The Higher Power of Lucky

Book #39: The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron

Lucky, a 10-year-old girl who lives in a small town called Hard Pan (population 43) with her guardian Brigitte. Lucky became the ward of Brigitte after her mother died two years ago from being electrocuted. Brigitte is Lucky's father's ex-wife. Brigitte is asked by Lucky's father to come to the United States from France to take care of Lucky. Lucky fears that Brigitte is tired of being her guardian and of their life in Hard Pan. Her experiences led her to believe that Brigitte will abandon her and return to France. This anxiety prompts Lucky to seek help from her "Higher Power", a notion she gets from eavesdropping at her town's 12-step meetings. After discovering three "signs" to leave, she runs away with her dog, HMS Beagle, and Miles but realizes she needs to come back home. Before she leaves the dugouts, she casts her mother's ashes out in the wind. Brigitte takes Lucky home and explains the papers Lucky had found in Brigitte's suitcase were actually to legally adopt Lucky.

I just read that this book has been censored by many school libraries because of the use of the word "scrotum" on the first page. Holy cow. Give it a rest. At the end of the book, Brigitte does an excellent job of telling Lucky exactly what a scrotum is. If you read it at school, yes, kids will ask about it. Is that a bad thing? Stupid people annoy me.

Rick Richter, the President and Publisher of the Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, is quoted as saying, "Simon & Schuster ultimately hopes that readers will recognize this wonderful book as a whole, and the charm and innocence of its main character Lucky, and will see beyond one word and the controversy surrounding the book. Susan Patron has written a masterful novel celebrating small town values and we can only hope that her deserved Newbery winner is recognized for the treasure that it truly is." Well said Rick, well said.

The Year of the Dog

Book #38: The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin

This novel follows Pacy's adventures during the Chinese Year of the Dog. As she celebrates with her family, she finds out that this is the year she is supposed to "find herself." As the year goes on, she struggles to find her talent, makes a new best friend, and discovers just why the Year of the Dog is a lucky one for her after all.

Though this was an enjoyable book, I wanted more from it. I think it would be a great book for younger grades but it didn't have enough substance for grade 5+. I would say read it 2nd-4th grade.

Holy Cow! I Finished a Book!

Book #36: Shiloh b Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

I'm having one of my guided reading groups read this book. I figured I should know what they're reading instead of just faking it like I did for the first 2 weeks.

Shiloh is about a boy named Marty and a dog named Shiloh. Marty finds a shy beagle one day while walking. The dog follows Marty and he wants to keep him but finds out he is Judd Travers dog. Judd is mean to people and beats his dogs. Marty doesn't want to give the dog back to Judd but his parents make him. After Shiloh runs away from Judd again, Marty decides to hid Shiloh on a hill in a pen he makes. Marty has to lie and sneak around to keep his secret from coming out.

I think this is a good book for students from 3rd grade up. You can discuss right and wrong with this book. Also, it's just a good story of a boy and his dog. **Spoiler alert** Shiloh doesn't die. I was convinced he would but he doesn't. There are also 2 more books in this series.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Book #35: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

This book is based on Alexie's actual life experiences.

Junior was born with water on the brain which gives him many difficulties to overcome--a studder and seizures. He is very bright and artistic though. When he receives his math book, he reads the front and sees his mom's name written in the front cover. This angers him and he decided to go to the high school in Reardon--an all white small-town school. While there he is able to overcome many difficult life situations and find people who have things in common with him.

This book was emotional and uplifting. It shows the resiliency of people in the face of adversity. Alexie writes with the wit and humor of a freshman in high school. With that in mind, this is not a book for elementary students. You may be able to bring it out in 8th grade but beware: sex and violence rear their ugly heads as much as deep and unabiding sorrow and words of encouragement.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who can accept that boys will be boys and they talk about sex and violence. It was a great book. Funny, encouraging, sad, hopeful. Everything you want in a good book.

The Great Gilly Hopkins

Book #29 The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson

Galadriel "Gilly" Hopkins is eleven-years-old and is "nobody's kid." She wants to find and live with her beautiful mother Courtney but instead has to live with a foster family--Maime Trotter (the mom), William Ernest (freaky foster brother) and the poetry-loving black man who lives next door and is considered part of the family. Gilly hates them all at first but soon she is drawn into their circle of love. She is determined not to care about them and devises a plan to be rescued. She learns too late that she didn't want to be rescued, she just wanted to be wanted.


