I don't think we're going to get him to slow down. Benjamin is at that age where every day brings something new. Keeping us on our toes, our baby boy's latest trick is climbing up the stairs. It seems he will be walking very soon as he is practicing by "creeping" along the couch, holding on for balance while stepping all around. Once he develops his sense of balance and realizes he doesn't need to hold on, nothing will be the same! Ben continues to have a happy, easy-going disposition and interacts more with us each day. His favorite game at the moment is to take turns with us shaking our heads. It always brings giggles. Miss Nicole calls him a bulldog because of his 4 teeth - 3 on the bottom and 1 on the top left side! Big sister Bree enjoys playing with her brother now that he is able to do more. Mommy is getting in as many cuddles as she can before he becomes too independent.
Maddux and Brianna have grown up together, and it is unbelievable how fast 4 years have gone. We were happy to help celebrate with Maddux at his party. We hope to share many more fun birthdays!
23 books in 2010. Not too bad, really, considering the busy year it was!
What follows is the list of titles, complete with links so you can learn more about a particular book if it sounds interesting to you. All links will take you to one of my favorite websites: goodreads.com. Lately I have been too tired to keep up with writing reviews, but I miss it and (perhaps) will make it a goal in 2011. (Oh the pressure! I already have so much on my plate, we'll see about that...)
And now for some thoughts on my year in books. There were more highlights than lowlights, with Life of Pi winning the award for my most-hated-book-of-2010. This novel has made me reconsider my need to always finish what I start. Why do that? As the cliche' goes, "so many books, so little time," so why waste time with the garbage? With this one, I kept expecting it to get better and knew there would be a twist at the end. Regrettably, it was not redeemed in the end and I left it feeling like I must have missed the point.
As far as a favorite for 2010, well happily there were many and that is impossible to decide. Instead, I will share a few that stuck with me and which I highly recommend.
This is it, the reader's jackpot, what I hope for in every book I choose to pick up and read: the one-I-can't-put-down. In the nation of Panem (once known as North America) 16 year old Katniss Everdeen is chosen to represent her district by participating in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. This book had me hooked from page one. It was expertly paced and riveting from beginning to end. Better still, I knew there were two more books to keep the story going when I finished this one.
This piece of historical fiction fascinated me. Stockett chose a topic close to her heart for her first novel, set in Jackson, Mississippi in the turbulent 1960s. This is the story of 3 very different but equally strong southern women. Skeeter, an awkward young white woman has just graduated from college and returned home, longing to make a break into the journalism world. Aibileen is a wise, black maid raising her seventeenth white child. And Minny is a sassy, short-tempered maid whose mouth gets her into a lot of trouble.Through a series of events, these three women come together and embark on a dangerous project in an effort to stand up against injustice.
One thing that I love, love, LOVE is to find a good read aloud for my students. Read aloud time is the best part of my teaching day, and this year my class and I had a blast with this easy to read chapter book. The blend of easy rhymes and silly humor kept the attention of all 27 of my students, and especially the boys! We had a great laugh together with this one, it will be read every year from now on.
I am so thankful that I had this book with me at the doctor's office this year while I waited for four hours (pregnant and without food or water) to have my blood sugar levels tested. The difficult day was made better with a good book to occupy my mind. In this novel, Juno McKay sees her best friend Christine Webb off at the train station after their fifteenth-year college reunion. Christine had just delivered a lecture at the Penrose College Library, shocking the crowd with little known details about the founding Penrose family. The next day, Christine disappears. Mystery writer Carol Goodman continues to be one of my favorite authors.
Now I am on to creating my book list for 2011. I am looking for new material, so please share titles you have enjoyed!
This book is all the rage at school, and was lent to me by a very good fifth grader friend. I decided to share it with my second graders, but found it...moreThis book is all the rage at school, and was lent to me by a very good fifth grader friend. I decided to share it with my second graders, but found it a bit too dull and confusing for that age group. My class seemed to enjoy it despite my reservations, and a couple of kids ordered the entire series from our recent book order. They are super excited to check the series out at the library as well, so if nothing else at least it sparked an interest. I've heard it compared to Da Vinci Code, but for kids. (less)[edit]
Tully and Kate meet as teenagers in the seventies and become best friends. This book follows their lives as they choose different roads, yet somehow r...moreTully and Kate meet as teenagers in the seventies and become best friends. This book follows their lives as they choose different roads, yet somehow remain close through the years.
