Shona by Gary N. van Wyk F

I read this book because Nhamo in Girl Named Disaster was from the Shona tribe in Mozambique. I wanted to understand her culture better. This book helped me with that. I learned that "the Shona make up about 75 % of Zimbabwe's population" 9 (the country Nhamo was traveling to). In A Girl Named Disaster, Nhamo has to worry about the wet and dry season in terms of being able to get to her destination. We usually think of seasons in terms of temperature and the form of recreation we can do or cannot do based on what season it is. There they have to worry about the wet and dry seasons for totally different reasons. For instance, cattle is their most important commodity and is a status symbol for their favor with the gods. If the wet season is too long and wet, the Shona have to worry about the attack of the tsetse flies to that can be fatal to cattle. If the dry season is too long, they have to worry about their animals not having enough food or water to stay healthy. These problems has forced the Shona to "practice transhumance, the seasonal movement of the herds to make the most of the seasons and different environments." 13
A chart on 16 about the kinds of spirits they believe in would have been helpful. I also learned about the Great Zimbabwe, which I had never heard of before.An international trade insert on page 39 would have been a nice supplement to our social studies discussion.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz F

I am not a fan of scary stories. I am not a fan of being scared. It is not fun to me. It reminds me of when I was little and my dad would jump out from behind a snowball bush and scream as I walked by from my grandmother's in the dark...never liked that, but he always seemed to get such a charge out of it! :)

Anyway, I bought the book set at the book fair, because when I was in the media center, these books seem to fly off the shelves (only figuratively of course!). I thought it would be worth my time to check them out.

After reading the first one, I have to say that this book was not what I expected. The author simply takes create for compiling these stories and relying them to us as he found them. He does not seem to take liberties with the stories at all. He goes into explaining multiple endings or possibilities to scare your audience more. The book is organized into five sections with each section having its own organizational focus. My favorite was section two, "He Heard Footsteps Coming Up the Cellar Stairs."(3) These seem to be more historical. My dad would probably liked the first and last sections, "AAAAAAAAAAAH!" These are a collection of stories that end with the storyteller jumping at the audience and screaming!

Leading Lives: Nelson Mandela by Liz Gogerly F

I read this biography because it is connected to our Social Studies content and our South African unit. I have always admired Mandela and his work against apartheid. He seems like a very human hero. He did sacrifice a lot for the people in his country, to fight the wrongs his country's government created in 1948. But he has always seemed very human, not perfect. I was very disappointed when he divorced his wife, Winnie, less than five years after being released from jail. From a distance it always seemed like she was the one who stood by him throughout his 27 years in prison, only for him then to leave her and move on to a younger model. After reading this book, I realize that she, too, was not perfect and am reminded that live can be messy.

I never realized the price Mandela's activism must have cost his children. He had two boys and two boys by his first wife, Evelyn Mase. He later had two more girls by Winnie. The book mentioned how his oldest son would not have anything to do with Mandela while he was in jail. I saw a picture of his inauguration as the first black president of South Africa while only one daughter in the background. This was a very sad result to all his selfless work. I wonder how his children's biographies might read about their father.

No matter the world is lucky to have had a Nelson Mandela. I know he will always be remembered, at least in public, as a great historical figure.

Journey to Jo'Burg: A South African Story by Beverly Naidoo F

This book was written in 1986 by a former South African student who was exiled from the country in 1965 for her own involvement in the resistance movement against apartheid. She lived the story Grace describes in the book of her oldest son, Dumi. Grace's words resonate with Naledi, the book's main character, when she says, "We're pushed all over the place, but it won't be like that forever." 70 Even thought apartheid in South Africa has ended, Journey to Jo'burg serves as a good read to help others understand how things were and why we should never allow its existence again.

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine 90

This is another new book off of this year's Battle of the Book list. It seems to be one of those books that make middle schoolers want to avoid award-winning books. It is a National Book Award Winner and is very hard to follow in the beginning. It is written from the point of view of an 11-year-old girl with Asperger's. You find out in the beginning that her older brother has died, but you have to read to Chapter 5 to find out how he died and how it effects his sister and her struggle to 'be normal' an even harder one. "I see Josh pushing people off of the monkey bars again. Daddy says it's because Josh's cousin was one of the school shooters at Devon's school. The one the police caught right away. And killed. But not before he shot Devon." 27 So there are many layers to this book, several important statements to be made, I am sure. I am looking forward to the rest of this quick read.

A Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Farmer F

This Newbery Honor book is an extensive resource on African culture. It is a doosie of a book! Nhamo, the main character, follows her grandmother's advice and learns her village (and everything she has ever known) to find her father's family and avoid an arranged marriage. The story unfolds into a journey of survival that rivals Paulsen's Hatchet or George's My Side of the Mountain.

