tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80147624159015229152024-03-13T21:45:45.723-06:00Building Lifelong ReadersCatherine1216http://www.blogger.com/profile/02758599576029004768noreply@blogger.comBlogger629125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014762415901522915.post-27502408461423105742023-02-20T15:34:00.004-07:002023-02-20T15:34:58.700-07:00Worms for Lunch? by Leonid Gore<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Worms-Lunch-Leonid-Gore/dp/0545243386/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2Q279HAA5QUWI&keywords=worms+for+lunch+leonid+gore&qid=1672179378&sprefix=worms+for+lunch+leonid+gore%2Caps%2C111&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Worms for Lunch</a>?</i></b></span> by Leonid Gore was published in 2011. This cute book has cut outs on each page and begins with a mouse asking who eats worms for lunch. It shows a worm on a leaf with a hole eaten into it. You turn the leaf and it becomes cheese which is what a mouse eats for lunch. </p><p>Each page focuses on what a different animal eats for lunch. The last animal is a fish and asks, "And what do fish like?" We have our worm from the first page back again with a surprise ending. The illustrations are brightly colored paint reminiscent of Eric Carle's style. </p><p>I think the grandkids will like this one. It is really fun. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuxY7DmAhm-UM9MNSiFwtCjjVlY-fxT9DZBxOgiCP0zBrj6AkMos23-d_DGGcM5ViYhZrxwy9BNaroGEnkQ0USHfljG9Td3n38eztIdK7G31xDaHu5up-HXD_RTohJIHnP5wWKVOIJaQkFcu-XBH4kRgAyBb7GYi0PqcehxBAA52TPp95x6we4hgWMhA/s500/51vD6g8xMQL._SX446_BO1,204,203,200_.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuxY7DmAhm-UM9MNSiFwtCjjVlY-fxT9DZBxOgiCP0zBrj6AkMos23-d_DGGcM5ViYhZrxwy9BNaroGEnkQ0USHfljG9Td3n38eztIdK7G31xDaHu5up-HXD_RTohJIHnP5wWKVOIJaQkFcu-XBH4kRgAyBb7GYi0PqcehxBAA52TPp95x6we4hgWMhA/s320/51vD6g8xMQL._SX446_BO1,204,203,200_.webp" width="287" /></a></div><br /><p><b>Read to a child today even if that child is you!</b></p><p> <span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: 700;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/TMEJX8UC767K">Link to our NICU book registry</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;"> to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.</span></p>Catherine1216http://www.blogger.com/profile/02758599576029004768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014762415901522915.post-51414539097919509202023-02-05T19:34:00.000-07:002023-02-05T19:34:11.615-07:00The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver<p> <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/poisonwood-bible-barbara-kingsolver/1100285755?ean=9780060786502" target="_blank">The Poisonwood Bible</a></span> by Barbara Kingsolver was published in 1998 and is the story of colonizers in Kilanga on the African continent. Nathan Price takes his family to Belgian occupied Congo, and the story is told from the point of the view of his wife, Orleanna, and his daughters, Rachel, Leah, Ada, and Ruth May. </p><p>I loved this story, but at times, I wanted to smack Nathan Price and rescue his family from his dogma and bullying. This story made me wonder if we give enough consideration to the hands that provide our needs for us. It also made me wonder if we could eliminate war by getting know each other better and stopped trying to make those around us be like us but accepted each other for who we are. It made me think about what we as individuals create and what the earth creates. </p><p>Quotes I liked:</p><p>"If God had amused himself inventing the lilies of the field, he surely knocked His own socks off with the African parasites" (76).</p><p>"Given my own circumstances, I find that anything can turn out to belong nearly anywhere" (409).</p><p>". . . to trust in Creation, which is made fresh daily and doesn't suffer in translation" (525).</p><p>This book is beautifully written, and makes me question why we think we have the right to try to change others when they are fine just the way they are. Ada was my favorite character. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0ACKGi56f86rvMNhu4MkdgqZMDBD3GBi_nQAWr1Igh3Gy9BrTd6PjevAdK7O47H0Lar7mtngOfUuAgc6VibfSkqXxoZuvAHaLXb6ql8_X9HZUCcTky7i_BiHgoib_LiT7XL9a2sQ_2ZLyisT50QyJlmgT3u2F2SQFnklgQKQsD-0I_Y4S-ZPpUFLuw/s420/poison.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0ACKGi56f86rvMNhu4MkdgqZMDBD3GBi_nQAWr1Igh3Gy9BrTd6PjevAdK7O47H0Lar7mtngOfUuAgc6VibfSkqXxoZuvAHaLXb6ql8_X9HZUCcTky7i_BiHgoib_LiT7XL9a2sQ_2ZLyisT50QyJlmgT3u2F2SQFnklgQKQsD-0I_Y4S-ZPpUFLuw/s320/poison.webp" width="229" /></a></div><p><b style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;">Read to a child today even if that child is you. </b></p><div style="font-family: quot; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: 700;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/TMEJX8UC767K">Link to our NICU book registry</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Catherine1216http://www.blogger.com/profile/02758599576029004768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014762415901522915.post-85470021946890956932023-01-29T21:29:00.000-07:002023-01-29T21:29:03.812-07:00Story Thieves by James Riley<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/story-thieves-james-riley/1119701443?ean=9781481409209" target="_blank"> Story Thieves</a></i></b></span> by James Riley was published in 2015 and is the first in a five book series. I listened to the audio version and it was well narrated by Kirby Heyborne. Kayana read this book and enjoyed it, so it it has the teen seal of approval. This book reminds me of <i>Inkheart </i>by Cornelia Funke because its it about book characters that have entered our world. </p><p>Owen, the main character is bored and wishes he could have an exciting life like characters in books. When he sees his classmate, Bethany, climb out of a book, he is determined to find out how to get inside a book. Bethany is half fictional and is looking for her father who is somewhere inside a book. </p><p>Owen agrees to keep Bethany's secret, but only if she'll take him inside his favorite series. Unfortunately, Owen may not be able to make it out of the book alive. </p><p>This story has a lot of fun adventure. The pages have a lot of white space, which if you've read this blog before, you know I love that in books written for young readers as it helps them track better. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1mdLMOARSnmsQwVTVDSyPHkaHtgXwRytf35j7lKgTvmifhYNw56Vqqq2OlZZ9iFKciN6lyOSpPQCVdRpc2UGThTfXJ0m_OHApf3XZ3o3Z9eoZ-n6uq_72lrAe_U418WfKAlWCUZ3BSRycwzi5QaeaSw5mLC5a9sQCXKDh_M64to8bI6eT5sBBnSrWw/s447/lf%20(5).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1mdLMOARSnmsQwVTVDSyPHkaHtgXwRytf35j7lKgTvmifhYNw56Vqqq2OlZZ9iFKciN6lyOSpPQCVdRpc2UGThTfXJ0m_OHApf3XZ3o3Z9eoZ-n6uq_72lrAe_U418WfKAlWCUZ3BSRycwzi5QaeaSw5mLC5a9sQCXKDh_M64to8bI6eT5sBBnSrWw/s320/lf%20(5).jpg" width="215" /></a></div><p><b style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;">Read to a child today even if that child is you. </b></p><div style="font-family: quot; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: 700;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/TMEJX8UC767K">Link to our NICU book registry</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Catherine1216http://www.blogger.com/profile/02758599576029004768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014762415901522915.post-78562942984282416502023-01-21T14:06:00.002-07:002023-01-21T14:06:34.086-07:00Max and the Midknights by Lincoln Peirce<p><span><span style="font-family: quot;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/max-and-the-midknights-lincoln-peirce/1128931232?ean=9781101931080" target="_blank">Max and the Midknights</a></i></b></span> by Lincoln Peirce was published in 2019 and is a fun adventure told with comics and prose. I listened to the audio version and it was done like a play with a different voice actor for each character. I think any young reader who likes adventure, wizards, dragons, and castles will enjoy this story. </span></span></p><p><span><span style="font-family: quot;">Max wants to be knight, but that is not likely as Max's uncle is a troubadour - a traveling actor, and children must be whatever their guardians are. When Uncle Budrick is taken prisoner by the evil King Gastley, Max must come to his rescue. Luckily Max makes some friends along the way to help the quest. </span></span></p><div><span><span style="font-family: quot;">I have some grandkids and students who will enjoy this book. Vincent, my grandson, is currently reading this, and each times he picks it up, he says "I'm going on a legendary adventure." </span></span></div><p><span><span style="font-family: quot;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: quot;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7s5Zgb257ucpFeITvFMal-6Sc5f87k21HhtvzKAv5kp7oHZsdDKJvF49wJccru_hmwGyqPxO5AM_m9t3IeL4jPxMjx_WvO6oW-xQhCNHHyP_WH1B0prKumDr8Ant5jcaFBFVI0GaTc0VR9ALuXCSMjBzE9q81eeHOf8kHfu7xfUM7GAIL03EyHRLlTA/s700/lf%20(3).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="473" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7s5Zgb257ucpFeITvFMal-6Sc5f87k21HhtvzKAv5kp7oHZsdDKJvF49wJccru_hmwGyqPxO5AM_m9t3IeL4jPxMjx_WvO6oW-xQhCNHHyP_WH1B0prKumDr8Ant5jcaFBFVI0GaTc0VR9ALuXCSMjBzE9q81eeHOf8kHfu7xfUM7GAIL03EyHRLlTA/s320/lf%20(3).jpg" width="216" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: quot;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDwLmcmGIltxA8hWRleubqfn-HRgG1pBo6j9PT3dH6MFJuY5tFFFKCBzl1pN5Upe8-pgYmRQq1UlA3RfPgV2OdYWoRFS55cjrx5yjg3Py3svh-bsmpfAm38lQhG6PrMAmtq_t-trMKEktZT2FqH6vLQiRXq_8YIAU03i9-f0X3W-NB5cwn-ST_xT1hg/s700/lf%20(4).