A MUST READ BOOK!!!!

http://thesecretdmsfilesoffairdaymorrow.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-journey-of-story.html#comment-form

Mom and I read this book several years ago.   To this day, it is still one of my favorite books.  This is a MUST READ for everyone.  I just found out that my 5th grade teacher STILL reads this book to her students each year.  A copy of the book was graciously given to her by the authors, thank you so much Jessica and Stephanie.   

Mom and I have decided to host a giveaway after the book is published.  I feel so strongly about this book, we will offer a copy when it becomes available.  

Jessica and Stephanie, if there is anything we can do to get the word out about your wonderful book, we would be more than happy to help.

So readers, stay tuned for more information as it becomes available!!!

My reading update

Hello everyone.
I've been busy memorizing the Periodic chart (love chemistry!!!) but I wish to update everyone with my reading list.   We continue to read a new book every 21 days in my English class.  I have a great teacher, and he lets me pick out the books I like.  I've been spending a lot of time with science books.   My current favorite author is Brian Greene,  

not only did I read this book for English, but we are now covering the info in my science class.   Love it when my classes crisscross.

I also read

Wasn't going to cause any potential problems by reading this for school, but I'm always looking for other viewpoints.  Enjoyed this book even though I may not agree with everything presented.

Next book on my list is:

talk to you soon!

Summer Reading

Hi Everyone.  I haven't been here much over the summer.  Enjoyed my short summer.  

But I did read over the summer.   I read the 7 Harry Potter books, no I haven't read them before, and I read a great book for my summer reading project.

My summer reading book was Michio Kaku's Physics of the Future.  Amazing book!  Loved it!  

We read a new book in English class every 21 days.  My first book for this is

as you can tell, I wasn't kiddding when I said I love science.  I can combine two favorite things by reading science books.  

Well,

KEEP READING!!!!

Foxes, free on Amazon on July 29th

Like FOXES?  Free on Amazon on 7/29/14

follow the link

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M28O45U/

Nick and Tesla are back!

Bright siblings--and amateur inventors--Nick and Tesla Holt are back in this fourth installment of their whiz-bang middle-grade series. This time, the twins are out to save science itself, as they race against the clock to figure out why a robotic assortment of history's greatest scientists and inventors keeps going haywire. Is this sabotage, robo-geddon...or something more sinister? To unravel the mystery, they'll have to keep adding all-new gadgets to their cyborg glove as they stay one step ahead of a hidden adversary. Together with zany scientist Uncle Newt and their friends Silas and DeMarco, Nick and Tesla won't give up until an answer is found...but can they do it before time runs out? In this book, readers will learn how to construct a super-cyborg gadget glove that has four incredible functions: LED signal light, ultra-loud emergency alarm, handy sound recorder, and UV secret message revealer. Science and electronics have never been so much fun!

our thoughts

What a fantastic book. I love the ongoing adventures of Nick and Tesla, along with friends Silas and DeMarco. This adventure has the kids in a museum. They were originally involved in an audio animatronic exhibit but....become involved in something far more interesting.

Book is full of science ideas and instructions to build a gadget glove. (Adult supervision in needed). If your kids love science they will love these stories. This one is the best yet! Sister and brother team ensure that if your child is either a boy or a girl, the child can relate to one the kids in the stories, personally, my favorite is Uncle Newt- he's a hoot!

Each installment in this series is better than the previous stories. Each adventure, more daring. All around fun!

Cheetahs! Fun Facts by Emma Child...free on Amazon

(from Amazon)

Publication Date: June 7, 2014 | Age Level: 6 - 12 | Grade Level: K - 6

- What’s the only kind of big cat in the world that can’t roar? 

- What’s the fastest land animal on Earth? 

- What animal is easily mistaken for a honey badger when it’s a baby, lives only in parts of Asia and Africa, and has between 2,000 and 3,000 spots on its body? 

Give up? The answer to all of those questions is the same: It’s the cheetah! 

Get ready to explore the amazing world of one our all-time favorite members of the cat family. Find out where cheetahs live, how they survive in the wild, and what they like to eat! Go along with a super-speedy cheetah as he hunts for his prey. Take a sneak peek into the quiet, shady spot where a mother cheetah has decided to give birth to her adorable cubs. Learn about rare kinds of cheetahs, the life span of the cheetah, how cheetahs communicate, and the games baby cheetahs enjoy playing! 

CHEETAHS: Fun Facts and Amazing Photos of Animals in Nature can be enjoyed by young readers and even adults, as they read to toddlers, and Kindergarteners. Not only is it an exciting and entertaining book, but it is also designed especially for the beginning readers. In this amazing kids book, you will find that the sentence structure is well designed for young children. It's short paragraphs and easy to read words makes this book an wonderful story for children, parents and even primary school teachers. 

