Thank you, Oprah

I was a devoted follower of Oprah's book club back when she picked a book nearly every month. Many of those authors have continued to publish books, and I am always happy to see this, since overall I enjoyed reading Oprah's selections. Today I finished up The Last Secret by Mary McGarry Morris, who rose to fame with Oprah's selection of her book, Songs in Ordinary Time. I haven't read all of Morris' books, but have enjoyed those I have read. The Last Secret was another enjoyable read that was hard to put down.

Nora is a married mother of two teenagers, the wife of Ken, one of two brothers in an established family in town. While she appears to others to have a picture perfect life, there are many small cracks that begin to form when she is confronted with a secret from her past. As a teenager, Nora had run off with a man, Eddie Hacket, for a few days. Their relationship ended abruptly when Eddie had tried to stage a scam with Nora's help and then tried to injure the man he was trying to scam. Nora fled the scene, never knowing what happened to Eddie or the man he attacked. She returned home and now twenty six years later, Eddie shows up after seeing her picture in a magazine and recognizing her. Nora is so ashamed of this part of her past that she will go to some extreme measures to make sure things remain a secret. Interestingly enough, her husband, Ken, has a secret of his own, that once revealed ends up changing their lives forever.

Morris continues to write the kind of women's fiction I am always eager to read. So thank you, Oprah, for introducing me to Morris and her books.

Looking For Bapu

I am happy to report that my inventory at school is going rather well. I am not done yet, but can see a light at the end of the tunnel. I also managed to finish Looking for Bapu by Anjali Banarjee this morning while sitting at the library with my girls who were busy playing in the child-size house at the library. Anu's grandfather, Bapu, dies unexpectedly while the two are on a nature walk. Even though Anu rushes to find help for his grandfather, it is too late, and Bapu passes away. The weird thing is, Anu still sees Bapu from time to time and hears him, too. He knows his parents won't understand this at all. Anu and Bapu had a rather special bond and Bapu spent a great deal of time explaining his beliefs about the spirits to his grandson. Anu decides to look for his grandfather. In this process he manages to get the help of two friends who go along with Anu for this adventure. While Bapu is gone for good, and Anu does eventually realize this, he also comes to some understanding about his parents and Bapu's death. I thought the message in this book was good....there were parts of the story that were not horribly engaging to me, and I feel like my middle grade readers would become disinterested/confused with the talk of the different spirits and gods. However, I really did enjoy the ending and the resolution Banarjee provided for Anu.

Reconsidering Read-Aloud

I know I have posted before about how much I love reading aloud to groups of kids. How lucky I am that in the library that is something that is expected of me. I also loved, loved, loved reading chapter books to my students when I was in a classroom. Even though I taught first grade for the majority of my classroom years, we managed to read some very interesting and wonderful books together. I also recall my own parents reading chapter books to me- my dad sitting in our red bean bag enjoying his after supper cigarette while reading me The Bad Times of Irma Baumlein and Summer Pony. In second grade our teacher read Caddie Woodlawn to us, in 3rd it was James and the Giant Peach, in fifth it was How to Eat Fried Worms. Sometimes I wonder why I don't have more very specific memories of books being read to me. I am hoping my own children recall that part of their childhood quite vividly. I also wonder why my mother, a teacher, didn't read aloud to us much after we learned to read to ourselves. Even though my oldest daughter can read, I still read to her each night before bed. Reconsidering Read-Aloud by Mary Lee Hahn is a professional book I am reading right now that reiterates everything I believe about reading to my students and daughters. While I am not done with the book yet, there are some important quotes I have highlighted in my reading that I am going to share from time to time:

"Read aloud may look like an ordinary event in a typical classroom, but it feels extraordinary when the teacher who is reading is aware of the power of the book and the importance of her role in not only reading to her students, but leading them through the book - using read aloud as a teaching time (Hahn, 1)."

"...but the value you personally place on books and reading is made evident in hundreds of subtle ways during read aloud and the talk that surrounds and is a part of read aloud (Hahn, 8)."

