They Plowed Just So That It Might Snow Again

Snow Day Lab

Hypothesis: Putting a wooden spoon under my pillow will cause it to snow.

Materials:

• Bed
• Pillow
• Wooden Spoon
• Weather
• Human

Procedure:

1. Place a wooden spoon under your pillow before going to sleep on a winter's night. Time: 12:00a.m.
2. Wait.

Variables to Consider:
On the first night, inside-out pjs were also worn.

Control:
All of the other nights this winter where no wooden spoon was placed under said pillow, no snow resulted.

Results:
The snow took longer than I expected to start. Although the spoon was placed under the pillow at midnight, it did not start snowing for a full 13 hours later. With such a delayed start time, it can be hard to determine causation. However, the spoon has stayed in place since Thursday night, and the snow has not stopped.

Conclusion:
All school children should do this again tonight.

Snow Daze

Several of my students told me about a new talisman for snow: place a wooden spoon under your pillow. On Thursday night, sick of kids and a rather mundane winter, I placed a wooden spoon under my pillow. I forewent the Melanie Snow Dance and the Melanie Cap of Foil, although I did stick to wearing my pjs inside out.

Yesterday, I got my wish. A snow day.

But I forgot to remove the wooden spoon from my pillow, and it never stopped snowing!

Saturday, 2:00

Will there be more tomorrow? Was the wooden spoon under the pillow so powerful that it might also effect a snow day on Monday?

Silas Marner

Silas Marner by George Eliot

"I suppose one reason why we are seldom able to comfort our neighbors with our words is that our goodwill gets adulterated, in spite of ourselves, before it can pass our lips. We can send black puddings and pettitoes without giving them a flavor of our own egoism; but language is a stream that is almost sure to smack of a mingled soil." (Silas Marner, p. 73, B&N Classics)

So I was put to the challenge to read something that my husband was reading. He's taught Silas Marner for a few semesters, and I was interested slightly. I had watched the charming (what a horrible modifier, and yet appropriate) version A Simple Twist of Fate, staring Steve Martin, so I knew I would like the story line. And so, last Saturday, I sat down and began.

Honestly, it had been awhile since I had read anything that was not pulp fiction (I don't really know what that consists of, but by it I mean Crichton, King, etc) or Young Adult literature. And it took me a bit of awkward and strenuous mental training to step into the syntax and writing style of a 19th century writer. But I persevered; thankfully, for I was fully rewarded!

Oddly enough, I had of late bemoaned my students' inability to comprehend more complicated sentence structure. In an ego-stroking manner, I looked back on my childhood. I was an avid reader, and I liked to read more difficult prose. (How odd that now as an adult I choose YA fiction.) I can attribute this to several factors. First, there was a lack of good bookstores/libraries with quality YA literature. It was all Nancy Drew and SVH or nothing. Second, I wanted to keep up with Jane, who was reading Little Women at the age of 8. How can I forget, since she so often hit my head with that heavy book. (And a friendship blossomed, who would've thought it?) Last, I went to Catholic school. Well, regardless of why I chose Alcott, Austen, and Hawthorne at an early age, the prose of those times is complex and detailed. Look at any YA book today. Rarely will you see such long sentences. Nineteenth century books are rife with semi-colons. Sentences are long, winding walks. Today, sentences are short, simple, and to the point. I'm not a judge. I don't think we speak (at least today) in the manner that 19th century writers, especially Victorian writers, wrote. I think that we do align more closely to a 15 or 20 word sentence than one upwards of 30. But I do think becoming fluent in more complicated syntax and sentence structure helps the brain become more agile.

I digress.

It took me awhile to warm up to Eliot's prose. Too long, too detailed. But my mind warmed up, and soon I was following along without a second thought.

I digress again.

I loved Silas Marner. True, I did not appreciate the overly detailed accounts of Raveloe at the beginning. What the reader gleans from those first three pages can easily be absorbed as the reader becomes familiar with Raveloe throughout the novel. Silas Marner is a weaver who, due to unfortunate circumstances, finds himself alone, lonely, and miserly in the unfamiliar town of Raveloe. His only comfort becomes the gold coins that he slowly accumulates while weaving for the richer ladies in town. Nightly, he counts his coins - never spending. Quite frankly, as my husband said, it is not mere miserliness but rather an odd fetishism. Silas literally spends hours counting his coins and piling them up. After discovering that he has been robbed, Silas is lost without the anchoring weight of his gold.

On New Year's Eve, Silas opens his door contemplating a chance return of his stolen gold. During that moment he experiences a cataleptic fight (an affliction he suffers from and which was believed to be most likely derived from the devil) and the door remains open. While Silas is unconscious, a small child walks into his house. Her mother has died in the snow storm, and she is left orphaned. Silas takes this as a sign. His gold is replaced by the gold of the girl's hair. Chance, fate, or God took away his gold but gave to him this child.

It is wonderfully fulfilling to watch and experience Silas's changing life from one of a lonely, unloved loner to that of a loving father and friend.

I won't say more. (I've already said so much this post.) But this is definitely one of the best books (adult books) that I've read in years. It's hard for me to remember notable adult books, but I know that in the past few I've enjoyed March, Next, and Ice Queen the most.

