Anne (AMQS) reads in 2015 -- chapter 3

Hello and welcome to my third thread! My school year is over, I've just returned from the Chorale's annual performance residency in Vail, and I'm ready for summer. Seems like a good time to start a new thread.

I'm continuing to feature illustrations from picture books. This one is a new favorite of mine: The Right Word: Roget and his Thesaurus by Jen Bryant. The illustrations are wonderful (it is a 2015 Caldecott Honor Book), and I love the story -- a picture-book sized biography of Peter Roget and how he came to create the thesaurus (which means storehouse/treasure in Greek). I read this to 4th/5th students, who loved the book and then checked out my entire collection of thesauri! I love it when magic like that happens:)

September, 2015
61. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
62. Castle Hangnail by Ursula Vernon
63. Coriolanus by William Shakespeare
64. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
65. The Touchstone by Edith Wharton

August, 2015
54. The Story of My Disappearance by Paul Watson
55. Sisters by Raina Telgemeier
56. Paper Towns by John Green
57. The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas
58. Ever After High: The Storybook of Legends by Shannon Hale
59. The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies
60. Hell's Bottom, Colorado by Laura Pritchett

July, 2015
44. Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce
45. Loot by Jude Watson
46. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
47. Worlds of Making: Best Practices for Establishing a Makerspace for Your School by Laura Fleming
48. The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide
49. I Funny: A Middle School Story by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein
50. Wayfaring Stranger by James Lee Burke
51. Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
52. The Martian by Andy Weir
53. Everyday Angel: New Beginnings by Victoria Schwab

June, 2015
36. A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd
37. The Most Beautiful Walk in the World: A Pedestrian in Paris by John Baxter
38. The Penderwicks in Spring by Jeanne Birdsall
39. The Gravity of Birds by Tracy Guzeman
40. My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish by Mo O'Hara
41. Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart
42. The Caliph's House by Tahir Shah
43. The Girl in the Blue Beret by Bobbie Ann Mason

May, 2015
31. Death in the Garden by Elizabeth Ironside
32. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
33. The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm
34. A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
35. Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley

April, 2015
24. Midnight in Peking by Paul French
25. Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan
26. The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim
27. Mama's Bank Account by Kathryn Forbes
28. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
29. King Lear by William Shakespeare
30. Around the World in 80 Days by Michael Palin

March, 2015
17. The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett
18. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Method of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo
19. Drama by Raina Telgemeier
20. The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
21. A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy
22. The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier
23. Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

February, 2015
10. The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicolas Flamel by Michael Scott
11. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
12. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
13. El Deafo by CeCe Bell
14. Among Others by Jo Walton
15. Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman
16. The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex

January, 2015
1. Lexicon by Max Barry
2. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
3. The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare
4. The Small Rain by Madeleine L'Engle
5. Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages by Guy Deutscher
6. The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer
7. Knucklehead: Tall Tales & Mostly True Stories About Growing Up Scieszka by Jon Scieskza
8. Indian Creek Chronicles by Pete Fromm
9. Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher

37. The Most Beautiful Walk in the World: A Pedestrian in Paris by John Baxter

I enjoyed this book very much. John Baxter is an Australian writer who lives with his family in Paris. The book is part memoir, and part vignettes of Paris, Parisian life, and Parisian history, told through the lens of the experience of Paris on foot. For a time, Mr. Baxter led literary-themed tours through Paris -- from the descriptions of his tours, I would dearly love to take one. Interesting read, covering everything from literary legends and landmarks to the catacombs, sardines, the city's opium history, the art of the metro, and practical tips for the visitor. A great follow-up to A Moveable Feast.

Happy new thread, Anne! Glad to see you enjoyed your most recent read.

Happy New Thread! I love The Right Word. It's a great choice for your thread topper!

HAPPY summer vacation, Anne! Are you actually going to be able to stay put and relax for a while now?

Happy new thread Anne!

Happy New Thread, Anne, and Happy Summer! It has arrived here with a vengeance - at least 3 days in a row of 100°s coming up next week! I sort of wish I were in Colorado.

>5 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky!

>6 cbl_tn: Hi Carrie! Isn't The Right Word the best? I wasn't sure if students would like it, so I was thrilled when they did:)

>7 ronincats: Hi Roni! Vail really is my favorite week of the year, but it is exhausting! I have a week at home doing not much (have an LT meet-up on Tuesday, though) before I travel again: Callia and I are taking a mother-daughter trip just the two of us. After we get back I have a blissfully empty summer!

>8 Copperskye: Thanks, Joanne! Will I see you Tuesday?

>9 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! We've had an unusually wet spring, but it was 90 degrees today, so our summer may have arrived as well. Hope you're staying cool!

>10 AMQS: You will!! I'm really looking forward to it!

Happy new thread, Anne!

Happy new thread and Happy summer!

I LOVE the pictures at >1 AMQS:! I will have to find that book.

Oh, I'm on the lookout for books on walking and hiking at the moment. Have found such a pleasure in long walks recently. The Most Beautiful Walk in the World: A Pedestrian in Paris will come in handy next time I'm in Paris.

Paris is such a beautiful city to walk in.

Happy new thread, Anne! Charlie and I *love* The Right Word!

Congratulations on the new thread, Anne. Wow, you hit me with two book bullets. The Right Word and The Most Beautiful Walk in the World both sound great. My wife and I have taken, and loved, walking tours in Paris. I wonder whether I'll be able to tell whether Baxter might have led one.

Happy new thread, Anne. You got me with both the Bryant book and the Baxter book. I loved A Moveable Feast and have wanted to reread it. Maybe I should read both books together.

Your first post has inspired me to take a pic of the inside of one of my fave local kids books. Billy: A Lolly Leopold Story. The illustrations are very...patchy? Scrappy? Collaged. But it is very interesting to dissect them all, and a cool story.

I bet you are looking forward to summer!

Stopping by to say hi.

Happy new thread, Anne!

>4 AMQS: - I would love to engage in a pedestrian tour of Paris... that would be amazing! Must poke my other half and remind him that we haven't been to Paris as a couple, yet. ;-)

Happy new thread, Anne :-) Your summer sounds lovely. I was watching Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives yesterday and they featured an American Indian restaurant called Tocabe http://www.tocabe.com/, which looked *amazing*. Maybe you could try it if you haven't already been.

Hi Anne, wonderful new thread! Tagging along through June, LOL. I'm sure things are the same in your world.

>11 Copperskye: Great -- see you later today:)

>12 SandDune: Thank you, Rhian -- great to see you!

>13 nittnut: Hi Jenn! It is a happy summer indeed, especially with not much to do just now:) The Right Word is an excellent picture book -- probably perfect for 2nd-5th grade.

>14 ctpress: Hi Carsten! That's our plan -- Callia and I will be there next week:) I saw a book in a catalog that made me think of you - it's called The Burning Leg: Walking Scenes from Classic Fiction. The review says "shows how this seemingly simple pastime can turn into a multi-faceted symbol in the hands of literary greats.

>15 scaifea: Thank you, Amber! The Right Word is a good one -- anything that can get a class of 4th/5th graders to check out the entire thesaurus collection is a book well done!

>16 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe! Glad I was able to get you:) Two for two o9n this thread!

>17 BLBera: Hi Beth! Two for two on this thread for you as well:) At least The Right Word is a picture book, and definitely Scout-worthy when she's older -- especially if she enjoys words and writing!

>18 LovingLit: Hi Megan! I've never heard of Billy: a Lolly Leopold Story. I wonder if it's even available here. I would love to see pictures if you post them. My summer has now officially started, with the end of school and the completion of the Chorale's performance residency in Vail. Hooray!

>19 thornton37814: Hi Lori!

>20 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori! Yes, you should definitely go! Paris is an experience you certainly need to have together.

>21 susanj67: Hi Susan! We are all ready for summer around here -- it's been a busy year. A good year, but also a tough year in many ways, so we're grateful for some down time. I hadn't heard of Tocabe before -- it sounds really good! We just might have to make a trip to Greenwood Village!

>22 lit_chick: Hi Nancy! Things are fairly calm at this moment - my husband is off on Ride the Rockies, so the girls and I are in sea-slug mode. I'm very behind on the threads, which seems like my new normal, but I WILL be around soon!

Hi Anne,
You already saw that I did post the kids book pics. Tanks for the inspiration. I take my time usually with pictures as my antiquated system involves taking the photo, plugging the camera in to the computer, booting up the computer, loading all the existing images, transferring the new ones, deleting all the repeats, uploading to LT.......I am already tired just thinking about it! But as I have so much time on my hands, for another few weeks at least, I am making an effort.

Ooh! You're going to Paris with Callia? I saw that you were taking a trip, but missed the where. :) How awesome. I love the idea of one on one trips with my kids as they get older.
Enjoy your sluggish week before the big trip. :)

>24 LovingLit: Actually, your system sounds a lot like mine! I did take some photos of The Right Word, but the ones I used up top came from images that were already online.

Here's one I didn't find online, but that is a favorite. I love all the variations of "darkness" -- my favorite is "owl's light."

>25 nittnut: Yup! That's the reason for all of the Paris books:) I'm not getting much reading done, even in this quiet week, because I'm scouring all of the guidebooks I got from the library. We're so excited! I was inspired by Cushla -- I know she has taken trips with just one child at a time. Last year Callia and Stelios spent a week together in Athens, and she still talks about how wonderful it was, and how much she wants Marina to have the same experience. Marina will definitely have her turn, too.

Cool cool coolness. Talking a special trip will be a life long memory for you both. I love that idea. W has already said he wants me to take him to South America (home of cartoon guy Diego). He also recognises the Eiffell Tower, so wants to go there, and I have promised the kids I will take them on an ovnight train trip one day.
And I still wouldn't mind taking my mum to Europe.... Hm, now, how am I going to pay for all this?

Hi Anne! Just checking in. I hope you are doing well. Have you read Hell's Bottom, Colorado? If not, I highly recommend it. Perfect Colorado setting. This was my first Pritchett and will not be my last.

It was great to see you tonight, Anne! Always nice to get together and enjoy good food, good company and good books (not necessarily in that order!).

I don't often put children's books on library hold but I can't resist The Right Word. It looks like fun!

>28 LovingLit: Thanks, Megan -- that's what I'm hoping. You'd better start saving your $100s -- sounds like a grand world tour is in your future:)

>29 msf59: Hi Mark! I have had Hell's Bottom, Colorado in my pile for a few years, but I have seen some wonderful reviews here lately, so I need to dig it out! Thanks for checking in. Would love to see YOU in a Colorado setting!

>30 Copperskye: Joanne, it was lovely to see you! The Right Word is definitely worth a read.

LT meet-up! We had dinner at Ted's Montana Grill, then moseyed over to the Tattered Cover. It was great to see Mary and Joanne, and to meet Kris and Jim!


Joanne, Anne, Jim, Mary, Kris

38. The Penderwicks in Spring by Jeanne Birdsall -- read aloud!

We LOVE the Penderwicks! These are the only books we will buy in hard cover -- they are that special. This book happens several years after the others -- primarily following Batty rather than Rosalind, Skye, and Jane. I can't say more without giving away plot spoilers for the other books (and they really should be read in order) other than to say that this book packs an emotional wallop. The three of us were sobbing uncontrollably BY PAGE SIX, and several more times throughout. These characters just really make their way into your heart. In fact, there was a question floating around FB a few weeks ago about literary siblings you'd like to belong to. My girls and I all agreed we would love to be Penderwicks (and Pevensies, Weasleys, and Marches). Wonderful series. I hope she writes more.

Uh oh. Another serious BB. Must go find The Penderwicks in Spring. Now. Bye.

"Would love to see YOU in a Colorado setting!"

LOL! One day, I will be in that photo! What a great looking bunch!

>35 msf59: Yeah, I had a blast meeting everyone. Plus, their bookstore is really great!

And thanks to Anne, Mary, Joanne and Kris for letting me into the Denver club! :)

Anne - I've been looking at The Penderwicks in Spring, and now I know I have to have it. Great picture of the meet up; I'm going to have to move to Colorado, but only if I can convince my daughter to move with me. I couldn't be far away from my Scout.

