It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

It is Monday and again I am joining in the meme over at Mentor Texts.

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This last week I've been reading...

First in a series by Morris Gleitzman about Felix and Zelda two children caught up in World War 11 in Poland.  They are on the run from the Nazis.  Each chapter begins with Once....

An amazing book, while it is a horrendous read in one way it is a heart warming one as well, and I love how Gleitzman adds humour to it.

Then....

I had a plan for me and Zelda
Pretend to be someone else
Find new parents
Be safe forever

Then the Nazis came

Another amazing book in this series, it takes up immediately from Once, so I was very pleased I didn't have to wait and could start it straight away.  However didn't like the ending!  So sad, so shocking.

This coming week I would like to plan to read Now the third in the series by Morris Gleitzman. However it is out at the library so I will need to wait.  In the meantime I will read   The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

It is Monday and again I am joining in the meme over at Mentor Texts.

Hop on over and join in over at the Mentor Text Blog. Just click on the picture 
                                                 

Insurgent
Virginia Roth
Second in Trilogy

Goodread's Summary
One choice can transform you--or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves--and herself--while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

This was a reread for me.  I had listened to the audio version, but decided I really needed to read it as well to follow it and prepare myself for the third one later in the year.  I enjoyed reading it, and once I got started I didn't take long. I found myself grappling with - Who is that now?  I was somewhat relieved to hear one of my students say she thought she would have to go back to the first book in a trilogy she is reading because she can't remember all the bits and pieces as she moves into reading the third.  I thought it was old age creeping in!  There is a buzz in my class about this trilogy and someone said they heard a movie is possibly being made?

Coming up I plan to read the second book in The Rosie Black Chronicles - Equinox by Lara Morgan.  Thankfully the third in this trilogy is published so it won't be too long before I read the third, and I only read the first a few weeks ago!

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

It is Monday and again I am joining in the meme over at Mentor Texts.

Hop on over and join in over at the Mentor Text Blog. Just click on the picture 
                                                 

Bigger Than A Breadbox
Laurel Snyder.

Goodreads Summary
 A magical breadbox that delivers whatever you wish for—as long as it fits inside? It's too good to be true! Twelve-year-old Rebecca is struggling with her parents' separation, as well as a sudden move to her Gran's house in another state. For a while, the magic bread box, discovered in the attic, makes life away from home a little easier.

I loved this book I think like every other reader that has read it.  I loved the characters, especially Gran who was so understanding. I loved how Rebecca learned about life and grew as a person.  Her younger brother was a dear too.  Great read.

This coming week I am rereading Insurgent by Veronica Roth.  I have listened to the audio which is really very good.   However I want to read it as well to be ready for later in the year when the third one comes out.  

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

It is Monday and again I am joining in the meme over at Mentor Texts.

Hop on over and join in over at the Mentor Text Blog. Just click on the picture 
                                                 

The Rosie Black Chronicles: Genesis
By Lara Morgan  (Australian author)
Walker Books:2010

Summary from Goodreads.
Five hundred years into the future, the world is a different place. The Melt has sunk most of the coastal cities and Newperth is divided into the haves, the “Centrals”; the have-nots, the “Bankers”; and the fringe dwellers, the “Ferals”.

Rosie Black is a Banker. When Rosie finds an unusual box, she has no idea of the grave consequences of her discovery. A mysterious organisation wants it – and will kill to get it.

Forced to rely on two strangers, Rosie is on the run. But who can she trust? Pip, the too attractive Feral, or the secretive man he calls boss?

This is a YA dystopian  science fiction book, full of action and adventure. While it begins on Earth, it moves to outer space and Mars.  It was recommended to me by one of my students.  It is the first of a trilogy and I will definitely read Equinox the next one very soon.   I think the third still not have been published. If students have enjoyed The Hunger Games or Divergent they will like this one.  I would say it is intended for slightly younger readers than those two books, however all ages will enjoy it.  A book I am happy to share with my Year 7 and 8 class.

This coming week I will be reading Bigger than a Bread Box by Laurel Snyder.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

It is Monday and again I am joining in the meme over at Mentor Texts.