Some gems, I enjoyed reading about the pop culture of life in the different decades and felt connected to the Pacific Northwest setting. The characters Tully and Kate grew on me and had me rooting for them to succeed. I appreciated the mother-daughter dynamic as well as the forever friendship between girls who grew into women.
But this book took me forever to read. Two whole months. I even read another novel in the middle of reading this one (something I never do!) At times it felt like a chore. There just wasn't enough momentum in the story to keep my full attention. (less)[edit]
Book 3 in The Hunger Game series did not live up to the promise created by the other 2 books. It was a bit of a let down, but it did provide closure t...moreBook 3 in The Hunger Game series did not live up to the promise created by the other 2 books. It was a bit of a let down, but it did provide closure to the story.(less)[edit]
What impresses me most about both this book and The Hunger Games is Collins' ability to keep me reading. Like most people, I try to stop reading at th...moreWhat impresses me most about both this book and The Hunger Games is Collins' ability to keep me reading. Like most people, I try to stop reading at the end of a chapter so that I am not lost when I pick the book up again. With these books that is impossible. Collins is a master of suspenseful cliffhangers, I simply could not stop reading.
Except that I finished the book. And it ended with a major cliffhanger. And the third one isn't out yet. Crap!!(less)[edit]
One of my favorite things to do when traveling is to find the perfect book to go with my trip. I often look for books with settings similar to the pla...moreOne of my favorite things to do when traveling is to find the perfect book to go with my trip. I often look for books with settings similar to the place I will be, thus for my trip to Montauk, Long Island I chose a book set in Nantucket.
The Castaways are a group of four couples, friends who all live on the island. One of the couples dies in a boating accident, leaving the rest of the friends to cope with the deaths. Each chapter is told by a different person, representing the lives of the castaways from six different perspectives as they try to sort out their feelings and find answers to questions surrounding the circumstances of the accident.
Initially, I had a difficult time with this book and wasn't excited to read it. I had been looking for a fun, engrossing beach read and wasn't expecting to read about people dealing with grief over the loss of friends. However, by the second half of the book I found myself invested in the characters. Hilderbrand (in this novel - the only one of hers I've read)does what Anita Shreve does so well, she creates personalities of people that feel real to me by the time I've finished the book. (less)[edit]
Quick read, and like the rest of the Twilight series I did enjoy this novella. This is the first occasion I've had to read the same story from the per...moreQuick read, and like the rest of the Twilight series I did enjoy this novella. This is the first occasion I've had to read the same story from the perspectives of other characters, and I appreciate Meyer's willingness to do that. Some parts of this book were a bit cheesy overall, but I was impressed with the way it held my attention even though we know how it ends. (less)[edit]
I read this book before. It was called The Probable Future by Alice Hoffman. It was also about a family who received a "gift" of special pow...moreI read this book before. It was called The Probable Future by Alice Hoffman. It was also about a family who received a "gift" of special powers on their thirteenth birthday, but was written for adults rather than children. I must say I liked Hoffman's version better.
Law's story would be great to read aloud in 4th or 5th grade, and I do think I may share her similes and metaphors from the first few pages during writing time with my second graders. (less)[edit]
While not my favorite book by Anita Shreve, I was impressed again by her ability to bring characters to life. This novel brings seven former schoolmat...moreWhile not my favorite book by Anita Shreve, I was impressed again by her ability to bring characters to life. This novel brings seven former schoolmates together to an inn in the Berkshire Mountains for a wedding, and that is where the plot ends. It is the characters who make this novel worth reading. Shreve delicately paints the portraits of seven people, breathing life into them and leaving me feeling like I know them and was there at the wedding myself. About second chances, A Wedding in December also explores the idea of the road not taken and made me question what I would do if given a second chance. (less)[edit]
A novel in verse, I read this entire book while sitting in the waiting room of the doctor's office this week. It is a follow up to the endearing Love ...moreA novel in verse, I read this entire book while sitting in the waiting room of the doctor's office this week. It is a follow up to the endearing Love That Dog, another novel in verse also written by Sharon Creech. This book makes me wish I taught in an intermediate grade. It continues the story of Jack, a student in Miss Stretchberry's class who is inspired by the poetry she shares with them and works to find his own voice through writing poems. In this novel, he describes his relationship with a neighborhood cat:
I hate that cat
like a dog hates a rat
I said I hate that cat
like a dog hates a rat
Hate to see it in the morning
hate to see that
F A T black cat.
