The Book Search

Living in South Florida certainly has it's perks.  While many of our northern family and friends have struggled through a record setting winter, winter in South Florida tends to be pretty consistent.  It's warm and sunny and fairly dry.  In fact, our winter has been much warmer than usual (not to brag) and we're running our air conditioning at a time when most people are running their heat. Someone told me the other day that they really missed living where there are seasons and I thought that was sort of funny because we DO have seasons in South Florida, but they are more subtle than seasons in more northern climates.  We don't get dramatic leaf turning displays or snow storms, but I always notice spring in South Florida, maybe even more than some of our other seasons.  Suddenly, the days are longer.  It's not dark at 5 any more, now it's still light at 6:30.  The mockingbirds are out and reminding everyone that they are here and why don't we notice ...

This morning I was out working in the yard. We have the day off for President's Day because we live in a place where we don't have snow days (although we do have the occasional hurricane day). I was out pulling weeds and throwing down mulch and sort of admiring how tidy it mostly looks (my mom was here for a long weekend and she LOVES to pull weeds, go figure). Anyway, as I was pulling weeds out there, I was thinking about the inventory I've been doing in the media center. I've been pretty heartless about weeding some of the books that are old and tired looking. I thought weeding in the yard isn't really that much different from weeding in the library. As you weed, you're pulling out things that are old and tired or don't belong. Although at school when I'm weeding, people tend to be a bit more alarmed than when I weed at home. "You're throwing that away? I love that book!" The good news is at school we have a bin where we can put...

Gees, it's been more than a month since I posted last. So here's what I've been up to. First I caught a cold, which morphed into a sinus infection (my FAVORITE!). I finished the antibiotics and two days later, I caught the flu. Which, if you don't know the difference between a cold and the flu, having them both in the same week is a TOTALLY awesome way to learn. So I was just feeling better from that, when the Governor showed up at our school to make a budget statement (and if you've never had a dignitary show up at your place of work, let me tell you, even if you don't agree with their politics, it's still a BIG DEAL). Then my parents came for a long weekend. We had many important things to do like shopping and golfing. They also have slightly short attention spans, so we needed to give them projects. My dad built some benches for my media center and my mom tidied up the yard and fixed a parachute for the coach at school. She had never seen a par...

My husband and I are both teachers. One of the BEST things about being teachers is to hear how our students have been successful beyond the doors of our classrooms. Tim Lippman, the owner of Coolinary Cafe in Jupiter, FL, was a student of my husband's at Florida Culinary Institute (now part of Lincoln Tech). We found him first working at the Food Shack (also in Jupiter), which became our favorite restaurant. But when he opened Coolinary Cafe, he really kicked it up about 10 notches. We saw Tim in the fall and he told us about how he was participating in the Palm Beach Food and Wine Festival and how the chefs together had planned the menu. It was SO exciting for both of us to be reminded how education can help people get where they really want to go and how proud we are to be even the smallest part of that. Most especially, how our students can take the small things we have taught them and turn them into something completely amazing. Check out this video about the Coolinary ...

Winter break is so awesome! Until you catch a cold. I thought at first I was just feeling the effects of the wine I had on New Year's Eve (I rarely drink alcohol... not a teetotaler... I just like chocolate better). So I laid around and read on New Years Day. Very indulgent. Until my throat got sore. I won't bore you with (any more) details but let's just say I've had a lot of time to read. And nap. And read. And watch TV. And, happily, read! So here's what I've been reading this week. Ungifted by Gordon Korman I liked this story about a middle schooler who is struggling to find his place but keeps allowing himself to be led places he doesn't really want to go until he ends up in a school for the highly gifted and finds out maybe he belongs there more than he thinks he does. The Barnstormers by Loren Long. Not my favorite. It felt more like a first chapter than a whole book. Three kids who's dad just died go on a barnstorming tour wi...

Winter break is so awesome! We're finishing up some yard projects. I also thought it would be a great time to paint the living room (it's SO much more interesting to try to paint the walls when you have all those lovely Christmas decorations up, plus there's all the entertaining! Genius!). Anyway, I have had a LITTLE time to read and here's what I've been reading! Jinx by Sage Blackwood Touch Blue by Cynthia Lord (not bad) Allegiant by Veronica Roth (I also re-read Insurgent. I would have re-read Divergent but I couldn't get my hands on it!) The Circle by Dave Eggers (very creepy)

Many people like to look back at the year and categorize things from the year... ok, well, I read a lot, so here are a few of my favorite fairy tale books. My favorite picture book fairy tale is called "Elephant Joe, Brave Knight!" by David Wojtowycz.  This is a very funny little fairy tale where the brave knights (a very cartoony elephant and his side kick, the pig) are called upon to rescue a princess from a dragon, BUT things are NOT what they seem.  This would be a great book to talk about elements of fairy tales (after you've read some of the more familiar ones) and then use this as a springboard to writing your own fairy tales.  It's so much fun.  Here's Mrs. Frenzel reading it!  I just read one I really liked. As a disclaimer, I really like fairy tales. This fairy tale was well written, has great characters and some very interesting plot twists. It's called Jinx by Sage Blackwood. The main character is Jinx who lives with his stepmother and st...