Making a Blog

Completing this assignment was quite a challenge. We celebrated my parent's 40th. Wedding Anniversary with a beautiful reception and dance on the 20th. Two-three days later, we survived Hurricane Dolly here in Brownsville mainly because I was on a family road trip for the past 8-9 days! Nevertheless, the family who stayed behind is safe and the only thing was that our wooden fence on one side of our house was knocked down. Can be fixed! No biggy! As we were driving through our beautiful country: Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, back through Missouri.... back to our great Lone Star State...I read, read, and read. I even found that I read some books I didn't have to read anymore from the given lists; Safe and Hold Up! HA! Awesome books though. By the way, here is a picture of my family and me at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway! Regardless the fact that reading some of those young adult books were hard to read due to the content; way out of my comfort zone my favorite was Touching Snow. I highly recommend it!

I know much of of the content found is this book is reality in many of our students lives but like I mentioned in some of my blogs being a parent we just wish our children were safer and didn't have anything or anyone hurting them.

2X2 List

Babies in the Bayou by Jim Arnosky tells of the different animals that live in a bayou; animals with long tails, ringed eyes, webbed feet, and yellow tails; animals living on floating logs, hanging from trees, on lilypads, in the water. It briefly tells how the mother animals teach their babies how to dig for food and how they protect them from danger.

This book has beautiful illustrations that add to the short sentences on each page. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to show the different animals that could possibly live in one ecosystem.

2X2 List

The Perfect Nest by Catherine Friend is a hilarious story of Jack, a cat who builds a perfect nest that will eventually give him his perfect omelet. Well, never thinking that chickens were not the only animals in the farm that would lay eggs, creates a huge problem for him when a duck and goose also do the same on the perfect nest. At first he is delighted because he is thinking of the three omelets he will be enjoying, but soon realizes he can't get his hands on the eggs because the chicken, the duck, and the goose won't leave the nest. He tries to scare them away by yelling, "Fire!", "Flood", and "Wolf!", but nothing seems to work until he tells them there is a better nest in the next farm. He anxiously awaits for them to leave, and they do, and just when he is getting read to get the eggs..... they start hatching! The three feathered babies want their mothers' attention and there's nothing much Jack can do but attend to them.

This was just a hilarious story! One, I for sure know children, anyone would enjoy reading.

2X2 List

Pip & Squeak by Ian Schoenherr is a story that reminded me of the times when we have been in a hurry to leave to someplace and halfway to our destination we realize we have forgotten something we were supposed to take like a camera, shoes, jacket, THE GIFT, or my PURSE! Many times we have had to stop to buy the forgotten item and other times, there is no choice but to go back! Pip and Squeak are two mice in a hurry to their friend Gus' birthday party. On their way their they realize they don't have his gift so they start looking for something to grab along the way there to take as a gift. They finally agree to get this orange object at the top of a snowman thinking it's cheese! When they finally get it, they realize it's a carrot and have not option but to take it to Gus not being sure he'll like it, since it's not cheese. Gus, the rabbit, ends up liking it!

2X2 List

Bob and Otto by Robert O. Bruel. Eventhough this book is intended for children between the ages of 4-8, I would most definately use it with my 5th. Graders in Science class when teaching them about (metamorphosis, the Nitrogen Cycle) how we are all different and the same in many ways, but most importantly how we are all dependant on each other in some way or another. Bob, a caterpillar, and Otto, an earthworm are great friends who love to spend time together and never notice anything different amongst themselves. One day, Bob decides to climb a tree and time later comes back to the ground completely changed as a butterfly. This makes Otto feel different but they come to realize that without each other, they might not exist.

Moral of the story: Eventhough we are the same and different, we all need one another.