This is another censored book by Katherine Paterson (way to go Katherine!). I think censoring books is ridiculous. What is this? Nazi Germany? Granted, there are books that are inappropriate for certain ages (i.e. The Book Thief for 2nd graders? I think not!) but no one has the right to say no one should read a certain book. Anyway, I read an article written by her about censoring books once and she mentioned this book and the swearing that Gilly does. She said if she had had Gilly say something like "Fiddle sticks!" when she was mad Gilly would not be a believable character. Gilly is a foster kid. She's mad about things, she's going to say it like she sees it.

Censoring imagination and the real world?

Book #28 Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Jess Aarons is the fastest runner at his school until a new girl (Leslie Burke) challenges him at the begging of the year. Leslie and her parents are new to the rural town and are bit odd (they don't own a TV!!). Leslie and Jess soon become friends. Leslie is imaginative in her play and it's her idea to create Terabithia, their make-believe kingdom.


I love this book! I read it because it's on the banned book list so I assumed that it would be full of vulgar comments, racism, profanity, instructions on making pipe bombs...something horrible. It wasn't. As far as I can tell is it was banned/censored because people are idiots. Leslie's family doesn't believe in God and thinks of the Bible as a fictional story. There is some mild cussing but nothing that most kids haven't heard yet--most of the "cussing" are things like this: "Next a string of cuss words..." "Billy yelled a cuss word..." . Leslie calls her parents by their first names. At the end something does happen that is difficult to deal with but I think books are a great way for children to deal with difficult issues and figure out how they will deal with that issue when it comes up in their life because it will happen.

Julie of the Wolves

Book #26 Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George

Miyax is a 13-year-old girl who's mother is dead and her father disappeared while hunting. She runs away and intends to use the survival skills her father taught her to get from Point Barrow to Point Hope. From there she hopes to get a job on a ship as a laundress or cook and work her way to San Fransisco to meet her pen pal Amy who always ends her letters with "When are you coming to San Fransisco?"

Miyax finds that the tundra of Alaska is much different than home and soon becomes lost. She remembers what her father told her and begins to use body language to communicate with a pack of wolves, hoping they will take her in and feed her.

I think this must be one of those books that I "read" in elementary school or it is very similar to another book I've read. I'm going with the I read it in school and the memory of it got lost in my brain until I rediscovered it.

Hope is the thing with feathers

Book #25 Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson

Woodson begins the book with the following poem by Emily Dickinson:

Hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all

I think it was that point that I knew I'd love this book. (That is one of my favorite poems ever!)

I began reading this just because it was a quiet Sunday and I didn't want to watch tv or do my homework. I didn't imagine I would be reading long. But once I started, I could not put it down. Woodson's language is lyrical, she creates scenes with such poetry. I was amazed by her writing.

Feathers takes place in the winter of 1971. Frannie is a 6th grader. She lives with her parents and deaf older brother on the wrong side of the highway. One day, a tall, skinny white boy with long hair walks into the classroom "white and softly as the snow." He has long hair and soon students begin calling him Jesus Boy. He must stand up to bullying because "there aren't white people on this side of the highway. You didn't notice until one appeared. And then you saw all the brown and light brown everywhere." Frannie's best friend, Samantha, begins fantasizing that this boy may really be Jesus returned to the earth.

Like I've already said, I loved this book. The only problem I see with reading it in a classroom is that Jesus Christ and religion are a central theme. Is that going over the edge? Would I be integrating church and state instead of keeping them completely separate? Other than that aspect, I think it's great for elementary students. It deals with themes of racism, acceptance, hope, love, segregation.

Even if I don't read the entire book, I think I'll read chapter 20 and part of chapter 22 because in each of these sections, Ms. Johnson (the teacher) talks about how each person has memories that he or she can write about and that everyone has a story but some of us are scared to write it and we call that fear writer's block.

It is just a beautifully written book and I recommend reading it for the poetic language alone.

"Strange how one day you can believe in something. And the next day you don't anymore. And then, when you don't have that thing anymore, you don't have anything." (p.95)

"If I could walk through the world and just touch people and lift their pains right out of their bodies, I'd never stop walking." (p. 60)

Freckle Juice

Book #22 Freckle Juice by Judy Blume

Andrew Marcus, a 2nd grader, wants to look like Nicky Lane, a fellow 2nd grader who has freckles. Andrew wants freckles so his mom won't be able to tell if his face is dirty. Sharon, who often tricks Andrew, sells him a secret recipe for Freckle Juice for 50 cents. He drinks the concoction and becomes sick. He then decides to draw freckles on his face with a blue marker. All the kids laugh at him and his teacher gives him a magic freckle remover. Nicky Lane then asks his teacher if he can use the remover also.

