Hey readers!  Somehow my summer escaped me.  Somewhere between the rainy, dreary weather that sucked up most of it and the crazy, whirlwind of August, I never quite mustered the steam to post on my blog.  I did read - of course, as it is as important as breathing to me - but I didn't get a chance to fill you in on the details.  So, my apologies for abandoning you to the digital netherworlds.  Now that school has started and I'm gradually figuring out my new routines, I hope to pop in more often.

I hope all of you enjoyed your summer and are having a great back-to-school season.  I am teaching kindergarten this year.  Quite a change from 6th grade in some ways.  Very much the same in others.  :-)  I sure do miss my 6th graders though.  Although, I'm sure I would get in trouble for calling them 6th graders since they are actually 7th graders now! :-)  I hope you are all doing well in middle school, having fun, making friends, and DOING YOUR HOMEWORK.  :-)

Ok, now on to books.  I've decided to jump in with the book I just finished a few minutes ago.  It is called Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore.  Excellent story!  Magic is woven through the story in a way that it doesn't take over the plot.  The heroine is strong, fiesty, but still discovering exactly who she is.  The last paragraph of the back of the book reads, "For fans of Libba Bray and Charlotte Bronte, this is a mesmerizing novel of deception, magic, and true love that will leave readers hungering for more."  They aren't kidding.  I read the last few pages and thought I might cry if she didn't write a sequel.  Thankfully, the sequel comes out in April.  This book has the heartwrenching pull of love similar to Twilight, for those of you who are fans.  And for those of you who are not, don't worry, it's a completely different story.  No vamps or werewolves at all.

Before I give you all the usual fun links, I want to share with you a couple of lines from the story that I think are masterful pieces of writing.  I love lines like this and wish I had wrote them.  :-)

Here they are:

"I listened and heard nothing but the slow creaks of an old house turning in for the night.  I blew out the  candle.  Sleep crept in with the darkness."  (pg. 27).

Isn't that great?  So visual and it pulls me right in.  When I was little, our house made tons of noise and I was prone to nightmares.  (I have a great imagination - sometimes too great).  My mom told me it was just the house settling after all the work of the day.  This line reminded me of lying in bed late at night listening to those noises and feeling comforted by the thought that our house took care of us and rested at night like we did.  See, I told you I have quite the imagination.

Ok, so here is the author's website:  http://www.jaclyndolamore.com/   I have to say her website doesn't give quite enough information on her books.  I'd like to see more about the books themselves.  But her blog is pretty good.  I enjoy her humor and her writing style.  You can find her blog here: http://jaclyndolamore.blogspot.com/

Here is a fun link to a theater company that works in automatons.  The video of the "spaghetti eater" is interesting.  http://www.cabaret.co.uk/

Here is a bio on Charlotte Bronte (classic author mentioned on the back of the book):  http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/bronte/cbronte/brontbio.html

In her blog, Jaclyn Dolamore mentions that she did a slight "nod" to Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte in Magic Under Glass.  Here is a link to the actual text of Jane Eyre.  Being a classic, it is in the public domain for copyright, meaning it can be published and read online for free.  http://www.literature.org/authors/bronte-charlotte/jane-eyre/

If you get a chance, Magic Under Glass is definitely worth the read!  She's a great writer and the plot is much better than the cover implies.  (I'm not a fan of real photographs on covers, as a general rule).

Well readers, it's time for me to hit the sack.  Past time, really.  I'm off to dream of silver keys and the agony of love.  Good night.  :-)

Mrs. H

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

Hello Readers,

Well, I've started The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger.  I'm going to read this a little at a time like I did with my book club during the school year.  In case my book club members are following along and want to join me :-)  (I hope your summer is going well ladies).  This will also allow blog followers to join the club and comment along with the rest of us.  So, this first post is from the beginning of the book through the first 3 cases - stopping before Sara's case.  The next post will be on the next 2 cases - Sara and Tommy/Harvey.

Here is the author's website: http://origamiyoda.wordpress.com/

The author does his own website which is pretty cool, I think.  There are lots of fun pictures and comments.  Worth checking out.

My thoughts on the book so far:  feels like Diary of a Wimpy Kid but I can't quite nail down why.  Some doodles on the pages, but not the graphic novel feel of DWK.  Some nerdy kids, but Tommy (main character) feels more like an "in the middle" kind of kid, if you know what I mean.  I am definitely intrigued.  Dwight walks to the tune of his own drummer, for sure.  I admire people who aren't afraid to be who they are.  I'm looking forward to seeing where this book goes.  I also love that various characters comment on Dwight and Origami Yoda.  It's great to read the different perspectives and it's very funny too.

I hope you can join me in reading this book.  It's always more fun to share a good book than to just enjoy it in solitude!

Have a great day and keep reading!

