Fables: The Good Prince

Fables: The Good Prince by Bill Willingham

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


What happens when virtue, honesty, purity and truth prevail? Magical things even more powerful than we can imagine. Luckily, Bill Willingham did!



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The Last Battle

The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I used to dislike this book when I was younger. The Calormenes are such bullies. The help never comes to the king. The monkey hoodwinks the ignorant populace. It all seems so futile, and then Narnia ends! The beloved land I searched for in the back of my closet all those years was gone, and now I'd never get there!
I hope that now I see Narnia for what it really is, a mirror of the real story. I trust Aslan when he says I need to know Him in this world too. I still search for Narnia, just not in the back of the closet anymore. And I will get the fairy tale ending I always wanted.



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Couch Time

I mentioned "couch time" in relationship to my summer goals on my Twitter feed (@stewardess), and Mary (@ILoveMyBirdTim) asked for more info.

There isn't much to say. In fact, I didn't even invent the idea, nor do I really know much about it. Like most things I know about I learned (read: stole) from someone else. I think Krista mentioned having couch time with her husband at a CCGNO event and I just ran with what I figured it meant.

Our couch time consists of 30 mins. to an hour spent together doing nothing. We have no distractions (computer, phone, TV) and just focus on each other. The first week we talked. The second week we solved a problem together. This'll be our third week in a row! Traditions have to start somewhere, right?

(For more info see Krista. She and her husband won "best couple" for their commitment to things like couch time. Impressive!)

Edit: Awesome article from the Love & Respect Facebook page about "face-to-face" and "shoulder-to-shoulder" time.
https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150212146502849

Summer 2011 Goals

1. Increase my FAITH
2. Improve my marriage

Feel free to ask how I'm doing; it'll keep me accountable.
Feel free to offer wisdom (which is different from advice).

Luke 17:5
"Lord, increase our faith."

*wisdom (n.) Looking at life from God's point of view.

Proverbs 9:10

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

See the Movie/Read the Book

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Adrenaline-filled thrill ride that keeps the pages turning, but is a definite skim. This book might have been a 1/4 inch deep, if that. But a rocking good time, pardner. If they stay true to the book, the movie will be phenomenal!



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Pagan Christianity: Exposing the Roots of Our Church Practices by Frank Viola

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


So, I learned some stuff, and it gave me much to think about.
Did you know, the New Testament epistles are basically organized by the length of the letters? Why didn't I know that? Fascinating. I'm going to read them in their probable chronological order, just for kicks (and scope).

Galatians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Romans
Colossians
Philemon
Ephesians
Philippians
1 Timothy
Titus
2 Timothy

I would be suspect of anyone who totally agreed with every single thing in this book, and equally so of anyone who was 100% opposed. If I can learn something from it, a book can't be worthless, but as it is written by men it will not speak God's ideals perfectly.



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I Heart Book(mark)s

In honor of love, literature, and loving how much I've been reading while snowed in, I present I HEART BOOK(Mark)S!

You know you want one.


Leave a comment telling which books you've read this snowpocalypse and maybe you'll be so honored!

Fables: The Great Fables Crossover by Bill Willingham

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


It all came together beautifully. I loved how the Genre's were personified!



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Just in Time for Valentine's Day

I made this my desktop background.

Yes, I chopped the wood and built the fire myself.
Anything in life worth having is worth working for.

This one's for the kitchen.
I can't sing, but luckily I can cook.

Feel free to borrow, steal, post, print, etc...

May you love each other not in words or tongue, but in actions and in truth.
1 John 3:18

Meet Oklahoma State Superintendent Janet Barresi

Weekly Message from Supt. Janet Barresi 1-14-2011 from OK Dept. of Education on Vimeo.

Fables: The Dark Ages by Bill Willingham

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I didn't like it. The title says it all. Very Dark Ages. :( Unfortunately, this is the story of all wars and their unintended consequences.



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Something to Ponder

"Today a reader, tomorrow a leader."
— Margaret Fuller

Because It's True

You Are Special by Max Lucado

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I read this book every year to my students; this year I might read it on day one. I classify it as a "fun book" with no lesson to be learned, but it's simply not true. It has a deep message that must be learned. Maybe I should move it to a "theme" book, so students will find the deeper meaning.



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What a privilege to share this message with my students. And to remind myself that it's true about them and about me. At this time of year, I need to remember that they are special.