This is an extremely quick read (47 pages with pictures)! I don't know if I'm just not into early reader chapter books because they can't really get into a big story or what but I wasn't loving this book. I can see it as something that would be a quick, fun and easy read for 1st or 2nd graders but I'm not into teaching younger grades so I wasn't into it.

Happy Endings

Book # 17 Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate Dicamillo

This is such a great story about a bunch of lonely people who are brought together by a dog. Opal finds a homeless dog at The Winn-Dixie grocery store and he soon helps her to make many friends. This book is written at about a 4th grade level (Christina, use it as a read aloud or for book club in your class!) and I don't think I'm giving anything away but I think this is the only book in existence with a dog on the cover that won an award (Newbery to be exact) where the dog doesn't die. I definitely recommend it. It's a really quick and fun read.

"It's hard not to immediately fall in love with a dog who has a good sense of humor." (p. 12)

The 3 Rs: Recycling, Recap, and Rethinking

Ok, the 45 books in how ever many days I have now is falling flat. I've been reading the same book for over a week now and though it is really good, I just don't have the time to sit and read it. I just feel like I have so many other things that NEED to get done right now that I haven't given myself the time to really read it. I am going to keep trying but I don't know if I can get through 30 books in less than 30 days.

Let's recap what's been going on since last time I wrote about what was going on...

Thursday: Though I blogged this day, I don't think I mentioned going to my school to meet my team. I was a bit overwhelmed but confident that with the help of my team I can do a fantastic job. It sounds like I may be doing student council along with my mentor teacher which will be super fun considering the fact I was not into student council as a student.

Friday: This was my last Children's Literature class. It went well. I think (and hope) I got an A but I'll find out soon enough. After class, I went to a Bee's game which went to 11 innings (that's 2 extra innings for those of you who don't follow baseball). It was a long night and I had to leave for work at 7:40 the next morning.

Saturday: Work. It was ok but I have to tell a story about a little boy at the group home. It's going to be long but it's so good. Here goes:

I arrive at work one Saturday morning to learn that all the children are COVERED in mosquito bites. One boy in particular seems to be very allergic to the bites and his arm is swelling.

Before I go any further, you have to know that this little boy in particular looks like a mini version of Conan O'Brien. Honestly, take Conan, shrink him down to 6-year-old size, give him a slight lisp, and take away the swoopy hair and you have this little boy. It's fantastic!

Anyway, I end up taking him to the doctor to get his arm checked because it is so swollen and he's saying he's having a difficult time breathing. We get there,the doctor checks him out and says that his arm is really infected so he'll need to give him a strong antibiotic and a S-H-O-T.

Ok, I think. Do I tell him and prepare him for the shot or do I let the nurse ambush him? I decide, in my infinite child development wisdom, to tell him. This launches him into hysterics. He's screaming "I don't want a shot!" "Let's just leave!" etc. I calm him down and tell him how it's not going to be that bad and we need to help his infection get better.

He finally calms down when the doctor opens the door which launches him back into hysterics. "I don't want a shot!" Doctor: "This is just a prescription." Boy pants and seems to not trust doctor. I again take about 10 minutes to calm him down.

We sit and wait in the room for about another 20 minutes (40 minutes total after I had told him he was going to get a shot). Finally, two nurses came in (they must have heard him screaming and knew I'd need reinforcements). One is telling me to put him on the table and the other is trying to hide the 2--not one, but 2-- needles. At this point he is screaming "You're a bad doctor! I don't want a shot!" over and over again.

You need to know another side note. The kids I work with get violent at times. Some are very strong and hard to hold, especially when frightened or angry. This little boy is not one of those ridiculously strong kids.

Back to the story...I put him up on the table to which he responds by trying to push himself off the table. He's pushing so hard that I can't get his arms to move. Finally my brute strength wins out and I get his arms above his head. He's still quite wiggly so I tell the nurses that I'm just going to straddle him (I know, sounds weird but it worked). One nurse holds his legs while the other prepares his legs. As she is cleaning he begins saying "That's it?" in an amazed voice. In order to calm him more I say "Yep, that's it. Wasn't so bad was it?" Then they stick him. His face was priceless and if you want me to recreate it for you I will.

The nurses leave but tell us we have to stay for about 10 more minutes to make sure there is no reaction. As I'm rubbing his legs (as instructed by the nurse) he keeps saying "Ashley, I think they got the bone." I try to tell him that they give shots in your thigh so they don't hit bone but he doesn't believe me and keeps repeating it.

