Schooling, Audio and More...

After a few days/weeks of total chaos, school has finally begun for everyone in my household. The private school likes to mess things up and start one day after the public, therefore messing up my babysitting schedule. Anyway,....this year I am: a yoga student, a teacher, a mom, a wife, a Daisy leader, a department chair,a book reader and reviewer, a person vying for a position on a book award committee, a tennis player,a small business owner, an oblate, a soccer mom, a critic teacher and many, many others. So, things have been a bit crazy around here.

I did get time to finish the 7th 39 Clues Book: The Viper's Nest. Yes, I'm a bit behind, but I have the rest waiting in a stack. We're half way through Book 8, eagerly awaiting 9 and 10. When are the movies going to begin? If there was ever a series written to be made into films, this one is it! Sometimes I get bogged down with all of the information in this series, but I do have a prediction as to what Amy and Dan are looking for. This is a must read-aloud for building predicting skills with kids. I read Book 1- The Maze of Bones to struggling readers last year and they loved it. The action makes the series incredibly appealing. Additionally, I am really enjoying the audio versions on my walks around the neighborhood. The narration is well-paced and the voices are wonderful considering all of the characters in the series.

Audio: IF I STAY by Gayle Forman

I listened to this audio while driving up north on the 19th of June. I've already read the book, but that didn't stop me from crying- AGAIN! I read the book almost exactly a year ago, but I remembered most of it. The pacing and voice of the reader were wonderful and she did "voices" of the characters but it didn't sound affected at all. Such a powerful book both in print and in audio! Best of all, Forman has just finished the sequel called: WHERE SHE WENT. Yeah!

Whispers From the Dead

I was sad to look online and see that Joan Lowery Nixon died- 7 years ago! Where've I been? Well, I continue on my YA ghost story, creepy mystery streak. This one was audio and read by an awesome narrator who did great voices and Spanish that was believable! Sarah Darnell and her family have moved into a new house shortly after Sarah's near death experience drowning at a local lake. This experience has left her "closer to" the spirit world. Her first entry into her new house in Houston sends chills up her spine as she knows something horrible has happened in her home. She begins being "visited" by the deceased Rosa Luiz, who Sarah is quite sure used to be the illegal maid for the former residents of her house. Rosa is giving her messages in Spanish such as "Find it" and she "shows" Sarah how she was murdered. However, no one has any record of Rosa's death. While Sarah is trying to piece together this puzzle, she is introduced to Tony, who she falls for instantly. He is suave and charming...everything a teenage girl could want. When the Darnell's find out that the former residents moved out of the house because their son committed a murder in it, Sarah's mystery becomes even more bizarre. And, the woman who was murdered was a pizza delivery girl-not Rosa Luiz. With an ending twist that I saw coming quite early, this book packs a jaw dropping end and would keep the attention of even the most reluctant reader. I'm going to try it on some of the Read 180 kids. I'm off to read a novel in poetry....

Faith, Hope and Ivy June

This was a sweet book that I picked up in audio from NCTE and my own children really enjoyed hearing it as well. Ivy June is chosen for a first-time exchange program with a wealthy school called Buckner Academy. She will go and live for two weeks with Catherine Combs in Lexington, Kentucky and Catherine will then spend two weeks in Cumberland Gap, Kentucky. This is like city mouse and country mouse but so heartwarming it makes you want to cry. I really did at the end! Driving around with tears on my cheeks. Naylor is adept at creating a beautifully scenic story full of endearing humans. This is a great novel for any tween and Ivy June's grandfather (Paw Paw) will surely bring to mind any beloved relative of your own. The audio version was very well done by Karen White, whose accents for the city and country families was wonderful!

The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin-Audiobooks

While driving back from dropping my oldest at her first week-long overnight camp, I listened to Grace Lin's The Year of the Dog. Jama Rattigan has raved more than once about what a great writer she is of both pictures books and longer novels for tweens. Since Rattigan's Alphabet Soup blog combines both children's lit and FOOD, I am drawn to it. I love how she combines my two favorites in life.

So, Pacy is the narrator of The Year of the Dog, and it starts with delicious descriptions of the Chinese New Year food her mother makes for the celebration. The Year of the Dog, according to her parents, portends to be lucky and will help you find yourself as well as a best friend. All of these come true for Pacy, the only Chinese-American in her school until Melody moves in. The audio is enhanced by a Chinese narrator who truly made Pacy's mom sound like a Chinese mother with an accent. Plus, it made my mouth drool! Readers and listeners find out that the novel is autobiographical and depicts how Grace Lin found her calling to write for children. I was able to finish it in exactly the time it took me to drive back home and I can't wait to read The Year of the Rat. My children will be enjoying Grace Lin's picture books right after I pick them up from the library hold this afternoon!

For an interesting article on the importance of food in children's books, look at this Horn Book article by award winning author Linda Sue Park. Still Hot: Great Food Moments in Children’s Literature by Linda Sue Park. The link is no longer working, but see if you can get a copy of this great read!

If I Stay

Mia's life starts out idyllic: it's a snow day and everyone in her family is home. As Mia's mom, dad and little brother make plans to go out for a drive during the day, we learn that her dad is a former punk band member who gave up much of what he did when children came along. He is now a middle school teacher but the love of music in this family is immense. Mia is waiting to hear if she got accepted to Julliard- as she is an incredible classical cellist. Adam, Mia's boyfriend and love of her life, is also a musician but more along the same lines as Mia's dad.