In this fun-filled, information-loaded book written just for kids, the world of the cheetah comes magically to life right before your eyes. Peppered with humor and complete with an eye-popping bunch of fun facts at the end, this is one amazing animal report that you wouldn’t want to miss! 

Scroll up, GRAB A COPY TODAY and curl up with a good story and your child today! Don't miss out on an opportunity to fortify your child's mind as well as their hearts.

FREE FROM JUNE 10-12

CHEETAHS: Fun Facts and Amazing Photos of Animals in Nature is on Amazon's free promotion from June 10, 2014 to June 12, 2014.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KUHD3M0/

Fun Fun Book

The Alliday Poem Book of Silly Celebrations features themes from the amusingly mundane to the severely bizarre. Flip to any date, and in addition to the varied and clever poetry, you might find fun facts, though-provoking quotes, or captivating bios on major historical figures born that day. Readers will become more familiar with heroes from Feng-Shan Ho to Florence Nightingale. Teens, tweens, daydreamers, lovers of learning, and the young-at-heart will appreciate this book. Among the poetic forms included are rondeau, terza rima, limerick, tetractys, cinquain, pantoum, enclosed rhyme, haiku, double dactyl, and epigram. Alliday is a useful tool for learning about the intricacies of poetry, but more than that, it’s flat-out family-friendly fun! Every day is a chance to celebrate. Let Alliday be your guide!

my thoughts (Donna/Mom)

What a fun book!  You will never get tired of reading the entertaining bits and pieces from this book. There are many quotes that are indeed 'thought provoking' but for the most part, this book is just plain fun to read.  Do you know that June 1st is Dinosaur Day?  Neither did I.  June 1st is also National Go Barefoot Day, flip a coin day and National Hazelnut cake day.  (June 1st has no special significance, just picked this day because my kid loves dinosaurs). There are plenty of cute short poems for each day.  You are certain to get a chuckle while reading this book.  I looked up my birthday to find The Universal Postal Union was established in 1874.  Not only are fun things included, but you will learn interesting facts (my birthday is also  Fire Prevention Day).

5 stars

THE OUTISDERS

We are reading THE OUTSIDERS in my reading class.  Awesome book.  Yesterday we all dressed up as 'greasers' or 'socs'.

According to Ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A soc (short for "social") has money, can get away with just about anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. A greaser, on the other hand, always lives on the outside and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser, and he's always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers--until one terrible night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder gets under Ponyboy's skin, causing his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser.

original titleThe Outsiders

ISBN 014038572X (ISBN13: 9780140385724)

edition languageEnglish

characters: Ponyboy Curtis, Sodapop Curtis, Darrel "Darry" Curtis, Dallas "Dally" Winston, Johnny Cade

literary awardsBooks I Loved Best Yearly (BILBY) Awards for Secondary (1991)

Update reading material

HI everyone...just want to give a quick update about my current reading material.

In my reading class at school, we are reading a fantastic book about King Arthur...it is full of wizards, and lots of other fun stuff!  Love this story.

We just finished reading a book called THE MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE.  It was ok.  I'm amazed at how few baths the people took during the middle ages.   Lots of interesting stuff to learn from books...so KEEP READING!!!

New Fantasy by Dan O'Brien

You’re never too old to have one more adventure 

Brought to life by Steve Ferchaud’s vibrant drawings, this story for all ages by Dan O’Brien lets us know that it is never too late to have one more adventure. 

An Excerpt:

Robert Pendleton opened one eye as the light of a passing car flashed over the window, shattering the darkness into prisms. He rolled onto his back on the beat-up couch and yawned as he reached his hands up and rubbed his eyes unceremoniously. 

He looked out over the darkness at the digital clock. The red digits spelled out a quarter ‘til midnight––nearly fourteen hours of sleep. He smiled and grabbed one of the cushions of the couch, burying his head in it. Just enough sleep, he reminded himself. Robert felt that anything less than twelve hours of sleep was very nearly too little. 

He grasped blindly for the TV remote. 

Groaning as he lifted his head, he looked at the empty table––his eyes drawn by another flash of a passing car. He couldn’t see clearly, but he knew that the remote had been there before he had fallen asleep nearly half a day ago. 

“Could have sworn….” he mumbled as he pushed himself up and brushed his hand around the top of the table, finding nothing. “Where did….”

Another groan escaped his lips as he lifted his body to a sitting position and threw aside the cluster of pillows that he had gathered around himself. He reached out for the lamp, but instead knocked it to the floor with a resounding thud. 