It was hard to see him go through that but he just said such funny things that I had to laugh a bit and share it. I am happy to report that his arm is no longer swollen and he is doing much better.

Sunday: I went to church and had a pretty lazy day.

Monday: I started my second MEd class today. The class is called Writing in the Classroom and so far so good. I really enjoyed the first day and felt like I was able to participate fully but I also learned a lot. I can't wait to see what the rest of the month brings!

That brings us to today...

I never realized how much classroom crap I had been accumulating since I've been in the education program. Holy cow! I've been trying to organize and get rid of what I don't need but it's really hard. I have a job in 6th grade but I'm not sure if I'll love it and want to stay in that grade forever so I'm having a difficult time getting rid of stuff that is neat but not for 6th graders because I might need it one day.

In the midst of cleaning and organizing, I had to go to staff meeting for The Children's Center. We did our normal talk about the kids stuff then the bad news. The group home is going to be shut down on July 31 because "the department wants to spend more money and preventative care." I don't know if I buy it but I don't want to incriminate myself so I'll say no more on that subject. I'm sad to see it go and sad that I won't have an extra paycheck but I'm more sad for all the people who have put so much time and energy into it and have nothing else to turn to. Hopefully it will all turn out for the best.

Book #15 Judy Moody Save the World by Megan McDonald

This book is about Judy Moody and obviously her quest to save the world. It's basically a -didactic-bash-you-over-the-head-with-how-great-recycling-is book. The characters were simplified, characterizations that you'd expect from a book like this...dads are stupid, boys are feeble minded, and girls are strong and scientific. This book was written quite recently but I had to keep checking the copyright date to see if I had missed something. The language the characters use just seems very outdated. Judy says, "Rare!" whenever anything is cool. Is the author trying to start a new fad? I don't know but what I do know is that is annoyed me, A LOT!

Lots of Books and TV

OK. I'm back with many books for all y'all...Yippee!!

Book#10 Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr

This is the true story of Sadako, a young girl who lived in Japan. She was born to be a runner and wins many relay races at school. She contracts leukemia due to the atom bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima. While in the hospital, she begins making paper cranes to pass time. Her goal is to make 1000. This is a book I was never really invested in. I didn't like the writing style and the book just seemed to end. I wanted so much more in this book. I wanted the characters to be more defined. I wanted to be grabbed by something, anything, but I wasn't. Though I didn't like it, I'm not saying it's a horrible book. It was recommended to me by someone I respect and I know she knows her children's lit so it was obviously just a story I didn't like.

Book #11 The Children's Story by James Clavell

This story is written very simply and i read in about 30 minutes. The reading level is probably about 3rd grade but I would not suggest using it with 3rd graders. This is actually a book I'd recommend teachers read and maybe use it in 6th grade and higher to talk about propaganda. The story takes place in a classroom. The students and old teacher are sitting and waiting. A young teacher comes in to replace the old teacher. This teacher asks many questions about why students do things. Why they pray, pledge allegiance to the flag, etc. She successfully indoctrinates the students to the new regime in a matter of minutes. It was an amazing story for me to read and realize how much influence a teacher has on his or her students. I would defiantly recommend adults read it then decide if they can read it to or with their students. This book was made into a TV movie in 1984. Here are the videos. They are horrible quality but you get to read the book without really reading it. Though I still suggest reading it because it only takes 30 minutes...30 MINUTES! Just read it!

Book #12 The Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Choi

I mentioned this book earlier but decided to read it again. I loved this book! Sookan is 10-years-old and lives in North Korea during the time when Japan had occupied it. The book's overarching theme, oppression, is one that most students in the United States have not dealt with the way that Sookan and her family do but oppression is something that happens every day all over the world and students need a safe outlet to experience it and decide what they would do in that situation. This book is really well written and it made me feel exactly what Sookan was feeling. Though I would love to read it in a classroom, you'd have to be careful with this because many girls are taken from the factory where Sookan's mother works to be "spirit girls." Though it is not said outright, these girls are basically sex slaves for the Japanese military. But it is so well written and gives students something to really think about that I would read it. Maybe just as a read aloud so I can skip over those parts? I don't know. Anyway, fantastic book!