Jen Robinson at Jen Robinson's Book Page has a wonderful post about reading aloud to children, too. To read what she has to say about this article, click here.

Dewey Nightmare

It is that time of the year...inventory in the school library. I can honestly say that I have read very little and have spent several days reshelving books and fixing all the misfiled nonfiction books. I have barely started inventory of what I have and I can think of a "to do" list that is fairly long right now. I did enjoy my Memorial Day weekend....beautiful weather, visiting with some friends, and my husband's birthday. We purchased for him (or maybe for us) Super Mario Cart for our Wii. I spend most of the time when I play driving off the course and crashing, but it is still fun. The books I managed to read over the weekend were Tori Spelling's book Mommywood. Considering I have never seen anything with Tori Spelling in it, or even know much about her, except that she and her mother have a long standing feud, the book was okay. I don't think we live in the same world....she refers to her "gay husband" (a friend of hers) often. This is a different person than her husband, Dean McDermott. As far as I know I don't know anyone else with a "gay husband". There were some other random references to things that made me realize how very different Tori Spelling is from me, but the book was mildly entertaining and for her fans, probably quite enjoyable.
The other book I managed to finish, aside from the last 20 pages which I haven't read yet, giving you some idea of how uncompelling the book has been for me is the Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club by Gil McNeil. I knit and have typically enjoyed other books about knitting groups (Ann Hood's The Knitting Group being one of my favorites), but I just wasn't able to make any real connections to the characters in this book.
I am hoping to have a bit more time to read something for fun soon. I have a few new books I am working on so perhaps I can burn the midnight oil or something.

The Piano Teacher

Sometimes I wonder how many different World War II/Holocaust books are out there. I love historical fiction, but I don't always feel like reading about the Holocaust. However, lately I have been surprised by the different books being published set during World War II, but providing a different perspective than the ones I remember reading as a young adult. One example is The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages, set in Los Alamos, NM and centering around the daughter of one of the scientists who was helping to build the first nuclear bomb. Someone Name Eva, which my book club is reading now, and Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy are two middle school additions to

Holocaust literature that also provide a different perspective. Someone Named Eva takes place in Lidice, Czechoslovakia, where Hitler is convinced someone is responsible for the murder attempt on one of his higher-ups. Yellow Star takes place in Poland where the author's great aunt was forced to live in the Lodz ghetto from the age of four until she was nine.

The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee is an adult fiction addition to Holocaust literature that is set in Hong Kong during World War II. While there are many different things occurring in this story, setting is important. The story shifts between 1942 where we can see how things that happened during the war when citizens were sent to live in a "camp", have an effect on the part of the story set in 1953. Claire, the main character in the story taking place in 1953 is hired to teach the Chen's daughter, Locket, piano. She and her husband are newly arrived from England, and Claire begins to develop a life of her own without her much older husband. Will Truesdale is the Chen's driver and his story takes place in 1953 and 1942. In 1942 Will was romantically involved with Trudy, Melody Chen's cousin. Much happened during the war that shaped who Will now is. It isn't until the novel's end that Claire really feels as though she knows what happened during the war years. There are secrets of many kinds surrounding Claire and those she knows.

I enjoyed this book a great deal, A part of me is still digesting this story, finding bits of irony and foreshadowing I missed while reading. The conclusion left me wondering a bit about Claire and her future...he relationship with her husband Martin was distant, as was her relationship with Will. I feel after reading an entire book about Claire that I don't know her either, or understand her motivations. Was this what Lee intended?

Busy Reading Blogs

Every day I find more blogs to become attached to. There are so many wonderful blogs out there and I feel like I know the authors after a time. Right now I have been reading lots of cooking blogs. Oh, the delicious pictures of food! I love looking at the photographs of wonderfully tasty dishes. I love planning out a time when I could make them. Sometimes I even follow through on these plans. The two blogs I have been spending the most time on Mommy's Kitchen and Megan's Munchies have led me to other equally as enticing blogs. Tonight I plan on making some beer bread that I found a recipe for at Peanut Butter Boy. MMMMM!