BLUEBONNET

One Potato, Two Potato by Cynthia DeFelice is a story that made me question myself as what would I do if I found a pot that would double whatever item I placed in it. What would I want more of? Most of us, would probably place money in it. In this story, Mr. and Mrs. O'Grady are two characters that love each other very much and are happy with the little that they have. Even though they don't have much, they make ends meet at the end of the day. One day they find this pot that they soon realize can double whatever item you place it in. They make enough just to live a good life and decide to put buried in the ground for someone else to benefit from it. I wonder, how many of us would not be selfish or greedy and do the same. What would you do? Humm?

2008 Notable Books for Children

The Many Rides of Paul Revere by James Cross Giblin is Paul Revere's biography. In this biography we find that his roots came from France with his father's name of Apollo Rivoire. Early in his life, Paul Revere's father was sent away to live with his Uncle Simon, who then sent him away to America. To make it easier for Americans to pronouce his name he changed it to Paul Revere. Here in America, Paul Revere (Sr.) married a woman named Sarah. Later, they gave birth to the Paul Revere we know and read about in books. Paul Revere was given proper education and became a great silversmith and engraver. Back in his days, if anyone wanted to see a photograph of anything, they must have bought an engraving of the event or person. This is another way Paul Revere made money. One of the most important things he engraved was the Boston Massacre on King Street where British soldiers massacred townspeople after a British soldier was accused of being a thief. Among other things he was also part of the Boston Tea Party incident, one of the fastest horseriders, gunpowder maker, paper money maker, and someone who was alive when our first U.S. President died.

This book contains pictures of some of Paul Revere's belonging such as his leather saddlebags, a silver spur made and worn by him, examples of paper money engraved by Revere, a gold urn made to hold a lock of hair from President Washington, and a poem written by Longfellow named "Paul Revere's Ride." At the very end of the book, one can find a Paul Revere timeline and a map of some historic sites to visit related to Paul Revere.

From this book not only do you get to read how many rides he did from city to city to warn people of British soldiers, but one can see the many other sides of him as a husband, soldier, silversmith, father, etc.

It was interesting to find out the many other things Paul Revere did other than just anything to do with the American Revolution.

2008 Notable Books for Children

Lightship by Brian Floca is about a lightship named Ambrose. As the author notes at the end of the book, before lighthouses were built to guide ships, lightships were stationed in the water to guide them. They always stood their place and if for any reason the lightship was moved, it was brought back to its' place and anchored over again. In the inside cover, there is an illustration of the ship and labeled main parts and rooms. This book talks about the captain, his crew (including a cat) and their daily life on the lightship. I found this book a bit interesting because I had never heard of lightship before. I learned something new today!

2008 Notable Books for Children

Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity by Mo Willems. Trixie is an excited little girl who can't wait to get to school to show her teacher and Pre-K friends her Knuffle bunny. Soon, her excitement ends when her classmate, Sonja walks in with the same stuffed animal because now she doesn't own a one-of-a-kind bunny. There is much bickering throughout the day, that their teacher, Ms. Greengrove takes away the bunny but returns them to the girls. Everything seems fine, until around 2:30 in the morning, Trixie realizes she has the wrong bunny. She wants her bunny back, and as her dad is walking to the phone, it rings. Sonja's father is on the other end with the same problem. They agree to meet somewhere to exchange the bunnies. Both children are happy and this is when Trixie makes her first best friend.

I love the combination of illustrations and photographs. They add the realisitic touch to the story which I know many parents experience when their child claims, "this is not my toy" and we look at it and wonder how in the world do they know the difference?

2008 Notable Books for Children

Henry's Freedom Box, A True Story from the Underground Railroad by Ellen Levine. Henry is a young, slave boy whose master sells him to his son when he becomes ill. Life with the new master is not very good, but things look brighter when he meets a slave girl named Nancy. Even though they are from different masters, their masters agree they can marry. Life is great, until one day he finds out that his children and wife are sold to someone else. He is then left alone. One day he thinks of a plan to free himself. With the help of his friend James and a white man, who doesn't believe in slavery, Dr. Smith he is "mailed to freedom" to Philadelphia in a wooden box. After 27 hours of being in a box, he is a free man who became famous as Henry "Box" Brown in the 1800s.

