Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

why: This officially begins the year where I will read as much critically acclaimed YA lit as I possibly can. (ok, so maybe I'm starting on my 2014 challenge a month early here)

when: 12/2/13-12/7/13 (I just realized I read three books this past week)

how: as an ebook on my iPad

thoughts: I loved this book. Loved loved loved it. And maybe it's because of the two teenage characters who connect over the same new wave music that was so vivid in my own teenage years. And maybe it's because the book was such an honest and genuine portrayal of a relationship unfolding. And maybe it's because the ending was perfect. Just perfect. And maybe it's because Eleanor and Park are such an unlikely pair but the totally work. I don't know but I just loved it. And now I'm reading Fangirl--another by the same author.

Click on the book image to get to the author's website.

review haiku:
the cure, depeche mode
U2, school bus, teenagers
my own nostalgia

MIss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

why: Ms. Maytum (my student teacher) suggested this one

when: 12/2/13-12/4/13

how: I read the hard copy that Ms. Maytum let me borrow.

thoughts: I just discovered this will be a 2015 film directed by Tim Burton. Fun! One review I saw said that this was the next Harry Potter type adventure. I don't agree so much. This book can stand all by itself in its own class. What was cool is that it seemed everything was normal in the world of this book until it just wasn't normal anymore. Surprising. Mind bending in some ways. There is a sequel in the works but I'm not sure I'll read it. And I was somewhat surprised that yet again another book comes to me carrying with it WWII and the holocaust AND carnies. These topics keep coming up in books I pick up. Not sure what that's all about.

Click on the book image to learn more about the book.

review haiku:
peculiar children:
see the levitating girl
she's real I kid you not

Taking Action on Adolescent Literacy: An Implementation Guide for School Leaders

why: The BVSD literacy director asked me to read this to see what I thought about its suggestions for making change.

when: start 12/2/13, end 12/4/13

how: I read the hard copy I got from the literacy director for BVSD. It's full of sticky notes with my thoughts.

thoughts: There are some good suggestions in this book--things that confirm many of the strategies we are already undertaking. But it does somewhat contradict the viral model of change and seeks to work more top-down. Which doesn't work as well.

Click on the book image to learn more.

review haiku:
systematic change
is a fallacy. Change moves
in stealth, virally.

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

why: I've been thinking a lot about how change actually happens in a place like a school, and the presentation I did at NCTE recently with some FHS colleagues was all about how we've seen change spread like a virus here, so I wanted to read this book. It's all about viral change. 

when: start 11/10, end 12/2

how: as an ebook on my iPad

thoughts: This really does help me to think about how change happens. The book has been spinning in my head all week. Definitely some frameworks here to think about how to make meaningful change for people. 

Click on the book image to get to the wikipedia entry about the book. 

review haiku: 

sticky ideas tip

spreading change like a virus

making things better

Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea

Why: My daughter asked me to read this after she did.

When: start 11/2/13, end 11/3/13

How: I read the hard copy that Jane's Nana sent to her.

Thoughts: This was a great book. And there's a sequel that we'll have to read next. There are seven 5th graders in this class taught by a new teacher, Mr. Terupt, and the point of view of the story moves between the seven students. It worked really well to see the story unfold from each of their perspectives. It was difficult to put the book down for sure. And I still need to ask my daughter what she learned from this book.

Click on the book image to get to the author's website.

Review Haiku:
one snowball of ice
changes everything because
of Mr. Terupt

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Why: I had to read the concluding book of the series (I reviewed the other books here and here). And Outliers wasn't going so well. I needed some brain candy.

When: start 10/25/13, end 10/27/13

How: as an ebook on my ipad (purchased as always from the local independent bookseller)

Thoughts: Well. It was okay. I got a little bored a few times. I was kind of disappointed at what was beyond the fence. It was not the best book of the series. But I'm glad I've read the whole series for sure. The thing about great dystopian stories is when I can so clearly see the possibility of them actually happening. That's why 1984 terrifies me so much. Same with The Hunger Games. Same with The Road. I can imagine how these worlds could come about and I can imagine myself walking within them and it terrifies me. But I just couldn't see it with this series.

Click on the book image to get to the Wikipedia entry on the book.

Review Haiku:
This book travels from
divergence to genetics
I missed life inside.

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

Why: I've always wanted to read this book. I wondered if those who engage in extreme physical activities (like the cavers in the last book I read) might be outliers. Not sure if the connection will work or not...

