’tis the month for new music – which, sadly, ends today…
“who you gonna call?” – graphic novel about the ghostbusters – i was very – very – disappointed – NOT the new ones – even though the new ones were on the cover – i should move on…
“neurotribes” – since i read a comic book, i really felt i needed to do something adult – actually, even though the book was 500-plus pages, i just wanted to read it – really great read – it was the story of autism – and how that story tells the story of brain development and what we know about it – basically, we’ve come in the past 20 years from only a few people being considered autistic to people – like myself – seeing autistic tendencies within themselves – b/c there’s neurodiversity within a populous and so some people are going to be different from others – one of the key takeaways i got from the book is the whole “who decides normal” in the first place – is it really bad that i don’t always make eye contact if it enables me to think more deeply on a subject that most people? and since when is eye contact considered important anyway? again, really enjoyed the book
if so, then come on down to Crazy Mayfield’s Room this week for a sneak peak lesson – you can even help clean for the coming year!!!
“ink and bone” – good high school BOB possibility – it is the first in probably a 500 book sequence – it was made to be a movie – but the SCHS librarian recommended it – so it’s important to read books he says to read – that said, it ripped lots off hunger games – lots of soap opera too
“the trouble with women” – cute premise for an art book – it’s a satire – basically saying, men have tried to keep women out of most of history – it was a cute premise – it did get repetitive – it did tend to jump around (insert a joke about a woman’s brain – which would be one of the stereotypes the book was written to upset/upturn) – given the nature of what went down at fox news this week, a (sadly) needed book – i did start “the trouble with gifted” – i just can’t draw
“the boy who runs” – my favorite book probably of the summer – the story of julius achon – ugandan runner – he was a child soldier – he became a runner – by walking FORTY miles when he was 14 over one night – so he could race the next day – he won all three races – he came to the US – he was brilliant for one year – he gave up a lot for his family afterward – he started an orphanage for 11 kids he found under a bus one night – war ravaged Uganda 10 years ago – he has now built a hospital with his charity – in his hometown – where his mother was shot and killed by a soldier during the war – so basically, there’s just part of me that can’t take whiny-ness from myself – or from others – when i read a story like that b/c we have so very very much to be happy and blessed with – i highly recommend the book for my running friends or those who love africa or international charities
sorry, so busy this weekend getting pumped for registration…
“the sandman and the alphabet of sleep” – has anyone else read this book? it’s a quasi-children’s picture book – very creative – very nice read – only 100 pages-ish – still, a bit more heft than just a picture book – parts of it remind me of a Christmas story – parts are just like a Washington Irving book (book within a book)
“the most frightening story every told” – could be an elem BOB – except parents wouldn’t like it – b/c the book is anti-modern parenting:) part willy wonka, part horror, part history – the book dealt with more than most elem stories deal with – a bit heavy handed at times for me – but would definitely be recommendable to a middle school audience
“going postal: history of the us postal service” – wonderful history of the post office – lots of the issues it’s faced for years it’s faced before – or things it has faced are things new agencies face – so a great, great book and an interesting read
“olympic obsession” – great book – about the rivalry between zola budd and mary decker slaney – or media-hyped rivalry from 1984 – great history both of a time period in running – and a history of what happened – the challenges – during that time – slaney was a prodigy in 1972 – and budd still runs – so lots of great parallels to developing talent
“originality” – great book – got lots of ideas for the classroom – just things about how fixing a mindset can improve things in your life – and how certain things can be improved to help spark creativity
i have like a fun little story i’ve been writing about captain patrick and trucker kinzie this week – as for what i’m reading…
“little bee” – recommended by a reading specialist – meh – it wasn’t YA, i’ll say that – it was awfully british though – this would be a good example of a book that talks about an important issue – and so people want to like it – as for one of my problems, the 16 year old in the story just wasn’t a 16 year old – she was more like a 35 year old – unrealistically mature and wise
“passing the torch” – what’s better than a little football reading in the summer? not much, especially when you learn some fun facts about the sport that everyone worships and adores
“unexpected something” – definitely recommendable to all of the high school world – it’s currently a NY times bestseller for YA – senior-to-be falls in love with a 19-year-old ex-fantasy writer – he’d already had two books published – but he hadn’t written anything in three years – the book was interesting – not great – but interesting