Book-A-Day Challenge Week 3 Update

Wow!  I am into my third week with the Book-A-Day Challenge hosted by Donalyn Miller (The Book Whisperer).  I have been this kind of crazy obsessive person with the challenge.  I am determined to get at least 7 books (including picture books) read during the week.

Book-A-Day Week 3 Reads:

Picture Books:

Pete and Pickles by Berkeley Breathed This is an odd (in a good way) story about a friendship between a pig (Pete) and an elephant (Pickles). Pete is a bit uptight.  Pickles is a free-spirit.  The ultimate odd couple.   The illustrations seem to come alive and the story is touching.

I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll I loved this twist on "the monster under the bed" concept.  The little boy in the story is unable to sleep without his monster under the bed.  Gabe, his monster, has gone on a vacation.  Substitute monsters are sent but none are just right.  What's a boy to do without his monster to keep him in bed at night?!  Great illustrations.  Great text.  Read my review here.

LadyBug Girl by Jacky Davis  A little girl and her alter-ego Ladybug Girl go out for the day on her own adventures when her brother tells her she is too small to play ball with him and his friends.  I know a lot of little girls who would just adore this book.

LadbyBug Girl At the Beach by Jacky Davis This is a companion novel to Ladybug Girl.  In this installment, our ladybug girl is afraid to admit that she just might be afraid of the water at the beach.  After a day of trying every which way to avoid going into the water, ladybug girl must come to the rescue when her favorite purple pail starts to float away.  Read my review here.

City Dog, Country Frog by MoWillems, John Muth (re-read) I had originally read this prior to it's release so it was fun to actually hold a finished copy in my hand.  Mo Willems is a master at writing wonderful stories with simple language.  Muth's illustrations enhance the story wonderfully.  The concept of the story is a tale of friendship between a dog and a frog.  Willems tells of how the dog and frog play during spring, summer, and fall.  After winter, dog goes to find his friend who is missing (do I dare say...no, I won't).  What will dog do in frog's absence?  The story has an answer to that question.

Graphic Novels:

Amulet Book 1: The StoneKeeper by Kazu Kibuishi  I am not a huge graphic novels fan.  I think I get distracted by the pictures. :-)  However, this one will certainly appeal to 9 and 10 year olds.  A girl discovers a special amulet which is activated after her mother is captured by a creature from an alternate universe.  The girl and her younger brother go in search of their mother and discover the history behind the amulet and the legacy that is bestowed on them.  Read my review here.

Middle Grade:

The Shadows (The Books of Elsewhere) by Jacqueline West I will be posting a review of this book soon so I won't say much other than - this is a definite read.  I will edit the post when I have written the review.  Read my review here.

The Kneebone Boy (Advanced Readers Copy) by Ellen Potter  I will be reviewing this book in August closer to the actual release date for the book.  However, I will say that Ellen Potter has outdone herself.  Fans of Lemony Snickets and Pseudonymous Bosch are certain to love this book.

Shooting the Moon by Frances O’Roark Dowell In this novel of coming of age during the Vietnam War, Jamie learns through the rolls of film her brother sends to her to develop that war may not be all that she believed it to be and even her father who is a Colonel in the Army may be helpless to prevent somethings from happening.

YA:

Beautiful Darkness (Advanced Readers Copy) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl I will be doing a review closer to release date on this book, but I will say that fans of Garcia and Stohl's first book, Beautiful Creatures, will love this sequel.

Reality Check by Peter Abrahams This Edgar Winnner for Best YA is a fast, compelling read.  Abrahams leaves you wondering for most of the book who can you trust.  After a slightly slow start, I was unable to put this one down until I finished.

Scanned by did not truly read:

Nightlight (A Parody of Twilight) by Harvard Lampoon Okay, I will admit it.  I like Twilight.  I think those who love to poke fun at Twilight will love this, but it just annoyed me.  I scanned parts of it but just lost interest after awhile.

In progress:

A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby Payne Several teachers on my staff and I are reading a couple of chapters of this each week and discussing it.  Very powerful and practical.

So how are you doing on your summer reading challenge?  Read any good books lately?  Post a comment about what you are reading.

-Aly

Summertime Reading Giveaway...

Do some books remind you of a particular time of the year? Some books make me think vacation.  Others remind me of where I was or a particular time in my life.  However, some books seem like great summer reading material.  For the next few weeks, I am going to be hosting a series of book contests.  Yes, you read that right...book contests - plural.

I am kicking the Summer Reading Giveaway with a book that says summer to me but one that I don't think has gotten as much recognition as I think it should.  I am featuring Saundra Mitchell’s Shadowed Summer.  Saundra has been wonderful and sent me a signed book plate for the book, and some additional swag including a Shadowed Summer bookmark, sticker, and a Vespertine book card.