When: start 10/18/13, end 11/8/13

How: as an ebook on my ipad (purchased as always through our local independent book seller)

Thoughts: This book didn't help me much with my thinking about extreme human activities and why people do them, but I'm really glad I read it. Interesting story about human success and how it happens.

Click on the book image to get to the author's website.

Review haiku:
ten thousand hours
what it takes to be expert
mine are in teaching

Beyond the Deep: The Deadly Descent into the World's Most Treacherous Cave by William Stone, Barbara am Ende, and Monte Paulsen

Why: When Mr. Lefebvre book talked this one last week, it actually terrified me. So I know I have to read it. And I just read the first few pages via the preview available on Amazon and I was pretty terrified, but couldn't look away. Also, my students are right now reading personal narrative writing, so I must as well.

When: start 10/7/13, end 10/17/13

How: as an ebook on my ipad, purchased through my local independent book seller. 

Thoughts: I've been thinking a lot about why people spend all kinds of money on extreme physical challenges. This seems to fit into that. These people explore caves and caverns and underground rivers, risking their lives to do it. Why? Why do people do this?

After having read this, I'm not sure I quite figured this out. The explorers in this world of exploration seek "booty"--what they call unexplored subterranean terrain. They will put themselves and others in great peril in order to achieve this. I just wonder, is it worth it? Is it worth to spend so much money and risk people's lives just to set foot somewhere where no other human has before? Maybe it is worth it. It's just difficult for me to justify the expense when there are people going without food in the world. 

Click on the book image to get to the Wikipedia entry on one of the authors, William Stone.

Review Haiku:
deeper and deeper
they go seeking the booty
beyond all the sumps

Reading update: Cavalier and Clay

I had decide a bit ago that I would not let myself start another book until I finished the Amazing Adventures of Cavalier and Clay.

Well, that decision is actually keeping me from reading. I'm spending too much time doing the random internetting thing because for some reason, I just cannot get my mind grooving on that book.

I think I need a vacation from school to really conquer it. So that's what I will do. I will conquer it over Thanksgiving or winter break.

And now, I move on to something else to read. Check out the next post...

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

Why: Yet again my SLCC class started out the year with this book.

When: start 8/23/13, end 9/20/13

How: I read my teacher's copy of this text, filled with my notes and thoughts in the margins and on sticky notes and complete with my index card book mark where I've written one-sentence chapter summaries to help me find what I need in this book.

Thoughts: This is such a great place to start the school year. Generally I've found my students enjoy reading this book, and it gives us a lot to talk about and think about, which is cool.

Click on the book image to get to the wikipedia entry for the book.

Review Haiku:

Wild potato seeds
watch out for them when you hike
or just bring a friend.

(This makes book # 31 for 2013 for me.)

Still reading this one...

Just an update here. I'm still reading The Amazing Adventures of Cavalier and Clay, which I posted back in May when I started it. I have completed several books since I started this one, and I'm not sure why it's taking me so long to finish it. I haven't gotten totally sucked in yet and this summer I really wanted to read things that sucked me in. But I'm still working at it. This happens to readers all the time!

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

why: book club and also I wanted to read this with my daughter.

when: start 8/3/13 end 8/17/13

how: As an ebook on my ipad (purchased as always from the local independent book store). And this is the first ebook my kid has read--normally she likes books with actual pages and stuff, but I convinced her to try this one on the screen.

thoughts: I loved this book. Just loved it. Take a wonderful child with a severe facial deformity who has been home schooled his whole life and send him to middle school. What happens? Well, that's what this book is about. It shows the courage of young people, both through the main character Auggie's experiences and through his friends' fierce devotion to him (even though some are slow to come around).

Click on the book image to get to information about the book from the author's website.

review haiku:
we can be so mean
met by of something different
accept--and we grow

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

why: Well, I couldn't NOT read this after finishing the previous book, Divergent.

when: start 8/2, end 8/5

how: as an ebook on my ipad and mostly in the middle of the night when I should have been sleeping.

thoughts: This is a gripping continuation of the first book in the series. Not much more to say because I can't give away what you learn at the end of this book (and that made me angry that the third book in the series does not come out until October. Really?). Anyhow, perfect summertime read. I'm interested to talk with my students to see if any of them have read this series and what they think of it.

Click on the book image to get to the author's blog and scroll down to find this text.

review haiku:
beyond the fence lies
truth that changes everything
what will happen next?