Mrs. H

Smells Like Dog

Well, readers, I've finished Smells Like Dog by Suzanne Selfors and I'm very glad I stuck with it.  It was a little slow to get started but a fun read in the end.  (That could have been more me than the story, I was in a bit of a funk when I started it.  Lol.)  The characters are quirky and the storyline is like a play on treasure hunting novels - in a good way.  I love how Dog grows on Homer and the names of the characters are hilarious.  Great book.  And I was pleasantly surprised to see there is another adventure that came out in May - Smells Like Treasure.  For my readers who aren't into series books, you can read Smells Like Dog and still get a complete story.   I didn't even realize there was another until I saw the picture on the very last page.

This book reminds me of the Geronimo Stilton books without the comic book format.  I highly recommend it for those who want a light adventure with large doses of silly wove throughout.

Here is the author's website:  http://www.suzanneselfors.com/index_flash.php

She has actually written several books for various age levels.  Being a teacher, I especially like that she has links to curriculum information.  :-)

Well, that's it for now.  Appointments are calling.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on this book or on whatever you are reading now.  I'm always looking for suggestions on great books.

And, as always, keep reading!

Mrs. H

Summer is here - prime reading time!!

Hello bloggers!

Summer is here and I've already taken advantage of the free time to jump into some books.  I finished the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins last night.  This is a futuristic story about a distopian society (the opposite of a utopian or perfect society) and a young girl trying to protect her family against all odds.  Don't worry guys, there is plenty of action, adventure, and even some gore.  Katniss is not your average girl, for sure.  I loved the first book, loved the second book even more, then felt a little let down by the third book.  I definitely think it's still worth reading the whole series but the ending seemed to come on a little suddenly.  I also didn't feel like she put as much into the characters as she did in the first two books.  I loved the relationship and interplay between Peeta and Katniss in the 2nd book (I'm pretty sure Peeta was modeled after my husband).  And, finally, the ending was..hmmmm..how to say this without ruining it for those who haven't read it??  Let's just say it didn't quite end how I would've wanted it to end.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on the trilogy.

Suzanne Collins has a website you can visit here:  http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/

There is a dedicated fansite you can check out here:  http://www.hungergamestrilogy.net/

And The Hunger Games is set to be a movie!  It looks like filming has already started.  Find out more here:  http://hungergamesmovie.org/  and here:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1392170/


Well, that's it for my first summer post.  I'm starting two new books this week:  Smells Like Dog by Suzanne Selfors and The Strange Case of Origami Yoga by Tom Angleberger.  Hope to hear from you soon!  Enjoy the summer break and keep reading!

Mrs. H

Love That Dog and Poetry Month

                          

I am so excited because April is poetry month!  I am a big fan of poetry.

Also, my class is going to read "Love That Dog" by Sharon Creech as part of a poetry unit in writing.  (Surprise! for those of you who are in my class) I love, love, love this book!  It's one of my favorites.  And I'm working on starting a book club at school as well.  If it works out, we'll read "Hate That Cat" also by Sharon Creech for the book club.

If you haven't read either of these books, they are short but powerful.  They are written in the point of view of Jack, a boy who does not like poetry at all.  He thinks poetry is for girls.  (Jack Prelutsky, Robert Frost, William Shakespeare and all the other millions of male poets in the world would strongly disagree, I'm sure).  If you haven't read it yet and aren't in my class, you should check out both books!  And if you are in my class, yay!  We get to read at least one of the books together!  :-)

For everyone:
Check out Ms. Creech's website:  http://www.sharoncreech.com/

And some fun poetry websites:

http://www.jackprelutsky.com/ - One of my favorite hilarious poets!

http://www.poetry4kids.com/ - This site is done by Kenn Nesbitt - another favorite of mine and VERY funny!

http://www.shelsilverstein.com/indexSite.html - The master of poetry, in my opinion, Mr. Shel Silverstein, author of Where the Sidewalk Ends.

Well, I'm off to start a book my daughter suggested for me:  The Willoughbys.  She assures me it's very funny...Stay tuned for comments on The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry...

Happy Reading!

Mrs. H

Edison's Gold

After finishing The Ghost at the Window, I jumped right into Edison's Gold by Geoff Watson.  This was a fun read - full of adventure and treasure hunting.  The main characters in this story are Tom and his two best friends Noodle and Colby.  Tom is the great-great grandson of THE Thomas Edison, inventor of the light bulb.  Thomas Edison's descendants have struggled to live up to his name and Tom is no different.  He loves to invent but has trouble with follow-through and ends up with one disaster after another.  Noodle and Colby usually end up in trouble along with Tom, as best friends often do.  But when they stumble upon a clue to the family secret, Tom sees his chance to redeem his family name.  The three friends band together to go on a dangerous treasure hunt full of excitement, secret societies, famous people, treasure, and unexpected twists and turns.

The story circles around a feud between the original Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla, inventor of the Tesla Coil (and several other major inventions).  Look below for some links to more information on both Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla.

