It's Monday Feb 20

    

Be sure to check out the other posts in this meme. Of course, that might lead to an out of control wish list… but worse things have happened.   Teach Mentor Texts    This was a really busy week of reading. I don't fully realize how much I read until I write it all down. Sheesh, no wonder I didn't get much else done! 

Nerdbery Project –

I completed the 20s by finishing Trumpeter of Krakow. This was probably the first book from the Newbery Challenge that felt like it was approaching a modern tale. There was an actual plot, with some almost science fiction like elements. I loved the alchemy parts, and I can see kids enjoying it. It wouldn’t make any top ten (or fifty) lists today, but I didn’t feel like I needed several extra cups of coffee (or toothpicks under my eyelids) to make it through this one.

Number the Stars

I needed a little break from the early Newbery books, so I chose an old favorite that I haven’t read in a few years. Simple text with a powerful message about family, love, and courage. If, by some remote chance, you haven’t read it yet…. You should put this on your list.

Comics / Graphic Novels :  If you are looking for good suggestions for kids in this area, you can check out the pinboard I started on Pinterest this week: http://pinterest.com/lleullin/comics-and-graphic-novels-for-kids/

Batman The Brave and the Bold – Volume 1: This is a nice superhero tale for the younger crowd. It is based on the cartoon series, so it may be a way to hook those viewers into reading. I’m used to tales where Batman and Superman don’t quite get along, but this series shows them more as buddies. It’s a fun take on their relationship, focusing on the way their unique strengths complement one another. It’s actually a series of several distinct stories, focusing on different heroes and villains. Very fun! http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/277504121

Lunch Ladies: League of Librarians:   My son brought this home from the library this week and handed it to me, insisting that I read it. It was silly and fun, and I enjoyed it. Read my (short) review here on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/279683643

Hereville: How Mirka got her Sword – by Barry Deutsch . This is the tale of an orthodox Jewish girl who wants to be a dragon slayer. A student had this out from our building library on Friday and had just finished it. She suggested I read it, and I’m so very glad that I did. This was amazing, and I highly recommend it. It would pair beautifully with a multicultural unit, or with a viewing of Fiddler on the Roof. Read my (short) review here on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/279696991 

Love and Capes volume 2: If you are a fan of superheroes and also like romantic comedies, this is for you! Heck, if you JUST like supers or romantic comedy, check it out. The adventures of The Crusader and his girlfriend/fiancé/wife Abby are sweet and funny. I can see this appealing to kids in upper elementary on up as well.  I’m not sure how available this one is in hard copy, but I read it on the Comixology app on my iPad. It’s available for just digital reading on the Comixology website as well.

The Writing of Friends:

Helping a friend with suggestions for a novella she is writing and wants to pitch. I love her work, and I’m just hoping my ideas are helpful. Her story is for adults, and is about a woman in Nazi Germany helping her friend escape.  Working on this was one of the reasons I selected Number the Stars for a Newbery book for my weekly reading.

Nerdy Book Club Recommendations:

Wonder: I finally got my hands on a copy of Wonder. I requested it on Netgalley, really not thinking I’d be approved. My blog-o-presence isn’t really that big. But I got it yesterday, and I’m almost done it as I type this now (8:18 Monday morning). Wow. I need to pull my thoughts together to write a real review, and I need to decide how to share this with my students. All my reading groups are rather large, so I can’t truly afford to buy enough copies to use it for a reading group. I want to, though, I really do. Touching, real, hopeful. Put it on the top of your TBR pile, seriously.

Science Fiction:

Still working on the Orson Scott Card (Pathfinder) and the Star Wars book (Heir to the Empire) from last week. Those are for my own reading pleasure, so they sometimes end up behind the other books in line when I’m reading. I need to get my butt on the elliptical more, since I tend to read eBooks there and my Star Wars book is on my Kindle app. (It’s easier to do that, since I can increase the font size).