Music Monday #18 1/2 (President's Day)...

*We have no students today due to conferences so that means no official "Music Monday".

*In honor of President's Day, I'm posting a few versions of a beautiful song.  Enjoy...

"Abraham, Martin, and John" Performed by Whitney Houson

"Abraham, Martin, and John" Performed by Mahalia Jackson

"Abraham, Martin, and John" Performed by Dion

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (2/15/16)...

Thanks to Jen and Kellee for hosting this idea on their site.  Here is a link to their site...

                

 http://www.teachmentortexts.com/

Books I Read this Past Week… 

The Tiara on the Terrace by Kristen Kittscher

*My Middle-Grade Novel

My Book Review

Pax by Sara Pennypacker

*My middle-grade novel

My Book Review







Books I Will (continue to) Read this Week… 

A History of Loneliness by John Boyne

*My adult novel (Audio)

Some Kind of Courage by Dan Gemeinhart

*My middle-grade novel

After You by Jojo Moyes

*My adult novel

This is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

*My young-adult novel

Pax by Sara Pennypacker...

How I Heard About It:  I think you would have to be living under a rock to not have heard of this book.  The last few months it has been discussed all over Twitter.  I've also read advanced praise in many reviews and it was mentioned more than once during the NCTE15 weekend.  I ordered it online and the book arrived the day of its release.  This was one of those books that I was over the top excited about reading.  

What It Is About:  Peter and Pax are the best of friends.  There is one big difference between these two friends.  Peter is a young boy and Pax is a fox.  Peter has had Pax since he was a young pup and has raised him as his own.  When Peter's father must go enlist with the military to fight in a "war", he learns they must release Pax into the wild.  After a difficult "send off", Peter goes to live with his grandfather while leaving Pax to fend for himself in the wild.  Peter is happy about his new living arrangements and Pax isn't quite sure about life in the wild.  Peter decides to run away from his grandfather's home and find Pax.  While Peter is on the run, Pax is introduced to a pack of foxes that take him in and show him the ways of the wild.  Peter hurts himself while on the run and ends up living with a women for a period of time while his foot heals.  Each character longs to be with their best friend, but all the elements seem to want to keep them apart.  

What I Thought Of It:  When a story measures up to all the hype and pre-release praise, it makes me so incredibly happy.  That is exactly what happened with this story.  I loved every line, every page, every chapter.  It was a beautifully written story that had heart, content, and one of the most touching relationships between a boy and his "pet".  There was so much to this story that it is hard to describe here.  I know this novel is going to become a classic for both young and adult readers.  Absolutely one of the best middle-grade novels I've ever read.  

Who Should Read It:  If all goes according to my plan, this will be a read aloud for my current fourth grade class.  I so want to share it with them.  Actually as I typing this I'm thinking maybe a future book club selection, but it is so good  I would like to expose all of my students to it.  Fifth and sixth grade readers will find great success with reading it on their own.  A teacher of a third, fourth, fifth, or sixth grade classroom would be wise to use this as a read aloud.  Adult readers who enjoy powerful stories about animals and young children, need to put this on their to-read list.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  5 STARS out of 5 Stars

Magruder's Curiosity Cabinet by H.P. Wood...

How I Heard About It:  While browsing NetGalley I came across this title and was fascinated by the title and the cover.  The "summary" of the story was also quite intriguing.  I requested it and was lucky enough to be granted an early electronic copy of the book.  

What It Is About:  Kitty and her mother land in the United States at Coney Island after traveling by ship from England.  Kitty finds herself alone with no money after her mother "disappears."  She isn't sure what she is going to do, but then comes across an "unusual" cast of characters from Magruder's Curiosity Cabinet located on Coney Island.  These new friends try to help Kitty locate her mother and find out what truly happened to her.  The crew isn't sure who to trust and who not to trust.  No one truly appears as they are.  During this time a "sickness" arrives on Coney Island and has an impact on all of its inhabitants.  The sickness turns this "dreamland" into a nightmare and everything begins to unravel for Kitty and her new "friends."  

What I Thought Of It:  This was somewhat a disappointing read.  At first I liked it, but quickly found it wasn't my type of story.  I could not keep the plot straight, I couldn't keep track of all the unusual characters, and I found myself struggling with the story.  I actually put it down several times, read something else, and then would try again.  Each time I would skim and scan the book to get an overall feel for the story.  I kept thinking it would eventually grab me, but it never did.  The whole thing was just too unusual for me.  I saw that there were many reviews that were positive, so it just must have been a case of a book not matching to the reader.  

Who Should Read It:  The story is adult with lots of mysteries, "odd" characters, and complex story lines that weave in and out throughout the novel.  If you have a passion for the unusual story line, this might be the book for you.  I wished I would have liked it more, but just didn't.  Maybe it was the wrong time to read it or the type of story a lover of realistic fiction just couldn't relate to.  The book comes out this summer and if you do read it, I hope it is a better experience for you.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  2 STARS out of 5 Stars

The Water Will Catch You by Chase Potter...

