2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge

So, in perusing the web and "shopping" for new blogs and links, I found the 2010 YA Reading Challenge. This one is EASY for me, so I decided to get in on it. I will obviously be going for the "Super Size Me" Challenge!

The specifics:

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.

--Non-Bloggers: Post your list of books in the comment section of the wrap-up post. To learn how to sign up without having a blog, click here.

2. There are four levels:
--The Mini YA Reading Challenge – Read 12 Young Adult novels.
--Just My Size YA Reading Challenge – Read 25 Young Adult novels.
--Stepping It Up YA Reading Challenge – Read 50 Young Adult novels.
--Super Size Me YA Reading Challenge – Read 75 Young Adult novels.

3. Audio, eBooks, re-reads all count.

4. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

5. Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010.

6. When you sign up under Mr. Linky, put the direct link to your post where your Young Adult novels will be listed. Include the URL so that other viewers can find this fun challenge. If you’d prefer to put your list in the sidebar of your blog, please leave your viewers the link to the sign up page. Again, so viewers can join the challenge too.

For more info, visit J. Kaye's Book Blog: New Reading Challenge

****You do NOT need to review your books. That is optional.****

1. In the Woods by Robin Stevenson
2. Mercury by Hope Larson
3. The Kid Table by Andrea Seigel
4. Good Behavior by Nathan L. Henry
5. Linger by Maggie Stiefvater (sequel to Shiver)

Mailbox Monday...Just a quick spattering of what's new at the library...

A new box arrived from Junior Library Guild last week. There are several interesting titles and I can't wait to  get them all processed and out on the shelves.

In the Woods by Robin Stevenson (Orca Soundings, 2009)
When Cameron rescues a baby abandoned in teh woods, everyone says it is a miracle. A stroke of luck that he just happnend to be there, riding his bike along that trail, and heard the baby's cry. But Cameron has a secret: it wasn't just luck. He was there because his twin sister Katie begged him to go. Did Katie know about the baby? Is she covering for someone? At first Cameron just wants some answers...but once he knows the truth, he has to decide what to do with it. (from the back of the book)

The Omnivore's Dilemma: the Secrets Behind What You Eat (Young Reader's Edition) by Michael Pollan (Dial Books, 2009)
"What 's for dinner?" seemed like a simple question—until journalist and supermarket detective Michael Pollan delved behind the scenes. From fast food and big organic to small farms and old-fashioned hunting and gathering, this young readers' adaptation of Pollan's famous food-chain exploration encourages kids to consider the personal and global health implications of their food choices. In a smart, compelling format with updated facts, plenty of photos, graphs, and visuals, as well as a new afterword and backmatter, The Omnivore's Dilemma serves up a bold message to the generation that needs it most: It's time to take charge of our national eating habits—and it starts with you.  (From the publisher)

Pretty Dead by Francesca Lia Block (HarperTeen, 2009)

PEOPLE PITY ME, BUT MOSTLY THEY FEEL ENVY. I HAVE ALL THE LUXURY AND FREEDOM A GIRL MY AGE COULD WANT.

Something is happening to Charlotte Emerson. Like the fires that are ravaging the hills of Los Angeles, it consumes her from the inside out. But whether it is her eternal loneliness, the memory of her brother, the return of her first love, or the brooding, magnetic Jared-she cannot say. What if it's something more...
Something to do with the sudden tear in her perfect nails. The heat she feels when she's with Jared. The blood rushing once again to her cheeks and throughout her veins.
For Charlotte is a vampire, witness to almost a century's worth of death and destruction. But not since she was a human girl has mortality touched her.
In what way will you be transformed?
Until now.
(from the front cover flap)


Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists. Mailbox Monday is hosted at The Printed Page.

Texting and Students..

From the Oct 29, 2009 issue of U.S. News & World Report...

Could Texting be Good for Students?

The author makes some interesting points. But then, one can argue on either side. I think texting and text-speak can be useful in many ways. I actually do like the "translation" assignment one teacher used to check for comprehension of a literary piece. A stroke of genius if you ask me.

But I'm remind of an email I received in response to a job posting that was all in text-speak. This was from an adult for whom texting hadn't been ingrained since he or she was 12 (like our digital natives today).

Sites to See

Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information upon it.~~Samuel Johnson


Library of Congress Teachers’ Page
www.loc.gov/teachers
Most of us are aware that the Library of Congress is the home to wonderful resources. The question is “How do we put them to use?” The LOC has classroom materials and professional development available online to help you learn how to use primary and secondary sources in your classroom.

Boolify
http://www.boolify.org/
Web search engine that illustrates the logic of searches. It gives a graphic representation of a real-time search using Boolean logic—something our students have yet to understand completely but already get more than we do sometimes. ;)

Could Texting be Good for Students?
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/on-education/2009/10/29/could-texting-be-good-for-students.html
Let’s face it, they all text. Heck, a lot of us text. Personally, text-speak bugs me and I don’t use (ok, ok..I rarely use it—LOL). But could it actually have some merit?

Think Technology
http://www.thinkport.org/Technology/template.tp
A collection of pre-formatted graphic organizers.

History Wired
http://www.historywired.si.edu/
From the Smithsonian Institute, a digitized collection sharing some of the 3 million objects held by the National Museum of American History, Behring Center. To hear the recordings or view video clips, you’ll need to download RealPlayer.

Europeana
http://www.europeana.eu/
The European Commission is slowly building a repository similar to Google and the Library of Congress’ “World Digital Library.” Primary source documents and digital resources specific to 27 European Nations are being included. From the Magna Carta to Mozart recordings and manuscripts.

Poe Revealed, 1809-2009
http://poe200th.com/
Edgar Allan Poe would be 200 this year. A collection Poe resources for use in the classroom for biography and literature studies.

Taylor Mali--"What Teachers Make"