A Must Read for Teachers of Reluctant Readers

Knucklehead: Tall Tales and Almost True Stories of Growing up Scieszka by Jon Scieszka

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A must read for boys or other reluctant readers. In the vein of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Lots of short, funny chapters. Jon wasn't named National Ambassador for Young People's Literature for nothing! Also explains where he got his ideas for his books: The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, and others.



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Christmas Present

Kill Shakespeare Volume 1 by Conor McCreery

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Fun! It's the beginning, and took some getting used to. The characters stay true to their natures, but it was strange at first to see them doing new things. I should have known Richard III was a villain; he's always a villain. When you know the original stories so well, you predict what will happen next. This was fun, because they did something new. It just takes me some time to adjust to change. I will want to continue reading, though. Just to see what they do.



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In Honor of Banned Books Week

See original post here. Thanks to Kate Messner for sharing this on her blog.

Our school librarian does a phenomenal job making sure that there are books of interest to every student in our building. That’s a lot of students. A lot of different students.

This middle school serves sixth graders as young as ten years old and eighth graders as old as fifteen. Five years is a big gap, and those are no ordinary five years. The difference between ten and fifteen is the difference between Legos and iPods, the difference between trick-or-treating and Homecoming Dances. The difference between child and young adult.

Our kids are not only different ages; they arrive at school with different reading levels, different backgrounds, and different experiences that have shaped their lives in both positive and negative ways. They have different needs when it comes to reading.

The book that is perfect for your wide-eyed sixth grade girl isn’t likely to be a good fit for a fifteen-year-old boy repeating eighth grade. The book that eighth grader will read and love is probably not one that would be right for your sixth grader right now. But as teachers and librarians, we have a responsibility to serve all of the kids who come to us. We have a responsibility to offer literature choices that speak to all of them and meet all of their diverse needs.

Kids, in general, do a fantastic job self-selecting books, and when they find they’ve picked up something they’re not ready for, they’re usually quick to put it down and ask for help choosing something else. As teachers and librarians, we’ll offer recommendations and steer kids toward books that are age-appropriate, and we encourage you to talk about books with your kids. We have multiple copies of many titles in our library. Let us know if you’d like to check out two copies of a book so you can read together. And if you find that your student has chosen a book that you think might not be the right book for him or her right now, talk about that, too.

We respect your right to help your own child choose reading material, and we ask that you respect the rights of other parents to do the same. If you object to your child reading a particular book, send it back to the library, and we’ll help your student find another selection. We’ll put the first book back on the shelf because even though you don’t feel it’s the right book for your child right now, it may be the perfect book for someone else’s.

Our library will continue to have a wide range of choices for kids – to meet all of their varied needs and help them all develop a love of reading. If we can ever be of help to you in recommending titles for your family, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Gone by Michael Grant

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I would compare this book to "Lord of the Flies." But in a way it was creepier, because it's set in modern times, with things and children, I'm more familiar with. It made the changes more harsh. Great themes of loyalty, friendship, courage, choices, etc. Only to the n-th degree. Action packed. Complex plot. A mystery still to be solved.



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10 things I think teachers should unlearn…

"borrowed" from ED (but aren't teachers known for borrowing?)

1. Teachers know all the answers.

2. Teachers have to be in control of the class.

3. Teachers are responsible for the learning.

4. Students are obliged to respect teachers.

5. Learning can be measured by a letter or a number.

6. Teachers should plan activities and then assessments.

7. Learners need to sit quietly and listen.

8. Technology integration is optional.

9. Worksheets support learning.

10. Homework is an essential part of learning.

In my opinion, all of the above are outdated ideas. I won’t elaborate at the moment, as I’d rather have your input! Which ones do you agree with? Disagree? Challenge? Question?

The Sixth Grade Nickname Game by Gordon Korman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Gordon Korman does a great job of thinking like a kid. In this book, he takes the universal theme of boys fighting over a girl, couples it with Shakespeare's question, "What's in a name?" and produces a funny outcome. Of course, the real hero is Cassandra, but the two boys learn that their friendship is a bigger prize than any girl. A great read-aloud for upper elementary/6th graders. It really fits into my class, because our geography teacher gives each student a nickname. I can really run with this novel as a theme/idea starter.

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A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Richard Peck is a great ya/children's author. He writes this novel, and it's prequel from the point of view of Joey and Mary Alice Dowdel who spend time with their grandmother in her small Illinois town. As everything is seen through the eyes of the kids, the action and motivations of Grandma are not always clear. In this novel, Mary Alice spends a year during the Depression living with Grandma to save her parents money. She has many adventures with Grandma Dowdel, an imposing woman in both size and personality, who has eyes in the back of her heart.

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