How I Heard About It:  I actually have no idea how I heard about or found this book.  I'm thinking it came from a GoodReads browsing session and found it via some related searches of some novels on my list.  The beautiful cover and interesting title caught my attention and I ordered it without not knowing anything about it.  

What It Is About:  Danny and Curtis have been friends since they were young boys.  They did everything together and connected more than most friends at that age do.  The best friends made a deal that they were going to attend the same college and be roommates.  When the time finally came Danny backed out of their "deal" and left town.  This left Curtis hurt and alone.  After ten years of not speaking, Curtis is out of work and has been dumped by his girlfriend.  He reaches out to Danny, hops in his car, and drives across the country to see him.  What begins as a short stay at Danny's place, Curtis ends up staying for longer than he anticipated.  Curtis learns that Danny is Gay, out, and has made quite a life for himself.  The two men try to find what they had has young high school boys, but find this more difficult than they thought.  Danny struggles if he should reveal to Curtis the reason he left town ten years earlier.  Curtis struggles with where he is at in life, his past, and what the future will hold for him.  

What I Thought Of It:  I don't think I've ever been so surprised by a plot than I was with this novel.  I hate to categorize books, but this would definitely be put on the "gay fiction" shelf.  This was not an issue for me, but just caught me off guard.  The relationship between these two men was intense, real, and heart-breaking at times.  The writing style of Potter was excellent and really drew me into the story.  To be honest, there were a few scenes in the book that were quite graphic and detailed.  Again, I was OK with it, but just hadn't read these types of descriptions before.  As I reader I pride myself on reading a varsity of stories, and after reading this particular story, I've broadened my horizons even more.  

Who Should Read It:  This is a hard one to answer.  I think the audience of this story would definitely be gay men, but I don't think it should be limited to this specific audience.  Female readers may enjoy the story than males, but an "evolved" male could also find satisfaction with the book.  I guess this is the third novel that Potter has written so if by chance you have read one of his other books, then you should read this one as well.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  3 STARS out of 5 Stars

The Tiara on the Terrace by Kristen Kittscher...

How I Heard About It:  I read the first book The Wig in the Window a few years back.  It was quite an enjoyable read.  After reading that book I got to know Kristen via Twitter.  She was kind enough to send me an ARC of this novel back in the fall.  Some great "swag" also was sent with the book.  I had the privilege of meeting Kristen at NCTE15 this last November.  Recently I finally got around to reading the ARC she sent.  

What It Is About:  Sophie and Grace are back for another adventure and mystery to solve.  The townspeople of Luna Vista are gearing up to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Winter Sun Festival.  There are many activities surrounding the festival including floats, parades, and of course a court of royalty.  Sophie and Grace are involved with the float construction when a body is discovered on a float and the "circumstances" of the death are questionable.  At first the girls don't think they want to be involved with the "mystery", but after they realize this situation might involve an actually murder, they know they need, and want, to put on the sleuth hats and get busy trying to solve another crime in Luna Vista.  This time they find themselves joining the royal court to get an inside peek at the behind the scenes happenings.  Everyone becomes a suspect and the girls work long and hard to figure out who is truly behind these crimes.  The girls and a few helpers find themselves in several dangerous situations and often come to near "end" during many situations during their investigation.  

What I Thought Of It:  I remember enjoying the first book very much and I think this time around I enjoyed it even more.  It was a fun and different premise to have young "detectives" solving a crime with a festival, parade, and royalty court as the backdrop.  There were lots of twists and turns along the way which made for an engaging read that didn't let up until the "surprising" conclusion.  Not only was the mystery fascinating, but I enjoyed reading about the girls, their friendship, and the ups and downs that came with it.  All and all it was a top-notch reading experience.  I'm thankful I was able to receive an advanced copy.  

Who Should Read It:  This is the perfect book for readers in fourth, fifth, and sixth.  I also think middle-school readers would also enjoy it.  I don't normally like to classify a novel as a female story or male story, but with this particular book I think it is geared more toward the girl readers.  They would love all the "pomp and circumstance" surrounding the festival and pageant.  Adult readers who enjoy middle-grade fiction and/or mysteries, will also find this a satisfying read.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  4 STARS out of 5 Stars

Friend Friday #127 (Gilda Joyce Psychic Investigator)...

Hi!  I am Jessy and I read the book called Gilda Joyce Psychic Investigator written by Jennifer Allison.


I think this book is awesome because it has so many mysteries and adventures in it.  


My favorite part in the story is when they went through the mysteries tower because it was a really exciting part of the book and I couldn't stop reading.  




The character that I liked best was Gilda because she is very positive and daring.  


I think the authors wrote this book because she wanted to entertain kids with a really great story.  


I would recommend this book to my friends because its a very fun book and I know they would like it just as much as I did.   


Reading to me is the best thing ever because its very exciting to read books that are fun to read.  They take you away to exciting places.   


**Jessy is one of my most avid readers in the classroom.
**She not only reads many books from our class collection and novels I pass her way, but she finds great books all on her own.
**This last week I noticed her absorbed in a story each day of our reading workshop.
**When I talked to her about this story, she lit up and told me all about it.
**I knew I had my "Friend Friday" post!