Tillie Lays an Egg

Tillie Lays an Egg by Terry Golson is too cute! It is also the new favorite of my two year old who carries it around the house talking about Tillie (or Towie to her). She even took it to daycare to share, and since this is a library copy I have one in my cart on Amazon right now. Tillie, the hen lives with six other hens. While the other hens take turns in their nesting beds, Tillie likes to explore and ends up in various rooms of the house where she lays eggs. Each page has young readers looking for the egg that Tillie laid. While I didn't notice right away, my observant children noted that the props in the background had a chicken/hen theme. I loved that this book features photographs with such bright and clear colors.

My last week of class

Another Monday....finally while I was pulling out of the driveway today I realized that this is the last week I will see classes before I begin inventory. Sometimes I count down a bit more, but this year time has gone so quickly. I still have a lot of cool projects I wish we could have got to. I have started thinking about the fall and things I want to try with my classes then. I have started setting aside some chapter books to take home so I can read them over the summer.
This past weekend was taken up (mostly) with a vomiting two year old. I am hopeful that when I get home my mother-in-law, who is watching her today, will have happy news to report and tell me that there has been no more puking or pooping. Maybe after we are back to normal at home I will be able to post again with some new things I have managed to read.

Itch

On Wednesday my youngest daughter started throwing up. She is still throwing up occasionally which has not provided for the best weekend. I have had a bit of time to read since her location of choice is laying on me while we are reclined on the couch. I would gladly give up this leisure reading time if it meant having a healthy child, but I have tried to make the most of it.

This morning I started Itch (and finished it, too) by Michelle D. Kwasney.

Delores "Itch" Colchester lives with her Gramps and Gram in Florida in the late 60s. For the most part everything in her life is going well. She has had the same best friend since second grade and the two of them hang out with each other since they are not a part of the popular crowd. Itch's mom left her when she was still a baby and no one has heard from her since. When Gramps dies suddenly, Itch and Gram are left to try and carry on. For Gram that means leaving behind the house that is so full of memories. The two move to Ohio where Itch learns how to make new friends and hears advice her Gramps gave her as she is confronted with a moral dilemma of her own: her friend Gwendolyn has a secret that Itch knows she must share in order to protect her.

I love middle grade fiction and this book is well written and very readable.

Honeymoon in Tehran

What is it with me and my love of books about Iran? I am not sure, but there are so many of them being published, that obviously I am not the only one who is reading books about Iranians. Azedah Moaveni's new memoir, Honeymoon in Tehran: Two Years of Love and Danger in Iran was an interesting look at present day Iran.
Moaveni, an Iranian who grew up in the United States, returns to Tehran with the idea of making Iran her home. She still has relatives who live there and friends from a previous stint of reporting from Tehran. This time around she is struck by the changes that have occurred. Ahmadinejad is the new leader, and underdog from the beginning. His rule is characterized by a more conservative attitude toward women than Moaveni has seen during her other time in Iran. The coverings she wears are found insufficient on many circumstances and she fears being arrested. The sites she attempts to access on the internet are often blocked, and satellite dishes are routinely confiscated. To complicate matters, Moaveni manages to fall in love in Tehran, get married and have a baby. While she is not happy with the restrictions she faces for herself, she must now also think of her child and how his life will unfold in an environment that is so controlled by the government.
Moaveni's first memoir, Lipstick Jihad, still sits atop a pile of books I need/want to read. I enjoyed this memoir very much and look forward to Lipstick Jihad and future works by Moaveni.

Little Oink

Little Oink, the latest by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Jen Corace is too cute!  I love the storyline: Little Oink enjoys being neat and clean. His parents want him to make a mess since that's what pigs do.  He half-heartedly takes part in messing things up, and once that is done he is allowed to go and play. What does Little Oink choose as his game? House!  And he is able to clean things up to his heart's content.  The colorful illustrations against a white backdrop are eye-catching and this third "Little" (the first two are Little Pea and Little Hoot) book is just as adorable as the first two.

