tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40814895525514711552024-02-19T14:50:49.029-06:00she is readingsheisreadinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600548919669199225noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4081489552551471155.post-56250772753946047192012-07-06T19:14:00.000-05:002012-07-06T19:14:25.730-05:00Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1zr4ucRuL-3v9hSYEHGJtfD4nTPMqwL4pTzi_m-I74WQwPnK47LT4C5EtNs-MP9UfpbJ8b-y_2PbfNWAsXqALxPo3LgT38bMm5g5bs9WdjuVIETu3EZN_6zEb2xkfs_18hsVAekBn55dz/s1600/AnnaFrenchKissSmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1zr4ucRuL-3v9hSYEHGJtfD4nTPMqwL4pTzi_m-I74WQwPnK47LT4C5EtNs-MP9UfpbJ8b-y_2PbfNWAsXqALxPo3LgT38bMm5g5bs9WdjuVIETu3EZN_6zEb2xkfs_18hsVAekBn55dz/s320/AnnaFrenchKissSmall.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
Pros:<br />
A great way to visit Paris for free!<br />
An interesting plot line and creative writing<br />
Scenes from Anna's classes that teach the reader as well<br />
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Cons:<br />
A secular worldview<br />
Anna's dependency on Etienne when he is unavailable<br />
Anna is "the other woman"sheisreadinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600548919669199225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4081489552551471155.post-75831253495972890982010-11-13T21:07:00.000-06:002010-11-13T21:07:40.791-06:00This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLY5qbWoU-0VAALzlHwUvs93RBGfpySdd_MIdEWlhfF3gSgeZvaqOecolEzQKxhyQdgLsRHuSRyYDE4wlvDHASrY5wMKQZXPo0tVh43Rts6oG480e7hNNcADdMG4oULcGfYuUeiTxelfpD/s1600/this+lullaby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLY5qbWoU-0VAALzlHwUvs93RBGfpySdd_MIdEWlhfF3gSgeZvaqOecolEzQKxhyQdgLsRHuSRyYDE4wlvDHASrY5wMKQZXPo0tVh43Rts6oG480e7hNNcADdMG4oULcGfYuUeiTxelfpD/s320/this+lullaby.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br />
I was excited to read this book after it pulled #10 on<a href="http://www.persnicketysnark.com/2010/08/final-list-top-100-ya-novels-2010.html"> Persnickety Snark's Top 100 YA Novels</a> earlier this year. <br />
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It was our YA Book Club selection last month, so I dutifully read it. However, if it was not required reading, there's a good chance I would not have read past page 100. Remy is our main character, and the girl likes to cuss, drink (illegally), have premarital sex, and use the Lord's Name in vain. I knew that Remy changed in the novel, and we're supposed to see an improved version of her by the end, so I kept reading.<br />
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She did have some positive changes; I'll give her that. In fact, my problem is less with Remy and more with Sarah Dessen.<br />
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Another <a href="http://mutantangel.blogspot.com/">blogger</a> wrote that she "regularly recommends Dessen's novels to her middle school students." Here is the response I left her:<br />
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"My hesitation for recommending Dessen to middle schoolers is her inclusion of under-age drinking/partying (in many of her books) and drug-use (in 'Lock and Key'). At least the drug-use is cast in a negative light, but the underage drinking is written about in a way that shows it to be a normal activity for teens. I personally feel that Dessen is condoning the behavior, and may even be encouraging or promoting it as well."<br />
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Now that I've read 'This Lullaby' I stand behind that comment even more. <br />
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Heathersheisreadinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600548919669199225noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4081489552551471155.post-3862199301013155782010-10-25T19:46:00.000-05:002010-10-25T19:46:53.224-05:00It's Monday! What are you Reading?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Books I Finished Last Week: </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>The Christmas Gift </i>by R. William Bennett (review is posted)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Books I'm Reading:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Tempering Your Child's Tantrum</i> by Dr. James Dobson. A very short manual on discipline that a friend recommended after I confessed my frustration over my child's tantrums. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>This Lullaby</i> by Sarah Dessen. Our YA Book Club selection. So far, I like it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>The Book Thief </i>by Markus Zusak. I'm halfway through. At least now I've met Max, so there is more of a plot. I haven't given up on it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Personality Plus for Parents </i>by Florence Littauer. I've barely cracked it open, but I think I'll like it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Goals for This Week:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Finish reading <i>Tempering Your Child's Tantrum</i> and <i>This Lullaby</i> and post reviews of each.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Heather</div>sheisreadinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600548919669199225noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4081489552551471155.post-29723780055367359182010-10-24T22:41:00.000-05:002010-10-24T22:41:53.480-05:00The Christmas Gift by R. William Bennett<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBePBlAfJZfnoIfpdUBHduoP9ZvXQAGm1ffQePgrmTovlL2kBch-mPp1SqEyJdTAqh15LtL60ffgcu5mK0rrHuDa9_2zE631-2YxLvPJqFftFTOTs4aGIdIsZ4D2TiIWrGm7WXOqnaKpU0/s1600/christmas+gift.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBePBlAfJZfnoIfpdUBHduoP9ZvXQAGm1ffQePgrmTovlL2kBch-mPp1SqEyJdTAqh15LtL60ffgcu5mK0rrHuDa9_2zE631-2YxLvPJqFftFTOTs4aGIdIsZ4D2TiIWrGm7WXOqnaKpU0/s320/christmas+gift.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr5rZmY6lT_utoyKEGeElOZtISDbIiiui88oSKQojjnIi9bjsbUZVtDtn-8hVxQlhPLRHLwAkwJ5nmFaGKjxKPdPVFAAnee1SvuHJZk-qSxCYRHFuFwM3mAH2WTVT5i7a3h7XNadIDZyj1/s1600/christmas+gift.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><b>From the back of the book:</b> <i>What if the person you needed to apologize to the most was the one that deserved it the least? In a world with diminishing civility, increasing rancor and moral relativism, The Christmas Gift is a simple story about our relationships and the values that make them precious. Told through the experiences of Scott and Ben, two sixth grade boys, </i><i>The Christmas Gift gently illustrates the power of apology, forgiveness and understanding, and the lasting impact we can have when we reach through the mists of hurt and mistrust to offer a hand of kindness to another.</i><br />
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<b>Short Review:</b> It's great! I loved it! I recommend it!<br />
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<b>Longer Story:</b> I was sitting around, wondering what Christmas book I should read this year. (Each year I try to read two Christmas novels.) I had one picked out: <i>Finding Father Christmas</i> by Robin Jones Gunn-- a re-read that I loved. Then lo and behold, I got an email asking if I'd like a copy of <i>The Christmas Gift</i> to review. What? Of course I did! Woo-hoo!<br />
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It's a short novel. Fourteen short chapters with lots of white space in between them. I could have read it in a day--which is saying a lot for me because as <a href="http://sheisreadinginthemidwest.blogspot.com/search/label/2%20day%20reads">I've said before</a>, I'm a slow reader. <br />
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It is an engaging novel. I see its appeal for elementary school students (as a read-aloud) up to adults. I could easily read this aloud to my boys in the near future. I predict reading a chapter each night for a couple weeks in early December. I appreciate that it re-enforces character traits that I'm teaching at home: forgiveness and kindness. Other things I liked about the book: a loving dad who listened to his son and offered sound advice, and a son who did the right thing even when it was hard.<br />