Divergent by Veronica Roth

why: Someone said that this was in the same category as The Hunger Games, so I thought it would be great summer reading.

when: start 7/30, end 8/2

how: As an ebook on my ipad (purchased as usual online from my local independent bookseller!)

thoughts: As you can see, I tore through this one pretty quickly. Hard to put it down once you get started. A friend asked me recently if this was written in the same first person present tense voice as The Hunger Games, and it is, and that narrative voice is annoying, but it really didn't matter. The whole premise here of the five factions living in and around a futuristic dystopic Chicago where 16 year olds have to decide their life faction in a choosing ceremony was really pretty cool. Lots to think about there in terms of how our own society is structured and works. I had to purchase the next book in the series immediately and start reading the moment I finished the last page of this one. 

Click on the book image to get to information on this text from the author's blog.

review haiku:

at 16 years old

choose your faction, your people,

unless you don't fit

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

why: I'm reviewing this for possible use with my CU students this fall, but I've also wanted to read it for a while. All of my students who have read it in the past have loved it.

when: start 7/23, end 7/29

how: as an ebook on my ipad.

thoughts: Whoa. I can see why the Fairview librarian says he cannot keep this book on the shelf in our library. Not only is it constantly checked out (even the multiple copies he has of it), but he says it often walks away from the library permanently. It's an intense read for sure--a view into a different world for me for sure as I was lucky to have a very stable childhood in terms of having a solid roof over my head and food on the table to eat always. I never had to worry about my head getting rained on in my bed or not having heat or whether or not there would be money for food. The parents here--the lifestyle they lived was truly a choice, even though it was a lifestyle that did not provide basic necessities for their children. That was very difficult for me to understand, and I've been thinking a lot about it since I read it. A good friend of mine who is a writer hates this book--she wishes there was some humor, that the writer would at times show us the humor in some of these situations. And of course there were moments of that, and I think there are even moments in the book that could have been relayed with humor but were not. The absence of humor maybe even more underscores the tragedy of this story. The choices these parents made about the life they provided for their children--really there's not much redeeming there in my opinion. But maybe I'm being a bit too judgmental.

Click on the book image to get to the wikipedia entry on this book.

review haiku:
In a glass castle
dream, it's easy to forget
to feed your children.

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld

why: I wanted some fun summer reading, and this was recommended to me by a friend who often recommends books to me.

when: start 7/14, end 7/22

how: I read this as a ebook on my ipad (as usual, purchased through the website of my local independent book seller!). This is what I was reading for fun in the evenings when I was reviewing all those books about teaching on our road trip this summer).

thoughts: I had read another book by Sittenfeld (Prep) a few years ago (great book, by the way--I highly recommend), so I was expecting this to be equally engaging. Just right for a summer read. For some reason the other book I'm trying to get through for fun right now isn't going very quickly. I like it, but it just doesn't hit my summer reading needs right now. I'll get it done eventually. ANYHOW, American Wife is a fictional take on the relationship of George and Laura Bush (in the book, Alice Lindgren and Charlie Blackwell). The author researched Laura Bush's life extensively, so much of this is accurate (including the tragic car accident in her teens where Laura ran a stop sign and ended up killing one of her friends). But of course, much of this is absolutely fiction (like the moment in the book where Alice speaks out against the war in Iraq and her husband is furious and considers it a personal betrayal). I enjoyed the book on the whole, though I wondered how political I should consider this book. Is it ultimately a criticism of Bush's presidency? (Charlie Blackwell comes off as somewhat ridiculous lots of the time in this book). If you read it, let me know if you think this book is political.

Click on the book image to read more about the book from the author's website.

review haiku:
a President's wife
her life is complex, manic
she yearns for simplicity

Teaching Argument Writing by George Hillocks, Jr.

why: This is a book I need to review for the course I'll be teaching at CU this fall. And it's also a book I've been interested in due to the demands of the Common Core State Standards for teaching argument.

when: start and end 7/19 (we were in the car for about 10 hours that day, ok?)

how: I read this in hard copy and in its entirety in the passenger seat of the car as we drove from Grand Teton National Park to Grand Mesa, Colorado.

thoughts: So George Hillocks has been in the education business for 55 years. I'm not kidding. FIFTY FIVE YEARS. Isn't that awesome? I actually saw him in person at a presentation at the NCTE conference in Chicago in 2011. This book is a great resource on argument and shows how to use crime scene investigation to teach students about argument. Cool stuff. I think, though, that it might be a bit more in-depth work than is necessary for my CU students this fall. I may have them read an excerpt but not the whole book, and I will definitely include it on a list of recommended teaching resources that I am building for them.