Five Stars for a totally delightful and Christmas cheer type of book!

Grade: A+

Read more >> Options >>

The Angel of Death (YA)

The Angel of Death by Alane Ferguson

This book continues the adventures of Cameryn Mahoney, a teenager who is also the assistant to the local coroner. In this episode, Cammie is determined to get to the bottom of her English teacher's enigmatic death. The first book was The Christopher Killer, which was a great name in my opinion. Regardless of title quality, this is a new great Nancy Drew series for the CSI set.

Cameryn Mahoney ... Nancy Drew
Assistant to Coroner ... Detective
Single Dad ... Widowed Father
Dad is the Coroner ... Dad is a lawyer whose clients often have mysteries
Grandmother ... Hannah, the Drew housekeeper
Lyric, best friend ... George and Bess
Deputy Justin Crowley ... Ned Nickerson
Some sexual tension ... Ned was a basketball player & Nancy and Ned were obviously only interested in holding hands.

These are fun and fast reads, although I would love it if they came with a bit more science and forensics than they currently do. At times the language can be a bit heavy-handed with the metaphors.
"She knew folks in Silverton whispered about her all the time, under their breaths, their words falling like snowflakes only to melt beneath her resolve." (3)
"She tried to swallow down the hot broth of anxiety rising from her stomach." (208)

Grade: A-

Update On Nothing For Nobody

Not the most optimistic of post titles.

I have little to say except that I recently discovered that I had erroneously believed that perseverate meant to vacillate or waver. Now, this was a belief I held even though I knew it went against my own common sense. I mean, perseverate. It's definitely related to persevere. Anyway, perseverate means to continue on with a behavior without any rational reason. It's most often used in psychology. Well, I perseverated in my false belief that perseverate meant to go back and forth. Why? I have no idea.

But then the truth came, and I had to accept the error of my ways.

Crichton: I'll miss him.

The Terminal Man by Michael Crichton.

I had been anxiously awaiting a new book from Crichton all year. Next left me with such a high. I loved it: sci-fi, real science, a blending of the possibilities of the present and the future, plus genetics. It was awesome. Crichton rocked. I am truly saddened by his death. Unfortunately, I'm not sad for his loss, but mostly for my own. I really loved his books (and ER, too!).

Crichton Books That I've Read: The Andromeda Strain, The Terminal Man, Congo (I think), Sphere, Jurassic Park, The Lost World (I think), Airframe, Timeline, Prey, State of Fear, and Next.

The Terminal Man

The Terminal Man is a solid medical thriller about a man named Benson who suffers from traumatic brain injury. This injury leads to episodes of uncontrollable violence. Doctors at a leading university hospital decide to implant electrical wiring and microchips to monitor and readjust his brain waves to help prevent these attacks. The protagonist is a female neuro-pschiatrist named Dr. Ross who is quite uneasy about the surgical experiment. To make a long-story short: the patient, who is already neurotic and believes that computers are trying to take over the world, gets the surgery and goes nuts. He learns how to control the microchips in his brain. He breaks out and begins attacking people. The hospital personnel gets involved, and the police must track him down. Good plot, good excitement.

One of the most interesting parts of this story is that it was published in 1971. There's a lot of talk about new technology of the day. There's musings about the place of the computer versus the machine in society. What's so compelling is how this mindset compares to our current day views. Heck, I recently saw a clip on 60 Minutes about how chips can be implanted into the heads of the ALS patients so that they can control a mouse with their minds! And you know what I thought? That's damned awesome!

Here's a bit about a doctor who finds himself in a computer development office.

"Morris looked around the room, at the large pieces of computer equipment standing in different areas. It was an odd sensation: the first time he could recall being in a room littered with computers." (159)

My mother's house has 5 computers in it. Five computers for 4 people!

But there is another interesting point made in the book by Benson: Machines require our input, but computers are developing in such a way that they are becoming self-sufficient and independent of us. While my mother's house has 5 computers, they still work as machines - requiring input. They are still basically fulfilling the role of a tool. How often in my life do I currently come into contact with a computer or computer program that runs on its own and adapts? I don't know. Probably lots of times, but I'm completely complacent in living my life unaware.

What would happen if computers exceed us and no longer need any input from us? Will we fade away? There's an interesting Bradbury short story about this. Well, probably several. And a few from Asimov, too.

But that's a whole 'nother blog.

Grade: B (Probably a B+ or A in the 70s or 80s)

Gratitude

I am thankful for my family, my friends, my pets, and my job.

I am grateful that I have money to support myself and to spend.

I am happy that's it never a decision between gas or food, but rather between chicken or pork chops.

I am indebted to my wonderful husband who supports me in whatever I do.

I am thankful that my worries are about getting in shape and not about anything worse.

I am happy that my worries this year are how well will I do with the BEST and how can this year be better for the kids, and not worries about how to get a hard-to-come by English teaching job.

I appreciate that I live in a place where I rarely see traffic but regularly see beautiful scenery.

