24 Girls in 7 Days by Alex Bradley

24 Girls in 7 Days by Alex Bradley


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book was humorous yet insightful. It is a perfect example of a person thinking they really want something until they actually get it. Jack Grammar is a senior without a prom date or much popularity at all. When his friends decide to put an ad in the school newspaper, Jack is suddenly covered in potential dates. He gains years of dating experience in a week. Jack grows as a person. He learns more about what is really important in life and not to overlook what is right in front of your face. This is a good book for high school students. The material is harmless enough younger readers could enjoy it as well.




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Crash by Jerry Spinelli

Crash by Jerry Spinelli


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This is a good coming of age story for middle school students. John Coogan, "Crash," is a seventh grade athlete who begins the story as a very self-centered person. As the book progresses, he is forced - due to a family medical emergency - to grow up a little. He begins to see how his actions could effect other people. I would recommend this story to anyone who is middle school or older. It probably has more appeal to male readers, but females could enjoy it as well.




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Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Just Ella is Margaret Peterson Haddix's version of the Cinderella story after the ball and without the magic. I really liked Haddix's character development. Ella is a strong female character with a need to control her life. While I do not believe I would have made the same decisions Ella makes in the story, I think she is a good example of a teen taking her life into her own hands and changing her future. This is a great book for teens. There is very little material that would be considered questionable for younger readers.




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Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke

Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I have always loved Cornelia Funke's work. Igraine the Brave is unlike any of the other books I have read by Funke. It is written for younger readers than her typical target audience. The characters are fun and so is the plot. I liked this story. Igraine is a strong female character with a mind of her own. The whole story is cute a fun with some mild violence. It is written for middle school age children or even younger children with higher reading levels. I thought it was a cute fast read that would be good for girls who like to be a little different.




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Tales of the Madman Underground by John Barnes

Tales of the Madman Underground: An Historical Romance 1973 by John Barnes


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really love this story. The madmen are a fascinating group of people. I enjoyed reading about the different lives of the students in this book. This story gave you a different perspective for all of the kids in your high school who were labeled as difficult. Often, we make the mistake of assuming people just want to be a pain instead of looking at what they might be experiencing outside of school. I liked this book because of the characters. This author is wonderful at developing characters. I would not recommend this story for younger readers. There is a lot of material that would be inappropriate for children under about fourteen, but it is wonderful for high school students or adults.




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Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins

Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I hate to admit that it took me almost half of this book to figure out who all of the characters were and be able to actually follow the plot. I did enjoy getting to know the characters, but I was uncertain about the plot. I don't feel like much actually happened in the story. The author has a talent for getting into a character's mind. This is a good book for middle or high schoolers




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Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Dear John is a pretty typical Nicholas Sparks book. It has the standard love story and illness combination. I have to say it wasn't my favorite book by Nicholas Sparks. I thought some of the aspects of the plot were not terribly realistic. I can't imagine how the couple could have fallen so deeply in love so quickly. I also had some trouble with the progression of the character's illness. Of course, Sparks is an excellent writer. His characters are strong and believable, and the plot is typical of many love stories that military men and women have to undergo.




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Wish by Alexandra Bullen

Wish by Alexandra Bullen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alexandra Bullen's writing style reminds me of Meg Cabot. Wish was her first book. Her second book, Wishful Thinking, seems to have the same magical element to it. She is a very talented author, and I think we will be seeing a lot more of her work.

When I first started reading Wish, after looking at the jacket copy, I thought it would make a much better story if it were about a girl loosing her sister than one wishing to get her back. I judged the story too quickly. It was about a girl coping with her loss.

This story was excellent. It helps the reader to grow and accept unpleasant change just as the main character must. But it also reminds us never to stop living just to live longer or safer.

I would recommend this story to teens and up. There are a few aspects of the book that wouldn't be appropriate for younger readers.


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Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I don't usually read "adult books," but Firefly Lane came highly recommended by a friend and I passed it along to my mother after I read it. She enjoyed it too. It is a beautiful story of a lifelong friendship. It reminded me of Summer Sisters by Judy Blume (another great adult read).

Two young girls are brought together by unpleasant circumstance and coincidence. They share their secrets and their lives and are both better people because of it. They make mistakes and learn forgiveness. Although parts are very sad, this book holds the reader from beginning to end and makes you want more.

I enjoyed reading about and reflecting on the different choices the girls made as their lives progressed. It makes you want to stop and look at your own life and examine the path you have chosen.