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="466" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDwLmcmGIltxA8hWRleubqfn-HRgG1pBo6j9PT3dH6MFJuY5tFFFKCBzl1pN5Upe8-pgYmRQq1UlA3RfPgV2OdYWoRFS55cjrx5yjg3Py3svh-bsmpfAm38lQhG6PrMAmtq_t-trMKEktZT2FqH6vLQiRXq_8YIAU03i9-f0X3W-NB5cwn-ST_xT1hg/s320/lf%20(4).jpg" width="213" /></a></div></span><p><b style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;">Read to a child today even if that child is you. </b></p><div style="font-family: quot; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: 700;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/TMEJX8UC767K">Link to our NICU book registry</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Catherine1216http://www.blogger.com/profile/02758599576029004768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014762415901522915.post-19182979689953551582023-01-16T20:56:00.000-07:002023-01-16T20:56:11.726-07:002022 NICU Book Project Update<p>Our NICU book project is beginning its eighth year! My plan of doing a one time donation to honor my twins who did not survive pregnancy is now eight years old. We have placed thousand of books with families who often have an extended stay in the NICU. Each family gets a packet of five books with an insert that explains the importance of reading to their babies. <br /><br />I hope that by giving each baby five books, their literary palate will be awakened and they will seek out books, learning, and knowledge for the rest of their lives.<br /><br />Angie has received emails from her coworkers saying that this is a much needed project. All of this does my heart good. I feel like the lives of our little ones matter and that they are blessing the lives of others.</p><p>Last year we placed 973 books with our babies thanks to our donors who helped me out by donating 492 books. That helped me reach twice as many babies as I could have done alone. We were able to give nearly 200 babies the gift of literacy. I appreciate every donation we receive - one book or one hundred books. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlMKCNybLHQHhtMVKOROVKhWrcZOusgJ3AlrSYcFfxmMVS34_xQiJv-u282tpLJ82vzqR3LFOjpuSimT4ActSfV27CuG8P6h2onrIf-TmTIF7cI3_acv6tgfdgfDt7wv7VjnNiGBgULLBf7rSRFltbCgPw9MoVnKWxHcsj6X-47N6G-bKu6HbwYOCd5Q/s4032/DDA55403-2415-4B35-A4C6-FAA902CA6530.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlMKCNybLHQHhtMVKOROVKhWrcZOusgJ3AlrSYcFfxmMVS34_xQiJv-u282tpLJ82vzqR3LFOjpuSimT4ActSfV27CuG8P6h2onrIf-TmTIF7cI3_acv6tgfdgfDt7wv7VjnNiGBgULLBf7rSRFltbCgPw9MoVnKWxHcsj6X-47N6G-bKu6HbwYOCd5Q/s320/DDA55403-2415-4B35-A4C6-FAA902CA6530.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><b style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;">Read to a child today even if that child is you. </b></p><div style="font-family: quot; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: 700;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/TMEJX8UC767K">Link to our NICU book project registry</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. </span></div><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. </span></div><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.</span></div><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Catherine1216http://www.blogger.com/profile/02758599576029004768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014762415901522915.post-1741189958950352942023-01-08T20:38:00.000-07:002023-01-08T20:38:25.374-07:00Braced by Alyson Gerber<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/braced-alyson-gerber/1124495707?ean=9780545907613" target="_blank">Braced</a></i></b></span> by Alyson Gerber was published in 2017 and is the story of Rachel, a girl with scoliosis who needs to wear a back brace 23 hours a day. This story covers Rachel's experience of trying to play soccer, fit in, do all the things she wants to do and wear a back brace. </p><p>Rachel's mom also had to wear a brace, but her brace didn't work and she needed surgery. The brace causes a rift in Rachel's relationship with her mom as comparisons in their experiences are made. </p><p>Rachel has good friends, but her friendships are changed by her needing to wear her brace. I like how the characters in this story grow, how the reader can see what it takes to be a good friend, and how kindness is always a good choice. This story shows how hard it is to feel like you belong when you are a teen. </p><p>I like that the story shows how to set healthy boundaries, and how the things we go through often help us know ourselves. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVHLXtzL76LSvmaoOqYrYcmycqmRz2t7Uvz1udt4-h9dysWnBRPUPRjrNH6GswEg5Rnfxw_xaP_eI1C_KE_6JLj0OQVW2hfR4tJd-kjJlwtbc-wAob5F9RYimEb09Yhslxu14C-YI7xXeiedsBXRuiOUSkKDFhG94IwLPWaoa1fAlYds19kwemlVo5w/s700/lf%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="482" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVHLXtzL76LSvmaoOqYrYcmycqmRz2t7Uvz1udt4-h9dysWnBRPUPRjrNH6GswEg5Rnfxw_xaP_eI1C_KE_6JLj0OQVW2hfR4tJd-kjJlwtbc-wAob5F9RYimEb09Yhslxu14C-YI7xXeiedsBXRuiOUSkKDFhG94IwLPWaoa1fAlYds19kwemlVo5w/s320/lf%20(2).jpg" width="220" /></a></div><p> <b style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;">Read to a child today even if that child is you. </b></p><div style="font-family: quot; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: 700;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/TMEJX8UC767K">Link to our NICU book project registry</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Catherine1216http://www.blogger.com/profile/02758599576029004768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014762415901522915.post-21847860888163497912023-01-07T11:17:00.002-07:002023-01-07T11:17:37.676-07:00The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-boy-the-mole-the-fox-and-the-horse-charlie-mackesy/1132291821?ean=9780063080140" target="_blank">The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse</a></i></b></span> by Charlie Mackesy was published in 2019 and is a quiet, kind, and gentle book. My only complaint with the book is the font used. I prefer a font that is more user friendly - especially for students with learning differences. </p><p>This book could be used as journaling prompts. </p><p>Quotes I like:</p><p>"What do you want to be when you grow up?" "Kind," said the boy. </p><p>"Do you have a favorite saying?" asked the boy.</p><p> "If at first you don't succeed, have some cake."</p><p>"I see; does it work?"</p><p>"Every time."</p><p>"Most of the old moles I know wish they had listened less to their fears and more to their dreams."</p><p>The entire book has so many great quotes. I did cry when I read some of them - probably because I needed the words in my life right now. </p><p>I love the watercolor pictures in the book and think it will make a great addition to my classroom. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0vpA3ZauZtOpCjrSRAtgL2iA6LpIPSflGmgK-52J_uiC2ZwDFRam9xp4VwSk-H8JdbD32UODCw4ufc9zt02f61Rep4s98FtPPWqpvUfFL5xZmUAkVvaBQq4ToxSr391xWWzTWq_iUeC785OIlBYUlbQtk5nlgWusZJZS5Fe54Srk2dx_ZlfXQXjxjQ/s700/lf%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="521" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0vpA3ZauZtOpCjrSRAtgL2iA6LpIPSflGmgK-52J_uiC2ZwDFRam9xp4VwSk-H8JdbD32UODCw4ufc9zt02f61Rep4s98FtPPWqpvUfFL5xZmUAkVvaBQq4ToxSr391xWWzTWq_iUeC785OIlBYUlbQtk5nlgWusZJZS5Fe54Srk2dx_ZlfXQXjxjQ/s320/lf%20(1).jpg" width="238" /></a></div><p> <b style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;">Read to a child today even if that child is you. </b></p><div style="font-family: quot; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: 700;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/TMEJX8UC767K">Link to our NICU book registry</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Catherine1216http://www.blogger.com/profile/02758599576029004768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014762415901522915.post-21287859115234572312023-01-06T22:36:00.000-07:002023-01-06T22:36:26.420-07:00Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison<p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><i> <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/invisible-man-ralph-ellison/1100013744?ean=9780679732761" target="_blank">Invisible Man</a></i></span></b> by Ralph Ellison was first published in 1947, yet it is still applicable to today. Ellison tells the story of an unnamed black man who wins a scholarship to college. While there, he discovers that what he hoped was true was not, and he finds himself in New York on a new journey of discovery. </p><p>Goodreads blurb: ". . . immediately hailed as a masterpiece, Invisible Man is one of those rare novels that have changed the shape of American literature. For not only does Ralph Ellison's nightmare journey across the racial divide tell unparalleled truths about the nature of bigotry and its effects on the minds of both victims and perpetrators, it gives us an entirely new model of what a novel can be.</p><p>As he journeys from the Deep South to the streets and basements of Harlem, from a horrifying "battle royal" where black men are reduced to fighting animals, to a Communist rally where they are elevated to the status of trophies, Ralph Ellison's nameless protagonist ushers readers into a parallel universe that throws our own into harsh and even hilarious relief. Suspenseful and sardonic, narrated in a voice that takes in the symphonic range of the American language, black and white, Invisible Man is one of the most audacious and dazzling novels of our century."</p><p>This book is a work of art, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I listened to the audio version that was most expertly narrated by Joe Morton who acted out every character and made the journey all the more enjoyable. I found this book thought provoking as it shows the effects of racism on all. This book is worth reading or listening to. Five stars.