The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle & Where the Red Fern Grows- Battle of the Books

Around October 2012 I discovered "Battle of the Books" for 5th graders in Colorado Springs. It immediately captured my attention. While I do not currently excel as an athlete in any manner of the term, I especially did not excel as an athlete in elementary school. I have vivid memories of schoolmates asking me what I did to get in trouble and assigned to sitting out at recess reading. They were bewildered and confused when I tried to explain that I wasn't in trouble, and even more so when I explained that I wanted the chance to read. I was always seeking out new books. My educator mother was continually trying to recommend award winning books and more often than not I would put them aside writing them off as "mom books."  Fast forward to October 2012 again. I see that there is a competition for READING!!! How awesome is that!! I get my hands on the list to quickly check off the ones that I have read (because I've read everything right?) and realize that the majority of this list is books my mom tried to get me to read! Oh I can just imagine her getting a chuckle about that one. I have taken it upon myself to get through this list. Truth be told, they're all fantastic books! (There's your "told ya so moment" Mom!) I've been listening to them on my iPod as I sew and its like I'm getting twice as much done!
 In the last couple of days I've finished Where the Red Fern Grows and The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle.

Where the Red Fern Grows is a classic story about a boy and his dogs, as well as the grand adventures the two come across together. It's written from the main character's perspective of past and present. There is quite a bit of humor in the story telling. I can imagine students reading this book may even see it quite differently from adults reading the book. We perceive things differently as adults then we do as kids and that is one thing that makes this book so friendly to all readers. Though readers beware, I have had many boy students, and even Luke of his 5th grade self, confess to crying during the reading of this book. Do I recommend it? Yes. Especially families who may be looking for a family audio listen on a car trip or a group read. Beware, you'll probably have to explain the uses of the word for female dogs. I enjoyed it immensely but would not put it in my top 10, I think because I had trouble relating to the main character.

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle was a bit more up my alley. I liked the history, and I enjoyed the young heroine's character. I especially recommend this read to girls between 5th and 8th grade. I have come to enjoy Avi's writing more and more. It's very captivating and you really do get to feel caught up in the moment! This book is very action packed and is Pirates of the Caribbean -esque. As far as a family listen or read, I recommend the whole audience be at least 4th grade. I encourage readers to be wary there is a whipping as well as a couple murders, though the details are scant there were a couple spots where I got anxious enough to consider skipping to the next chapter. (I get pretty wrapped up in books. You should see when I watch movies...)

Battle of the Books 2013- 2014

Listed Alphabetically by Author

Anderson                Chains

Avi                             True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

Birney                      The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs

Blackwood             The Shakespeare Stealer

Clements                 Room One:  A Mystery or Two

Coville                      Jennifer Murdley's Toad

Creech                      Ruby Holler

Curtis                        The Watsons Go to Birmingham

Dahl                          The BFG

DuPrau                    City of Ember

Ellis                           The Breadwinner

Fitzgerald               Me and My Little Brain

Fleischman             The Thirteenth Floor

Fritz                          Brady

Funke                       The Thief Lord

George                      Charlie’s Raven

Haddix                     Among the Hidden

Hobbs                       Kokopelli's Flute

Kehret                      Small Steps:  The Year I Got Polio

Konigsburg            From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

           Levine                      Hana’s Suitcase

Lewis                        The Magician's Nephew

Lord                          Rules

Lowry                       Number the Stars

Lupica                      Heat

Naylor                      Shiloh

O'Brien                    Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh

Palacio                     Wonder

Park                          A Single Shard

Paterson                  Bridge to Terabithia

Porter                       Billy Creekmore

Rawls                       Where the Red Fern Grows

Rhodes                     Ninth Ward

Ruckman                Night of the Twisters

Ryan                         Esperanza Rising

Speare                      The Sign of the Beaver

Spinelli                    Maniac McGee

Stead                         When You Reach Me

Taylor                       The Cay

Winthrop                Castle in the Attic

Matched, Crossed, Reached

This evening, while knitting on a scarf that will take me forever, I finished listening to the Matched book series by Ally Condie. Yes, it is most definitely young adult literature. Yes, it is most definitely cheesy. Yes, the story could have been written in fewer words.
HOWEVER
It has some interesting themes and patterns that make these books particularly interesting and moderately thought provoking.