Have a fabulous trip.

Anne, I think The Tattered Cover is the best ever name for a bookshop!

Hi, Anne, I'm sure everyone is foisting their Paris recs on you. I have been several times in the past few years, and definitely recommend that you swing by a Pierre Hermè to try their macarons, hands down THE best, several locations around Paris. Also, breakfast at Angelina's, near Vendôme, is fun and indulgent, reservations recommended during the summer. I'm sure you already know which sights you all want to visit!

>34 nittnut: Yay, I got you! But, have you read the others? You really need to start with them. Would be a great series to read aloud with M.

>35 msf59: Thanks, Mark! Hope to post a photo of you with out CO group soon!

>36 drneutron: Jim, it was wonderful to meet you! Hope your meetings concluded successfully and that you had a safe trip home -- even if it's only for a brief stay.

>37 BLBera: Thank you, Beth! I would say that The Penderwicks HAVE to be on Scout's list. We love them. My girls are rereading the entire series now.

>38 lit_chick: Hi Nancy! The Tattered Cover is pretty much the best-ever bookshop, too, though we Denver old-timers still mourn the loss of their huge and magical Cherry Creek location. Now there are three locations, plus smaller stores in both the train station and the airport. It's a rough business, and though things change, I'm so thrilled The Tattered Cover is still here. YOU should come and visit!

>39 karspeak: Hi Karen! Actually, no one has foisted a Paris rec on us, so I'm very grateful for yours! We have no plans whatsoever except a train trip up to Lille and beyond on Sunday to visit the family that hosted me when I went to France as an exchange student at 15. I'm so thrilled to be able to see them again! Aside from that, we will wander and sightsee and eat to our hearts' content!

>40 AMQS: But of course we've read some of them. :) We need to read Point Mouette and then we can read the new one. I have both now. Lol

As far as recommendations for Paris, I don't have any, as such (hee-hee) because I've never been, but I'd love it if you'd eat some Pain au Chocolat for me. That's what I dream of eating in Paris. :)

It was lovely seeing you the other evening! I always enjoy our meetups, but it was pretty special this time with our special guest Jim getting together with us! Can't wait for our next meetup when Donna comes to town.

Hope you have a lovely weekend ~ it's supposed to be hot and sunny the whole time!

>32 AMQS: cool! Looks like a great meet up. With LTers books and food, what could be better

>41 nittnut: Wow, you really did run out and find it, didn't you? I'm impressed:) I will definitely enjoy some pain au chocolat for you -- I plan to eat enough of it to enjoy some on everyone's behalf:)

>42 Storeetllr: Hi Mary -- thank you for organizing everything! It was lovely to see you again, and I look forward to the next one.

>43 LovingLit: Indeed, Megan! It was nice to meet Jim and Kris, and to see Joanne and Mary.

39. The Gravity of Birds by Tracy Guzeman

This is my book club's June selection. The book begins at a lakeshore cabin in 1963. Teenagers Natalie and Alice Kessler are vacationing there with their parents and meet Thomas, the young artist next door, who offers to do a family portrait. The action continues in 2007, when Thomas, now a very famous, but reclusive, embittered, and broken down artist, requests an art history professor and a young art authenticator to find two paintings he completed of the Kessler sisters. The sisters themselves seem to have vanished in 1972 along with the paintings.

I enjoyed the book, and the plot and characters certainly kept the pages turning. In the end, though, I have to say I was a bit dissatisfied. This is not one of those books that wraps up neatly, answering all questions, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but in this case it left this reader baffled. In fact, I found two major reasons for this book to exist at all -- the connection of the artist to the girls, and the actions of one of the sisters -- to be completely inexplicable. Other character inconsistencies, and Giant Coincidences toward the end detracted from the story as well.

I can't seem to add books today -- is anyone else having this problem?

LT is very vey slow for me today too, I am coming back later to see how it is.

>47 LovingLit: Any better today, Megan? I was finally able to add books, but the site did seem strange all day.

40. My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish by Mo O'Hara

How to Write a Book That Will Appeal to Young and Reluctant-Reader Boys:*

1. Write about Zombies
2. Zombies + Goldfish = Zombie Goldfish
3. Evil Older Brother
4. Use the word "MORON" about 600 times
5. Zippy, non-cohesive, breakneck plot
6. Liberally sprinkle in comic book-style illustrations to highlight something funny, especially homophone-misunderstanding humor
7. Include lots of toilets
8. Make sure main character is stuffed into several trash cans and doggie doors
9. Don't forget to make the best friend Indian (Pradeep), in a nod to Diversity in Children's Literature
10. Bonus points if Pradeep's older brother Sanj is evil AND gifted

*Note: I may not be the target audience for this book.

This is a 2016 Colorado Children's Book Award nominee. So I read it. Boys do love it (it flew off the shelf at my bookfairs). And there are sequels (the second one is actually a "seaquel").

That is all.

Anne - From your description, I would guess I'm not the target, either. I'll pass on this - great that boys like it though.

>49 AMQS: I think I may have a target at my house, although he's not a reluctant reader. Those are not allowed here.

>49 AMQS: Definitely a pass on this one.

Happy Thingaversary Anne!

Ah, your Thingaversary! Congratulations :)

Love hearing about your Paris plans. We took our grandkids (then aged 9 & 11) to Paris and the Netherlands last year. It will be a wonderful memory for all of us for the rest of our lives.

>49 AMQS: well, that has my son written all over it. Never mind that his best friend is actually called Jaydeep (similarities to Pradeep of the story? I think so!)
The "zippy, non-cohesive, breakneck plot" I can do without, also the toilet humour. but I will keep it in mind.

So, where are you at the mo, Anne? Somewhere exciting?

Anne, that may be the best book review I've read on LT. Certainly the most entertaining. Griffin is still interested in reading. He bought the complete 39 Steps collection in hardback at the book sale we went to in Kansas City earlier this month. The vocabulary seemed a little advanced for a second-grader, but he was plowing through the first one when I left. I have known a lot of boys who don't like to read. Harry Potter was a godsend, and books like My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish are great motivators.

I would have loved to have been able to go to the last meet up with the special guest Jim…and to see you again since you couldn't make the meeting in the spring. I may come out again in late July rather than August in hopes that you won't be too busy then getting ready for school. I wish school started after Labor Day even though I'm not really affected by it anymore. It just seems odd to begin so early in August. It's the same way here. Thank goodness the schools are finally air conditioned. They weren't when I was teaching. Ugh!

Happy Thingaversary!

>49 AMQS: Love the sound of this. May well gift it!

Hi Anne- so cool that you are going to Paris!!! It is really special doing something with one kid. Teresa still talks about our weekend in Lugano and it was 4 years ago - it was the first time she went up to a hotel buffet breakfast from the table to the food on her own and she was very pleased with herself (she was 4 then...) So funny what they remember.

I have a few Paris recs because I had 3 days there with the kids when we were in Basel. When are you going? The main booky one is for a bookshop called the Red Wheelbarrow. And there's another bookshop...not Shakespeare and Co... (although that is also lovely). I will look on my old old LT threads to see what it's called.

Got to get to schoool. One week till "holidays"!

Belated Happy Thingaversary, Anne! Eight years! Do you ever wonder what the heck you did before LT?

>50 BLBera: Hi Beth! Yes, a good choice for boys who are reluctant readers:)

>51 nittnut: Jenn, I bet he would enjoy it -- good choice for a library book, since he's really reading now, it will be a fast read!

>52 ronincats:, 57 Thank you, Roni! And good call on the Zombie Goldfish :)

>53 cbl_tn: Thank you, Carrie! What a great day it was when I stumbled onto LT!

>54 RebaRelishesReading: Thank you, Reba! It was such a wonderful trip -- I know I will always treasure these memories. Callia is a great traveler, and we had a great time!

>55 LovingLit: Hi Megan! We are now home, after a wonderful week in Paris, and day trips to Versailles and Lille (the latter to visit the family that hosted me as a high schooler 30 years ago). And the toilet humor is not really a thing the way it can be in so many other children's books -- the goldfish is threatened with flushing a lot, but that's as bad as it gets. Really, it's a pretty harmless book, though I can't say it was a favorite of mine... :)

>56 Donna828: Hi Donna! We missed you for sure. I would love to see you if you come in July. I wish school didn't start so early. Many of our schools are not air conditioned. Two years ago my daughter's school had to close because of the heat. But you know, we have to front-load their learning time before the Massive Testing starts!

You're right -- Harry Potter books were godsends. People say the same about Twilight, and especially Captain Underpants. A few people have told me their sons would have flat-out refused to read had it not been for Captain Underpants. And compared to those, the Zombie Goldfish are very tame!

>58 charl08: Hi Charlotte! Would be great for new readers:)

>59 cushlareads: Hi Cushla -- you know, you were a major inspiration for me! Marina is already thinking about where she might want to go.

I looked up the Red Wheelbarrow, and found that is has closed! That's too bad. I appreciate your recommendation, though!

>60 Storeetllr: Thank you, Mary, and yes, I do! It has had such an amazing impact on my reading, and my life is so much richer for the dear friends I've made here!

Back from Paris! One thing I really loved was seeing how much Parisians read -- wow! Every time we were on a metro, there were at least 6 people reading -- real books, too! And book stores all over the city. Love it. Callia and I had a wonderful time sightseeing, exploring, visiting my host family, and most of all sharing a wonderful experience together.

...and I read quite a lot on the planes!



41. Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart

This was a very fun read that transported me to 1945 New York. Marjorie Hart and her best friend, sorority sisters and students at the University of Iowa, impulsively travel to New York for a summer of fun, sightseeing, and hopefully employment. They are hired as the first ever female pages at Tiffany and Co. They revel in the glamour and excitement of their jobs, where they see Judy Garland and Marlene Dietrich, but alas, the paychecks are not so glamourous. This account of their magical summer is breathless, though it was written decades later, as Ms. Hart describes their creative economies, their innocent Iowa enthusiasm for the big city, their dances with midshipmen, and the exhilaration of VJ-Day at Times Square. She brings to life historical details -- the hats and gloves worn by ladies at the time, leg-stick (paint-on stockings - nylons being unavailable for the war effort), and the B-25 plane that crashed into the Empire State Building when the young airman got lost in thick fog. The book is sweet, exuberant, and charming.

42. The Caliph's House: A Year in Casablanca by Tahir Shah

This book reminded me a lot of A Year in Provence. Writer Tahir Shah longs to escape dreary, rat-race London and dreamt of adventure, color, and culture for his children, so he purchased a sprawling, decaying mansion in Casablanca and moved there with his family. His adventures renovating the place and acclimating to Morocco were funny, touching, and many times cringe-worthy. Mr. Shah's western sensibilities do not mesh with the customs and ways of Islamic and African Morocco. The superstitions surrounding the jinns direct all decisions and provide all reasons/excuses for all aspects of life. A fascinating read, though not for the faint-of-heart.

43. The Girl in the Blue Beret by Bobbie Ann Mason

I loved this one. Marshall Stone was a cocky American pilot whose B-17 was shot down over Nazi-occupied Belgium in WWII. Marshall survives and escapes to Spain with the help of ordinary French and Belgian citizens who risked everything and shared their meagre food and clothing to help downed aviateurs to safety. After the war, Marshall marries his sweetheart and becomes a commercial airline pilot during the golden, glamorous age of aviation. The book begins as Marshall is fairly recently widowed and facing retirement. As a pilot, the only thing he ever wanted to do is fly, so he is adrift, and decides to learn more about the individuals who helped him in 1944. In particular, he is looking for a girl in a blue beret who guided him through occupied Paris.