2008 Notable Books for Children

First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger is a book of "firsts". It has a very creative way of showing how somethings come first and then last. Through the bright pages of the book, there is a space on each page where some part of it it cut to show the other page behind it. Each of the cuts, show a different object that in some way is something else on the next. First things like an egg, tadpole, seed, word are then followed by what happens next in each existence. So, which came first, the egg or the chicken? Or the chicken or the egg??! Huh?!

Finalist for 2008 National Book Award in Young People's Literature

Story of a Girl by by Sara Zarr. Yikes! Being caught in the act by your father .... at age.. 13! Well, this is the story of Deanna who was in fact caught by her dad with her brother's friend, Tommy. This is the incident that haunts her for the rest of her school days, until the end of her sophomore year where she decides to take charge of her life. One lesson learned is that one incident in your life can either make you or break you. In this case, it practically broke Deanna since she was labeled as the school's slut. Living a life always thinking about what other people are thinking of you is no life to live. Deanna starts taking control of herself and during that summer she gets a job where incidently, she is met up with Tommy after 3 years since that day. After learning to accept and forgive herself and others, is then that she moves on. This is a book I would recommend for middle and high school students who might be already exploring sex and maybe learn a lesson or two about the consequences their actions might have.

2008 Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers

Thalia: Belleza!: Lessons on Lipgloss and Happiness by Thalia. This is a book by one of Mexico's most beautiful considered starlets; Thalia. The book provides the reader with many beauty tips including skin care, how to apply foundation and makeup (eyes and lips). It also includes information on how to dress up for special occasions, treatments that enhance your body like botox, laser treatments, antiwrinkle products, and lots more. There is also advice on how to apply make up at different women's ages from adolescent to over 60! This book is also available in Spanish.

This book is one I found very informative since most of us (women, in general) are always looking for ways in which can beat the aging process and make ourselves look more beautiful as we get older. This book provides techniques and tips for all women.

2008 Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers

Inside Out Portrait of an Eating Disorder by Nadia Shivack is the true story of Nadia, the author. She tells her story that includes pictures she drew while in treatment. As a young child, her mother would make her and her sisters eat everything on the plate. Her disorder somewhat started when she started swimming competitively and the coach praised the girls with appropriate weights and often told the others to watch their weight. This started making her feel really fat. The more she felt fat, the more she thought about food and would often go stuff herself with junkfood such as candies. Then she would exercise to burn the calories. Soon, everything started getting bad for her at school and with her swimming. All she now thought of were diets. She learned how to binge and then force herself to throw up. Day after day, her situation got worse and worse to the point that she ended up signing up for a free treatment. This helped for awhile but she eventually ended up bingeing and vomiting again. She later gave up on herself and just before she turned 40 she was admitted into another treatment center. Again, she was getting better, but in her mind she still thought she wouldn't make it. Right before she was released from the center, she ran away thinking of committing suicide. She was lucky that time and was caught just in time. She got more counseling and is now learning to accept herself.

This book, along with Thin have made me realize that we need to be more concious on how we criticize anyone. Sometimes without thinking, and maybe just saying something we think is cute might not be cute to someone else. "Oh, I just love your chubby cheeks!". In this book you will find many facts along the pages about different percentages of how this disorder affects girls from a very early age between 1st. and 3rd. Grade; 42% want to be thinner! They shouldn't be worried about things like this!

2008 Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers

Baby Girl by Lenora Adams. Books like this always get me thinking especially when they are about women dealing with real life experiences. Sheree has many problems as she is in a single parent home and where the parent is mostly absent and not someone very dependable. Sheree then has to deal with a problem that many young girls are now having to confront on their own: pregnancy. As the story unfolds in three different letters, one gets a sense of how her life started, her cry for help when she runsaway and how she now must deal with her own consequences.

