My Fave Author

Laurie Halse Anderson did it again. Her book Chains grabs you and pulls you along on a serious, heart-gripping ride.

If you like history, you'll especially love it.

The main character is fiesty, smart, and ready to be free (she is a slave). Her heart is strong and big. A role model for us all.



Read it now. Here are a few other links to see what others are saying about it.

The author's website (there's even a "playlist" on this website!)

Reading Rants Blog

Fantastic Fiction

Mitalia Perkins

From India.

We can no longer afford to remain unfamiliar with the lands far from us. Thomas Paine said: "the world is my country and all mankind are my brethren".

Well said, Mr. Paine. Books are a critical tool for us, then. Books will bring where we need to go.

So, when I ran across this list of recommended books set in India or are written about Indian teenagers, I thought I should share them.

Here is the most recent post taken from MashUp (a great blog about books for teens).

In recent years, there have been many books for young readers set in India or the Indian diaspora. Most notably is this year's Climbing the Stairs. Set during World War II amid the burgeoning Indian independence movement, this book offers a lot of detail about Indian history, while also telling the story of our heroine Vidya, who wants only to further her education, not to be married off.

A similar character is found in Kashmira Sheth's Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet, although this time the book is set in contemporary Mumbai. Jeeta also wants an education, rather than marriage, and it doesn't help that her dark skin makes her difficult to marry her off. This is a good immersion into contemporary Indian culture.

There are also several good books about the Indian diaspora. In the United States, 2.6 million people are of Indian descent. Born Confused is a wonderful portrayal of ethnicity and assimilation, set in suburban New York. Dimple just wants to be like the others in her suburban school,but when her blond best friend becomes infatuated with an Indian boy, Dimple discovers that being "cool" and being Indian aren't mutually exclusive.

There is a wonderful series of light books for girls set in England, starting with Bindi Babes. These books for middle-grade readers involve three Indian sisters who live with their father after the death of their mother, and their attempts to engineer the events in the adults of their lives.

Finally, an even lesser known story of India is that of the Indian population in East Africa, featured in Child of Dandelions. Here, Indians living in Uganda, even those who were Ugandan citizens are being asked to leave the country within 90 days. While hopelessly violent and sad, this book again features a strong heroine trying to keep her family together in frightening times.

Use books to embrace the world!

Keep reading folks,
-Stenson

A Whole New Mind.

I'm the teacher who tells her students to "shake off the lazies", so you know I'm kinda nerdy, HOWEVER, I hung out with some really cool people the past few days at the TIES 2008 Education Technology Conference.

I'll take the next few days to post some nuggets that need to be shared.

5. Recently, I decided to ask my kids to make a public service announcement about avoiding child labor in Pakistan (not tough to do for most of our Bloomington families, I know). I'm tempted to start that project over after finding this site on how to make effective PSA.

4. Do you Twitter? I don't, and I'm not sure I'll start. But at least I'll know what my kids are talking about. Middle school kids may or may not use Twitter, but I did overhear one of my students say that both his mom and his aunt do. I was eager to find out about it at this session. Here's the video presentation from the conference.

3. This is a really cool site. It's called Digital Vaults.

2. This is how to convert video so you can easily upload it to other documents and presentations. Zamar.com. Teachers can get access to YouTube these days, but this seems even easier. You can put the videos right in your Keynote/PowerPoint using this.

1. Searchme.com. It's like Google meets iTunes. You can actually SEE the site before you click on the URL. Love this. I saved the best for last as far as this list goes. The picture at the top is from this site.

Let me know if you have got other "must-haves". Stealing good ideas is what good teacher do, right?

Stay in touch, and if you are a 7th grader--Keep reading.
-Stenson

Joan Bauer's Peeled

I've seen a bunch of kids reading this book, and I'm excited to try it over winter break. Joan Bauer is a fun author whose books always have a little message of hope. Maybe you've read some of her others? Like Hope was Here or Squashed?

There's a cool video with the author on this site. Maybe it's a nerdy reading teacher thing, but I like seeing the authors who worte the books I've enjoyed, you know?

Try the video, look at the site, but mostly...consider the book. Peeled by Joan Bauer is in our media center!

Keep reading!
-Stenson

100,000 in Prizes?!?!

Have you heard about this book?

39 Clues by Gordon Korman

Check out the website about it.
Check it out at the media center.
Check it out on one of Stenson's iPods (I have the website codes too!)

Get on board. Love to see kids getting this excited about a series of books. When you read it, tell us all about it!!

Good luck!
Keep Reading!
-Stenson

Yakkety-yak

I love 7th graders. Every day they file into Room 103; I squawk at them "Do you have your BOOKS?!?". They sit down, and they read. Save a very few that I have yet to get my claws into...they are READING. They are reading the Maximum Ride series. They are reading the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. They are reading the Alex Rider series. They are reading the Twilight series. They are READING. And it fills my heart with even more literacy love.

Thank you, Class of 2014. It's been fun to read with you, discuss books, and talk about how to help you become even strong readers. We are going to have a super year.

By the way, I've been talking up some great books recently. Here's an abbreviated list:

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Burn Journals by Brent Runyon
Full House edited by Pete Hautmann
Life As We Knew It by Susan Pfeffer
Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

But that's my measly list. You need to talk to the 7th graders at OGMS if you are looking for a good book. They'd know. They are readers.

So proud to be a Husky Reader,
Stenson

p.s. It's great to hear from former students. I smile every time I hear from you, so please, keep me updated on what you are reading. It feels familiar to see your names pop up. Love it.

Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

What an interesting book! It's received a lot of attention, mostly because people have never seen anything like it!

We've been talking about genres in 7READ, and I don't think any of the genres we've discussed fit this book. It's not a picture book, or a graphic novel. It's not a normal novel either. It's part silent movie and part flip book and part novel. No matter what you call it, you are sure to call it a super book!

Here are a few things to get you more interested and curious about the book! I would love to have a mini-book club with this book. Let me know if you are interested. We'll set a date, order some treats, and invite Hugo to join us!

Check these sites out:

About Hugo Cabret (on this site, you can see the 22 page illustrated drawing of the opening scene of the book...so cool!)

A video interview with the author (Brian Selznick)

Get on board with this book!
You won't be disappointed.

Keep Reading!
-Stenson