The Book Search

Since it's winter break, I've had a chance to do some reading and I actually got to read some grown up books in the last few weeks!  I love the end of the year lists of best books.  I figure if someone is bothering to make a list of the best ones, they've read more than one or two and so it's worth at least looking at what other people are reading.  This past week I read a couple that were highly rated this year. The first one (and my favorite) is called "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr.  This is a great story.  It's about two kids growing up during World War 2.  If you think you've read enough about World War 2 (I think I have), don't skip this one.  It's told from the perspective of two different characters.  One is a girl in Paris who is blind.  Her dad works in a museum and loves puzzles and models so he builds a model of their neighborhood so she can navigate the neighborhood by herself.  They end up fleeing Paris and going

I've been busy enough with the books in my hands so I haven't been looking at Netgalley but now that school is out for a few weeks, I had a little extra time to look.  I found a really great one that will be published in March and if you like books that make kids think about global issues, this is going to be one for you.  It's called The Red Bicycle by Jude Isabella.  It's about a red bicycle and what happens to it after the boy who buys it in Canada is finished with it (he outgrows it).  He donates it to charity that takes bikes to Burkina Faso and donates them to charitable organizations there.  I loved how it showed not only that the bike went to a girl who really needed it, but how she used it to help her family.  When she was finished with it, she donated it to another charitable organization which used the bicycle as an ambulance.  The pictures are cheerful and simple but evocative enough to make you feel a part of the story.  It also has information in the back

It's winter break here, but the day before our break started, I got three boxes of brand new books, many of which I'd never read, so yippee!  It's winter break, I have tons of free time AND lots of new books to read.  Does it get better than this? The first one I read is called Pete and Pickles by Berkeley Breathed.  It's about a little pig named Pete that lives a quiet, orderly existence.  One day his order is disturbed by a runaway elephant named Pickles and really, things are not the same after that.  It's a funny and a little strange ride, but as with most friendships, it's totally worth the weirdness.  I think this would be a great book to match up with some of the other unlikely friendship books like Amos and Boris by William Steig, Henry and Mudge by Cynthia Rylant, Mr. Putter and Tabby also by Cynthia Rylant. I also read "Spoon" by Amy Krouse Rosenthal.  It's also a picture book.  It's about a little spoon who is feeling like ma

A few months ago, I was approached by one of my colleagues to see if I wanted to help her teach an all day class through an organization called SEFLIN .  If you don't know it, SEFLIN is a group that supports libraries in Southeastern Florida by providing training both online and in person.  I've taken some really great classes with them and so I jumped at the opportunity to teach one, especially face to face.  Our topic was "Using Technology to support the library program" and we had a blast putting it together.  My colleague, Michelle Cates, is the media specialist at Freedom Shores Elementary, and this girl has got it going on.  She is doing some really amazing projects with her elementary students so it was fun to think up new projects that I'm going to do with my own students.  One of my favorite things that Michelle talked about were brain breaks.  My brother is an occupational therapist in eastern NC and this is something he's been supporting in his scho

Thanksgiving just passed here and I've been thinking about gratitude.  You know the kind I mean, the lump in your throat, tears in your eyes kind of gratitude that you get once in awhile (thankfully, I only get it once in awhile, because the tears are often a little embarrassing and hard to explain).  Anyway, I've been having a few more of those moments this week, I think the holidays sort of bring it out.  One of the things I'm really grateful for is my family.  I have a kind and loving husband who has a job that keeps him busy enough without draining him completely and allows him to pursue golf as much as he wants.  My parents are healthy and love where they live and have enough things to keep them busy without making them any crazier than they already are.  My brother has a great job and a wonderful partner and because of the completely amazing political system we have, is going to be able to get legally married in his state (which we are all pretty shocked about, as the