
The yin to his previous novel's yang, this volume traces the perspective of the Christians (both white and converted Chinese) through the story of Four-girl. Her grandfather dislikes her (hence no actual name for her) and calls her a devil child. She becomes a Christian because they are the "foreign devils" everyone dislikes. The conflicts (personal and cultural) and her visions of Joan of Arc are interesting additions to this story. The two volumes (Boxers and Saints) work very well together. I'll buy both of these for my collection.
Boxers
by Gene Luan Yang
Hennepin County Library paperback 325 pages
genre: YA graphic novel, historical fiction
I liked this much, much better than his award-winning American Born Chinese. This book tells the story of the Boxer Rebellion in an intriguing, almost mystical manner. Little Bao is ready to join his older brothers in 1898 as trouble is breaking out, but they see him as a little kid. So many themes, story lines, and perspectives in the book. Very very well done - art and storytelling.
Hennepin County Library paperback 325 pages
genre: YA graphic novel, historical fiction
I liked this much, much better than his award-winning American Born Chinese. This book tells the story of the Boxer Rebellion in an intriguing, almost mystical manner. Little Bao is ready to join his older brothers in 1898 as trouble is breaking out, but they see him as a little kid. So many themes, story lines, and perspectives in the book. Very very well done - art and storytelling.
Keeper: one house, three generations, and a journey into Alzheimer's
by Andrea Gillies
Hennepin County Library hardcover 316 pages
genre: non-fiction
This book is amazing. Partly because it comes at a time in my life when these issues are on my mind and partly because Gillies does a masterful job of combining memoir, research, observation, and social commentary. I don't have much time to blog, so I'll just jot my post-its:
Watch Living With Alzheimer's - the BBC show of Terry Pratchett's illness
page 70 - "Anything that is done without Morris and Nancy in attendance is done at risk, and risk assessment becomes a part of life. We don't go for walks anymore. We don't go out as a family anymore - just the five of us - unless we can go as seven. We go as seven to the cinema, out to dinner, to visit new friends. We're not often invited back."
page 75 - "Dementia is fast becoming the condition that's cited by the young and healthy as the disease that is most feared. . . . We don't have brains; we are our brains. . . . The brain is where the self lives."
page 152 - "I feel sorry for friends in the United States in a similar position, caught up in long tangles of red tape: the details of Medicare benefits, rights to Medicaid, drug bureaucracy, health insurance companies and their cunning opt-outs, and almost everything coming back to money, money, money."
page 160 - "How am I?" Her responses to people and the desire to be honest, brief, left alone . . . I love how she shares this.
page 194 - "Internally, I'm fervently apologetic to all those unknown, anonymous people I ever maligned for dumping." As she struggles with her mother-in-law's increasingly aggressive and difficult behavior, Gillies works to find a placement for her in-laws. Guilt is such a huge part of this issue!
page 217 - "I get it all out of my system in the classic modern way. I write e-mails." Again, I love how she shares her struggles as well as her good days. She includes a lot of information about Alzheimers and caregivers.
page 255 - "This may sound harsh and uncaring. Maybe it is. But it comes after a long, long campaign. Take battle weariness into account. The only way of continuing with this is to disengage emotionally."
page 263 - "I write long e-mails. Some of them are sent, though most are severely edited. I reread before pressing Send and think, What tedious self-pitying drivel; you can't burden your friends like this. Some days I do burden them and their kindness in responding is almost unbearable. It can't be done every day. It's boring for people to hear it and keep hearing it. Not when there isn't any resolution possible other than death of the aged dependents. Nobody could be so crass as to hope for that." One thing this book did for me was make me much more appreciative of my own situation! I've felt some of the things that she talks about, yet what I've had to deal with the last few years is nothing like what she had!
page 269 - "I'm beginning to feel afraid, though it isn't clear what there is to fear. . . . That this is a test of character that I'm failing, D minus."
page 276 - "Dumping. Do we dump people in hospitals when they're ill? Is that the language used? I worry that we're all confusing a physical disease with natural aging, believing that we ought to be able to contain aging and death within the family, recognizing the failure and stigma of doing otherwise. We confuse dementia with old age. . . "
page 297 - Morris and money stuff. "It's a disheartening thing to face, for those who've always been frugal. The people who held on to their ancient washing machine until it gave out, who were content with the old linoleum in the kitchen, who put money by for a rainy day - their rainy day has come."
page 305 - When Morris and Nancy are finally placed in a home. " 'Not severe enough?' Mary had echoed, incredulously. 'She's a lot more severe than plenty of the people you do have in nursing homes. You just try spending a couple of days looking after her. You'd see what she's really like.' " I felt so relieved that Andrea finally had some vindication after being turned down for even getting a spot on the waiting list for her mother-in-law!
So much more I could write! Amazing book.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 316 pages
genre: non-fiction
This book is amazing. Partly because it comes at a time in my life when these issues are on my mind and partly because Gillies does a masterful job of combining memoir, research, observation, and social commentary. I don't have much time to blog, so I'll just jot my post-its:
Watch Living With Alzheimer's - the BBC show of Terry Pratchett's illness
page 70 - "Anything that is done without Morris and Nancy in attendance is done at risk, and risk assessment becomes a part of life. We don't go for walks anymore. We don't go out as a family anymore - just the five of us - unless we can go as seven. We go as seven to the cinema, out to dinner, to visit new friends. We're not often invited back."
page 75 - "Dementia is fast becoming the condition that's cited by the young and healthy as the disease that is most feared. . . . We don't have brains; we are our brains. . . . The brain is where the self lives."
page 152 - "I feel sorry for friends in the United States in a similar position, caught up in long tangles of red tape: the details of Medicare benefits, rights to Medicaid, drug bureaucracy, health insurance companies and their cunning opt-outs, and almost everything coming back to money, money, money."
page 160 - "How am I?" Her responses to people and the desire to be honest, brief, left alone . . . I love how she shares this.
page 194 - "Internally, I'm fervently apologetic to all those unknown, anonymous people I ever maligned for dumping." As she struggles with her mother-in-law's increasingly aggressive and difficult behavior, Gillies works to find a placement for her in-laws. Guilt is such a huge part of this issue!
page 217 - "I get it all out of my system in the classic modern way. I write e-mails." Again, I love how she shares her struggles as well as her good days. She includes a lot of information about Alzheimers and caregivers.
page 255 - "This may sound harsh and uncaring. Maybe it is. But it comes after a long, long campaign. Take battle weariness into account. The only way of continuing with this is to disengage emotionally."
page 263 - "I write long e-mails. Some of them are sent, though most are severely edited. I reread before pressing Send and think, What tedious self-pitying drivel; you can't burden your friends like this. Some days I do burden them and their kindness in responding is almost unbearable. It can't be done every day. It's boring for people to hear it and keep hearing it. Not when there isn't any resolution possible other than death of the aged dependents. Nobody could be so crass as to hope for that." One thing this book did for me was make me much more appreciative of my own situation! I've felt some of the things that she talks about, yet what I've had to deal with the last few years is nothing like what she had!
page 269 - "I'm beginning to feel afraid, though it isn't clear what there is to fear. . . . That this is a test of character that I'm failing, D minus."
page 276 - "Dumping. Do we dump people in hospitals when they're ill? Is that the language used? I worry that we're all confusing a physical disease with natural aging, believing that we ought to be able to contain aging and death within the family, recognizing the failure and stigma of doing otherwise. We confuse dementia with old age. . . "
page 297 - Morris and money stuff. "It's a disheartening thing to face, for those who've always been frugal. The people who held on to their ancient washing machine until it gave out, who were content with the old linoleum in the kitchen, who put money by for a rainy day - their rainy day has come."
page 305 - When Morris and Nancy are finally placed in a home. " 'Not severe enough?' Mary had echoed, incredulously. 'She's a lot more severe than plenty of the people you do have in nursing homes. You just try spending a couple of days looking after her. You'd see what she's really like.' " I felt so relieved that Andrea finally had some vindication after being turned down for even getting a spot on the waiting list for her mother-in-law!