Not a book for children. But for anyone who has carried a friendship through thick and thin, loss and heart ache, joy and triumph; this book will make you smile, laugh, sigh, nod, and cry.
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Mocking Jay by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Worth the wait.

Suzanne Collins did it again. Seldom do you find a sequel as good as the first, but this trilogy ends as strongly as it began. The characters are still growing, and the plot is still strong. The plot shifts and surprises were enthralling.

Katniss must lead a revolution whether she chooses to or not. The Districts will no longer lie down and take what the Capital is dishing out, but the price for freedom is never small. Both sides will take huge losses and as a reader, we feel many of them deeply.

Personally, I found some of the choices the characters make disturbing, but this story is written as a reflection on true human character, not what we wish we were like. When reading a book like this, we are forced to stand back and take a look at the way we as human beings treat each other.

The ending is bittersweet, but it wasn't written as a fairy tale. Collins is an extraordinary writer. I hope to read many more books by her.

I would strongly recommend this book for high schoolers and adults. I would not recommend it for a child under twelve.

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Reading and to read

I just finished reading Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott. It was excellent. Everyone who writes even if they don't consider themselves a writer should read this book. Lamott gives you the inspiration you need to keep going.

In case you don’t already know, there are at least two great books coming this summer.



Runaway by Meg Cabot is due in stores on April 20th. I can't find a countdown widget :(

And
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins will be out on August 24th, 2010. (I am trying to add the countdown widget to my blog.)
I am so excited!

Hank Zipzer: Holy Enchilada!

Holy Enchilada! by Henry Winkler


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Hank Zipzer is a forth grade boy with a lot of personality. He isn’t perfect, has interesting pets and cool friends. Children can relate to a character that can’t always do everything right. In this story, Hank has trouble making enchiladas because he doesn’t understand the fractions in the recipe. It is a cute story about a boy who makes a mistake and has to own up to it. We learn about friendship and responsibility while laughing. I can see how elementary school students could fall in love with this character.

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As a writer, I try to read books in the genre I like to write. I am currently working on chapter books, so this book helped me to better understand what kids today want to read. Honestly, the second or third grade student the writer intended this story for would have enjoyed it more than I did, but I still felt it was a good book.

Holidays, Resolutions, and Stuffy Noses

I fell off the planet for a few months, but with the holidays and such I suppose I wasn’t the only one. Now I am returning to find complete chaos where I left merely disorder.

My last entry was before Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. I hope everyone had a lovely break and had a chance to enjoy family.

The house now echoes with a cacophony of bells. I tried to keep the cat inside, but once it learned to use the dog door, those attempt were futile. Before long, it was jumping the fence and exploring. He caught small animals until we put a bell on its collar. The bell worked beautifully until the weather dropped below freezing and decided to stay for weeks. The animals slowed down and the cat didn’t. In a week’s time, he had caught: two birds (one we were able to save), two squirrels, and a vole. Something had to be done. Perhaps it is a bit excessive, but he now wears a collar of seven bells and has not brought another “gift” home.

When the cat is calm, the house is filled with the sound of children. Who could ask for a more beautiful sound? (Provided the sound occurs prior to eleven o’clock.) Unfortunately, my youngest son has given up sleep. He is a very creative child and has wonderful excuses as to why he can’t sleep. One evening he informed me he was a droid and droids don’t sleep. Another night he came to my room after midnight to let me know that his bed had “boinked” him out of his room and he would not be able to sleep in it. Then, of all the wonderful luck, he turned up polka-dotted. We went to the doctor for vaccinations and he received his second chicken pox shot. The doctor told us that one in twenty kids gets a chicken pox like rash from the shot and it looks like we are one of the lucky ones. I’m not sure how much more luck I want.

As is tradition, I have tried to come up with a list of resolutions for the year. For some reason it has been very difficult this year. But I have resolved to blog at least once each week and read three books every week. I will be reviewing most of these books on this blog. Of course, as resolutions usually go, I am already behind. I have six books for January instead of twelve, but I will post reviews very soon.

I also hope to be a more productive writer. I want to train myself to write every day and submit more of what I write to publishers. Obviously I need to make these goals a little more concrete and measurable. I am working on it.

I hope everyone had wonderful holidays and exciting resolutions. If you have a minute, leave a comment and let us know what you have resolved to do this year.