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXDY42aZmWv8qh__7ASzsIWkR3GKVO953AqxwdtU4kLBs9SJBnoBQfxAJgjY3VmJ6zdayD36wRMaPWe7n-iHpViMhnRxkgx3fB7sp9bQqcNKl4O-fJqrgXZwKWtsxmWQiUQSsO01XutDaaX2B0ULNOlO-12caMnq77VoAefonU15k7kp6yVRsj78utFg/s588/lf%20(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXDY42aZmWv8qh__7ASzsIWkR3GKVO953AqxwdtU4kLBs9SJBnoBQfxAJgjY3VmJ6zdayD36wRMaPWe7n-iHpViMhnRxkgx3fB7sp9bQqcNKl4O-fJqrgXZwKWtsxmWQiUQSsO01XutDaaX2B0ULNOlO-12caMnq77VoAefonU15k7kp6yVRsj78utFg/s320/lf%20(2).jpg" width="227" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p><b style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;">Read to a child today even if that child is you. </b></p><div style="font-family: quot; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: 700;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/TMEJX8UC767K">Link to our NICU book registry</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><br /></p>Catherine1216http://www.blogger.com/profile/02758599576029004768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014762415901522915.post-67140296716098056222023-01-02T21:11:00.001-07:002023-01-02T21:11:33.221-07:00This Is My America by Kim Johnson<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/this-is-my-america-kim-johnson/1134674814?ean=9780593118795">This Is My America</a></i></b></span> by Kim Johnson was published in 2020, and from the first page to the last, this story is compelling. The story begins with Tracy's letter to Innocence X on behalf of her father who was convicted of a double murder and is facing the death penalty in 275 days. Innocence X is a group that helps those who feel they were wrongfully convicted. </p><p>Tracy's brother, Jamal, is a runner who will get to go to college on scholarship, but before that can happen, he is accused of murdering a girl in his town. He goes on the run because he doesn't trust the legal system in their Texas town. </p><p>Tracy's little sister was born after their dad was arrested, so she has only known him since he has been a prisoner. </p><p>Tracy continues to write to Innocence X, but they don't respond to her. She has the help of two friends: Dean - the white son of her mother's employers, and Quinton - the son of the man who was killed being arrested by police as her father's accomplice in the double homicide. </p><p>As this mystery unfolds, Kim Johnson tackles systemic racism, bias, the complications and unfairness of the prison system, and the complications that can arise in friendship. So much in this book reminds me of the poetry of Langston Hughes and his words, "I, too, am America."</p><p>I love the cover of this book and all the details it contains: a girl with red and blue and stars and stripes woven in to her hair. She has one earring that is a handcuff and one earring the shape of Texas. I look forward to recommending this book to my students. Great read. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUlX0UJ0cVjSRyaOvaTzdrsdoxM2Ugm5r1ZCvPKodM7okr6xTzHOfXwdvaQiNQObn1TbLfvFsY9qb4vXZMkM37iHSnVNq_mZpsDiiZzu6WKgrGK7G_5TXU7mR2TQRPefsXggLbPNl-33EazkUpSZtplmwj4OO-4tQhPFP1bKIyPNUziVg6gapGODQadQ/s595/lf%20(1).webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="394" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUlX0UJ0cVjSRyaOvaTzdrsdoxM2Ugm5r1ZCvPKodM7okr6xTzHOfXwdvaQiNQObn1TbLfvFsY9qb4vXZMkM37iHSnVNq_mZpsDiiZzu6WKgrGK7G_5TXU7mR2TQRPefsXggLbPNl-33EazkUpSZtplmwj4OO-4tQhPFP1bKIyPNUziVg6gapGODQadQ/s320/lf%20(1).webp" width="212" /></a></div><p><b>Read to a child today even if that child is you!</b></p><p><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: 700;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/TMEJX8UC767K">Link to our NICU book registry</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;"> to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.</span></p>Catherine1216http://www.blogger.com/profile/02758599576029004768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014762415901522915.post-48760473442114218752022-12-27T15:06:00.005-07:002022-12-27T15:17:24.990-07:00The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle by Leslie Connor<p><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b></b></i></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle</b></i></span> by Leslie Connor was published in 2018. I listened to this book because I loved Connor's book <span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Waiting for Normal</i></b></span>. This book is every bit as good. <p></p><p>Mason Buttle is a tall and large young teen who has a sweating disorder - he sweats a lot, and he also has reading and writing learning differences. He is bullied and tormented by the popular Matty and other boys on the lacrosse team. Mason lives on an apple orchard, and his uncle has been selling parts of it off for development. </p><p>Mason has troubles. The police want to find out what happened to his best friend Benny who turned up dead in his apple orchard, and now Mason's new best friend is missing, and just like Benny, Mason is the last person to see him alive. </p><p>Mason is such a well written character with depth and growth. The other characters in the book are also well written, and the story flows well. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPU-9PAAvLJO1PiVPN9T0GEY33m9JZthmlEK9eM3bc8WsjXT_L9O7ichso4w1UqG6mbN4A7O8eiuXLC6lTxCjNOgRLNBsmngyOGjwBwrJV_FwVFqg0JBiuMyiPfQkgeuSugXL0SJp6jbiSbm4hEzJ-6QjX6DJuKRaUPoss_Z66j_AMMXOJuSx23Ijcw/s644/lf.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="644" data-original-width="424" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPU-9PAAvLJO1PiVPN9T0GEY33m9JZthmlEK9eM3bc8WsjXT_L9O7ichso4w1UqG6mbN4A7O8eiuXLC6lTxCjNOgRLNBsmngyOGjwBwrJV_FwVFqg0JBiuMyiPfQkgeuSugXL0SJp6jbiSbm4hEzJ-6QjX6DJuKRaUPoss_Z66j_AMMXOJuSx23Ijcw/s320/lf.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><br /><p><b style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;">Read to a child today even if that child is you. </b></p><p><b style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;">We've had several donations lately to our book project. </b></p><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">Britney Shaw donated these:</div><div style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><i style="font-family: -webkit-standard; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA-FwzREXVN7jOajt8l59_MbyUFk_aCx9-g6MjyiU_XGdW2ec7dQHhAFUQdcPJaLpeVC1vJh7qKk3dirVVAElzzuTuriQ5yugCBpXK5gc_nZAzzIErrQ9kcoKb0OxKwl3TCdQKzkhywC5qPTLu04WqrK4vPeoCouIAIF5ja4Q82ldzcha9WCfSQDWNQw/s3720/2BB5CC78-5511-4AAF-942F-FE6E0B8C4629.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1568" data-original-width="3720" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA-FwzREXVN7jOajt8l59_MbyUFk_aCx9-g6MjyiU_XGdW2ec7dQHhAFUQdcPJaLpeVC1vJh7qKk3dirVVAElzzuTuriQ5yugCBpXK5gc_nZAzzIErrQ9kcoKb0OxKwl3TCdQKzkhywC5qPTLu04WqrK4vPeoCouIAIF5ja4Q82ldzcha9WCfSQDWNQw/s320/2BB5CC78-5511-4AAF-942F-FE6E0B8C4629.jpeg" width="320" /></a></b></i></div><div style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><i style="font-family: -webkit-standard; text-align: center;"><br /></i></div><div style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">Grace Olsen donated $60, and I purchased the following 78 books:</div><div style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghDRPqP7mf9k8WQ6m8wfbd2o_Zb9VItQ_vPo0so45roOkmuCxVQNWxAMZShDMakEg6RMpyueeFBv8NXxDg-xj3kiv7mRnLhJgVl2iXwD3oyhsyFpyFARYk_H-3UWcTc4zy1cdhADFDZY9PuZ0nNVrduue-U4TCI-9wB3zNirHjixhLvOcSyb_eqM9TIg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="142" data-original-width="320" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghDRPqP7mf9k8WQ6m8wfbd2o_Zb9VItQ_vPo0so45roOkmuCxVQNWxAMZShDMakEg6RMpyueeFBv8NXxDg-xj3kiv7mRnLhJgVl2iXwD3oyhsyFpyFARYk_H-3UWcTc4zy1cdhADFDZY9PuZ0nNVrduue-U4TCI-9wB3zNirHjixhLvOcSyb_eqM9TIg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnb9M3-CKmzFd4NLqlJHWMac4HEbkeFQrHA8qUXKQ2zU8sfGlWR2uh3F0C2PaydMRHYMH0cuseYREpHhCnhURBirvkb5Ywn0051e8-qhnKSKht0fFbYjU3mvP8h82vjkt6h_hjgKFVrjXhCR7v5tuDlas8xDTKB78EUm9qDSzkpCOcCs29DFOfCsS-tA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="129" data-original-width="320" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnb9M3-CKmzFd4NLqlJHWMac4HEbkeFQrHA8qUXKQ2zU8sfGlWR2uh3F0C2PaydMRHYMH0cuseYREpHhCnhURBirvkb5Ywn0051e8-qhnKSKht0fFbYjU3mvP8h82vjkt6h_hjgKFVrjXhCR7v5tuDlas8xDTKB78EUm9qDSzkpCOcCs29DFOfCsS-tA" width="320" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2tIgtHHEPMgQojaaQzhHyjb2EsqLtNegrS3PXnABeQHvt1KtQIwmAKBdxIVCzRtcb6Ph5SdmMytUCJUeNTjFU5zhGfZTanfaWmOwAuY_UR3sdkRz0zJVh5n_CGhaXPqti8WsoWDq7g_jAm4111uKXFV9fHVNO01NW_AiVoHS8C5nFQbLNFT1dxYb2A/s3385/14B9EB09-A70F-4736-8BBA-850FF8274E3F.jpeg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1397" data-original-width="3385" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2tIgtHHEPMgQojaaQzhHyjb2EsqLtNegrS3PXnABeQHvt1KtQIwmAKBdxIVCzRtcb6Ph5SdmMytUCJUeNTjFU5zhGfZTanfaWmOwAuY_UR3sdkRz0zJVh5n_CGhaXPqti8WsoWDq7g_jAm4111uKXFV9fHVNO01NW_AiVoHS8C5nFQbLNFT1dxYb2A/s320/14B9EB09-A70F-4736-8BBA-850FF8274E3F.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7ZWK1U7btu6vZsQ73M1odTE0Ibh_089DapufdKsGQ9hWNpr_43ERi338xkN942_fQaI4Rc8Vp-bXzRpwfjRqf0ktHbhc5Xp4eWIoNoPB9YdaaRW-6AVx2Z0mUQ5HVW2c_i41-F0qauIR0h49JDzYCHkeCStzcuxTPnITNT7Ecilz2zxbgQSyy_cSW1A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="127" data-original-width="320" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7ZWK1U7btu6vZsQ73M1odTE0Ibh_089DapufdKsGQ9hWNpr_43ERi338xkN942_fQaI4Rc8Vp-bXzRpwfjRqf0ktHbhc5Xp4eWIoNoPB9YdaaRW-6AVx2Z0mUQ5HVW2c_i41-F0qauIR0h49JDzYCHkeCStzcuxTPnITNT7Ecilz2zxbgQSyy_cSW1A" width="320" /></a></div><br />Primary Children's Hospital donated 40 books and 20 teddy bears to go with them. </div><div style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jigaU0qzsQgRUMvbCxe1q1bpWrwqi5Ko14acwmgwh9IpFR4xUVS21-AaNc7xTj_dBuTwPmP0pQw9v0zdAqgt9hDprKiIc-1j7zDe3z4wzntX_70FxRJzq2wFOmFCFYMZrzVqNpJ5Ue-9u5vz06DwTkTSzEjjTwqVKkr7vaFsZu1klmxpQvNTj4JrNA/s2977/958DCA4A-9B63-41DF-95CA-DFF75D478535.jpeg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2683" data-original-width="2977" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jigaU0qzsQgRUMvbCxe1q1bpWrwqi5Ko14acwmgwh9IpFR4xUVS21-AaNc7xTj_dBuTwPmP0pQw9v0zdAqgt9hDprKiIc-1j7zDe3z4wzntX_70FxRJzq2wFOmFCFYMZrzVqNpJ5Ue-9u5vz06DwTkTSzEjjTwqVKkr7vaFsZu1klmxpQvNTj4JrNA/s320/958DCA4A-9B63-41DF-95CA-DFF75D478535.