Book #13 Hiroshima by Laurence Yep

This is a very short and factual book. It talks about what atom bombs are, WWII, Japan and its relationship with the United States at the time. It is laid out very simply so that someone with no knowledge would be able to understand the history presented in the book. One point I liked in particular is right after the bomb is dropped on Hiroshima, the pilot says something to the effect of 'What have we done?' This is an actual account and this pilot really did say this which gives the reader an insight into his mind. I also think it makes him more realistic.

Book #14 A Jar of Dreams by Yoshiko Uchida

This was another great book. Rinko is an 11-year-old girl growing up in California in the 1930's. Times are tough during the Great Depression for everyone but Rinko's family has it particularly difficult. This book has a little bit of violence but it's not so much that I would question its use in a classroom. It's a great book to show perseverance, integrity, and accepting yourself for who you are.

Wow. If you've made it this far, good for your! Give yourself a pat on the back! I have something to complain about. I wasn't feeling well on Tuesday night so I vegged in front of the TV. Now, since all good TV is gone because it's the end of the season, I was subjected to the worst excuse for a TV show I've seen in a long time...I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! Are you kidding NBC? Are you really that desperate? It's like if Survivor (which I also hate but would much rather watch that) and The Surreal Life had a baby you'd get this show. Ugh! It's horrible! I already have to see Heidi and Spencer and his flesh-colored beard dispensing their vanity and need for fame all over the place. But now I'm subjected to them on yet another show? Are we that stupid as a nation that we see this as good TV? The part I saw they dunked all the celebrities into a pit with snakes, spiders, cockroaches, etc. and who ever lasted the longest got immunity. But Heidi and Spencer and his flesh-colored beard said they were "too famous" to do something like that. TOO FAMOUS!?! UGH! I turned it off and watched golfing. It's horrible. Your brain turns to goo if you watch it. Read one of my books instead!

Braverism

Book #6: Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary

This book was published in 1975 so was therefore around when I was in elementary school. Why was I never introduced to Ramona? She's so cute and spunky and full of enough mischief for the goody-two-shoes-2nd grade version of me to vicariously live through that I think I would have actually enjoyed reading these books. Another thing I really enjoy about this book is the use of vivid language. SO MANY vocabulary words! Astound, predicament, aghast, humiliation, clattered, hastily, glorious, dignity, dawdling, muster, incident. Loved it! I give it 4 stars. I included some quotes I liked from the book. I think I got a bit carried away.

"Agreeing was so pleasant she wished she and her sister could agree more often." (p. 12)

"'If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret any more,' said Mrs. Quimby.

That, Ramona felt, was just about the most exasperating sentence ever spoken by a grown-up." (p. 18)

"They were no longer six-year-olds. They were the strongest people in the world. They were giants." (p. 38)

"Ramona liked good lively comedies with lots of children and animals and grown-ups doing silly things. Next to that she liked cat food commercials." (p. 88)

"Crying had left Ramona tired and limp, but somehow she felt better, more at peace with herself, as if trouble and guilt had been washed away by tears." (p. 148)

“IF” by Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:


If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'


If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

Bunches of Made Up Words

Book #4: Frindle by Andrew Clements

I enjoyed this book. It was a very easy read and is about a 2nd-4th grade level book. It's is about a boy named Nick who learns from his teacher that words mean what they mean because we say they do. He gets an idea to start calling pens "frindles" and soon has his whole school using the word. The story follows his 5th grade year and how the word frindle grows into a nation wide word. I give this book 3 stars.

Book #5: The BFG by Roald Dahl

I can hear the outcry now. I'm sure people are going to be very upset with me for saying this but I HATED THIS BOOK! I usually like books by Roald Dahl but this was the exception. I think the reason I hated this book so badly was because of the massive amount of made up words and because of The BFG's horrible grammar. Why are giants always so bad at speaking standard English? Is it in their gigantic DNA? I had the most difficult time finishing this book and actually put it down many times because I was sick of it. I was very disappointed because I had heard that it's a great book. I didn't think so. I gave this book 2 stars. One of the stars was just because it's written by Roald Dahl.




I also had an interview for a 6th grade position today. I rocked it hard! I was so relieved to know that I can give a good interview, the first two I was just a ball of nerves. Now I've gotten over my anxieties and I think I'm going to get a job soon. I hope it all goes well. By the way, this principal taught 6th grade at Jordan Ridge (where I went) when I was in 6th grade. Small world, right?

Book #2 and My Body is on a Suicide Mission

Today's book is Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney.