When The Sergeant Came Marching Home

Ahhh! What a wonderful historical fiction novel. I have never heard of Don Lemna, the author, before, but this book was every bit as good as Richard Peck's A Long Way From Chicago (and many other historical fiction books he has written), and maybe, sort-of reminded me a bit of Harris and Me by Paulson (at least the humor part).

Donald is ten when his father returns from fighting in the war and packs up the family to move to a farm in Montana. Donald can't believe his misfortune. He loves his life in Wistola - running water, indoor plumbing, great friends, going to the movies- and is none to happy about the Sergeant's return. His father is not an easy man, either, and his love for his sons is displayed most often in a rigid form of discipline. Donald and his brother Pat reluctantly move, although Donald intends to save his money up from collecting bottles so he can run away to California. There is a lot of work on the farm, and it seems they rarely have money and are in need of selling things to make their mortgage payment. As time passes, events occur that cause Donald to postpone his plans to move away on his own. While this plotline is interesting, what I am not able to adequately express is the humor Lemna is able to create in this novel. I found myself chuckling many times while reading. The ending is also a bit touching and there is no better way I can imagine this story ending. This is a wonderful addition to a collection of novels about life in America in the 40's. This is only Lemna's first book. I would love to read more about Donald and his family in the future.

Dork Diaries

I greatly enjoyed reading Dork Diaries. This book will be a hit in my elementary library with the fourth and fifth graders. I can see this as a good female counterpart to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. I enjoyed the diary entries and how very readable this book is. While I didn't spend a lot of time looking at the illustrations that go along with the text, I know the readers I have at school will. The embarassments that befall Nikki are things all girls can relate to as is her relationship with arch enemy Mackenzie. The one downfall of this book is its length- at least for my students. It is 272 pages long, and while it reads quickly and doesn't take long to get through, it may be too long for some of my readers. This is the type of book that I would have greatly enjoyed reading when I was growing up. I can't wait until it is published to see what a hit it is.

Prayers For Sale

This morning I woke up not quite as sore as yesterday, although stairs are still presenting a challenge. However, I did manage to get through a workout on the elliptical and the Airdyne bike, and am ready to attempt the 30 Day Shred again tonight. Since I didn't do my entire workout this morning, I had a little extra reading time and finished up Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas. Dallas' work first became known to me when I read The Persian Pickle Club several years ago now. I liked the book, but wouldn't say I loved it. I think if I went back to read it again my enjoyment might be greater now. Since then I have read all of Dallas' work and enjoyed each book. Her latest, Prayers for Sale, is another well written historical fiction novel.

Set in a Colorado mining town during the Depression, Hennie , a long time resident meets Nit, a newly married young woman who has just moved to the town. Nit is desperate for friends and Hennie takes her under her wing, inviting her to join her quilting club and spending time with her. In all the time they spend together, Hennie happily shares her stories- some of her own life and some of the others she has known in her eighty six years.

Prayers for Sale is a book that can be loved by many - it should appeal to generations of women. I loved the setting and wish I could visit Hennie someday.

The Reason for My Pain

So far I am having a Happy Mother's Day. The girls made me breakfast in bed: toast with no butter, two strawberries they proceeded to gnaw at before I could take a bite, and some cold eggs. Mmmmm! We went to church, ate lunch, and now are in the middle of nap time (for the two youngest girls and my husband). This would be a great opportunity for me to run or do some form of exercise. Except I am in pain. Barely can walk down the stairs pain. Can't bend over pain. Yesterday I had a great idea. My foot was hurting while I ran so I decided to stop after three miles (last year I didn't stop when I was in pain and ended up with a stress fracture and couldn't run at all for three weeks, so I am trying to learn from this mistake). Then I decided to break out the new DVD I bought: The 30 Day Shred. Wow. What a workout. I actually don't think I am in horrible shape, but after this 20 minute workout I knew I was going to be sore. The idea is that you do this workout for 30 days in a row. How can I do it again today when I can barely move? I don't want to cry while exercising. I am still contemplating tortuing myself this afternoon. Reading a book sounds a lot safer.

