I was able to lay my hands on a publisher’s preview copy of Jessica Farm by Josh Simmons.  Simmons drew 1 page every month for 8 years and will continue to do so as he creates other volumes. The problem with this is that he seems to have lost all concepts of what the story should be. This graphic novel makes absolutely NO sense! It has numerous characters who are there for one or two pages and never properly introduced. It is full of violence, sex and nudity that has NOTHING to do with the story. I have yet to figure out who the heck Jessica is and whether these things are happening in her imagination or in her real life. Maybe in 42 years when the whole series is finished it will make sense, but I seriously doubt it. All I know is that in 2016 I will NOT be reading volume 2.

All that being said, I do have a copy of this book sitting here for anyone who may want it.  I want it out of my house - definitely not a book that you should have around kids, so consider yourself warned.  If anyone feels brave enough to want it, leave a comment by July 31st and make sure you use a valid email.  I will pick a recipient on August 1st, 2008 using random.org.  Good Luck!

I have decided to participate in Blue Archipelago’s Book Blowout Challenge.  The rules are simple - read as many books as I can between July 1st and 31st.   I will then post a list of all the books I have read at the beginning of August.  My goal is ten books.  Don’t forget to checkout the rules and join the challenge by clicking the link above.  How many books do you think you can read in July???

The Summer Reading Extravaganza is coming to and end.  Our last topic is about books that transport you.  What books do you love that transport you to another place or time?  Here are some of mine:

Harry Potter Boxset Books 1-7

I can not say enough good things about the Harry Potter books.  They are some of the best books ever written.  They capture your imagination and take you into a world filled with muggles and dementors.  If you are looking for a book that you can’t put down, this is the series for you!

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (Harper Fiction)

This is the story of Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West.  We learn of her life, before Dorothy killed her sister and the Wizard put out a reward for her death.  The story follows Elphaba through her childhood and college years.  We see her develop into a conscientious young woman with a strong sense of right and wrong.  She falls in love, suffers tragedy, and finds herself persecuted and isolated.  It is a great story about a strong woman and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Under the Tuscan Sun

In this memoir of her buying, renovating, and living in an abandoned villa in Tuscany, Frances Mayes reveals the sensual pleasure she found living in rural Italy, and the generous spirit she brought with her. She revels in the sunlight and the color, the long view of her valley, the warm homey architecture, the languor of the slow paced days, the vigor of working her garden, and the intimacy of her dealings with the locals. Cooking, gardening, tiling and painting are never chores, but skills to be learned, arts to be practiced, and above all to be enjoyed.  ~Amazon.com

For more books that transport you, visit The Friendly Book Nook.  Hope you have a great summer of reading and don’t forget to share your favorites!

Today’s topic is summer reading activities. What we love so much about reading is that it expands our world! If you have any fun traditions or activities that you share with your kids or students that have to do with reading, today is the day to share them.If you don’t have kids, maybe you have a book club that does has some fun traditions or you enjoy organizing your books in the summer. Be creative and share with us!

Our summer reading activities center around our local library.  We head over for the preschool storytime and participate in the summer reading programs.  This year there are three programs, one for every age group.

If you are in York County, South Carolina you can join in the Summer Reading fun at all York County Libraries and the Bookmobile, June 9 - August 1. Free programs, great prizes and fun for all ages:

• “Catch the Reading Bug” program for children ages 3-12
• “Metamorphosis @ Your Library” program for teens
• “Reading’s All the Buzz” program for adults

Details are available at any York County Library.

What is going on at your local library?  Do you have any other ideas for reading activities?

Visit The Friendly Book Nook for more fun summer reading activities!

As you know, I am participating in The Friendly Book Nook’s Summer Reading Extravaganza and today is Magazine Day!

I am a magazine nut!  I have over 10 magazine subscriptions.  I won’t list them all here, but I will tell you about some of my favorites.

What are some of your favorite magazines?

Today I am going to share my kids favorite summer reads.  I have a 4 year old, a 12 year old, and a 14 year old.  So you can see that we have a variety of summer reads in our house.