Jack uses poetry to explore more complicated feelings about important things in his life as well, including feelings he has about his mother and the sadness he feels about losing his beloved dog.
These books are sweet, endearing and succinct and would be great to read now for National Poetry Month. The things I could do with these books in an intermediate classroom! (less)[edit]
I guess I missed the life boat on this one. The story of a young boy who is shipwrecked and manages to survive for 227 days at sea while sharing a lif...moreI guess I missed the life boat on this one. The story of a young boy who is shipwrecked and manages to survive for 227 days at sea while sharing a life boat with a tiger, I had heard great things about this book. I was not impressed. I found it tedious and had to force myself to read it, and the symbolism did not get me thinking about life or religion in any different or enlightened way. I made myself continue reading because I knew some twist or momentous occasion was waiting for me at the end, one which I hoped would make me see the previous 300 or so pages in a new, fascinating light, but I was disappointed in the way the book ended as well.(less)[edit]
I finished reading The Help last night, but it seems it hasn't finished with me just yet. I keep thinking about the story and the characters as if the...moreI finished reading The Help last night, but it seems it hasn't finished with me just yet. I keep thinking about the story and the characters as if they are dear friends of mine. Kathryn Stockett chose a topic close to her heart for her first novel, set in Jackson, Mississippi in the turbulent 1960s. This is the story of 3 very different but equally strong southern women. Skeeter, an awkward young white woman has just graduated from college and returned home, longing to make a break into the journalism world. Aibileen is a wise, black maid raising her seventeenth white child. And Minny is a sassy, short-tempered maid whose mouth gets her into a lot of trouble.
Through a series of events, these three women come together and embark on a dangerous project in an effort to stand up against injustice. I was fascinated by this story, even more so after learning that it is loosely based on some of the author's own experiences growing up with a black maid as a caregiver. (less)[edit]
The follow-up to The Daily Five, my teammates and I tackled this one this year as well. There are a lot of good ideas and information here. Implementi...moreThe follow-up to The Daily Five, my teammates and I tackled this one this year as well. There are a lot of good ideas and information here. Implementing both books at the same time has been a bit of a challenge, so there are pieces I feel I've successfully taken on with my second graders this year and others I hope to improve on. I love the personal goal setting - so powerful to put kids in charge of their own learning! This is truly a resource I will hang on to and continue to use to grow as an educator. (less)[edit]
Ahh, Carol Goodman. Returning to her novels is like ordering your favorite meal at a restaurant. You know exactly what to expect and will most likely ...moreAhh, Carol Goodman. Returning to her novels is like ordering your favorite meal at a restaurant. You know exactly what to expect and will most likely enjoy it. I certainly enjoyed this one.
Juno McKay sees her best friend Christine Webb off at the train station after their fifteenth-year college reunion. Christine had just delivered a lecture at the Penrose College Library, shocking the crowd with little known details about the founding Penrose family. The next day, Christine disappears.
I find it easy to submerge myself in Goodman's descriptive prose. In The Drowning Tree, she took me to New York to the Hudson River and artfully wove descriptions of water throughout the novel. References to stained glass, mythology and dreams of a former lover blended well with the story line and kept me thinking about the book throughout the day until I could get back to it. If I have one criticism on this one it would be that the last few chapters lacked some of the drama and suspense I have come to expect from Goodman, but still I stayed up late reading just one more page until the story was over. Thanks to Marika for lending it to me! (less)[edit]
This book has been getting a lot of attention on the book websites I follow. I liked the title and the fact that it had a strong female protagonist. P...moreThis book has been getting a lot of attention on the book websites I follow. I liked the title and the fact that it had a strong female protagonist. Plus the reviews made it sound like a real page-turner. So it was that I found myself in Target one afternoon and against my better judgment, turned down the book aisle. Despite the pile of books I had waiting for me at home, including three new ones that had recently arrived in the mail from paperbackswap.com, this one was tossed into the cart and on the way home with me.
