Friday, September 7, 2012

Review: Eighth Grade Is Making Me Sick: Ginny Davis's Year In Stuff


Eighth Grade Is Making Me Sick: Ginny Davis's Year In Stuff
Eighth Grade Is Making Me Sick: Ginny Davis's Year In Stuff by Jennifer L. Holm

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Fluff - moderately interesting, but not compelling fluff. Girls who don't like to read much may enjoy this, but don't go looking for profound or something that you will remember a long time.



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Read Aloud with Document Camera

The other day, I was in a classroom where the teacher had left instructions to read aloud from any book I chose for 30 minutes (I am a substitute teacher). I usually carry with me a couple of books that I think might interest the age level that I am teaching for the day. I have found that Knucklehead by Jon Scieszka is generally a hit with 4th through 6th graders, so I read the first few chapters of that.

The teacher had a document camera right next to the place from which I was reading the book, so, rather than show the pictures around, where the students would see them for a very short time and not very well, I put the pictures under the document camera. That was nicer than I expected. Since this was a 6th grade class, and 6th graders hate to sit on the floor for read aloud, they were all at desks or tables and from wherever they were, they could just look up and see the pictures.

In the past, I have not been very fond of document cameras. They have been awkward replacements for white boards, but this was a better interaction with them for me. Next time I read a book with significant illustrations, I will look for a document camera.

Review: Don't Let the Republican Drive the Bus!: A Parody for Voters


Don't Let the Republican Drive the Bus!: A Parody for Voters
Don't Let the Republican Drive the Bus!: A Parody for Voters by Erich Origen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I have never been a fan of the book this is based off of - I don't hate it, but it didn't appeal to me as much as it did many other readers of the book. This book is a direct take-off on that book and thus, some of the humor, though funny, didn't hit my "hilarious" meter. I am a "flaming liberal", so the political slant of the book was fine with me - and rings true. I doubt if it will convince many people, but it does bring some much needed comic relief.



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Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Review: The False Prince


The False Prince
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I read this book in one day and really enjoyed it. It isn't a book with great deeper significance or long lasting messages, but it is a thoroughly enjoyable read.

I went looking for it at my local B & N store, with only the remembrance of what the cover looked like. I couldn't find it in the kids' section, but eventually located it in the teens' section. I think it reads a bit young compared to most of what I seem to find in YA these days, but I really LIKED that. A lot of YA has gotten too violent, too sexualized, and too dark for me. Give me a book like this any day. There is violence in the book, but the book isn't centrally focused on the violence. For me, there is a difference.

I will look for the sequels.



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