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P.S. You may cry. It's touching like that. : )<br />
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Heathersheisreadinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600548919669199225noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4081489552551471155.post-70001450618908777672010-10-17T22:17:00.000-05:002010-10-17T22:17:31.080-05:00It's Monday! What are You Reading?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiygKotglGYFFjA7pf4CRKw-v34xDTyH3ycZUQDzO5kmRrC1vAyFpUEeLKgHYTOPBT1vPHL7ZFp6GlAI5DuR8n23QKtXZRhL5soy1KATI2iZr-BwZPHjlMr_35m1ALkk-AYkFXdr62pz_Sv/s200/it's+mondaywhat+are+you+reading.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="156" /></td></tr>
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<b>Books I Finished:</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9I-Hkk86Zm2eohsICiUeuUwngV-7UjZhIjQHZ3aOYBXukEuEIvPiSxvI1L-wJ7sTVMmjFjnIykZXzZIbNRkHs5aNelY_budh4Z0JqdhHy3ZATyRdfFh2FaNZI43_HWuzQQmOJgIeZMVrA/s1600/under+a+maui+moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9I-Hkk86Zm2eohsICiUeuUwngV-7UjZhIjQHZ3aOYBXukEuEIvPiSxvI1L-wJ7sTVMmjFjnIykZXzZIbNRkHs5aNelY_budh4Z0JqdhHy3ZATyRdfFh2FaNZI43_HWuzQQmOJgIeZMVrA/s200/under+a+maui+moon.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><br />
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<i>Under a Maui Moon</i> by Robin Jones Gunn. Review <a href="http://sheisreadinginthemidwest.blogspot.com/2010/10/under-maui-moon-by-robin-jones-gunn.html">here</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRwlNX5oddmSuHyLjU-EoGa7tsPUqvyGGaSGfdiFT-psN-WEVjlHS1q30Q_wpyqC45463zYEhcXwY4N7bxPNRXrt1k-CLy8X71E1bpGoyS8kuCk3yApGW_6u2H-ew27gvKFV88Xnxd59zl/s1600/little+house+in+the+big+woods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRwlNX5oddmSuHyLjU-EoGa7tsPUqvyGGaSGfdiFT-psN-WEVjlHS1q30Q_wpyqC45463zYEhcXwY4N7bxPNRXrt1k-CLy8X71E1bpGoyS8kuCk3yApGW_6u2H-ew27gvKFV88Xnxd59zl/s200/little+house+in+the+big+woods.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><br />
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<i>Little House in the Big Woods </i>by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Review <a href="http://sheisreadinginthemidwest.blogspot.com/2010/10/little-house-in-big-woods-by-laura.html">here</a>.<br />
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<b>Books on Deck:</b><br />
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<i>This Lullaby</i> by Sarah Dessen<br />
<i>Jellicoe Road </i>by Melina Marchetta<br />
<i>The Book Thief</i> by Markus Zusak...I'm listening to it, and it's a bit slow. Let me clarify: it is interesting, but there is no definite plot yet besides her learning to read.... Any encouragement to keep reading??<br />
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Heathersheisreadinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600548919669199225noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4081489552551471155.post-20405819716685650412010-10-17T21:12:00.000-05:002010-10-17T21:12:09.259-05:00Under a Maui Moon by Robin Jones Gunn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7PN6hIbtjCtupmf77JYVA-5Sp1x51qGXqBpOaXy1Hx9YxuGUn5NSA1XoScmSJfDrmGlgiUo0LbmaSgcEstQ3kpJrsv5Pv9auYjJfTmc1xTtPSYVWkJwY2mPV_g3kPJchh9Y7LmVxcmZM/s1600/under+a+maui+moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7PN6hIbtjCtupmf77JYVA-5Sp1x51qGXqBpOaXy1Hx9YxuGUn5NSA1XoScmSJfDrmGlgiUo0LbmaSgcEstQ3kpJrsv5Pv9auYjJfTmc1xTtPSYVWkJwY2mPV_g3kPJchh9Y7LmVxcmZM/s320/under+a+maui+moon.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<b>Premise</b>: Empty-nester Carissa is suddenly let go from her long-time employment, and her marital problems are so bad she's contemplating divorce. Her former employer gifts her some time in his Maui vacation home to ease the pain of her job loss. She runs off to Hawaii solo, with hardly a good-bye wave out the door to her hubby. Will Hawaii help her move on? Or will she accept that she shouldn't move on; she should stay?<br />
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<b>Review:</b> First of all, please do not read the back of the book! It gives away a significant part of the plot. Secondly, I had such high expectations for this book, and I was disappointed. : ( <br />
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Let me explain. <br />
<ul><li>Robin Jones Gunn is my favorite author! </li>
<li>She has written other books about Hawaii that I've enjoyed (specifically <i>Whispers</i>)--which played a big part in why we visited Maui. </li>
<li>By the grace of God, my husband and I had a Hawaiian holiday on Maui and Oahu last summer, and I expected this book to take me back again--for free! </li>
<li>So of course, I thought I would <b>love </b>this book!...but I didn't...(insert sad face)</li>
</ul>Here are the reasons I was disappointed (which very well may be reasons<b> you </b>would enjoy it!)<br />
<ul><li>The main Maui setting was the Kihei/Wailea-Makena area, and guess who didn't even see that part of the island? Yup, me.</li>
<li>The main character has been married for 24 years, and her only child is out of the house. I couldn't relate. I'm in the temper tantrums, pooping-in-underwear accidents, and fixing peanut butter sandwiches for lunch stage of life. Ha, ha, I just re-read that sentence, and it makes it sound like I'm the one throwing temper tantrums and pooping in my underwear-ha! It's too funny to re-word!!</li>
<li>So in conclusion, I did not connect well with the setting or the characters. But you might!</li>
</ul>If you are looking for a great Christian book about Hawaii that features a younger crowd, read <i>Whispers</i> by Robin Jones Gunn! <br />
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Heathersheisreadinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600548919669199225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4081489552551471155.post-45004152810066601602010-10-13T15:14:00.000-05:002010-10-13T15:14:33.638-05:00Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCGkvLl-BPho5lJ5ImnpaDDSkUSJPiZwe9UMlmsOKA8gxBWinfDfRqibbFEYxZytq_gRcy6427s_Z1M-ScfSl_mCATyVqBMNDgpMQCGZF-irf3TQAD-jZSw1HN7qVbZ2UVUtaGBlgXsK4m/s1600/little+house+in+the+big+woods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCGkvLl-BPho5lJ5ImnpaDDSkUSJPiZwe9UMlmsOKA8gxBWinfDfRqibbFEYxZytq_gRcy6427s_Z1M-ScfSl_mCATyVqBMNDgpMQCGZF-irf3TQAD-jZSw1HN7qVbZ2UVUtaGBlgXsK4m/s320/little+house+in+the+big+woods.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>Ooh, what a great book! Why did I read it, you ask? We had a six hour road trip on the horizon, and I needed an audio book that was safe for little listening ears. Voila! <br />
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I am familiar with Laura's autobiographical stories from my childhood, but that was twenty years ago, so in many respects, it was like I read this book for the first time. I enjoyed it, it made the time pass quickly, and I learned so much history! Plus, overall my 2 and 4 year-old boys did not complain while it was playing! : )<br />
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Laura has such a beautiful and detailed way of describing life in her neck of the woods (pun intended-ha!). How on earth did she remember all those details such as the colors and patterns of her aunts' dresses at the dance? I'm surely impressed!<br />
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I also enjoyed learning the how-tos of churning butter, making bullets, smoking meat, etc. I will borrow a phrase from amazon.com's review: it's a painless history lesson! <br />
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This is a staple for childhood, but it is a great read for every age! <br />
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Heathersheisreadinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600548919669199225noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4081489552551471155.post-80736828636321843022010-10-11T21:12:00.000-05:002010-10-11T21:12:48.047-05:00It's Monday! What Are You Reading?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<b>Books I Finished</b>: None<br />