The book doesn't have overwhelmingly positive reviews here, and many readers complain that Marshall is not a sympathetic character. He really resonated with me, though, and I think Ms. Mason, who was inspired by her father-in-law's story of escape via the Resistance did a marvelous job of portraying a man coming to terms with the past, examining his life and his place in it, and becoming humbled by the bigger picture. This often occurs in a coming-of-age novel, however, Marshall is 60, and that bittersweet journey of realization, reflection, and regret is so much richer at that age than at 18 or 25 or 30. He returned home a hero, but is profoundly disappointed and ashamed -- he only flew 10 missions, he was shot down, he slunk out of France while others were winning the war. He married his sweetheart and loved his job, but was a distant father -- in a moving scene he reflects on his marriage, and how he left the children AND the marriage for his wife to run while he went off and flew. His focus while in France and ever since was on himself, and this new journey of learning and discovery leaves him reeling and profoundly moved by the the stories of generosity, harrowing danger, extreme deprivation, and horrific suffering by those who risked everything to help him and others like him.

Maybe one reason why the book captivated me so much is because I know Marshall. He is my dad (Navy pilot in Vietnam turned commercial airline pilot) and my uncle and my godfather (same) and grandfather (Army pilot stationed at Pearl Harbor in WWII) and all of their friends and colleagues -- many of the adults I knew growing up. Deeply flawed, as we all are, somewhat distant fathers (from an era that largely left child-rearing to mothers), and pilots through and through. None of them is Atticus Finch. To have drawn Marshall any other way might have made him a more appealing protagonist, but far less authentic. I can say that Ms. Mason got him exactly right, and his journey -- and what he learns through the stories of the individuals he meets -- are very compelling. And like real life, the book does not end with neat resolutions. Still, it was a very satisfying read that illuminated more of WWII history for me.

Welcome home! It looks like the two of you had an amazing time. I am also inspired to take my daughter on a trip - just the two of us. It will be somewhat closer to home though. For now.

>65 AMQS: This is a BB for me. I like this sort of book, and what you said about recognizing the characters in your own life is real and what often captivates me about a story.

Love the pictures of Paris and the wonderful reading you managed to squeeze in between all the sights and distractions!

Welcome home! What a fun whirl wind trip for you both. I love it. I heard on the radio a lot about Shakespeare and Co. Book Company earlier this year. it sounds amazing, and with a cool history. So, what did you buy from the Parisian bookshops? Anything?
Welcome home.

Love all the vacation photos! Looks like you had a wonderful time, with the family!

Hi Anne - It sounds like you had a great trip. Thanks for sharing pictures. What was your favorite part? BTW, I loved The Girl in the Blue Beret when I read it a few years ago, but I never saw much about it here on LT. Great comments, they brought back memories of the book.

Hi Anne, welcome home, love the photos of Paris! Also love your review of The Girl in the Blue Beret.

Sounds like a fun trip, Anne! I have the audio of The Girl in the Blue Beret on my Overdrive WL but it's kind of languished there since I hadn't heard much about it. I will bump it up, thanks to you. My current audio is also thanks to you - A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy :)

Welcome back, Anne! Glad you had a wonderful trip.

I love the pictures, Anne, and the big smiles you and Callia are sharing. And you got to visit Shakespeare & Co. Lucky you!

That was a great last paragraph in your review of The girl in the Blue Beret about your knowing the protagonist through your father and other significant men in your life. Thumbs up!

>66 nittnut: Thank you, Jenn! Cushla was a huge inspiration for me to do this. Well worth it -- even if you stay close to home. Hope you enjoy The Girl in the Blue Beret when you get to it.

>67 lkernagh: Thank you, Lori! The reading was largely done on planes and trains. We were always so tired to do anything but sleep when weren't out and about!

>68 LovingLit: Hi Megan! Shakespeare and Company was highly recommended, and well worth it! It was pretty much the perfect bookshop, complete with a cat. I only bought a postcard. I had to restrain myself big time, and believe me, I was sorely tempted. Callia bought a book called Censoring Queen Victoria: How Two Gentlemen Edited a Queen and Created an Icon. Looks like a good read!

>69 msf59: Thanks, Mark! It was indeed a very special mother-daughter trip:)

>70 BLBera: Hi Beth! My favorite times in Paris were when we were just exploring on foot. We discovered some really interesting public spaces for art, nature, and of course, wonderful cafes:) It's hard to really enjoy the very touristy places because there's just a crush of people. On our first day we just walked from our apartment to Notre Dame, and Callia was just breathless with excitement. She was shaking! That was really special for me to see those beautiful places through her eyes. She did the same thing the next morning when we visited the Eiffel Tower. I actually really enjoyed our visit -- we went all the way up to the top, and then took our time exploring the first and second levels, which have quite a lot of interactive exhibits to explore. I loved our visit to the Luxembourg Gardens. It was a Saturday, so the park was full, and there was a free jazz concert there. Callia's favorite place was Versailles.

I was trying to remember who had enjoyed The Girl in the Blue Beret, because I know I read about it here, and it was a few years ago. I'm thinking it must have been you, so thank you!

>71 lit_chick: Thank you, Nancy! Good to see you.

>72 katiekrug: Hi Katie! Hope you're enjoying A Week in Winter. The book and its lovely narration hit me just at the right time. I'm curious to see what you think of The Girl in the Blue Beret -- particularly on audio. I had lovely French accents in my head:)

>73 MickyFine: Thank you, Micky!

>74 Donna828: Hi Donna! Yes, we were very lucky -- in bookshops and everything else. Thank you for the thumb!

Hi, Anne, this is a belated question, but have you read Adele and Simon? It is my favorite children's picture book, set in Paris. Amazing illustrations.

Love your photos, Anne and so glad you had a great trip!!

Glad you had a wonderful time in Paris (who wouldn't?) and that you got so much great reading done. I know the Shakespeare and Company bookstore will be one must-see place if I ever get there!

>75 AMQS: I love your description of Callia's experience of travel. Don't you love that breathless feeling when you have had it yourself? I freaked out seeing a RL Picasso hung in an art gallery as an early 20 year old. It was amazing.

>76 karspeak: Karen, no I haven't! It looks lovely, though, so I'll try to find a copy. Thanks for the recommendation!

>77 Copperskye: Thank you, Joanne! I am so lucky -- it was indeed a wonderful trip.

>78 Storeetllr: Mary, it is a must-see! With all of the hype, I was prepared ot be underwhelmed, but I most certainly was not!

>79 LovingLit: Megan, I think it's possibly even better experienced through her eyes. It was wonderful.

44. Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce

Thank you to Nancy, who recommended this book (she wasn't the only one, but I can't remember who else recommended it!!!) It was really a treat, and one I would have loved to read aloud to the girls when they were younger. Tom is profoundly disappointed to he sent to his aunt and uncle's home when his brother comes down with measles, until he discovers a secret magical garden that comes alive when the clock strikes 13. A lovely book about magic and adventure, friendship, and memory.

45. Loot: How to Steal a Fortune by Jude Watson aka Judy Blundell

In trying to get the touchstone right, I accidentally discovered that this book is written by Judy Blundell, an author I really like. Huh. No wonder I liked it so much! This is another 2016 Colorado Children's Book Award nominee, and it's a good one! 12 year-old March lives with his father Alfie, a professional thief. There are downsides to this type of parent (he's a thief, they move a lot), but there are upsides too (they move around to pretty great places -- the book begins in Amsterdam -- they can spend a few months in the Seychelles after a big heist, and his father imparts some valuable life lessons). After Alfie dies in the opening pages, March must go it alone -- first reuniting with a long-lost twin, then teaming up with other "delinquents" to escape a horrid group home, steal some jewels, and break a curse. Improbable? Definitely. Fun? Absolutely. I read this in nearly one sitting, cheering for the four throwaway kids who become a family of sorts and go after the loot. Fun read!

46. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

I had not read this since I was in junior high, but I loved it as much now as I did then. Published in 1967, this was really the first real realistic fiction book for teens. It s gritty and harsh, and sweet and tender. Narrator Ponyboy Curtis lives with his two brothers on the wrong side of town. When Ponyboy and his friend Johnny get into real trouble, the gang comes together to support them no matter what. I love these characters, and have for 30 years.

>81 AMQS: I discovered that one during a children's literature course in undergrad and really loved it. I'm glad it's found another fan. :)

Hi Micky! For all the awards and accolades and love for this classic book, I had never heard of it until a month or so ago. I love that we can keep discovering new old things:)

47. Worlds of Making: Best Practices for Establishing a Makerspace for Your School by Laura Fleming

This book is a portion of my self-assigned summer reading. My job is changing a bit next year -- I will be working more hours, and will be trying out a new (to me) model for library instruction. I absolutely love my school and my principal, who gives me the green light to try anything I want. And I want to try a makerspace. I do not have the time or space to have a permanent makerspace in my library, and I'm a little daunted by what it will entail as far as supplies, support, storage, and budget, but I'm determined to give it a go. Starting September, 2015, I will introduce Makerspace Mondays in my library! So... reading up a storm to try to figure out how to pull it off.

>83 AMQS: I read that one in 7th or 8th grade and loved it. I'm glad to know that it holds up well!

>81 AMQS: I hadn't heard of that one either, but it's going on my TBR list!

You inspire me to read The Outsiders, Anne. This has been around in our schools for 30-some years, and, somehow, I don't believe I've ever read it.

>83 AMQS: I loved this book when I re read it a few years ago too. I een gave a copy to my dad as I was so enamoured with it. I was a tiny bit gutted when he wasn't as enamoured with it as I was ...

>87 cbl_tn: Hi Carrie! The Outsiders holds up beautifully. I really enjoyed the reread. I wish I could have read Tom's Midnight Garden to the girls when they were younger. Lovely book.

>88 lit_chick: Oh, Nancy, I hope you do. I meant to reread it when it was Callia's 8th grade summer reading list, but didn't. Then I meant to read it this year with Marina, who will be an 8th grader this year, but she was done with her summer reading by June 3. Ah well, I read it for me, and loved it!

>89 LovingLit: Megan, that's so hard, isn't it? We get so wrapped up emotionally with certain books. I can tell you that I AM as enamored with it as you are!

>65 AMQS: Really appreciated your comments on this book: sounds as though it really resonated with you. A family friend who was a gunner on the larger planes (such a gentle man, you would never have guessed) used to go to France for the commemorative events his 80s and he and his colleagues were welcomed with such hospitality. Their role in France's history seemed to still be powerfully recalled.

I need to get round to reading The Outsiders at some point. Thanks for the reminder!

Anne, your trip with Callia sounds wonderful, and I loved the pictures. What a great idea to take each daughter away on a trip of their own.

I'm intrigued by the makerspace - do post pictures when it's ready!

Ah well, I read it for me, and loved it! Yes! I too have meant to read it for students for so many years … time to just read it for me!

Oh, gosh, Anne, we read Tom's Midnight Garden with our kids and loved it. That's a really good one. Glad you liked it.

>91 charl08: Hi Charlotte. I think it is, which makes it even more meaningful for those veterans who return. It was a great book for me.

>92 scaifea: Yes, Amber, you do! I can't imagine my young adulthood without it, and I was so thrilled my girls "had" to read it for school.

>93 susanj67: Hi Susan, it was a very special time for Callia and me. Marina is already considering where she might want to go:)

The makerspace will likely look like a very messy library. I can't have a permanent space, as there is neither time nor space. Most makerspaces have 3-D printers, take-apart stations (usually computers and electronics kids can take apart and put back together), craft areas: design challenges, circuitry, textiles), etc. We'll see what happens!

>94 lit_chick: Yes, it is time, Nancy! It is a quick (not NOT light) read.

>95 jnwelch: Hi Joe! I wish I had discovered the book sooner, but I really enjoyed it this summer:)

Hi! I have been playing with the kids - term break - and hardly getting online at all.

Loot looks fun.

Loot is very fun, Jenn. I think it would be a good book for you and Eli. Playing with the kids -- how wonderful!

Hi Anne - I added Loot and Tom's Midnight Garden to my Scout list. Thanks to you, this kid will have lots of great young reader books. And maybe Grandma will get to read some to her.

>99 BLBera: Beth, I can't imagine a child with a better library than Scout. Lucky girl!