Also, stop by and visit Mr. Watson's website here:  http://geoffwatsonbooks.com/bio/  His site is short and sweet but he does have an interesting blog about writing.  Here is a .pdf file with some great discussion questions about the book:  http://www.egmontusa.com/files/2010/10/Edisons-Gold-Final.pdf

Thomas Edison:

bio:  http://www.biography.com/articles/Thomas-Alva-Edison-9284349

Timeline of Edison's Inventions:  http://www.buzzle.com/articles/timeline-of-thomas-edison-inventions.html

Cool article about predictions Thomas Edison made and whether they came true or not:  http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/02/pictures/110211-thomas-edison-google-doodle-164th-birthday-anniversary-science/

Really in depth site about Edison's papers and books he wrote:  http://edison.rutgers.edu/

Nikola Tesla:

bio:  http://www.pbs.org/tesla/

Another bio:  http://inventors.about.com/od/tstartinventions/a/Nikola_Tesla.htm

Tesla's own memorial society:  http://www.teslasociety.com/biography.htm

And finally, the Edison vs. Tesla fued was real!  Here is some interesting information about it:

http://science.discovery.com/top-ten/2009/science-feuds/science-feuds-02.html

NY Times article about the feud:  http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/14/off-goes-the-power-current-started-by-thomas-edison/


Lots of great information to digest and a good book to go along with it!  Happy Reading!

Mrs. H

Where does the time go?

OK, bloggers,

I'm pretty late posting about The Ghost at the Window.  The last few days ended up busier than I had planned.  I did end up finishing the book though.  So, without further ado...some thoughts on The Ghost at the Window:  **Beware -- there are spoilers for those of you who have not read this book and might want to!


Over all, this is a fun story.  It took a little bit to get going but once it did, I didn't want to put it down.  When the suspense starts to build, it does so in a hurry.  The house is very cool.  The author does a nice job tying in the movement of the house through time.  I thought that would be a bigger focus of the story but she wove it into the background in a subtle but important way.  I like the way she weaves in details about history and about Scotland, too.  I'm not a fan of books that spend pages and pages on description. I like it when authors weave the details in with the story.  Ms. McAllister does a good job of that in this book.

Some of my favorite parts of the book were:

When Elspeth is first introduced on page 7 & 8 - so dramatic and a little bit creepy too:
"But what made her different from all the other strangers from the past - and made a shiver spread down his neck and all the way to his fingertips - was the way she was looking at him...Her eyes were fixed on his face, and she looked so troubled, so sad and pleading, that her unhappiness made him hurt.  She stretched out her hand toward him...."


Elspeth's first admission that things are more than she has admitted to on page 54 - very creepy!:
"There was a long, sad sigh, and she was not there.  Her last wisp of strength seemed to waft away on that sigh, and Ewan was left alone, in a sudden emptiness.  But into the silence that followed, came the whisper of her voice.  'Alex,' she said."

I love the tension the author builds about what exactly is in the closet, too.  One of the best examples of the imagery she uses to build that tension is on page 81.  Who hasn't been totally terrified by the idea of a closet on a dark and creepy night?? :
"Usually he lay on his right side with his back to the closet.  Tonight he could feel it behind him, out of his sight.  Behind the poster was a door. Behind the door was either a black and gaping space or a nameless terror.  It ate into his back."

By the time we reach page 85, the story has gotten really intense.  I was on the edge of my seat and almost afraid to turn the page.  "Perhaps there was something wrong with the answering machine.  Maybe his message had been erased by mistake.  Maybe something had happened to stop him from reaching Alex, just as the storm had nearly kept him from Elspeth on the night of the power cut.  Before he went to bed, he wrote a letter to Alex Sutherland to post on the way to school.  By now, he knew he didn't just need help for Elspeth.  It was for himself, too."

And it gets worse on page 96 & 97, SO CREEPY!! :  "At Ninian House, the door was not answered.  The figure on the doorstep turned and walked away...In the draft emptiness of Ninian House, Elspeth stood invisible at the window with the lichen twig in her hand.  The closet creaked behind her."

 I really liked how the character of Alex was handled in the story.   Reading about "the peterman" and the way the author blended that information in with Alex's character was interesting.  The theme of the story - how fear and hate hold us back - was handled beautifully at the end.  I also liked how the lion was the connection throughout the centuries.  It almost felt as if there was another story there - a sequel??  The twist with Mick's family cottage felt very satisfying to me as a reader.

And finally, I loved how the author ended the book with the imagery she used throughout - leaving me, as her reader, with a final picture in my mind...on page 119: "And as he ran full pelt along the loch side, he felt as if he were Ninian the Lion, carried by fire and laughter, leaping into the sky."

I'd love to hear your thoughts on The Ghost at the Window.  If you've read it, what did you like?  What didn't you like?  Who is your favorite character?  If you haven't read it, are you thinking about it?

Keep your eyes open for my next post on the new book I started last night Edison's Gold by Geoff Watson.

Happy reading!

~Mrs. H