Being a mother myself, makes books like this very hard to read a times because it's very hard to understand why young kids place themselves in very adult situations. In Sheree's situation, like for many, it's probably the lack of parental bonding and attention.

2008 Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers

Thin by Lauren Greenfield is a collection of the many lives of women with eating disorders being treated at the Renfrew Center. It provides the reader with many photographs, at times a bit graphic of their thin bodies and even self-inflicted wounds. It takes you into their daily life of struggles with eating, gaining weight, not being able to face the scale, and being intimate. This book also gives you actual journal writings of some of the patients telling their story of how it all got started and how they still secretly think they are going to get down to their weight after they are released from the center. One of the main reasons all this gets started is because some were made fun of and other are just trying to copy Hollywood skinny starlets. I can see how reluctant readers would want to read this book, especially girls. The photographs really draw your attention to the book and give you a great insight as to what it is about. One thing that did surprise me was that insurance covers eating disorders and even more surprising was finding a picture of a girl from my hometown of Brownsville, Texas. What a small world...

2008 Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers

Class Pictures: Photographs by Dawoud Bey; Essays by Jock Reynolds and Taro Nettleton; and Interview by Carrie Mae Weems. Class pictures is a collection of photographs taken by Dawoud Bey. Bey visits different schools and takes pictures of certain students of different nationalities and economic status. Before he takes the photographs he provides the student with a lined paper to write anything they want about themselves. As I read first saw the collection of photographs, I like many people, stereotyped some of them by their looks but was pleasantly surprised at the things they wrote about themselves. In his interview he tells how some parents and teachers have approached him and told him that after reading what some of the students wrote about themselves or just their thoughts, they learned something new about them or found an explanation to some of their behaviors in the school.

2008 Best Books for Young Adults

Before I Die by Jenny Downham. Being a parent this was hard to read, but being a human being made it harder. Tessa is a 16 year old who is told by doctors she doesn't have much time to live since she has cancer. Instead of feeling sorry for herself, she makes the decision to live life to the fullest and makes a list of things she wants to do before she dies. This includes experimenting with sex and drugs. As I read, I started wondering what I would write on my list if I was Tessa. This book also kind of reminded me of the movie, "The Bucket List". The one person I also felt very much for was her father, that as a parent I could see myself trying anything and everything to find a cure for my child. With hard days and happier days, Tessa learns to accept her fate and even though the story doesn't have the ending one hopes for, one knows that even though when someone dies, they will always remain alive in your heart. I would recommend this book to young adults in high school and anyone who is up to taking the challenge that we should live every day as it was our last day on earth.

2008 Best Books for Young Adults

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. I just love movies that encourage people to take a chance, to overcome fear, and do what is best for themselves. Reading this book was just the same. Arnold Spirit is the story of a Native American who tired of the ways and stagnant life on the reservation takes a chance and enrolls in a school for whites. At first he has many problems not being accepted but eventually ends up getting the respect from his classmates. At the same time he has to deal with his own people who feel betrayed by him. Stories like this teach us about taking a chance even when everything around you is against you and most importantly, to never settle for less than what you think you deserve and can do!

2008 Best Books for Young Adults

A Long Way Gone - Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah is the true story of Ishmael who at a very young age was transformed from a boy who loved doing normal things like other boys did at his age to an angry, merciless soldier full of hate and ready to kill the enemy. As I read this book, it brought images of young boys I have seen on television holding up machine guns and being brainwashed to kill the enemy. After being rescued and taken out of that kind of brutal environment full of drugs, hatred, and rage Ishmael is now a spokesperson who tells of his life story and of many who are now at a very young age being forced to fight in wars and hate with the heart. Stories like this where children are placed in very adult situations are always hard for me to read. I can't imagine how a child can be brainwashed to hate and kill.