I am happy that I drive by a steamy river every fall, a frozen river every winter, and a roaring one every spring.

haiku hurtle

autumn leaves pour down
fast losing their crisp crackle
too like cheap cornflakes

New Faux-Twitters

Fulfilling my need for twittering and those of the moment status updates on Facebook:

Mel is

• A writing teacher who would rather read than write.
• A reader who wishes that there was some good TV on tonight.
• A person who fights against materialism yet totally wants a flat screen TV - because everyone else has one
• A person who only pays $12 for cable, so what's the point of a good TV?
• Who definitely needs a new laptop before a new TV.
• Feeling guilty that she hasn't eaten that pomegranate yet. Hey! Those things are a time investment!
• Reading Rumors, although Terry said it wasn't too good - but the cover is irresistible.
  

Wicked Lovely (YA) by Melisssa Marr

Wicked Lovely.

Oh, if only stories lived up to their titles. Wicked Lovely isn't a bad story; in fact, it's quite good. But still not as good as its title.

Plot Synopsis:

Wicked Lovely is about Aislinn, a human girl, who has the ability to see fairies. Throughout her life, she has strictly adhered to the rules: Never speak with or engage a fairy. Contrary to belief, most fairies are neither kind nor complacent. They are capricious and cruel. Their viciousness may alight on anyone who rouses their interest. Unfortunately, Aislinn discovers that the dethroned Summer King, Keenan, has chosen her to be the next Summer Queen. But, of course, nothing is ever that easy. Keenan has searched for centuries for the right Queen who will help him realize his full power. Throughout the ages, those chosen girls have been given a choice: Take the challenge to see if they are truly the Summer Queen and become Keenan's true partner or turn into a Summer fairy. Those who have taken the challenge and failed become "Winter Girls." Aislinn is the Keenan's newest pick.

But Aislinn is a modern girl, and she wants to have her cake and eat it, too. Although Aislinn feels in her heart that she is the true Summer Queen, she is unwilling to give up her mortal love.


Critique:
The world of the fairies is fully flushed out and completely intriguing, which is why I'm eager to move onto the next book in the series, Ink Exchange. What isn't completely understood is how the two worlds, mortal and fairy, are related. What are the fairies' interests in humans? If the Winter Queen is getting closer to winning her battle - a win which would affect fairies and humans alike - wouldn't humans feel the change? Basically, I'm a sucker for background information.

The prose is poetic at times ("Then he bent down and kissed her, lips open against hers. It was like swallowing sunshine...p.224) and sometimes over the top, but never to the Stephanie Meyers' level.

Character development is best in Keenan, who is at times arrogant and self-centered and at other times the charming Fairy King that one would expect. It is also outstandingly developed in Donia, the Winter Girl, who is torn for her love for Keenan and her desire to have her chilly mantle taken on by a new Winter Girl.

Although Aislinn is a modern girl who refuses to give in easily to Keenan, things still work out a tad bit too well for her. Then again, this is a Young Adult novel.

Grade: B+

Bad Teaching, Good Day

Yesterday was a bad teaching day. Everything was out of focus and I was always two steps off.
From waking up late, to the pimple I'm still sporting on my chin, to my shoes which broke in the middle of the day, to a giant container of pretzels hitting me on the head. And throw in some crappy teaching to boot.

But after that my day picked up. My husband and I went to John Henry's with friends, and then we went shopping at Target.

I know it doesn't sound like much, but I hadn't been to Target in perhaps two months. And Target is my favorite store!

Reading Right Now:
Wicked Lovely
An Ironman Comic

Would Rather Be Reading:
An adult fiction book about Henry VII.

More Reads

Night Shift by Stephen King.
Excellent, excellent book of short stories. In particular, "Night Surf" was unbelievable. One of the best endings to a short story that I have read in ages.

Bone (YA) by Jeff Smith.
After a few years of recommending this graphic novel to kids, I finally took my own advice. Now, I am not a fan of comics or graphic novels. Although my kid sister went through an exceptionally long, intense animae/manga phase, I couldn't bear to read one. I really did enjoy the Maus series, and I have read City of Light, City of Dark by Avi. But that's about it.

It didn't take me long to get into this; it only took me the will power to get over my stubborn reluctance to go comic book. The illustrations are charming (I think that probably sounds like an insult, but it's not meant to be), and easy on the eye. The three characters from Bone, when together, got on my nerves immensely. However, when alone were bearable. Soon after the first few pages, Fone Bone, the protagonist, is separated from the others. He meets up with several fantastical characters: a talking preying mantis-type creature and its giant cousin, man-sized rats, and a dragon. All of whom can talk. He is then helped by the beautiful Thorn, a human girl, and her wily grandma.

This is high fantasy. But it works. I'm eager to get the second edition.

Grade: A

Election Day

Can we tip the scale?

Halloween Happenings

I had a lovely though hectic Halloween. I consumed too many Tootsie Rolls. I read a lot of Stephen King's Night Shift. I looked over a small mound of papers that needed grading, and I tended to some of them. This weekend felt surreal. In a way that is odd but not scary. And for that very lack of eeriness, my weekend feels a bit like a bad dream.

Maybe it's just the daylight savings time. Maybe not.