Description from GoodReads:

Iris is ready for another hot, routine summer in her small Louisiana town, hanging around the Red Stripe grocery with her best friend, Collette, and traipsing through the cemetery telling each other spooky stories and pretending to cast spells. Except this summer, Iris doesn’t have to make up a story. This summer, one falls right in her lap.



Years ago, before Iris was born, a local boy named Elijah Landry disappeared. All that remained of him were whispers and hushed gossip in the church pews. Until this summer. A ghost begins to haunt Iris, and she’s certain it’s the ghost of Elijah. What really happened to him? And why, of all people, has he chosen Iris to come back to?

My Review:

I actually read Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell back in December.   It had come to me highly recommended, and someone joked that it should be read in the middle of the winter.  So I did read it surrounded by 2 feet of snow outside.  It is one of those books that warms you up.  When I jumped into the first chapter of the book, I could feel the heat and humidity of the Louisiana summer rising off the page.

But to be fair, this is truly a summer book.  Mitchell's Shadowed Summer is a southern gothic ghost story. From the first pages, Mitchell drew me into her world and kept me reading.  I could almost sense myself walking around this small Louisanna town in the summer with the heat and humidity rising from the ground, and the laziness of the days. Her characters - Richly developed, and come alive on the pages. There is friendship, secrets, and more. Mitchell's background as a screenwriter lends itself to crisp writing without excessive words and pacing that never drags. If anything, I wanted to spend more time in her world and was sad to see the story end even though the length was appropriate. And even though part of me thought I knew how the book was going to end, I was still was a little surprised.

I would highly recommend this to anyone, and I do.  Mitchell has been added to my favorite author "watch list" and I can't wait for her next book Vespertine to be released in 2011.

To Enter the Contest:

1. You must fill out the form below.

2. You must be 14 years or older to enter the contest.

3. You must submit the form prior to 11:59 p.m. PDT on Sunday, July 11, 2010

For Extra Entries:

- Leave a comment in the comment section about your favorite summer book (1 extra entry)

- Tweet it, Blog about it, or post it on your blog or Facebook page (each item will earn you 2 extra entries)

- Follow the Blog (New followers will get 1 extra entry, Current Followers will get 2 extra entries)

Good luck,

-Aly

Click Here for Entry Form

Please email me at alybee930 (at) gmail (dot) com If you have any troubles with the entry form.

Book-A-Day Challenge: Week 2

Before I leave for my vacation (I will still be posting next week), I wanted to do a quick update on my progress with the Book-A-Day Challenge hosted by Donalyn Miller (THE BOOK WHISPERER).

Book A Day Week 2:

Picture Books:

Way Down Deep In The Deep Blue Sea by Jan Peck A little boy discovers a wonderful adventure filled with sea life and sea elements.  The book will appeal to readers who are fans of Brown Bear, Brown Bear.  The rhythmic and repetitive language and beautiful illustrations will draw young children into the book.  And I love the twist at the end.  A definite hit with the under 5 crowd .

Oh No (Or How My Science Project Destroyed The World) by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Dan Santat  This is a fun read and would be especially enjoyable for any elementary class getting ready for a science fair/expo.  The main character has to figure out what to do when her science project (a robot) gets out of hand.  Though I enjoyed the text and kids will get a laugh out of it, I really loved Dan Santat's illustrations more.  I am a huge Santat fan so that was the reason I picked it up in the first place and I wasn't disappointed.

Young Zeus by G. Brian Karas  This is a great introduction to Greek Mythology for younger readers.  The story is written in a way that 1st/2nd graders on up will enjoy the tale of Zeus as a child.  There are also some great humorous lines.  The illustrations do a fabulous job supporting the text.

Picture Books/Non-fiction:

Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum by Meghan McCarthy I have become a big fan of non-fiction picture books lately.  Often times written more for 3rd grade and up, they do a fabulous job of drawing readers into a variety of topics and being quite informative.  Though I would say Pop! is written for 2nd/3rd grade on up, I might consider using it with certain Kinder/First classes.  The story addresses bubble gum specifically though it alludes to the history of gum in a general manner.  The illustrations are bright and entertaining and support the text well.  And the fact at the end are great for expanding discussion on the topic.

Middle Grade Fiction:

The Summer Before by Ann Martin  If you are a fan of the Babysitters Club Series, then you will love this prequel.  I read this for a book club without ever having read the Babysitter Club Books.  I can see the appeal it would have for fans of the series or for 9 and 10 year old girls, but for me - it was okay.  The first person who actually reads this post and comments that they want the book...it's yours.

The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron  Now this story was amazing.  I loved Lucky. This was an amazingly well written story.  I would recommend it to everyone.  You can check out my review here.