Here are my four year old daughters favorites:

Here are my 12 year old sons picks:

My 14 year old sons picks:

See more Kids Summer Reading picks at The Friendly Book Nook.  what are your kids reading this summer?

I am always reading something, but come summertime I find that I like books that go fast and keep me riveted.

Here are some of my favorite summer reads:

The Complete Persepolis: Now a Major Motion Picture

Persepolis is the story of Satrapi’s unforgettable childhood and coming of age within a large and loving family in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution; of the contradictions between private life and public life in a country plagued by political upheaval; of her high school years in Vienna facing the trails of adolescence far from her family; of her homecoming–both sweet and terrible; and, finally, of her self-imposed exile from her beloved homeland. It is the chronicle of a girlhood and adolescence at once outrageous and familiar, a young life entwined with the history of her country yet filled with the universal trials and joys of growing up.

Sink Reflections

“In her debut book, Cilley, a.k.a. “The FlyLady” to the thousands who log onto her FlyLady.net Web site, reaches into the every woman’s home to help make her housecleaning more fun and her life more organized. Beginning with “Shiny Sink 101,” Cilley explains how a spotless kitchen sink can direct even the most discouraged housekeeper onto the path of well-ordered domesticity. Through several straightforward routines, including the 27 Fling Boogie (the cut-throat practice of quick junk disposal), the Five-Minute Room Rescue (”another step on the road to clutter recovery”) and the Hot Spot Fire Drill (for an area that, like a forest fire, takes over your home), Cilley advises her “FlyBabies” on how to overcome clutter and CHAOS (Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome). Filled with testimonials from online followers, the book aims to help readers establish manageable daily and weekly habits by incorporating spirituality and family into the program. Detailed and direct, this is a guidebook for the stay-at-home or working woman who wants to have it all, including her sanity.” Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

An Underground Education : The Unauthorized and Outrageous Supplement to Everything You Thought You Knew About Art, Sex, Business, Crime, Science, Medicine, and Other Fields of Human

Forget the history you were taught in school; Richard Zacks’s version is crueler and funnier than anything you might have learned in seventh-grade civics–and much more of a gross-out, too. There’s no fact too seamy or perverse for Zacks to drag out into the light of day, from matters scatological and sexual to some of history’s most truly bizarre episodes. Curious about ancient nose-blowing etiquette? What about the sexual proclivities of Catherine the Great? Throughout chapters such as “The Evolution of Underwear” and “Dentistry Before Novocaine,” Zacks proves a tireless debunker of popular myths as well as a muckraker par excellence.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy
Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and
anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric,
bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station,
Hugo’s undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in
jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a
mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo’s dead father form the
backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.

For more fun summer reads visit the Friendly Book Nook’s Summer Reading Extravaganza.  Don’t forget to share your favorite beach reads!

The Friendly Book Nook is having a Summer Reading Extravaganza!  Each day from June 23rd-27th they will have a topic about summer reading that they encourage you to post about on your blog or comment on! It should be a great chance to get a lot of ideas for books to read over the summer as well as ways to encourage your children to spend some of their time reading.There are also prizes! Through regular participation you will have the chance to win one of the following:

1. Inspirational Fiction Lot: Includes Skizzer by A.J. Kiesling, A Mending at the Edge by Jane Kirkpatrick, In the Dead of Winter by Nancy Mehl, To Trust a Friend by Lynn Bullock, and a special cross bookmark made by Rabuna Fi.
2. A brand new signed copy of Stealing Athena by Karen Essex.
3. A ten dollar Amazon gift card!

Be sure to visit The Friendly Book Nook for more details!

Wal-Mart Recalls Additional Charm Key Chains Due to Risk of Lead Exposure

I found the neatest website for preschoolers and early readers.  It promises to help your children learn to read and it is FREE!  It is fabulous and my daughter loves it.

