Free Sampler of The 5th Wave!

Barnes & Noble is giving away samplers of The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey! It's the first 70 pages of one of the best books I have ever read.

The first three people who respond will get a pony surprise!

This post-apocalytic novel is perfect for middle or high school readers.

Remember, respond to the blog for a copy!

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life (James Patterson)

Rafe Khatchadorian is every 6^th grade boy. He’s nervous about all the new challenges and rules that come with middle school territory. He’s excited about having a little more freedom than elementary structure afforded. Mostly, he feels overwhelmed that there is entirely too much to take in at once, and what to do with it all.

And then, of course, there's Jeanne Galletta. 

The thing about Rafe is that he is also anything but typical. Along with his very, um, special friend Leo, Rafe constructs an elaborate plan to survive his 6^th grade year by defying what is intended to be the safety net of middle school society: the student code of conduct. His adventures might help Rafe make it through the worst year of his life…but they might keep him there as well.

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life as a title is a work of genius. Everybody is either headed to middle school or has been through it and very likely remembers 6^th-8^th grades as some of the worst years of their life. I would agree. Largely due to changing bodies and brain chemistry, middle school continues to be a very hard time for teenagers.

For those parents, teachers, and librarians curious about how well this book might meet the needs of their kids, know that it is very nicely done. There are a few twists classic of a James Patterson work, and the addition of humor-laden, skilled illustrations adds a quirky yet highly entertaining layer. The short, brief, action-packed chapters sprinkled with bits of slapstick humor will be appealing for reluctant readers (ahem: BOYS). 

Books to Think About -

Common Sense Media just posted reviews of "five books parents should read". What are your thoughts about these books? I have read a couple of them and I must say that Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys is one of my favorite teen lit books from this year. Which ones are in your library?

Here's a link to the books: Common Sense Media's 5 Books

Winner Wednesday Book Giveaway!

Who needs a good book to read this spring? It's an Advance Uncorrected Galley and is Not for Sale! It's a giveaway! The novel is Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys.

You will not be disappointed by this novel set in New Orleans about a girl trying to figure out her life after being raised by ...herself! She lives in a good place, though, with plenty of reading material.

The winner will be announced in time to put in the pony on Friday!

Good luck!

It's World Read Aloud Day! What are You Reading?

How will you reach across the world today to celebrate World Read Aloud Day? Skype is a great way to connect to other classrooms across town or farther and share reading aloud.

Authors have also volunteered their time to read with classes of students through Skype (a free software tool for video chats or phone calls and it's free as long as the other person also has Skype downloaded on their computer).

And it's not too late to participate today. The whole idea is to celebrate reading around the world and "pay it forward" according to the World Read Aloud Day website. We are celebrating that we can read and write and have that privilege to learn. What a wonder!

It's Being Called the Next Big Thing! (after Hunger Games)

Trend spotter alert! In case you haven't noticed, dystopian literature is suddenly everywhere!

Move over 1984 and Brave New World because author Victoria Roth is taking the genre to a whole new level! Readers are saying these novels are the next new Hunger Games - only better!

One of the similarities between these novels and The Hunger Games series is the idea of separating people into different groups. Children have to take aptitude tests and be placed in factions based on their personalities. Each group wears a particular type of clothing and stereotypes can be seen, such as the Amish and humility; and punks and nose rings. The compelling, fast-moving, original storyline along with a subtle love story thrown in that will keep teen readers coming back for more though.

Not only are they great reads, but Roth took inspiration from Aeschylus (ancient Greek Tragedian), Frank Herbert, (author of Dune), Sophocles (another Green Tragedian), Galatians 5:15, and Lord Alfred Tennyson's Ulysses. From each of these she either found a voice, an idea, or some intrinsic something that let her inside the mind or soul of humanity to create her characters.

From the quotations listed in the backs of some volumes of Divergent readers are allowed inside the mind of this writer. It takes lot of work and a lot of reading to become a writer!

So, from getting students interested in pleasure reading to taking it to the next level with Common Core in an Englist literature classroom, these books have tons of potential!

CBS 42 One Class At a Time Grants

Are you in the market for a grant?

 

Alabama teachers can apply for a $1,000 grant for classroom supplies, software, or other "educational necessities online at CBS News online.

 

It is simple to fill out the application. It literally takes less than a planning period!

 

So, what do your students need to be successful? Good luck, everyone!

 

Need ideas?

 

Books for teen book clubs

 

Software for learning

 

Art Supplies

 

Technology

 

I-Pad or I-Pad mini

 

Digital Cameras

 

Easy Readers

 

Hip-Hop Genre Books

 

Common Core Books

 

 

 



The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Ever heard of HeLa cells? Want to recommend a book to discuss medical ethics in a high school English, Social Studies, or Science class? Here's a great one to start with - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (how did I miss it?). I pulled the review from Titlewave:

Library Journal (December 1, 2009)

This distinctive work skillfully puts a human face on the bioethical questions surrounding the HeLa cell line. Henrietta Lacks, an African American mother of five, was undergoing treatment for cancer at Johns Hopkins University in 1951 when tissue samples were removed without her knowledge or permission and used to create HeLa, the first "immortal" cell line. HeLa has been sold around the world and used in countless medical research applications, including the development of the polio vaccine. Science writer Skloot, who worked on this book for ten years, entwines Lacks's biography, the development of the HeLa cell line, and her own story of building a relationship with Lacks's children. Full of dialog and vivid detail, this reads like a novel, but the science behind the story is also deftly handled. Verdict While there are other titles on this controversy (e.g., Michael Gold's A Conspiracy of Cells: One Woman's Immortal Legacy-and the Medical Scandal It Caused), this is the most compelling account for general readers, especially those interested in questions of medical research ethics. Highly recommended. [See Skloot's essay, p. 126; Prepub Alert, LJ 11/1/09.]-Carla Lee, Univ. of Virginia Lib., Charlottesville Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.

The Young Reader's Edition is slated to be out this month. When I first read a review of this book, I thought it was such an abomination. I can only imagine discussing the subject with teens and how deeply offended they would be for the family of Henrietta Lacks. It would, in fact, make a great book club book and perhaps a service project for raising money for the Henrietta Lacks Foundation. The Foundation raises money for college tuition and various needs of her descendants. If this story couldn't spark a book club to life, I truly don't know what could.

What other books have begun as adult books and a young adult version has been published?