Mel Wishes She Could Twitter on Facebook

... but I don't have Facebook. But here are some of my "twitters," or whatever the hell they're called.

• Mel Just Watched the Phillies Win the World Series!
  
  
• Did I really invite my students to the "DARK SIDE" when I assigned them a scary story to write? Really? 'Cuz someone said I did.
• Mel doesn't know if she can handle worrying about the ramifications of the "DARK SIDE."
• Right now, Mel is doubting her sound mind. How could she have invited her students to the dark side?
• Oh God! What's next? Will one of her student's heads spin around? I don't even know an exorcist!
• Okay, fine. I invited them. The invitations were super nice. Embossed. AND YES, I think someone stepped over the bounds and entered the dark side. OMG. I can only hope I don't have to call home.

Other Twitter Entries:

• How Could I Have Let All This Grading Pile UP?
• Sir Hilary's Everest : My Grading Mountain. It's almost the same.
• Mel hopes she's just as happy as this Phillies dude - when she's finally done with this grading.
• 7th Grade Writing is totally awesome - when it's not as high as Mt. Washington!
• REALLY? I gotta get progress reports out again by the middle of next week? REALLY?
  
• Mel Really Wishes We Had a Real Snow Storm Today!
• This morning rocked winter! Seriously.
  

nada

I am ambition-less. Lacking all "oomph."

I haven't done much new. I haven't read much new. And, most importantly, I just don't want to go to school tomorrow.

I'm bored of scary stories. (That's what we're working on right now.) Well, not really. Actually, I had one class that I didn't want to get too ahead of the game, so we just scary stories out loud today. It was super low-key and relaxing.

I'm just tired. I've spent two weekends away from home, which is always exhausting. Also, a weekend away totally throws me off my schedule. So imagine two in a row...

I have one not so interesting thing to note:

At times I find myself watching the HSN channel. Yesterday, they were selling a group of 9 mismatched socks for children. For 31 bucks! Some of their selling points? Your children won't be late for school because they were searching for matching socks. You'll have 36 different combinations! Imagine how much money you would have to spend to come up with 36 different mismatched sock combos! It was so awesomely redunkulous that I wish I had taped it.

Reading:
I've been reading R.L. Stine short stories. Pretty good. I don't care if they're low level.
I've started reading The Sea of Trolls. It's going to be good ... if I can ever get enough oomph to get into reading again. (It'll happen.)

Marking Period 1 - Finished

Good News! Grades are in for the first report card of the year!

Also interesting, the word macabre (for which I am still trying to work on the pronunciation), derives from the Apocrypha book of Maccabees. And I always thought it must be French in origins.

Other words I have been wanting to discover the etymology: cowlick and adjective

My Day: Okay

Scary Story Season

Skeleton Man (YA) by Joseph Bruchac.

Molly's parents mysteriously disappear and a strange uncle shows up to act as her guardian. He's a gaunt, odd man who prepares her lavishly fattening breakfasts each morning but locks her into her room at night. Imprisoned in her room, Molly is plagued with nightmares about a Native American tale about the flesh-eating skeleton man. With the exception of her school teacher, the rest of the adults in Molly's life refuse to believe that Molly's fears are valid. Molly must rely only on herself if she's ever going to free herself from her uncle.

Grade: B+

The Shame of Expecting Too Much

Some days I forget that I work with 7th graders. These past few days were some of those days. I created a quiz that was much too hard. It's hard to accept defeat when you've tried so hard otherwise. We practiced. We used guided notes. We acted things out. We practiced with a study guide. We created "cheat sheets" to use while taking the quiz.

But they failed miserably. As a teacher, that means that I fail, too. Damn, that is not something you want to admit to. I mean, who wants to admit that they were ineffectual? And as a teacher, who can waste 5 days when there are only 180?

At first I was stunned. Then upset. Disgusted by myself. I couldn't sleep last night. How could I have failed them? How could they have failed? (And the read-between-the-lines question: How could they fail me?) Today my esteem returned a bit. My support teachers reassured me. I tried my best to right wrongs. We went over the quiz as a class. I'm providing them the opportunity to retake the quiz. Things are getting better.

But I still feel embarrassed. How could I have been so naive?

Contemporary Musing on Fairy Tale Infatuation: A Chick Lit Read

The Frog Prince (Adult Fiction) by Jane Porter.

This was a book from the book bin in the teacher's room. A colleague had it, lent it to another, and it finally found its way to me. Honestly, I doubted whether I should read past the first few chapters. It seemed old. It seemed uncomfortable. Honestly, it started off in all the ways that chick lit does; and in the end, it pretty much wrapped up in the same way too. But like all good chick lit, it was fun and silly and vaguely uplifting. And like all chick lit, I definitely felt myself angry for living in this podunk town. Argh. I've always wanted to live some place urban; someplace where I could forgo the necessity of a car. (Ha! I just financed a new car!) Like most chick lit, it made me feel a bit old and a bit behind, since most of the protagonists are younger and seem more professionally advanced than I am. But enough of my kvetching.

This is a great weekend read. Really. A solid B+, temptingly perhaps an A-. But that's only within the definition of chick lit.


What's Next? IDK.