NaNoWriMo

Na No what? When you mention NaNoWriMo, you get one of two reactions. People know exactly what you are talking about or they have no clue. NaNo is National Novel Writing Month. Participants challenge themselves to write 50,000 (or more) words in one month, the month of November.
For more information, go to http://www.nanowrimo.org/

I have been a NaNoer several years in the past but have never completed the 50,000 words. This year, I am hoping to push through at least that many. I am putting a widget her on my blog so everyone can see how many words I am writing each day. Hopefully, I will be embarrassed enough to actually finish this year :)


(It should show up on November 1.)

As a writer, this is a great opportunity to find other writers and encouragement.

Is anyone else going to participate in NaNoWriMo this year? If so, leave a comment about what you plan to write. If not, leave a comment and explain why not :)

Good Luck!

Returning to Life as Normal

We have moved. The old house still isn't on the market and the new house is still boxed up, but we are moved. So life is beginning to return to normal, at least as normal as things ever are around here.

I have been able to start reading again. I LOVED Being Nikki by Meg Cabot. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson was good, but heavy. Then, I read The Noah Confessions by Barbra Hall. I haven't decided how I feel about it yet. Maybe I didn't get it or maybe the main character's attitude toward the south elicited an unconscious negative response. Now, I have moved to Coraline by Neil Gaiman.

As far as homeschooling goes, my son is on a field trip with a home school group and my mother in NY, NY. He is getting to see sites I only dream of. One day I'd like to take the whole family and visit Broadway, The Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Grand Central Station, The Natural History Museum and some of the other places he is now.

I have several ideas for my writing, but nothing is hopping onto the paper yet. I want to write a sequel to my chapter book, but hate to start when the first one hasn't been accepted yet. I need to get something done soon. My critique group meets Tuesday.

The rest of my day is full of laundry, dishes, meals, and unpacking. Now who packed these boxes? I grab one full of books and put them on the shelf. There is a box of sweaters and one of dishes. Then, I find a box with two dirty shirts, a couple of magazines, the missing telephone, a shoe (note, one not two), and bag of skittles. I can only guess what happened there.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday weekend. What books have you found recently? Are you writing? If you home school, what are your summer plans?

The Move is Over

Hooray! We have just completed, more or less, the longest across town move in history. Perhaps I should call The Guinness Book of World Records and see if we can get in. Our furniture and "stuff" is now in our new house, somewhere. I suppose after another week or so it won't take an hour to find my clothes, and I hope the book my son is supposed to be reading for school turns up soon. I wonder if it was misplaced intentionally.

But, more importantly, it is time to return to life. Back to reading, writing, submitting, home schooling, blogging, and maybe even sleeping if I am lucky.

The only book I took the time to read during our move was Meg Cabot's Being Nikki. It was incredible. I highly recommend anyone who hasn't read it yet running out to the store and getting Airhead and Being Nikki. In Airhead, Em's(normal, smart high school student) brain is transplanted into Nikki's(supermodel, high school dropout) body, and Em is forced to live Nikki's life. As more and more complications arise from work to school to boys, this novel deepens and takes on issues beyond the imagination. Cabot explores the evils of huge corporations while capturing readers hearts through Em. Teenagers (and sometimes adults) dream of living some else's life. We never realize the issues other people face. The only complaint I have about this book is the next one won't be out for a whole year!

I have also picked back up with my submissions. Right now, I have several chapter books out and I am starting on a YA. I haven't heard yet, but I will let you know when I do.

As far home schooling, my son is almost finished for the year. I picked up a copy of the Summer Bridge workbook so he won't slip back while we take a break. As soon as I find the missing history book, we are going to finish up this year. It is time to turn in the end-of-year paper work and get ready for next year.

I have made a few necklaces amidst the wreckage of our move. I used them for mother's day gifts. I have learned so much since I started. Just this week I learned about wire protectors and crimp covers.

So, has anyone else had a productive week? What are you reading? What have you been writing? Let me know.

A New Week With New Possibilities

Today is Sunday, the beginning of a new week. I love new beginnings. New years, new months, new weeks, new days. We are still sick which is keeping me from the computer more than trying to get moved.

I have been reading a good bit. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman won the Newbery Medal, so I figured I needed to read it. It was a good book, but a little haunting. Perhaps because I am a mother, I put the book down feeling sad in place of hopeful for the characters. Gaiman has an original plot (very hard to find) and great characters. This book is well written and a more than a little strange. I look forward to reading more of his stories.

I also have been reading chapter books and Sarah Dessen's Lock and Key. Dessen is remarkable as usual.

