Pemba's Song

Book #45: Pemba's Song:A Ghost Story by Marilyn Nelson and Tonya C. Hegamin

Pemba and her mother move from Brooklyn to Connecticut. As soon as Pemba arrives at the new house, she knows something isn't right. She begins having blackouts and sees an 18th century African-American girl. Something terrible happened to Phyllys, a slave that lived in the house hundred of years earlier, and she needs Pemba's help. Working with Abraham, an eccentric old man who lives nearby, Pemba must uncover the girl's story to finally put her to rest.

This book was a quick read. I enjoyed it but would have liked a bit more meat.  My students liked this book a lot and were very excited to read it.  They breezed through it quickly and easily.  I would recommend it for about 4th to 12th grade (although the older kids may get bored with it and want more to they story just like I did.)

Sent

Book #40: The Missing: Book 2 Sent by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Ok, I read the first book in this series when I student taught and loved it. That's where my author crush began. I decided to make it my first read aloud when I began teaching (I would have done it as a book group but don't have enough copies). My students absolutely loved it. When we first began reading I told them it was the first book in a series and the second one came out at the end of August. When we finished Found, my students begged me to go buy Sent, the even offered to each bring in a dollar so I would have enough money for it. I told them no but they were welcome to go buy it or check it out and read it.

A few days later, I broke down and had to buy the second book, Sent. I am so glad I did.

At the end of Found, Jonah and Chip, who are both thirteen-year-olds, are trying to contemplate the news that they're both missing children from history, kidnapped from their proper time period. Before they can fully absorb this revelation, a time purist named JB zaps Chip and another boy, Alex, back to the fifteenth century, where they supposedly belong. Because Jonah and his sister Katherine do not want to lose their friends they grab Chip's arms just as he's being sent away. As a result Jonah and Katherine also end up in the fifteenth century, where they do not belong.

Chip's true identity is Edward V, king of England, and Alex is his younger brother, Richard, Duke of York. But Chip is convinced that his uncle, Richard of Gloucester, plans to kill them and seize the throne for himself.

JB promises that if the kids can "fix time," he will allow them to return to the present day. But how can they possibly return home safely when history claims that Chip and Alex were murdered?

Now that I have read it I'm really wanting to read it to my students because it takes place in the Middle Ages (one thing I have to cover with my 6th graders) and it's just as riveting as the first. I'm stuck. I wanted to make sure I read a different genre each time I do a read aloud but now I'm torn. This book is more difficult to categorize than the first. It obviously has elements of science fiction (time travel) but it also has historical fiction (the entire story takes place from 1483-1485). Maybe I'll just call it historical fiction and read it to them.

I'm on a roll...2 books in less than a week

Book #37: Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix

First of all, I think I have an author crush on Margaret Peterson Haddix. She's fantastic. I haven't read anything by here that is bad.

Jessie lives in Clifton, a small settlement in Indiana, during the 1840s. When kids begin to get really sick, her mother tells her that she needs to leave Clifton to get help. The only thing is, everywhere else it is actually 1996. Jessie has to cope with using a telephone and other modern day conveniences and get help for the kids and the village.

I read this because one of my reading groups is doing it and I decided I need to know what they were reading so I could follow their conversations. Man, am I glad I did. This is a great book. You could probably read it as young as 3rd grade.

Shooting the Moon

Book #34: Shooting the Moon by Frances O'Roark Dowell

This book is set during the time of the Vietnam War (Conflict? I don't know what we call it now but it was a war in my mind so I'm sticking with it.). Jamie Dexter's brother TJ joins the army and Jamie is thrilled. She has grown up with a Colonel father and she and her family live and breath army life. Jamie can't wait to get letters from her brother describing battles and the sights and smells of Vietnam. But the first letter isn't a letter. It's a roll of film and Jamie learns to develop the film for her brother. As more rolls of film come to Jamie, the shiny exterior of the army begins to fade for her.

I liked this book but it wasn't one that grabbed me and made me keep reading. I think it's appropriate for grades 3+. The reading level is about a middle of 5th grade level though.

Out of the Dust

Book #32 Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

"Dust
piles up like snow
across the prairie,
dunes leaning against fences,
mountains of dust pushing over barns."

This book is written in free verse/journal which makes for a very quick read. It follows 14-year-old Billie Jo Kelby and her family from the winter of 1934 to the winter of 1935 on a farm in Oklahoma. Life on the farm is difficult for the Kelbys due to the dust storms and drought. Many people pack up and head for California but Pa thinks things will get better. Ma becomes pregnant and the family is excited. There is some tragedy in the family's lives which pulls them apart.

I loved Hesse's poetic writing. She was able to paint such vivid pictures with so few words. This was another book that I couldn't put down and I had to finish it today. It's a great book for 4th grade on up. You could even use portions of the book to teach poetry.