So much more I could write! Amazing book.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Bridge to Haven
by Francine Rivers
Jodi's copy hardcover 459 pages
genre: Christian fiction, relationships
Loved it! Rivers is a wonderful author. I don't even want to write a synopsis . . . just my post-its.
page 24 - I cried when Mitzi played ragtime at Marianne's funeral, especially when her son got embarrassed. This probably has a lot to do with planning my mom's funeral . . . what would *she* like? What is expressive of her?
page 38 - (I love Mitzi!) Mitzi says to a pouting Abra, "I've never lied to you and I never will. I know it's your choice to believe me or not, but you'd better understand this: what you believe sets the course of your life." There's more, but sometimes a person just needs a good talking-to. This is a wonderful scene.
page 96 - Zeke (and Joshua) knowing that all they can do for Abra is pray. "What would it do to both of them if Abra followed the deceiver rather than the lover of her soul?"
page 110 - When Dylan yanks Marianne's cross necklace off Abra, I wanted her to scream and run . . . fast.
page 139 - Zeke is talking with Mitzi about Abra. "Hodge (her son) seemed to be torn between mortification and pride. He adored his mother, but said she drove him insane at times. He admitted once he never knew how his hardworking, somewhat-shy, prim and proper father had even met her, let alone married her." Besides the fact that I love Mitzi, I love the torn feeling that children sometimes have in regard to their parents!
page 162 - (Jodi's flag) - When Joshua and Zeke are talking about Abra, Zeke says, "She knew what we told her about the Lord, Joshua. That's different from knowing Him." Amen! Knowing about and knowing personally are very different.
page 169 - Though this is a work of fiction, there are emotions and scenarios that ring very true. "She looked away. Had Dylan ever loved her, even for a second? She'd only seen lust, sarcasm, and fury. She'd stayed because she was too ashamed to call for help. She'd stayed so she wouldn't have to hear how she'd made her own bed and would have to sleep in it. She'd stayed out of fear. She'd stayed because she didn't know where else to go. She'd stayed for a hundred reasons that made no sense, not even to her. Now, she felt lost. And the feeling had nothing to do with location."
page 201 - (Jodi's flag) how a woman feels wearing attractive undergarments . . . even if no one else sees them . . .
page 275 - I love how the old hymns that Mitzi made her learn come flooding back into her mind! This recurring theme is powerful!
page 367 - When Abra is in the motel room in the dusty desert town, after crying and remembering hymns, she thinks, "You can have it, God. I'm so tired of the fight. Do whatever you want. Burn me to ash. Turn me to a pillar of salt. Wash me away in a flood. I don't want to hurt anymore. I don't want to hurt anyone else. I just want . . . I don't even know." Then she sleeps a deep and peaceful sleep. I love God!
page 383 - (Jodi's flag) When she and Joshua are talking, she says, "I've been such a fool, Joshua." He didn't deny it. "No one sees with eyes half-shut, Abra. Your eyes are open now."
page 430 - I love her breakthrough! "You love me, Lord. In spite of my stubborn and rebellious heart." Then she asks Joshua to baptize her, then and there. Great scene! The joy in the character's entire being is so very evident.
Book club tonight! I look forward to discussing this.
Jodi's copy hardcover 459 pages
genre: Christian fiction, relationships
Loved it! Rivers is a wonderful author. I don't even want to write a synopsis . . . just my post-its.
page 24 - I cried when Mitzi played ragtime at Marianne's funeral, especially when her son got embarrassed. This probably has a lot to do with planning my mom's funeral . . . what would *she* like? What is expressive of her?
page 38 - (I love Mitzi!) Mitzi says to a pouting Abra, "I've never lied to you and I never will. I know it's your choice to believe me or not, but you'd better understand this: what you believe sets the course of your life." There's more, but sometimes a person just needs a good talking-to. This is a wonderful scene.
page 96 - Zeke (and Joshua) knowing that all they can do for Abra is pray. "What would it do to both of them if Abra followed the deceiver rather than the lover of her soul?"
page 110 - When Dylan yanks Marianne's cross necklace off Abra, I wanted her to scream and run . . . fast.
page 139 - Zeke is talking with Mitzi about Abra. "Hodge (her son) seemed to be torn between mortification and pride. He adored his mother, but said she drove him insane at times. He admitted once he never knew how his hardworking, somewhat-shy, prim and proper father had even met her, let alone married her." Besides the fact that I love Mitzi, I love the torn feeling that children sometimes have in regard to their parents!
page 162 - (Jodi's flag) - When Joshua and Zeke are talking about Abra, Zeke says, "She knew what we told her about the Lord, Joshua. That's different from knowing Him." Amen! Knowing about and knowing personally are very different.
page 169 - Though this is a work of fiction, there are emotions and scenarios that ring very true. "She looked away. Had Dylan ever loved her, even for a second? She'd only seen lust, sarcasm, and fury. She'd stayed because she was too ashamed to call for help. She'd stayed so she wouldn't have to hear how she'd made her own bed and would have to sleep in it. She'd stayed out of fear. She'd stayed because she didn't know where else to go. She'd stayed for a hundred reasons that made no sense, not even to her. Now, she felt lost. And the feeling had nothing to do with location."
page 201 - (Jodi's flag) how a woman feels wearing attractive undergarments . . . even if no one else sees them . . .
page 275 - I love how the old hymns that Mitzi made her learn come flooding back into her mind! This recurring theme is powerful!
page 367 - When Abra is in the motel room in the dusty desert town, after crying and remembering hymns, she thinks, "You can have it, God. I'm so tired of the fight. Do whatever you want. Burn me to ash. Turn me to a pillar of salt. Wash me away in a flood. I don't want to hurt anymore. I don't want to hurt anyone else. I just want . . . I don't even know." Then she sleeps a deep and peaceful sleep. I love God!
page 383 - (Jodi's flag) When she and Joshua are talking, she says, "I've been such a fool, Joshua." He didn't deny it. "No one sees with eyes half-shut, Abra. Your eyes are open now."
page 430 - I love her breakthrough! "You love me, Lord. In spite of my stubborn and rebellious heart." Then she asks Joshua to baptize her, then and there. Great scene! The joy in the character's entire being is so very evident.
Book club tonight! I look forward to discussing this.
