Author: Christopher Paul Curtis
Characters: Kenny, Byron, Joetta, Mr. and Mrs. Watson
This book about a family that lives in Michigan, though the mom is from Alabama. Kenny has a lazy eye that he worries gets him teased. Byron is a teen with all that goes along with that word...including the attitude and the intense sense of invincibility. The family struggles with Byron's lack of thinking until one day when they decide it is time for Byron to go and stay with Mrs. Watson's mom. She lives in Birmingham, Alabama. They journey down by car in one long trip. Once there, a few major things happen to bring this family to its senses, mainly Byron, and Kenny to a deeper sense of self. It is a very well-written book with plenty of humor, even for me. This book was on the fourth grade reading list for my son. I think he will enjoy it as much as I did.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
The Golden Compass
Author: Phillip Pullman
Characters: Lyra, Iorek the Bear, Mrs. Coulter, John Faar and others
This was an interesting book. I enjoyed many things about the story line including the reading of the compass itself, the wondrous armored bears, the Gyptians, and the elusive topic of the Dust. I enjoyed the book in itself. I disliked the fact that Lyra's character was 2-dimensional and that the ending of the book, I would say the last 45 pages, seemed contrived. I felt as though Pullman was reaching for an ending rather than flowing into it. It was almost like he threw the ending on the table and said here you go! While I am still interested enough in finding out more about the Dust, I am leery of reading the second book. I suppose that I am hoping the second book gives Lyra some more dimension and I am more drawn into her character than I was in the first book. This was not a children's book, by any means. I would recommend this book for kids 15 and older depending on their maturity.
Characters: Lyra, Iorek the Bear, Mrs. Coulter, John Faar and others
This was an interesting book. I enjoyed many things about the story line including the reading of the compass itself, the wondrous armored bears, the Gyptians, and the elusive topic of the Dust. I enjoyed the book in itself. I disliked the fact that Lyra's character was 2-dimensional and that the ending of the book, I would say the last 45 pages, seemed contrived. I felt as though Pullman was reaching for an ending rather than flowing into it. It was almost like he threw the ending on the table and said here you go! While I am still interested enough in finding out more about the Dust, I am leery of reading the second book. I suppose that I am hoping the second book gives Lyra some more dimension and I am more drawn into her character than I was in the first book. This was not a children's book, by any means. I would recommend this book for kids 15 and older depending on their maturity.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Escaping the Giant Wave
Author: Peg Kehret
Main Character(s): Kyle Davidson, his sister BeeBee
The story starts out with Kyle being in 6th grade. It is at the end of the school year and he is to write a list of things that he can accomplish over the summer. He puts four items on his list, including one about the bully that constantly hounds him. His goal is the finally get the bully to stop. Kyle finds out that he will be going on a trip with is parents and sister to the Oregon coast. His father won a trip for being the top seller of real-estate. At the airport, he runs into the bully whose mother happens to be the top virtual seller and is going to the same award ceremony. What a quandry!
They arrive at the hotel that is not finished yet to find they must stay in an old hotel across the street. NO one is happy about it. They visit the beach that afternoon to see a sign warning about tsunamis that happen when there is an earthquake. It says to find higher ground as soon as the earthquake tremors stop. There hasn't been a tsunami in at least 15 years so no one seems concerned when an earthquake does happen. Kyle is left to babysit BeeBee for the night. The pizza and the milkshakes end up on the floor and all Kyle can think about is getting out of the building even though he was told to stay in all night. He fights through a fire in the old hotel with BeeBee at his side. He happens upon the bully passed out and drags him down three flights of stairs. Once the bully comes to he panics and runs past them not even saying a thank you. What a jerk! Once outside Kyle instructs BeeBee to stay with him as they run up the side of the mountain. The whole time he is worrying about their lives, he is concerned about his parents. What a situation!
This is a really great book for 6th graders! It is on my science book list for this semester and I am anxious to see how the students react to it. Two thumbs up!
Main Character(s): Kyle Davidson, his sister BeeBee
The story starts out with Kyle being in 6th grade. It is at the end of the school year and he is to write a list of things that he can accomplish over the summer. He puts four items on his list, including one about the bully that constantly hounds him. His goal is the finally get the bully to stop. Kyle finds out that he will be going on a trip with is parents and sister to the Oregon coast. His father won a trip for being the top seller of real-estate. At the airport, he runs into the bully whose mother happens to be the top virtual seller and is going to the same award ceremony. What a quandry!