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<b>Reviews I Posted:</b> <a href="http://sheisreadinginthemidwest.blogspot.com/2010/10/enthusiasm-by-polly-shulman.html">Enthusiasm</a> by Polly Shulman<br />
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<b>Books I'm Reading Now: </b><i> </i><br />
<ul><li><i>Little House in the Big Woods</i> by Laura Ingalls Wilder (audio) <i><br />
</i></li>
<li><i>The Book Thief</i> by Markus Zusak (audio)</li>
<li><i>Jellicoe Road</i> by Melina Marchetta </li>
</ul><br />
Did you guys have a great holiday weekend? My family attended a family reunion in Indiana. Sleeping in a hotel with little kids...aye yigh yigh! However, I managed to fit some reading into the weekend through audio books in the car and on my ipod. <br />
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Heathersheisreadinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600548919669199225noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4081489552551471155.post-30773236776896680742010-10-11T21:01:00.000-05:002010-10-11T21:01:45.236-05:00Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjVs_GysYV1FBOglkN4BLhs7vdIwkq9_4V7ZGhZY-92AzrHBM_M1x6xI_XJvi0uRbNtdJsvbRfbGwUdCCDjxgUQo4gvNuBEMv7DculYWwYokrCZJH6qstyYqnSw8FfErNERsztH5hXkRO/s1600/enthusiasm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjVs_GysYV1FBOglkN4BLhs7vdIwkq9_4V7ZGhZY-92AzrHBM_M1x6xI_XJvi0uRbNtdJsvbRfbGwUdCCDjxgUQo4gvNuBEMv7DculYWwYokrCZJH6qstyYqnSw8FfErNERsztH5hXkRO/s1600/enthusiasm.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Synopsis: Julia Lefkowski's social life is defined by her enthusiastic (hence the title) best friend Ashleigh. Ashleigh changes hobbies like she changes her underwear, and each hobby receives a full dose of her enthusiasm. Best friend Julie is dragged along for each ride. Next up: Jane Austen. Ashleigh and Julie are learning to dance, dress, and speak (well at least Ashleigh!) like characters from an Austen novel. While all dressed up, why not crash the dance at the all boys prep school? Theatrics, drama, and love flow as consequences of their Austen-y night out.<br />
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Review: It was...somewhere between fine and good. It wasn't bad, and it wasn't great. I'm always looking for good clean reads, so from that perspective, I'm happy. However, from a literary perspective, I was disappointed. Some moments were perfect! For example, on Julie's birthday, she's sweet sixteen and never been kissed. Her hot college freshman neighbor helps her out by letting her practice on him. More conservative folks may balk at this scene, but I loved it! Other parts of the book seemed like Shulman got lazy. <br />
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I also have a big problem with the plot. But first, some background for those who haven't read it. Julie falls head-over-heels in love at first sight with a guy at the dance. However, she's not sure if he feels the same way? He seems interested in someone, but is it her, or Ashleigh? And if it is Ashleigh, Julie surely shouldn't butt in. Throughout the school year (yes, I said "year") Julie has these internal struggles all the while receiving love tokens from mystery men, man??? <br />
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Problem #1: Really? You "love" a guy who may or may not "love" your best friend, and you let all this continue over the course of an entire school year without anyone confronting said guy and asking for some clarification on his feelings????? This would drive me crazy in real life. It was grating on my nerves just reading about Julie. <br />
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Maybe I should mention that I'm not a Jane Austen fan. (Perhaps this kind of plot is par for the Austen novel course?) I've tried. Multiple times. I've never even finished <b>one</b> of her novels. I used to feel like such a failure... but no longer! Some people love Austen; I, alas, do not. However, I do quite enjoy Shakespeare, and for that I feel qualified enough to proudly proclaim that I am an English major! : )sheisreadinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600548919669199225noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4081489552551471155.post-48647965034374287092010-09-30T21:47:00.000-05:002010-09-30T21:47:12.665-05:00B is for Bulldozer by June Sobel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQLPYGcd8o_1p_fDNZoRGCSedbZti5ls3Q4W-JiG_kvVg8Zoq03FZEWMZEmQTAtaUJpsXx0dIhidJlViJhfqieZg3lPIK1xO3buceYAOjwWo0Rsynsjo5_FCb6TPZoz4fpt9eWKzNncw8M/s1600/B+is+for+bulldozer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQLPYGcd8o_1p_fDNZoRGCSedbZti5ls3Q4W-JiG_kvVg8Zoq03FZEWMZEmQTAtaUJpsXx0dIhidJlViJhfqieZg3lPIK1xO3buceYAOjwWo0Rsynsjo5_FCb6TPZoz4fpt9eWKzNncw8M/s320/B+is+for+bulldozer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I happened upon this book at our local library in the ABC section. It was quite on accident; I didn't even know the library <b>had</b> an ABC section. Eek. My four-year-old boy and I love this book! It tells the story of a construction crew building an amusement park. The large colorful illustrations show construction machines in action. The project takes a while, so the seasons change too. The letter on each page stands out from the rest of the text, so it's easy to follow the alphabet through the story. I love this book! <br />
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P.S. I love this from the author's bio on the book's back flap: <i>"June Sobel's construction education began eight years ago, when her eighteen-month-old son mysteriously yelled 'big trucks' from the backseat of the car, and then began talking about bulldozers in his sleep. She was inspired to write her first childen's book for construction lovers just like him."</i>sheisreadinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600548919669199225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4081489552551471155.post-65862970635636491052010-09-28T13:43:00.000-05:002010-09-28T13:43:58.788-05:00When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUwQWv173hHQGrGKIMnL12BGoE9Sn5rk1xRyumh83WauXvn_g5vXX_nrQSHDREpMA4QmclwyQcpVryK-c5JhkYogqoBHLwhXGhPcNIFqIAohOU64WCOgc6xfiR0yMCB1aqnLByr8bQy23R/s320/when+you+reach+me.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="212" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2010 Newbery Winner</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUwQWv173hHQGrGKIMnL12BGoE9Sn5rk1xRyumh83WauXvn_g5vXX_nrQSHDREpMA4QmclwyQcpVryK-c5JhkYogqoBHLwhXGhPcNIFqIAohOU64WCOgc6xfiR0yMCB1aqnLByr8bQy23R/s1600/when+you+reach+me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>Summary: Miranda is an only child growing up in New York City during the 1970s. She starts receiving mysterious messages from an unsigned author. The messages reveal the future and tell that he or she is coming to save her friend's life. The messages also warn Miranda to keep the information to herself. It's a lot for a young girl to handle by herself. Will the mysterious person save her friend's life? Miranda discovers this and other mysteries in this science fiction novel that explores time travel.<br />
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This is a good novel. It makes you think and entertains at the same time. It is confusing at times, and Stead expects her readers to be able to handle a certain level of confusion while they read it. It is a mystery after all. Answers will be revealed, but you'll have to wait until the last quarter of the book to get them. It reminded me of a mix between <i>A Wrinkle in Time</i> and <i>The Westing Game</i>.<br />
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My only beef with the book is that the Lord's name is taken in vain a handful of times. I don't like that anytime, but I think it is unnecessary and easily replaceable in a book aimed at a young audience.<br />