Click on the book image to learn more about the book.

review haiku:
an old but smart guy
explains teaching argument
excellent resource

Notice and Note: Strategies for Close Reading by Kylene Beers and Robert E. Probst

why: I have been wanting to read this for a while, but it's also a text I need to review for the course I'm teaching at CU this fall.

when: start 7/17, end 7/19

how: I read this in hard copy once again. I did lots of reading sitting outside at Grand Teton National Park with the dogs while my traveling companions were checking out attractions in the park that the dogs could not visit. I finished reading it in the passenger seat of the car en route from Grand Teton to Grand Mesa, Colorado.

thoughts: I'm impressed by the process that became this book. Beers and Probst read dozens of the novels typically assigned in high school and middle school and kept note of when they paused as readers to think about what they were reading. From these notes, they identified six common signposts where engaged readers may stop to think about a text and ask questions of it (for example, when there is a contradiction from something expected or when a character has an aha moment or when something in the text repeats again and again). The idea is that you can use these signposts to teach students to do more than just decode the words--you can use them to teach students to really think about a complex text, which is something that students absolutely must be able to do on their own. I think this will be a very useful text for my CU students, and I'm looking forward to integrating this work into my own classroom. The signposts may replace the tricks of successful readers I've been using for the last few years. The signposts are way more concrete and specific and really show students what to do.

Click on the book image to read more about this book.

review haiku:
notice and note your
questions, connections, and thoughts
unpack complexity

Write Like This: Teaching Real-World Writing Through Modeling and Mentor Texts by Kelly Gallagher

why: This is another text I need to review for possible use with my college students at CU this fall. Also, this book has been on my list for reading for my own professional development as a teacher.

when: start 7/14, end 7/16 (started on leg one of the summer road trip and completed during leg two: Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Grand Teton National Park)

how: I read this as hard copy, in the passenger seat of the car, sticky notes in hand again making notes about how this would fit into my course syllabus.

thoughts: After the Colorado Writing Project work I did this past summer, I've been very anxious to read this because it gives more details about how to use mentor texts and modeling to teach writing authentically in the high school classroom (these are all key tenets of the writing workshop philosophy). I picked up lots of ideas for my own classroom--so I'm hopeful that my CU students will find this useful as they think about their future classrooms as well. This book is full of practical ideas for getting students to do real-world, authentic writing (not the five paragraph essay...but the kinds of writing they actually see in our world). I've been wanting to figure this out--how to get my students writing things that they will see as actually useful to their lives beyond school. School writing really need not be different from real world writing. I want my students to be able to think through complexity and struggle with words to communicate their ideas about their lives. Ideas in this book have helped me to figure that out more.

Click on the book image to get a link to information about this text.

review haiku:
write for real, students
not just for school. Life demands:
think. write. communicate.

Supporting Students in a Time of Core Standards: English Language Arts Grades 9-12 by Sarah Brown Wessling

why: This is a text I need to review for the course I'll be teaching at CU this fall.

when: start and end 7/14

how: I read this in hard copy, sitting in the passenger seat on the first leg of our summer road trip (to Badlands National Park in South Dakota). I read with sticky notes in hand, making notes on each chapter and how it would fit into the syllabus for the course I'll be teaching.

thoughts: This is a helpful text for language arts teachers who may have anxiety about what the Common Core State Standards are asking of us to do differently. Great practical work here. This is one book in the series coordinated by a smart professor in Michigan. Incidentally, one of my former high school students worked with this professor on the middle school book in this series.

Click on the book image to get to information about the text.

review haiku:
common core standards
don't worry. They only ask
more of our best work

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

why: Jane asked me to read this to her (I haven't read a book to her for a long time! She reads on her own voraciously, but for some reason, she wanted me to read this one to her).

when: start 6/3, end 7/10

how: The photo is of my copy of this book that I've had since I was a child. Jane found it on her book case and asked me to read it to her. So I've read some to her at bed time when she gets to bed early enough for that. I also read a lot of this to her (and to the husband as well) while we were driving to and from Montana this summer.

thoughts: Such a great story. I haven't read it since I was a kid--yet it's just as vivid and wonderful now as it was then. It's amazing how clearly I do remember much of this book even though it has been so many years!

Click on the book image to get to the wikipedia entry on the book.

review haiku:
all is lost to Sara
but she doesn't change herself
and finds it all again

Joyland by Stephen King

why: This one is just for fun. I haven't read King in ages and a colleague posted a link about it in Facebook so I thought I would check it out. 

when: start 7/6, end 7/8

how: I had to read this one in paperback. For some reason, King is not permitting ebook copies of this. This confuses me because King has been a huge proponent of ebooks and ereaders. Whereas I loved seeing the book sitting around the house, I remembered how much I prefer reading on my ipad just for the simple physicality of holding a book vs. having the ipad propped up somewhere and reading on it. 

thoughts: This was a fun read. It certainly doesn't achieve the psychological depth of some of King's work (like The Shining, for instance), but I'm pretty sure it's not about that anyhow. This is a fun summer read set in a fun and campy amusement park in the summer. There is a mystery in the middle of this book and a ghost too, but what takes center stage really is the world that this book throws you into--a world inhabited by carnies. Loved it. 

Click on the book image to read a review of the book from the NYTimes.

review haiku:

a murder mystery?

kind of. Moreso a trip to

carny world. Enjoy!

The Writing Workshop: Working through the Hard Parts (And They're All Hard Parts) by Katie Wood Ray with Lester L. Laminack

why: I'm reading this in preparation for training to become an instructor in the Colorado Writing Project.

when: start 6/4/13, end 6/5/13

how: as a hard copy book. I read most of it on my couch, and I filled the margins with thoughts scrawled in blue ink.

thoughts: Out of all of the books I've read about teaching writing via workshop, this on is the most concrete I've read. What I mean by that is that it actually shows you what a writer's workshop looks like and all the little pieces/components of it. I think Kitttle's book on teaching writing goes in deep in a few aspects of this kind of teaching--and that is really important reading to do. But this one really shows you what a workshop looks like. It makes me want to pick up Atwell's In the Middle and re-read it since it's been nearly 20 years since I've looked at that, my first introduction to a reading/writing workshop (which I loved after reading that but never thought I could actually pull it off...)

Click on the book image to get to information about this book from the publisher.

review haiku:
Workshop formula?
Ha! There'is no such kind of thing.
Teach them as writers.

About the Authors: Writing Workshop for our Youngest Authors by Katie Wood Ray and Lisa B. Cleaveland

why: I'll be training to become a teacher consultant for the Colorado Writing Project this month. I need to read up on writer's workshop in the elementary grades.

when: start 5/30 end 6/2

how: I have a hard copy of this one. I'm reading it at my dining room table, pen in hand to fill the margins with thoughts.

thoughts: I'm struck by how much of the ideas and approaches here for writers in grades K-2 are totally and completely relevant to writers in grades 9-12 and beyond even. I really loved reading this book. This reminded me of the essence of writer's workshop--it's about engaging students as writers who love to create, to imagine, to make things with words. It's about building a community of practice surrounding this. This book really shows how to do that, and I'm pretty sure I'll keep it within easy reach in my office at school to pull out ideas to use with my high school students.

Click on the book image to get to the page for this book on its publisher's website.

review haiku:
remember this please,
writer's workshop should be fun
inspire your authors

Geek Love by Katherine Dunn

why: because I've always thought I needed to read a novel called Geek Love

when: start 5/31, end 6/28

how: as an ebook on my ipad

thoughts: I assumed this novel was about love between geeks, you know, something like this:

or something like this:

But nope. That's not what this refers to. I did not know about one definition of "geek" (see #3 below): 

geek [geek]
noun Slang.

1. a computer expert or enthusiast (a term of pride as self-reference, but often considered offensive when used byoutsiders.)
2. a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, especially one who isperceived to be overly intellectual.
3. a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts, like biting off the head of a live chicken.

This is turning out to be the summer of the carnies for me, since I'm also planning to read this once it comes out on June 4 (it's been a while since I've read any Stephen King).

This book was trippy for sure--and I kind of loved it. I kept pondering the whole time what love meant ultimately in the context of this family. People went to great lengths in this family to protect the oddities that really made them who they were and they work that they did in their lives because of those oddities.

But I do wish the book didn't end before the reader got to see how Miranda responded to learning the truth about her heritage and learning why she has a tail...

Click on the book image to get to the wikipedia entry for Geek Love.

review haiku:
geeks are not just nerds
think old-timey carnivals
where geeks love fiercely

Unremembered by Jessica Brody

why: A student of mine who blogs about books recently blogged about this. It looked like good summer reading.

when: start 5/30 end 5/31

how: as an ebook on my ipad

thoughts: Definitely a suspenseful read. I pretty much tore through it. It's the first in a trilogy but I'll have to wait for a while for installment #2. This is a great mixture of YA, mystery, and science fiction. Girl wakes up apparently the only survivor of a terrible plane crash with absolutely no recollection of anything--that's where the book starts. It unravels the mystery chapter by chapter until the end. Cool stuff.

Click on the book image to get to the official author's webpage.

Review haiku:
Seraphina lost
memories, all of them
but love reconnects

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

why: I picked this up for my daughter and I to read together as our second book club book. She loves animals and she's an artist, so I thought a gorilla who paints would grab her attention.

when: start 5/21/13 end 5/24/13

how: as an ebook on my ipad (purchased through the website of my local independent book seller of course!)

thoughts: I loved this book. I cried at the end, tears of joy for Ivan and Ruby and Bob and Julia. I love that this was inspired by an actual gorilla who spent over 20 years of his life living at a shopping mall. There wasn't an elephant in the real gorilla's life like there is in the book, but the real gorilla did paint like Ivan does. This book is about friendship and the ethical treatment of animals and imagining the mental and emotional worlds of animals and the role of art in creating empathy for the experiences of others. I loved it. This book won the Newbery Medal for 2013, by the way.

Click on the book image to go to the book's official website.

review haiku:
Ivan and Ruby
captive in a shopping mall
art sets them free

Reflection on 2013 progress

I started this year vowing to read more.

And I have to say I'm pleased with my progress on this.

It's mid April (tax day eve), and I have completed 12 books since January 1.

I read 24 books in 2012--so in a three and a half months I've read half of what I read last year. I would say I'm well on pace to surpass last year's total.

Where have I carved out the time? I'm not exercising less or ignoring my work for teaching or spending less time with my family. But I'm definitely watching less on Netflix--way less. And I'm Facebooking less. And I made a rule that once I got in my bed at night I could only use my iPad to read and not check Facebook or play Words With Friends or read anything posted on the internet. Hence, I'm reading every evening right before I fall asleep. Some nights I can only make it about 10 minutes before my eyes can't stay open any longer. But now that I'm reading more frequently I'm finding myself wanting to read and thus getting myself in bed earlier to carve out more time for it before I fall asleep.

I guess that we block out time in our day for the things that we value, right? I've sought to make reading more of a value in my day, and it's working. I've had to trade off things that do not bring me as much joy as reading. Rather than picking another TV show and watching all of its episodes, I'm reading. Rather than spending a lot of time doing that random internetting that we all do (you know, you just decide to check your Facebook news feed and then you click on a link to something someone has posted and before you know it you've spent two hours watching videos on YouTube?), I'm taking back that time and doing something constructive with it.

I do not miss the things I've given up to have more time to read. I'm thrilled to be able to see the 12 books I've read and to go back to them again and again in my thinking because of all the ways the books have challenged me as a human being. I can't say the same for a series of cat videos on the internet.

So here's to all the books that are yet ahead for me in 2013!

Billy Ray Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain

why: a colleague brought this to me this week but warned me not to start reading it until I have three days to dedicate to it, meaning I won't be able to stop reading it once I start it

when: start 5/4/13 end 5/28/13

how: as an ebook on my iPad (from the local bookseller of course!) Even though I have a copy of this sitting on my desk at school to read, I much prefer ebooks so I downloaded it for myself.

thoughts: When another colleague saw this book on my desk, he told me that this is the book everyone should have been reading about the Iraq war. And I agree. Wow. The juxtaposition of war vs. the American pro football insanity is powerful here. The Dallas Cowboys' equipment room as described in this novel has more gear in it for a single game than our soldiers have for battle. I've always had issues with the hype surrounding professional sports in our world (and by "hype" I mean all the money spent on this when there are people starving in our country). And I think that ultimately this novel makes a burning commentary about US and what WE pay attention to. In the novel, this group of soldiers are only on the mind of the Americans back at home because a Fox News team caught a few minutes of a firefight where the soldiers killed a bunch of bad guys. So now the soldiers are all heroes and on tour for two weeks in the states so everyone can admire them. The two week tour culminates with a Thanksgiving day Cowboys game with the soliders as the special guests (though not more special than the halftime entertainment, Destiny's Child--see again how this novel comments on our priorities?). The novel tells the story of that five or so hour period at the football game--brilliant. Heart wrenching. Powerful. I could keep going here, but you should really read it on your own and tell me what you think.


