Sequel Fever

Over the holidays, I read "Catching Fire", the sequel to "The Hunger Games." The first novel dealt with many heavy-duty moral questions while providing lots of action and a bit of romance, too. While "Catching Fire" delivered more of the same, the ending disapppointed me, because it left a huge, gaping hole. (Don't worry, there won't be any spoilers here.) I don't mind a story that leaves a question or two unanswered. Life is messy; so are most good story endings. What I do mind is having to wait until August to find out what in the world is going to happen to Katniss and her friends and family. I mean, the author has literally left our heroine hanging, or, to be more exact, hovering. (Read the book if you want to know what I mean!)

Does anyone from our class have comments on sequels? Do you know of any sequels that are as good as (or better than) the original book? Most often, I find sequels to be disappointing. I don't like any of the Narnia books as well as I like "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe". The same goes for the "Twilight" series. I do like all of "The Great Brain" series. One where I liked all three of the books about the same was "The House of Power" trilogy. They were all good--not my absolute favorites, but readable. Hmmm. . .I'll keep thinking.

If you're in my ELA class, and you're checking this blog, you should know that there are several prizes for reading the most minutes over the break. See you January 5th!

Holiday Reading

To read, or not to read, over the holiday break? That is the question. I hope the answer is "to read".

I sent a reading log home with my kids today. Want to know what makes me smile? Many of the kids in my class would read much more than the minimum, reading log or not. In fact, some of my kids read thousands of minutes each week. That is one of the reasons, but not the only one, that we are having a FABULOUS 2009-2010 school year.

Today I received some Barnes & Noble gift cards, and I can't wait to spend them. Thanks, kids! I'll definitely be buying a copy of "The Hunger Games" and its sequel, "Catching Fire". What will YOU be reading over the holidays?

The Great Brain

Our class discussion about old-school fiction got me thinking about one of my favorite series from when I was 10(ish). "The Great Brain," by John D. Fitzgerald, and the subsequent novels were among my favorites, even if the main character was a boy and I wasn't. Reason? They are hilarious.

Set in Utah in the late 1800's, the stories tell of the shenanigans of the narrator's older brother, Tom, a.k.a., The Great Brain. The many ways Tom invents to pry pennies, nickels, and dimes from the neighborhood kids always made me laugh. Even when Tom does a good deed, he manages to make a profit doing it. In the first book, Tom helps the new kid, Basil, fit in. Then he sets out to set Mr. Standish, the new teacher and "meanest thing on two legs", straight. The Great Brain even helps rescue some kids lost in a cave. Doesn't he sound like a saint? Well, trust me, he isn't.

When I read this with my son, he was literally slapping his leg and laughing out loud. I, too, have been known to do the "silent cry" when a fit of Tom-induced giggles gets the best of me. If you like humor, and I know a lot of you do, check out a copy of "The Great Brain". Then comment and let me know what you think of it.

Sadly, some of these books are hard to purchase. However, check your local library. And if you're in my class, you're in luck. We have most of them.

*=We have it!
*The Great Brain (1967)
*More Adventures of the Great Brain (1969)
*Me and My Little Brain (1971)
*The Great Brain At The Academy (1972)
The Great Brain Reforms (1973)
The Return of the Great Brain (1974)
*The Great Brain Does It Again (1976)
*The Great Brain Is Back (Published in 1995 from loose notes after the author's death)

Happy reading!

Old School Titles

I have been reading "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever," by Barbara Robinson, to my class. They love the story of the cigar-smoking, fire-setting Herdmans as much as I do. Earlier in the school year we enjoyed "Knee-Knock Rise," by Natalie Babbitt. Both books were published in the 1970's, when I was eh-hem, young.

This got us going on a discussion about the great children's literature from the 1960's and 1970's. There are so many titles worth reading from way back when there was one lunch choice in the cafeteria and we were immunized in school. Hey, I've got nothing against the Percy Jackson series, or the House of Power, but lots of my kids swallow books whole, and they're always looking for something new to devour (go, kids!).

Some of the books that turned me into a life-long book lover include: "The Cricket in Times Square" (1963), "Where the Red Fern Grows" (1961), "Harriet the Spy" (1964), "Bridge to Terabithia" (1977), "The Great Brain" series, and anything by Judy Blume. If you're out of reading material, and all of the copies of "Catching Fire" are already checked out of the library, try an old-school title. I bet you'll be glad you did.

"The Hunger Games"

Where do I turn when I need a good book recommendation? Very often, I turn to my students who are voracious readers. You know the ones. They have a new, large book every couple of days. They log thousands of minutes in their reading logs each week. Oh, and they know words like "obliterate" and "robust" without having to look them up in the dictionary.

This week's recommendation, "The Hunger Games," by Suzanne Collins, came from Rocco M., and it didn't disappoint. It's really a middle school/young adult book, but I have many students who read above grade level and can handle the subject matter. The plot of the "The Hunger Games" is driven by a contest in which kids 12 through 18 are thrown into an arena to fight to their deaths. There can only be one winner, and his or her family enjoys a life of luxury in a world where food and water are scarce.

I was glued to this book all day Saturday. I loved the main character, a girl named Katniss, and I just had to know what her fate would be. Super-tough, super-smart female characters who still have a heart and values are my favorites. If you read this book, I'm sure you'll be hooked, too. Remember, though, this is one of those books where once you're dead, you stay dead. No magic elixirs here.

After I take a short break to dip into another genre, as is my habit, I'll be sure to read the sequel, "Catching Fire". Do any of my wonderful students have a suggestion for what I should read next?

An "Ode" by Mrs. Graves' Class

Oh, hot chocolate!

You are a luxury in winter!

You are as warm as the sun!

You are a pool of creamy chocolatiness!

Your marshmallows glisten like tiny pearls!

Oh, hot chocolate!

People in Alaska bow down to you!

What are you reading?

I just borrowed a copy of "The Hunger Games," by Suzanne Collins, from Rocco M. I promise I'll take good care of it. This book is all the rage in middle school, but I'm going to preview it before buying a copy for our classroom library. I hope it is as good as Rocco says it is. He warns that it is heavy-duty, no rainbows and unicorns. The premise reminds me of "Epic," by Conor Kostick.

What are you reading right now?