Nhamo overcomes drought and starvation, crocodiles, a leopard (both real and imagined), dogs and baboons to find her place int he world as she gets help from another one. "The paths of the body are long, but the paths of the spirit are short." 293 The plot in this story take s some interesting twists and turns as Nhamo finds her own place in the world.

Keeping the Moon, Sarah Dessen F

This book is one of the BEST books I have read in a LONG time! So much here to sink my teeth into!! It took me until the last three chapters to figure out the meaning behind the title (I love doing that!) One friend that Colie makes while in California tells a story of when he was young with his father. He camps out one night to see am eclipse. "The moon was gone." He was afraid it wouldn't come back, but his father came outside with him and convinced him it would be okay and the moon would be back. Not only uses this the source of the title, but it exemplifies one of the major themes in this book. Colie learns no matter how alone you might feel, there are always "things" you can count on. She learns to make friends as she learns what it means to be a friend.

I could go on and on, and include the idea of caterpillars becoming butterflies and more, but someone has already borrowed my book - and with this one, you should too! :) I loved it!!

A Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Farmer 12

This is my second book by Nancy Farmer. I have also read House of the Scorpion, a very smart book that was on Battle of the Books not long ago. This book seems to be very similiar in a few ways. It has a main character who is very aware of her surroundings and how she is different from others where she lives. Nhamo, the narrator, seems very resourceful and prone for self-preservation in a hostile environment.
I chose this book because I was looking for a book about Africa we might read together in class, and this one was suggested to me. I found out online that it is one of four written by this author. I can not wait to do more research and see how she knows so much about this topic.
So far I like it. It is a little hard to follow with the character names and because the culture is so different, but I already like the main character and am rooting for her to find a better way of life. Her mother died when she was three. She now lives with an aunt who is creates kind of a Cinderella-type situation. "Where have you been?" Her aunt remarks crossly as she returns from being sent out for firewood while her cousin plays with clay. Another aunt remarks, "She probably fell asleep under a tree." (11) She gets little respect and few breaks. I wonder how she is going to make her situation improve?

(And isn't the title the best?!)

Keeping the Moon, Sarah Dessen 19

I just started this realistic fiction and am very intrigued by the first chapter. I have stumbled on yet another very honest narrator. She is open about her history and the grip is still has on her. Most people would assume that becoming healthier and making better choices in regards to your lifestyle would be a positive thing. Most people would wish to be better off, living in a house with a pool and personal cook instead of sleeping in the family car, not Nicole (call her Colie). All these changes that are usually seen as improvements have caused a distance between her and her mother who use to be very close and happy spending lots of time together. Now she has been shipped off to live with her aunt for the summer while her mother promotes her new line of fitness products. Colie tells us in the first lines of the book, "My name is Nicole Sparks. Welcome to the first day of the worst summer of my life" (1). What will happen to her next? Why does she feel this way?

Alcatraz Verses the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson F

I have finished this book, a book about "a fearsome THREAT from the powerful secret network that rules the world"...
This book is full of irony. The main character has a special power that is genetically his due to being a member of a population who has throughout history spent their time fighting a group of evil librarianswho use try to "control the information in [our] country" (119). Their strategy is to bribe, threaten, and brainwash. When that doesn't work, they carefully mislead. This is possible because "People go along with what they are told. Even intelligent people believe what they read and hear..." (119).
This was a cute story, but sometimes hard to read/follow. It is the beginning of yet another triology so don't expect a clean ending. I do like the honesty and candidness of the narrator. He is very self-aware and is open to change/improvement, something we all can strive more to do. :)

Alcatraz Verses the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson 291

I chose this book, because in another life, I was a librarian. I was intrigued by the title. Also, because this book is a new book on the Battle of the Books list for 2011-2012.

It is a different book. The writer is very smart and allows the narrator to take the reader on many twists and turns. The main character, Alcatraz, is believed to be an orphan who has spent the majority of his life in foster care bouncing from home to home as he reeks havoc on each family who tries to care for him. On his thirteenth birthday, he receives a package in the mail from his parents. This package will change everything as Alcatraz knows it.

Alcatraz is convinced by his newly found grandfather to help combat the evil librarians who are trying to keep the world "in ignorance, living only with the most primitive technologies" (111) by controlling all information. In this book, dinosaurs still exist and the main characters battle giant paper wads that can walk and explode...I told you it was different!

Greetings!!

Welcome to eblogger! This blog is meant to be a place for you to share what you are reading AS YOU READ! You should use the title of your book and page number as your title then go on to use your blog to discuss any questions, interesting points related to the book, stand-out quotes, great new words. There are many ideas/issues that can be addressed with this form of communication. I hope you enjoy it. Also, please check my posts from time to time and let me know someone is out there reading this. I hope to do better with mine than I have been. Together hopefully we will both be better! Good luck!