The Dead and the Gone

The Dead and the Gone (YA) by Susan Beth Pfeffer.

Wow. But you can't end that "wow" with an exclamation. This book is too intense for that. Like Life As We Knew It, the companion book to The Dead and the Gone, there are no easy answers in a post-apocalyptic world. But this story has more gravitas. While Miranda, the protagonist from LAWKI, lived through the death of one world and the birth of another, she did so under the protective and guiding supervision of her mother and older brother. Alex Morales, the protagonist of TDATG, however, is left as the head of the family.

The Morales family lives in NYC, and when the asteroid hits, both parents die. Alex is left with little more than $50 to his family's name. What I found intriguing about this book was the aspect of religion and social hierarchy. While LAWKI focused on one family, because it was in a rural setting we rarely saw what happened in the community. In TDATG, we see how a community unites, dies, and even turns against itself. Pfeffer also allows readers to witness how social class differences allow the privileged to survive and escape, while the average and the poor are left trapped to die on Manhattan. Another interesting aspect is the strength of the Morales family's faith in God and their love in each other. While the situation surrounding the Morales family seems harsher than that of Miranda, in other ways it seems more heart-warming. Despite the violence, the characters seem to have more empathy, hope, and faith.

I think I like this book better than LAWKI, but it's a hard call to make.

The End Is Now the Beginning

This is my last book of the summer; finished the morning right before leaving for a Teacher Inservice.

Brian's Winter (YA) by Gary Paulson. This is a companion piece to Paulson's Hatchet, a story about a young boy who is stranded in the Canadian wilderness for a summer. Brian's Winter is the story of what would have happened to Brian had he not been rescued.

Of course, this book is a bit fanciful. Things tend to go off pretty well for Brian. At the same time, Paulson does great things with the descriptive narratives of the wilderness. A few chapters into the book, I was yearning for my first winter snow (and snow day). I love taking hikes in the snow, and by hikes, I really mean long walks.

At times, the book was too predictable. For example, the moment the skunk appeared, it becomes apparent that Brian and the skunk will form some sort of symbiotic relationship of food and defense.

Regardless, this book achieves an A/B+ for being a solid accompaniment to Hatchet (and for getting me totally enthused about winter).

Next Up: David Sedaris's newest book

It sucked.

Terry was right. It sucked.

I waded through the whole book in just days, only to be rewarded with no battle! After my last post, the threat of the Volturi (the vampire royalty) finally emerged. And my reading motivation perked up! A battle! A fight preparation! Death!

But, alas, the Volturi came and they made up and everyone lived happily ever after! Seriously.

Ugh.

Throughout the first three books, Bella defines herself only in comparison to Edward. In this book, she finally becomes immortal and gains equal footing with the Cullens. This could have been a great opportunity for character development. Bella becomes a mother and comes to learn that she has one of the most valuable supernatural powers around, but she is still defined by Edward.

Here's a blog post with comments that I totally dig: http://electrolicious.com/2008/08/my-breaking-dawn-review

One more bite before I puke...

Breaking Dawn

I'm not quite done with it yet. It's like Les Mis length, okay? But I'll probably be done with it soon-- despite the fact that I can't stand it.

Yesterday, Terr texted me with "The book sucked." I wasn't sure what she meant, and I never called her for clarification. I have two possible interpretations of that message.

1) The book sucked. As in, the book was poorly written, the plot wasn't great or was too all-encompassing, etc.
2) The book sucked because a beloved character died.

Well, my only hope is that both of the above are true. Because #1 is already true, and I think that #2 is the only possible option that will salvage this story.

Now this is the thing, the Twilight series isn't great literature. But they have been great reads. Sure, they're fantastic, indulgent, and over the top. But they are adrenaline pumping reads. I can imagine this series will last for a long time, but not like Harry Potter. The difference is that I really cared about the characters in Harry Potter, but most of the time I can't muster one bit of connection to the characters in this series. (Tangential Aside: I detested the Epilogue in the final HP book.) Quite frankly, I felt more connected to Stephanie Plum in Evanovitch's books than I do to Bella Swan, but then again I am an adult like Stephanie Plum and not a hormone-ridden teen like Bella. So I imagine it must be quite different for all of those girls out there who are getting dressed up like the characters. Which is neither here nor there.

Breaking Dawn is over-indulgent pulp, saccharine to the extreme. Dark Shadows multiplied 10 times with a huge dash of fashion from Vogue. All the emotions - like the hugest, longest roller coaster ever. Perhaps that's teenage life. I can't remember. But the emotions - all either felt to the nth degree or felt too shallow at all. For example, Bella becomes a mother. Sure there are descriptions of her all-encompassing love for her child, but it feels as heartfelt as one's love for vanilla soft serve. (I wish I had some right now. And I am sorry McDonald's employee at whom today I yelled. --Ugh what one will do to avoid ending on a preposition.--) You can feel heartfelt love for ice cream, but I sure do hope I have more depth of feeling for my future children.

BUT I CAN'T STOP READING IT. It's giving me a headache. It's got some crazy narcotic effect. I almost feel like I just ate a whole packet of Lik-m-aid, but it's a book. Mmm... Lik-m-aid.