Hop on over and join in over at the Mentor Text Blog. Just click on the picture 
                                                 
It has taken me a few weeks to get a book read! Back to school has meant being busy and a fuzzy tired head by the time I have some down time to read.

The 10 PM Question
Kate de Goldi  (NZ author)
Longacre Press 2008

Summary from Goodreads:
A warm, surprising, real and intelligent novel you will fall in love with. Frankie Parsons is twelve and has a rodent voice of worry nibbling in his head. His new friend - colourful, creative, talkative Sydney - has relentless, unavoidable questions of her own that force Frankie and his family to face up to things that have lain dormant for years.

This book was well written and worth reading.  Frankie reminded me a little of myself with his 'rodent voice of worry'.  Also I am partial to a happy ever after, as is Frankie and he doesn't get that.  However family secrets do eventually get explored.  That was satisfying and did mean that in another way Frankie did grow as he began to front up to the realities of his life.  

While he is a twelve year old, I still have to decide whether I put this in class library. At the moment I am leaning towards the not.  I'd rather students read it in a couple of years and fully appreciate it. I will lend it to a teacher friend who knows this age group and get her opinion before finally deciding.

At present I am reading The Rosie Black Chronicles: Genesis, by Lara Morgan. (Australian author). More about this when I have finished reading it.  

As professional reading I have Book Love by Penny Kittle on the go. About half way through and enjoying it.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

It is Monday and again I am joining in the meme over at Mentor Texts.

Hop on over and join in over at the Mentor Text Blog. Just click on the picture 
                                                 

Little Brother
Cory Doctorow
Harper Collins 2008.
Science Fiction: cyberpunk.

This book was recommended by one of my students.  On reading it I thought it was a book for someone older than a 13 year old. However I think said student would have followed it, understood it, at least as well as myself!

I checked it out from our local library.  I noticed on the inside cover that it had been presented to the library by Amnesty International NZ in 2008.

This is the story of Marcus who finds he is caught up in a terrorist attack, in the wrong place at the wrong time.  He is taken prisoner and subjected to torture.  When he is finally released he finds the USA is paranoid and the Homeland Security have taken over.  It's a police state and every movement is monitored.  He has been told to never tell anyone about how he was treated while imprisoned or he will be dealt with.

Marcus is one of those small people who stand up and do something.  He is cyber literate, and is able to organise a fight back.  As a character I loved him.

I didn't understand all the cyber stuff, but just enough to be able to follow the story.  It was a gripping story, one I had to read slowly to follow, but well worth it.  A book to make one think.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Jeff Kinney
Puffin 2007


I am probably the only one that hadn't read this!  However last year I bought the most recent one for the class, I thought it might hook in some reluctant readers.

I was surprised when some of my top readers fell on it with glee.  They had read all the previous ones.  They assured me a reader should start at the beginning, so I went back and bought the first four.  I'm hoping they will be book bait!
This was a quick and fun read, I can see why they are appealing and I chuckled my way through it.

This coming week I am reading The 10 pm Question by Kate de Goldi, a New Zealand author. It's been out awhile but I read about it somewhere and as I have sampled her writing with some other book I don't even remember, apart from the fact I liked it, I bought this book with some Christmas gift vouchers from a student.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

It is Monday and again I am joining in the meme over at Mentor Texts.

Hop on over and join in over at the Mentor Text Blog. Just click on the picture 
                                                 
This past week I read:

Guitar Highway Rose
Brigid Lowry
This edition 2004
First Published 1997
Teen Realistic Fiction
Setting: Western coast of Australia.


Firstly I was recommended to read this book by an 11 year old student of mine.  It was her top book for 2012.  Upon reading it, I loved it, however I did think perhaps 13 years and up would be a more suitable age. Miss 11 year old is a sophisticated reader and I could actually imagine her writing just such a creative and quirky book in a few years time, so I think the exception rather than the rule here.