2008 Best Books for Young Adults

Touching Snow by Sindy M. Felin. Do you believe in guardian angels? If you don't, after reading this you sure will. Reading this book was quite a frustrating experience, not because it wasn't interesting but because of what was happening in the story. Throughout the story I felt the frustration of sisters having to deal with a stepfather that often gave them really bad beatings; once almost to the point of killing the older sister, Enid. I felt like I wanted to get in the story and hit him myself.... do something!!! I felt frustrated with the Mother who for lack of education, lack of self confidence felt that without him, her family would struggle even more financially. AAAWWWW!!! This is a wonderful, powerful story of sometimes taking matters into your own hands when circumstances don't really give you other options. It also made me think of guardian angels because at the end, when Karina (Katu) finds a way to finally get rid of this man. To her surprise, all her guaridan angels help set up the stepfather's death, and finally put an end to their daily torture. I was so happy at the end... and relieved!

2008 Best Books for Young Adults

The Arrival by Shaun Tan is a story told in pictures. It starts off with a man leaving his family to go to another country. While one looks at the pictures you somewhat feel confused as to what is happening, which is what the immigrants must feel in a new country, alien to them. During their time in another country memories of their families always are present in the new things they are seeing and experiencing. The inside cover of the books has many illustrations of many people who immigrated to the United States entering through Ellis Island. While I read this book, it also reminded me of another story found in 3rd. Grade reading basals: "Grandfather's Journey" which also relates to immigrating to another country and the mixed feelings dealt with.

2008 Batchelder Award Honor Winner

The Cat or, How I Lost Eternity by Jutta Richter is the story of a little girl named Christine. She always get to school late because she spends time talking to a cat. One day, her teacher Mr. Hanke finally sends her to the principal to get punished for being late everyday. He punishes her by having her write "There are no talking cats and in the future I will come to school on time" 200 times. She tells the cat the punishment and in someway manipulates her to write it without the word "no". It makes her believe that if she writes it 200 times as directed by the principal, she will start believe that. She finally realizes the cat is mean, manipulating, and wicked. She decides to not talk to it anymore.

I found this book hard to understand. I think the message was to not let yourself be manipulated or controlled by anything or anyone. I would not recommend this book.

2008 Coretta Scott King Award for ILLUSTRATION

Let it Shine: Three Favorite Spirituals by Ashley Bryan brought many good memories from when I used to teach bible class. The children loved to sing "This Little Light of Mine" or "Mi Pequeñita Luz" and "He's Got the Whole in His Hands"! We even had the hand gestures to go along with the words! I found myself singing along as I read the pages and looked at the colorful pictures of children's silouettes holding hands and having fun together. This book is a collection of the two spirtiuals I mentioned before and "Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In". It would be a good resource to use with middle to upper elementary children during Black History and teach the background of these three spirituals. It a great way to teach even though there might be some physical obstacles in your life, your spirit can still live on in your heart and mind; which is the message I got from the author's note at the end of the book.

2008 Coretta Scott King Award for Text

Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis is the story of the first free born child of Buxton. After reading Curtis' The Watson's Go to Birmingham - 1963, I knew this was also going to be a book full of humor, drama, and adventure. At first we get a glimpse of how Elijah is just a mischievious boy who along with his friend Cooter get themselves into trouble by placing some toad in Elijah's mother's knitting basket and watch from afar as she gets her hand in there, just to be horrified by it. They, of course, are out rolling on the carpet laughing. What is even better is when Elijah thinks he has gotten away with it, but days later is taught a lesson by his mother when she places a snake in the cookie jar for when he goes to get some. Both his mom and dad have a blast doing this. There is also a time when in the story, Paul takes us to the day when Elijah is honored for being the first born free child of Buxton by Sir Frederick Douglas. He ends us throwing up all over him because Douglas kept throwing him up in the air with joy. There is also the Preacher whom I didn't like just from the start. There was always something about him I didn't like because of the way he manipulated Elijah into doing things. Later, Elijah finds out that he steals money from his good friend Mr. Leeroy who had been saving money to buy his family's freedom. He sets out in search to get his friend's money but only comes back to Buxton with a baby he was given by a slave family. Throughout the story we see a change of how Elijah starts showing traits of a young, responsible, courageous young man. Curtis does a great job of giving us a good sense of the slaves' way of speaking, because I found myself reading some parts over just to be able to read it and get the gist of things. Great book to be used during Black History Month in middle school or high school.