I was bitten.

I know, I know. A cheesy title: "I was bitten." But I did go to B&N, and I couldn't resist. Or rather my husband persuaded me to treat myself. This way I can talk to Terry about the book, rather than waiting to see her to borrow it.

I also picked up a Demonata book (#2 in the series after Lord Loss). These books are a bit too scary for me, I think. I've read the first chapter of Lord Loss. Just as one of my students said, the first chapter was way creepy/scary. But I picked up this one because it only cost a few bucks on clearance, and it was hardcover. Who knows? Maybe I'll read it. (Certainly before The Outsiders! Oh! Woe is me (I)! An English teacher who struggles with S.E. Hinton and just finished her first complete Dickens novel! And what a pill it was!)

I almost got the McBride book, but I figured I can pick that up at the library.

Well, I must go see what is going on in the melodramatic lives of Bella and Edward.

Christmas in July: Mission Completed

Good News!

On August 1st, I finished Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Huzzah for the good reader! I accomplished my goal of Christmas in July!

That's book 12.

Now on to The Outsiders. Now in the past when I have said, "I'm reading The Outsiders," that was usually code for "I'm going to read the first few chapters" or "I'm going to skim through it." In truth, I don't have a lot of motivation for reading it in its entirety. The only motivating factor is that it is an available novel at my school. We'll see if I really read it or not. You see, tonight I plan on convincing my husband to stop at a bookstore with me. While there I will salivate over the new Meyers' book Breaking Dawn. But I'm also interested in Thirteen Reasons Why and The Dead and the Gone (Pfeffer's companion book to Life As We Knew It). There's even a few adult books I really want to read, including McBride's (?) Miracle at St. Anna.

So will I resist the siren song of Barnes & Noble? Or will I remain resolute and strong and read The Outsiders?

Contagion

11. Contagion by Robin Cook. Another medical mystery thriller. Overall a very good book, although I would have enjoyed more background info on viruses and such. (I love that stuff.) It focuses on a NYC coroner/ME who is suspicious of the mounting cases due to rare, deadly viruses.

At times this novel seemed a bit long-winded. One of the characters, Therese, seemed too flat and uninteresting. Unfortunately, she becomes a key player at the end. I wish she had been given fuller characterization prior the the climactic ending. The story does weave an interesting subplot about NY gangs, which offers a human interest piece detour from the main storyline.

_______________________________________

I'm going to try to take a break from fiction reading this week with the exception of A Christmas Carol. I only have a few days to read it if I am to meet my goal having a Christmas in July experience.

The City of Ember, Door to December, The Luxe, Second Nature

Since July 4th I've read several new books.

7. The City of Ember (YA) by Jeanne DuPrau. This book is set in a world underground. The city of Ember is a completely self-sufficient city, and has been for centuries, but finally the city's electricity source is dying. While many citizens live in fear and panic, two young adults know that there must be a way out. Lina and Doon struggle against the unknown and the dictatorial mayor to find hope and life.

Really, I had little patience for this book until the last third of it. I felt it was slow-paced and my own eagerness to read didn't kick in until the two children are on their way out of the city. I was taken aback by my lack of enthusiasm; the book gets rave reviews and the movie trailer looks excellent. I think that many people would enjoy this book, but don't think that you are going to be getting the same quality of book as The Giver.

8. The Door to December by Dean Koontz. A fun mystery about a paranormal experience. Interesting background information about sensory deprivation. The chapters alternate between focusing on Linda and Melanie McCaffrey and the archetypal detective (brooding, lonely, protective of women and children due to some trauma in his own past). Melanie, a young girl, had been kidnapped many years before the start of the novel. Forced to undergo psychological torture, Melanie is nearly catatonic when she is finally discovered. But the detective must not only track down the culprits, but also find out the cause of the psychogeist that is also troubling them. Like I said, a fun read. Thanks, Grandma!

9. The Luxe (YA) by Anna Godbersen. A YA read for older teens, this is a great book that hopes to mimic Edith Wharton. (The author even has a few lines from The Age of Innocence on the front page.) A story about two high society girls in turn of the century New York. Also like Wharton, it involves high society individuals who can't love the ones they want due to social codes and social hierarchy. There's the usual wheeling, dealing, and trickery also involved. And the book is exquisitely detailed and researched in regards to dress, dialogue, and social codes and mores.


Unlike Wharton, the book has a thoroughly happy and predictable ending, which is one reason why Wharton's works are so weighty and poignant. Godbersen's ending is too easy. Not one person gets hurts - except for the mother who is one of the few characters of concern who doesn't know that her beautiful oldest daughter faked her own death. There is also the improbability of a high society girl making the decision to search her her true love (the carriage driver) on the West Coast. Come on. How often does this happen? How would a girl of 17 who has lived the most sheltered life just hope to find her lover? In an age without Google or phones? I was left with the pressing question of how such a socialite would bear her new life. A fun read but not quality. This is just Gossip Girl set a century back - and a little less nasty.

I just learned that this is to be a series book. BTW, I find the title lacking anything in terms of poetry, meaning, or reflection.