Robert muttered as he stood up from the couch, and then sank to his knees to search around in the darkness for the fallen lamp. Reaching around on the shadowed floor, shards of the broken lamp scattered like pieces of light. 

He turned his head, peering beneath the large space underneath the couch and saw the reflection of the buttons on the remote. The off-gray piece of machinery was underneath the couch––only darkness lingered beyond it. He reached out as he spoke again. 

“How did it get all the way down there?” 

Robert flexed his hand and strained as he twisted his back to reach farther; yet, the remote remained just out of reach. He pulled his arm away with a huff and craned his neck to the side, staring underneath into the darkness below the couch. 

His eyes widened as he saw the impossible: there was something beyond the remote. He shook his head and closed his eyes, whispering to himself that he didn’t see what he thought he had.

“I saw a little man,” he whispered to himself as he opened his eyes once more and nearly gasped as he did so. 

The figure was closer now and he could make out the outline clearly. A tiny man rested just beyond the remote. 

“What in the name of…?”

“Not here in the name of nobody, laddie. I be a friend though,” crooned the miniscule figure as he interrupted Robert and stepped forward, placing a hand on the darkened and slick surface of the remote. 

A tam-o’-shanter crested his bright red hair, the shaggy mane blending perfectly into his equally crimson, neatly trimmed, beard. 

A billow of whitish smoke drifted from the long-stemmed pipe that he held clenched between his lips. 

Robert fell back and knocked aside the adjacent table. Rubbing his eyes, he spoke a single word: “Leprechaun.”

About the Author:

Dan O’Brien, founder and editor-in-chief of The Northern California Perspective, has written over 20 books––including the bestselling Bitten, which was featured on Conversations Book Club’s Top 100 novels of 2012. Before starting Amalgam, he was the senior editor and marketing director for an international magazine. In addition, he has spent over a decade in the publishing industry as a freelance editor. You can learn more about his literary and publishing consulting business by visiting his website at: www.amalgamconsulting.com. Contact him today to order copies of the book or have them stocked at your local bookstore. He can he reached by email at amalgamconsulting@gmail.com. 

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Please don't tell my parents I'm a SUPER VILLAIN

Genre: young-adult, science-fiction, fantasy  

Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press

Date of Publication: February 15th, 2014

Cover Artist: Ricky Gunawan

Penelope Akk wants to be a superhero. She's got superhero parents. She's got the ultimate mad science power, filling her life with crazy gadgets even she doesn't understand. She has two super powered best friends. In middle school, the line between good and evil looks clear.

In real life, nothing is that clear. All it takes is one hero's sidekick picking a fight, and Penny and her friends are labeled supervillains. In the process, Penny learns a hard lesson about villainy: She's good at it.

Criminal masterminds, heroes in power armor, bottles of dragon blood, alien war drones, shape shifters and ghosts, no matter what the super powered world throws at her, Penny and her friends come out on top. They have to. If she can keep winning, maybe she can clear her name before her mom and dad find out.(less)

Paperback

Expected publication: February 15th 2014 by Curiosity Quills Press

ISBN139781620074633

edition languageEnglish

Enter here for a chance to win a copy

about the author

Richard Roberts has fit into only one category in his entire life, and that is ‘writer’, but as a writer he’d throw himself out of his own books for being a cliche.

He’s had the classic wandering employment history – degree in entomology, worked in health care, been an administrator and labored for years in the front lines of fast food. He’s had the appropriate really weird jobs, like breeding tarantulas and translating English to English for Japanese television. He wears all black, all the time, is manic-depressive, and has a creepy laugh.

He’s also followed the classic writer’s path, the pink slips, the anthology submissions, the desperate scrounging to learn how an ever-changing system works. He’s been writing from childhood, and had the appropriate horrible relationships that damaged his self-confidence for years. Then out of nowhere Curiosity Quills Press demanded he give them his books, and here he is.

As for what he writes, Richard loves children and the gothic aesthetic. Most everything he writes will involve one or the other, and occasionally both. His fantasy is heavily influenced by folk tales, fairy tales, and mythology, and he likes to make the old new again. In particular, he loves to pull his readers into strange characters with strange lives, and his heroes are rarely heroic.

Dr. Heidegger's Experiment

Dr. Heidegger's Experiment

Doctor Heidegger has invited four old friends to his study. He needs their help with an experiment. His friends presume the experiment will be nothing out of the ordinary. Perhaps they will inspect a cobweb under a microscope or witness the slow death of a mouse. But when Dr. Heidegger's guests gather around a small black table that holds a cut-glass vase, strange things begin to happen that will change their lives, or so it seems.