Proof of Heaven
by Mary Curran-Hackett
Hennepin County Library paperback 291 pages
genre: realistic fiction
A friend recommended a *different* book by this title, but I was curious about this, so I got it. The story centers around Colm (pronounced "coll-um" like the architectural feature) and his mother Cathleen. Colm has a mysterious illness which causes him to die - literally - and the many emergencies which have brought him back to life have made Cathleen desperate for a miracle cure. Her brother Sean, a firefighter, vacillates between being the strong male figure Colm needs and an escapist alcoholic. For the most part, I liked the story. It raises a lot of questions about family and faith. Dr. Basu was my favorite character.
page 91 - "Throughout her life the battle between what her mind was capable of knowing and what her heart was capable of feeling waged on. She admired people who knew for sure whether they did or didn't believe in God or in heaven. She was drawn to Monsignor because he had such confidence in his own opinions." The Monsignor is not a very flattering character, especially in opposition to Sean's disbelief, but I like the character's observation about certainty.
page 135 - "As she sang, she tried to remember the last time she had done such a thing. Mothers can never know the last time they will rock their children to sleep, sing them a final lullaby, pick them up and carry them on their hips, or even bathe them, she thought. Babies grow into children without notice. They grow out of such habits without mention, without mourning their passing or loss. No one ever seems to remember the last times." How true! As parents, we are so eager for the next phase of growing up . . . and so quick to forget the old phase. I miss cuddling a sleepy boy.
chapter 32 - I wasn't sure what to expect, but this wasn't it. It made me want to know more about Pierce's story. The ending wasn't really satisfactory to me.
Hennepin County Library paperback 291 pages
genre: realistic fiction
A friend recommended a *different* book by this title, but I was curious about this, so I got it. The story centers around Colm (pronounced "coll-um" like the architectural feature) and his mother Cathleen. Colm has a mysterious illness which causes him to die - literally - and the many emergencies which have brought him back to life have made Cathleen desperate for a miracle cure. Her brother Sean, a firefighter, vacillates between being the strong male figure Colm needs and an escapist alcoholic. For the most part, I liked the story. It raises a lot of questions about family and faith. Dr. Basu was my favorite character.
page 91 - "Throughout her life the battle between what her mind was capable of knowing and what her heart was capable of feeling waged on. She admired people who knew for sure whether they did or didn't believe in God or in heaven. She was drawn to Monsignor because he had such confidence in his own opinions." The Monsignor is not a very flattering character, especially in opposition to Sean's disbelief, but I like the character's observation about certainty.
page 135 - "As she sang, she tried to remember the last time she had done such a thing. Mothers can never know the last time they will rock their children to sleep, sing them a final lullaby, pick them up and carry them on their hips, or even bathe them, she thought. Babies grow into children without notice. They grow out of such habits without mention, without mourning their passing or loss. No one ever seems to remember the last times." How true! As parents, we are so eager for the next phase of growing up . . . and so quick to forget the old phase. I miss cuddling a sleepy boy.
chapter 32 - I wasn't sure what to expect, but this wasn't it. It made me want to know more about Pierce's story. The ending wasn't really satisfactory to me.
Friday, May 23, 2014
The Poet
by Michael Connelly
audioCDs 12 discs collection of Jeff Beaudoin
genre: murder mystery
Things I liked:
similarity to Criminal Minds (tv show) with profiling
his H.S. crush on Riley
literary allusions / Poe stuff
Things I didn't like:
romance between him & the FBI agent - NOT convincing!
PTL for pedophile network
technology is SOOOO outdated
him helping Warren out . . . just no
audioCDs 12 discs collection of Jeff Beaudoin
genre: murder mystery
Things I liked:
similarity to Criminal Minds (tv show) with profiling
his H.S. crush on Riley
literary allusions / Poe stuff
Things I didn't like:
romance between him & the FBI agent - NOT convincing!
PTL for pedophile network
technology is SOOOO outdated
him helping Warren out . . . just no
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Of Noble Birth
by Brenda Novak
Hennepin County Library audiobook 10 discs
genre: romance, historical fiction
read by Alison Larkin
Liked: romantic tension, character development (at least for Alexandra and Nathaniel), adventure
Disliked: stupid decisions by characters, lack of realism in parts (e.g. Nathaniel being romantically inclined mere hours after escaping the torture and deprivations of a month in the Hulks)
Hennepin County Library audiobook 10 discs
genre: romance, historical fiction
read by Alison Larkin
Liked: romantic tension, character development (at least for Alexandra and Nathaniel), adventure
Disliked: stupid decisions by characters, lack of realism in parts (e.g. Nathaniel being romantically inclined mere hours after escaping the torture and deprivations of a month in the Hulks)
The Lost Boy
by Greg Ruth
PRMS paperback 190 pages
genre: YA mystery graphic novel
Weird book. Walter disappeared a long time ago. Before he did, though, he left tape recordings of his observations and investigations. Nate finds the recordings fifty (?) years later and tries to figure things out. Creepy characters, lots of otherworldly experiences. Interesting, creepy story.
Not sure why this has been in "draft" form for weeks . . . I'll publish without worry.
PRMS paperback 190 pages
genre: YA mystery graphic novel
Weird book. Walter disappeared a long time ago. Before he did, though, he left tape recordings of his observations and investigations. Nate finds the recordings fifty (?) years later and tries to figure things out. Creepy characters, lots of otherworldly experiences. Interesting, creepy story.
Not sure why this has been in "draft" form for weeks . . . I'll publish without worry.
High Blood Pressure for Dummies
2nd edition
by Alan Rubin
Hennepin County Library paperback 320 pages
genre: non-fiction, self-help
My cardiologist laughed and said I was a goofball (or something along those lines) when I told him I had gotten this book. But as always, I found this Dummies book very helpful. I didn't read it cover-to-cover, but focused on the chapters I was most interested in:
ch. 9 - Choosing Foods
Go for high potassium foods, try low-fat or fat-free options, snack on carrot or celery sticks and rice cakes. Page 139 had lots of great ideas:
I also used the info to calculate "ideal" weights. For a woman who is 5'6" (me), a target weight is 130 pounds. 10% variance in either direction is 13 pounds, so I should be in the 117-143 pound range. Wow. I don't think I've seen 143 pounds since Nick was two years old . . . but I'm heading in the right direction!
For a man who is 6'1", the ideal weight is 184 pounds. The 10% variance of 18.4 pounds leaves the range at 165.6-202.4 pounds. I have no idea what Louie weighs right now!
One resource that I made note of while I was reading was the Health Record at www.lifeclinic.com but that entity has become part of another entity and I couldn't find any free record sheets to print out.
Another tool is the DASH booklet at nih.gov but I feel as though I already have enough info about that.
ch. 10 - Keeping Salt Out of the Diet
This is what I'm really struggling with. I love the taste of salt! The recommendation in this book was to avoid foods that have 180+mg of sodium per serving. Ideally, I should look for those that have 35mg or less per serving! I don't read labels as much as I should, but I've been getting better about it. Boy, the foods I like have a lot of sodium. I should eat "very low sodium" foods. Read labels - another piece of advice I noted. Make sure salt substitutes aren't high in potassium (which seems to contradict the chapter nine assertion to seek high potassium foods, except I think that was referring to foods that have it naturally and not as an additive).
ch. 12 - Lower Blood Pressure with Exercise
So much here that I need to work on! There was a plan for using walking as a primary tool. Time a one-mile walk and make a goal chart. There was a sample on page 187 but I'm too lazy to scan it. I may just grab a cell pic and make my own. It's pretty simplistic. Basically, level one is doing a mile in 30 minutes. Then I would decrease the time it takes and increase the distance walked. I may give this a try. My Fitbit has been a great tool for me, but I like new challenges.