They arrive at the hotel that is not finished yet to find they must stay in an old hotel across the street. NO one is happy about it. They visit the beach that afternoon to see a sign warning about tsunamis that happen when there is an earthquake. It says to find higher ground as soon as the earthquake tremors stop. There hasn't been a tsunami in at least 15 years so no one seems concerned when an earthquake does happen. Kyle is left to babysit BeeBee for the night. The pizza and the milkshakes end up on the floor and all Kyle can think about is getting out of the building even though he was told to stay in all night. He fights through a fire in the old hotel with BeeBee at his side. He happens upon the bully passed out and drags him down three flights of stairs. Once the bully comes to he panics and runs past them not even saying a thank you. What a jerk! Once outside Kyle instructs BeeBee to stay with him as they run up the side of the mountain. The whole time he is worrying about their lives, he is concerned about his parents. What a situation!
This is a really great book for 6th graders! It is on my science book list for this semester and I am anxious to see how the students react to it. Two thumbs up!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Dragon in the Cliff
Author: Sheila Cole
Main Character: Mary Anning
This is a fictional story based on the real life of Mary Anning. She was a woman born in 1799 who was instrumental in her contributions as a fossil hunter, excavator, and collector. Her unfortunate circumstances led her father to begin schooling her at the age of 7 to collect specimens from a rock cliff near where they lived. This was during hard times, for he was a cabinet-maker that could not make ends meet since the time of Napoleon. Her father used the curiosities to help supplement the family income to get by during those hard times. Mary was very interested in his curiosities. She learned all she could from him. He died when she was 12. Shortly after that her younger brother and sister both died from illness. It was just her mother and herself in the house then. Her oldest brother had gone to be apprenticed by the upholsterer. Mary delved head-first into finding the fossils. During that time she found the entire skeleton of what would later be called an ichthyosaur. Many people in the town did not approve of a girl hunting for fossils by herself down at the beach. She was shunned by a community and by the men that were known for their interests in Geology. She became a forerunner in the field from sheer determination. This story is a great one for perseverance and strength. She died at the age of 47. She was well-remembered by all who knew her. There were quite a few references to the Bible in this story but other than that it was a good book for middle school students. It was on my recommended list of science books. I used it this semester for my 6th graders and the ones that read it really seemed to like it.
Main Character: Mary Anning
This is a fictional story based on the real life of Mary Anning. She was a woman born in 1799 who was instrumental in her contributions as a fossil hunter, excavator, and collector. Her unfortunate circumstances led her father to begin schooling her at the age of 7 to collect specimens from a rock cliff near where they lived. This was during hard times, for he was a cabinet-maker that could not make ends meet since the time of Napoleon. Her father used the curiosities to help supplement the family income to get by during those hard times. Mary was very interested in his curiosities. She learned all she could from him. He died when she was 12. Shortly after that her younger brother and sister both died from illness. It was just her mother and herself in the house then. Her oldest brother had gone to be apprenticed by the upholsterer. Mary delved head-first into finding the fossils. During that time she found the entire skeleton of what would later be called an ichthyosaur. Many people in the town did not approve of a girl hunting for fossils by herself down at the beach. She was shunned by a community and by the men that were known for their interests in Geology. She became a forerunner in the field from sheer determination. This story is a great one for perseverance and strength. She died at the age of 47. She was well-remembered by all who knew her. There were quite a few references to the Bible in this story but other than that it was a good book for middle school students. It was on my recommended list of science books. I used it this semester for my 6th graders and the ones that read it really seemed to like it.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Rumbling of the Chariot Wheels
Author: I. Jenkins Mikell
This book is a personal account of life on a southern plantation. The gentleman lived on a plantation on or near the island of Edisto in South Carolina. He gives accounts of his childhood living on the plantation and being raised by slaves. He gives insight into the personal side of the Civil War. His anecdotes of life are fun to live with him. He tells stories of hunting and survival. He also gives small stories into people from the time. He hardly ever gives names, which can be frustrating for me because I was actually looking for them. I was hoping to find information about my relatives. He is possibly among them in some off-hand way (something like a cousin twice removed...). I did enjoy the book. It was not a mass-produced book, just a reprint I got a hold of through Ebay. I am glad that I read it.
This book is a personal account of life on a southern plantation. The gentleman lived on a plantation on or near the island of Edisto in South Carolina. He gives accounts of his childhood living on the plantation and being raised by slaves. He gives insight into the personal side of the Civil War. His anecdotes of life are fun to live with him. He tells stories of hunting and survival. He also gives small stories into people from the time. He hardly ever gives names, which can be frustrating for me because I was actually looking for them. I was hoping to find information about my relatives. He is possibly among them in some off-hand way (something like a cousin twice removed...). I did enjoy the book. It was not a mass-produced book, just a reprint I got a hold of through Ebay. I am glad that I read it.
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