Click on the book image to see a review from the NYTimes for the book.

review haiku:
football versus war
where are our priorities?
never mind. Kickoff.

Book manuscript of a friend's novel

why: my friend who is completing a novel has asked our book group to read her nearly completed manuscript

when: start 4/6/13, end (for the pages I have currently) 4/12/13

how: this one is printed pages of the manuscript hole punched and in a three-ring binder

thoughts: I'm excited to have the opportunity to read this manuscript, especially since for the seven years I have known the author, she has been writing it. It is set in Boulder, which is always fun since that's where I live and I know it well. It's an interesting experience to read something written by someone I know well--I can't help but hear her voice all over the story and wonder how much of it is autobiographical and who the characters are based upon from her life.

review haiku:

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

why: recommendations from our librarian and from students

when: start 4/1/13 finish 5/4/13

how: as an ebook on my iPad (from the local bookseller of course!)

Click on the book image to see the Wikipedia entry for the book.

thoughts: I loved this book. The moment I finished it I immediately went back to page one and started reading again! (Didn't read the whole thing again, just the first few chapters). There's a bit of mystery to it, and there are several different characters on seemingly different paths who eventually come together (I always love that). And yes, it is essentially about love and what it means in our lives. Loved it.

review haiku:
The history of us
history of all of us is
The history of love

The Dog Stars by Peter Heller

why: recommendations from colleague and student

when: start 4/1/13 end 4/9/13

how: as an ebook on my ipad (purchased through the Boulder Bookstore of course--must support the local independent bookseller!)

thoughts: This is another post-apocalyptic story akin to The Road, but set in Erie, Colorado. The main character lives at the Erie airport, flies a plane to patrol the area looking for intruders, and shares the airport with another survivor of the flu that took almost everyone. It was fun to be able to visualize all the places mentioned in the book since most of it takes place in Boulder County. In the center of the text is not a father/child relationship like in The Road, but a man and his dog and also a friendship with the other man who is also living at the Erie airport. Hence, the story is a bit less painful and heartbreaking than The Road (though The Dog Stars definitely has its moments), and I was pleased in the end that the final image of the characters is a hopeful one. There is hope for this world.

Click on the image to get to some information about the book on NPR.

review haiku:
most dead by the flu
the few who remain build a
new reality

The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

Why: book club

When: start 3/10/13 end 3/28/13

How: as an ebook on my iPad

Thoughts: Okay I kind of loved this book. The voice is just awesome. And Oscar--unique character. Loved his geekiness. Loved his passion. Loved his single-minded dedication to his vision of happiness, despite all obstacles. Loved the window into a cultural world I'm not familiar with.

Click on the book image to read the wikipedia entry for the book.

Review Haiku:
Thank you Oscar Wao
for being simply just you
despite the fuku

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Why: first book of the book club my kid has started with me!

When: start 3/5/13 finish 3/10/13

How: as an ebook on my iPad (she's reading it in hard copy-- of which she has two. I bought her one yesterday and she also checked it out from the library at her school!)

Thoughts: It's hard to believe this is the first Spinelli book I've read, but it is. I think that there will be more after this. My kid made it halfway through the book in only one day.

Loved this. The way that people responded to Stargirl really showed a lot about who they are themselves. I loved her personality and her confidence in who she is. If only more of us could be so brave to be ourselves.

Review haiku:

Ukelele, rat
long skirts, birthday songs, cheer all
We should be Stargirl

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

Why: Book club

When: Start 2/15/13. Finished! 3/5/13

How: as an ebook on my ipad

Thoughts: I've been very intrigued by this book, wondering how Rowling's writing would translate to an older audience. So far, some things have shocked me a bit--things that never would have graced the pages of Harry Potter. But the intricacies of the plot are just as I would expect based on the other seven books I've read by her.

So now after reading this: it was longer than it needed to be. Way longer than it needed to be. By the end it all came together in a heartbreaking way that has left me thinking ever since I finished. Full of commentary and symbolism about class structure, community responsibility for the individual, etc. Though the omniscient narration annoyed me and made it difficult for me to feel connected to the story because it wasn't about one particular character's struggle, by the end it became clear to me why the omniscience was necessary. The book is about all of us collectively and how we fail to take responsibility for others because of being so wrapped up in our own crap.

I'm glad I read it even though it took me forever.

(click on the book image to read about the book on wikipedia)

Review haiku:
Pagford. Fields. Yarvil.
We are these communities.
Care for each other.