Starfall is an educational website that is used by parents and teachers as an inexpensive way to inspire a love of reading and writing.  Primarily designed for first grade, Starfall is also useful for pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and second grade.

Here is just a couple of examples of what other parents have to say about Starfall:

I’ve told every mother I know about this site, especially ones with children who are having trouble reading. When I ask how their children are doing now, the parents tell me they are amazed by the results. Your site makes kids want to read!

— Parent, Ontario

Both my 5 year old and 3 year old basically taught themselves to read thanks to your website. My 3 year old is reading easy reader books already and my 5 year old (who has been reading for over 2 years) is already at a 3rd grade reading level! The variety of subjects on your website is amazing! There are few moments in my life that have made me smile more than hearing my daughter say, “We just finished Offenbach, but can we listen to Tchaikovsky before bed?” Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your wonderful, wonderful website!!!

— Homeschooling Parent, Texas

If you know of similar educational websites, please let us know by leaving a link in the comments section.

“All of us can think of a book… that we hope none of our children or any other children have taken off the shelf. But if I have the right to remove that book from the shelf - that work I abhor - then you also have exactly the same right and so does everyone else. And then we have no books left on the shelf for any of us.”

~ Katherine Paterson, American author of children’s books

Banning books isn’t something that was done centuries or decades ago. It isn’t something that happens in foriegn countries with fascist regimes.  It happens nearly every week somewhere in the United States. More than a book a day faces expulsion from free and open public access in U.S. schools and libraries every year.   You can find a list of banned/challenged books at The Fordbidden Library.

Here are some of the dangerous books I have read from the list. 

• 1984 by George Orwell - Challenged in the Jackson County, Fla. (1981) because the novel is “pro-communist and contained explicit sexual matter.”

• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain - Removed from the seventh grade curriculum in the West Chester, Pa. schools (1994) after parents complained that it is too full of racially charged language.

• Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank - Challenged in Wise County, Va. (1982) due to “sexually offensive” passages. Four members of the Alabama State Textbook Committee (1983) called for the rejection of this book because it is a “real downer.”

• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - Removed from classroom in Miller, Mo. (1980). Challenged at the Yukon, Okla. High School (1988); challenged as required reading in the Corona-Norco, Calif. Unified School District (1993) because the book “centered around negative activity.”

• Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer - Removed from a senior college preparatory literature course at the Eureka, Ill. High School (1995) for sexual content.

• Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger -  A 1992 study by the People for the American Way found that this novel was among those most likely to be censored based on the fact that it is “anti-Christian.” Challenged by Concerned Citizens of Florida who wanted the book removed from a high school library (1991) in Leesburg, Florida due to “profanity, reference to suicide, vulgarity, disrespect, and anti-Christian sentiments.” They were unsucessful: a review committee voted unanimously to retain the book.
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl - Removed from a locked reference collection at the Boulder, Colo. Public Library (1988), where it had been placed because the librarian thought the book espoused a poor philosophy of life.
• The Color Purple by Alice Walker - Challenged as appropriate reading material for an Oakland, Calif. High School honors class (1984) due to the work’s “sexual and social explicitness” and its “troubling ideas about race relations, man’s relationship to God, African history, and human sexuality.” This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel was finally approved for use by the Oakland Board of Education after nine months of debate. Banned in the Souderton, Pa. Area School District (1992) as appropriate reading for tenth graders because it is “smut.”Removed from the Jackson County, W.Va. school libraries (1997) along with sixteen other titles.
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - late 1998, this book was removed from the required reading list of the West Marion High School in Foxworth, Mississippi. A parent complained of the use of the words “God damn” in the book. Subsequently, the superintendent instructed the the teacher to remove the book from the required reading list. Ironically, students at the Venado Middle School in Irvine, Calif. received copies of the book with scores of words–mostly “hells” and “damns”–blacked out. The novel is about book burning and censorship. Thankfully, after receiving complaints from parents and being contacted by reporters, school officials said the censored copies would no longer be used (1992).
• Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell - This Pulitzer Prize winning novel was banned from the Anaheim, Calif. Union High School District English classrooms (1978). The novel was challenged in the Waukegan, Ill. School District (1984) because it uses the word “nigger.”
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou - This book gets challenged quite often, due to the poet’s descriptions of being raped as a young girl.
• James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl - Challenged at the Deep Creek Elementary School in Charlotte Harbor, Fla. (1991) because it is “not appropriate reading material for young children.” Challenged at the Pederson Elementary School in Altoona, Wis. (1991) and at the Morton Elementary School library in Brooksville, Fla. (1992) because the book contains the word “ass” and “promotes” the use of drugs (tobacco, snuff) and whiskey. Removed from classrooms in Stafford County, Va. Schools (1995) and placed in restricted access in the library because the story contains crude language and encourages children to disobey their parents and other adults.
• Le Morte D’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory - Challenged as required reading at the Pulaski County High School in Somerset, Ky. (1997) because it is “junk.”
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis  - Challenged in the Howard County, Md. school system (1990) because it depicts “graphic violence, mysticism, and gore.”
• Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe - Challenged in the Waukegan, Ill. School District (1984) because the novel contains the word “nigger.”
• Where’s Waldo?  by Martin Handford - Challenged at the Public Libraries of Saginaw, Mich. (1989), Removed from the Springs Public School library in East Hampton, N.Y. (1993) because there is a tiny drawing of a woman lying on the beach wearing a bikini bottom but no top.
• Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain - The word “nigger,” which appears many times in the novel, was the cause for the removal of this classic from an eighth-grade reading list. In 1984, the book was removed from a public high school reading list in Waukegan, Illinois, because a black alderman found the book’s language offensive.    

And that doesn’t even include the whole Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling or the numerous Judy Blume books I’ve read.  So, what banned books are in your collection?

Here’s How It Works:

1. Kids read any 8 books.

2. Kids use the Summer Reading Journal to tell us their favorite part of each book. A parent/guardian signs it when it’s complete.

3. Children bring their completed journal to a Barnes & Noble store between May 29th & September 2nd, 2008.

4. They receive a coupon for a FREE book! They choose from a list of exceptional paperback titles.

Visit Barnes & Noble for more information.

Recently I checked out some books from the library that I thought the boys would enjoy.  Of course, once you get to know me you will realize that I usually end up reading them as well.  I am a sucker for a good read, not matter who the intended audience.  That is how it was when one morning I picked up Trenton Lee Stewart’s The Mysterious Benedict Society.

After Reynie follows his tutors advice and responds to an ad recruiting “gifted children looking for special opportunities,”  he finds himself wrapped up in a mysterious adventure involving three other gifted students and the odd Mr. Benedict.  Stewart’s unusual characters, threatening villains, and dramatic plot twists will grab and hold readers’ attention, young and old alike. 

Having two sons in the GT program, I appreciate that fact that Stewart has made an effort to encourage children to use their brains to solve the puzzles along with his characters.  It was a thoroughly enjoyable read and you can bet I will be reading his next book, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey.

Has anyone else read this book?  What did you think?  Have any other’s to recommend?

© 2008  Blues Partnership, solely for personal, non-commercial use. 

      

Our library has a new feature and I just can’t get enough of it!!!!

It is called Netlibrary and is the best thing to happen in the library world since they computerized the card catalog system!  So what exactly is Netlibrary?  NetLibrary offers e-content to libraries around the country.  What does that mean exactly?  That means if your local library is a member there, you can sign in and download audiobooks. 

Downloadable Audiobooks from NetLibrary are digital versions of audiobooks that are available through the Internet. Audiobooks can be played on any desktop or portable device with Windows Media player 9 or above. You can also transfer your favorite titles to your portable music player, media center, Pocket PC, or even certain smartphones.

My friends know I LOVE audiobooks!  Now I can get online and find new titles without even having to load up the kids and head to the library.  Check with your local library and see if they offer Netlibrary.  If not, tell them about it and encourage them to offer it in your area!