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For those of you who've read it, Rebecca Stead grew up in NYC as an only child, had a laughing man near her home, and her own mother was a contestant on $10,000 Pyramid. : ) <br />
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Heathersheisreadinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600548919669199225noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4081489552551471155.post-54595429751289910392010-09-28T11:37:00.001-05:002010-09-28T11:38:04.674-05:00Park's Quest by Katherine Paterson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdDlNNjxy_DpoH_rS4B-B8PTeJPYeRYCaersHXZSby5c8Ywoa9wajRgOhFqCZWtCxOc5JuPajsyNBVsmwUT3iYJn_72BOHEjeGG7cq6Zz6yj-qbzUyV98eFseKC6XMEbkM2Hitnkwyd3up/s1600/park'squest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdDlNNjxy_DpoH_rS4B-B8PTeJPYeRYCaersHXZSby5c8Ywoa9wajRgOhFqCZWtCxOc5JuPajsyNBVsmwUT3iYJn_72BOHEjeGG7cq6Zz6yj-qbzUyV98eFseKC6XMEbkM2Hitnkwyd3up/s320/park'squest.jpg" width="201" /></a></div>Summary: Growing up in D.C. with his mother, all Park knows about his father is that he died in the Vietnam War. His mother refuses to disclose any information on his father. Finally, Park takes matters into his own hands: he visits the Vietnam Memorial and convinces his mother to let him visit his father's family in southern Virginia. He spends the rest of the book learning about his father, uncle, and grandfather at the farm in VA.<br />
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The summary sounds kind of interesting, right? Well, this is the worst book I've read in years. The worst book I've read since high school or junior high--and I'm 31! While the summary says he learns about his father, uncle, and grandfather, that means he learns about 2 things about each character. Two. Things. Note to author: more details, please.<br />
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Reasons: confusing, boring, lack of character development, no theme<br />
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This book is aimed for middle schoolers! I remember substitute teaching in middle school, and this book was required reading. Aye, yigh yigh! This book should NOT be required reading...for anyone. I mean if you want middle schoolers to hate reading, then assign this book. Otherwise, find a book that has action, developed characters, and a purpose/theme.<br />
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I know it's a harsh review. If you enjoyed the book, feel free to comment and give a more well-rounded review of the book. <br />
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Heathersheisreadinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600548919669199225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4081489552551471155.post-70003376946076402502010-09-27T14:04:00.000-05:002010-09-27T14:04:03.064-05:00It's Monday! What Are You Reading?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_auPSZ8qQYYB6PvxhTq_veWgVi7JsAX0Z4fFzG3tboLujkXjYcqMClvCdyWUQoAbNbOzwbF9P4TXWLAUplnGeGQsW9bvEDoHsSh9i2wVixH0zye5rtpXYR-cIh7oNZD_mFj8ykz4bw7wY/s200/it's+mondaywhat+are+you+reading.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="156" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Join the fun at <a href="http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/">book journey by Sheila</a>!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_auPSZ8qQYYB6PvxhTq_veWgVi7JsAX0Z4fFzG3tboLujkXjYcqMClvCdyWUQoAbNbOzwbF9P4TXWLAUplnGeGQsW9bvEDoHsSh9i2wVixH0zye5rtpXYR-cIh7oNZD_mFj8ykz4bw7wY/s1600/it's+mondaywhat+are+you+reading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
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<b>What I Finished Last Week:</b><br />
<i>Park's Quest</i> by Katherine Paterson...review coming<br />
<i>When You Reach Me</i> (re-read) by Rebecca Stead...review coming <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgy_U60qJ-MvrWLa9nAchprVulGPewYHxs4YXHhHot3PHy_OdRbsN4EBfaAL_303BatDrfiossOFj2AUn9rGBl3sW7SZhWg1nC6RFV-31zw-FxJClBf97_5KxkTAQCYjYshxvCwMIc1H4S/s1600/park'squest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgy_U60qJ-MvrWLa9nAchprVulGPewYHxs4YXHhHot3PHy_OdRbsN4EBfaAL_303BatDrfiossOFj2AUn9rGBl3sW7SZhWg1nC6RFV-31zw-FxJClBf97_5KxkTAQCYjYshxvCwMIc1H4S/s200/park'squest.jpg" width="125" /></a></div><br />
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<b>What I'm Reading Now:</b><br />
<i>Enthusiasm</i> by Polly Shulman<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2px5lyNp7tjjF8JjCOlO8uaWHpDXR1xXQ4M1d9aCqFUaA39Bao0f3tzX5EJGm1j8nDiWD99wxGpNFSiK0I4EQfPk5CRwYTMD5P_qflwSojZT9pc_GWec6BtqOWmJl093U-PD7hVsatWPS/s1600/enthusiasm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2px5lyNp7tjjF8JjCOlO8uaWHpDXR1xXQ4M1d9aCqFUaA39Bao0f3tzX5EJGm1j8nDiWD99wxGpNFSiK0I4EQfPk5CRwYTMD5P_qflwSojZT9pc_GWec6BtqOWmJl093U-PD7hVsatWPS/s1600/enthusiasm.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<b>National Book Festival Report</b><br />
A separate post on the National Book Festival is <a href="http://sheisreadinginthemidwest.blogspot.com/2010/09/national-book-festival-2010.html">here</a>.<br />
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Heathersheisreadinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600548919669199225noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4081489552551471155.post-35957990533988596882010-09-27T13:52:00.000-05:002010-09-27T13:52:10.338-05:00National Book Festival 2010<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH70LBB8MdqDqzAN4YOSl3thg1_F_O5KiB1uMLXJGvVz7Udbm4E5Dck7FwQkMKjPIpBBPDGIZ-U-WnXlY7oAt4GVh7eWFt6Ak46cXIdOdeaELDlpk0MxrGnjB34Mp_UyjkpyDxnpFy3nQs/s320/IMG_1671.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rebecca Stead signs my friend's poster.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH70LBB8MdqDqzAN4YOSl3thg1_F_O5KiB1uMLXJGvVz7Udbm4E5Dck7FwQkMKjPIpBBPDGIZ-U-WnXlY7oAt4GVh7eWFt6Ak46cXIdOdeaELDlpk0MxrGnjB34Mp_UyjkpyDxnpFy3nQs/s1600/IMG_1671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close-up on Rebecca.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0lryda8qM1pQwfRbmubkwdPLGc3Sx9VdAFjTKybtxXwp8dzoICVGRmFSOMkxqHomd9pNw4nIBEk6D8y5G3z9gh5SVF3hfL7e5FJsBpowAiNlL5QT7V_3acEthiF42GSLVDgjc8C3zxkgv/s1600/IMG_1672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PBS Kids had their own stars on display.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN505tPTdf9q2QOdA4HOZfSjAMaqDJw9ibOpfZJFFiHgEKpxppt1q3TJg0dqDU3t37Wz9A4lvi0kBrTQNNqva7iQmBwUdJ8YibZhInE-oYyASbm-zJa3RRBLl78VGZhZFjbz61EcALyj4m/s1600/IMG_1673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZ1NfFYE5n0y-j4Eha9jNN6uXUs7EkJ57jHSp1uuZgNmzeJfKY-LX8eAYwTjFpwPeCXV7KDXtPgFJhcMhFzq5zygUVjymvwnYrGOYYLWJY7AJ9znAhyphenhyphenAoB_xpBIzzjoZG9JTqOIBMKLs8/s320/IMG_1675.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I posed with Superwhy for my boys.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZ1NfFYE5n0y-j4Eha9jNN6uXUs7EkJ57jHSp1uuZgNmzeJfKY-LX8eAYwTjFpwPeCXV7KDXtPgFJhcMhFzq5zygUVjymvwnYrGOYYLWJY7AJ9znAhyphenhyphenAoB_xpBIzzjoZG9JTqOIBMKLs8/s1600/IMG_1675.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mem Fox speaking.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLqZt52SDXm_wgkzspuVVHSRVzck-VlCI-s0u7fcDlEwxh7cGof9Gsmf9usuaO1XRG9Z2NaInpYiUjRVhqNMLAE8h4bKr_muNrnyIj5zd0pNvz2OHF0aXBqazvSm3XbKBWuM1_3MvSGFG7/s1600/IMG_1678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>I know you're probably wondering, Where is Suzanne Collins? Here's the story: we arrived late, so we missed her presentation! So we hurried over to the book signing line where we were told that the line had been forming since 8:30 am and we shouldn't bother jumping in at this point. Bummer! Oh well, we still had a great time!<br />