48. The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide

Having played to her heart's content, Chibi would come inside and rest for a while. When she began to sleep on the sofa -- like a talisman curled gently in the shape of a comma and dug up from a prehistoric archeological site -- a deep sense of happiness arrived, as if the house itself had dreamed this scene.

A lovely little book, full of wonder and melancholy. A young couple living and working in a small guest cottage shaded by an ancient zelkova tree are visited one day by a small and beautiful cat. The cat never makes a sound, or allows them to touch her, but gradually she becomes a beloved guest, visiting regularly, and subtly changing their lives. By observing her, they become more aware of the beauty of the garden of the large manor house, and closer to the old and stately couple who live there. The book reads like a meditation on change -- how small, subtle changes have far-reaching effects that are stealthily life-changing or completely unnoticed.

>101 AMQS: The cat book sounds good. I'll see if we have that one at the library.

ETA: It was already on my wish list. It's one I'll have to wait to read when I get moved to Raleigh.

The Guest Cat sounds lovely, Anne.

>102 thornton37814: Lori, are you moving to Raleigh? Where do you live now? Is it for a job? Good luck to you!

>103 lit_chick: Hi Nancy! Yes, The Guest Cat is lovely. Sad, too, but also beautiful. Takashi Hiraide is a poet, and the boom often reads like poetry.

49. I Funny: A Middle School Story by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein

Another CCBA nomination, and a hugely popular book. This quick read is sprinkled liberally throughout with comic book-style illustrations.

Middle schooler Jamie is a funnyman. A student of the great comedians, he spends his time polishing his jokes and making people laugh. His biggest comedic successes are the jokes he tells about himself -- he is in a wheelchair. Joking about his disability is a way to break the ice and get people to focus on him rather than on his disability. It's also a way for him to deal with the pretty serious trauma he has faced in his young life, as well as the usual humiliations of middle school. With the encouragement of his Uncle Frank, he enters a "Funniest Kid" competition, hoping to joke his way to the top. An equal measure of yuks and heart, and another good pick for reluctant readers. A very reluctant reader at my school reluctantly agreed to give this book a try, and came back the next day to check out the second and third books in the series. He says the fourth book, if there is one, should be called "I Totally Hilarious."

Ooh, you sold me! I've got I Funny requested already--sounds great!

Karen O.

I Funny sounds excellent, Anne!

Hi Anne! Both F and T have loved I Funny and the others in the series.

I'm also interested in hearing how you get on with your makerspace. I've heard of them because I'm getting more involved in new technology professional development at school and NZ's biggest conference this year has an extra day on makerspaces.

That review of I Funny is intriguing, Anne. I'm going to take a look.

Hi Karen, Nancy, Cushla, and Joe! Thank you for visiting, I'm very glad to have you! I Funny is a good book -- I wouldn't go so far as to call it fantastic or anything, but I would highly, highly recommend it to a 10 year-old, or to a 4th grade teacher for his or her classroom library. For A Book Meant To Appeal To Reluctant Readers it really is well done (it definitely surpasses >49 AMQS: My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish, for example). It's worth a read, but I wanted to make sure you all know what you'll be getting:) But a book that kids love is really a wonderful thing, right, >108 cushlareads: Cushla?

Cushla, I'll be sure to share my successes, should I have any... we'll see. I'll have to start small, but hopefully I'll be able to get community support in the form of volunteers, supplies, and funds, and can grow it. This is a year of changes at my school, so anything can happen!

Yep Anne, I agree about I Funny. The book snob Mum hiding inside me (ha ha who am I kidding) when they pick books like I Funny but it's partly because the ratio of words to price in our local bookshop is so low. But the ratio of kid happiness to book price is very high. The Andy Griffiths books are a bit the same.

Have you seen Diary of a Pig? It's not showing up on here. Now *that* is a great book for reluctant readers. Fletcher read it at Heathrow airport and was laughing so much the woman next to us wanted to see what he was reading.

I am back to having a reuctant reader again. After his epiphany, he quickly realised that it was easier for him to get me to read to him, than to have to muddle through himself. Ah well, it was nice while it lasted. I Funny does sound pretty good though! From your synopsis.

>112 LovingLit: In my experience, they will waffle back and forth with the independent reading and wanting you to read to them. It's still a Lot of work to read on their own, plus they like the cuddles. Eli is now in the stage where he likes a book, checks it out at the library, reads about half of it and loses interest. I am trying to avoid the "finish everything on your plate!" approach to this phase. Lol

>111 cushlareads: Oh, I know that book snob mum, too! I try to keep her inside as much as I can. My girls read voraciously, so I guess I can't complain. I haven't seen Diary of a Pig. Is it this one" The Unbelievable Top Secret Diary of Pig? Looks fun, but I want to make sure it's the same one before I check it out :)

>112 LovingLit: Megan, hopefully, as Jenn said, he will keep reading and his reluctance will ebb. I know he'll find books he'll get into again. I'm finding it harder and harder to read aloud to the girls -- we just don't have the time like we used to, and I really miss those days.

>113 nittnut: Yeah, that sounds familiar, too, Jenn. Like me, the girls will accumulate books and not read them. They'll get to them, eventually.

50. Wayfaring Stranger by James Lee Burke

"I have always believed that women have a much more accurate sense about other women than we do. I think the same is true of men: We know things about our own kind that women do not. The things we know are not good, either. There are feral creatures among our gender, throwbacks to an earlier time, and as a man, you know this as soon as you are in their proximity. For that reason I have never subscribed to the notion that we all descend from the same tree. There are hunters and there are gatherers. The inclination of the latter is always in their eyes."

Speaking of reluctant readers... I reluctantly picked this one up for book club. I am a moody reader, and this didn't call my name, so to speak, but I vowed to give it 50 pages and then Pearl-Rule it if I wasn't enjoying it. Well, by 50 pages I was reading like a madwoman, any time and place I could.

Young Weldon Holland encounters outlaws Bonnie and Clyde on his family's property shortly before their deaths. This encounter never leaves Holland: Clyde Barrow and particularly Bonnie Parker return to his mind often, both as reflections and foreshadows. The something he sees in Bonnie's eyes he sees again in Rosita Lowenstein's, a young woman he rescues from a Nazi death camp. After the war, Weldon and Rosita marry and move back to Texas, exchanging the evils of WWII Europe for those of the vicious oil drilling business. Their success in business comes at a terrible cost, and their systematic ruin seems to be the singular focus of a powerful and anti-Semitic enemy. Weldon turns to his grandfather, a legendary frontier lawman, to help him defend his family.

"Draw a line in the sand. But don't tell anybody where it is. Don't let your feelings show. Don't let others know you've been hurt. No matter what they do, don't react until they come over the line. Then you drop them in their tracks."
"It's 1947, Grandfather."
"It certainly is," he said.

This was a heart-pounding read that made me double check the locks on the doors and refuse to take the trash out at night. I hadn't read anything by James Lee Burke before. I still don't know if his books will call my name, but the man is a fantastic writer and a spellbinding storyteller.

One more quote:

"The party at the hotel at the bottom of South Main Street might have been called grandiose and vulgar, but in its way it reflected the times in which we lived. Inside its crassness was a kind of meretricious innocence, one you might associate with a nation's inception or perhaps its demise, like the twilight of the gods or an antebellum vision borrowed from the world of Margaret Mitchell.

The party overflowed from the pool into the downstairs rooms and lounges of the hotel; the balconies were filled with celebrants, too. Hollywood movie stars, country music artists, congressmen, cattlemen with barnyard detritus on their boots, and ordinary people who had been handed an invitation by Garth McQueen in his famous lounge all mingled as equals, all somehow part of something larger than themselves, the evening sky striped with scarlet clouds that resembled a celestial flag.

Across the street was a pasture where red Angus grazed among oil derricks whose pumps moved methodically up and down, backdropped in the east by black clouds that cracked like cellophane. The smell of gas on the wind was not suggestive of the season; it was the smell of money, and the thunderstorm building in the sky was a symbol of the power inherent in a bountiful universe waiting to be harvested."

51. Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

My grandpa used to say to be careful with eggs and words, because neither can ever be fixed. The older I get, the more I realize how smart my grandpa was.

Another CCBA nomination, and a really, really, really good one. Sixth grader Ally has trouble in school. She finds all kinds of ways to hide it and mask it, and gets into trouble because of her evasion and defiance. A new teacher sees through her, appreciates her gifts, and suspects she is dyslexic. Her diagnosis and interventions open up a new world of learning, and becoming empowered to appreciate both her gifts and her differences helps her to deal with classroom bullies and to forge deep bonds of friendship. Another reviewer called this book "teacher bait," a term I had never heard before, but it absolutely fits. All teachers dream of changing lives for the better. The one in this book, based on a real teacher of the author's, is an understated superhero. My favorite of the CCBA nominees so far.

>115 AMQS: This was a heart-pounding read that made me double check the locks on the doors and refuse to take the trash out at night. Yikes! I'm adding it to the pile! Who can resist?

>116 AMQS: I love the title of this one, and the plot sounds wonderful, even if it is 'teacher bait'!

>105 AMQS: Great story about the reluctant reader! I love Grabenstein's adult mysteries about the Jersey Shore (Tilt A Whirl is first), but the only thing I read by Patterson I hated (The Murder of King Tut). This one sounds like it would be a lot of fun for kids, though!

Hope you're having a great summer so far! Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Woot! What a review of Wayfaring Stranger, Anne! Isn't is fabulous when something that doesn't really call to you grabs you and won't let go?!

>115 AMQS: Anne, I was reading your thread on the bus this morning, and after your review of Wayfaring Stranger I looked up the library catalogue and took a short detour into the office via the library :-) I'm really looking forward to it!

>115 AMQS: You got me with a big book bullet with your review of Wayfaring Stranger. Sounds great! I must go and find it at the library right now!

Karen O.

Anne, yes that is the pig book! And there's a second one too.

I just got a text that Wayfaring Stranger is available for me to pick up. But the library is closed!! I guess I will get one more good night's sleep...

>117 nittnut:, >124 nittnut: Hi Jenn! I hope you enjoy Wayfaring Stranger as much as I did. I always worry when I recommend a book so highly that I'll actually be the only one who thinks it's good... My mom read it, though, overnight (combination jetlag and completely hooked), so it wasn't just me:)

>118 charl08: Hi Charlotte! Yes, Fish in a Tree is a good one. I enjoyed her previous book (One for the Murphys) also.

>119 Storeetllr: Hi Mary! I haven't read anything by James Patterson before. The only Chris Grabenstein I've read before this was Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library last year - also a CCBA nominee, and a terrific book! Looking forward to seeing you next weekend.

>120 lit_chick: Oh, it grabbed me, Nancy! It grabbed my mom, too. As I said, I am a moody reader, and didn't particularly want to read this one, but I'm so glad I did! I don't know whose choice this was, but I am grateful, and will thank them this week at book club!

>121 susanj67: Yay, Susan! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

>122 klobrien2: Hooray for BBs! Hope you enjoy it, Karen!

>123 cushlareads: Thanks, Cushla -- I'll see if I can find a copy. Looks like it would be popular at my school.

I like an exciting unputdownable book. It looks like I will be adding Wayfaring Stranger to the WL. I haven't read any of his books so I may be adding a new author.

Is your mother here on a long visit? I hope she can join us on Sunday. Btw, what time and place works out best for you?

Hi Anne! Just dropping in to wish you a happy Sunday! I will keep Wayfaring Stranger in mind the next time I'm in need of a page-turner.

>126 Donna828: Hi Donna! Hope you enjoy Wayfaring Stranger and James Lee Burke

Yes, my mother is here for the semester again, so I will ask her if she'd like to join us Sunday. I'm pretty open that day. Weren't we meeting at the new Tattered Cover (Aspen Grove)?

>127 cbl_tn: Hi Carrie! I would never have crossed paths with Wayfaring Stranger if it hadn't been a book club book. It's a good one!

>126 Donna828:, >128 AMQS: Looking forward to seeing everyone and meeting Anne's mom, if she decides to join us! Do we have a time yet? Anytime will work for me too, just let me know.