Left to Tell

Immaculee Ilibagiza is a survivor of the Rwandan Holocaust. She has written a powerful memoir recounting her life in Rwanda before the death of her family in 1994 and of the terrifying events that occurred in her life during that time. This book was sad - devastating to know so many innocent and beautiful people were killed - yet Immaculee is hopeful despite all that has been lost. Her faith in God is what she credits with being able to go on. When she spends three months hiding in a bathroom from the Hutu rebels that were killing her people she prays constantly and felt close to God. In all things she is able to find God's hand. When she worries that the Hutus are coming to kill her while she is in hiding, she begs the pastor who is hiding her to move a large bureau in front of the door. This stuns the other women, since none of them had known there was even a bureau large enough to hide the door. Imaculee credits God with giving her this idea. There are numerous other ways Imaculee credits God with keeping her safe and guiding her decisions. Imaculee is also able to forgive all those who have hurt her and her family. This is incredible to me since many people would become bitter with what she has gone through. As Imaculee states when she meets the man responsible for killing her father, "Forgiveness is all I have to offer." She is able to recognize the necessity of forgiveness for herself as well so that she can find peace and happiness in the rest of her time here on earth. This story is incredible and I won't be forgetting Imaculee Ilibagiza and all she and other Rwandans have gone through.

Rule of Three

Rule of Three by Megan McDonald is a book that I would have loved to read in my own middle grade years. I enjoyed the story between three sisters: Alex, Stevie, and Joey. Each sister is unique and has their own set of talents. When Stevie decides to try out for a play, something Alex is known as having talent for, she doesn't tell anyone of her plans at first. Both sisters want the lead in the musical....without giving away the ending, I will say that I was pleased by the way this was resolved and with the maturity and reasoning the characters show. Maybe some middle grade readers will benefit from this example of maturity and good decision making. I think that readers will enjoy the notebook page additions between chapters and little quizzes that are included more than I did. While some of them were necessary to the plot because they revealed a different voice, being narrated by a different sister, they also confused me from time to time as I would forget who was narrating. I am not sure kids who read these would pay attention enough to pick that up.McDonald's references to Louisa May Alcott, Little Women and other "school things" like the name for groups of animals all help to make this book educational without feeling that way at all. I look forward to another addition to this new Sisters Club series by McDonald.

Recommending Authors

I LOVE recommending books to people. I have often said that I would love it if I could do that as a profession. This handy website may take the place of my recommending books to others. If you have read books by a certain author this site allows you to search for others who write like that. Click here to check it out.

Some Cute New Picture Books

I have just read two new VERY CUTE picture books last night for bedtime.

Farley Follows His Nose by Lynn Johnston follows the adventures of Farley the dog, freshly clean after a bath, following the many smells he encounters as he travels around the neighborhood, arriving at his home (finally) smelly and needing another bath. The illustrations are delightful, and I enjoyed reading all the different things that Farley smelled as he was out and about.

Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton is also a delightful picture book. Splat is getting ready for his first day of school. He isn't very excited about being away from home and decides to bring his mouse friend, Seymour along. Splat enjoys himself at school, and while he is excited to see his mother at the end of the day, is also happy to come back to school again. I loved the illustrations - adding touches of color to black and white backgrounds.

Both of these books are wonderful read alouds and I will be purchasing these for my school collection to have as well.