LEAVING VAN GOGH by Carol Wallace

This book is a historical fiction of the last days of Vincent Van Gogh as told by his friend, Dr. Gachet, a specialise in mental illness and a lover of art. Van Gogh shot himself in the chest and died two days later at 37.

http://vangoghletters.org/vg/

THE LEGEND OF BASS REEVES: BEING THE TRUE AND FICTIONAL ACCOUNT OF THE MOST VALIANT MARSHAL IN THE WEST by Gary Paulsen

After just reading the title of this book, don't you just LOVE Gary Paulsen! "True and Fictional" you have got to love that!
This book has some of my favorite things: a cowboy, a hero, a true example of the American Dream, a person making tough decisions trying to do right when no one is really sure what right is, and Gary Paulsen! I want to research more about Bass Reeves, but Paulsen makes it clear what he thinks of the man. vii-xii This book is told in three stages. Most all our lives, if we live long enough, are in stages. One day I would like to talk to Gary Paulsen and ask him about what he says on xiii, " his boyhood is the longest because to em it was the most important part of his life, the fire that forged him, "Does he feel that way about all of us?"

RUINED: A NOVEL by Paula Morris

I chose this book because it had a cool cover and because a lot of students tell me they like to read ghost stories and mysteries - and I don't read many of either.
I can't believe I liked this book so much! Other than the cover being inaccurate, it was great! Realistic situation (who hasn't experienced having to move) with an interesting twist (having to go to live with an aunt who reads tarot cards for a living and believes in voodoo. She lives in New Orleans next to an old cemetery.) The narrator is forced to go to a snooty prep school who she feels invisible, but her best friend there is a ghost! This book has an interesting plot with a cool twist at the end!

SAVVY by Ingrid Law

This book was one of my favorites of the year! But then I always love a story with a strong female character who has a mission! Mibs is getting ready for her 13th birthday. This is usually a special birthday for anyone because you become a teenager. However, if you are a member of the Beaumont family this birthday has even more significance. When they turn 13, each family member comes into possession of their own savvy - their own special supernatural power. Mibs' grandmother can catch sound waves and store them in mason jars. She has one brother who can create hurricanes and another who sparks electricity. As she looks forward to her big day with anticipation - disaster strikes. Her father is in a car accident and placed in ICU two days before her birthday. This event puts her on a mission to save her father and an odyssey that no one could predict. 62-65 "Maybe God has his eye on me after all."

THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE, by Jacqueline Kelly

This Newbery Honor book is a wonderful example of evolution=change. This historical fiction is set in 1899 and ends with the turn of a new century. It emphasizes not only the turbulence and change that we experience during our teenage years, but that that change is even greater when the world is also experiencing the beginning of another century, in this case the 20th.

The Tate's are a well-to-do family with all the conveniences and advantages of those who still live on a working farm in rural Texas. But their only daughter, Calpurnia, or Callie Vae, feels trapped in a role and future that she cannot avoid.

Read p.2 (First 3 sections of 1st full paragraph)

Calpurnia and her grandfather build a bond during this summer and begin spending large amounts of time together. Her grandfather has retired from the mill and spends all of his free time in scientific investigations and experiments. He is an eccentric character who makes it a priority to provide Calpurnia with an education that her schooling is lacking in his opinion. These ideas and pursuits only serve to aggravate her mother who wants her to focus on her housekeeping, sewing, and cooking skills. Read p.192 "My mother got one girl out of seven tries...It all seemed so muddled (193). Calpurnia's life seems to revolve around an invisible set of social rules for her brothers and another for her. "Why do I have to mind the babies?" (199-200) "Exactly how, Lamar?" Her dreams to go to college and become a scientist will not be squashed (217 top-218 top).

It was interesting for me to read this book about the turn of the 20th Century after I experienced the turn of the 21st Century. Even thought the 20th Century was a time of great discovery and innovation, some many things were much more advanced technologically in my time. But it was interesting to me how similar things was for teenagers of both periods. It has never been an easy time to be a teenager! :)

I had several reasons for starting this blog. The main reason was for me to be able to keep up with what I was reading and be able to share that information with others. I have not done so well so far. I hope to improve what I get recorded.

WORTH, A. LaFaye

Last week I read Worth by A. LaFaye. This book is a Scott O'Dell Award-winning historical fiction set in the late 1800s or early 1900s in Nebraska. The family is having a hard time making it anyway, but the narrator and only son of a farmer has an accident and has his leg mangled in a wagon wheel. During his recovery, his dad is forced to find help by taking in an orphan boy, John Worth, who is similiar in age. (Read from page 44-top of 46) This book is about self-discovery and two boys attempt at surviving their own conditions that seem so out of their control to become men. Both have their own ideas about what success is, but both are willing and determined to be more and find their own true "worth." This book is very moving. It is not one to read if you want to laugh, but makes some poignant observations and makes you think about who you are and what you value. It is a short and easy read, but deep in scope and message.