1.) Color (let the covers be a clue, they come through in the writing over and over again.)
2.) Choice
3.) Expression
4.) Classic pieces of art, literature, poetry and music
5.) Health
6.) Home
7.) Currency, Value

  These books were clearly planned as a three part series and I think they would be very fun to read with a group of young people (or people who are young at heart) and explore some of the paths that these reoccurring ideas open up.

Call me weird but I wish the love story had been left out.

Thanksgiving Break, Part 1

Wow what a trip! The Friday school got out I turned dingbat and got noooone of my homework done. I was a vegetable, and my computer is being dumb. USB ports not working, Internet being sketch. I was not wanting to buy a new computer. Seemingly, my computers seem to average me about 3 years...you?
Anyway, I lounged around Aunt Audries taking afternoon naps and everything fabulous until Luke arrived at LAX the Monday before Thanksgiving. On Tuesday, was our first day of trip at Disneyland! (You're not getting all the pics because some will be our Christmas card.)



Tuesday was a cram day. We crammed in as many rides as possible. You know the cool exciting ones. Space mountain, Indiana Jones, Thunder Mountain Railroad. When we'd done that we hit up shows. Bugs Life and Alladin though Aladdin experienced technical difficulties so we got bumped.



I creeped on this family that read the whole way through the Tower of Terror line. I would like to have a poster of them in my class.



Luke loves the Buzz Lightyear ride. Well actually Luke loves shooting and keeping score...same dif.



Take notice of the differences between our scores. Luke maxed out the display.



Wednesday we recovered and returned to vegging at Aunt Audries. Luke's Brother Jay came through "town" with a couple friends and we met them at Chipotle for lunch.





To be continued, I can no longer stall getting out of bed by blogging as I am officially late.
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Big Plans

This weekend,
The Civil War Reenactment made the front page.


Nikki found the LAST Lego guy I needed.


The lumber jack! Isn't he cute?!


I also found out one of my favorite authors has released a new book!


Make believe world, make believe people. No possible way any of it could be true. And this author uses just the appropriate amount of scary for me. I think I'll enjoy this one.
Also, this time tomorrow I will be on a plane to see Luke!!!
It's been 2 months. Ugh.
Im making all kinds of plans for our weekend poor guy. We've never carved pumpkins together, so that's on the list. Along with watching at least one Disney Halloween movie (of the Twitches halloweentown persuasion.) Also I think I would like to nap on the couch against him while he watches some sort of sporting event. I have high expectations folks.
Speaking of Disney/Halloween. I have found my new favorite Disney show since Lizzy McGuire. Its called Jessie. Coincidence? I think not. Jesse is a nanny for 4 kids and an icky lizard.
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Faction

Fact? Fiction? Funny, as I "grow up" the lines become less and less clear. More and more things are becoming "faction" as Candace, the editor of my favorite podcast "Stuff You Missed in History Class", says.
Faction came to me most apparently when I read the book "Mennonite in a Little Black Dress." Many members of my larger area church community were in an uproar. "That's not how things went." said many. Even to the point of a semi rebutle book being published called "Mennonite in Blue Jeans."


After moms death and many of the events that followed, I found my self in the middle of more faction than I knew existed. On mans truth was another mans fiction. In some cases no amounts of counseling would have two parties see eye to eye.
These two events left an interesting mark. Just a few weeks ago, I bought the book "The 19th Wife." How could it not be interesting? Thing is. It's told from her exiled sons perspective. Hmm. Not so arbitrary. Its on pause right now.
But really, can anything but math be arbitrary? I so often like to think of books nicely wrapping up stories of fact, when really, it's matter if the authors presentation.
The other day my history methods professor showed us excerpts from textbooks of different places and times on the Civil War. (right up my alley as the reenactment is this weekend!!!!!) Anyway, as you can imagine the textbook General Lee's daughter wrote shortly after the civil war differs a bit from the CA text of modern day. Even Canadian and Mexican texts had different renditions. All about the same event.
Alas, I am waging an interesting battle in my head regarding what I know, what I thought I knew, and what I will be learning.

Ps. Baby blanket done! Finished in my all day science refresher.


And for my friends Jill and Lucy:


I FINALLY found a flower pattern that seemed right. You'd be amazed at how many are out there. This one is from a youTube video by a lady named Teresa.


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