2008 Belpre Award for ILLUSTRATION Winner

Los Gatos Black on Halloween, written by Marisa Montes and illustrated by Yuyi Morales is a vocabulary rich book written as a poem. Even for the English speaker, this book can be easily understood with it's beautiful, eerie, and colorful pictures that illustrate the written words that seem to float on the pages. This book is rich with Spanish words describing Halloween characters such as pumpkins, esqueletos, black gatos, and fantasmas. There are enough English words on each page to help the reader understand what is being said in both languages. This is a great book to use during Halloween for middle to upper elementary children.

2008 Belpre Award for TEXT Winner

The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano by Margarita Engle is Manzano's biography written in verse. In this biography we find Juan, Beatriz (first owner), Maria del Pilar (his mother), Toribio (his father), La Marquesa de Prado Ameno (2nd. owner after Beatriz' death), Don Nicolas (Marquesa's son), and the Overseer (made sure Marqueza's orders were followed). Each of these persons played an important part in Juan's life. Born in a very rich home where his parents were slaves, Juan continued to be a slave after his parents were released by Beatriz. Juan remained there as a so called son to Beatriz forced to call her mother. After her death, Juan is sent to La Marquesa de Prado Ameno where his life turns to a life of terror, despair, and pain. Inspite of all this terror and cruelty, he learned how to read and write without anyone knowing and his high spirits and hope kept Juan alive, day after day. He always found the time to dream and recite poems in his mind to bring that light of hope into his life. Until, one great day, he has to courage to do something he had never done. He sneaked out and rode a horse to freedom.

At times, it was hard for me to continue reading this book. I personally didn't like the verses where he was punished cruelly and unfairly. Juan Manzano is a good example that if one has faith and hope miracles can happen.

2008 Schneider Family Award Winner

Kami and the Yaks by Andrea Stenn is the story of a deaf boy named Kami who lives in the Himalaya Mountains. One day the yaks that he took care of didn't come home as they usually did so Kami sets off to look for them in the mountains even though he was very scared since during the search there was also a storm. As he continues in his search finally finds them stuck in the crevices and tries to help them be set free but is not strong enough. He decides to go back home to get help, but when he gets there his father is already waiting for him very upset. He tries to tell him about the yaks, but his father doesn't pay any attention to him. Kami is determined to get his message across to him instead tries to have his brother Norgay understand him. Norgay gets the message and finally the three set off to rescue the yaks!

I absolutely enjoyed the pictures in this book and Kami's determination to find the yaks and get the help that they needed to get rescued.

2008 Geisel Winner

There Is a Bird on Your Head! by Mo Willems is a book I would use with children in the primary grades. Elephant is one of the two main characters in this story. He keeps asking Piggie if there is something on his head. Throughout the story, he keeps asking the same question over and over. In the meantime, Piggie keeps telling him what he has on this head until Elephant decides to tell the birds (things on his head) to move somewhere else. They do! To Piggie's head! Good to explain how sometimes what is good for you might not be good for others! Just ask Piggie!