How To Get Married by Me, the Bride

Sally Lloyd-Jones and Sue Heap are back after their amazing first picture book, How To Be a Baby by Me, the Big Sister. I think I have read that one at home a hundred times. And that doesn't count all the story times I have had at school and the many children I have shared How To Be a Baby with there. It is a much loved book. I was delighted to see that How To Get Married, by Me, the Bride was coming out- and right around the time my own sister was getting married, when my daughters would be all about weddings.
I have yet to read this new picture book at home (only because I have ordered our own copy which hasn't yet arrived, while my library copy has), but I did share it with some classes. Once again there was a lot of laughter, although I personally like How to be a Baby a bit more. When the girl/bride states "you can marry your best friend or your teacher or your pet or your daddy..." you could just see my older kids coming up with very logical arguments why that wasn't true. I was dreading someone raising their hand to tell me that such things were illegal. So right off the bat I had to explain that this book was supposed to be FUNNY. After that they enjoyed the story- even the boys, who really aren't into weddings.
I am anxiously awaiting for my latest order of books to come so that we can add a new favorite to our bedtime routine.

Tumble Books

I must not be paying attention lately because it has taken me twice in the past week to see something about Tumble Books before I really started investigating. What a cool website. My students definitely need to check this out and my daughters will love it, too. (Make sure that when you get to the link you click on the Tumble Books icon).

On Beale Street

While I was in college I took two separate trips to Memphis, Tennessee to visit my cousin and her family. On one of the trips, which I took with a good friend of mine, we managed to do a fair amount of touristy type stuff. That included visiting Elvis' home, Graceland, and stopping off at Beale Street. On Beale Street by Ronald Kidd takes place in 1954, well before my visit there. At the time Beale Street was the place to go to here music and Johnny can't keep away despite being warned by his mother not to go there. While he is spending time on Beale Street he gets a job working at Sun Records and befriends Elvis Presley who is just making his move at becoming a famous musician. Johnny and his mother, who works for a wealthy white man, live in a small home on her boss' property. While Johnny is not friend with the boss's son, he is friends with the driver's son, Lamont Turner. The two of them are discouraged from hanging out as adults, both black and white, can see the trouble this could lead to. Lamont and Johnny happen to be driving around one night when they witness a cross burning by the KKK on the front lawn of an apartment complex in the projects. Johnny is forced to analzye what the color of one's skin means. When Elvis is badly beaten and Lamont is accused of the crime, Johnny sets out to find out what really happened that night and clear his friend. What he discovers will change his own life forever if the truth is revealed.

Having been to Beale Street and many of the other places referenced in this book was a pleasant bonus in my reading. I enjoyed the plot and suspense Kidd created. And as always, it is a wonderful look at history when a story can be developed around key events in the past. Kidd includes an author's note at the novel's end, explaining this time in history and also what happened to the people in this book later in their lives.

The Chosen One

I was very excited to get an ARC of The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams to review. I stayed up late last night reading and tried to finish it while I was exercising this morning before finally giving in and lounging on the couch for a few minutes so I could pay attention to what I was reading. Kyra is growing up in a polygamous religious sect. Life seems to move smoothly for Kyra - playing with her many brothers and sisters, and helping out her mothers. Her father is also a loving man, not stern and strict like some of the other men on the compound. While there have been different instances in the past of people leaving the compound, and one young woman was stoned to death, Kyra doesn't really think about these things much. This all changes when Kyra is chosen to marry her own uncle, her father's brother, who is at least sixty years old. Kyra will be his seventh wife. Suddenly Kyra cannot fathom living out her years in this way. While Uncle Hyrum has forbidden many things, including reading books, Kyra has been sneaking away to meet the Bookmobile when it makes it's way by their compound. She is able to learn about how people outside their compound live. She has also taken an interest in a young man, Joshua, who reciprocates her feelings. What will happen to them both if anyone finds out?

Williams' book may be the first real look some young adult readers get of polygamy and fundamentalist religion. While this is only one perspective, I also thought it reminded me a great deal of Escape by Carolyn Jessop, who had been married off at a young age, in a situation very similar to Kyra's. Jessop also chose to escape, although she had many children to take with her when she did. This book was very interesting, grabbing my attention from the beginning, and I predict teen readers will be equally as engrossed.