Audio-Firestorm

I am a huge David Klass fan and I read You Don't Know Me to my 8th graders every year. They laugh and cry and wait for me to cry on the last couple of pages (I tell them ahead of time that I do this). So, it's surprising that I've not picked up Firestorm until now. Rather, I ran into the audio book at the public library and remembered I hadn't read it yet! So, I've been riveted to my car CD player while I listen. This action-packed and seat-gripping novel was seemingly all over the place. Jack Danielson is a normal boy with a normal life until his parents tell him that they're not really his parents. Within hours, Jack finds out that he's been sent from the future to save the world's ecosystem-namely the oceans. With the help of a telepathic dog named Gisco and a beautiful, karate-chopping shape-changer named Echo, Jack learns to live with his new role as the "Beacon of Hope." My favorite character (besides Jack) was Dargon, with his evil ways, his long hair and bulging muscles. Plus, who wouldn't love a great villain with his own island? The pull of finding out what Firestorm actually was lent an additional draw for me. This is a great middle school book for boys since the action is non stop and incredibly engaging.

I instantly turned a 7th grade boy onto this book and he loves it! We kept comparing where we were until he got sick this weekend and fell behind.

YIKES!

I can't believe March is half over and I haven't been blogging! I hope everyone else has taken part in all of the awesome posts for Share A Story Shape A Future this week. There have been some amazing posts and I've apparently been too busy to respond. Sometimes, life just gets in the way--I have a son who prefers his "birthday suit" over clothes and a daughter who enjoys "throwing" her shoes at random teachers when she's angry. Hmm....slightly feisty. I have no idea where she gets it! :)


So, here's what I've been reading....

I finished Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies by Erin Dionne and loved it. Such a cute book about self image and learning to love yourself, something I think I had a very difficult time doing as a teenager. I loved the name of the contest Celeste's family enters her into- the Ms. Husky Peach contest. Her humiliation and the humor associated with the entire contest were uplifting. I ate this one during a sick day last week. No pun intended. Additionally, I love the fact that Dionne gave good advice about how to lose weight and then Celeste's friends gently encourage her to begin walking for exercise. A very realistic and uplifting book full of hope and discovery. This is a refreshing change after reading several anorexia/starving yourself books.

Other than that, I've been dabbling while battling a huge illness and I haven't completed much lately. Coming soon: Flygirl and The Indigo Notebook

Happenings and Links

This morning I came across a link to Maira Kahlman's blog where she's done this incredibly impressive piece about Abraham Lincoln. Her illustrations are mesmerizing- but, then, I've been a fan of hers for years. And, I think it's fitting that she did the illustrations for the new Elements of Style book, which has been my friend since I was in high school. I had to get that one- have yet to introduce the students to it, though.

And,...though I have been sick on my week-long vacation, President Obama's (I still Love writing that!) speech to the nation included text very near and dear to my heart. He, too, is on the band wagon for parents to step up and take the third leg of our tripod stool in education (in my school we talk about the three-legged stool analogy: one is the child, one leg is the school, and the other leg is the parent. Unless all of the legs are "working" the stool will not stand up). Here is the text that I am proud our President took to the podium and here is the speech text in its entirety.

"These education policies will open the doors of opportunity for our children. But it is up to us to ensure they walk through them. In the end, there is no program or policy that can substitute for a mother or father who will attend those parent-teacher conferences, or help with homework after dinner, or turn off the TV, put away the video games, and read to their child. I speak to you not just as a President, but as a father when I say that responsibility for our children's education must begin at home."


Have a wonderful weekend and spend some time reading to a child. And, don't forget to look for the wonderful week of Reading Aloud to Children coming in March!