{BookFlix Friday} 9.28.12

Here is the book blurb fromt Ness’s site, http://www.patrickness.com/books.html.

A Monster Calls

The monster showed up just after midnight. As they do.

But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting. He’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming…

The monster in his back garden, though, this monster is something different. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.

It wants the truth.

Here is a great recording of Ness reading from the first chapter of the book, followed by an interview with some background (it will pop up in a new window):

You can get all kinds of cool information about the book, including author’s notes and interviews here:

How good is it? I is a record-breaker:

A Monster Calls (Walker) achieved a remarkable first on Thursday when author Patrick Ness was awarded the CILIP Carnegie Medal and illustrator Jim Kay scooped up the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal. No book has ever won both prizes since the Greenaway was first awarded in 1956 (the Carnegie preceded it, in 1936).

NEXT!

Though not a book trailer, this is a video about books. Okay, it’s a music video. And it makes me want to read and make my own parody. Anyone with me?

I know I posted this on {Whatever Wednesday}, but it was too good to pass up another opportunity. Besides, I wanted you to have it stuck in YOUR head all day like it’s been stuck in mine. You’re quite welcome.

{THIRSTday}

Today is Thursday THIRSTday.

Grande bold roast, black. And lots of Tweeting.

@NikiOhsBarnes wanted to join in THIRSTday but doesn’t have her own blog. I offered mine… For future considerations. Here is her Thursday offering:

{Whatever Wednesday}

Whatever Wednesday — a chance to post something I’ve seen that I’m diggin’. Though often a cool quote or poster, it might simply be a picture.

Enjoy!… and consider posting your own Whatever.

I know most of you who visit my blog know exactly what this is all about. This is “dedicated” to the lightening of the To Be Read pile. Huzzah!

And an extra Whatever that I’ll probably post again–on Friday? Great parody in support of reading and libraries. Thanks, @StylinLibrarian.

Ring-the-Bell Monday & It’s Monday! What are you reading?

A new week, a new batch of books–both books finished and being read. Today is…

Ring-the-Bell Monday

{Wherein we share what books we have read in the past week.}

&

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Visit Teach Mentor Texts for Jen & Kellee’s “original”.

{Wherein we share the titles we are currently reading.}

[click the book to read the first chapter]

Description

Evvy Hoffmeister is thirteen years old when her family brings her to Loon Lake Sanatorium to get cured of tuberculosis (TB). Evvy is frightened by her new surroundings; the rules to abide are harsh and the nurses equally rigid. But Evvy soon falls into step with the other girls in her ward. There’s Sarah, quiet but thoughtful; Pearl, who adores Hollywood glamour; and Dina, whose harshness conceals a deep strength. Together, the girls brave the difficult daily routines. Set in 1940 at a time of political unrest throughout the U.S. and Europe, this thought-provoking novel sheds light on a much-feared worldwide illness. Hundreds of thousands of people died each year of TB, and many ill children were sent away to sanatoriums to hopefully recover.

This is a masterful novel—both eloquent and moving—that gives voice to those who fought hard to overcome the illness.

My comment: I can’t imagine being confined to a bedroom, on my back, in bed for days… not to mention months. But in the early 1940s, that’s how tuberculosis was treated. Too much stress, too much talking, too much coughing might just be enough to send a patient to her deathbed. And that happens more than once in Breathing Room. Though slow-moving, I’m glad I stuck with it and watched the relationships among Evvy and her roommates develop. I also learned quite a bit about the disease from the story itself, but also from the interesting primary source graphics that were used throughout and the author’s notes at the end.

Visit Marsha Hayles’ site to learn more about this book.

[ Thanks to Kim Krug (@MonkeysRead) at Monkey See, Monkey Do bookstore for this book.]

Also:

Great non-fictionish book about our first president. A fun story with many tidbits of historical information.

;

I don’t know what to think of this book. It’s weird, and kind of cool, and strange. Pomelo is a “garden elephant” who is just realizing that he’s growing bigger. This brings on all sorts of new thoughts and excitements and fears about growing up.

Sweet little story. Karla has a quilt made by her grandmother out of old fabric she calls schnitz. These schnitz tell stories to her at nighttime–until her baby sister moves into her room with her.

