Help.

So I'm feeling a little restless and a lot stressed and when that happens I tend to want to play with my blog. Hence the recent change in appearance, for those of you who noticed. But I'm thinking about changing a lot more about it, and expand its purpose a little. I think I want to try to incorporate more than just the books I'm reading, some of which may involve the major life changes that will be taking place soon (graduating, finding a job, relocating my entire life, being a first-year teacher, being a first-time girl living on her own...things like that). Not sure what I'll actually incorporate and what I won't, but depending on how restless and how much stressful work I feel like avoiding, there may be some drastic changes happening. Does anyone have any thoughts/ideas/suggestions for what to incorporate/change/include?

Stepping on the Cracks

I have to say, this was my absolute favorite book in 5th grade. It made the biggest impression on me that I can remember from all the books I read in elementary school. One of my favorite memories of that year, actually, involves me making a deal with one of my male classmates who hated to read: I promised to read his favorite book for him if he read this one for me. I can't even remember what book I had to read for that deal but he loved this one. (I guess the moral of that story is that I've always been a nerd and I've always been an English teacher trying to trick kids into reading.) All of that being said, I finally got around to re-reading this week and...I have to say I'm a tiny bit disappointed. I still love it and it still holds a very special place in my heart, but it's not exactly what I remembered. I will say, though, that there are two major story lines throughout this plot, and one of them I love very much while it's the other one that I'm struggling with. I'll go with the one I'm struggling with first: this book is disappointingly anti-war. The story's protagonist/narrator has a brother who is fighting in the war, and the tragic side effects of this are more than present on the homefront. Much more central than that, however, is a focal character who is - spoiler alert - a deserter of the war. Although this character is extremely loveable and endearing, his anti-war viewpoint is heard often throughout the story...and it's really one of the only viewpoints the remains by the end. I am very interested, though, in presenting this book within a war unit, surrounded by books presenting other viewpoints as well. Obviously, presenting multiple perspectives and opinions is an important part of teaching. The other storyline that I absolutely love is about the antagonist and his relationship with the two central girs of the story. Although Gordy is presented as a bully who only cares about making other people's lives miserable on a continuous basis, the reader is able to see glimpses into his life that explain his behavior and cause true empathy for him as a character. It's extremely easy to see Gordy as a reflection of children that you grew up with or that you teach, and it is a great device for creating the need for the second look at a person, or the inspiration to discover what a child goes home to each night when they leave your classroom. Taking the time to find out what life is like for them when they leave you may give you an entirely new perspective. So despite the ways that an adult reading of this childhood favorite disappointed me, I still highly recommend it.

Fires in the Middle School Bathroom

I loved this book. I knew I would...how could you not? A book full of advice for how to be a better teacher written almost entirely as quotes from middle schoolers? Priceless. It's funny, heartwrenching, convicting, embarassing, encouraging, and inconsistent. It's all of those things because middle schoolers are all of those things. Reading this book after my student teaching experience was probably what made it so beneficial, honestly. I could read it with the voices of my kids echoing their sentiment, and I could see vivid examples of the times I could have done better...the techniques I could have implemented. There are so many painfully simple ideas presented throughout this book that could have eliminated so many of the recurring problems that I faced during student teaching, but it's okay. I can implement them now. An incredibly easy read, you will fly through it in no time at all and be able to resume your teaching lives wiser and much more in tune with what your students want from you. If you're a teacher, preparing to be a teacher, or hope to one day interact with a middle schooler...read this book.

Nineteen Minutes

I have to be honest, I've gone back and forth about what to say about this book since I finished it last night. There are so many contradicting thoughts and reactions floating around in my head. I didn't like it and had to make myself continue despite things I didn't like for the sake of finding out what happens...but I enjoyed reading it. I thought that the language and sexual content pushed it into the "Not Appropriate for Middle Schoolers" category...but I thought it was applicable to middle schoolers and think it could be an excellent tool to discuss bullying if you used excerpts. I was annoyed by the main characters...but I felt like I knew them and I could relate to some of them while sympathizing with others. See? I'm struggling with my reaction.

This is the first Jodi Picoult book I've read, and even though I had two more of hers on my list originally I think I'm okay with not reading anymore. Part of that is coming from my conflicted reactions. I liked it...but I'm also fine with not reading any more of hers, I think. Picoult wrote this story beautifully and in an extremely engaging way as she flipped back and forth in time, telling you the story of the characters with puzzle pieces; you don't find out everything until the very end, when you see that nothing is what it truly seemed throughout. Despite the elements of the story that I didn't love - the surprising foul language, the detailed descriptions of Matt and Josie's sexual relationship, the hints toward the issue of gun control - I did continue to be drawn into the plot and the unraveling of the story because of her writing style. Typically, I really like that method of story telling, whether it's in a book or a movie, and so I was a fairly easy sell from that standpoint. Maybe it's the fact that I tend to be more conservative when it comes to literature selection, or the fact that I've been really immersed in Young Adult fiction recently, but I thought that there were enough other elements of Picoult's writing that would keep me from recommending/allowing it to be read by middle school students - in whole, anyway.