>113 nittnut: >114 AMQS: good news then. I think initially he was just so shocked that he could just do it himself without having read it in class first, that he flipped. Now ,he comes and goes with picking up his own books, and steadfastly refuses school homework reading. But, I bribe. From time to time. So. We are moving forward slowly :)

Meanwhile with my own reading.....it is mostly uni stuff. Which is fascinating, if slightly dry at times.

>116 AMQS: teacher bait! Of course :) 6th grade would be....about ten years old? Eleven?

>129 Storeetllr: Hi Mary! Did you get the message that we'll meet at noon? See you there! I think my mom may indeed join us.

>130 LovingLit: Hi Megan! Pretty normal for boys that age, and homework reading is like pulling teeth. For years I'm sorry to say. The key is to find books he'll love reading too.

Most 6th graders are 11 when they start 6th grade and turn 12 sometime that year. It's often either the first year of middle school or the last year of elementary school, as in this book. So a pretty tricky time, and good fodder for books!

52. The Martian by Andy Weir

Ooh, those of you who read and loved this book were right -- this book is a ripsnorter! Great storyline, a hero to root for, and an author as well -- read the bonus material about his self-publishing success:)

>1 AMQS: I must get this book. Thinks for this opening post. Amber highly recommended this one as well.

And, your Paris photos are lovely.

Hi Anne - I've been wondering about this one. Darn, now I have to add it to my list.

>132 AMQS: Another happy review of this one! I've got it sitting on my Read Soon! shelf right behind me and I can't wait to get round to it! Glad you liked it.

Not familiar with The Martian, Anne, but I love a ripsnorter!

Yay for the ripsnorter The Martian! Glad you had such a good time with it, Anne - me, too!

>133 Whisper1: Hi Linda! Yes, I love The Right Word, but it was an unexpected hit in my library. Thanks for stopping by!

>134 BLBera: Hi Beth! It's a good one. It showed up on so many year end best of lists I thought it was a pretty safe bet to give it as a gift to my husband, who really enjoyed it.

>135 scaifea: Hi Amber! I was motivated to read it now before the movie came out. Fun, suspenseful read!

>136 lit_chick: Hi Nancy! A ripsnorter it was -- very exciting!

>137 jnwelch: Hi Joe! I'm sure I saw its praises sung on your thread, among others. Thanks for the recommendation!

53. Everyday Angel: New Beginnings by Victoria Schwab

Another CCBA nominee, this one aimed at 3rd-5th grade girls. Aria is a new angel -- one who just came into being and has a mission to help someone in order to earn feathers for her charm bracelet and eventually, a pair of wings. She finds her helpee -- 7th grader Gabby, who has lost herself amid her older brother's serious illness and their family's recent move to get treatment (Aria knows it's supposed to be Gabby because of the blue smoke swirling around Gabby's head). The girls become fast friends, and Aria helps Gabby find her voice and her place in a new school and in her stress-filled life.

Not my favorite of the CCBA nominees -- a little too cute for my tastes, but it is the first of a series, and should appeal to girls who are growing out of fairies and unicorns, but still like a little magic.

Yay for The Martian! Thanks for the feedback on A Spy in the House. Have you got The Magic Thief in your school library? I loved it and it's perfect for intermediate grades.

Hi Roni! I just checked, and I DO have The Magic Thief in the library. Now I need to read it -- thanks for the recommendation!

>132 AMQS: - So happy to see you enjoyed The Martian! I loved it. I cannot wait for the movie adaptation to come out. I am even prepared to be disappointed if Hollywood fails to match my mental visualizations of the book. ;-)

I still need to get to The Martian!

It was great to see you today and so nice to get to meet your mom! Thank you again for sharing your copy of The Guest Cat!

>142 lkernagh: Hi Lori! I am looking forward to the movie version as well. Should make a great movie!

>143 Copperskye: Joanne, it was so nice to see you yesterday! I hope you enjoy The Guest Cat when you have a chance to get to it.

It was great seeing you yesterday and meeting your lovely mom! Wish we'd been able to hang out longer. Next time!

Also glad you enjoyed The Martian, which was one of my favorite books of last year.

Mary, it was very nice to see you again. I think we're all busy, and all busy at different times. So busy we didn't even get a photo!

I am grateful for the many in this group who recommended The Martian. My husband and I both enjoyed it a lot.

54. The Story of My Disappearance by Paul Watkins

Another page-turner. Paul Wedekind is a fisherman on the Rhode Island coast with his girlfriend Suleika. When Paul and Suleika witness a brutal murder committed by someone from Paul's long-buried past, Paul reflects on the journey he took to his present situation: forcibly recruited by the East German Stasi for service in Afghanistan, kidnapped by the Mujahideen, sent by KGB to America, and unexpectedly earning a measure of freedom and anonymity with the collapse of the Eastern Bloc. A vague sense of unease permeates the book as Paul confronts his memories and the intrusion of the past into his quiet life. Published in 1998 before 9/11, the war in Afghanistan in this book reads much like present-day accounts of war in the same place, only with shifted alliances, which makes the action in the book both relevant and frustrating. A good read from a great writer.

55. Sisters by Raina Telgemeier

Another CCBA nominee (I've now read 9/10!), and a follow-up to the hugely popular GN Smile. In Sisters, Ms. Telgemeier remembers a road trip from northern California to Colorado for a family reunion, incorporating family drama (bitter sibling enmity and tension between the parents), extended-family awkwardness, and flashbacks illuminating how this family got to this particular state. This is probably the best known of the CCBA nominees, and may be the favorite to win the Colorado Children's Book Award, though I don't think it's the best of the nominees.

The Story of My Disappearance sounds like a wild ride, Anne! Love a page-turner! Sisters sounds excellent, too.

Hi Anne, it was so nice to spend a little time with you and your mother on Sunday. She is very intelligent and absolutely charming. Now I know who you take after! I hope you encourage her to renew her thread and keep us posted with her reading and interesting life in Munich. I hope our next meet up is more relaxed…and longer. I got "home" just in time to see Hope for a little while after her nap, then we got on the road again. I plan to make another longish trip to CO next summer and won't plan the meet up for my last day again!

Both Sadie and Audrey like the Telgemeier books. I hope the library set-up goes well and wish you another wonderful year of inspiring young people to read!

>149 lit_chick: Hi Nancy! Both books were good. I had been meaning to read more by Paul Watson after I read and loved The Forger, but didn't get around to it until The Story of My Disappearance. Hope you're having a great weekend.

>150 Donna828: Hi Donna! It was so nice to see you, even for a brief visit, and I'm glad you're home again safely. I know my mother will want to see everyone again. Not sure about a thread, but I'll work on her:) Thank you for your wishes! I had a quiet few days alone in the library. All teachers come mourning the end of summer.

56. Paper Towns by John Green

Marina has been on a major John Green kick all summer. I read this one so I could take her to see the movie:) Good book! Quentin (or Q) has been in love with Margo, his next-door neighbor for years, though in high school they are in very different sets -- Margo as the most popular girl in the school, and Q much less so. One night, Margo climbs through Q's window to enlist him in a crazy all-night scheme to tick 11 things off of a list -- mostly revenge, but also HS fun/mischief kinds of things, like breaking into Sea World. Q wonders if things will change between Margo and himself at school after this night, but Margo has vanished, leaving cryptic clues meant for him. Q devotes his final weeks of high school searching for Margo, and pondering how well he really knows (or doesn't know) Margo.

Now going to get ready for the 1:50 showing:)

So, how were your first few days back at school?

>152 AMQS: - looking forward to finding out how the movie holds up compared to the book!

>153 Storeetllr: Hi Mary! They were blissfully quiet, which will all change tomorrow. I spent a lot of time figuring out Chromebook storage for my set in the library (and came up with an imperfect, but hopefully workable solution) and getting displays and lessons ready. Tomorrow: meetings, PD, PD, PD, PD.....

>154 lkernagh: Hi Lori! They did a pretty good job, though like many movies, a lot was changed. Maybe this was more jarring to me because I had JUST read the book...? The boys are so cute -- just as they should be.

Hi Anne! I can't believe it's back to school already!

>152 AMQS: I haven't read Paper Towns yet. I read a bunch of his stuff a while back and never read that one.
What are you showing at 1:50?
ETA - Maybe you meant going to the movies? Lol

>156 nittnut: Hi Jenn! Yes -- already:( I am in mourning for summer.

LOL, yes, we went to the 1:50 showing of Paper Towns. Marina wanted to see it, and I just couldn't being myself to see it without reading the book first, so as soon as I finished it today I asked Marina if she wanted to go. She was reading (no surprise there) and thought maybe not. So I told her "this is it, kid..." She has one more week of summer, but I'm back -- the time is now!! We enjoyed the movie. Now she's recommending Looking for Alaska and wondering it it will ever be a movie:)

>65 AMQS: What an incredible review of the Girl in the Blue Beret. I'm going to see if my local library has a copy. And, your trip to France looks lovely!

>158 Whisper1: Hi Linda, thank you! I really enjoyed The Girl in the Blue Beret. It hit me just in the right spot, so to speak:)

Callia and I had a wonderful time in Paris. I would love to go back and spend some more time at some point.

Hope you enjoyed a wonderful weekend!

>157 AMQS: lol, I'm like you...I don't want to see movies if there is any possibility that I will be reading the book. :) It all has to be done in the right order!

>160 LovingLit: I know, right? The thing is, I really don't see many movies, so I'm rarely in danger, but there have been times I have read a book I might not have just because there's a movie coming out. The right order is everything - especially when there's a book involved!

57. The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas, narrated by Greg Steinbrunner

Thanks to Roni for this recommendation. Young Conn is a thief and gutterboy, but his fortunes change when he picks the pocket of the wizard Nevery, stealing his locus magicalicus. Intrigued by the boy's daring, and astonished that the locus magicalicus did not kill him, Nevery takes Conn on as a wizard's apprentice. A good thing, too, for the city of Wellmet is suffering from magical decay, and can be saved only by Conn's intuitive, out-of-the-box thinking. Good start to a middle-grade fantasy series.

58. Ever After High: The Storybook of Legends by Shannon Hale

Once upon a new school year, Raven Queen was packing. She blasted Tailor Quick's new album from her MirrorPod, dancing while grabbing things from her closet and tossing them into her trunk. The heap of clothes was entirely purple and black, so she threw in a pair of silver sandals to add color."

I admit that I almost abandoned the book after this opening paragraph, but it is the last of the CCBA nominees I need to read, and I considered the golden millions I rake in as a part-time elementary school librarian, and thought, "What the hex, duty/destiny calls (it sounded like the call of a hundred woodland birds), so I will give my fairy, fairy best effort to reach the ever after." So I did. And now I'm done. The story is not too bad, actually, for a book based on a web TV series based on a line of Mattel dolls, but is drowning in cutesy words (mother goosebumps, the Castleteria, Muse-ic class, etc.). I do not plan to read the sequels, and will fervently hope none of them is nominated next year!

I was just wondering...when I saw your tallest youngest girl on fb today, how her joints are? I hope they have a great first day back at school!

Oh, Megan, bless your heart! Marina is doing okay. She is on a pretty heavy dose of methotrexate to try to reduce the swelling in her knuckles. There's some improvement, but this drug takes awhile (months) before they can really say if it's working or not. She goes to the rheumatologist every 6 weeks or so and has blood drawn every time to make sure her liver is still okay. So slow... but not getting worse, and that's good. Her hands are a little stiff and fairly sensitive. She's doing great, and I appreciate you asking!

Good first day of school, but we're all exhausted. My school had no power, phone, or Internet until about 10:00, so it was like camping on the first day:)

How's everyone at your house?

>162 AMQS: I just finished the fourth and final one of this series, and I think it stayed strong to the end. I especially enjoyed the "multimedia" feel to the book with the different notes and letters and like added to the narration. Glad you liked it too.

Glad to get an update on Marina. I'm glad things are going well at this point.

Sounds like an exhausting first day at school for sure!