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"> As always, thank you all for the donations!</div><div style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: 700;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/TMEJX8UC767K">Link to our NICU book registry</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Catherine1216http://www.blogger.com/profile/02758599576029004768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014762415901522915.post-71033496093250675442022-10-10T21:07:00.000-06:002022-10-10T21:07:09.713-06:00The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot<p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot" target="_blank"> The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks</a></span></i> by Rebecca Skloot was published in 2010, and I finally listened to the well narrated audio version. I enjoyed this story for many reasons. It brings up a lot of discussion points about who really owns tissue samples, who should own them, and who should get financial compensation for them. </p><p>It's a shame that Lacks' family was never compensated for the most famous cell-line ever. Her family was so poor, they lost their mother, and should have received something. You can argue that research would stop if researchers had to pay, but for these important cells, her family should have received compensation. </p><p>I enjoyed the story of Lacks' family and felt Skloot represented them in an unbiased way. I also enjoyed how she revealed the science behind the person and how far science has progressed since Henrietta's diagnosis of cervical cancer. I am thankful for the research that she made possible and for all the lives that have benefited. It's a shame it couldn't have helped her or her family. </p><p>I gave this book 5 stars. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-E9kTju8lB5P21zgAJhWoKs1Zk3JH5jLaD9ZEDItQNoKmw1bIPQ03HVMECYfSDtdfqd09KTqG7pAkU9-UKj-YeXeCqkP6C2NYb1ySk4eQ9dsHFLfm63coZaBrP2TqbC9mUgZkQwBMZwHjKPU15xo1ssSlaQpKZtk8izdvBtZIZHOGZl2zS2BpfsM8gA/s700/lf.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="398" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-E9kTju8lB5P21zgAJhWoKs1Zk3JH5jLaD9ZEDItQNoKmw1bIPQ03HVMECYfSDtdfqd09KTqG7pAkU9-UKj-YeXeCqkP6C2NYb1ySk4eQ9dsHFLfm63coZaBrP2TqbC9mUgZkQwBMZwHjKPU15xo1ssSlaQpKZtk8izdvBtZIZHOGZl2zS2BpfsM8gA/s320/lf.jpg" width="182" /></a></div><br /><p><b style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;">Read to a child today even if that child is you. </b></p><p><span style="font-family: quot;">My friend, Grace, donated books to our NICU book project. Thank you, Grace. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxe-7WFduDqA2Xrg4aJ7TzMiEtupuckllGZs3j_y6KqO1UXN7fR9DKP1noillwryV96lVQRjjsb2mqt_uApWLsSpoGkTts0wX_a2yUyUbcFqCeixl_vHcmdc_IdFUKgS0jHipc-KlZ2lwq-zxZn2FpYOCZQU9z0zA0-aYIwvMs1GCMBa7kkCKa_2Ismg/s4032/639DE683-A3F3-42C4-AC83-6CB09153EAE7.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxe-7WFduDqA2Xrg4aJ7TzMiEtupuckllGZs3j_y6KqO1UXN7fR9DKP1noillwryV96lVQRjjsb2mqt_uApWLsSpoGkTts0wX_a2yUyUbcFqCeixl_vHcmdc_IdFUKgS0jHipc-KlZ2lwq-zxZn2FpYOCZQU9z0zA0-aYIwvMs1GCMBa7kkCKa_2Ismg/s320/639DE683-A3F3-42C4-AC83-6CB09153EAE7.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: quot;"><br /></span><p></p><div style="font-family: quot; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: 700;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/TMEJX8UC767K">Link to our NICU book registry</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Catherine1216http://www.blogger.com/profile/02758599576029004768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014762415901522915.post-83694077556235309652022-08-13T19:11:00.002-06:002022-08-13T19:11:29.279-06:00Tracing Stars by Erin E Moulton<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tracing-stars-erin-moulton/1106566376?ean=9780142426531" target="_blank">Tracing Stars by Erin E Moulton</a></b></span> was published in 2012 and is the story of Indie Lee Chickory. She doesn't fit in at school or in the town. She loves fish and has a pet lobster. She doesn't mind that she smells bad from fish heads and guts, but everyone at school teases her because of it. </p><p>She wants to fit in to please her sister, but she finds giving up on her values may be hard when she befriends another misfit. She tries to keep her new friendship a secret so that she can be accepted by her sister Bebe, and her friends. Owen, Indie's new friend, is a well-written character who is such a good friend and good person. </p><p>I really liked how this book portrayed kids this age. I liked that they were struggling with self-awareness and awkwardness. I liked the growth that was portrayed in the characters. The cover of this book is beautiful and there is plenty of white space on the pages. I also liked that no parents were harmed in the creation of this story. </p><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-euXkB5a851cMHbYU29nAForvEVJKOnQYtsONxxIsZN03BvdrvgnBL6sBKOFaJMTrso6zHTprvVfF7FhcuTnMPOM21kmyt5azNET7vyhwyWW_kgQxom6Ce1cPAKNBKDGGLkbyMRhJQU4pUBCV5yyBAsYnNgRPwa_kFrI6mMAMIq85KnAuiQGT8xYcpQ/s461/tracing%20stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-euXkB5a851cMHbYU29nAForvEVJKOnQYtsONxxIsZN03BvdrvgnBL6sBKOFaJMTrso6zHTprvVfF7FhcuTnMPOM21kmyt5azNET7vyhwyWW_kgQxom6Ce1cPAKNBKDGGLkbyMRhJQU4pUBCV5yyBAsYnNgRPwa_kFrI6mMAMIq85KnAuiQGT8xYcpQ/s320/tracing%20stars.jpg" width="208" /></a></p><br /><p></p><p><b style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;">Read to a child today even if that child is you. </b></p><div style="font-family: quot; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: 700;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/TMEJX8UC767K">Link to our NICU book registry</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Catherine1216http://www.blogger.com/profile/02758599576029004768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014762415901522915.post-60037203575981114222022-07-31T22:52:00.000-06:002022-07-31T22:52:42.457-06:00Hidden by Helen Frost<p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hidden-helen-frost/1100167542?ean=9781250056849" target="_blank">Hidden by Helen Frost </a></span></b>was published in 2011. This story is written in verse, and I found the story compelling enough to read in one sitting. </p><p>The story begins from Wren's point of view as an eight-year-old who was unintentionally kidnapped by a car thief. Her sense of fear is well written. </p><p>From page 15, "I was shaking. <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> Trying hard not to cry. <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> How could I sleep <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> in the crowded boat?<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> I was thirsty. <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> Hungry. <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> I had to pee."</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p>In the next section we get to hear the point of view of the kidnapper's daughter. Her story is also written in verse, and pay attention to the end word of each line because they let the reader know what else was happening. I found this cleverly crafted. </p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Darra is upset that her abusive father has been sent to jail, which some readers may find unbelievable, but I understand the desire to have a father in your life even if he isn't a good father. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Later, the girls meet at camp and things become even more interesting as they both have trauma they act out. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span>I think teen readers will like this book, and I will add a copy to my classroom. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span></span></span></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaxodwe_8_aYz0AIWJDM7gFGMBu0W9dmy3kJpPy6FdWOdzeZ1WO1UWO3TDGRLLCa5cMeY5y4XCBAivze8y31WpaBo1H8R1upL3J78xLqLX66AakVtyfrmyfn9FR8en3UI_r5-dixDLQSrQnrGyVCGAXnOVABV9PBocg1R6HClAowmkvbJLP2LWASgTLA/s700/hidden.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="475" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaxodwe_8_aYz0AIWJDM7gFGMBu0W9dmy3kJpPy6FdWOdzeZ1WO1UWO3TDGRLLCa5cMeY5y4XCBAivze8y31WpaBo1H8R1upL3J78xLqLX66AakVtyfrmyfn9FR8en3UI_r5-dixDLQSrQnrGyVCGAXnOVABV9PBocg1R6HClAowmkvbJLP2LWASgTLA/s320/hidden.jpg" width="217" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><b style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;">Read to a child today even if that child is you. </b></p><div style="font-family: quot; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: 700;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/TMEJX8UC767K">Link to our NICU book registry</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Catherine1216http://www.blogger.com/profile/02758599576029004768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014762415901522915.post-3374801305167483682022-07-28T16:32:00.001-06:002022-07-28T16:32:54.462-06:00Your Name by Makoto Shinkai<p>Recently Matt (my youngest son) has introduced me to light novels. Light novels are generally written before the author/artist writes the Manga. I enjoy watching anime, but I'm not a fan of manga because for me it takes so much work to decode all the pictures. I love words, so light novels are right up my alley. I definitely want to get some of these for my classroom. </p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/your-name-makoto-shinkai/1125060792?ean=9780316471862">Your Name</a></span></b> by Makoto Shinkai was published in 2016 and has a manga and anime that go with it. This story has two main characters: Mitsuha, a high school girl who lives in a small mountain town, and Taki, a high school boy living in Tokyo. </p><p>They begin to have what they think are dreams about each other even though they've never met - except they aren't dreaming. They are switching places. These switches are sometimes comedic and sometimes confusing for both of them. Will they ever be able to meet in person, or will the stars get in their way? I loved the symbolism of threads and cords in this novel and how the author wove everything together. </p><p>I enjoyed reading about Japanese culture and look forward to visiting there sometime when they reopen to tourism. </p><p>Quotes I liked: "Joinin' threads is a called musubi. The passage of time is musubi. It's the name for our god, and the god's power. It describes the braided cords we make, divine acts, and the flow of time itself" (59). </p><p>"Puttin' anything in your body is also called musubi. What you put in your body binds to your soul. . ." (60).