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Here are authors we heard speak: Rebecca Stead, Jane Smiley, Margarita Engle, M.T. Anderson, and Mem Fox. Katherine Paterson spoke at 4, but we didn't wait around to hear her. Did I mention it was nearly 90 degrees, and everything was outside? Instead, we cooled down at the fountain in the middle of the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden (we sat on the edge and stuck our feet in!) and then enjoyed the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinz7HHT1-bnHiEp14h6_pwsMieWAH798IioW3K4yNT-kOLng8RyzOhfsxMr6nYIJehkb2YXQVmaPIl7VHdlSFUN189aI3Zwcq6EluKQJUy0LJFP9X7kmYFerTzX-_Pz_MGKBdTBbA2HOSg/s320/IMG_1682.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fabulous fountain in the middle of the Sculpture Garden.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinz7HHT1-bnHiEp14h6_pwsMieWAH798IioW3K4yNT-kOLng8RyzOhfsxMr6nYIJehkb2YXQVmaPIl7VHdlSFUN189aI3Zwcq6EluKQJUy0LJFP9X7kmYFerTzX-_Pz_MGKBdTBbA2HOSg/s1600/IMG_1682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfgl_Wh52Dyb-i2p5tTTTILgOmiyUGP3l2ynzpANiSr5sjjTmTmJ_VRXY4RXa5UghFKoajiDYC7SWTzWL3UtyGsgpuSczdp6R0oYyZOqOFH9Zojrxdrb5ViTgU8ggjPAnQeU4Vb-DaW0Y/s320/IMG_1684.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martha Washington's dress at Smithsonian.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfgl_Wh52Dyb-i2p5tTTTILgOmiyUGP3l2ynzpANiSr5sjjTmTmJ_VRXY4RXa5UghFKoajiDYC7SWTzWL3UtyGsgpuSczdp6R0oYyZOqOFH9Zojrxdrb5ViTgU8ggjPAnQeU4Vb-DaW0Y/s1600/IMG_1684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>Heathersheisreadinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600548919669199225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4081489552551471155.post-89034594334370255492010-09-22T23:09:00.002-05:002010-10-04T15:17:42.401-05:00Here's my List for Fall Into Reading 2010<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHFFt2xe8xDDk9ODVSrxQpWCx6mSHKmVkZabvGoxax25iZqi03_E_y66O9vSZXMr9D17wq4YVQCV4VXYcR3DozMYjO77RpANwRtPD6LCAAD088klmAah6haNHfkCXRlNIvJERHS_UafK0/s200/fall+into+reading+2010.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="148" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hosted by <a href="http://callapidderdays.com/category/reading-challenges/fall-into-reading-2010">callapidder days</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The time frame for this challenge is from today until December 22nd. So here are books I'd like to read in that time. I'm aiming high!!! </div><br />
<b>For Aussie Author Challenge </b><i><br />
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<ul><li><i>Tomorrow, When the War Began</i> by John Marsden</li>
<li><i>The Book Thief </i>or <i>I am the Messenger</i> by Markus Zusak </li>
<li><i>Jellicoe Road</i> by Melina Marchetta </li>
</ul><b>Nonfiction </b><br />
<ul><li><i>Growing Grateful Kids </i>by Susie Larson (finish)</li>
<li><i>Crazy Love</i> by Francis Chan</li>
<li><i>Personality Plus for Parents</i> by Florence Littauer</li>
</ul> <b>Newbery Winners</b><br />
<ul><li><i>Up a Road Slowly</i> by Irene Hunt</li>
<li><i>Lincoln, a Photobiography</i></li>
</ul><b>Classics </b><br />
<ul><li><i>Richard III </i>by Shakespeare</li>
<li><i>The Two Gentlemen of Verona</i> by Shakespeare</li>
<li><i>Pilgrim's Progress</i> by John Bunyan</li>
<li><i>A</i><i> Tree Grows in Brooklyn</i></li>
<li><i>Pollyanna </i>(re-read) </li>
</ul><br />
<b>YA/middle readers</b><br />
<ul><li><i>Mexico</i> by Melody Carlson</li>
<li style="background-color: #b4a7d6;"><i>Enthusiasm </i>by Polly Shulman</li>
<li><i>Anna and the French Kiss</i></li>
<li style="background-color: #b4a7d6;">a Rebecca Stead novel (I re-read <i>When You Reach Me</i>)</li>
<li><i>The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks</i> by E. Lockhart</li>
<li style="background-color: #b4a7d6;"><i>Park's Quest</i> by Katherine Paterson</li>
<li><i>Carpe Diem</i> by Autumn Cornwell (re-read)</li>
</ul><br />
<b>Adult </b><br />
<ul><li><i>Sisterchicks go Brit </i>by Robin Jones Gunn</li>
<li><i>Finding Father Christmas</i> by Robin Jones Gunn (re-read)</li>
<li>another Christmas book--<span style="background-color: #ea9999; color: black;">any suggestions?</span></li>
<li><i>Under a Maui Moon</i> by Robin Jones Gunn (finish)</li>
</ul><ul></ul><b>Read-Aloud with preschool son</b><br />
<ul><li><i>Tumtum and Nutmeg, Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall</i> by Emily Bearn<i></i></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #ea9999;">any other suggestions?</span><i><br />
</i></li>
</ul><ul></ul>Reading-Related Goals<br />
<ul><li>Read all the book selections for the Midday Connection Book Club for this time period.</li>
<li>Read all the book selections for my YA Book Club for this time period.</li>
<li>Read to the boys a half an hour each weekday.</li>
<li>Post a review for each book I read. </li>
</ul>Woo-hoo! Just composing this list was fabulous!<br />
<br />
Heather <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHFFt2xe8xDDk9ODVSrxQpWCx6mSHKmVkZabvGoxax25iZqi03_E_y66O9vSZXMr9D17wq4YVQCV4VXYcR3DozMYjO77RpANwRtPD6LCAAD088klmAah6haNHfkCXRlNIvJERHS_UafK0/s1600/fall+into+reading+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>sheisreadinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600548919669199225noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4081489552551471155.post-8232803018220851432010-09-20T22:37:00.000-05:002010-09-20T22:37:10.668-05:00Laugh!We interrupt the regular book posts to bring you a funny video!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyqDgvZorXk8mpdGfvrNhoeujrSf9C61N9A1sc4n4aQtDE11n_ddVL7hB_vPYjNCkOerewQqfcKE7NbzR0OeA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div> I just discovered comedian Tim Hawkins and had to share him with you! Here he sings about his love for Chik-Fil-A, a love that I share with him! It made me laugh out loud, and I hope you enjoy it as well!! You can enjoy other shorts at his <a href="http://www.timhawkins.net/video.php">website.</a>sheisreadinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600548919669199225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4081489552551471155.post-20716129547423753002010-09-19T20:13:00.000-05:002010-09-19T20:13:12.396-05:00It's Monday! What Are You Reading?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2NnMWYlFy3t7s7NRjojdNuwi8JaoJStirZcRCiU9xRmTzDcAjubbX88vIge74QNMKajOMz67Bpd6w6meY7JvuvUHmQLNMQ66QgIinscH0uJuAVDcBUZuExLiImI27zMwjfFOyNgH3RcAk/s200/it's+mondaywhat+are+you+reading.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="156" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brought to you by <a href="http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/">Sheila at book journey</a>. Join the fun!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2NnMWYlFy3t7s7NRjojdNuwi8JaoJStirZcRCiU9xRmTzDcAjubbX88vIge74QNMKajOMz67Bpd6w6meY7JvuvUHmQLNMQ66QgIinscH0uJuAVDcBUZuExLiImI27zMwjfFOyNgH3RcAk/s1600/it's+mondaywhat+are+you+reading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><b>What I Finished Last Week:</b><br />
<i>Yellow Star</i> by Jennifer Roy. Well-written free verse novel that I recommend! My review is <a href="http://sheisreadinginthemidwest.blogspot.com/2010/09/yellow-star-by-jennifer-roy.html">here</a>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0Od61jqLFNI095wywsYyrNob0rNFHb2pUCIWDLHiPf5pT_SnfHnCmf4sbMiNCxEQtuIoqolosiQVhHx88-s9s6FeEaMIahpDJ0rkwPoaQBNkGXu79i__gt3zlQf4REt6MjZm3ylYGMxl/s1600/yellow+star.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0Od61jqLFNI095wywsYyrNob0rNFHb2pUCIWDLHiPf5pT_SnfHnCmf4sbMiNCxEQtuIoqolosiQVhHx88-s9s6FeEaMIahpDJ0rkwPoaQBNkGXu79i__gt3zlQf4REt6MjZm3ylYGMxl/s320/yellow+star.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<b>What I'm Reading:</b><br />
<i>How to Organize just about Everything</i> by Peter Walsh. Peter is the organizing guru from TLC's "Clean Sweep"--I love that show!<br />
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<b>I Plan to Read:</b><br />
<i>First Light</i> by Rebecca Stead<br />
<i>Park's Quest by Katherine Paterson </i><br />