"The way I see it, hard times aren't only
about money,
or drought,
or dust.
Hard times are about losing spirit,
and hope,
and what happens when dreams dry up." (p. 225)

"I'm getting to know the music again.
And it's getting to know me.
We sniff each other's armpits,
and inside each other's ears,
and behind each other's necks.
We are both confident, and a little sassy." (p. 222)

Sarah, Plain and Tall

Book #21 Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

This book takes place in the 1800s. It is about a widowed farmer and his two children (Anna and Caleb). The farmer advertises for a wife and Sarah comes from Maine. She is very homesick and tells the children how much she misses the ocean. One day she goes into town alone and Caleb worries that she will never return. She comes back with colored pencils so she can draw how beautiful Maine is. She tells the children that though she misses Maine, she would miss them more.

I remember reading this book in 3rd grade and hating it. But that's no surprise. I hated everything a teacher gave me to read. So I thought I'd give it another shot. Nope, still hated it. It's well written, it receive a Newbery Medal but it just wasn't a book I was interested in. But don't take that as a reason not to read it. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who love this book.

Death

Book #20 The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Check out Zusak's website. The Book Thief opens with "It's just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . ."

The story is set in Germany during WWII. It is the story of a foster girl names Liesel Meminger who lives with her foster father and mother outside of Munich. The book is narrated by Death. With the help of her foster father, Liesel learns to read and begins stealing books whenever she can get her hands on them. She uses these stories to help sustain her family, friends and the Jew hiding in her basement.

I really enjoyed this book though I would not recommend it for elementary aged children. The reading level is quite easy but the topics and language are not something that would be good for most elementary aged children. I would recommend this for 8th grade and up. If you want to learn to swear and insult others in German, this is the book for you.


"People observe the colors of a day only at its beginnings and ends, but to me it's quite clear that a day merges through a multitude of shades and intonations, with each passing moment. A single hour can consist of thousands of different colors. Waxy yellows, cloud-spat blues. Murky darknesses. In my line of work, I make it a point to notice them."

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!

Saul, Julie and Keoko

I had an appointment to get Saul's oil changed today. (Saul is my car's name. It's an old man name and I think my car is creeping to old man status pretty quickly so it fits him nicely) This oil change was supposed to happen 2 months and 1000 miles ago...oops! I've been a little preoccupied lately, anyway, I got up in plenty of time, took a shower, barely got ready but still ended up leaving late. How does this happen? When I was in high school I was impeccable at being on time to EVERYTHING. In this last 6 months to a year I've become horrible at being on time. Maybe my late-for-everything-friends finally rubbed off on me. Ugh.

Looking for a job...

is very possibly the worst experience in the world. I got an email from a principal yesterday wanting to set up an interview. Sure sounds great. I email back saying any time is great. She emails me "How about 10am on Friday?" I again say sure sounds great. She emails me back later saying wait that doesn't work, "How about in between 2:20 and 3pm?" I email back "Does 2:30 work?" Still no response. I'm showing up at 2:30. End of story. On another note, I heard from a professor that an elementary in Salt Lake was looking for a 1st grade teacher and wanted a Westminster grad. The professor said to call the principal, mention that I graduated from Westminster, was interested in the job and that the professor had told me about it. Easy enough. I tried to talk to the principal but I had to get through Maggie, the secretary. I think Maggie secretly wants to be a bouncer at a club and I'm not wearing a short enough skirt or slipping her a 20. So I just faxed my resume like Maggie said. We'll see what happens.

Book # 8: When My Name Was Keoko by Linda Sue Park

The first thing I noticed about this book was how similar it was to A Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Choi. This story is told from two perspectives--Sun-hee and Tae-yul. Sun-hee and Tae-yul are sister and brother. They alternate as narrators of separate chapters, and many times they both provide individual views of the same events. The book follows their experiences living in Korea as it is occupied by Japan during WWII. The novel provides accurate information about the war. Some chapters were dry and boring and I found myself skipping over a lot while I was completely engrossed by other chapters. I don't think I would give this book to anyone younger than 5th grade primarily because the level is pretty high and it would probably become quite discouraging for younger readers. Also, the content may be a bit controversial for some students. I'm giving this book 3 stars. If you're really interested in this subject, this is a good book, but there are better ones out there.

"You burn the paper but not the words. You silence the words but not the thoughts. You kill the thoughts only if you kill the man. And you will find that his thoughts rise again in the minds of others--twice as strong as before!" (p. 106)

"How could an alphabet--letters that didn't even mean anything by themselves--be important? But it was important. Our stories, our names, our alphabet. Even Uncle's newspaper. it was all about words. If words weren't important, they wouldn't try so hard to take them away." (p. 107)