Now I can finally return this book to the library! I had to blog about it before relinquishing it.
by Alan Rubin
Hennepin County Library paperback 320 pages
genre: non-fiction, self-help
My cardiologist laughed and said I was a goofball (or something along those lines) when I told him I had gotten this book. But as always, I found this Dummies book very helpful. I didn't read it cover-to-cover, but focused on the chapters I was most interested in:
ch. 9 - Choosing Foods
Go for high potassium foods, try low-fat or fat-free options, snack on carrot or celery sticks and rice cakes. Page 139 had lots of great ideas:
I also used the info to calculate "ideal" weights. For a woman who is 5'6" (me), a target weight is 130 pounds. 10% variance in either direction is 13 pounds, so I should be in the 117-143 pound range. Wow. I don't think I've seen 143 pounds since Nick was two years old . . . but I'm heading in the right direction!
For a man who is 6'1", the ideal weight is 184 pounds. The 10% variance of 18.4 pounds leaves the range at 165.6-202.4 pounds. I have no idea what Louie weighs right now!
One resource that I made note of while I was reading was the Health Record at www.lifeclinic.com but that entity has become part of another entity and I couldn't find any free record sheets to print out.
Another tool is the DASH booklet at nih.gov but I feel as though I already have enough info about that.
ch. 10 - Keeping Salt Out of the Diet
This is what I'm really struggling with. I love the taste of salt! The recommendation in this book was to avoid foods that have 180+mg of sodium per serving. Ideally, I should look for those that have 35mg or less per serving! I don't read labels as much as I should, but I've been getting better about it. Boy, the foods I like have a lot of sodium. I should eat "very low sodium" foods. Read labels - another piece of advice I noted. Make sure salt substitutes aren't high in potassium (which seems to contradict the chapter nine assertion to seek high potassium foods, except I think that was referring to foods that have it naturally and not as an additive).
ch. 12 - Lower Blood Pressure with Exercise
So much here that I need to work on! There was a plan for using walking as a primary tool. Time a one-mile walk and make a goal chart. There was a sample on page 187 but I'm too lazy to scan it. I may just grab a cell pic and make my own. It's pretty simplistic. Basically, level one is doing a mile in 30 minutes. Then I would decrease the time it takes and increase the distance walked. I may give this a try. My Fitbit has been a great tool for me, but I like new challenges.
Now I can finally return this book to the library! I had to blog about it before relinquishing it.
Monday, May 19, 2014
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes
by Eleanor Coerr
PRMS hardcover 63 pages
genre: based on a true story . . . YA
I vaguely knew about this story, but had never actually read it until this school year. Sadako was young and living in the Hiroshima area when WWII ended. As the radiation sickness took away her running speed, then her strength, then her life, Sadako's hope for healing came in the form of folded paper cranes. Her classmates took up her cause when she was unable to fold. She died in 1955. Sad story.
PRMS hardcover 63 pages
genre: based on a true story . . . YA
I vaguely knew about this story, but had never actually read it until this school year. Sadako was young and living in the Hiroshima area when WWII ended. As the radiation sickness took away her running speed, then her strength, then her life, Sadako's hope for healing came in the form of folded paper cranes. Her classmates took up her cause when she was unable to fold. She died in 1955. Sad story.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
by Michelle Hodkin
Hennepin County Library hardcover 452 pages
genre: teen paranormal mystery with romance
A freshman highly recommended this book to me and I respect her so much that I had to read it. It was interesting in terms of keeping my interest. The author's language choices were wonderful. The main things I disliked: the occult-oriented focus (ouija board, rooster blood, etc.) and the ending leaving the entire story open-ended. Because Mara has so many hallucinations (and can kill people with her thoughts), it's hard to know what's real and what's not. And I'm a bit curious about what happened to Jamie after he was expelled from school. I kept waiting for Mara to kill Anna and Aiden, but I suppose the author needs them to be the bad guys in the next book. Noah Shaw was a very fascinating male character and I understand why the freshman loves this book so much. There's plenty of desire without actual sex.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 452 pages
genre: teen paranormal mystery with romance
A freshman highly recommended this book to me and I respect her so much that I had to read it. It was interesting in terms of keeping my interest. The author's language choices were wonderful. The main things I disliked: the occult-oriented focus (ouija board, rooster blood, etc.) and the ending leaving the entire story open-ended. Because Mara has so many hallucinations (and can kill people with her thoughts), it's hard to know what's real and what's not. And I'm a bit curious about what happened to Jamie after he was expelled from school. I kept waiting for Mara to kill Anna and Aiden, but I suppose the author needs them to be the bad guys in the next book. Noah Shaw was a very fascinating male character and I understand why the freshman loves this book so much. There's plenty of desire without actual sex.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
The Postcard
by Tony Abbott
PRMS hardcover 359
genre: YA fiction, mystery
I read this one because a student returned it with water damage and I wondered if I should replace it or get rid of it. What a weird book! Jason goes to Florida to help his dad deal with grandma's death and estate. Dad is struggling with his own issues and Jason reluctantly unravels a mystery about his grandma's past. Dia is a great character (teen babysitter who prods Jason forward and calls him lots of different names). This book is peopled with some very odd characters and an intriguing history. Still, I think I'll delete & donate without replacing. Many of my readers would have trouble getting into this one and sticking with it.
PRMS hardcover 359
genre: YA fiction, mystery
I read this one because a student returned it with water damage and I wondered if I should replace it or get rid of it. What a weird book! Jason goes to Florida to help his dad deal with grandma's death and estate. Dad is struggling with his own issues and Jason reluctantly unravels a mystery about his grandma's past. Dia is a great character (teen babysitter who prods Jason forward and calls him lots of different names). This book is peopled with some very odd characters and an intriguing history. Still, I think I'll delete & donate without replacing. Many of my readers would have trouble getting into this one and sticking with it.
The Son of Neptune
by Rick Riordan
PRMS hardcover 513 pages
genre: YA action adventure, mythology
Percy has "lost" eight months of his life when he stumbles upon Camp Jupiter. The Romans take him in, but he especially befriends Hazel and Frank. The unlikely trio go on a quest to rescue the god of death, Thanatos. Great fun, though it dragged a bit in places. Frank and Hazel are wonderful characters. I wonder how the Sammy / Leo drama will unfold . . . I need to read book 3!
PRMS hardcover 513 pages
genre: YA action adventure, mythology
Percy has "lost" eight months of his life when he stumbles upon Camp Jupiter. The Romans take him in, but he especially befriends Hazel and Frank. The unlikely trio go on a quest to rescue the god of death, Thanatos. Great fun, though it dragged a bit in places. Frank and Hazel are wonderful characters. I wonder how the Sammy / Leo drama will unfold . . . I need to read book 3!
Friday, May 09, 2014
The Raft: the courageous struggle . . .
by Robert Trumbull
Hennepin County Library audiobook 5 discs
read by Grover Gardner
genre: non-fiction autobiography / memoir
This was a very interesting account of three men during WWII who had to ditch their plane at sea and survived for 34 days in a rubber raft. It bothered me that the pilot "told" the story (Robert Trumbull) and called the other two men "boys" and "lads." His "of course, I was in charge" attitude bugged me, too. Yes, he was the oldest, the pilot, and had senior rank, but the tone (in the text, not just the reader's voice) was condescending (IMO). When I realized that this account was actually published in 1942, I thought about the era and realized this was a very intriguing period piece. I almost want my dad to listen to it to get his perspective. Gene Aldrich was my favorite of the three men. He caught most of the food, had a go-getter attitude, and believed in the power of prayer.