A cat joins F.U.R.S.T.–Felines of the Universe Ready for Space Travel. Clever.

Since last Monday, my A Class has read:

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15

My B Class has read:

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16

My C Class has read:

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16

And after watching the trailer on Friday, from the library I reserved:

Other books that are at the top of my list:

[An ARC from Edelweiss, recommended by RJ Palacio.]

[Highly recommended by Mr. Peterson]

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And, just so you know, this book celebrates a book birthday tomorrow. I can’t wait to hear the song:

[Click the book for the activity booklet.]

Some of the books A Class is reading:

Click here for a SpinCam of Class A reading!

B Class Books:

Click here for a SpinCam of Class B reading!

C Class Books:

Click here for a SpinCam of what Class C is reading!

AlphaTeam Beginning of the Year Video–2012

It’s been a great beginning to the year, Alphas! Looking forward to all that’s in store for us.

{BookFlix Friday}

Today is

There are tons of great book trailers out in cyberland, and each Friday I will endeavor to bring a couple to you. Many will be new and recent books. Some trailers will preview a not-yet-released book. And others will look back a little further.

Lights…Camera…Action!

 

[Click the book to read a Kindle preview.]

Description
Barnaby Brocket is an ordinary 8-year-old boy in most ways, but he was born different in one important way: he floats. Unlike everyone else, Barnaby does not obey the law of gravity. His parents, who have a horror of being noticed, want desperately for Barnaby to be normal, but he can’t help who he is. And when the unthinkable happens, Barnaby finds himself on a journey that takes him all over the world. From Brazil to New York, Canada to Ireland, and even to space, the floating boy meets all sorts of different people—and discovers who he really is along the way.

This whimsical novel will delight middle graders, and make readers of all ages question the meaning of normal.

[Click the book to read a Kindle preview.]

Selected by Indie Booksellers for the Winter 2011 Kids’ Next List
“Yes, it’s dystopian, but Matched is really about a young woman, Cassia, discovering the gift of thinking for herself after growing up under the rules of The Society. When she is matched to her ‘perfect’ mate but finds out that her true match might be a different boy with a mysterious past that The Society is trying to cover up, Cassia begins to question their real intention. I can’t wait for the sequel, and I’m also hoping this will turn some teens on to Dylan Thomas’ poetry.”
— Kelly Estep, Carmichael’s Bookstore, Louisville, KY

Description
Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander’s face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham’s face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it’s a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she’s destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can’t stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society’s infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

{THIRSTday}

Today is Thursday THIRSTday.

@NikiOhsBarnes wanted to join in THIRSTday but doesn’t have her own blog. I offered mine… For a small fee. Here is her Thursday offering:

{Whatever Wednesday}

Whatever Wednesday — a chance to post something I’ve seen that I’m diggin’. Though often a cool quote or poster, it might simply be a picture.

Enjoy!… and consider posting your own Whatever.

In my class we have the 20/20 rule for nightly reading: a minimum of 20 minutes & 20 pages. I saw this poking out of my student Riley’s book the other day. It’s the perfect way to keep track of reading time and the perfect Whatever for today’s post. Now–to buy a case of them…

Ring-the-Bell Monday & It’s Monday! What are you reading?

A new week, a new batch of books–both books finished and being read. Today is…

Ring-the-Bell Monday

{Wherein we share what books we have read in the past week.}

&

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Visit Teach Mentor Texts for Jen & Kellee’s “original”.

{Wherein we share the titles we are currently reading.}

 

Description from IndieBound

It happens just like that, in the blink of an eye. An older sister has a mental breakdown and has to be hospitalized. A younger sister is left behind to cope with a family torn apart by grief and friends who turn their backs on her. But worst of all is the loss of her big sister, her confidante, her best friend, who has gone someplace no one can reach.

In the tradition of The Bell Jar, I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, and Lisa, Bright and Dark comes this haunting first book told in poems, and based on the true story of the author’s life.