Enlivened and enriched by Marc Johnson-Pencook's amazing pen and ink illustrations, this adaptation of Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic story will introduce middle readers to one of America's greatest authors.

my thoughts

(Lucas)

I can't say I've ever wanted to read Nathaniel Hawthorne.  Sure, I visited the House of Seven Gables with mom, but to read his stuff?  Yuck.  Well, this book will change your mind.  It certainly changed mine.

Dr. Heidegger's Experiment is a riot.  A classic example of what the placebo effect can do to a person, or a group of people.  The illustrations are great- Made me laugh while reading.

This isn't some boring old book.  It's been updated by Jerome Tiller to make it more interesting for kids.  

You can check out his website at

http://artwriteproductions.com/adapted.html

Jerome Tiller lives in Fridley, Minnesota.  He is co-owner of ArtWrite Productions, a publishing company bent on making education and reading more pleasurable for youth.  Adapted Classics, an imprint of ArtWrite Productions, uses fine-art illustrations to introduce classic stories to young readers. 

Marc Johnson-Pencook is an illustrator, animator, and muralist.  He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  His illustrations appear in books, periodicals, gallery shows and private collections, and his murals adorn many walls and ceilings in public places and private spaces in the Twin Cities and beyond.  He also teaches illustration at the Atelier Studio Program of Fine Art in Minneapolis and the Art Academy in St. Paul.  In addition, Marc composes and performs rock music- he currently plays percussion for "The Dig-Its"- a retro-rock group based in Minneapolis.  Marc can be contacted at

http://illustratormarc.blogspot.com

A Christmas Carol

In honor of the holiday, we are reading
A CHRISTMAS CAROL.

We will be going to the the play later this month. 
It's story most of us know from TV. 

This one is our family favorite.  Alastair Sim is an excellent Scrooge.

and let's not forget

This version was on tv last night.

For those who are interested in seeing both the musical (1970 Albert Finney version) and the classic with Alastair Sim,

both will be on, back to back,

on December 19th on TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES channel.

HAPPY HOLIDAY'S

Reading Now

Just want to keep everyone up to date with what I'm reading now.  I have an amazing English teacher who picks out the best stuff for us.   

Here is the thrilling story of Rikki, a fearless young mongoose who finds himself locked in a life-and-death struggle to protect a boy and his parents from Nag and Nagaina, the two enormous cobras who stalk the gardens outside the family's home in India. Nobel Prize winner Rudyard Kipling's timeless masterpiece has been lovingly passed from one generation of readers to the next. Triumphantly brought to life in stunning watercolors from Caldecott Honor artist Jerry Pinkney, this is a tale that will win the hearts of young and old alike

It's a book I wouldn't have picked up to read, but I am really enjoying it.  The main character is a mongoose named Rikki-Tikki-Tavi.   We've just started reading, but I like the story.  

My teacher has some great literature planned for us this year.  I'll keep everyone updated!

Nick and Tesla

Nick and Tesla are bright 11-year-old siblings with a knack for science, electronics, and getting into trouble. When their parents mysteriously vanish, they’re sent to live with their Uncle Newt, a brilliant inventor who engineers top-secret gadgets for a classified government agency. It’s not long before Nick and Tesla are embarking on adventures of their own—engineering all kinds of outrageous MacGyverish contraptions to save their skin: 9-volt burglar alarms, electromagnets, mobile tracking devices, and more. Readers are invited to join in the fun as each story contains instructions and blueprints for five different projects.

our thoughts

Fun Fun Fun.  Love Nick and Tesla.  They are 11 year old twins who use science to solve all their problems.  They get into some scraps!  They are sent to live with their eccentric uncle (a retired NASA scientist) while their parents are (supposedly) in Uzbekistan to help with soybean (not sure about that- we think they are on a secret mission for the government).    They link up with a couple of new friends and solve strange crimes.   In this book, a young girl is seen in the window of an old abandoned house,  why is she there?  Is she in trouble?  Who are the two mean guys keeping her locked up in the house?

5 stars for this series.

Ylvis - The Fox [Official music video HD]

received for review courtesy of QUIRK books and Above the Treeline (Eidelweiss egalley)

On Sale Date: February 4, 2014 9781594746499, 1594746494 $12.95 US / $13.95 Can. Hardback Juvenile Fiction / Science & Technology Ages 9 to 12, Grades 4 to 7

In this second novel of the Nick and Tesla series, the precocious brother-and-sister duo find themselves solving another baffling mystery. As the story opens, their Uncle Newt takes a consulting gig at a cut-rate amusement park, engineering animatronic figures for a cheap Hall of Presidentsknockoff. One perk of the job is that Nick and Tesla have unlimited access to the amusement park all summer long-but the kids quickly discover that one of the park employees has a sinister plan. They'll have to build a few robots of their own to foil him! Readers are invited to join in the fun as each story contains instructions and blueprints for five different projects. Learning about science has never been so dangerous-or so much fun!