Good to hear that Marina is managing, Anne. Sounds like a bit of a wild first day with no power or phone until 10:00 … excitement one doesn't need!

>167 lit_chick: Hi Nancy! Yes, and without Internet, I am pretty helpless! Amazing, and pretty scary to think how much I use it and rely on it. How are you?

59. The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies. Audiobook narrated by Stina Nielsen

Recommended by a student. You know it's a good one when you bring home the sequel before you even finish the first one! Evan and Jessie are brother and sister, and fairly good friends. Evan, a rising fourth grader, is people smart, but struggles with reading and math. Jessie, a year younger, is a natural at reading, writing, math, and puzzles, but can't read people. Evan helps Jessie navigate the tricky world of school relationships until she is accelerated a grade and ends up in the same class as Evan, effectively ruining his life. The story begins shortly before school starts, and just after they receive a letter from school announcing the placement. Evan is avoiding Jessie; she thought Evan would smooth the way for her and doesn't understand his mortification. He brushes her off and opens a lemonade stand with a frenemy, which outrages Jessie and leads to the lemonade war: an all-out contest between Evan and Jessie to see who can earn the most money in 3 days. A thoughtful examination of complicated feelings, learning and social challenges, and math. Unexpectedly nail-biting, too.

Oh dear. no power the first day of school. It's probably a principal's worst nightmare. Hope the rest of the day went better. :)

Cross posted - Did I mention we loved Loot? I am adding The Lemonade War to the list. Thank goodness for your reading lists. I'm just able to keep Margo in good books.

Anne, happy new school year! I hope you have internet again now. I don't know what we did without it. Mind you, the sentence for a book based on a web TV series based on a line of Mattel dolls also makes me realise how much things have changed!

>170 nittnut: HI Jenn! So glad you both enjoyed Loot! I'd like to point out that I get just as many recs from you!

Actually, my principal took it in stride -- it's not that uncommon (perils of being a mountain school), and since much of the community was also affected, no parents were freaking out. So far so good:) Just tired, though. Getting back into the swing of things is really tiring. I know Callia and Marina are exhausted.

>171 susanj67: Hi Susan! Yes, things have changed. You see many "Junior Novelizations," which means a movie or a TV show turned into a book. Starting with a toy was a stretch, though. I don't think I would have read it if it hadn't been a Colorado Children's Book Award nominee. When my girls were little a well-meaning relative gave us the book The Cat in the Hat, but NOT the original Dr. Seuss classic: it was The Cat in the Hat: based on the movie based on the book. Like the original book needed improving...? Ugh.

>165 AMQS: wow, M's treatment sounds like a bit tedious, but better than the alternative. How is she with having blood drawn? In spite of having one terrible incident (where the phlebotomist bent the needle up and down when it was already in, and then told me that she expected I looked pale on account of a child crying in a nearby cubicle...I had to request to lie down as I thought I might faint) I am totally fine with needles these days, but it is really hard for some.

>172 AMQS: mountain school!? That evokes so much good stuff in my head....I bet its pretty.

>173 LovingLit: Megan, she doesn't love it, but it is definitely better than the alternative! I read a book this summer with a 13 year-old girl diagnosed with RA in the 1970s. Her degeneration was terrifying to read! Marina does not enjoy the blood draws, but she's a trooper. The first one they took 9 vials! She had to have a second breakfast, and since then we always try to have a special treat after. Callia came along to her last appointment last month so we could go to a museum after. She had never seen for herself what Marina has to go through before, and when they drew Marina's blood Callia burst into tears and was extra sweet to her for days.

Yes, a mountain school. I have the most beautiful drive every day, and regularly see things like this:

That's a baby on our kindergarten playground. His twin had wandered down the hill before I could take the picture.

We tend to get a lot more snow -- the kids come to school often in snow pants and snow boots, and I even had snow days last year when my girls did not. But we do sometimes have electrical outages, and we also have our very own mountain lion. I've never seen him, but I've heard him once or twice. Last year he dragged his kill onto the playground. His name is Big Kitty:)

It is hard to imagine that summer is almost gone.... where does the time go?! Thank you for posting the update regarding Marina and that she is managing with the treatments.

The Cat in the Hat: based on the movie based on the book. Wow, seems like an awful lot of work when a perfectly good story already exists. :-)

>174 AMQS: - What a sweet sight! A baby deer in the playground.

>175 lkernagh: Hi Lori! So glad you stopped by. Well, summer is officially over here, as we just had our first week back at school with students. Boy, summer went fast!

We got Marina one of those pill organizers. Most days she takes just two pills, but she has to take 10 on Saturdays. Not her favorite day:(

re: Cat in the Hat, exactly!

Love the photo of your school grounds, Anne. Beautiful drive, indeed! BC's mountains were a huge part of my decision to live in this part of Canada; they never grow old for me.

Hi Anne - Happy beginning of the school year. My classes start on Monday. I'm trying to set up my Web pages today and plan the first week.

I love the picture of your playground! What a beautiful setting.

My goddaughter has juvenile RA, diagnosed when she was around 5 or 6 -- it sounds like Marina is being treated well. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

>174 AMQS: aw, that is sweet that Callia was upset by her sisters tribulations. And good for her to get a greater understanding of what is going on...
It's funny how i was just musing on blood being drawn and yesterday W had to have his first ever blood test. He was not impressed with me for "authorising" it! The results were clear, in case you were wondering ;)

Your school does look wonderful.

>177 lit_chick: Hi Nancy! Oh, I would dearly love to see BC's mountains. I imagine they are just breathtaking. We may be visiting BC before too long. We may do a college visit of UBC, and we've sort of been thinking maybe over our Thanksgiving break, which is quite a bit later than yours, so I would think school would be in session.

>178 BLBera: Hi Beth! There's so much to do to get ready for a school year, isn't there? I hope you have a great year. I've heard of many children with JRA lately. How is your goddaughter doing? How old is she now? It took us awhile to get used to the idea of the illness, and now it's kind of our new normal.

>179 LovingLit: Megan, it was sweet. For the most part they get along, but will get on each other's nerves like all siblings. This was very sweet, and I'm glad it made Callia feel for her sister. Glad Wilbur is okay! Seems awfully young to have blood drawn...?

Happy Sunday, Anne! Just checking in with my pal. Hope all is well and your books are treating you just fine.

Our weather has been gorgeous and I hope you are experiencing the same.

Ooh, enjoy Hell's Bottom. That was a good one!

60. Hell's Bottom, Colorado by Laura Pritchett

Thanks to Joanne et al who recommended this one. Funny enough, I knew I had this somewhere, but I looked in what I thought were likely piles and couldn't find it. Then a few weeks later there it was right in a pile I had thoroughly searched. Huh.

This is a set of stories or vignettes about a Colorado ranching family. Ms. Pritchett writes beautifully, and indeed, this is Kent Haruf territory, but somehow this book never quite "got" me the way Mr. Haruf's books do. These stories are sadder, and rougher than the Plainsong books, or maybe it's that the reader doesn't spend enough time in each story to experience the small miracles and true, small-"town" kindnesses/relationships that I so loved about Mr. Haruf's novels and his Holt, Colorado characters. Still, I will look for more by Ms. Pritchett. She loves the same country I do, and I would like to see more of it through her pen.

>181 msf59: Hi Mark! We cross posted. I am so glad to see you here. We've had nice weather also, though you can definitely tell that fall is coming. We're also quite smoky and hazy from western fires.

Glad you enjoyed Hell's Bottom, Colorado! I did, too, though it didn't come close to the place in my heart where Plainsong is.

There is Plainsong and then there is everything else, right? I still have Haruf's last one, waiting in the wings. Waiting for the perfect moment.

>176 AMQS: 10 pills?! Most of us get to look forward to Saturdays. I'm not sure that I would if I had the prospect of 10 pills looming. I'm glad Marina is tolerating the treatment so far and I hope that it will be effective for her.

I've got Hell's Bottom hanging around in the TBR pile too. I'll eventually get around to it. Glad your first week of school went well, in spite of the power outage. It still feels odd for all of you to be heading back to school and we are sitting here in the rain, hoping for spring. :) I don't envy you the winter coming, for sure.

Love the story about "Big Kitty". I've had to explain to people here about what it's like to go on a hike and always be aware of what's around you. Snakes on the ground, predators in the vicinity, larger animals like elk that you might come across. It's a novelty to go for a tramp in the bush and just commune with nature and not worry about snakes and bears. Lol.

Anne, I'm glad I didn't have playground duty at your school. I just had to worry about kids running home to escape a bad school situation on occasion. I taught at one of the few neighborhood schools here who didn't have any bussed in students. No mountain lions either!!!

Another Plainsong fan. I haven't read Hell's Bottom yet, but I did really like Sky Bridge by Pritchett.

Thank you for Marina's update. I wanted to ask when we had lunch, but didn't want to bring up any sad topics when we had such a short time together. Say "Hi" to Sherry (sp?) for me. I hope everyone is back in the school routine again. You do have a pretty drive up to Evergreen. That is one of my favorite meet-up places!

>184 msf59: There is Plainsong and then there is everything else, right? Pretty much:)

>185 cbl_tn: Hi Carrie! I know - her pill organizer looks so sad:( She handles it beautifully, though. I would NOT want to take 10 pills, that's for sure. She takes 6 in the morning and 4 at night, so it is split up a bit, but still! Thank you, Carrie, for stopping by.

>186 nittnut: Hi Jenn! Yes, you get used to keeping your eyes open, don't you? NZ must be different from Australia -- there's the pervasive notion here that any small bit of inattention can get you killed where there are so many poisonous creatures. Bears and big kitties are certainly a way of life in the mountains, and more and more in the foothills, as you know:) I wonder what you'll think of Hell's Bottom. Parts of it were very hard to read. Here in suburbia we're pretty far removed from the realities of ranch life, that's for sure.

>187 Donna828: Hi Donna, there are always runners, aren't there? I've never actually seen Big Kitty, and I would think he'd stay well away from a playground full of loud children:) Marina is doing really well. We're more used to the idea now. It was pretty traumatic for me at first, but all things considered, this is a burden we can easily bear, though we are grateful for modern medicine.

Thanks for the Pritchett recommendation. I like her voice and her territory a lot.

Hi Anne

I am happy to know I am not the only one who cannot find a book that I need. I think my first goal when I retire 2-3 years from now will be to take all the books in the house, place them in large piles and then slowly, methodically get some semblance of order.

I hope the rest of your academic year goes smoother than the first day. And, I am so sorry to hear of your daughters illness.

>188 AMQS: NZ is very different from Australia. There are no snakes, no large predators and only a rumor of a poisonous spider. There is one, but no reported serious bites in 30 years or something. There are always stowaways from Australia that they have to find and destroy, but in general, it's a safe place, animal wise. Australia on the other hand. Wow. I seem to remember watching a Discovery channel show about snakes and something like 7 of the 10 deadliest are found in Aussie.Then there are the spiders, scorpions and jellies. Sigh. I may go there, but I'll be sticking to the cities. Lol.
I remember in CO getting a phone call from the school district one day telling us to stay inside while they encouraged a black bear to head back into the hills. My brother encountered a mountain lion a couple of times while camping, and people seeing rattle snakes was pretty common. It's just different.

We are pretty removed from the ranch life, but my dad grew up on a sheep ranch in rural UT and my mom was a farm girl, so I do know a little bit about it. There is a difference between hard work stories and Hard Life stories though. I always tell my dad he should write a memoir. He has great stories. My mom does too. Like the time her brother's 4-H cow ate the dress she had made for the county fair off the clothesline. My auntie is a painter and she painted a picture of that and gave it to my mom a few years ago for Christmas. Lol.

Lovely review of Hell's Bottom, Anne. I'm with Marky-Mark: There is Plainsong, and then there is everything else. I've also still got Haruf's last waiting in the wings for the perfect moment.

Possibly exploring UBC with your daughter? How exciting!!