On Amazon, this review caught my eye:
Hennepin County Library audiobook 5 discs
read by Grover Gardner
genre: non-fiction autobiography / memoir
This was a very interesting account of three men during WWII who had to ditch their plane at sea and survived for 34 days in a rubber raft. It bothered me that the pilot "told" the story (Robert Trumbull) and called the other two men "boys" and "lads." His "of course, I was in charge" attitude bugged me, too. Yes, he was the oldest, the pilot, and had senior rank, but the tone (in the text, not just the reader's voice) was condescending (IMO). When I realized that this account was actually published in 1942, I thought about the era and realized this was a very intriguing period piece. I almost want my dad to listen to it to get his perspective. Gene Aldrich was my favorite of the three men. He caught most of the food, had a go-getter attitude, and believed in the power of prayer.
On Amazon, this review caught my eye:
By
L.A. Pastula
on April 26, 2007
Format: Audio CD
Thanks everyone for the great reviews!! I must however point out that
being the neice of Anthony Pastula and Gene Aldrich that this book is
somewhat misleading, basically because it is from one person's viewpoint
that had to be the hero. The plane, btw, didn't exactly crash. After
being told several times by both my Uncles that they were running out of
fuel, IT RAN OUT OF GAS!!! Not something the hero of his book would
confess to I suppose. My Uncles were also not helpless, uneducated,
weaklings as they are sometimes made out to be either. They weren't
that GREEN. They also had nothing to do with this book, because
obviously, their recounts of their time at sea didn't match Dixon's.
They both chose to step out of the spotlight and go on with their lives.
For those that did wonder in the other reviews, they not only remained
the closest of friends but they became brothers-in-law! Gene married
Tony's sister. To add to that, Gene's sister married Tony's brother and
that's where I come from! It is truly by the grace of God and Gene's
strong personal belief in the Lord that he shared with the other two
men that saved them.
Sunday, May 04, 2014
The Puppy Diaries: Raising a Dog Named Scout
by Jill Abramson
Hennepin County Library audiobook 4 discs
read by Beth MacDonald
genre: non-fiction, dogs
I'm glad this was short because it kind of bugged me. The most interesting parts are that the author's sister wrote the Fancy Nancy books. I also liked the German Shepherd parts. I'm not a fan of goldens. I'm also not a fan of people who over-obsess about their pets. I love my dog, but I'm not a head case about her health and well-being. This was a bit much for me. All the trainers, theories, seminars, etc. I suppose a lot of it was simply research for this book, but it came off as very overdone. MacDonald's vocal work was fine.
Hennepin County Library audiobook 4 discs
read by Beth MacDonald
genre: non-fiction, dogs
I'm glad this was short because it kind of bugged me. The most interesting parts are that the author's sister wrote the Fancy Nancy books. I also liked the German Shepherd parts. I'm not a fan of goldens. I'm also not a fan of people who over-obsess about their pets. I love my dog, but I'm not a head case about her health and well-being. This was a bit much for me. All the trainers, theories, seminars, etc. I suppose a lot of it was simply research for this book, but it came off as very overdone. MacDonald's vocal work was fine.
Thursday, May 01, 2014
Snapshot
by Lis Wiehl
Hennepin County Library hardcover 274 pages
genre: mystery, historical fiction, drama, relationships
I'm really not in the mood to blog. I like this book and I am glad to be aware of Lis Wiehl as an author. We read this for book club (Spirit of Life Church). Her notes in the back were quite interesting - her father was one of the FBI investigators of JFK's assassination. In this story, the FBI agent takes his young daughter to a civil rights march in Fort Worth a year after JFK's murder. A prominent civil rights leader is shot to death and a black man is arrested and put in jail for the crime. Forty-something years later, this man contacts the FBI agent asking for help to avoid execution. Photographs that the agent took that fateful day and his own conviction that justice was not done lead him to ask his adult daughter to help solve the crime. Lots of twists and turns and interesting characters.
pg 42 - Lisa's friend Drew mentions a vacation in Hawaii. "The image of warm sand and sunshine filled her with longing." I can relate!!! Our weather has been challenging.
ch 10 - I love how the computer geek Gertz helps Lisa and has fun digging up info for her.
pg 115 - When Lisa goes to meet Molly Carter, it makes me sad that her reaction to the church is what some people really feel. ". . . with their schedule, church was far down the list of things to do every Sunday."
pg 153 - She calls her adult son and asks him if she was a good mom (essentially) as she questions her role in his life. He laughs (of course) and says, "My mommy misses me . . . I miss you too. Yes, you hugged me enough. And I love you, mom."
pg 173 - When Molly's family is talking about what it was like to live in fear in the South during the 50s and 60s . . . that is so incredibly hard for me to relate to. I can't fathom having to watch what I say, how I say it, etc. There is so much privilege I've had growing up as a white person in this country in the 60s- now.
pg 242 - I was so afraid that Stanley was going to kill Lena (Madeline)! Especially when he talked the young employee to let him go upstairs without announcing his presence. He was so creepy evil . . . I like how this scene turned out.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 274 pages
genre: mystery, historical fiction, drama, relationships
I'm really not in the mood to blog. I like this book and I am glad to be aware of Lis Wiehl as an author. We read this for book club (Spirit of Life Church). Her notes in the back were quite interesting - her father was one of the FBI investigators of JFK's assassination. In this story, the FBI agent takes his young daughter to a civil rights march in Fort Worth a year after JFK's murder. A prominent civil rights leader is shot to death and a black man is arrested and put in jail for the crime. Forty-something years later, this man contacts the FBI agent asking for help to avoid execution. Photographs that the agent took that fateful day and his own conviction that justice was not done lead him to ask his adult daughter to help solve the crime. Lots of twists and turns and interesting characters.
pg 42 - Lisa's friend Drew mentions a vacation in Hawaii. "The image of warm sand and sunshine filled her with longing." I can relate!!! Our weather has been challenging.
ch 10 - I love how the computer geek Gertz helps Lisa and has fun digging up info for her.
pg 115 - When Lisa goes to meet Molly Carter, it makes me sad that her reaction to the church is what some people really feel. ". . . with their schedule, church was far down the list of things to do every Sunday."
pg 153 - She calls her adult son and asks him if she was a good mom (essentially) as she questions her role in his life. He laughs (of course) and says, "My mommy misses me . . . I miss you too. Yes, you hugged me enough. And I love you, mom."
pg 173 - When Molly's family is talking about what it was like to live in fear in the South during the 50s and 60s . . . that is so incredibly hard for me to relate to. I can't fathom having to watch what I say, how I say it, etc. There is so much privilege I've had growing up as a white person in this country in the 60s- now.
pg 242 - I was so afraid that Stanley was going to kill Lena (Madeline)! Especially when he talked the young employee to let him go upstairs without announcing his presence. He was so creepy evil . . . I like how this scene turned out.
The Lady Most Likely
by Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, & Connie Brockway
Hennepin County Library audiobook 7 discs
read by Rosalyn Landor
Interesting to have three authors write a three-romance book. Nice fluffy stories to escape with. Alec captures the heart of the beautiful buy shy Gwendolyn Passmore, Captain Neil Oakes finally makes his love known with Katherine Peyton, and Hugh Dunne ends up with the person he should have started with - Georgina Sorrell. Horses, balls, etc. I love these historical romances that are lovely albeit completely unrealistic.