</p><p>The anime that goes with this book is beautiful, so if you get a chance to watch it, do. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjabDi_tuasIIHgLS9MClPfgVF5Cz3F1BbuLQoMUdDaHp3Vfyp55YUgFFTcdqmD6mY9r-4SE9teErLajFhb2NvcBsud1ekEXN4knp9v6LJUY7o62kqqf_W1KziK5nJIaRIa4SaLeqEVwgak/s451/your.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjabDi_tuasIIHgLS9MClPfgVF5Cz3F1BbuLQoMUdDaHp3Vfyp55YUgFFTcdqmD6mY9r-4SE9teErLajFhb2NvcBsud1ekEXN4knp9v6LJUY7o62kqqf_W1KziK5nJIaRIa4SaLeqEVwgak/s320/your.jpg" /></a></div><p> <b style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;">Read to a child today even if that child is you. </b></p><div style="font-family: quot; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: 700;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/TMEJX8UC767K">Link to our NICU book registry</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Catherine1216http://www.blogger.com/profile/02758599576029004768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014762415901522915.post-7292846873688492042022-07-14T21:28:00.000-06:002022-07-14T21:28:37.906-06:00Amina's Voice by Hena Khan<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/aminas-voice-hena-khan/1123862991?ean=9781481492072" target="_blank">Amina's Voice </a></i></b></span>by Hena Khan was published in 2017 and is one of the books I purchased a few months ago when I was looking for books by POC. I really liked this book about Amina, a girl who plays the piano and sings beautifully, but she is afraid to sing a solo. </p><p>She has two good parents and an older brother. Her family is Muslim, and I enjoyed learning more about their faith. While their faith is important to her family, this isn't a book about religion. This is a book about friendships, change, growing up, and learning to be brave in hard situations. </p><p>This book is beautifully written and has wonderful cover art. I look forward to reading Khan's other novels. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2B6TdVv_LbQa7lH9JNBRVycL_mTN5B_wckBgQpPEWJCmRzKhBtWad7i9W5yUyRncAaf2WYHrm1lpupfLNZkAg25xnF2wE96sZlE5u8_QDuT4I3h8DsgHIaqx5ZiHFxzRHe8I895peH8EP/s406/9781481492072_p0_v2_s550x406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="269" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2B6TdVv_LbQa7lH9JNBRVycL_mTN5B_wckBgQpPEWJCmRzKhBtWad7i9W5yUyRncAaf2WYHrm1lpupfLNZkAg25xnF2wE96sZlE5u8_QDuT4I3h8DsgHIaqx5ZiHFxzRHe8I895peH8EP/s320/9781481492072_p0_v2_s550x406.jpg" /></a></div><p><b style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;">Read to a child today even if that child is you. </b></p><div style="font-family: quot; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: 700;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/TMEJX8UC767K">Link to our NICU book registry</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Catherine1216http://www.blogger.com/profile/02758599576029004768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014762415901522915.post-51236722032676037672022-07-09T21:27:00.002-06:002022-07-09T21:27:59.312-06:00Tomorrow I'll be Brave by Jessica Hische<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tomorrow-ill-be-brave-jessica-hische/1127870588?ean=9781524787011" target="_blank"> Tomorrow I'll be Brave</a></i></b></span> by Jessica Hische was published in 2018, and it's a darling book with a wonderful message. I found out about this book from one of our NICU families. They brought it to read to their baby, and Angie sent me pictures of some of the pages. This family recently sent 10 more copies of this book for our NICU book project, and have now donated 20 copies of this book. </p><p>This is a great book for babies in the NICU. It reads, "Tomorrow, I'll be adventurous. I'll play and I'll explore. I'll make or learn or try something I've never done before. Tomorrow, I'll be strong. I'll climb and jump and run. It doesn't matter if I win as long as I have fun!" The ending message is that even if the child doesn't do it today, they can try again tomorrow, and of course, they will always be loved. </p><p>Every parent in the NICU is waiting for the day they get to take their baby home, and this book is a great one to read to their baby while they are growing. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7EBsFK94ohWmKd_oRG1iNAo0vCrPHTLd69ftE4Ett5eih3iyzxkv4i00iHPxT7ZB--Q_oTRROuMi_qoK-X7wg5HP9YzunEaGVILxQFeW6N0yg2TYWLlF4jyyklARucdmF7gqXD4h3IVcnnUWRmwtb66Qs2CGMVuZmsFZhMiVNzr4W-zX6ESuJiROEzg/s681/lf%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7EBsFK94ohWmKd_oRG1iNAo0vCrPHTLd69ftE4Ett5eih3iyzxkv4i00iHPxT7ZB--Q_oTRROuMi_qoK-X7wg5HP9YzunEaGVILxQFeW6N0yg2TYWLlF4jyyklARucdmF7gqXD4h3IVcnnUWRmwtb66Qs2CGMVuZmsFZhMiVNzr4W-zX6ESuJiROEzg/s320/lf%20(1).jpg" width="258" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p><b style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;">We recently received book donations from three donors, and they are greatly appreciated because we are quite low on books right now - especially board books. </b></p><p><span style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;">These are the books that were donated by one of our NICU graduates. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvoEWLaecXMplHcn68XXXvkrQo3S8s4HmfTeBTTtO9Tn_ciAWTGml7yGfW4SpKc5x4I53rpGrSEkhcooeIV3Gd9YfQXG4nP98tD8lLNlgGChTV5Lc48o6tQg56aQgWqdFze6yYIr5Xvp_J1MOdv5VY0G9OoanTXLD40JyAH16MpxQpVhVXbE7QLSk5Q/s4032/631A25C3-5C18-44D5-83E6-47F11CADD9F8.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvoEWLaecXMplHcn68XXXvkrQo3S8s4HmfTeBTTtO9Tn_ciAWTGml7yGfW4SpKc5x4I53rpGrSEkhcooeIV3Gd9YfQXG4nP98tD8lLNlgGChTV5Lc48o6tQg56aQgWqdFze6yYIr5Xvp_J1MOdv5VY0G9OoanTXLD40JyAH16MpxQpVhVXbE7QLSk5Q/s320/631A25C3-5C18-44D5-83E6-47F11CADD9F8.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My friend, Grace, donated $20, and these are the books, I purchased with her donation. As a teacher, I am good at finding deals on books to get the most out of every dollar. </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh4htFUsXwFFlWuczClTaTYqyd0NnFTJwf_KQXPTzBP7cNF8H34YRrj-pCZcdElWVvxWxEbkb5nudCIDc3ZQ0B-AOGCacUqJGJLOgIZDOfBya3JvSrjN9X8xOYlCzbEgnDuI-aY1-ThmSi77mAQ56n4lwDGjB3kmMZsIsaVj6LDQRwBQ8Wsj1sOR5wcA/s2880/9A20BD40-C4E1-43D4-BC95-F71161071A1A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2679" data-original-width="2880" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh4htFUsXwFFlWuczClTaTYqyd0NnFTJwf_KQXPTzBP7cNF8H34YRrj-pCZcdElWVvxWxEbkb5nudCIDc3ZQ0B-AOGCacUqJGJLOgIZDOfBya3JvSrjN9X8xOYlCzbEgnDuI-aY1-ThmSi77mAQ56n4lwDGjB3kmMZsIsaVj6LDQRwBQ8Wsj1sOR5wcA/s320/9A20BD40-C4E1-43D4-BC95-F71161071A1A.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />My friend, Tanya, sent these books from our Amazon baby registry. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcm6m5MQf5T_KwSxhrNK9rTdrt9IfTvC7dYAxr0NQNs8NGunwYWpoc2iHAbuQujDHbM60aHBa53lsHpf44NIHbeWAuqaFdVRPLtWmRe_Ayfua0XY7d7ZPVaVIh79RxyUO3xWTQs2yrVz80z8dB6miamGcWyR-QLrB1NQzY5KhzOilzP0eFX3U4FPvPg/s3362/2769EA67-CF2E-4507-B515-AB825689D2AF.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2720" data-original-width="3362" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcm6m5MQf5T_KwSxhrNK9rTdrt9IfTvC7dYAxr0NQNs8NGunwYWpoc2iHAbuQujDHbM60aHBa53lsHpf44NIHbeWAuqaFdVRPLtWmRe_Ayfua0XY7d7ZPVaVIh79RxyUO3xWTQs2yrVz80z8dB6miamGcWyR-QLrB1NQzY5KhzOilzP0eFX3U4FPvPg/s320/2769EA67-CF2E-4507-B515-AB825689D2AF.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;">Combined with books I've purchased, I'll be able to send more packets to Angie next week. I love that these babies are getting read to early as it will help them when they start school. The more words a child hears before kindergarten, the easier reading will be for them. <br /></span><p></p><p><b style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;">Read to a child today even if that child is you. </b></p><div style="font-family: quot; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: 700;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/TMEJX8UC767K">Link to our NICU book registry</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><br /></p>Catherine1216http://www.blogger.com/profile/02758599576029004768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014762415901522915.post-42060846126024570592022-07-03T14:54:00.003-06:002022-07-03T14:54:56.379-06:00Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/outliers-malcolm-gladwell/1100030024?ean=9780316017930" target="_blank">Outliers: The Story of Success </a></i></b></span>by Malcolm Gladwell was published in 2008. This non-fiction book shows how factors other than intelligence, ambition, and personality create successful people. </p><p>Blurb from the back of the book: In understanding successful people, we have come to focus far too much on their intelligence and ambition and personality traits. Instead, Malcolm Gladwell argues in Outliers, we should look at the world that surrounds the successful - their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringing. Along the way, Gladwell reveals what the Beatles and Bill Gates have in common, the reason you've never heard of the smartest man in the world, why almost no star hockey players are born in the fall, and why, when it comes to plane crashes, where the pilots are born matters as much as how well they are trained. </p><p>The lives of outliers - people whose achievements fall outside normal experience - follow a peculiar and unexpected logic, and in uncovering that logic, Gladwell presents a fascinating and provocative blueprint for making the most of human potential. </p><p>I listened to the audio book and found it interesting and feel this book is important for teachers and parents to read. I wish he had included a woman outlier in this work - are there no women outliers?