>189 Whisper1: Thank you so much, Linda. Marina is managing, and we are getting used to it. All in all it's not so bad, which is not to say sometimes we don't wish she didn't have JRA...
As for books, I kind of like the happy chaos. I have been trying to weed my own books, and I've been making an effort to read more of my own books, but I think they will always by in some sort of sprawl:)

>190 nittnut: Another reason to come to NZ -- fewer things that can kill you (perhaps lower on the list than many other wonderful things about New Zealand). When I was 6 we moved to the Evergreen/Conifer area from the Los Angeles area, and my parents had a shock the day the school sent home a note asking parents to tell their kids not to play with the buffalo!

I'll bet your dad has great stories. I love those kinds of stories, too. Keep working on him to write that book! The cow story is priceless! I almost lost my shirt to a goat once. I think I was 16 or 17, so it would have been The Most Mortifying Thing Ever:)

>191 lit_chick: Nancy, how wonderful to have a Kent Haruf book waiting for you! Hell's Bottom was good, but I've read so many comparisons of Ms. Pritchett to Mr. Haruf recently that it was hard for her book to measure up in my eyes. nA good read, though.

Yes, it's looking like we'll be visiting in November! Looks like a beautiful school.

I am spectacularly bad at bulletin boards and displays, but I am kind of proud of this one:



Close ups:

I love your display!! I only wish I could see the book titles.

I'm so glad to hear Marina is doing well and everyone is adjusting. Like Donna, I had wanted to ask when we met but the timing seemed wrong. It's so sweet hearing about Callia's reaction to Marina's appointment. They are so lucky to have each other.

Kent Haruf is certainly in a class by himself. I'm so glad I still have two of his books to read. Pritchett's books are grittier, without his warmth, but her characters have a similar strength of character (no pun intended) and love of the land.

He was a mentor of hers, btw.

Great display, Anne!!

>193 AMQS: I LOVE that display. So cool.

Lol about not playing with the buffalo. Every place has it's own kind of adventure for sure.

Anne, I LOVE LOVE your bulletin board! What a fabulous idea!

Love the map display. What a great idea.

Anne, I love your display too! Is there a book for New Zealand? :-)

When I was at primary school, there was a reported (by a hysterical 10-year-old) sighting of a katipo spider in the cloakroom outside my classroom. That's the poisonous one. Cue a lot more hysteria, bravado from the 10-year-old boys and wailings that we were All Going To Die, but nothing more was seen of it. It was probably scared off by all the noise, if indeed there was a spider there at all, and if it was a katipo (unlikely in a suburban school cloakroom, I would have thought). I can't imagine what we would have done had there been bears or mountain lions. Probably not worried about the spider!

Firstly Anne give my love to Marina and I hope she is coping with treatments stoically. There will always be a wee affinity with your youngest as I have her doppleganger as my own youngest over here. Ysabelle sends her best wishes too.

Life has been a little torrid recently and this has prevented me being able to keep up on LT as much as I would normally like and I have missed my pals like crazy! Would add that I too like your school display and trust that the gang over the map of Malaysia have their pronunciation off pat!

Another fan of Kent Haruf and that wonderful novel, Plainsong. I am almost unwilling to rush through the rest of his oeuvre as I know he has sadly departed and it won't leave any more to look forward to. xx

Wow, great job on the bulletin board!!

>193 AMQS: - Wonderful display, Anne!

>180 AMQS: W's blood test was to eliminate a blood/bone infection. I was more than happy to have that eliminated! He had an unexplained thigh strain, and could hardly put weight on it. But it seems to have righted itself now. Thank goodness

Very cool bulletin board! What a way to display the worldliness of literature!

I love those maps!

Hi Anne! Read does indeed take us places. I hope your very cool bulletin board inspires many students to read around the world this year! I think I liked making bulletin boards more than teaching!

I've also enjoyed the discussion about Kent Haruf and Laura Pritchett. I enjoy both of their books (though I have only read one by Pritchett) and look forward to the progression of her career. I can see his influence on her writing but it's good she has discovered her own voice.

Great bulletin board, Anne. Summer went by quickly, didn't it?

>194 Copperskye: Thank you, Joanne! Marina is doing very well. And yes, the sisters are lucky to have each other. I hope they are close throughout their lives.

>195 ronincats: Thanks, Roni!

>196 nittnut: Thank you, Jenn. Yes, there's got to be an adventure everywhere. In Cyprus we lived in fear (read: I lived in fear) of the giant flying cockroaches. Our cat would hear them coming, and then we'd hear "tsst tsst tsst..." And then they ALWAYS flew into our window. Why ours? Every time?

>197 lit_chick: Thank you, Nancy! I was inspired by a nearby school library a couple of years ago. Hey, it only took me 2 years to have one of my own!

>198 charl08: Thank you, Charlotte!

>199 susanj67: Hi Susan! OMG I would prefer a bear to that spider -- yikes! A funny story: my brother used to hike and camp a lot by himself, which drove my mother crazy. She always imagined terrifying wildlife encounters, or even sprained ankles far from help. One time he arrived home late at night from a trip and went to tell my mother al about it. Then he went to unload his car and heard some noises in our driveway. When he went out of the garage to investigate he found himself nose to nose with a bear -- right in our driveway after my mother had been so worried about him encountering bears in the wilderness!

>200 PaulCranswick: Hello, Paul! So glad to see you. When are we going to meet Marina's doppelganger (and the rest of the lovely Cranswick clan)? Rest assured that we will always need YOU for our Malaysian pronunciation:) XOXO

>201 scaifea: Thanks, Amber! I had fun with it, and as I told Nancy, it only took me 2 years to pull it off! My favorite part was the letters -- I don't know if you can see but I die-cut them out of an outdated atlas. My oldest daughter was volunteering that week at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science at a dissection camp for 3rd graders. She came home that day all excited because she got to dissect a cow eyeball. I told her I had dissected an atlas:)

>202 lkernagh: Thank you, Lori!

>203 LovingLit: Oh, poor kiddo, and poor YOU! I'm so glad nothing turned up in the blood work. How is he now? Any thoughts about what could have caused his pain?

I was wondering if students would even notice the bulletin board. I will say it is not that interesting to younger students, but the 4th and 5th graders actually spend quite a lot of time examining the map. Hope it will inspire some student submissions and literary explorations!

>204 thornton37814: Thank you, Lori!

>205 Donna828: I don't actually enjoy bulletin boards, Donna, mostly because I have no vision and absolutely no talent for them. I am hoping to find a talented volunteer... (when are you coming back to CO?)

>206 BLBera: Hi Beth! Oh yes -- poof! Are you back in school now?

Thought this was an interesting take on "real" reading (specifically audiobooks and graphic novels) from ALA/YALSA: http://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2015/08/18/some-thoughts-on-real-reading/

Here are my thoughts (inspired by the ALA blog): http://parmaleelibrary.blogspot.com/

I started last Monday, Anne. So, I am working on class prep and grading this weekend.

Hope you have a great school year, Beth. Funny how our working days and personal nights/weekends are perpetually filled, isn't it?

61. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain, audiobook narrated by Carrington MacDuffie

I had a love/hate relationship with this book. At times, it was a fascinating look into the lives of Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley in their Paris years -- desperately poor, mixing with other writers and artists of the "Lost Generation," and Hemingway just starting to make a name for himself. At other times, it was irritating in the worst way (he's a jerk; she's a drip; they and their whole set are obnoxious). Yet, it had an interesting look at mental illness, PTSD, and the bleakness that mixed with the exuberance of the Jazz Age. I read A Moveable Feast earlier this year, and this was a good follow-up.

Maybe biographical fiction is not the best genre for an audiobook. While Carrington MacDuffie was a good narrator, something felt wrong about hearing both Hadley's and Hemingway's voices coming through an actor (via an author). Invasive somehow, or even salacious at times. Even though I was sometimes uncomfortable, I was definitely hooked. I found the epilogue deeply moving.

Wonderful review of The Paris Wife, Anne. I've looked at this one on audioboook and in print, but wondered whether I'd enjoy. If I do decide to pick it up, I'll remember your remarks about the audio.

>211 AMQS: Agree with you completely. I read those two close together also. One thing that struck me was how much they all drank...all of the time. How could they not have died of alcohol poisoning?!?

Excellent review of The Paris Wife, Anne! I think we are in the same wavelength with that one as I avoided it because I had doubts about it. Thank you so much for reading it. I think I will happily continue to pass on that one.

>212 lit_chick: Hi Nancy! If I were to read it over, I'd definitely go for print, but I wouldn't have thought about that before reading it:) Hope you're having a great weekend.

>213 RebaRelishesReading: It was amazing, wasn't it, Reba? I listened to The Thin Man earlier this year, where they also drank round the clock, but those exaggerated, noir characters were very funny. It was definitely less funny with real people, especially when they were all clearly so sad.

>214 lkernagh: Hi Lori. It was worth a read, but I do think you can safely pass!

62. Castle Hangnail by Ursula Vernon

Dear Sir or Madam,
The minions of Castle Hangnail seek a new master to overtake all dark and evil duties and responsibilities. Magical abilities are absolutely required,* as is a knack for smiting, blighting, and general malevolent behavior. An intimidating appearance is a plus!
If interested, please send word via raven to the guardian of Castle Hangnail.
*Except in the case of Mad Scientists
Sincerely,
The Minions of Castle Hangnail

If you know and love the books by Eva Ibbotson, you will likely love this one. If you've never read Eva Ibbotson, why not?? (My favorite is The Secret of Platform 13.) Ursula Vernon is definitely a worthy successor, and this book is so much fun. The minions of Castle Hangnail are eagerly awaiting their new master. The castle is falling into disrepair, and the Board may decommission it if a suitable master is not found. When Molly shows up, the minions have their doubts. She is a very small 12 year-old, and is very polite, but she insists she is a wicked witch. The important thing is that she completes the Tasks. While Molly does possess some magical skills, she is also concealing a big secret that mean the end of Castle Hangnail. I loved this book. It is on my list of books to order for the library, and I have a few students in mind who will really enjoy it. The book makes a distinction between "wicked" and "evil," and demonstrates that there is a always a place for kindness.

Hi Anne - I added the Vernon to the list. I've never read Ibbotson either, so that's two for today.

How's school going?

Hi Beth! I think Castle Hangnail and and Eva Ibbotson would be great books for middle grade readers. My girls reread all of their Eva Ibbotsons every so often.

School is going well, though we just finished the first round of assessments, which has everyone cranky. I feel like it's two steps forward and two steps back. I've started audiobooks again, which is good because I don't have time for print reading right now. My hours have increased, and I love what I'm doing, but I could always use more time (and more time off!). How is school going for you? How is little Scout?

eta: my favorite Ibbotson is The Secret of Platform 13, and the girls weighed in as well. Callia says her favorite is Journey to the River Sea. Marina says, "Mom, you do not have just one favorite Eva Ibbotson," but recommends Dial-a-Ghost if you're someone who loves fantasy and The Dragonfly Pool if you prefer realistic/historical fiction.

63. Coriolanus by William Shakespeare, Arkangel fully dramatized audio production

Not my favorite Shakespeare, but a worthy listen about legendary Roman general Caius Marcius, whose military prowess makes him a hero to Romans. He is persuaded into political leadership, for which he is unsuited, which turns the popular favor against him, resulting in banishment, revenge, and ultimately his death.

Thanks Anne - I added all these to my Scout list. When she's reading next year, I'll sign her up for LT. :)

Anne, thanks for another reminder that I must try some of these Arkangel productions of Shakespeare. I studies Corialanus in university but remember next to nothing about it.

First week back to school for me: I love what I'm doing, but I could always use more time (and more time off!) Amen!

>220 BLBera: Good additions to Scout's list, Beth! LOL, I started LT accounts for my girls when they were little. Callia has used hers off and on a few times since she turned 13, but Marina never has (too busy reading!)

>221 lit_chick: Hope you have a wonderful year, Nancy! I thought I might be Shakespeared out for this year at least, but Callia made me promise to listen to Macbeth. Seems like it would be a good October read:)

>219 AMQS: Ha! That one is probably one I'd like. I tend to prefer the Julius Caesar kinds of Shakespeare.