White Teeth by Zadie Smith

Why: a couple of weeks ago at a meeting with some colleagues, two of them raved about an author I had never even heard of. Smith has also a newer novel just out in 2012, but I figured I'd start here with this one that has been very critically acclaimed.

When: Start 2/2/13 End 4/1/13

How: as an ebook on my iPad

Thoughts: Awesome line from chapter 1: "Clara Bowden, aged seventeen, was gangly, bucktoothed, a Jehovah's Witness, and saw in Ryan a kindred spirit. A typical teenage female panopticon, she knew everything there was to know about Ryan Topps long before they ever spoke." I've never seen "panopticon" used in quite this way, and I love it.

This book took me a while, but finally I conquered it. Loved it too. It's complex--lots and lots to unpack, but it definitely taught me some things about British contemporary culture and the struggle of immigrants there. The teeth motif was fun to puzzle out for sure.

review haiku:
people do differ
but we all have teeth, white teeth
with roots. What are yours?

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Why: my 3rd hour class chose for us to all read this together to start off second semester.

When: Start 1/11/13; End 2/4/13

Thoughts: This book is beautiful and painful and terrifying. Truly terrifying. The world of this book and me being lost in it with my child to protect is literally my nightmare.

How: I'm reading the copy I bought when I first taught this book a few years ago. It looks just like this image here, though my students' books have a still photo from the recent movie on the cover. I actually hate it when books do that. Then you're stuck with the movie maker's image of the characters in your head.

(click on the book image to get to the wikipedia entry for the book)

review haiku:

we all have a road
the trick is to stay true and
carry the fire

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Why: my 5th hour students chose for us to read this all together.

When: Start 1/11/13; End 2/4/13

Thoughts: I have to admit that I was surprised my students voted to read this out of the other choices. I love this book. So beautiful.

How: I'm reading the copy I've had since I taught AP English in Illinois, so it's full of my marginalia. The book mark/chapter summary card is a post card from the Grand Mesa. On the back is a sticker that says "I support smoke-free restaurants" (there was a campaign in the direction about 12 years ago in Urbana, Illinois).

(click on the book image to get to the wikipedia entry for The Great Gatsby)

review haiku:

the green light shining
stands in for all of us who
want what we can't have

The Round House by Louise Erdrich

Why: book club

When: Start 1/20/13; End 2/2/13

Thoughts: This was beautifully written--loved how the Native American legends wove into the story. The main character as an adolescent makes for an intriguing lens on this book and the issues it takes on. I had no idea about the laws on reservations (imposed from the outside) and that they make it difficult to prosecute rape cases. That's where this story starts. The main character's (Joe's) mother is brutally raped and attacked by an outsider, his father is a judge, and questions about justice and revenge and what is permitted under the law swirl around the story.

How: as an ebook on my ipad

(click on the book image to read about the author)


review haiku

There's a line between
Revenge and justice and the law
But it's a fine line

Book Love by Penny Kittle

Why: My own professional development!

When: Start 1/20/13 End 1/27/13

Thoughts: This teacher shows me the path toward achieving with my students what I hope and envision for their reading.

How: I'm reading the hard copy of this one, loaned to me by a colleague. I'm taking notes on my ipad as I read so I don't forget all the things I hope to do in my classroom that I'm learning about in this book!

(click on the book image to get to the author's website)

review hiaku:

books books books books books
read read read read read read read
teach to craft readers

The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson

Why: book club

When: Start 1/10/13. End 1/19/13

Thoughts: Am I a psychopath? I don't think so, at least not according to what I learned in this book.

How: as an ebook on my ipad, purchased through The Boulder Bookstore

(click on the book image to read about it on wikipedia)

review haiku:

if I wonder if
I might be a psychopath
than I am not one

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

Why: This is the second in a series by Laini Taylor. I loved Daughter of Smoke and Bone and had to read this when it came out.

When: Start 1/2/03; End 1/9/03

Thoughts: Whoa. This world is really very cool. There were some intense scenes here that went way beyond what I read in Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I kept having to go back to the first book to remind myself of all the plot twists. There will be a third book by the way.

Oh, and I discovered this author because she came to speak to FHS last year. She had bright pink hair that day.

How: ebook on my ipad, purchased through The Boulder Bookstore (must support the local bookstore, people!)

(click on the book image to read the author's blog)

review haiku:

a parallel world
chimera and bad angels
and an epic war