2008 Sibert Winner

The WALL Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis is the author's true story of growing up in the 1950s during the Cold War, behind the Iron Curtain and then finally the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. He tells his story with a combination of his drawings and his personal journals. All combined he explains what it was like growing in a Communist World where everything was either censored, banned, prohibited, discouraged, or not talked about at all. Those not following the law would be punished. From a very young age, Sis drew and drew and as he got older, he soon found himself drawing what he really wanted to, but in secret. Sis does a great job of drawing the Communist World in black in white with red flags, and drawing what he thought (Western world) with beautiful, colorful drawings. The end of the book ends with a map showing how he saw the two worlds. One with words as "injustice, terror, envy, lies, corruption" and the other with "liberty, honor, happiness, and equality". He ended in the colorful world with "joy, dreams, love, and justice" to name a few: America.

2008 Caldecott Winner

"The Invention of Hugo Cabret" is written in two parts. the first part mainly tells you the story of an orphan boy, Hugo, who lives in a train station in Paris, how he got there, and the events that occurred there. The second part tells you of the major events that led to changing his life for a much better future.

After his father dies in a fire, he is left behind to live with is drunken uncle who never really takes care of him and doesn't let him go to school anymore. Instead, from his uncle he only learns to steal. Even though he doesn't agree with stealing, there isn't much he can do in order to survive. There at the train station he befriends Isabelle, the toymaker's god-daughter from whom Hugo is caught stealing from. To punish the boy, the toymaker takes away a little notebook his father had given him before his death. Hugo treasured it since he believe that through the drawings left in this notebook he would reveal a message left for him from his father. Through this notebook, he also thought he would be able to fix an automaton he thought his father had made. This story takes you to some twists and unexpected turns, when instead of finding out things about his father he instead finds out a secret about the toymaker. Together,him and Isabelle find out that the toymaker was indeed Georges Melies, a famous filmmaker and maker of the automaton. With this discovery, he is taken into Melies' home and the story ends with Hugo becoming a famous magician: Professor H. Alcofrisbas.

This book has some mesmerizing illustrations that add to the intensity and excitement of the events in the story. At first, I thought it was going to take me forever to finish it since it does have over 500 pages! I would recommend it to anyone and remember this: Don't judge a book by it's SIZE!

2008 Newbery Honor Book

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt This book really got me thinking... I wonder how many of my students think of me as Mrs. Baker... that teacher whose class is the one students feel like like being at war everyday! Hummm...interesting. I know for sure that test days are like fighting a war in any class for that matter! Anyways, Holling Hoodwood is your typical student in middle school who when is set apart due to his religion feels his teacher has it against him when he has to stay with her on Wednesday afternoons. To make matters worse, she starts having him read Shakepeare's plays. After realizing that she is not out to get him, he really starts enjoying his Wednesday afternoons. I think this would be a wonderful book for students in middle school to read because this is mostly the age when they feel everyone is out to get them.

2008 Newbery Honor Book

Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson is the story of a black girl named Frannie. Frannie comes from a loving family where her father spends much time working, a mother who has had miscarriages, and a deaf brother named Sean. Frannie also has a friend named Samantha whose father is a preacher and often encourages Frannie to attend church. Frannie always refuses and says she has better things to do. She refuses because she feels God might be to blame for her mother's miscarriages and brother's deafness. There is also Trevor, who is the class bully and of course everyone is afraid of him.

One day, a new boy comes into class and Trevor names him "Jesus Boy" because he's white and has long hair. This doesn't bother him one bit and always seems to remain calm. All along the the story, Samantha is more and more convinced that "Jesus Boy" could actually be Jesus returning to earth in the flesh. Frannie starts to question herself about his existence in this black school, when he should be attending the white kid's school across the highway. Maybe he is the real Jesus. It's not until one day, that Trevor and him get into a fight that Jesus Boy admits that he is not white because his parent's adopted him (black). Jesus Boy tells Trevor he might just be jealous of him because he at least has a father, unlike him. This makes Trevor cry. He is no longer considered a bully, but in Samantha's mind he might be the real Jesus, since Jesus wept while on earth. This brings new light into Frannie's thoughts, that things don't always seem what they are, and that all of us have problems we must deal with everyday. We just need to figure out how we are going to deal with them when they head our way.