10. Second Nature by Alice Hoffman. I've read 4 of her books so far: two YA and two adult books. I've enjoyed them all. She is able to infuse an ethereal quality into her books. More than that, she's able to present almost mystical/magical situations that thoroughly capture me. While her prose may not be poetic (such as Donna Jo Napoli's), it is hypnotic.

Before I go on about this book, I would like to highly recommend The Ice Queen, which was one of the best reads ever.

Stephen is a man who was raised by wolves. Discovered in a forest, he has been brought to a psychiatric hospital in NY. Robin Moore finds him while visiting her brother, a doctor. Without thinking, she sympathizes with his imprisoned plight, she secretively manages to remove him from the ward. Robin takes him home and nurtures him.

This book is great. Much better than one would ever expect from a wolf-man romance. Honest to God, the premise sounds horrible and loony, but in practice this book rocked.

Beach 2008

Some highlights of the Giordano Beach Vacation 2008 - Lavalette

• Some lovely girls offered us their parking spot, which had $3 of time on it, in Seaside.
• Time spend with Uncle A, Aunt Veronica, and Mia before they move to California - and finally becoming friends with Mia!
• Zeppoles and Funnel Cake
• An excruciatingly long game of mini-golf
• An in-ground, lined Barbie pool
• Grudgingly, I even enjoyed Steve's friends
• Time spend with Krissy and Terry
• Our trip to Big Lots!
• Bike riding with Mom, Terry, Steve and/or Jay
• Watching chick flicks with Dad
• Watching the sun rise with mom and Terr
• Going to the Board walk with Grandma
• Leaving a restaurant because of their lack of cole slaw
• Going to the beach with Grandma and the Beach Chair!
• Getting our new surprise pet, Beta Dorothy, and the long, long trip home with him in a fish bowl.
• All the great finds on the beach!
• The endless hours Terry and Mom dedicated to helping me find a sundress.
• Losing track of time, instructions, and Mom on the last night. Mom and Dad were thoroughly frustrated with Terry and me!

I attached this Quicktime movie. On my computer, the movie has a soundtrack, but for some reason I can't get the sound on Blogger. I don't know if it's my own ineptitude or some type of Blogger thing. Anyway, the song that should play along with it is "I'm from New Jersey" by John Gorka.

The Christopher Killer, Among the Hidden, Life As We Knew It

I've been reviewing my summer goals. I think that I've been doing moderately well with the great exception of working on my Master's Portfolio. Haven't touched that yet. But I'm going on a beach vacation soon, so I guess I'll worry about that when I get back to CT.

I'm trying to read as many YA summer reading titles as possible. I like knowing what the students might possibly be reading for summer reading, and it gives me a leg up when grading their projects. Because our school only recommends books, and because the recommendation list is about 100 books long, I've got quite a large selection.

4. The Christopher Killer (YA) by Alane Ferguson. This was a forensic mystery. Overall, it was pretty good. A definite replacement for CSI if, like me, you've seen almost all the existing CSI episodes. A small town coroner's daughter named Cameryn becomes involved in the mystery of a serial killer. Although this was a pretty good read, there are definite arguing points. First, what small town of 700 has its very own coroner? (Spoiler Alert!) Second, the murderer is able to trap his victims by putting roofies and an antacid in his own drink. He spills the drink, and his waitress must come to clean it up. The spilled, spiked drink touches her skin. The antacid opens the pores of the skin and allow the roofies to get sucked into the waitress's blood stream. Really? Really? Whatever. Third, the dialogue is a little flat at times, which definitely depersonalizes the protagonist. But like I said, a pretty good read. A beach read.

5. Among the Hidden (YA) by Margeret Peterson Haddix. Luke, a 12 year old, is a third child, who are strictly prohibited in this futuristic America. Third children must remain hidden. While this was a good and quick read, I wasn't blown over by it. I'll still probably read the rest of the series, because the books are super short and can be read quickly.

6. Life as We Knew It (YA) by Susan Beth Pfeffer. An A+! An asteroid hits the moon, pushing the moon closer to Earth. The new gravitational pull results in catastrophic tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanoes. In northern PA, a family tries to survive the following year. While living unscathed from the immediate effects of tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanoes, the family still must deal with lack of sun (due to the ash from so many volcanoes - think Krakatoa), lack of food, lack of electricity, and rampant disease and flu. Miranda, the protagonist who tells this story through a series of journal entries, is exceptionally characterized. Her emotions fluctuate from adolescent angst over romance to her forcing herself to find the strength and determination to help her family survive. The other characters are also realistically portrayed. The mother, who is described as someone who would usually be charitable to others in need, becomes overly obsessed with rationing food so that her family will survive the winter. The family tries to hide the severity of the situation from the youngest child, who for awhile lives relatively ignorant.