Honestly, the character and element of the book that I found the most fascinating and interesting was Peter, the school shooter. I like him. I felt extremely sorry for him as I was given more and more pieces of his past throughout the book, and I understood why he chose the route that he did. I also, though, am fully aware of the fact that I loved Peter because I know Peter. When I read about this fictional character, all I could see were the faces of a couple of key people in my life that fit his description eerily...I went to school with Peter, and I taught Peter. Peter exists, and it would be hard for any reader to not see someone they know in the face of this character. It's when I look at this book through that perspective and with those names cycling through my mind that I continuously question what fortunate event stopped the Peters in my life from taking it to this level...and pray that the ones who still have the opportunity will choose differently. For that reason, I will probably always feel an emotional bond to this book, even if I wouldn't necessarily recommend it.

(Unofficial) Bucket List Challenge for 2011

I'm newish to the blogging thing, new enough to have not been involved last year when January struck and hundreds of book challenges spread across the lands of blogging worldwide. So I joined the Historical Fiction challenge - which I'm still excited about, even though this will make it seem like maybe I'm not - before I realized that there would be 75,000 other challenges to tempt me as well. I'm holding fast to my choices, though, which now include participation in one that I find really intriguing, although I'm not officially joining the challenge. I'm just intrigued and I'm doing it on my own. It's a Bucket List challenge, in which you pick books that you should have read years ago, and that you feel like everyone in the world has read except you. The hosting blogger's example was Catcher in the Rye. Well I felt really cool when I saw that because I've actually read Catcher in the Rye. I haven't, however, read several other books that I've owned for years and that everyone else will probably say "Shame on you" for not having read. So...here's my list for this year:

1. James and the Giant Peach - Roald Dahl

2. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

3. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens

4. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

5. Ragamuffin Gospel - Brennan Manning

6. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

I know. Please keep being my friend despite the fact that I haven't read these...and have hope that I'll have them read by 2012.

The Wednesday Wars

Remember all that time when I was done with Mockingjay but hadn't written my review of it yet? I was reading this book. This was one of my book fair purchases from a month or so ago, and I chose to read it then mostly as a placeholder for the rest of 2010 while I was waiting to read my first Historical Fiction book for the 2011 challenge. When I first started the book - and for the first 35 or 40 pages - I didn't really find this book all that interesting. I wanted it to be interesting, what with the fun cover and the fact that it takes place on Long Island during the Vietnam war and the interesting plot of a teacher at war with a student. It was a struggle to keep pushing through it...until I hit the page that finally grabbed me and from then on I was sucked in. I can honestly say that I love this book. It does, in my opinion, have a slow start, but once you push beyond that it's fantastic. The characters feel real...they act and sound and speak like seventh graders. The relationship between Holling, the main character, and his teacher Mrs. Baker is genuine, to the point of making me laugh out loud in one particular scene where Holling gives her advice on what not to do in front of the classroom ("don't stand with your arms folded" was one that I identified with...I have to admit I was told that once while I was in front of a classroom). Holling's family is complex and heartbreaking at times, and it's easy to find yourself becoming emotionally invested in the events that shape their relationships. I think this book is written beautifully, blending hilarious moments with truly touching ones. I highly recommend this book...you'll love it.

Mockingjay

Mockingjay time is finally here! Just like with Catching Fire, I actually finished this book last week sometime and just haven't had the time or the internet connection to really review it. But here we are. And I have to be honest: it wasn't my favorite. The plot was interesting, and there really wasn't any way to conclude this series without having this book. The rebellion needed to happen, and I think it needed to happen in exactly the way Collins wrote it. As far as the plot and the development of the story goes, I think it was perfect. I just...didn't find it nearly as interesting or engaging as the first two books. There were twists that I didn't see coming, which I always appreciate, but I feel like the big surprise at the end of the book was more predictable than she had intended (if I can see it coming...it was probably a little too obvious). That being said, I definitely did not predict the Peeta element of the story, which I won't spoil for you if you haven't read it. These surprises were there, and as I said there were definitely interesting plot points, I just didn't feel the same glued-to-the-book effect that I felt with the first two. I literally never wanted to put The Hunger Games or Catching Fire down when I was reading them - and rarely did - but I felt as if Mockingjay dragged on somewhat, and I continued to push forward based on the fact that I knew I needed to finish out the series and find out how it ends. And honestly, there was a fair amount of curiosity for how she would end it. There were a few things that she had no choice but to deal with somehow, and I think I was okay with how she did. Despite the fact that I struggled with feeling engaged throughout the book, Collins definitely resolved the plot and the character issues that carried through each of the books. And to be completely honest, who could possibly fault someone for one less engaging book in a series that contain the other two highly engaging books? Good grief, she hooked countless readers of all ages with those. So in the end, it's the series as a whole that gets the gold star.

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus

My English methods professor read this book aloud to us last year, and we all instantly fell in love with the pigeon. She also read us Don't Give the Pigeon a Puppy, but I didn't get that one for Christmas. I DID, however, get this one for Christmas, and I love it. I literally paused Christmas so I could read it aloud to my family, and then they all fell in love with the pigeon too. Aside from being absoltuely adorable, this particular pigeon book could be used in a classroom in order to teach persuasion (the pigeon is quite persuasive, what with his big eye and his clever reasoning strategies), character, mood, or voice. There's plenty of all of those in this tiny little picture book. Kids of all ages would love it - I personally can't get enough of it - and I think that any lack of interest in a picture book would quickly disintegrate at the first glimpse of what the pigeon has to offer. Seriously, I know that this review sounds ridiculous...but you should go find a pigeon book, any of them, and read it. They are so great.