During their drive, however, the family car is t-boned by a semi truck and Mia is the only one left alive- well, comatose. And, she has been transported out of her body so she can watch all that is happening in the hospital. The book spans only a day, but it is interspersed with Mia's detailed flashbacks of her life before this moment. It is the flashbacks that help the reader understand what her family life was like and what she would be giving up if she decides to stay in her body. It's never really clear how much control Mia has over whether she stays (lives) or goes (dies). The aspect of Mia being able to watch her operations, family grieving, and her own body hooked up to monitors and ventilators is a very unique one. I am reminded of The Lovely Bones, but Susie Salmon is narrating from heaven. I know Elsewhere (Gabrielle Zevin) has sort of the same narration, though I've yet to read it (this summer!). This was a fresh and beautiful look at how a teen can appreciate the beauty in life and how one person can choose to fight for their own life. The language read almost like a poem and I have to say that I inhaled this book and still want more. I can't wait to share it with kids this fall!
P.S. Teri Lesesne ( of Professor Nana fame) just reviewed the audio of this book and I can't wait to get my hands on it. She said it was even more of a tear jerker than than the book!

Audiobooks- Summer Pleasures

I always have an audio book in the car. I am pretty convinced that it has nurtured and developed visualization in all of my children. And, because their older sister was so enamored with them, the twins have succumbed to listening quite easily. We always have a "kid" audio book and an "adult" one in the car that they don't get to hear. Recently, we listened to the kids version of Marley and Me called: Marley, A Dog Like No Other by John Grogan. The ending is no different (everyone asked me if it was in the kid version) but I won't spoil it. There is a line from "No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman that kills me every time I read it. "Go to the library and pick out a book with an award sticker and a dog on the cover. Trust me, that dog is going down." (Korman, p.5) Isn't that true?

Regardless, the kids loved hearing about Marley's antics and, unfortunately for me, just renewed their resolve to talk their father and me into getting a family pup. Even though I claim I'm for that, I keep thinking it will be the quintessential..."What was I thinking?..."

My adult audio book in June was Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. While I really wanted to read this book (and bought it as soon as it came out), I never got around to it. What an interesting look at our food supply and how we treat our immigrants in this country! Yikes. This would make anyone immediately convert to vegetarianism. Likened to my reading of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, this book changed the way I think about food (and food workers) in our country. How can people rant about the human rights abuses in China when we take our most vulnerable immigrants and give them the most dangerous jobs in our country? By the way, the Kingsolver book is a GREAT summer read along with Prodigal Summer also by Kingsolver. Great memories from both books.

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.

Audio-The Graveyard Book

I won't say too much about The Graveyard Book as a book, but more about it as an audio. Obviously, it won the Newbery so it must have some literary merit and appeal. But, I have to say that the audio was stunning. After the first scene (where I had to rewind it to see if I'd really heard it correctly) I was a bit baffled at the entire premise of the book. However, Neil Gaiman's own reading as well as the eerie music made this a great audiobook. I believe it was an honorable mention in the Odyssey Awards this year. Once I got past the "baby-being-raised-by-ghosts" part and started to understand that this was a novel about growing up, its genius rang true! It is simply a beautiful book about growing up. (period) I did look at a copy of the book in our school library and saw that it was somewhat illustrated, however, I think the incredible audio made up for the pictures in the "ear version". I won't say any more because so many have already reviewed this book. I highly recommend the audio version!

Vacation is Here!

Well, a bit early due to the snow, but we have a vacation commencement. Though my husband's been away and I didn't get a chance to bring in the yummy treats I made for my colleagues, I'm sure they will still be appreciated in January.

As the year winds down and our country is devastated by financial issues (I can't tell you how many people I know who are out of jobs), I want to try and focus on what I am grateful for:

1. My husband and children
2. The Benedictine Monks of St. Benedict Monastery in Oxford, MI
3. My teaching job
4. The first African-American president
5. Books- especially ARCs that are coming in for review (thank you publishers and those who have been so generous with helping me so far)
6. snow days :)
7. Renewed contact with my very dear friend in Venezuela (thank you Facebook)
8. The opportunity to run a support group for my church for women dealing with infertility.
8. Freedom of speech and the ability to vote as I please in my own country.
9. A white christmas
10. Early mornings to write and muse about life.



I am in the process of finishing Carolyn Meyer's book The True Adventures of Charley Darwin and will post a review within a few days. Additionally, I just finished the audio version of The Calder Game by Blue Balliett and have to say that I LOVE the way she incorporates art and math and youthful intelligence into the mysteries that she writes. When I read Chasing Vermeer in it's hardback publication (years ago) I don't think I appreciated the intelligent way that Balliett wove her story. I know I enjoyed it, but found it a bit quirky for me. Either my tastes have changed or she has grown on me as an author, but my 8 year-old is transfixed by the narrative as well. Even the twins are talking about Calder since we all listen to audiobooks in the car whenever we are driving. (Much better than "Hillary Duck" or depressing financial/war news) Perhaps the audio version suits me better as a listener? I did get The Wright 3 from the school library so my 8 year-old and I can read it together over the break.