Summer Reading ... How I'll Miss You

This summer was full of awesome books! I thoroughly enjoyed many great titles. Among my favorites were:
~Mockingbird by Katherine Erskine
~True, sort of.. by Katherine Hanigan
~Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix
~Closed for the Season by Mary Downing Hahn
~Edgar Allan's Official Crime Fighting Notebook by Mary Amato
~Amalee by Dar Williams
~ The Fabled Fifth Graders of Aesop Elementary by Candace Fleming
~The Strange Case of the Origami Yoda by Tom Angelberger
~Maximum Ride, The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
~ The Grimm Legacy by Peggy Shulman
~ Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little by Peggy Gifford

For my teacher friends at school, your BookHook Cards with detailed write-ups are coming soon!!

so TRUE

Katherine Hannigan, author of one of my latest favorite books comments on the teachers in her stories during an interview on amazon.com:
I write about great teachers like Ms. Washington (in Ida B) and Lionel Terwilliger (in True) because I know how important teachers are. On any weekday, many children will spend more time with their teacher than with their parents. And so much learning is happening in school—not just cognitive or motor stuff, but social and ethical stuff, too. When a teacher’s really good, kids are learning things like how to be decent people, how to do the right thing after doing lots of wrongs, and how to help one another be their best.

Thanks, Ms. Hannigan! I couldn't agree more!
(and if you haven't yet checked out True (...sort of) by Katherine Hannigan, I highly recommend it!)

Do fairy tales really come true?

Have you ever wondered if Cinderella's slippers really existed? What about magic carpets? Crystal balls? And if they are real, where might one keep an enchanted item? The Grimm Legacy by Peggy Shulman will take you on a fantastical journey and reveal the secrets behind the enchanted items featured in the Grimm Brother's fairy tales. This book is at the top of my list for fantasy favorites and I highly recommend it, even if you don't enjoy the genre. There is mystery, romance, suspense, and even a few annoying little siblings and over-bearing parents involved.

Summer Reading

This summer my reading goal is pretty lofty, 20 books of varying levels and genres, to share with my colleagues in the fall. I'm feeling pretty optimistic, although reading them has always been the easy part, it's writing them up that I struggle with!

Anyway, here's what I've read so far:
~ True (..sort of) by Katherine Hannigan (you may remember her from Ida B.)
~ Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little by Peggy Gifford
~ Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine
~ Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Books in progress:
~ Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins ( she wrote this series before Hunger Games)
~ Zorgamazoo by Robert Paul Weston

Books on deck:
~ Spaceheadz by Jon Scieszka
~ The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman
~ To Catch a Mermaid by Suzanne Selfors
~ The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt

I'm always looking for suggestions, so please let me know if you've read any great books lately!!
Happy Reading :)
Miss D

touch blue

Feeling grateful for our Snow Day, I decided to show my appreciation by spending a few hours with a new book. It counted as "doing school work" and I was able to cuddle up on the couch with my kitties and stay warm. Touch Blue, a new release by Cynthia Lord, author of Rules. Tess, an 11 year old from Bethsaida, Maine, doesn't quite know what to expect when her family decides to take in a foster child, Aaron, from the mainland. Many of the families on the island have decided to take in foster children in order to increase enrollment at their local school, which is in danger of closing due to low enrollment. Yet, when Aaron arrives, things don't quite work out as Tess would like.

This is a story of hope and friendship, sparkling with small town charm. It warmed my heart and was the perfect way to spend a snowy afternoon.