Books I Finished This Week:
Enclave by Ann Aguirre--I loved this one! I can't wait to read the next one in the series. Duece lives in a world that is regulated by rules and in which people are named and given jobs if they live to be 15. She has just earned her name and is given the job of huntress which is what she always wanted to be. Then she is paired with Fade and she starts to question the way that things have always been. This is dystopian fiction at its best. I love how Duece becomes such a strong female lead. I will definitely recommend this one.
A Coming Evil by Vivian Vande Velde--When Lisette is sent to live with her aunt during World War II, she is really upset with her parents for sending her there. She has to deal with her annoying cousin, and now, she is helping take care of jewish children who must hide if anyone approaches the house. There is also a ghost involved in this story. I appreciated the chance to read another historical fiction book about World War II and the conditions for people living in occupied France. I was glad that this one was not as heartwrenching as these books can sometimes be. It is a good book for students grade 4 and up to learn about the war without too much emotional investment.
Readicide by Kelly Gallagher had me nodding my head in agreement throughout the whole book. I blasted through this one almost in one sitting. I like the way he talks about making sure we still teach the classics but in a way that is supporting students. The big chunk/little chunk approach is a great way to make sure that we give students opportunities for close reading as is called for in the common core.
Kin (The Good Neighbors #1) by Holly Black is a graphic novel. Rue's mother disappeared one day and she and her father are very concerned about it. When her father is arrested for the suspected murder of her mother, it is up to Rue to figure out what is going on. She finds out she is part fairy and the plot thickens from there. This was entertaining and I will look for the other books in the series.
The Amulet of Samarkand graphic novel is really well done. I like the way the point of view switches and there are visual cues to help the reader know who is speaking. I read this novel a few years back and really didn't like it that much. I like the graphic novel much better. I think it was easier to keep track of the story line this way.
La Sombra de La Sirena by Camilla Lackberg is the 6th book in her mystery series set in Fjallbacka. Unfortunately for most people in the United States, you can only get the first 3 books in the series here. I started reading this series a few years back because it is wildly popular in Spain. Now that there are ebooks, I can actually buy the books when they are released in Spain and so have been able to keep going in the series. This one left a serious cliffhanger so I will be waiting on pins and needles for those translators to finish with the next one! If you like mysteries you should look for The Ice Princess which is the first book.
Flesh and Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy--This is an excellent nonfiction book to add to my class library. It does a great job of describing the conditions of life in this era as well as telling about the tragedy at the Triangle factory.
Books I am Currently Reading:
I start school on Wednesday so I have been dedicating time to going into my classroom and getting things set up. Students don't start until next Tuesday so I will still have a little time to read this week, but I will be planning and mostly reading professional titles I think. Where did the summer go?
I read Readicide a few years ago and it just makes so much sense. I saw Kelly Gallagher speak at IRA and he's every bit as brilliant in person. You just can't argue with sense! I also loved Beauty Queens. I listened to it on audio and it's read by Libba Bray herself. It was perfect. So great. And I read Jeff Anderson's 10 Things, too. So good! He's another smartie.
ReplyDeleteI would love to see Kelly Gallagher speak. He just makes so much sense in all of his books. I have used many ideas from Teaching Adolescent Writers and Reading Reasons in my classroom and will incorporate ideas from Readicide also. I will have to look for the audio of Beauty Queens, I love it when authors read their own work.
ReplyDelete