YA Fiction:

Numbers by Rachel Ward  Jem has the ability to see the date (month/day/year) when a person is going to die by looking in his/her eyes. This presents some challenges with day to day relationships. One day while in London, Jem notices that all these people have the same date of death - the current day. She realizes that something is going to happen and works to get her and Spider out of there. This begins a journey of running from the authorities. I found it to be a fast read and pretty interesting. I do need to warn potential readers that there is quite a bit of crass language and also sex in the book so depending on your school and students, you may want to recommend it to older teens. On a side note: I did feel that the language & sex was really a part of who the characters were.

Far From You by Lisa Schroeder After reading I Heart You, You Haunt Me, I immediately went on to read the rest of Lisa's books.  I just love her writing style and her books have gotten more complex and rich as she developed her writing style.  In this book, Ali has to come to terms with her mother's death, her father's remarriage, and new baby.  The emotional journey that Ali goes on is very real and very relate-able.  Just keep the tissues by you when you read this one.

Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder This is a companion novel to I Heart You, You Haunt Me.  It is set in the same world as her first novel and I am glad that I read them in order.  There is a little gift to her readers if you read it following the first book.  In this book, Schroeder looks at the death of Nico from the perspective of his older brother and his (Nico) girlfriend.  The book is told from alternating viewpoints and the way they end up helping each other through their loss is tender and very touching.  I cried...you'll probably cry...but hope is always a part of Lisa's books.

Okay, more to come next week....keep reading - even if it is only 1 or 2 books a week...

- Aly

P.S. The contest has been won but keep reading the blog.  More giveaways will be happening.

Author Event: Lisa Schroeder signs at Vroman's

Yesterday, I had the wonderful opportunity of attending Lisa Schroeder's book signing at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena.  Lisa took time out of her family vacation to come and talk with fans about her latest middle grade book IT'S RAINING CUPCAKES (see my review here )

Lisa kicked off the signing by sharing with fans the story of her road to publication and the lessons she learned along the way.  It was fun to hear how the ideas for I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME and FAR FROM YOU came to her.  (If you haven't read either of these novels in verse, go out and get them - now.)

We also got to listen to Lisa read from IT'S RAINING CUPCAKES.  

In celebration of Schroeder's book, Polkatots Cupcake owner Alma Tarriba donated cupcakes for the event.  If you live in or around the Pasadena area, I would certainly recommend trying them out.  I'm still debating between the lemon or the raspberry chocolate mini cupcakes. Yummy!!!!

While people lined up to have Lisa sign their books, I got a chance to hang out and chat with Khyrinthia (Frenetic Reader Blog) and Shannon Whitney Messenger (Blogger, and volunteer tour guide/driver for Lisa).  I realized afterwards I didn't get a picture of the 3 of us.  Oh, well maybe next time?!

But I did get a picture with Lisa (thanks Shannon for being the photographer).

Of course, I couldn't go to the signing and not pick up a little something for one lucky reader.  Lisa mentioned during her signing that readers loved Ava from I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME and were asking for a sequel.  Lisa indicated that her book CHASING BROOKLYN is her gift to her readers.  Though it isn't a sequel but more of a companion novel, there is a little Ava in it.  For a chance to win a signed copy of CHASING BROOKLYN, check out my review on Tuesday, July 5th over at Young Adult Literature Review Blog.



Until next time....

-Aly

Summer Goals, Part II

A few days ago, I blogged about my summer reading goal here.  Today, I wanted to share my writing goal for the summer.  Normally, I consider myself a reader.  What do I mean by this?  I love reading books, but I never gave any serious consideration to writing a book before.  I consider myself a reasonable writer from a technical standpoint.  I write a lot for work but that is very different than creative writing and story development.  As a teacher, I also read a lot of student work and enjoy the process of helping them improve on their writing.  So, I also consider myself a decent editor.  But calling myself a writer,well that is another thing.  I almost have this feeling of being taken back to preschool and to dress-up pretend play.  I wonder if I am the only one who feels like this?

Yet, over the last year, I have felt the pull to try my hand at writing creatively.  To stretch my brain and do something that may be uncomfortable and hard at times.  Several friends have talked about creating a writing group that can support one another.  To set goals and to work towards those goals.  A couple of the members have manuscripts that they are preparing for query.  Others, like me, have not even fleshed out a true chapter.

Of course when you decide to do something it seems like writing challenges pop up all over the place.  Karen Mahoney, a YA author, started a Summer Reading Challenge which you can read about here.  I signed up for it knowing that in June I would get little writing in and would have to play catch up in July and August.  Then, on Judith Graves' posting on GoodReads about a 1K a day challenge.  The lovely ladies over at YA Edge are hosting a 1K a day challenge for the month of July.  You can sign-up here I encouraged a couple of my other friends to join me.  Breaking the writing task into 1,000 words seems much more do-able.  However, I don't think writing my blog counts towards my 1,ooo words.  So, I am heading off to - yes, write.

I do have one quick announcement - In the next day or two, I am going to kick-off my summer book contests.  I will be giving one book a way per week for the month of July in celebration of summer reading.

Happy reading or writing,

-Aly