<i>Enthusiasm</i> by Polly Shulman <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBP1I_2It4kDBnItTUC7r2m58Hh2nr5gxsupoFrE2U5ts25gifGWD99uDROXn-8ZNK_Axo-beEyCrYXyaDKTBZgbab9bh9_NLmA5AgqXbf47aX-P57MYaRI2dFS8DDl5PrSTj41JpMbzU4/s1600/firstlight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBP1I_2It4kDBnItTUC7r2m58Hh2nr5gxsupoFrE2U5ts25gifGWD99uDROXn-8ZNK_Axo-beEyCrYXyaDKTBZgbab9bh9_NLmA5AgqXbf47aX-P57MYaRI2dFS8DDl5PrSTj41JpMbzU4/s320/firstlight.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-V64-6gZigx7f3Jcq4U5S0K5mEtYsBq4jgZ6qFkdZyYU3hz5hyydJYlvnoI-vs4eICaHA5_0BRQ3AbdvbdPXRmavibifKoKCZkriIqq1bgng972-pxeZIs2K7ynOlrJ8UEtKAOe0aegxo/s1600/park'squest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-V64-6gZigx7f3Jcq4U5S0K5mEtYsBq4jgZ6qFkdZyYU3hz5hyydJYlvnoI-vs4eICaHA5_0BRQ3AbdvbdPXRmavibifKoKCZkriIqq1bgng972-pxeZIs2K7ynOlrJ8UEtKAOe0aegxo/s200/park'squest.jpg" width="126" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglR-1taAKzlQA6kLkrTglNBs7Xt1G3qPbQ48FCH-VLRh2WyWoXrg2py2BEX5PbTrLvEaI5hmHQuZMGa6SygwYogODxQW7maJunBMn9V775gPfFxFoNKNcMHD7WrdPHN0iMZi3WVuMfYp1-/s1600/enthusiasm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglR-1taAKzlQA6kLkrTglNBs7Xt1G3qPbQ48FCH-VLRh2WyWoXrg2py2BEX5PbTrLvEaI5hmHQuZMGa6SygwYogODxQW7maJunBMn9V775gPfFxFoNKNcMHD7WrdPHN0iMZi3WVuMfYp1-/s320/enthusiasm.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<b>I Plan to</b> <b>Attend:</b><br />
The National Book Festival in Washington DC! Are you planning on going? Maybe we'll run into each other in the book signing line for Suzanne Collins or Rebecca Stead. Read more details about the festival and see a picture of Meg Cabot signing my book in 2005<a href="http://sheisreadinginthemidwest.blogspot.com/2010/07/2010-national-book-festival.html"> here.</a> <br />
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Heathersheisreadinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600548919669199225noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4081489552551471155.post-57946202044895045492010-09-16T13:43:00.001-05:002012-07-06T19:17:34.916-05:00Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPxk1lvNlnpC13mp_i6bNenLgrAJp5iBWH2lDALkEDe7_LHnoCZ4aEkmQ5lb7Z4nF_y9KClPntxzlx6K13bAzdRUQ9VW-vRUeXT27GaMj0VWOKrO56Vl9SLo0iVaHWMUbKVuGPjX9d3fgR/s1600/yellow+star.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPxk1lvNlnpC13mp_i6bNenLgrAJp5iBWH2lDALkEDe7_LHnoCZ4aEkmQ5lb7Z4nF_y9KClPntxzlx6K13bAzdRUQ9VW-vRUeXT27GaMj0VWOKrO56Vl9SLo0iVaHWMUbKVuGPjX9d3fgR/s200/yellow+star.jpg" width="141" /></a></div>
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This is the true story of a Holocaust survivor.<br />
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From the inside jacket:<br />
<i>In 1939, the Germans invaded the town of Lodz, Poland, and moved the Jewish population into a small part of the city called a ghetto. As the war progressed, 270,000 people were forced to settle in the ghetto under impossible conditions. At the end of the war, there were about 800 survivors. Of those who survived, only twelve were children. This is the story of one of the twelve.</i><br />
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This story was amazing. I knew it was a true story, so I knew Syvia survived, but I was amazed again and again at <b>how</b> she survived. Her father played a huge part in her survival. He impressed me with his quick thinking, firm loyalty to his family, levelheadedness, and ability to outsmart the Nazis. He is a beautiful (real!) character, and he is reason enough to read this book. <br />
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I won't give away who lives and who dies...you'll have to read it to find out! Jennifer Roy's Author's Note at the end of the novel gives a detailed account of what happened to the story's main characters. The story is especially sweet because Jennifer Roy is the niece of Syvia, so she knows many of the people she wrote about. Jennifer Roy also includes a helpful WWII timeline at the end of the novel.<br />
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Jennifer Roy did a great job on this novel. I am very impressed, and I am glad that she captured so well the history of her aunt and the survivors of the Lodz ghetto. You will be amazed.<br />
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Obvious but fair warning: you will also be <b>sad</b>. Middle schoolers can handle it, but they should debrief with a loving caring adult after reading it. The Holocaust is a dark, evil spot in history, and younger readers should have someone help them understand it. I guess it comes down to when you think your child is ready for an introduction to the Holocaust. <br />
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P.S. As for the religious aspect, the book is obviously about Jews, but for the most part, religion is not included in Syvia's story. The Jews pray aloud when the Germans are bombing the ghetto, and the Author's Note says that every night Syvia prays the Jewish prayer for the dead. There are no other references to religious Jewish practices.<br />
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Syvia asks questions from a child's perspective like, "Why do they hate us because we're Jews?" and "Is my doll a Jew too?" Her older sister tells Syvia that the Germans hate them because "they think we killed their God." Syvia gets concerned that God is dead, and her sister calms her down by saying, "not our God, their God. God is still alive." That is the extent of any kind of theology in the book. Sorry, those are not direct quotes; I can't find the page in the book!<br />
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Heathersheisreadinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600548919669199225noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4081489552551471155.post-14612495038991359772010-09-13T19:52:00.000-05:002010-09-13T19:52:13.551-05:00It's Monday! What are You Reading?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoFyhg3qjzHE8IVFEyNOZ9n2h-cXpomKYfhUQMNTBrW__UN8vxvftw-D2V0DNSo-aKJCAGgc4zGzwDj2Scuj-sTpLkGpdES5E64lDJUXMGnhbtFE_ikYH_VGqvpumP2aeljH-3ZRZVfa7H/s1600/it's+mondaywhat+are+you+reading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoFyhg3qjzHE8IVFEyNOZ9n2h-cXpomKYfhUQMNTBrW__UN8vxvftw-D2V0DNSo-aKJCAGgc4zGzwDj2Scuj-sTpLkGpdES5E64lDJUXMGnhbtFE_ikYH_VGqvpumP2aeljH-3ZRZVfa7H/s200/it's+mondaywhat+are+you+reading.jpg" width="156" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Join the fun at <a href="http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/">book journey with Sheila</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<b>What I Finished Last Week</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0W1rWS6RJ_gV9i2K-sEEfJMavnrkAcD8Iz8VYYx9H1X0OMh8EAXG_Iz9SHSsN5iK663T4hIads_RpRuB1u1BqzdblURXP6yQHlF-MFyR62N9unTzaM7KOnYtnLtvAogsPSiAYZQUn0raW/s1600/the+boy+who+dared.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0W1rWS6RJ_gV9i2K-sEEfJMavnrkAcD8Iz8VYYx9H1X0OMh8EAXG_Iz9SHSsN5iK663T4hIads_RpRuB1u1BqzdblURXP6yQHlF-MFyR62N9unTzaM7KOnYtnLtvAogsPSiAYZQUn0raW/s320/the+boy+who+dared.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><br />
<i>The Boy Who Dared </i>by Susan Campbell Bartoletti. My review is <a href="http://sheisreadinginthemidwest.blogspot.com/2010/09/boy-who-dared-by-susan-campbell.html">here</a>. It is a middle grade novel based on the true story of a young man who dared to defy Hitler during WWII.<br />
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<b>What I'm Reading</b><br />
Not much! I've been sick as a dog and sleeping for hours on end. I just picked up books from the library today, so I should start something new any day.<br />