This book has a seemingly ordinary plot, although a few surprises towards the end had me engaged to the finish. It is not the plot however that makes this book, rather it is the characters and the way in which the story is told.  A wide mix of writing forms are used, at first I found it a little disconcerting, but I was soon loving it.  Imagine this whole paragraph with out a capital or full stop. Every teacher's dread usually! There were paragraphs like this, taking the reader into the head of a 15 year old boy, and it worked. Other forms are diary, streams of consciousness, poetry, police notes..... and so it goes on.  The reader is taken into conversations and characters minds and feelings, hopes, nightmares.  In this way the story is told.

Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf: A Year Told Through Stuff.
Jennifer L. Holm.
Published 2011.
Graphic Novel.


It will be interesting to see what my students make of this. They may find the handwriting a little disconcerting as we don't use that here in New Zealand, although it was taught here when I went to school. Now it is one that has no loops etc.  That's when we do teach it!

I liked the Dad in this story and when Ginny gets a mention for her science fair work on the brain, despite the dog eating it!

I have also started a book called Little Brother by Cory Doctorow, a science fiction - cyberpunk book. As I am about a quarter way through this will probably be my reading for the coming week. Again this was a book recommended by one of my students as her top book for the year.  

Happy reading to all for the week coming.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

It is Monday and again I am joining in the meme over at Mentor Texts.

Hop on over and join in over at the Mentor Text Blog. Just click on the picture 
                                                 

This week I read The Recruit, by British writer Robert Muchamore,  the first in the Cherub series, which was first published in about 2005.  I read this because I noticed a few of my boys were into this series.  They have now left my class and I wondered was this a series to push for boy readers coming into my class this year?

Simple answer, yes. It has action, adventure and spy missions.  I would label it in the 'easy' reading sphere in terms of reading ability needed.  A little like the Anthony Horowitz series, which is similar 'easy' reading.  It will hook in boys. There are a lot more in the series, with a second related series.

I would love to know of any similar 'easy' reading that is totally engrossing for girls. Surprisingly enough, I have a few girls I really need to 'hook in' to reading.

These holidays I seem to be reading books recommended by my students.  Having read a few posts this week about putting on your door what you are reading, I am looking forward to putting up on my classroom door what I read in the holidays and who recommended me to read them.

So this week I will be reading Guitar Highway Rose by Brigid Lowry, a New Zealand born author. This book is recommended to me by Simone, who is a very wide ranging reader, who is total nerd when it comes to reading! And I might add a talented musician, artist and writer!

Its Monday, What are you Reading?

It is Monday and again I am joining in the meme over at Mentor Texts.

Hop on over and join in over at the Mentor Text Blog. Just click on the picture 
                                                 

And so the final post of the year 2012.

This week I read One For the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt.  Oh my, what a wonderful book. What a story, that could just so pull at my heartstrings.  Did I need tissues? Yes. A very special book to end the year on. I began it with Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt and I end it with this one. As it happens for me, the two best of the year.






Plan for this week, something a little less draining! So, I am going to read The Recruit by Robert Muchamore. The very first in the Cherub series. Two of the boys in my class this year highly recommend this series, so I need to taste it so that I can steer others in the class towards it.

It's Monday, What are You Reading?

It is Monday and again I am joining in the meme over at Mentor Texts.

Hop on over and join in over at the Mentor Text Blog. Just click on the picture 
                                                 
This week I read

Leviathan by Scott Westerfield.  This was my first ever from the Science Fiction steampunk genre. At the beginning of the year I didn't even know that steampunk existed!

This book was recommended to me by one of my students, Monique,  who was very enthusiastic about it.  The first two chapters I was beginning to wonder, then I saw a note from katsok on Goodreads under this book, saying she had taken a couple of chapters to get into it. Great little comment, because it encouraged me to keep going and I did enjoy it very much.  Lots of action and adventure.  I can see that some of my other students would enjoy it too. I am putting it on my list as a possible read aloud to the class for 2013. Will only not do that if something better comes along to take its place.

For the coming week all the books I want to read are out at the local library so I think I will start with One For the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt. I have seen many positive comments about this book so I am looking forward to it.  Lots of 5 stars from the readers I follow on Goodreads, and I see Donalyn Miller recommends tissues!

Being Christmas Eve - and a sweltering hot day here on the Kapiti Coast in New Zealand, I wish you all the blessings of the Christmas season. By the way a bit of snow just sounds heavenly at the moment!