This book is written in JOURNAL style, not diary style. It is the story of Greg Heffley's life in middle school. It follows him from the first day of school to the last. It is written from 4th to 6th grade and has humor that is very suitable for them. That being said, I laughed out loud at a few parts. Here is an example: Greg's mom tells him he needs to write thank you letters to everyone he received a Christmas present from. At first this is very difficult for him but then he realizes he can write a form letter and just fill in the blanks. It works well at first but he soon comes to a problem. Here is the problem letter (italics are the parts Greg fills in):


Dear Aunt Loretta,


Thank you so much for the awesome pants ! How did you know I wanted that for Christmas?


I love the way the pants looks on my legs !


All my friends will be so jealous that I have my very own pants .


Thank you for making this the best Christmas ever!

Sincerely, Greg

The journal entries are also illustrated which is what makes the book so fabulous! This is again a very quick read because of the style.

I'm giving this book 5 stars which, if you remember my system, translates to: "Why hasn't everyone read this yet?!!"

Words of wisdom by Greg Heffley:

"Let me just say for the record that I think middle school is the dumbest idea ever invented. You got kids like me who haven't hit their growth spurt yet mixed in with these gorillas who need to shave twice a day. And then they wonder why bullying is such a big problem in middle school," (p.3).


On to My Body is on a Suicide Mission.

Honestly, what does my body think it's doing?

Here are the facts:

1. I have had the WORST allergies of my life this year and nothing is working to alleviate them.

2. I have a hacking cough which with my PhD., I am going to diagnose it as Swine Flu (no I'm not over reacting!)

3. There are large, hard bumps behind both of my ears that hurt as bad as giving birth without an epidural (again, I'm not over reacting, though I've never had children). I'm diagnosing this one as cancer (with the help of WebMD) or it's just the bone. I'm hoping for just a bone.

4. My broken toe was doing just fine and now it really hurts. Hello! I'm going to the doctor tomorrow so he can say I don't have to wear the stupid boot any more. Be a nice little bone and heal already!

5. My right knee is spasming. It may be because I put a lot of weight on it due to the above mentioned injury but I don't know.

6. I've had a migraine for 5 days straight.

Seriously! What is wrong body? I should probably see a doctor. Ugh. I hate going to the doctor. But I'll do it so I can stop being paranoid.

45 books in 90 Days

I'm taking a Master's level children's literature class. I feel very inadequate with my book reading.

In this class we talk about books we really connected with as children. As classmates ramble on and on about books they loved as children, I sit and doodle and vaguely try to look like I'm thinking or I rack my brain for any fragment of a book still left over from elementary school but the file marked "Books I read and enjoyed in elementary school" is completely empty. I remember being assigned a few books to read in elementary school but always hated them. I can't remember titles of any books I read until 7th grade...Z for Zachariah. And I don't remember much about the book only the fact that I finished it and didn't completely loath it.

Let's backtrack a bit. As a family, we don't read. The only thing I remember my mom reading is the newspaper. I was never pushed to read. We don't have bookshelves crammed full of books lining our walls. We never went to libraries unless we needed a book for a book report. We weren't the family that just went to the bookstore and were told to pick a book. Book reports were torture as children. AR points, even worse. I honestly didn't become a reader until college. And at that point, I was reading children's books and text books. Up until now, I haven't felt I had the time to sit down with a good book and devour it like a wolf, "in great hulking bites, with vigor, as often as possible," (cited by Tunnell p. 8).

But today is the turning point. I can continue in my non-reading ways or make a change for the better. I've decided to read. Now it may seem like 45 books is a lot to read in 90 days but these will all be children and young adult literature (I have to be ready for my job, that I will have soon!) My plan is to read the book, rate it and basically just give myself a little synopsis so I can look back later and say, "Oh, I remember reading that! I would be great for this book group/ read aloud/shared reading..." So here goes:

Book #1: Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Here is a pretty good summary.

If you took the time to read the summary, you know the main character is Steve Harmon. He is the narrator of this book and is writing his life and trial as a screen play with a few of his journal entries tied in.

Because of the format, it is a very fast read. Also, because of the format, I got a bit lost in exactly who the characters were (especially the lawyers) and what their story was.

I think this would be a great book for 7th grade to 12th grade students and I think I may recommend it to my 9th grader sister.

My rating system is a 5 star system where 5 stars is "Why hasn't everyone read this yet?!!" and 1 star is "You should really use this book to balance that wobbly table in your kitchen." I give this book a solid 4 stars, which translates to "Pick this book up and read it in a hour or two. You'll be glad you did."

"I want to know who I am. [...] I want to look at myself a thousand times to look for one true image," (p. 281).