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj255h_oz-aVesxgOkr2WcAFRPXLA57wZk6ersZmBtp_4lm88KucGmeARhtospRLrVx8HEMblWapN7GdooGdACKQP8G_JniyOzoKLPaDAfkJ8AE92ny9Lc7cWh6vzLAwZqHCmh8WheeBd4b/s406/9780316017930_p0_v2_s550x406.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="270" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj255h_oz-aVesxgOkr2WcAFRPXLA57wZk6ersZmBtp_4lm88KucGmeARhtospRLrVx8HEMblWapN7GdooGdACKQP8G_JniyOzoKLPaDAfkJ8AE92ny9Lc7cWh6vzLAwZqHCmh8WheeBd4b/s320/9780316017930_p0_v2_s550x406.jpg" /></a></div><p><b style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;">Read to a child today even if that child is you. </b></p><div style="font-family: quot; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: 700;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/TMEJX8UC767K">Link to our NICU book registry</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div><b style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;"><br /></b>Catherine1216http://www.blogger.com/profile/02758599576029004768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014762415901522915.post-29071508703261664192022-06-23T15:11:00.001-06:002022-06-23T15:11:36.382-06:00I Want to Eat Your Pancreas by Yoru Sumino<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-want-to-eat-your-pancreas-yoru-sumino/1128526347?ean=9781642750331">I Want to Eat Your Pancreas</a></b></span> by Yoru Sumino was published in 2013 and has manga and anime to go with the light novel I read. </p><p>I watched the anime before reading this light novel, and so many of my questions were answered by reading the book. The art in the anime is incredibly beautiful. The title makes it sound like a slasher story, but in reality, the title is a tender thing the characters say to each other. This is a story of friendship and love. </p><p>When the main character finds a diary of one of his classmates, he discovers she is dying from a pancreatic disease. He is the only one outside of her family who knows that Yamauchi Sakura is dying. She is an extrovert and fun loving. He is very quiet and keeps to himself. She helps him step outside of himself and see more of life. She takes him on her journey to do things she wants to do before she dies. </p><p>Quotes I liked: "I was greeting the house. This is where I've grown up. The place is important to me" (155). </p><p>"Everyone is where they are because of the choices they've made. . . All the choices you've made brought us together. You and I met by your own decisions" (178). </p><p>"Living is sharing connections with other people" (199, 200).</p><p>"When you are all on your own, you don't know who you are" (200).</p><p>"The flooring had darkened at the edges along the wall, as if fragments of the pervious patients' illnesses had accumulated there and wouldn't let go" (210).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEoEPa2Y79Nkup_OXBtqTtDgju0LrL5tZ2ZrJUy-6GwmTHwJv__ICYoFbTfZLDUaQwXX2cg7nKhZygUB1GNwepv5wgY-mMj5TgTKxYMGYUQHMn42vmdiCoeKGEpCWpI5Uq0cxLdz_x4asB/s422/z.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEoEPa2Y79Nkup_OXBtqTtDgju0LrL5tZ2ZrJUy-6GwmTHwJv__ICYoFbTfZLDUaQwXX2cg7nKhZygUB1GNwepv5wgY-mMj5TgTKxYMGYUQHMn42vmdiCoeKGEpCWpI5Uq0cxLdz_x4asB/s320/z.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>I enjoyed this touching story and find I prefer light novels to manga. </p><p> <b style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;">Read to a child today even if that child is you. </b></p><div style="font-family: quot; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: 700;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/TMEJX8UC767K">Link to our NICU book registry</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Catherine1216http://www.blogger.com/profile/02758599576029004768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014762415901522915.post-82005467246187575162022-06-17T16:52:00.002-06:002022-06-17T16:52:50.873-06:00Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/princess-of-the-midnight-ball-jessica-day-george/1100390656?ean=9781599904559"> Princess of the Midnight Ball</a></b></span> by Jessica Day George was published in 2009 and is a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. I love a good retelling of a fairy tale, and this one was quite good.</p><p>The story is told in third person omniscient, so the reader gets to see what the villain, Galen (the hero), and Rose (the oldest princess) are doing. I liked that all of them have a back story. </p><p>The princesses are cursed to dance night after night, even if they are ill, and the dancing is taking a terrible toll on their physical and mental health. Their father offers his kingdom to the prince who can discover where his daughters go at night and break the curse, but so far, no prince can figure out it out. </p><p>Enter, Galen who is a returning soldier and kind, young gardener. He wants to help the princesses, but he doesn't expect to be given the kingdom as he is a commoner. </p><p>This story has many twists and turns. I listened to the audio version and found it well narrated. </p><p>The text is larger and there is plenty of white space on each page. This book has a beautiful cover. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQOR09Z-AY6JZ0jBaw2-1gSavkhiSRDd4YXkOUF7ATIsmgAatOu8YcxGu_ziREUSzmHkTxhDC4jRfYTLBpFvjfy0JjBBiTj51djz0t44IEsD5Rj-REuB5Kc2mUvJKGDG7xEZvZ79qa1eC/s451/z.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQOR09Z-AY6JZ0jBaw2-1gSavkhiSRDd4YXkOUF7ATIsmgAatOu8YcxGu_ziREUSzmHkTxhDC4jRfYTLBpFvjfy0JjBBiTj51djz0t44IEsD5Rj-REuB5Kc2mUvJKGDG7xEZvZ79qa1eC/s320/z.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><b style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;">Read to a child today even if that child is you. </b></p><p><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: 700;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/TMEJX8UC767K">Link to our NICU book registry</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;"> to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.</span> </p><p><br /></p>Catherine1216http://www.blogger.com/profile/02758599576029004768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014762415901522915.post-49290508665074486132022-05-30T21:16:00.002-06:002022-05-30T21:16:38.521-06:002021 NICU Book Project Donation Totals<p>2021 NICU Book Project Donations - can you believe it's been seven years since we started this project!</p><p>I started collecting books in 2014 for the NICU where my daughter works to honor the lives of my own twins and also of two grandchildren who did not survive pregnancy. As a reading teacher, I see that children who are read to have better attention spans and do better in school. It took me a year to gather 150 books sorted into packets of 5 books each. I delivered them in September of 2015. I had only planned on making this one donation, but the books were so appreciated by the parents that I kept on gathering books.</p><p><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Other people started donating books so we could try to send every NICU baby home with a packet of books. Parents read these books to their babies during their often lengthy stays, helping their baby's brains and creating bonding moments full of love. </span></p><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><div style="margin: 0px;">Each packet has a half sheet handout explaining why it is important to read to your baby. I put at least one board book in each packet, and we also create packets for families whose first language is Spanish.