It's so much fun reading a book that makes the reader smile. One of the reasons I love reviewing children's and middle graders books so much (especially QUIRK books) is because they make me smile and laugh!

Nick and Tesla are twin 11 year old kids. They are living with their very eccentric uncle Newt. The two kids are surrounded by brilliance, from their uncle to their parents, and it has rubbed off. They are budding genius' themselves. 

This book is just fun to read. Kids will love the science experiments listed and the many robots and other devices in the stories. The heart of the story is an adventure. A mystery. Robberies are happening all over their sleepy town. Nick and Tesla, along with their friends DeMarco and Silas must solve the crimes.

The vocabulary used in the book is challenging but not too difficult for kids. The step by step science experiments are a fantastic plus. My 12 year old wants to do every experiment. The age group targeted is the group usually interested in robotics and science. 

Amazing series your middle grader will love. Both boys and girls are represented with Nick and Tesla. 

"Science Bob" Pflugfelder is an elementary school teacher based in Newton, Massachussetts. He has made many television appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Live with Kelly and Michael, The Dr. Oz Show, and other media outlets. These are his first books.

Steve Hockensmith is the author of a New York Times best seller (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls) and an Edgar Award nominee (Holmes on the Range). He lives in Alameda, California.

The Hunger Games

by

Suzanne Collins

This is the book I chose to read for my summer book report.  To begin, I loved the book much more than the movie.

about the book:

Katniss, 16, takes her sister's place in the televised annual Hunger Games, competing against Peeta, the boy who gave them bread to survive after their father died. The cruel Capitol forces each of 12 districts to submit a boy and girl 12-18, to fight to the death. Only one can survive and be rewarded. President Snow manipulates behind the scenes.

Crazy world.  Reminded me of Old Rome when the gladiators went into the ring and the bloodthirsty Romans choses sides.   
Katniss and Peeta are great people.  I think Katniss is a true leader.  Perfect to lead a rebellion against the corrupt government.  A Spartacus for the future.

I think most people have read this book by now, I've also read the second and third books in this series.  I give the book an A+

Spirit Animals Wild Born

#1 New York Times bestseller Brandon Mull launches Scholastic's brand-new multiplatform phenomenon.

Four children separated by vast distances all undergo the same ritual, watched by cloaked strangers. Four flashes of light erupt, and from them emerge the unmistakable shapes of incredible beasts - a wolf, a leopard, a panda, a falcon. Suddenly the paths of these children - and the world - have been changed forever.

Enter the world of Erdas, where every child who comes of age must discover if they have a spirit animal, a rare bond between human and beast that bestows great powers to both. A dark force has risen from distant and long-forgotten lands, and has begun an onslaught that will ravage the world. Now the fate of Erdas has fallen on the shoulders of four young strangers . . . and on you.

Part engrossing book series, part action role-playing game - discover your spirit animal and join the adventure in Fall 2013.

my thoughts

Another fabulous series started by Brandon Mull.

The characters are spectacular.  I like the way the 'outsiders' were the chosen ones in this series.   

Wonderful writing style.  

Friendship and working together for a goal are common themes in Mull's stories.  This is a multiplatform series, meaning it will be written by several authors.   

The 39 Clues is unstoppable! The bestselling series returns with an adventure spanning four explosive books and a website that places readers right in the action.

Confidential until October 2013!

The Cahill family has a secret. For five hundred years, they have guarded the 39 Clues – thirty-nine ingredients in a serum that transforms whomever takes it into the most powerful person on earth. If the serum got into the wrong hands, the disaster would rock the world. So certain Cahills have always made it their mission to keep the serum safe, buried, locked away. Until now.

 

Thirteen-year-old Dan Cahill and his older sister, Amy, are the latest guardians of the Clues. They think they’ve done everything right, but a tiny mistake leads to catastrophe. The serum is missing and Dan and Amy have to get it back and stop who stole it . . . before it’s game over. For everyone.

my thoughts

Unstoppable is a continuation of 39 Clues stories.   Someone has created the serum and is using it to take over the world! 

This is a wonderful addition to the series.  Adventures of Amy and Dan Cahill continue.  They are joined by Nellie, Pony, Ian, Jake, Atticus and Jonah.   This is a wild ride of ups and downs.  If you like the series, this will be a welcome addition.

We give this book 5 ice cream cones.