Summer Reading

The other day a student asked me how many books I read this summer. You can check my Goodreads account to see, but I read 9 children's/YA books, plus 2 grown-up books! The highlight was, of course, Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. I also got hooked on The 39 Clues Series, read Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson in one sitting (it helped that I was on a 6 hour plane ride) and the latest in the Lunch Lady series. There are so many good reads out there, truly something for everyone! Talk to me and we'll find the book for you!

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer

Best-selling author John Grisham has written a new book specifically targeted to readers your age. Read the first chapter of the book, then answer the following question.

Now take a look at Shaun Tan's webpage. Read what he has to say about picture books and thier audience. What are your thoughts about picture books, different types, and what age groups they are appropriate for?

Absolutely True Diary of A Part Time Indian

Some 7th graders are loving this book. Is it the funniest book you've ever read?

Sarah Dessen

Everyone (who's female) is talking about Sarah Dessen. What have you read by her? What would you recommend? What do you like about her books?

Olympians

Next week Olympians from around the world will be congregating in Vancouver to compete for their moments of Olympic Glory. Also, Percy Jackson will bring some Olympians and demi-Olympians to the big screen.

Take a look at this video about the Olympic Torch.

Now, think about this quote from the classic story of Pandora:

“Zeus had always controlled fire. Men could have all the water, all the air, all the earth they wanted. But fire would remain with the gods, for it was the source of al creation. Without it, men would never find their genius , their passion, thier own gods within.”
(Rylant, Cynthia. “Pandora”. The Beautiful Stories of Life: Six Greek Myths Retold. New York: Harcourt, 2009. 1. Print.)

What do you think the Olympic torch signifies? What kind of message does the video give about the torch? What do you think is the purpose of the video? Does watching this make you more or lesss likely to follow the athletes in the Olympic Games? Post your thoughts here.

Go to the 2010 Vancouver Games website and take a look around. Choose an event to investigate further. Look at the pictures, videos, and athlete information. Then create a profile about an athlete, real or made up, using the Profile Publisher.

Alien invasion

I recently read "The Doom Machine" by Mark Teague and loved it. It reads like a 1950's sci-fi movie. It follows the adventures of 2 teens and 2 adults and a rooster who are abducted by spider-like aliens. There is also a willful stowaway and even a reuniting of estranged family members. What are your favorite books with aliens...of any type? Mrs. W.

Milkweek by Jerry Spinelli

The Homeschool Liberation League

The Mediator series

Recommended by the Teen Advisory Board at LPL--good recommendation?

Dead is the New Black

Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz

We've heard alot about the Twilight series, what about this one?

Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman

What did you think of this?

Well Witched

Gilda Joyce: Psychic Investigator