This book really kept me thinking as I read it. Was he really Jesus? Who was this kid? I'm just glad he stood up to Trevor and made me realize that some days we might be almighty and other days we might be the vulnerable one. Always be ready for what life throws at you,... all of us...

2008 Newbery Winner

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! by Laura Amy Schlitz. First of all I do have to mentioned that I got hooked on this book just by reading the foreword! What a way to speak to the reader! Another thing I must also mention is that I was amazed as to what extent Laura Amy Schlitz went to please all her students studying about the Middle Ages. Imagine, writing 17 monologues/dialogues so that everyone has a big part! Wow! Every monologue/dialogue told of the lives of many who lived in a medieval village. As one opens the book, you have a map of the village and you can see where everyone lives; the setting. Not only did Schlitz write all these parts but also gives the reader facts "A Little Background" and also includes footnotes that appear on the sides to further explain about the way life was during the Middle Ages. This collection includes from the poor to the rich, from the Lord's daughter Isobel to the peasants, My favorite monologue was "Alice, the Shepherdess" that tells the life Alice whose Mother died when she was born. She was then cared for by a sheep and so when Jilly, her so called sister, who is actually a sheep, is dying, she who goes out of her way to make sure it survives. Schlitz explains that many believe that by singing to sheep, they recover and that's what Alice did. Jilly recovered.

2008 Printz Honor Book

Your Own, Sylvia: a verse portrait of Sylvia Plath by Stephanie Hemphill. This collection of fictional poems tell about the real life of Sylvia Plath, an American writer and poet. Honestly, when I saw that this book contained many poems I thought I wasn't going to like it. I usually have a hard time understanding poetry. The footnotes to explain the events being expressed in the poems made it so much easier and interesting to read and understand. Ms. Plath is portrayed as an intelligent and talented woman. One thing I didn't understand was why she attempted suicide the first time. It was a shame that she did succeed the second time after being betrayed by her husband with another woman. This is a book I would recommend for high school students since it does have, in my opinion, some very strong content: sex, suicide, divorce, and depression. After reading this book, I felt depressed.

2008 Printz Honor Book

One Whole and Perfect Day by Judith Clarke. What would you consider "one whole and perfect day"? It's funny because I am presently preparing for my parent's 40th. wedding anniversary. Of course I am wishing for that "one whole and perfect day". But I guess I'll let you all know later, when it's over and done with. Just like Lily, and most of us, we all have someone wacky in our family or someone who can't get along with someone else in the family. I can see how that can be worrysome. Believe me, I'm losing sleep over that! In this story, May is preparing a party for Pop's 80th. birthday. For this day, Lily hopes everything comes together for at least that day. But before this happens, she tries to have Pop and her brother Lonnie work out their differences. She worries her mother is going bring along old people she cares for and is always bringing home with her. Lonnie has a girlfriend that might just not be someone well accepted.

This story really reminded me of myself. I tend to also worry too much over things I have no control over. I read this somewhere, but I don't seem to remember where: Worrying is like rocking yourself on a rocking chair; you're moving but not getting anywhere!

2008 Printz Award

The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean
Story of survival of a 14 year old girl named Symone; Sym. She's someone who is obsessed with Antartica and seems like a dream come true when her "Uncle" Victor takes her on a journey there. Since she has a great fascination with Antartica she has an imaginary friend Captain Lawrence "Titus" Oates who was actually an Antartica explorer 90 years before her journey there. What she thought was going to be a great adventure only turns out to be a bad dream once they reach their destination. "Uncle" Victor turns out to be a manipulator and has his own dreams of conquering Antartica. While there she learns of his true identity and her inner voice and friendship with Titus is what helps her to survive this journey. This is a book I would recommend be read by students in high school since some of the vocabulary and events might be a bit hard to comprehend by the younger reader.