<br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;">We started 2021 with plenty of books from all those who were worried that we would run out because of the pandemic, and just now we are getting low on books again. </div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;">We collected 1,036 books this year from over 40 donors. We benefited from an Usborne Book Drive that gave us over 100 books. I appreciate each and every book that is donated. Reading to babies is so important for brain development, and I love that all these babies benefit from this project. </div><div style="margin: 0px;"><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;">Read to a child today even if that child is you. </b></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;">If you'd like to contribute to our project use the link below</b><span style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;">. If you are clearing book shelves, I am happy to take gently used books for this project</span><b style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;">. </b></p><div style="font-family: quot; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: 700;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/TMEJX8UC767K">Link to our NICU book registry</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Catherine1216http://www.blogger.com/profile/02758599576029004768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014762415901522915.post-43105068757432824562022-05-30T19:24:00.000-06:002022-05-30T19:24:42.589-06:00The Broken Girls by Simone St. James<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-broken-girls-simone-st-james/1126643573?ean=9780451489388" target="_blank">The Broken Girls</a></i></b></span> by Simone St. James was published in 2018. The author had a huge goal with this one: combine a ghost story, two murder mysteries, two time periods, a Holocaust story, and a romance in one book. I was pleasantly surprised at how well she wove everything together. </p><p>I love historical fiction, and St. James added the Holocaust connection and kept it real even though this is a ghost story. As a mystery, St. James did an excellent job of setting up suspense that kept me listening. I listened to the audio version of this book, and it was well narrated. I love a good ghost story, and this one was just scary enough. </p><p>This story fluctuates between present day and 1950. The main character, Fiona, had an older sister who was murdered and her body was found on the grounds of an abandoned boarding house. When the boarding house is sold and the plan is to refurbish and reopen it, Fiona finds it brings her grief right back to the surface. </p><p>Fiona is a reporter, and tries to find out more about the boarding house, the person who plans on restoring it, and the holes in the narrative of her sister's murder. Her search leads her to another story from 60 years ago, and the truth may put her own life in jeopardy.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir43QMd6QtUuL6xxu2t1gJWEfpRfblo2dkAgbA9qtH-47a2KZI1gpJ8b-TKALx873GgT-cdv4N0V7vzaN0gV-1jbleDcp8uFQ6g6FXi164oqQ0RFTdO_bZ4Mom-QuqAN-HMVxQ35QCX-n-/s406/9780451489388_p0_v4_s550x406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="270" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir43QMd6QtUuL6xxu2t1gJWEfpRfblo2dkAgbA9qtH-47a2KZI1gpJ8b-TKALx873GgT-cdv4N0V7vzaN0gV-1jbleDcp8uFQ6g6FXi164oqQ0RFTdO_bZ4Mom-QuqAN-HMVxQ35QCX-n-/s320/9780451489388_p0_v4_s550x406.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><b style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;"><br /></b></p><p><b style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;">Read to a child today even if that child is you. </b></p><div style="font-family: quot; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: 700;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/TMEJX8UC767K">Link to our NICU book registry</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Catherine1216http://www.blogger.com/profile/02758599576029004768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014762415901522915.post-85278000031445942122021-11-24T08:26:00.002-07:002021-11-24T08:26:24.028-07:00Stones in Water by Donna Jo Napoli<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stones-in-water-donna-jo-napoli/1101572744?ean=9780141306001">Stones in Water </a></span></b>by Donna Jo Napoli was published in 1997. This story is set during WWII and begins in Italy and is loosely based on the true experiences of Guido Fullin. During WWII, German soldiers kidnapped Italian teen boys and put them to work building air strips and doing other work for the Nazis. The boys were not treated well. They went hungry, were beaten, and many were killed. </div></div><p></p><p>The main character of this story is Roberto, and he, his brother, and two of his friends - one being Jewish are taken prisoner and forced to labor for the Germans. He works to keep the Germans from discovering that his friend, Samuel is Jewish. </p><p>During their captivity, Roberto learns a lot about the world, other people, and himself. He learns about survival and endurance. I enjoyed this story and will order the second book,<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fire-in-the-hills-donna-jo-napoli/1007722178?ean=9781440662959"> Fire in the Hills </a></span></b>to learn more about the Partigiano - Italian resistance fighters during WWII. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF0oC6PDkP1y5Xd4YJy0Pk4K5U50lrCMths0GQIhamA0rwjiPzI59q89w9Mzug3GrE6sjr9wl2tivRSoLiZIMeHx3mrUnJchq89_O56qIc0nLdMV25NO31aVZrM_Tb9xWWpJHdQ5pFgfFh/s467/stone.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF0oC6PDkP1y5Xd4YJy0Pk4K5U50lrCMths0GQIhamA0rwjiPzI59q89w9Mzug3GrE6sjr9wl2tivRSoLiZIMeHx3mrUnJchq89_O56qIc0nLdMV25NO31aVZrM_Tb9xWWpJHdQ5pFgfFh/s320/stone.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjogQAY6JHXVOQ-o1zSHf8vlzULE-XtKYUkWGcHm-0iRQpiWO9LFfSx9KRXe4w1iIg_GM3RKM84HBF7BcbRFy5dDsxCS-MfHFNEoJt7U58B0c4iX-lTcSYuzCB2CaYrdAELmgMx1XPsvL6p/s453/lf+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjogQAY6JHXVOQ-o1zSHf8vlzULE-XtKYUkWGcHm-0iRQpiWO9LFfSx9KRXe4w1iIg_GM3RKM84HBF7BcbRFy5dDsxCS-MfHFNEoJt7U58B0c4iX-lTcSYuzCB2CaYrdAELmgMx1XPsvL6p/s320/lf+%25282%2529.jpg" /></a></div><p><b>Read to a child today even if that child is you. </b></p><p>Friends of the NICU held an Usborne book drive and sent us 118 books. Usborne books are great for kids as they are durable and fun. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhphmdGCqFx1oQEsIUdhbCRr_CvR3OpspdOTMY2bDjDOY2DKSdSXUZiqQMQgFF3cg-ohJwggmjX4jMZdEtrsw9_jes1NGU_ayNEu5LH1I3Rq-aZwyplStaHIJ82vBVvoNNiJvVLikV4Z6S/s2048/0E0B5D38-870B-40A4-A2AF-AC25160384D9.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1754" data-original-width="2048" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhphmdGCqFx1oQEsIUdhbCRr_CvR3OpspdOTMY2bDjDOY2DKSdSXUZiqQMQgFF3cg-ohJwggmjX4jMZdEtrsw9_jes1NGU_ayNEu5LH1I3Rq-aZwyplStaHIJ82vBVvoNNiJvVLikV4Z6S/s320/0E0B5D38-870B-40A4-A2AF-AC25160384D9.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The Mellow family donated these cute books in honor of their nephew Liam. These books will have a bookplate letting the family who receives them know that they are in his honor. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdu1fIdD9lf1js-uc-luH1h1i8grPoOA55CklSlPDXXFzgDDNNMV5KaKCgHn00MxWdvOvYh6LPChSdW15eddxL8RZSv4N_Bm1M17jAdqz6qi6bV74NrjC32DPgRe4VHHdVdZ4Hkui7c-er/s2048/6BA61315-F458-44EF-9B2C-D73A27D1E23F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1930" data-original-width="2048" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdu1fIdD9lf1js-uc-luH1h1i8grPoOA55CklSlPDXXFzgDDNNMV5KaKCgHn00MxWdvOvYh6LPChSdW15eddxL8RZSv4N_Bm1M17jAdqz6qi6bV74NrjC32DPgRe4VHHdVdZ4Hkui7c-er/s320/6BA61315-F458-44EF-9B2C-D73A27D1E23F.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Megan Smith sent these book.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivxj3pNoYrgM-bd0r6YCgEvAcyudEUmGofhxTCOO-lUDxAzy7Q3OMbAp3refBweKdnWuG0ZpLfuXf2kJRBlUseJBLC2LwBguDBp9rMz4T7R5cKa-LTdXC7giWUu2CcXPvUeXw4XajT9FbA/s2048/6080F886-7E4C-4D1E-9484-01E302D549B9.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1259" data-original-width="2048" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivxj3pNoYrgM-bd0r6YCgEvAcyudEUmGofhxTCOO-lUDxAzy7Q3OMbAp3refBweKdnWuG0ZpLfuXf2kJRBlUseJBLC2LwBguDBp9rMz4T7R5cKa-LTdXC7giWUu2CcXPvUeXw4XajT9FbA/s320/6080F886-7E4C-4D1E-9484-01E302D549B9.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />We received monetary donations from Grace Olsen and Janet Gleue.<div><br /></div><div>We greatly appreciate each and every donation to our book project. <br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: 700;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/TMEJX8UC767K">Link to our NICU book registry</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;"> to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.</span></p><p><br /></p></div>Catherine1216http://www.blogger.com/profile/02758599576029004768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014762415901522915.post-29737433319656694612021-09-30T20:09:00.001-06:002021-09-30T20:09:39.141-06:00Here in the Real World by Sara Pennypacker<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/here-in-the-real-world-sara-pennypacker/1130335628?ean=9780062983817">Here in the Real World </a></i></b></span>by Sara Pennypacker was published in 2020, and after reading this, I've decided that Pennypacker is one of my favorite authors for young people. I recently read another book in her Clementine series (which is great for early readers), and it was excellent. </p><p>Pennypacker knows how to get in a kid's head and see things the way a kid does. Her characters are incredibly real; she is a wonderful storyteller, and her writing is stellar. Her characters seem to have a vulnerability and gentleness about them, which makes them all the more likeable. </p><p><i>Here in the Read World</i> is about Ware, a boy who feels awkward in his own skin. He is eleven years old, and supposed to be spending the summer with his grandmother while his parents both work overtime so that they can afford to buy their home. However, something happens to grandma and that means that Ware must go to the dreaded Rec center for the summer instead. </p><p>Ware sneaks away from the Rec center, and goes next door where he discovers an abandoned church and a very salty girl, Jolene. He's been sheltered by overprotective parents his whole life, and now he has a chance to help build something important. In creating a refuge in this abandoned lot, Ware begins to see who he really is. </p><p>I loved the symbolism in this story. I listened to the audio version, which was well narrated, but I want to reread the book so that I can annotate because there are many great quotes in this story. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6hKW51qto2JUPOr00Ian6jD89Z1_T6gaVlIpdjqLlI3jMXbcMlbKLqfJqNHHp96rzu6sDfmoZ_8UsbC8GDlYXqkWnlRHGX3dLJ6crqUQcdK_5UcXc8jPD4O4oOH4rwxejqkedWGUhwpx2/s439/z.