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Heathersheisreadinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600548919669199225noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4081489552551471155.post-80291030224267540162010-09-11T22:14:00.000-05:002010-09-11T22:14:37.193-05:00The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEituxSW_UJELdP8JAGHh1MBFrz3ja0TOuPdIx2DqmaReTfA0DxIwvygztiza4z4T5F6SmCU-va6-eZ5n7JnmX0IvawjvKQ2i8FWr2IHauugVp8xHt9ykg8vhxFS2eiyPj-x1Fk6TdC6T-Vt/s1600/the+boy+who+dared.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEituxSW_UJELdP8JAGHh1MBFrz3ja0TOuPdIx2DqmaReTfA0DxIwvygztiza4z4T5F6SmCU-va6-eZ5n7JnmX0IvawjvKQ2i8FWr2IHauugVp8xHt9ykg8vhxFS2eiyPj-x1Fk6TdC6T-Vt/s320/the+boy+who+dared.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">This is based on the true story of Helmuth Hubener, a Morman youth who lived in Hitler's Germany. Individual freedoms have been stripped away including the option of listening to or reading anything that is not approved by the Nazis. In this way, Hitler is able to feed Germany his propaganda and squash outside ideas that would betray him. By illegally listening to a shortwave radio, Helmuth discovers there is more going on in Europe than Hitler wants Germans to know. He can't stay silent and decides to share the truth with others. But it may cost him his life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I liked this book. Personally, I learned more about Nazi Germany by reading this book than though my textbook in high school. One reason I liked this book is because it showed me average Germans. The other books I've read about World War II Germany have been about the Nazi soldiers terrorizing other countries. (<i>Number the Stars, Stones in Water, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society</i>) It's so easy to categorize Germans as evil. However this book showed me that the Nazis were terrorizing their own countrymen, and that the average German cannot be grouped with the Nazi Regime. The Germans lived under hard conditions, heard Hitler promise jobs for all and prosperity, and believed that he was going to help their country. Hitler got the people on his side and fed them a heavy diet of propaganda. The Germans did not know his true motives. For example they understood that he hated Jews, but they didn't know that he planned to exterminate them. Also, the book showed that even when Germans discovered truth, the Gestapo would arrest and torture them to shut them up. I already knew that Jews rejoiced when Allied forces freed them from their concentration camps, but now I understand that when Hitler fell, Germany was released from it's own prison.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">This book is a great starting place for a discussion on Nazi Germany and a good companion read for your student studying WWII. It also goes well with <i>Stones in Water</i> by Donna Jo Napoli. My review of it is <a href="http://sheisreadinginthemidwest.blogspot.com/2010/08/stones-in-water-by-donna-jo-napoli.html">here</a>. Both of these books have deepened my knowledge of World War II.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Heather</span>sheisreadinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600548919669199225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4081489552551471155.post-78046552780975965242010-09-01T16:25:00.003-05:002010-09-01T20:40:54.938-05:00The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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</tbody></table>Check out the creepy cover! It's perfect for the book, but it's so disturbing that I tried to hide it from my kids, and I avoided looking at it myself!<b><br />
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<b>Summary from the front of the book:</b><br />
In 1888, twelve-year-old Will Henry chronicles his apprenticeship with Dr. Warthrop, a scientist who hunts and studies real-life monsters, as they discover and attempt to destroy a pod of Anthropophagi.<br />
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First of all, I hate horror movies. I don't watch them, period. As you may have guessed, I'd never read a horror book either. Until this one. And it took me for a ride! Whoa. The reason I read it is because it was on the <a href="http://sheisreadinginthemidwest.blogspot.com/2010/07/adolescent-literature-course-at-iwu.html">IWU Adolescent Literature syllabus</a> that I read through. This was the last one; I finished on time! <br />
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Many elements of the Gothic novel were present such as both psychological and physical terror, mystery, death, decay, madness, secrets, and hereditary curses. (click here for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_fiction">source</a>.) It was tough to get through because I generally dislike psychological terror, and I was unsure how the author would represent God in the context of the story. (more on that later) Not to mention that the physical terror is explained extremely graphically. Yancey's imagery and details are so good that I can close my eyes and picture the scenes of horror after closing the pages yesterday. He doesn't leave you wondering how much damage the monsters can do. He shows you.<br />
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As for the religious aspect, Yancey has different types of characters. There are the Christian townspeople, the scientist who does not bother himself with religion because it is hard to marry morals with science, and the evil hunter. I think Yancey did a fair job at presenting the three types and letting the reader make his/her own judgments. (I'm so tired of authors writing with an anti-Christian or anti-Christianity slant.) Plus, readers of the novel have the advantage of knowing the work is fiction, as are the monsters know as Anthropophagi, so they don't have to wrestle with the characters' questions such as, "Are these monsters soulless beasts from hell or an animal God ordained to create?"<br />
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Overall, I liked the book!<br />
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P.S. This is the first in a monstrumology trilogy. Book 2 sends Dr. Warthrop and Will Henry on a monster hunt in Canada. It's release date is October 2010.<br />
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Heathersheisreadinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600548919669199225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4081489552551471155.post-61625180807147484192010-08-28T14:38:00.001-05:002010-08-28T14:38:34.118-05:00How I Read Mockingjay and Why You Shouldn't Follow My ExampleLet me tell you a story. The story of how I read <i>Mockingjay</i>. <b> </b><br />
<b>There are no spoilers!</b><br />
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I pre-ordered from amazon in February with free 2-day shipping. The book was released on Tuesday, so I expected it to arrive on Wednesday. Once I discovered it was coming via UPS, I kept a vigilant eye on the street. I thought, <i>It will arrive around 1 pm; I'll put the boys in bed and read it the entire nap time!</i> I even spent the entire afternoon in my front yard waiting and watching. Nothing. I filled the time reading another book and then visiting (on the front yard) with unexpected visitors. Still no UPS truck.<br />
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Our friends had invited us over for dinner that night at 5 pm. We were buckled into the car and backing down the driveway at 4:50 when what do I hear? Yes, my book arriving--when I can't read it!!! Aah! So, I was forced to leave my precious cargo in the car while we spent the evening at our friends' house. We had a great time there eating, talking, and watching the kids play. Later that evening after my kids were in bed, I got about 50 pages in. I was falling asleep at 9:30--I know, pathetic.<br />
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Day 2. And Day 2 was a day when I babysat my friends' twin babies while they work. That meant I was responsible for providing care for 4 preschoolers while trying to read a book. I snuck in 5 pages in the morning. And then it was nap time. I got to read for 2 hours without interruptions! Bliss. Fast forward to that evening. I was up late reading in bed. It's late. I was on page 289, and the content on that page caused a physical reaction in me. I put the book aside, ready to face sleep because I didn't want to face the next page. There was an ache inside me, and I started to whimper. My husband came in bed and let me talk things through with him while he held me comfortingly. We ended the conversation with a decision to read a few more pages because that was a bad place to stop for the night.<br />