Last year, I did a unit on the book called The Girl Who Owned a City. A virus proves deadly for all individuals who are over 12 years of age. The children must learn to survive without them. A ten year old girl takes charge, and very little is ever said of sickness or lack of food or heat. Basically, it is a pithy preteen pipe dream. In reality, it takes the form of libertarian propaganda. Anyway, this book sucks compared to Life As We Knew It. I should mention that Life As We Knew It is a definite YA book, while The Girl Who Owned a City is an upper intermediate book. TGWOAC was riddled with unrealistic situations: nothing was ever mentioned about the need to use an outhouse, a stocked food warehouse was never discovered or pillaged by anyone other than the protagonist and her gang. LAWKI also has a few flaws. The most glaring one is that the protagonist's well water still works for months after the electricity is turned off.

That's all for know, folks (a.k.a. my husband). I'm still going to try to tackle A Christmas Carol over my beach break. Hey, Christmas in July! But I'll probably just find something else to read instead.

The Hot Zone, Down the Rabbit Hole, Al Capone Does My Shirts

Eleven days into vacation and I've read three books, one article, and the first unit of the new literature book.

1. The Hot Zone by Richard Preston. Nonfiction narrative in the likes of The Perfect Storm. An account of Ebola outbreaks from the late 70s to the early 90s. The virus is truly horrific.

2. Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams. This was widely touted as a great read. It was nominated for a Nutmeg award (a Connecticut award given to outstanding YA/Children's books). I didn't find it very palatable, but then I'm not a mystery reader. I really thought that this book would contain something a bit creepier. I believe I got the notion of creepy from the title. The story is about a middle-school girl, Ingrid, who unravels a murder mystery. The protagonist deals with her own fears as she purposefully takes steps to extricate herself from any implication in the murder. I felt very little involvement in the actual suspense and mystery of the novel - although it was well-crafted. I did however become intrigued by the family relationships of the protagonist - which were very well-done. There was a lot of subtle writing about the mother, father, and brother that made me want to know a lot more about the family. Indeed, I think that the book left off without answering one very large question about Ingrid's brother. There is a sequel, so perhaps the story line continues. However, I am not sure if I could be coaxed to read it.

3. Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko. I read this book just today. In one sitting. I've owned this book for awhile, and I've always thought that it would be a simple, ha-ha book. Wow! My opinion was totally off the mark. Set in the 30s, "Moose," or Matthew, moves with his family to Alcatraz, where his father works. Guards and their families lived on the island so that they could be ready for an emergency at a moment's notice. Moose must also deal with his sister, who is not "quite right." Many readers will instantly identify Natalie, the sister, as autistic. Moose must watch over his sister everyday while his mother works to raise money for Natalie's new teacher. Moose must contend with hanging out with other island children while still watching over Natalie. The relationship and feelings that Moose has for his sister and are complex and tender. In addition, Moose must also navigate the emotional terrain of his mother, who is especially anxiety-ridden about her daughter. The tension felt between Moose and his mother is exceptionally well-played.


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Last week I read an article on reading novels aloud to middle-schoolers. Not the reading of a chapter here or there, but reading an entire novel in class, out loud, almost like a warm-up activity. Ten to fifteen minutes are spent each day reading aloud to the students. I've heard many different opinions about reading aloud.
Con Critics:

• Students must improve on their own reading strategies
• Reading aloud slows down proficient readers.

Pro Critics:

• All students can improve on their listening skills
• Hearing a skilled reader read with the right tone and inflection can force them to focus on information they may not have otherwise
• Many students enjoy being read to at any age.

So, regardless of whatever criticism, I want to read a book to my students. I figure it can be a one marking period thing. Providing I read 10 pages a day, I can reasonably (and safely) assume to get a 200 page novel done in our 6 week marking period. The only question is, what novel?

I think I'm a pretty good reader, but I'm not too good with voices - yet. A novel with a lot of dialogue could be tricky. How can I get the students attuned to different characters' voices? What level should the book be at? I would love to read Al Capone Does My Shirts, but it's way below grade level. I have to do more research on reading novels aloud before I proceed.

The Beginning

Well, tomorrow will be the start of my Summer Vacation. At 12.05 (or 2.25 contractually speaking) my first year of teaching will finally come to an end. I know that I am supposed to reflect, reflect, revise, reflect upon my reflections, and then devise ways to improve upon my teaching. And I want to do that. Honest.

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But right now I would love to take my first year of teaching and seal it up in the same envelope that I seal my classroom key in... and forget about it. The end of my year was messy. I got my already tired self (and students) ensnared in a novel that I hadn't thoroughly researched and wasn't entirely "into." Combine that with an increase in misbehavior (throughout the cluster) and a decrease in morale and the resulting effect was drag. Drag.

Drraaaaaggggg.

I wish it had gone differently. I already know that next year I want to increase the number and and variety of novels being read, and perhaps move the novel unit to mid-winter.

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I want to reflect, read, grow, and learn. I really do, but I know who I am and what I am. I am the June 16th Word of the Day: Dilatory. It means procrastinating. It is not related to the word dilettante in case you were wondering. And so I have decided that I will try to stick to my goals using this blog in which I will record my efforts.

Summer 2008 Goals

1. To daily expand my mind in some worthwhile manner in regards to my subject matter (English), the pedagogy of teaching English, or YA literature
2. Reacquaint myself with healthy living (a.k.a. the gym)
3. Write regularly
4. Finish Masters Portfolio
5. Enjoy myself

and so it begins...