I have not accomplished as much in my life as a writer as I would like to lately, but this is a new week and perhaps I will get more writing done as well.


As for life in general, we had an interesting occurrence this week. I glanced in the back yard to find it littered with white patches. Being about 65 degrees, snow seemed unlikely. Upon closer inspection, we realized the dog had carried a pile of socks outside and scattered them around the backyard. Fortunately, it was only socks.

Hopefully this week will bring a move, some more great books, successful writing, pleasant homeschooling, and even beading if I'm lucky.

What have you been reading? Was it any good?

Izzy, Willy-Nilly by Cynthia Voigt

Izzy, Willy-Nilly by Cynthia Voigt

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book should be required reading for every high school student. Izzy is a normal fifteen year old girl. When a popular senior ask her out, she is thrilled. Who wouldn’t be? Most people want to impress others, whether they admit it or not. Middle school and high school are the hardest times to stand up for yourself. Besides, it couldn’t happen to you, could it? So Izzy goes out on a date with this senior and has an okay time, but he drinks too much. She knows he is drunk and gets in his car anyway. When he slams into a tree, he walks away with a few scratches. Izzy lives through the accident too, but she loses one of her legs.


Voigt is a very talented writer. She creates dynamic characters to fill her stories. You care about them from the minute they are introduced. Everyone is so real. She paints scenes in such a way they unfold as though you are there. However, her most exceptional quality as a writer is her willingness to tackle difficult topics. I read this book in middle school and several times since. It will make you think twice about who you ride with.


As a side note, it is really funny to look at the different covers this novel has gone through. My copy is yellow and Izzy has 80’s hair. This cover is much more contemporary. Some of the ones in between had a totally different look.


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Life Changing Books (Nonfiction Today)

What books changed you life? Right now, I’m thinking about a practical everyday sense. After reading a good book, you never see the world in quite the same way, but which books (Other than the Bible, Koran, Torah, etc) have changed the way you raise your kids or write or wash your dishes? I have two in mind. One changed my writing forever and the other revolutionized my home schooling methods.

If you write and have never read On Writing by Stephen King, stop reading this and run to the store right now. I have been writing all of my life, but I never tried to write anything for publication until I had my first son. I have to admit, my first attempts were bad. I couldn’t get my ideas to go on the paper the way they were in my head. After some frustration, I took one of my sister’s books off of the shelf. It was On Writing. I didn’t read much Stephen King because I don’t like to be scared. My sister read almost everything he wrote.

The first part of the book is inspirational. It describes Stephen King’s life. He didn’t have all of the advantages you think of when you want to be a writer. (If I could just quit my job and write all day… If I had a nice orderly office… If I had a better computer…) Then, you find out he worked for sixteen years before he had his big break. I didn’t know whether to cheer or cry. It gave me hope since I had been working for over a year but fear as well. I hope it won’t take me sixteen years to get my work out there.

The second part of the books is a little more practical. Stephen King reveals the “secrets” of how to write. Many other books teach these as well, but King has a way of explaining things that makes sense. I will never think of adverbs in the same way again. He also talks about how to write a book. Instead of saying you have to write a certain way, King gives many different examples and allows writers the freedom of doing it their own way. So much of his book helped me and changed the way I feel every time I sit at the keyboard.

I’ll save my home schooling book for another day. My oldest son just fell off the kitchen table and is begging for a Band-Aid. What book(s) have changed your life?

Where and What Do You Write?

I write wherever there is a clean spot to sit my laptop. Since we are in the process of moving, my computer has migrated from the desk to the kitchen table to the coffee table. We seem to have an allergy to open horizontal space around here, even on the floor. If I manage to clean off a spot on the desk, bed, floor, or most anywhere, something explodes right in that spot. This morning, I took a break from cleaning the bathroom. While I ran down to grab a drink (just tea, nothing exciting), my trashcan jumped into the floor and spit all of its contents across the room. The toddler and cat had NOTHING to do with it. When we get moved, I will have an office and I plan to lock the kids and pets out (probably the husband too). Then, perhaps my writing will be a little less disjointed.

What I write is a little more simple. I started with picture books thinking it had to be pretty easy. I was wrong. I am not good at picture books, not at all. So I moved to mid-grade. I found my voice in chapter books, mid-grade, and young adult. At this point, my best work is my chapter books. Soon, I hope to have a finished mid-grade people would actually enjoy reading.

Okay, I have been turned into a jungle gym. That must be my cue to do something else. So, where and what do YOU write?