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Day 3. I had roughly 100 pages left to read before my husband's relative arrived from 2 states over to spend the weekend with us. <i>No problem</i>, I thought. <i>He's supposed to arrive around dinner, and I'll have all of nap time to finish the book.</i> I enjoyed a morning at the zoo with the kiddos, arrived home to fix lunch, and answered a phone call from my husband to hear these words: "My uncle is ahead of schedule. He could be there in an hour." Aahh!!! Mayhem. I abruptly told him, "I need to get off the phone. I have things to do!" He may have taken that to mean make the guest bed, pick up toys, vacuum, unload the dishwasher, clean the kitchen, etc. But of course, you savvy readers know what I meant: I needed to READ and read NOW! I got the kids in bed ASAP and started to read.<br />
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I'm about 5 pages from the end--5 pages!!!--when my relative pulls into my driveway, and I am forced to stop reading!!!!!!!!! Gasp.<br />
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I was courteous enough to greet him and play hostess. But as soon as my son woke up to entertain him, I excused myself to the restroom and finished the book! After which I pulled my hostess hat back on, and was busy touring, eating, and watching a high school football game. Any spare second of alone time I got (read using the restroom), I was thinking about <i>Mockingjay</i>. It was so frustrating that I didn't have time to process the book! Give yourself time to process this book!!! You will not be able to read the last page and go on with your life. You will need to analyze it. Talk it over with a friend. Question Collins' motives in writing it.<br />
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May your reading and post-reading experiences go smoother than mine! <br />
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Heathersheisreadinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600548919669199225noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4081489552551471155.post-42101113940063999302010-08-22T21:03:00.000-05:002010-08-22T21:03:42.116-05:00It's Monday! What Are You Reading?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcIdmHV4nRv5hiTXXlFK51hSSBudwcEZryl_5CyU_llsAOD6hW8G-IJiV-zl7Q1OlPhQ1lpI0trMm69hs5iowxwRsJSQzUVs6n3JNnk-gwjop7tyPOj_6OatsiJRk0-mk1358PfL1TsdWP/s1600/it's+mondaywhat+are+you+reading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcIdmHV4nRv5hiTXXlFK51hSSBudwcEZryl_5CyU_llsAOD6hW8G-IJiV-zl7Q1OlPhQ1lpI0trMm69hs5iowxwRsJSQzUVs6n3JNnk-gwjop7tyPOj_6OatsiJRk0-mk1358PfL1TsdWP/s200/it's+mondaywhat+are+you+reading.jpg" width="156" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at <a href="http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/">bookjourney</a>. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Come join the fun!</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Geez, the only book I finished last week is <a href="http://sheisreadinginthemidwest.blogspot.com/2010/08/birthday-ball.html"><i>The Birthday Ball</i></a> by Lois Lowry. My review on it is <a href="http://sheisreadinginthemidwest.blogspot.com/2010/08/birthday-ball.html">here</a>.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Unfortunately, this book has not "hooked" me yet and I'm halfway through. The big bummer for me is that the setting is a section of Maui that I did not visit. After an incredible vacation to the west side of the island last summer with my husband (Thank You Jesus!), I was ready to read this book and be transported back there --for free this time! So I've had to adjust to the fact that this book's setting is southern Maui. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I am reading this for the 3rd time. Last time I skimmed and scanned up until the arena. This time I'm reading every detail... and analyzing them too! (For example, why does Peeta's -along with the other boys in the arena- facial hair stop growing in the arena? Is this a detail that will resurface in Book #3?) All in preparation of the release of <i>Mockingjay</i> tomorrow! I pre-ordered from amazon.com with 2 day shipping. When will it arrive??? How are you getting your copy of <i>Mockingjay</i>?</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Heather </span>sheisreadinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600548919669199225noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4081489552551471155.post-76990604600220613242010-08-20T15:56:00.000-05:002010-08-20T15:56:16.677-05:00The Birthday Ball<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsdnDZP6Ewn0LPik53-ww33-SD7Q4f4ZLhPm5WYDFA9uYXVMGSRbvNChTYZAOPQ3MlkfAbPZNOhs6PXqRcj6j2fqmDZro0LQc9tPGZKlAQINCdC2IOugL4yl_ZZzlFjLm8lw45C-I-z9d/s1600/birthday+ball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsdnDZP6Ewn0LPik53-ww33-SD7Q4f4ZLhPm5WYDFA9uYXVMGSRbvNChTYZAOPQ3MlkfAbPZNOhs6PXqRcj6j2fqmDZro0LQc9tPGZKlAQINCdC2IOugL4yl_ZZzlFjLm8lw45C-I-z9d/s200/birthday+ball.jpg" width="148" /></a></div>I picked up this book for two reasons. 1) It's by Lois Lowry, winner of the Newbery medal for <i>The Giver</i> and <i>Number the Stars</i> (one of <a href="http://sheisreadinginthemidwest.blogspot.com/p/my-favorite-books.html">my favorite books</a>). 2) It looked cute!<br />
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This is a very fun read for elementary school girls, especially ones who enjoy all things princess! The whole time I read it, I thought, "This is a great read-aloud book." You could easily read a chapter a night before bed to your kids. Plus Lois Lowry includes many fun word plays that would make reading it aloud very fun to hear! For example, the princess's cat's name is Delicious. The princess says things to her like, "Don't be suspicious, Delicious!" or "It's nutritious, Delicious."<br />
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The only thing that really bothered me from the book involves one (or two) of the suitors. (You see they are conjoined at the hip.) They love "bathroom humor" which is fine because really, what kids don't? The only joke I didn't care for was when they laughed about going to the "balls." And then they laugh at the word <i>balls</i>. In my opinion, that is past bathroom humor and onto male anatomy.<br />
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Beside that, it's a great, fun book! I recommend it.<br />
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Heathersheisreadinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600548919669199225noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4081489552551471155.post-47601329500178444302010-08-14T16:17:00.000-05:002010-08-14T16:17:04.042-05:00Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty & the Beast by Robin McKinley<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUGWhtzsDUTBhPZ9kx0AIC9vv_H7AvwoNEOHHLsTEgEOk886LatHEhyphenhyphengvD5PhpBq3NQq3sISqq258gYBA1hxdVKijSTJs7ESBAGGbGhHwQvdYOsn7yI0cUwrlsAVbQLaFZf8oseDqYc3NI/s1600/beauty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUGWhtzsDUTBhPZ9kx0AIC9vv_H7AvwoNEOHHLsTEgEOk886LatHEhyphenhyphengvD5PhpBq3NQq3sISqq258gYBA1hxdVKijSTJs7ESBAGGbGhHwQvdYOsn7yI0cUwrlsAVbQLaFZf8oseDqYc3NI/s200/beauty.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><br />
<i>Beauty</i> is the first novel by Robin McKinley, and the only one of hers that I've read. I praise her ability to write, and I would read another novel of hers. However, this one let me down. The beginning was slow. Not until around page 100 did it catch my attention. However, once Beauty met the Beast, I couldn't put it down! McKinley did a great job building up the rising action; however, the climax and falling action left me disappointed. McKinley floods her story with intricate details: a page's worth description of paintings hanging in the hall, the color of each gown Beauty wears for dinner, the type of food Beauty's horse eats in his stable. Her attention to detail transported me into the world of Beauty and her Beast. She obviously has talent, and I have hope that it is better honed in her newer novels.<br />
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Heathersheisreadinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600548919669199225noreply@blogger.com3