2000 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA) and 2000 Quick Picks for Young Adults (Recomm. Books for Reluctant Young Readers)

My comment: I received this book from an elementary librarian, Mrs. DiBernardo (@gLibraryMel) and was intrigued by the description. As I started, it felt familiar but I couldn’t place it. Finally, I remembered that I had read it with a different cover. It was good a second time, in a very tragic, scary way. I wrote a “Post-it to page” entry about it to share with my students:

Since last Monday, my A Class has read:

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10

 

My B Class has read:

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13

My C Class has read:

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6

[ A gift, recommended from Kim Krug (@MonkeysRead) at Monkey See, Monkey Do bookstore.]

I’ll also looking at:

[An ARC from Edelweiss, recommended by RJ Palacio.]

And after watching the trailer on Friday, from the library I reserved:

If you want a sneak peak into the series, check out the author’s Sunday post on the Nerdy Book Club blog.

Some of the books A Class is reading:

 Fortune Wookiee, Mockingjay, HardyBoys GN #20, Wednesday Wars, 100 Most Awesome things on the Planet, Ranger’s Apprentice #4, Beast of Noor, Wimpy Kid #4, Wimpy Kid #3, Harry Potter–Goblet, Bone #1, Between Shades of Gray, Hidden Child of the Holocaust

B Class Books:

 Wonderstruck, Monster Calls, Among the Imposters, Slam Dunk, Bloody Jack #1, Winter Hawk Star, Warriors, Hardy Boys GN #4 & 14, MS–Worst Years, Dripping Fang #2, Hunger Games, Red Pyramid

C Class Books:

 Darth Paper Strikes Back, Wimpy Kid #4, Hunger Games, The Ghost Sitter, Kobe Bryant Bio, Maximum Ride, Bad Girls Don’t Die, The Witches, Origami Yoda, Unwind

Sooo…… What are YOU reading??? Please leave a comment and let me know.

{BookFlix Friday}

Today is

There are oodles of great book trailers out in cyberland, and each Friday I will endeavor to bring a couple to you. Many will be new and recent books. Some trailers will preview a not-yet-released book. And others will look back a little further.

Lights…Camera…Action!

Book Description from Amazon

Publication Date: September 18, 2012 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Don’t get yourself noticed and you won’t get yourself hanged.

In the faery slums of Bath, Bartholomew Kettle and his sister Hettie live by these words. Bartholomew and Hettie are changelings—Peculiars—and neither faeries nor humans want anything to do with them.

One day a mysterious lady in a plum-colored dress comes gliding down Old Crow Alley. Bartholomew watches her through his window. Who is she? What does she want? And when Bartholomew witnesses the lady whisking away, in a whirling ring of feathers, the boy who lives across the alley—Bartholomew forgets the rules and gets himself noticed.

First he’s noticed by the lady in plum herself, then by something darkly magical and mysterious, by Jack Box and the Raggedy Man, by the powerful Mr. Lickerish . . . and by Arthur Jelliby, a young man trying to slip through the world unnoticed, too, and who, against all odds, offers Bartholomew friendship and a way to belong.

Part murder mystery, part gothic fantasy, part steampunk adventure, The Peculiar is Stefan Bachmann’s riveting, inventive, and unforgettable debut novel.

NEXT!

This is book one of a series.

Description from IndieBound

Every year in Quill, thirteen-year-olds are sorted into categories: the strong, intelligent Wanteds go to university, and the artistic Unwanteds are sent to their deaths

Thirteen-year-old Alex tries his hardest to be stoic when his fate is announced as Unwanted, even while leaving behind his twin, Aaron, a Wanted. Upon arrival at the destination where he expected to be eliminated, however, Alex discovers a stunning secret–behind the mirage of the “death farm” there is instead a place called Artime.

In Artime, each child is taught to cultivate their creative abilities and learn how to use them magically, weaving spells through paintbrushes and musical instruments. Everything Alex has ever known changes before his eyes, and it’s a wondrous transformation.

But it’s a rare, unique occurence for twins to be separated between Wanted and Unwanted, and as Alex and Aaron’s bond stretches across their separation, a threat arises for the survival of Artime that will pit brother against brother in an ultimate, magical battle.

Book 2 just came out on September 4th:

There is no trailer that I could find, but if you click the book above, I’ve linked to a site where you can take a look inside the book. VERY cool: