Extra! Extra! Hear all about it!

'Tis the season for the Best of 2010 lists!  I can't get enough of these recommendations, and it's fun to see what titles show up on a bunch of these lists. There's gotta be something for everyone.  Check it out.

Here's the list from the Reading Rants blog.  Enjoy!

cool chic with a megaphone image is from the Reading Rants website too.  Pretty cool pics AND very good books...gotta love the site.

Where did November Go?

Oh my goodness!  I feel terrible for not posting anything last month.  I guess I was too busy reading my own grown-up books that I forgot to tell blog about books that should not be missed by kids.

Since it is already December!, I guess I'll steal, copy, cheat my way to the first post in this last month of 2010...

This article includes books that seem more like high school books than middle school books, but I can't leave a "Best of" list alone.  Here's the first one of the season, found on NPR.com written by Gayle Forman (author of If I Stay).  Enjoy!

This is the picture from the article.  Love it!  Aaron Meshon is credited with the work.  If only my students' lockers looked like that! 

Not Without Hope by Nick Schulyer

Oh man, what a tragic story.  It's a tragic, true story about four young, strong, athletic, fit guys stranded at sea.  Only one survived.  His memoir is harrowing, chilling, and heart-breaking.  It's a book that will appeal to boys, but it will make all readers appreciate their good fortune, friends, and family.

As I finished the epilogue of the book and put the book down, I considered how lucky I am to be alive and healthy and safe.  The deaths of the three former football players shown below will be a constant reminder of how valuable life is.  Celebrate it with family and friends, and even when life is the darkest, carry one with hope.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Top Five Reasons to Read this Book:
5. The narrator is a kid who doesn't take himself to seriously, so he'll make you laugh.
4. There has never been a better time to talk about acceptance and tolerance in our schools.
3. Because the narrator is a boy, boys will like it.
2. Because the star (no pun intended) of the book is a girl (and because the narrator falls in love with her), girls will like it.

1.  and the best thing about this book is the way Stargirl remains true to herself. She is a character I'll always remember. And I'll look for bits of her in my own students.

Go on. Read this book. Try it today. Or tomorrow. Just enjoy it.

Keep reading,
stenson

If I Stay by Gail Forman

Of all the things I had heard about this book BEFORE I read it, the two that stand truest to me are:

it is "achingly tender" and though the story was told by a narrator on the verge between life and death, "it is a beautiful story about life".

I loved this book and I found it a mesmerizing tale.  I am not certain it's for all 7th graders because it is a sophisticated book about a mature high school girl. However, nothing is unrealistic or overly inappropriate.  In fact, I suspect, many girls will relate to Mia's insecurities, feelings about love, and complex relationships within her family.  She is a girl to look up to for many reasons--mostly her strive to be an excellent musician and her level-headed-ness about teenage relationships--and it is for that reason I feel compelled to recommend this book for those ready to read it.




Keep reading, everyone.
Stenson

p.s.  This book will probably not be in our media center, as it is a mature book.  Ask your parents to take you to the public library to get a copy.

No Impact Man by Colin Beaven

Are you the type of person who tries? Colin Beaven is. He sets out to live, with his wife, daughter, and dog, in NYC, for one year without creating a environmental footprint. Then, he writes a book about the experiement.

They stop making trash, they stop using any transportation that is not self-propelled, they only eat food grown/made with ingredients from within a 250 mile radius, and they turn off the electricity.

He doesn't do it to self-promote. He doesn't do it to be a martyr. He doesn't do it to be a over-acheiveing environmentalist. He does it because he doesn't know what else to do, but try.



As a story, it works. And, in my opinion, it works well as an experiment too. Ultimately, he asks questions that go beyond what's good for the climate, and he begins to ask questions about what is good for us? And, he means what is really good for our quality of life and our happiness levels.

As non-fiction goes, this book will be enjoyed by mature kids and grown-ups in their lives. I'm really sad I didn't read it with someone I love. I'm going to sign off and start lobbying the Tall Guy to read it.

No Impact Man by Colin Beaven can also be sampled at this site, the No Impact Blog.

Keep reading, everyone!
-stenson

Jumped by Rita Williams-Garcia

At the end of one school day, one girl threatens to beat-up another girl, and a third girl overhears. Will she speak up?

What You Should Know about this Book:
1. National Book Award nominee.
2. Intense, realistic, powerfully written.
3. Ultimately about girl bullies, teenage girl friendships and relationships, and the "laws" of high school.
4. Told from three different perspectives; three different high school girls who are each very different from the other.
5. Think of it like an episode of 24. The entire book takes places in one day at school.

3 questions to think about as you read this book.
1. The Shakespeareish question: to tell or not to tell? Leticia overhears one girl announce she is going to jump another girl.
2. The age-old question: Can a teenager be an individual? Adults always say yes, but what happens when the individuality of one girl intimidates or irritates or confuses others? Trina is herself but ultimately is punished for trying to be herself.
3. The geometry question: Do different perspectives, different angles, change the reality of a situation? Is what is obvious to one person impossible for another person with a different view to understand?

A few other things I loved about this book:
1. Readers will somehow understand the bully and almost empathize.
2. The African-American teenage girl voice is lyrical, melodic, and can be heard in the readers' minds as they read.
3. The identifiable roles the teachers and school staff play is almost over-the-top, but ultimately recognizable to anyone who has ever been in high school.

I would recommend Jumped by Rita Williams-Garcia to 8th graders and older. It's a mature book, but one that shouldn't be missed!

Keep reading, everyone.
-stenson

p.s. image taken from Readingrants.org

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You. by Ally Carter

What a fun series! Four books all about Cammie Morgan and her best friends at Gallagher High who are all spies. We're talking honest to goodness spies...security clearance, counter-surveillance, martial arts defense moves, and everything else a good spy know about.

The Gallagher Girls might be spies, but they are also regular girls in many ways. They take friendship very seriously, though they don't always take school seriously, they both love and deplore their parents, and they know all about heartthrobs and heartache.

Here are the books in order. Hope you have a chance to read on! Spy on! Enjoy! -stenson

Images are courtesy of Ally Carter's website which can be found here,

Good & Sticky

A great book to teachers, students, parents, ANYONE trying to make a point.

I love the premise, the writing, the ideas, and the details. This non-fiction book gives readers a nicely packaged, easy-to-read-and-understand checklist to help them get their ideas to stick (meaning the ideas will be memorable, understandable, and effective). As readers work their way through the checklist, they meet all sorts of ordinary individuals who did something extraordinary with their messages. The authors pick apart these stories and give detailed analysis of the methods used to make ideas stick. Witty, well-written, astute.

Click here to read more. And here to read more (scroll down a little, or while you wait to get to the book you know you are interested, take a peek at the other ones there...).

Have fun reading, everyone!

-stenson

image can be found at http://socialmediab2b.com/2009/10/b2b-social-media-books/

Claudette Colvin & Friends

Some of my favorite books have nominated by or have received this award. It's an award that is given not just to books that are widely popular and well received, but to books that represent excellence in young adult literature. Here are some of my favorite National Book Award nominees and winners:

• What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell,
• American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang,
• Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin,
• Inexcusable by Chris Lynch,

and I could on and on and on but I won't. I'll just trust that you look at the links and pick a few to add to your future book lists. Go ahead; you are about to be wowed!

Congrats to this year's nominess and winner:

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose
Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman
Stitches by David Small
Lips Touch: Three Times by Laini Taylor
Jumped Rita Williams-Garcia

This years nominess and winner are officially on my book list. As I read them, I'll certainly post about what I've experienced. Add them to your lists too! Go ahead; you are about to be wowed by the talent listed here. Keep reading everyone!

-stenson

*image taken from The National Book Foundation and http://us.macmillan.com/claudettecolvin

The 1st 5 Books of Stenson's Summer

Super exciting stuff...

1. I'm 5 for 5 with books this summer. I've been on a roll. Some of them are really just for grown-ups, but the two I'd recommend for kids are The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han (though I don't need to talk it up that much...it's a huge hit that I'm just getting to) and The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (a book written for all ages, brilliant writing, a fun and feisty protagonist, and an amusing caper).

2. Have you heard of Animoto? Love this free site where you simply upload picutres, pick the music, add some text and submit it all. A funky, original video appears after a few moments. I can't wait to use this in Room 103 with 7th grade readers. Here's a peek at what it can do. *It was my first attempt, so please just humor me. You can watch by clicking on the image above....

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

Flavia, the protagonist from the mystery The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, made me laugh, made me want to study Chemistry, and made me keep reading until the caper was solved. I really fell in love with little Flavia. Feisty, smart, fun- this little girl has two sisters she's constantly trying to poke, pinch, and prod and a father she is constantly trying to delight and charm. The family lives in her deceased mother's family's estate in 1940's Britain.

Day by day, Flavia is entertained mostly by the chemistry lab in the family mansion, but all of that changes one day when she stumbles upon a dead man in the garden of the estate.

Flavia is part Scout, part Sherlock Holmes, and part Marie Lavoisier (don't worry, I didn't know who that was until I read this book either), and she pulls you right into her mind, her home, and her life- a land where emotions though rare sneak out, observations are detailed, complete, and funny, and the story, like the mystery at the center of it, only gets better and better.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is definitely a challenge book (those of you who have had me as a teacher will know what I mean) because I think it's intended audience is grown-ups. However, this delightful tale will be enjoyed by all ages, and the writing is simply too brilliant and too fun to not be shared by everyone of all ages.

Enjoy! The book is a part of a series so get excited for all sorts of amusement.

Please visit the sit for more information about this charming, fun series. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. The picture above was taken from the site linked to the left: www.flaviadeluce.com.

Keep reading!

-stenson

Summer!

It's getting really close to summer break, so I thought I'd highlight to perfect books for summer.

Both written by Jenny Han, The Summer I Turned Pretty and It's Not Summer Without You are flying around my classroom these days. I must admit I have not read them yet (but I did just download the first book on my iPod), but my students say the books have realistic characters and suspenseful, heartbreaking plots.



Here's what the author's website says about the first book The Summer I Turned Pretty:

Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer--they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.

For more information about these books, click here to go to the author's site.

Pick up the book, give it a try, and let me know what you think.

Think summer, keep reading!
-stenson

*The photo is taken from the author's website too!

Skeleton Creek and Ghost in the Machine

It's been awhile since I've posted a good book, so I better make it a good one. I think I know just the one (actually, two).

Every time I hear about this book, I think about the movie Disturbia because just like the main character in that movie, the main character in this book is trying to solve a mystery but he is constrained to his own home. Apparently, that is not the only hint of horror movies you'll find in this book. Consequently, I haven't read it. I'm too chicken! But I hope you do.

Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman (for more information, click here)



During first hour today, 3 out of 18 kids were reading it, and another kid couldn't get it at the media center because all the copies were checked out. I urge you to try your neighborhood library. Let me know what you think.

Happy reading, everyone!
-stenson

The Last Dog on Earth

Publishers Weekly calls it part-Sci Fi, part Gary Paulsen. It reminds me a lot of the best "boy and his dog" coming of age stories that I've read. Anyway you look at it, The Last Dog on Earth by Daniel Ehrenhaft is a great read.



The main character, Logan, gets along with nobody, least of all his step-father. When he finally gets a break- the chance to get a dog- he is happy for the first time in a long time. Until it's clear that a deadly virus is spreading through dogs in the state, and the authorities want every dog dead. Logan and his dog go on the run. But how long can they last? What will happen? Will a cure be found?

Who doesn't love a good story with a loyal canine companion in the middle? Enjoy the book. Keep reading everyone!

-stenson

Telling Christina Goodbye

Real life can be hard. So can real love. I didn't have enough good recommendations for my girls when they asked me recently. Here's a book that looks to be full of romance, heart-break, and real teen issues.

Bookreport says this about Telling Christina Good-bye by Lurlene McDaniel
Christina, a senior in high school, seemed to have it all: she was beautiful, popular, and intelligent. Unfortunately, Christina had one shortcoming that proved to be fatal. She fell in love with a controlling, hotheaded guy named Tucker whose reckless driving killed her. This is not really Christina's story though. It is an examination of the other occupants of the car as they recover physically and emotionally.

Let me know if you give it a try. Or if you find other real-life, romanc-y books about teens.

Keep reading everyone!
-stenson

Ender's Game

According to Nancy Keane, a reading pro, this book shouldn't be missed. I'm adding it to my FBL!

It seems to be Harry Potter meets Space Warfare. Ender Wiggins is chosen by the world government to help save the earth. He is sent to Battle School for military training in the form of computer war games. He proves to be a genius and is looked to as a future military leader. But the fate of the human race on your shoulders is a scary prospect! Simulated war games are one thing, but what will happen in real combat?

If you read it, let me know. Or if you've read it, share your opinion. Keep reading, everyone!

-stenson

An Author Not to Miss

I listened to Sleeping Freshman Never Lie a few weeks ago, and as I've been telling my kids about the book, they've been enjoying it too. Then, some of them read other books written by the same author. I think he's one everyone should at least try!

3 of Gordon Korman's Best Books

1. Swindle
2. Sleeping Freshman Never Lie
3. Pop

Hope you enjoy! Let me know if you try them!  For more information on this awesome author, click here.
-stenson

The Help.

This weekend I finished the book my book club is reading for March....The Help by Kathryn Stockett (pictured to the right thanks to the great River Region Public Library).

Here are some of my thoughts...

1. I know some of my girls would like it. It's a challenge book, but they could do definitely read it and get something out of it. Challenge books always pay off because the stories are rich, the characters flawed yet likeable, the topics mature and universal. This one is no different.

2. I would describe it as Chick Lit, but I think it's a powerful book similar to the Secret Life of Bees.

3. I am all about strong friendships and strong families. This book is filled with both.

4. One of my FAVORITE parts of the book is when the main character, Miss Skeeter, goes to the "white" library and checks out a bunch of books for a black women who works for Miss Skeeter's friend Elizabeth. The list of books represents some of the best American Lit, some of the best books written about the disenfranchised: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Souls of Black Folks, and To Kill a Mockingbird just to name a few.

5. Also, it's not often the setting of a book strikes me as important as the setting in this book does. Jackson, Mississippi. There's a whole lot of trouble in the town during this time period in history, but I found myself longing to be there to experience the heat, meet the people, stroll through the downtown, walk the land. The South, I gather, is much different from what we know here in MN. The author did a splendid job bringing us down to her world, Skeeter's world, Aiblene's world.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett. A good read. If you try it, let me know what you think.


Keep reading!
-stenson

Isabel and Amari

I just re-read Copper Sun (Sharon Draper) with a few girls in my 7READ classes. And I couldn't help but think of another equally powerful but very different story of a slave girl Chains (Laurie Halse Anderson).



The stories of two slave girls told by two of the most creative young adult authors in Young Adult literature give teen readers a chance to read historical fiction with strong characters and gripping story lines.

Both stories speak to the power of the human spirit and the gifts of real friendship. Neither story shields readers from the dark and upsetting and unforgettable horrors of slavery, but both will keep readers thinking ar beyond the last page.

Historical fiction isn't given enough credit, so in my class, they "count" for two books. Go ahead and expand your reading experiences! I think you be enthralled!

Keep reading,
stenson

Fairy Tales Retold.

Two books, both modern retellings of fairy tales, have jumped off the shelves at me this year.
What I know about kids is that they have one foot planted firmly in their childhood pasts and one foot in the future that's promising, exciting, modern. These two books can be described similarly. Try them and enjoy. Keep reading, everyone.


Beastly by Alex Flinn
Ash by Malinda Lo

A Call for a Challenge

Many of the 7th graders at OGM are looking for a good challenge book. What makes a challenge book? Many different things...

• a reader's lexile and the lexile of the book
• a lengthy and complicated plot
• universal themes that require a mature, critical mind
• books written for an adult audience but enjoyable for yound adults
• lots of other things too.

Anyway, because many kids have asked for some challenging titles, I thought I'd take a moment to share a few.

Airborn by Kenneth Oppel
Matt Cruse is a cabin boy aboard the luxury passenger airship Aurora when the ship encounters a battered hot air balloon with an unconscious man aboard. Before dying, the man claims to have seen beautiful creatures swarming in the air over an uncharted island. Not until a year later, when Matt meets the man's granddaughter, Kate de Vries, who boards the Aurora, does he learn that the man wasn't hallucinating. Pirates board, rob, and kill, and a fierce storm grounds the Aurora on the very island that Kate's grandfather spoke about--which proves to be the pirates' secret hideaway. Though readers will need to suspend disbelief of the mysterious flying creatures, which Matt and Kate call "cloud cats," details of life and work aboard the ship as well as the dramatic escapade itself make this a captivating read.
-from American Library Association

Mysterious Benedict Society by Treton Lee Stewart
I just loved this book. From start to finish it was flat out great. The characters were all interesting and deep (as opposed to superficial cliches), and the plot had some clever twists and neat puzzles. It was fun solving those puzzles along with the characters, too. So if you're looking for a fun read that's not about magic and dragons (as way too many kids books today are), I highly recommend The Mysterious Benedict Society! I can't wait for the sequel. -by Max on Amazon.com

The Sledding Hill by Cris Crutcher
This clever, spirited post-modern meta-narrative is a quick read that is bound to be controversial. It has no profanity, sexual acts, drug or alcohol use, or bloody violence but takes dead aim at censors who can't get past counting swear words or the notion of a gay character who is still alive at the end of a book. Eddie Proffit, 14, is a prototypical Crutcher protagonist, a misunderstood teen who in quick succession has lost his father and best friend, Billy, in accidents. And he must deal with Mr. Tartar, who is both a feared English teacher at school and the minister to a flock of Protestant fundamentalists at the Red Brick Church. -from the School Library Journal

Keep reading!
-stenson