Hennepin County Library audiobook 7 discs
read by Rosalyn Landor
Interesting to have three authors write a three-romance book. Nice fluffy stories to escape with. Alec captures the heart of the beautiful buy shy Gwendolyn Passmore, Captain Neil Oakes finally makes his love known with Katherine Peyton, and Hugh Dunne ends up with the person he should have started with - Georgina Sorrell. Horses, balls, etc. I love these historical romances that are lovely albeit completely unrealistic.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
The Canning Season
by Polly Horvath
PRMS hardcover 196 pages
genre: YA coming-of-age
Horvath has a very unusual style and sensibility. I read this to try to decide about keeping it in the collection or not. Not.
pg 39 - Tilly and old age . . . this is not part of most middle schoolers' life experiences! "Sleep, Tilly said, came to the old like the transition, the hallway between life and death. You needed less food and wandered more through the corridors of dreams." This resonates for me as a reader because of my elderly parents and the decline I see in their physical states . . . but I'm more than 30 years older than my students!
pg. 272 - Not sure why I marked this part. Hutch and Ratchet's mom are visiting Ratchet at her elderly aunts' house. They are talking about Hutch being an aerobic dance champion. Tilly's response to listening to all this conversation makes her think that there are just too many things in the world. "How do people keep up with it all, she thought. How do they have lives with all this clutter in the way?" Yep. I can relate to that.
pg 184 - Tilly's death. I cried. But again, this is more where I'm at in my life. Even middle schoolers who have had a parent or grandparent die . . . this is just not a book that I think will speak to my students.
The underlying story of Ratchet and her mother's dumping her on elderly aunts is an interesting one, but odd in so many ways - the bears, the canning, the doctor, the orphanage down the road, . . . bye, book.
PRMS hardcover 196 pages
genre: YA coming-of-age
Horvath has a very unusual style and sensibility. I read this to try to decide about keeping it in the collection or not. Not.
pg 39 - Tilly and old age . . . this is not part of most middle schoolers' life experiences! "Sleep, Tilly said, came to the old like the transition, the hallway between life and death. You needed less food and wandered more through the corridors of dreams." This resonates for me as a reader because of my elderly parents and the decline I see in their physical states . . . but I'm more than 30 years older than my students!
pg. 272 - Not sure why I marked this part. Hutch and Ratchet's mom are visiting Ratchet at her elderly aunts' house. They are talking about Hutch being an aerobic dance champion. Tilly's response to listening to all this conversation makes her think that there are just too many things in the world. "How do people keep up with it all, she thought. How do they have lives with all this clutter in the way?" Yep. I can relate to that.
pg 184 - Tilly's death. I cried. But again, this is more where I'm at in my life. Even middle schoolers who have had a parent or grandparent die . . . this is just not a book that I think will speak to my students.
The underlying story of Ratchet and her mother's dumping her on elderly aunts is an interesting one, but odd in so many ways - the bears, the canning, the doctor, the orphanage down the road, . . . bye, book.
Orphan Train
by Christina Kline
Hennepin County Library
paperback 273 pages
genre: historical fiction
PRMS book club title - we all liked it, but some disliked the suddenness of the ending . . . there was so much more of the story to tell!
pg 5 - "Being Goth wipes away any expectation of conventionality, so Molly finds she's free to be weird in lots of ways at once. She reads all the time - in the halls, in the cafeteria - mostly novels with angry protagonists. . . " I love that she writes down vocabulary words in a notebook because "she likes the way they sound: Harridan. Pusillanimous. Talisman. Dowager. Enervating. Sycophantic." This makes me think of how much I love books and words!
It makes me so sad when Niamh (Neev) is renamed multiple times without her consent and at one point says she doesn't care what she is called. Names are so important!
pg 132 - When Molly is trying to choose someone to interview for her portaging assignment, she thinks Vivian's life story is too tame. Ironic! If she only knew . . . and comes to know through their shared storytelling. "Maybe it'll be a stretch to find drama in Vivian's portage - a happy, stable life does not an interesting story make, right?"
pg 171 - Classroom discussion about immigrants and people who are"asking for handouts" versus wanting to be treated fairly.
pg 192 - Description of the Lutheran church service with the Nielsens. It's so accurate! "I like the assumption that everyone is trying his best, and we should all just be kind to each other. I like the coffee hour with almond cake and snickerdoodles in the vestry."
pg 197 - As she is reflecting on her life with the Nielsens, she is grateful for the safety and acceptance she has found. But she also recognizes that "They are not my people, and never will be."
pg 246 - I love how she takes over at the store, reorganizes things, and revives the business. It makes me sad, though, when she thinks, "I learned long ago that loss is not only probable but inevitable." Her loss and sorrow are so deep!
I think the author did an admirable job of intertwining Niamh / Vivian's story with Molly's. This was a wonderful book about an Irish girl who travels an amazing journey and shares her life story with a similar young woman.
Hennepin County Library
paperback 273 pages
genre: historical fiction
PRMS book club title - we all liked it, but some disliked the suddenness of the ending . . . there was so much more of the story to tell!
pg 5 - "Being Goth wipes away any expectation of conventionality, so Molly finds she's free to be weird in lots of ways at once. She reads all the time - in the halls, in the cafeteria - mostly novels with angry protagonists. . . " I love that she writes down vocabulary words in a notebook because "she likes the way they sound: Harridan. Pusillanimous. Talisman. Dowager. Enervating. Sycophantic." This makes me think of how much I love books and words!
It makes me so sad when Niamh (Neev) is renamed multiple times without her consent and at one point says she doesn't care what she is called. Names are so important!
pg 132 - When Molly is trying to choose someone to interview for her portaging assignment, she thinks Vivian's life story is too tame. Ironic! If she only knew . . . and comes to know through their shared storytelling. "Maybe it'll be a stretch to find drama in Vivian's portage - a happy, stable life does not an interesting story make, right?"
pg 171 - Classroom discussion about immigrants and people who are"asking for handouts" versus wanting to be treated fairly.
pg 192 - Description of the Lutheran church service with the Nielsens. It's so accurate! "I like the assumption that everyone is trying his best, and we should all just be kind to each other. I like the coffee hour with almond cake and snickerdoodles in the vestry."
pg 197 - As she is reflecting on her life with the Nielsens, she is grateful for the safety and acceptance she has found. But she also recognizes that "They are not my people, and never will be."
pg 246 - I love how she takes over at the store, reorganizes things, and revives the business. It makes me sad, though, when she thinks, "I learned long ago that loss is not only probable but inevitable." Her loss and sorrow are so deep!
I think the author did an admirable job of intertwining Niamh / Vivian's story with Molly's. This was a wonderful book about an Irish girl who travels an amazing journey and shares her life story with a similar young woman.
Thursday, April 24, 2014
The Lost Hero
by Rick Riordan
PRMS hardcover 553 pages
genre: YA adventure, mythology
Although this is a re-read, I want to blog it while it's fresh in my mind. I'm not always good about keeping track . . .
Percy Jackson has gone missing and Annabeth is searching for him.
Jason Grace shows up on a bus on a field trip remembering nothing about himself, much less his "girlfriend" Piper or his "friend" Leo.
The three end up at Camp Half-Blood where they learn about their demigod status, their powers, and their quest. They must save Hera before the king of the giants Porphyron rises and Gaea fully reawakens.
My favorite parts are Leo fixing Festus, the giant bronze dragon, and Piper getting control of the Aphrodite cabin from Drew.
Fun story.
<The above entered 4.24.14. Below added 10.1.21.>
I didn't realize this was my *third* time reading this book. For the most part, it bugged me. But I had the audiobook on Libby and was in my car a lot. It worked well to listen while I drove. (Technology. Wow. My phone and car are smarter than I am!)
Reasons it bugged me:
- in the height of action / fighting, someone having a conversation about something not related to a life and death struggle
- the long section between Piper and Hera . . . about mythology . . .
