Long time no blog......

Well I've been a slacker of late with my blog.  Numerous personal reasons have prevented me from writing---at the top of the list was a recent illness, which I'm still recovering from.  I've had to let some things go, including my writing time.  I will try to do better in the future!  I've at least been able to publish some of my current reviews for SLJ--last month I had two reviews published at once!  They were side by side on the page--I must admit, I still get goose bumps when I see my name in print in a magazine.  You'd think after all this time, I'd be used to it, but it never gets old.....

Book review

(cover art courtesy of Amazon.com)

My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century.


Grades 7-10


A trip to Italy suits Cat Crawford just fine for her birthday, but she is not happy about the huge sweet sixteen party her soon-to-be-stepmother wants to throw. A solitary afternoon of sight-seeing ends at a gypsy tent, where the fortune teller says, “A great adventure is in store for you. Keep your mind open to the lessons ahead.” When she leaves the tent, Cat finds she has traveled back in time to Renaissance Italy as Patience DiAngeli, a distant cousin of her family. Her one reminder of the present time is her backpack of makeup and gadgets. To avoid suspicion, she must be mindful of everything she says and does and keep the backpack out of sight. She finally shares the time travel secret with her younger cousin, Alessandra, who willingly accepts her story and who then tries to help Cat fit in as a proper young lady of Renaissance Italy. Lorenzo, a dashing young man and fellow artist, catches her eye, but as is customary for the time period, Cat finds herself betrothed to a much older, “creepy” guy. All turns out well in the end—Cat finds her way back to modern day Italy and along the way, learns to open her heart to others, including her future stepmother. Girls will like the romance of the story and all the gorgeous young men—past and present—Cat encounters. The details of the Renaissance costumes and art work, which add to the story’s historical setting, clash with Cat’s modern day slang terms, providing a good amount of humor. Cute, light and romantic, the story will appeal to those who want to leave the real world behind for a while.

Butter

Here's my Goodreads review of a new YA book by Erin Jade Lange. Butter by Erin Jade Lange
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The author combines the current hot button topics of chilhood obesity, teen suicide and cyberbullying into a compelling story. It is told with a first person narrator which gives an interesting perspective.

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Power of Habit

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fascinating reading-- from a personal stand point as well as professional. This book explains in my mind anyway why I've had trouble trying to make some changes at work. I hadn't found a "keystone" habit to change. The book also gives one pause and makes you think about how much information companies have about our buying habits. Very interesting book.

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Educational technology

I found a great infographic on the changes in Educational Technology over the past few years. The infographic is pretty big and so I'm including the link for it here:

http://edudemic.com/2012/09/the-teachers-quick-guide-to-education-technology/


Here's a small version so you can see what I mean:

Debbie Downer today

Wow, school is off and running. I've found myself going in circles trying to figure out what fire to put out first. So I haven't had time to do much writing and posting here. I'm also working on a column of reviews for SLJ and that's taking my free time. I'll post it when the column is published--I think it's in November. It's been a rocky start to the school year again or maybe that's just the norm these days. Trying to help with technology only to be told that's not our job. Trying to help teachers find resources only to be told, "I don't want your help." Trying to be a team player only to find the rules are changing daily. I feel sad that I have many days when things happen that I can't control yet I must manage. I guess this is all part of the process of change, which we all know is happening exponentially in the library world. But some days I don't think I can keep up.Sorry to be such a "Debby Downer" today. I will get back to my usual sharing of tips and tricks to help teachers and librarians as soon as I can!

What Happens Next

It's not every day you get a thumbs up from the author of a book you've reviewed! What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Excellent story of a teenager who is the victim of a date rape. Sid Murphy doesn't remember the incident but knows something happened. She starts trying to literally run away from the pain--running through her town at night. Coupled with the onset of bulimia, she starts to lose so much weight her mother and friends worry about her. An incident sparks her memory and with the help of her mother and a caring boyfriend, she is able to pull herself away from the eating issues and get on with her life.

The story is very good--the rape is mentioned but not in a graphic way so I think even younger readers (middle school) could read this one. And the eating disorder issues are discussed but again in a way that even younger readers can handle the story. Very well done.

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