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6hKW51qto2JUPOr00Ian6jD89Z1_T6gaVlIpdjqLlI3jMXbcMlbKLqfJqNHHp96rzu6sDfmoZ_8UsbC8GDlYXqkWnlRHGX3dLJ6crqUQcdK_5UcXc8jPD4O4oOH4rwxejqkedWGUhwpx2/s320/z.jpg" /></a></div><p><b style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;">Read to a child today even if that child is you. </b></p><p><span style="font-family: quot;"><b>We’ve had several donations to our book project this month. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: quot;">Britney Shaw sent this book.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWAG3kSfvIW3_SbhAYaUlTbZbvICnt3m4PitFGX1sIF2Jrc9JTn_k8ZODWVm3ugDNndEpzi_djsf56Nj-o9ouECOvvY8Iqlk2HIfW210cMqsBhmPatlIY6pyPWCnB-NPikRk-4O6OsjqAq/s2048/5BDED747-E532-442C-8664-55A658E09A40.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1966" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWAG3kSfvIW3_SbhAYaUlTbZbvICnt3m4PitFGX1sIF2Jrc9JTn_k8ZODWVm3ugDNndEpzi_djsf56Nj-o9ouECOvvY8Iqlk2HIfW210cMqsBhmPatlIY6pyPWCnB-NPikRk-4O6OsjqAq/s320/5BDED747-E532-442C-8664-55A658E09A40.jpeg" width="307" /></a></div><div><br /></div>My neighbor, Michelle, sent these.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEfJBO6uHL7Dw0uFeIt9UOTvGOsTHRUTqqyfS-2Yr1uldDRbSSLU-YW77KSY_vOOPouix8zPBzZqzuQgggrxntSPeFGeEsbxhe2tbesXymF6O0MzV4vJYmae2VJzTcbEpgqcynYdDTsa5v/s2048/54F8049A-BD32-4365-B597-5CDE10D0AD7F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEfJBO6uHL7Dw0uFeIt9UOTvGOsTHRUTqqyfS-2Yr1uldDRbSSLU-YW77KSY_vOOPouix8zPBzZqzuQgggrxntSPeFGeEsbxhe2tbesXymF6O0MzV4vJYmae2VJzTcbEpgqcynYdDTsa5v/s320/54F8049A-BD32-4365-B597-5CDE10D0AD7F.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Grace donated money, and I purchased these books from Scholastic. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwQeWp_iuZqOnVvM_nbEiS8RgGGBNqsn-iwcxW1k6giymuMSj_yEjWdcJcsFqNN3ijVCjTO6GPBXS7Z0biU1DctBtkyxxFu6AX9RdRDy5Rb0vzaIRaZmhpFFpUqqM_r5l205GV_V-JkS2/s2048/74A70019-5010-4180-972D-2CD123A8CBE5.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwQeWp_iuZqOnVvM_nbEiS8RgGGBNqsn-iwcxW1k6giymuMSj_yEjWdcJcsFqNN3ijVCjTO6GPBXS7Z0biU1DctBtkyxxFu6AX9RdRDy5Rb0vzaIRaZmhpFFpUqqM_r5l205GV_V-JkS2/s320/74A70019-5010-4180-972D-2CD123A8CBE5.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I spent the last of our donated money from last year on these books from Scholastic. As a teacher, I am able to get a good price plus get free books from the points earned by purchasing. So that means more books for babies. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10t7UJm4u270LNSXji56Re7QdKVv_hLplGwidYh0M0WfzIY8GWoISv9buM9bzNiJFDKmrVr7Kc7EN3sPEuJwr-BsmV3pofh_kiMwmLmnDuiEsi3WNfnLHAoy4rUk34eZCv3sbOiH4dyiT/s2048/594B175E-CF09-48EB-B523-3C928692E305.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1452" data-original-width="2048" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10t7UJm4u270LNSXji56Re7QdKVv_hLplGwidYh0M0WfzIY8GWoISv9buM9bzNiJFDKmrVr7Kc7EN3sPEuJwr-BsmV3pofh_kiMwmLmnDuiEsi3WNfnLHAoy4rUk34eZCv3sbOiH4dyiT/s320/594B175E-CF09-48EB-B523-3C928692E305.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Heidi Crezee sent these. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfrlEjPuU4xRXYInz0e4QuQD-Fkm2KR4M4ZfjTuDXE8OEjrmUKksUKqKpEv_usuMGfQOsF7M0MaNNpArYGY6xEVf93nFkLZ0R6stVFDW2Y8e8SubhNH773fftOi2d9fq3T7DdekB6x-6R/s2048/0958B49E-D6B9-4001-A8B2-6548C428B855.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfrlEjPuU4xRXYInz0e4QuQD-Fkm2KR4M4ZfjTuDXE8OEjrmUKksUKqKpEv_usuMGfQOsF7M0MaNNpArYGY6xEVf93nFkLZ0R6stVFDW2Y8e8SubhNH773fftOi2d9fq3T7DdekB6x-6R/s320/0958B49E-D6B9-4001-A8B2-6548C428B855.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Sharise Case brought this book. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNwdlDtwJwwlTIImmVTWuQByvIXNFNKxQkx7ICCWyBnp1wvlnOeK5UMZ149w5fXh-yuwoed-2A2MuiZ-qOCsnFRdD-EgRC9yvEQBGGPvyySZUCkXvS7Z-VPw7uwq3S2CjoLBp3aM_WVZJ/s2048/A391541D-7ED8-48C1-A541-43378B989FFB.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1630" data-original-width="2048" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNwdlDtwJwwlTIImmVTWuQByvIXNFNKxQkx7ICCWyBnp1wvlnOeK5UMZ149w5fXh-yuwoed-2A2MuiZ-qOCsnFRdD-EgRC9yvEQBGGPvyySZUCkXvS7Z-VPw7uwq3S2CjoLBp3aM_WVZJ/s320/A391541D-7ED8-48C1-A541-43378B989FFB.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: quot; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: 700;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/TMEJX8UC767K">Link to our NICU book registry</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Catherine1216http://www.blogger.com/profile/02758599576029004768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014762415901522915.post-28479802125363866652021-07-12T21:19:00.000-06:002021-07-12T21:19:10.330-06:00A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i> A Gentleman in Moscow</i></b></span> by Amor Towles was published in 2016, and I had heard a lot of hype about this book, so I was a bit hesitant to read it because often those books disappoint me. I listened to the audio version, and it was well narrated. </p><p>I found the story slow moving, and for a bit wondered if I'd continue on, but I'm glad I did. The writing is gentle and beautiful. Towles builds the story of Count Alexander Rostov who is sentenced to house arrest for the rest of his life in a hotel across the street from the Kremlin. The story covers many years, and while it develops slowly, it's worth it. </p><p>I enjoyed the civility of Rostov, his gentle nature, and his ability to bring out the best in people with the exception of that rotten manager. His friendship with Nina is delightful, and when he becomes an uncle/father figure to her daughter, it's beautiful. </p><p>I enjoyed reading about his friendships, and by the end was sorry to see the book end. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjer1eL6wQEVFYcE6ohnRrDgOkdsu2WyJ05LQ56KKlB4Q0CfQO6pmLAT0XSqT6Zxai598juVps3POgf97Fe5VJH6j9zdOFZfzR42yk1nlwCBHjMUC0u7Wu16bFmRBr4hKnXE_V0Qm3lWUVl/s406/9780143110439_p0_v1_s550x406.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="264" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjer1eL6wQEVFYcE6ohnRrDgOkdsu2WyJ05LQ56KKlB4Q0CfQO6pmLAT0XSqT6Zxai598juVps3POgf97Fe5VJH6j9zdOFZfzR42yk1nlwCBHjMUC0u7Wu16bFmRBr4hKnXE_V0Qm3lWUVl/s320/9780143110439_p0_v1_s550x406.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p><b style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;">Read to a child today even if that child is you. </b></p><div style="font-family: quot; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: 700;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/TMEJX8UC767K">Link to our NICU book registry</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Catherine1216http://www.blogger.com/profile/02758599576029004768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014762415901522915.post-2493973625998768402021-07-12T21:17:00.003-06:002021-09-25T20:06:54.161-06:00The Winter Horses by Philip Kerr<p><br /></p><p>Every so often, I read a novel set during WWII that teaches me something completely new that I didn't know before. Such is the case with <span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/winter-horses-philip-kerr/1116816950?ean=9780385755467">The Winter Horses</a></i></b></span> by Philip Kerr, which was published in 2014. </p><p>Kerr's story is based on truth, legend, fiction, and just a bit of magic. </p><p>The story is set in the very real nature preserve at Askaniya-Nova in Ukraine, which during WWII was part of Russia. The horses are Przewalski's - pronounced shuh-vahl-skeez primitive wild horses that have never been domesticated. </p><p>During the German invasion of the nature preserve, most of the horses were killed by the Germans, causing this endangered species to nearly become extinct. This is the story of how Kalinka, a Jewish refugee, and Max, the caretaker of the preserve, work to save two of the horses that survived the massacre. </p><p>This story shows how the actions of the Germans during WWII hurt more then human life. They felt the horses were inferior to German horses and should be extinct. They thought them too cunning and clever, and not as beautiful as domesticated horses. Przewakski's horses are much smaller than other horses, and no one has ever been able to tame them. </p><p>All of the current 2,000 Przewalski's horses are descended from just nine of the 31 horses that survived WWII. Most of these 31 horses were located on in other countries in zoos that had purchased them from the preserve before the WWII. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzxFvJ3hRb73GUEfEOwvsOcjqhpxGMIv9CydGkxeVuFxbIX9s6s_j0QsukbNxXkTKLHFhofZdeS9iKEfoZmYGA3mV8wiVpLOufnxdzathPMgGzJ-km6MU-N6wTGb950o4gsYwF0wrqPL32/s226/y.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="223" data-original-width="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzxFvJ3hRb73GUEfEOwvsOcjqhpxGMIv9CydGkxeVuFxbIX9s6s_j0QsukbNxXkTKLHFhofZdeS9iKEfoZmYGA3mV8wiVpLOufnxdzathPMgGzJ-km6MU-N6wTGb950o4gsYwF0wrqPL32/s0/y.jpg" /></a></div><p>I listened to the audio version and it was beautifully narrated. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiquJPDgpc6RQEiWQtajHQn6WDZAoP04qAz1vcz4nvAVNrx9GEXZQcTgaqIuspddZGFz_AMa45S7KrcwPhj4WbTpPn_Zoxrn39o2By0xHqTQduD2KqMRRWGtF3bWnXrPKt-QUzggePTGF0L/s439/z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiquJPDgpc6RQEiWQtajHQn6WDZAoP04qAz1vcz4nvAVNrx9GEXZQcTgaqIuspddZGFz_AMa45S7KrcwPhj4WbTpPn_Zoxrn39o2By0xHqTQduD2KqMRRWGtF3bWnXrPKt-QUzggePTGF0L/s320/z.jpg" /></a></div><p> <b style="font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;">Read to a child today even if that child is you. </b></p><div style="font-family: quot; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large; font-weight: 700;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/TMEJX8UC767K">Link to our NICU book registry</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div><b style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;"><br /></b>Catherine1216http://www.blogger.com/profile/02758599576029004768noreply@blogger.com0