So now what to say...
Well, it certainly was not what I expected. Crime books are not usually on my to-read list. At almost 600 pages long, this is a murder mystery made complex with the addition of crime in the financial industry with two main characters who are easy to like and root for. Set in Sweden, the names and Swedish references were confusing. How much IS a kronor in American dollars, anyway? I never bothered to look it up. Tattooed, possibly autistic protagonist Lisbeth Salander intrigued me from the start. I always appreciate strong female characters. Trouble is, I had no idea that violence towards women was a theme in this book. I could have done with out some of those descriptions. Lisbeth teamed up with journalist Mikael Blomkvist to solve a forty year old mystery of the disappearance of Harriet Vanger, a member of one of Sweden's wealthiest families.
At times, I couldn't put it down. I HAD to know what happened.
Other times, I felt disgusted and wanted to toss it out.
The most compelling part of the story for me, the murder mystery, was resolved around page 500. There were still almost 100 pages left which dealt with the financial industry which I felt was a bit of a let down, drawn-out ending. In my opinion the financial stuff was mostly a bore. (less)[edit]
Criss Cross won the Newbery Award in 2006. I wanted to like this book, but honestly it just b...moreSo maybe I wasn't in the right frame of mind?
Criss Cross won the Newbery Award in 2006. I wanted to like this book, but honestly it just bored me. I had to re-read the chapters because it was so uninteresting that my mind would totally wander to other things. I finished it last night and then this morning tried to remember how it ended, but for the life of me I can't recall.
In the beginning, I was drawn into the poetic language and hopeful that maybe it would resemble the poetic novels that I love by Sharon Creech. No such luck. I can't say that I will be reading anything by this author again. (less)[edit]
I was first drawn to this book due to the setting. The Hawaiian Islands captured my senses 5 years ago on my honeymoon and I believe my family and I w...moreI was first drawn to this book due to the setting. The Hawaiian Islands captured my senses 5 years ago on my honeymoon and I believe my family and I will forever be pulled towards them, longing to return. I have yet to venture to the small island of Moloka'i, but now having read this book I will know so much more about its history when I am someday lucky enough to visit.
The novel opens during a turbulent time in Hawaii's history, the late 1800s when Hawaiians were succumbing to a tragic and mysterious disease, leprosy. At this time the disease was not understood, and out of fear anyone with symptoms was immediately quarantined, and eventually sent away to a leper colony on Moloka'i. After my initial shock at the idea of families being torn apart and people being removed from their lives, I began to consider the ramifications of such a disease. Alternatively, had the infected remained where they were, would Hawaii have seen more loss of life? Were there other options that would have helped, rather than ostracizing those infected?
Sadly, many people were sent to finish out their lives on Moloka'i. In this work of historical fiction, Alan Brennert intoduces us to seven year old Rachel Kalama, a girl who develops the telltale sores and, despite all efforts to keep them hidden, is ripped away from her family. What enfolds is her story of hope in the face of disaster, as she navigates a new path with a collection of friends and acquaintances who will become her new family. Rachel's character is an inspiration of strength in the face of adversity, and an example of what can happen when you take what you're given and make the best of life's circumstances. I very much enjoyed getting to know her in this novel. Moloka'i captivated me from page one all the way through to the satisfying conclusion.(less)[edit]
Written by one of my favorite authors, Mercy Watson to the Rescue is an endearing little story about a pig who loves to eat buttered toast. Packaged l...moreWritten by one of my favorite authors, Mercy Watson to the Rescue is an endearing little story about a pig who loves to eat buttered toast. Packaged like a chapter book but full of appealingly bright illustrations, this was the perfect read-aloud to welcome my second grade class back from break. They loved it, and I love that it is a series of books sure to delight young readers who are excited for the transition to chapter books. (less)[edit]