- there was something else, but I didn't jot any notes and I don't care that much
This time my favorites were Coach (the satyr) and Mele (the wind spirit). Read by Joshua Swanson, it was a good way to pass car time. I've already requested book two . . . not sure why right now. But the other audiobook I have on my phone has been torture and I wanted something a bit more enjoyable. More on that later.
Monday, April 21, 2014
Insurgent
by Veronica Roth
PRMS hardcover 525 pages
genre: YA dystopian adventure romance
This was actually kind of disappointing. It seemed meandering and almost boring between action sequences. I'm sure I would feel differently if I were a 15-year-old girl, but I don't identify well with Tris and Tobias doesn't seem like that great of a guy other than the fact that he's hot-looking and strong. They are hiding out in Amity with the rest of the war refugees (my term) and trying to figure out what's really going on. There's a lot of back-and-forth on an emotional level (each one keeping secrets from the other) and within this world (with the factionless, Candor, and Erudite taking big chunks of the plot with them). And you can't forget the Dauntless - both the traitors who allied with Erudite and the ones who are trying to figure out what to do next. And the great big secret that Abnegation wanted to share and Erudite wants to hide? You'll have to slog through . . . I mean, read . . . the book to find out. Not sure I have any desire at all to read book three.
PRMS hardcover 525 pages
genre: YA dystopian adventure romance
This was actually kind of disappointing. It seemed meandering and almost boring between action sequences. I'm sure I would feel differently if I were a 15-year-old girl, but I don't identify well with Tris and Tobias doesn't seem like that great of a guy other than the fact that he's hot-looking and strong. They are hiding out in Amity with the rest of the war refugees (my term) and trying to figure out what's really going on. There's a lot of back-and-forth on an emotional level (each one keeping secrets from the other) and within this world (with the factionless, Candor, and Erudite taking big chunks of the plot with them). And you can't forget the Dauntless - both the traitors who allied with Erudite and the ones who are trying to figure out what to do next. And the great big secret that Abnegation wanted to share and Erudite wants to hide? You'll have to slog through . . . I mean, read . . . the book to find out. Not sure I have any desire at all to read book three.
The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green
by Joshua Braff
PRMS paperback 259 pages
genre: YA coming-of-age
I was curious about this book and whether it "fit" as a title for my more mature readers. It was left here by the Freshman Center librarian. I also saw it on a recommended list by . . . John Green? Or some other notable YA source. Anyhow, I finally read it.
Jacob is a good Jewish boy, doing what it takes to make his dad happy (except for doing well in school - his learning disability makes that tough). As dad's narcissistic behavior alienates Jacob's older brother Asher and everyone else in the family, Jacob strives to calm his dad down. His ability to sing and read the Hebrew for services beautifully does not help him survive the transition to public school, his parents' divorce, or his own growing desire for escape from his father's anger.
Swearing, some promiscuity, some illegal behavior . . . but has some good relationship storylines. I think it might be too rooted in Jewish culture to be effective for my students.
Some of Jacob's "thoughts" are embedded in the story in such a way that you think he is actually saying them . . . until you realize he couldn't possibly say them aloud without consequences from his father or a teacher. When his mother Claire announces the refreshments at a big party, Jacob finishes her unspoken words:
"And lastly, since I have you all here in one place, I have something to share with you. Along the garden ways just now . . . I too heard the flowers speak. They told me that our family garden has all but turned to sand. I want you to know I've watered and nurtured this square of earth for nearly twenty years, and waited on my knees each spring for these gentle bulbs to rise, reborn. But want does not bring such breath to life. Only love does. The plain, old-fashioned kind. In our family garden my husband is of the genus Narcissus, which includes daffodils and jonquils and a host of other ornamental flowers. There is, in such a genus of man, a pervasive and well-known pattern of grandiosity and egocentrism that feeds off this very kind of evening, this type of glitzy generosity." The rest of the text on page 173 continues this thread of analysis that Jacob is making about his father as though told by his mother. Powerful. Painful.
PRMS paperback 259 pages
genre: YA coming-of-age
I was curious about this book and whether it "fit" as a title for my more mature readers. It was left here by the Freshman Center librarian. I also saw it on a recommended list by . . . John Green? Or some other notable YA source. Anyhow, I finally read it.
Jacob is a good Jewish boy, doing what it takes to make his dad happy (except for doing well in school - his learning disability makes that tough). As dad's narcissistic behavior alienates Jacob's older brother Asher and everyone else in the family, Jacob strives to calm his dad down. His ability to sing and read the Hebrew for services beautifully does not help him survive the transition to public school, his parents' divorce, or his own growing desire for escape from his father's anger.
Swearing, some promiscuity, some illegal behavior . . . but has some good relationship storylines. I think it might be too rooted in Jewish culture to be effective for my students.
Some of Jacob's "thoughts" are embedded in the story in such a way that you think he is actually saying them . . . until you realize he couldn't possibly say them aloud without consequences from his father or a teacher. When his mother Claire announces the refreshments at a big party, Jacob finishes her unspoken words:
"And lastly, since I have you all here in one place, I have something to share with you. Along the garden ways just now . . . I too heard the flowers speak. They told me that our family garden has all but turned to sand. I want you to know I've watered and nurtured this square of earth for nearly twenty years, and waited on my knees each spring for these gentle bulbs to rise, reborn. But want does not bring such breath to life. Only love does. The plain, old-fashioned kind. In our family garden my husband is of the genus Narcissus, which includes daffodils and jonquils and a host of other ornamental flowers. There is, in such a genus of man, a pervasive and well-known pattern of grandiosity and egocentrism that feeds off this very kind of evening, this type of glitzy generosity." The rest of the text on page 173 continues this thread of analysis that Jacob is making about his father as though told by his mother. Powerful. Painful.
Monday, April 14, 2014
Reality Check
by Peter Abrahams
PRMS paperback 330 pages
genre: mystery thriller
I read this last night for 8th grade book club. I enjoyed it, but it was fairly predictable. Ike was one of my favorite characters, since he seemed like a shady figure but turned out to be a genuine individual. It took me a while to suspect the real "bad guy," though Townes was an easy mark. I liked Cody and his processing of situations - especially his ability to just keep quiet. Clea's dad was stereotypical but a minor player other than sending his daughter away and having high aspirations for her.
PRMS paperback 330 pages
genre: mystery thriller
I read this last night for 8th grade book club. I enjoyed it, but it was fairly predictable. Ike was one of my favorite characters, since he seemed like a shady figure but turned out to be a genuine individual. It took me a while to suspect the real "bad guy," though Townes was an easy mark. I liked Cody and his processing of situations - especially his ability to just keep quiet. Clea's dad was stereotypical but a minor player other than sending his daughter away and having high aspirations for her.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
A Night Like THis
by Julia Quinn (pen name for Julie . . . . )
Hennepin County Library audiobook 8 discs
read by Rosalyn Landor
genre: historical romance
I liked this one much, much better than that other romance. It was reminiscent of Jane Eyre, with the governess and the earl falling in love. This one had elements of danger and mystery with Daniel's past (a drunken duel where he lamed a man) and Annelise's foolish mistake as a teenager (thinking George whats-his-face loved her). I would read more of this author's work. At the end of the book, as the copyright info was read, it said that the text copyright was held by Julie something something, and that made me curious about the author. When did she adopt a pen name? Why? (Personal preference or publisher's urging?) Anyhow, an enjoyable read and a wonderful vocal job by Landor.
Hennepin County Library audiobook 8 discs
read by Rosalyn Landor
genre: historical romance
I liked this one much, much better than that other romance. It was reminiscent of Jane Eyre, with the governess and the earl falling in love. This one had elements of danger and mystery with Daniel's past (a drunken duel where he lamed a man) and Annelise's foolish mistake as a teenager (thinking George whats-his-face loved her). I would read more of this author's work. At the end of the book, as the copyright info was read, it said that the text copyright was held by Julie something something, and that made me curious about the author. When did she adopt a pen name? Why? (Personal preference or publisher's urging?) Anyhow, an enjoyable read and a wonderful vocal job by Landor.
Thursday, April 03, 2014
Between Shades of Gray
by Ruta Sepetys
PRMS hardcover 344 pages
genre: historical fiction WWII
A student recommended this book last fall and I finally read it! It was very well-written (and so elicited the sadness and sorrow implicit in the topic of pogroms). Lina, her mother, and her brother are rounded up during the night and sent to Siberia. Although a work of fiction, the true history behind this story is appalling. Under Stalin's leadership, over 20 million lives were lost . . . more than three times the number who were murdered by Hitler. People from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, etc. were especially affected by his tactics. People were rounded up because of their perceived opposition to Stalin's regime.
Lina's strength, struggles, and triumphs are powerfully written about and we are drawn into her painful reality. This book was depressing, but worthwhile.
<Above on 4.3.14. Below added 6.21.23.>
Page 49: "Two Soviets pulled a priest down the platform. His hands were bound and his cassock was dirty. Why a priest? But then . . . why any of us?"
Page 55: "I stared at Andrius. Dried blood caked his teeth and the corners of his lips. His jaw was swollen. I hated them, the NKVD and the Soviets. I planted a seed of hatred in my heart. I swore it would grow to be a massive tree whose roots would strangle them all."
Page 146: "Mother quickly wiped off the slime, as if it didn't bother her at all. It bothered me. I wanted to roll the hate up into my mouth and spit it back in his face."
Page 164: "Walking to the fields each morning, I could predict who would be the next to sign. Their faces sang songs of defeat. Mother saw it, too. She would chat with the person and work next to them in the field, trying to bolster their spirit. Sometimes it worked. Many times it didn't. At night I drew portraits of those who had signed and wrote about how the NKVD broke them down."
These excerpts jumped out to me, but I don't want to comment on them now. I re-read this over a week ago!
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Down the Street & My Perfect Life
by Lynda Barry
Joh K's books, paperback, 123 & 127 pages
genre: graphic novels, YA coming-of-age
Joh stressed how much his students enjoy these books and loaned them to me. I am not a huge fan of Barry's artwork . . . it looks grotesque to me. My Perfect Life is the more interesting of the two (also the more faithful graphic NOVEL vs. a collection of comics). Maybonne is 14 and dealing with boy issues, friend issues, thoughts of worthlessness and suicide, . . . it is a very teenage book with what she is dealing with on an emotional and relational level. Still, I won't buy these for the media center. Barry is calling on her own adolescence for these tales, and while the essential issues are unchanged, the cultural landscape is significantly different in this decade.
Joh K's books, paperback, 123 & 127 pages
genre: graphic novels, YA coming-of-age
Joh stressed how much his students enjoy these books and loaned them to me. I am not a huge fan of Barry's artwork . . . it looks grotesque to me. My Perfect Life is the more interesting of the two (also the more faithful graphic NOVEL vs. a collection of comics). Maybonne is 14 and dealing with boy issues, friend issues, thoughts of worthlessness and suicide, . . . it is a very teenage book with what she is dealing with on an emotional and relational level. Still, I won't buy these for the media center. Barry is calling on her own adolescence for these tales, and while the essential issues are unchanged, the cultural landscape is significantly different in this decade.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
When Passion Rules
by Johanna Lindsey
Hennepin Library audiobook, 9 discs
read by: Rosalyn Landor
genre: historical romance
Why, why, why do I even try romance books? And why do I insist on completing the entire work? Sigh. Alana has been raised in England and is facing the choices of a girl on the brink of becoming a woman - to marry, to teach, . . . but then her "uncle" drops a bomb on her. She is actually the princess of Lubinia. He was hired to kill her in her infancy, but he couldn't do it and took her away to raise her instead. Now he needs to take her back to avoid war in her home country.
It's the incredibly gorgeous, well-built captain of the guard (but also a nobleman) Christoph Becker who becomes her nemesis, protector, lover, and . . . yeah. Predictable beyond belief. I wish I could find an author like LaVeryle Spencer who actually wrote interesting stories with good plots that also included a romance angle. Oh well. Knowing that they are usually junk, I should just avoid them like the plague. This one was slightly less irritating than the other book of hers I've read.
Hennepin Library audiobook, 9 discs
read by: Rosalyn Landor
genre: historical romance
Why, why, why do I even try romance books? And why do I insist on completing the entire work? Sigh. Alana has been raised in England and is facing the choices of a girl on the brink of becoming a woman - to marry, to teach, . . . but then her "uncle" drops a bomb on her. She is actually the princess of Lubinia. He was hired to kill her in her infancy, but he couldn't do it and took her away to raise her instead. Now he needs to take her back to avoid war in her home country.
It's the incredibly gorgeous, well-built captain of the guard (but also a nobleman) Christoph Becker who becomes her nemesis, protector, lover, and . . . yeah. Predictable beyond belief. I wish I could find an author like LaVeryle Spencer who actually wrote interesting stories with good plots that also included a romance angle. Oh well. Knowing that they are usually junk, I should just avoid them like the plague. This one was slightly less irritating than the other book of hers I've read.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative
by Sir Ken Robinson
PRMS hardcover 305 pages (with endnotes)
genre: non-fiction
I couldn't finish this. I tried, but was only at the half-way point (page 148, to be exact) after seven months. Clearly, this just isn't the right time for me to be reading this. It was on our Summer 2013 Litwits list and I heard fabulous things about Robinson and his work on creativity. There were parts early on that captivated me, but I am trying to teach myself to put a book down if I'm not enjoying it. And the last two dozen times I've read a few pages, I've been forcing myself to read it. Perhaps I'll try it again next year . . .
From the jacket blurb: "There is a paradox. As children, most of us think we are highly creative; as adults many of us think we are not. What changes as children grow up? Organizations across the globe are competing in a world that is changing faster than ever. They say they need people who can think creatively, who are flexible and quick to adapt. Too often they say they can't find them. Why not?"
This is especially interesting to me as an educator. Are we stressing conformity and obedience over more important qualities?
PRMS hardcover 305 pages (with endnotes)
genre: non-fiction
I couldn't finish this. I tried, but was only at the half-way point (page 148, to be exact) after seven months. Clearly, this just isn't the right time for me to be reading this. It was on our Summer 2013 Litwits list and I heard fabulous things about Robinson and his work on creativity. There were parts early on that captivated me, but I am trying to teach myself to put a book down if I'm not enjoying it. And the last two dozen times I've read a few pages, I've been forcing myself to read it. Perhaps I'll try it again next year . . .
From the jacket blurb: "There is a paradox. As children, most of us think we are highly creative; as adults many of us think we are not. What changes as children grow up? Organizations across the globe are competing in a world that is changing faster than ever. They say they need people who can think creatively, who are flexible and quick to adapt. Too often they say they can't find them. Why not?"
This is especially interesting to me as an educator. Are we stressing conformity and obedience over more important qualities?
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