>219 AMQS: I don't mind Coriolanus but anything seems preferable to Titus Andronicus.

I quite enjoy Macbeth and I'm really looking forward to the upcoming film adaptation with Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard.

>223 nittnut: Hi Jenn! Yes, you might like Coriolanus. It wasn't that I disliked it, but t wasn't my favorite Shakespeare. I had actually planned to be done with Shakespeare, except that Callia really wants me to listen to Macbeth. I'm looking forward to it.

>224 MickyFine: Hi Micky! note to self: avoid Titus Andronicus! I didn't know Macbeth was going to be a movie -- Callia is excited:)

Some books to review, finally. I am too busy this year and I don't like not having time either to read or to visit LT. I am off of school for the rest of the week because I had gum graft surgery today. Not enjoying the recovery too much at this point, but I am glad for the time off. I am icing my face every 20 minutes, so typing one-handed(:



64 The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, fully dramatized cast

“In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity, is the vital thing.”

This was a riot -- such fun! This is a very quick farcical comedy skewering Victorian social conventions with two gentlemen who separately invent fictitious associates (a rogue brother named Ernest and an ailing friend named Bunbury) to escape social obligations. They use each other's duplicity to meet or woo their love interests, both of whom thinking they are attached to Ernest, who doesn't exist... or does he? Fun, fun fun -- try it on audio, led by Greg Wise (who played Willoughby in Sense and Sensibility and is married to Emma Thompson).

“If I am occasionally a little over-dressed, I make up for it by being always immensely over-educated.”

65. The Touchstone by Edith Wharton, audiobook narrated by Grace Conlin

I love Edith Wharton. This short novella was excellent. Stephen Glennard reads an advertisement in the paper about a researcher seeking information about the life of the author Margaret Aubyn, who has recently passed away. Glennard was once involved with Aubyn, who wrote him devotedly throughout a one-sided affair. While Aubyn's star rose to international writing acclaim, Glennard's legal career is stagnant, and he is too poor to marry the lovely Miss Alexa Trent. Eventually, Glennard gives in to the temptation, redacting his name from the letters and selling them for publication. His newfound wealth comes at a terrible cost, as he is wracked by guilt and tormented by friends and the public (who devour the letters while condemning the mystery recipient). A wonderful psychological study by Ms. Wharton, who is the master of portraying 1900s New York society, which manages to know everything without actually saying anything.

>226 AMQS: I am so sorry about the gum graft. I had that done - worst recovery I've ever had. Swish the mouthwash they gave you, even if it's horrible. Mine was horrible tasting. Hope your recovery is fast. ((Hugs))

Anne, I hope you feel better soon. That surgery sounds horrible.

Great reading over here, too, Anne! I'm another who loves Wharton, but have not read The Touchstone (how apropos, LOL!), so thanks for that. Also, The Importance of Being Earnest, the full-cast dramatization, sounds like just my cuppa.

ETA: Hope your recovery from gum graft goes well. I've heard so many nightmare about that surgery. When I had to have it several years ago, I was terrified. But my dentist recommended a specialist in Kelowna, and she did a fantastic job: I had no after-pain, no bleeding, not even any swelling. My colleagues thought she must be a magician. She was a bit more expensive than other specialists, but I'll say I was more than happy to pay her!

>225 AMQS: In other Shakespeare on screen news, I don't know if any of your movie theatres do National Theatre Live showings but October 15 (at least that's when my movie theatre is showing it) they're airing the Benedict Cumberbatch Hamlet. I, of course, already have my ticket. :)

I would never had said this before you had a gum graft, but yikes, the recovery is the worst! I feel for you. I hope you're feeling better today.

*WAVES CAST sympathetically*

>227 AMQS: a good Wharton to start with, maybe?

In response to your earlier question about W's leg...there has been one more 'episode' where again, he was barely albe to walk on it, he had an X-ray this time and that ruled out some other joint problem....since then though. Again it is dormant, whatever it is! Long may it stay dormant is all I can say.

I hope your recovery is progressing well and the pain and discomfort is decreasing by the hour. I love The Importance of Being Earnest. I'll see if the audio is available from my library. Have you seen the movie with Colin Firth?

The Touchstone sounds like it has some similarities to The Aspern Papers by Henry James. I know that he and Edith Wharton were friends. Now I'm curious about when the books were written. I'll have to check this out.

Poor Anne - Good luck with your recovery. I hope it goes smoothly.

Hi, Anne! Glad to know Marina is managing, if not completely recovered. My little sister had a case of rheumatoid arthritis mostly in her knees when she was a kid and, as I recall, spent at least six months in bed and a full year out of school (no good drugs back then to help her), but she eventually recovered and has no problems now (she's in her 50s). With today's advances in medicine, I'm sure Marina's recovery will be quicker.

A gum graft! Doesn't sound like fun at all. Hope the pain has ebbed and you are feeling better.

I loved the audio of The Importance of Being Earnest. I may have to listen to it again. Maybe later in the year when my spirits need a lift from all the cold and gloom. (Yes, I am anticipating.)

Mark sent me a copy of Hell's Bottom and I started it but stopped for awhile in favor of easy reading series books of the mystery/fantasy/sci-fi kind. I'll get back to it, because though it started out pretty grim, the writing was as you said beautiful. Hmm, on second thought, perhaps I should finish it now, while the weather is still sunny and warm, rather than wait until it gets gloomy and cold. Which affects my mood enough without adding sad books.

>193 AMQS: Wonderful bulletin board! Congratulations!

>228 nittnut: Hi Jenn! I'm swishing:) Not fun, that's for sure. I am still in a fair amount of pain and still swollen. I guess the first couple of days were not as bad as I had feared, but I'm not appreciably better yet...

>229 susanj67: Thank you, Susan. It's not fun, I'll tell you that. Hopefully this is the only time I'll have to do this, and I've been whimpering to the girls the importance of taking care of their gums!

>230 lit_chick: Nancy, The Importance of Being Earnest was so much fun, and only about 2 hours long. A delightful little diversion:) It's interesting, I have heard of so many people recently who have had the gum graft surgery. An unofficial count shows that about 2/3 of people say it's right up there with The Worst Thing Ever, and about 1/3 are like you -- no big deal. I'm pretty uncomfortable still, two days later, but I will admit that giving myself permission to do nothing at all is lovely. I watched the BBC version of Emma yesterday -- all of it. Today was an early release in my district. I did go pick up Marina, then the two of us watched 4 straight hours of North and South. Not a bad diversion!

>231 MickyFine: Oh my, Micky! I'm going to have to investigate that!

>232 Copperskye: Hi Joanne. Not loving this recovery, that's for sure. Thanks for your encouragement:)

>233 ronincats: What a pair we are, Roni. Are you feeling any better?

>234 LovingLit: Yes, Megan, I think The Touchstone may be a good place to start with Ms. Wharton's books, if only because it's so short.

I'm really troubled about W's leg, as I'm sure you are as well. Something is not right. Hopefully it was just one of those unexplained blips of childhood. Poor kiddo, and poor you!

>235 cbl_tn: Hi Carrie! No, I have not seen the movie, but you had me at Colin Firth:) The Touchstone does sound a bit like The Aspern Papers, which I had not heard of before now. I may give it a try. I've been thinking about Henry James since I read The Paris Wife -- Hadley liked his writing, and was ridiculed for it by Ernest Hemingway. Made me want to read James again just to spite him.

>236 BLBera: Hi Beth -- thank you! My recovery is weird. I have periods where I feel good, and periods when I am in a lot of pain. I have been consistently swollen the whole time, though. Hoping that goes away soon!

>237 Storeetllr: Hi Mary! Oh, your poor sister! Glad she recovered. Six months in bed is brutal! We will likely be changing directions with Marina's treatment. We finally got into a rheumatologist at Children's Hospital (after scheduling the appointment 6 months ago). We are awaiting results of an x-ray to see if there's bone or joint damage to see how to proceed, but it's pretty clear that oral methotrexate is not helping her. The next step will be an injectable medicine, which Marina is not looking forward to, poor kiddo:(

If you're worried about your state of mind while reading Hell's Bottom, you might indeed want to read it now. It starts out grim and stays grim. Definitely a good read, and a terrific author, but all of the comparisons to Kent Haruf hurt it, to me at least.

Since I haven't read Haruf (yet, I'll get to it ~ don't throw rotten tomatoes at me, please, all you fans of his), that shouldn't make a difference to me. Just the first story depressed me. LOL Maybe I'll read it sitting in the sun after I get back from my errands tomorrow. Who knows how long the summery weather will last.

Hi Anne. Glad you're taking it easy. It sounds like your recovery is going about like mine did. Just slow and uncomfortable. Sorry. :( But 4 straight hours of North and South sounds nice. :)

Sorry to hear the meds aren't working for Marina. It's awful how long it takes to get an appointment with a specialist sometimes. Hopefully they can find a therapy that works better for her. Fingers crossed.

Happy Saturday, Anne! Hope all is well. I love Wharton but have not heard of that one. Thanks. I don't think I have read the Wilde. Bad Mark.

>239 Storeetllr: "Since I haven't read Haruf." Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary....

Hope your discomfort is over soon!

Hi Anne - I'm sorry to hear about Marina. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

I hope you're having more good times and less pain.

I love The Importance of Being Earnest. I haven't read the Wharton. I'll have to check it out.

>239 Storeetllr: Mary, there is to be NO book guilt on my thread!! Think of it as something wonderful awaiting you when you do get to them:)

As for summery weather, I'm pretty sure it will never end. (Can you tell I am ready for fall? Watch and we'll have a historically bad winter and I will bitterly regret my words!)

>240 nittnut: Jenn, it is so, so hard to give ourselves permission to take it easy! I am sticking to it, though. The chores will always be there. I didn't sleep well last night, but I was in less pain, and I am feeling better today than I did. I think I'm on the mend!

When we finally did get into Children's Hospital, the Dr. told us there are 150 pediatric rheumatologists in the entire country. We were fortunate to find a practice that would see us in the meantime -- most of the places we called will not treat children. Period. I was starting to search in WY, CA, etc. before I found a practice in Denver that would see her. I felt awful "breaking up" with them, but I feel that a pediatric specialist is the best for her.

>241 msf59: Hi Mark! I think you would really enjoy the Wilde, especially if you can find the fully dramatized audio. I had not heard of the Wharton either, but happened to stumble upon it in the audio section of the library. What a treat Mary has ahead of her when she does get to Mr. Haruf!

>242 RebaRelishesReading: Thank you, Reba. I am actually feeling much better today than I have since the surgery on Wednesday, so I am cautiously optimistic!

>243 BLBera: Thank you, Beth. Better today -- a good sign! The good news for Marina is that her disease has not progressed. It's just not getting better. One thing we learned is that JRA can affect the jaw. Right now she has a CBJ or a bite jumper -- this metal cantilever thing that pushes her lower jaw forward to correct an overbite. It should be coming out in the next couple of months if her jaw is where her orthodontist wants it to be, but the rheumatologist had me meet with the ortho to tell her that if her jaw does not behave the way she expects it to after it comes out, then it could be an arthritis problem rather than an ortho problem. Also we have to see the eye doctor every six months for awhile, as JRA can affect eyesight and blood flow to the eyes. Poor kiddo.

Poor kiddo indeed, Anne. Thank goodness for good health care! It sounds like you have found some good providers. I wonder if Mayo has a pediatric rheumatologist?...

I'm glad you are feeling better. I think the worst pain is one in the head or face. It's so hard to ignore.

Anne, I'm also very glad that you've found the professionals you need to help Marina. My thoughts to you, to her, and to your family.

>245 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. Hurting again now. Two steps forward... I'm enjoying having some time off, and I'm not quite sure what to think about going back to school Monday. I don't feel up to it, but on the other hand, it will probably be good for me to get back into my routine and take my mind off of my mouth!

>246 lit_chick: Thank you, Nancy. We'll know hopefully in the next few days which new medicine she'll be on. Then we'll have to be trained how to administer the injections.

Time for a new thread! Please join me here:

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