Maria's Mélange

So, it's the last Monday of the summer. Technically, though, my summer ended yesterday. I am back at work and ready to get another amazing year started! Somehow it seems to be easier to get these posts written when I am in a work-a-day mode. This post represents several weeks of reading... and I know my reading volume will slow considerably now that I'm back to work. Don't forget to check out the tag #IMWAYR on Twitter and to visit www.teachmentortexts.com and www.unleashingreaders.com for the roundups of posts! ** (Must read 2014) Amazing historical fiction. I loved the WWII setting and the powerful friendship between two amazing women. So glad this was on my Must Read 2014 list! I love Gail Simone's run on Batgirl. This was a nice stand-alone story. Not out out - but put it on your radar for September. A great introduction to the life of one of my favorite authors from childhood. I didn't know just how progressive and independent she was! I...

It's time, once again, to dive into the stacks and pull out some favorite picture books. Head on over to Reflect and Refine for the information on how to participate, then share your own Top Ten or just check out other lists! When I started sorting through some of my favorite picture books from the past year, a few distinct themes jumped out at me. Most of them were biographies of amazing people. Others emphasized creativity and self-expression. So I'm going with the theme... STAND UP and STAND OUT Let's get kids to recognize all the hard work it takes to earn and keep the rights and freedoms we sometimes take for granted. CHANGE THE WORLD                       My Country 'Tis of Thee uses the variations in this well known American song to share the history of the fight for equality in America.   ( Full Review Here )  Brave Girl is the perfect book to show how even young wo...

Soo.... yeah... I haven't been doing such a great job on the blogging front this summer. You'd THINK that having more unstructured time would mean I would be MORE likely to get these posts done, right? Wrong! I have been busy. I'm tutoring, cleaning the house, and ran a month long online writing camp. Not as busy as during the school year, though. So what's the deal? I wish I knew. Still, I'm going to share some of my favorites from the past month today and hope that I can get back into the swing. Don't forget to hit the sites of Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers . THEY do a great job of posting frequently and sharing books! I got hooked quickly on this one (though it had some flaws). Edie wants revenge on high school bullies and is sucked into a world where higher powers scheme and plot. Reminded me a lot of the demon law firm on Angel. You KNOW I liked this one! Another good tale of fitting in and managing bullies. LOVED IT! I'm ...