World Religion Animate Demo

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Read-It-Forward Spring 2012

The Spring 2012 Read-It-Forward book is The Adoration of Jenna Fox.  If you want to read Jenna Fox, ask a friend to pass it to you or come check it out from the library.  Once you have completed the book, take the survey and come talk to Mrs. Beddingfield.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox

Amazing! Coming of age collides with science fiction and Jenna Fox is born...or reborn... I loved reading this book. It was thought-provoking, touching, and at times laugh-out-loud funny. If you haven't read this yet...you should!

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

Once you get past the first 100 pages, this book is nearly impossible to put down.  The majority of the story takes place in the Amazon jungle with the Lakashi people.  Scientist are there to study how women are giving birth into their seventies and hopefully develop a drug that will extend fertility in the western world.  What they ultimately discover is something much more significant.

The characters are fantastic!  There's Milton, the always competent and suave driver.  Dr. Swenson is the no nonsense genius scientist, who has some surprising secrets. She is a character you will love and hate, but ultimately respect and sympathize with.  Easter is the deaf mute boy whom everybody loves.  Our flawed narrator, Dr. Marina Singh, is brave and good and alternately both weak and strong.

For those people who like books that wrap up in a nice little package at the end, this is not that book.  The events that transpire in the last 50 pages are heartbreaking.  I’m still trying to file some of these events away in my mind, but I’m sure to be processing them for days to come.

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Rory Deveaux has the opportunity to spend her senior year at a boarding school in London.  This a long way from her quirky life in Louisiana.

The day she arrives in London, a murder identical to the first Jack the Ripper crime has occurred.  As the gruesome crimes continue to arise, Londoners become consumed with “Rippermania.”  Rory is the only person who sees the suspect even though her friend was with her when she spoke to him...it’s strange, but so is the special police unit that has taken over the case.

This book is excellent.  Rory is a lovable, funny, and well-developed main character.    The secondary characters are strong and likeable   The story is fast-paced and full of mystery and romance.  I am very excited that the story didn’t end with this book.  It looks like it is the first book in a series titled, Shades of London.  And, isn’t London, with its long history, the perfect place for a good ghost story?

Epitaph Road -- David Patneaude

Epitaph Road is an excellent dystopian book told from a male perspective.  In many ways this is the most realistic dystopian book I’ve read.  In one way it is completely unrealistic...I didn’t completely buy that women would be so content to live without men.

Welcome to the year 2067 when a world-wide plague has almost completely wiped out the male population.  Over the years the plague, Alisha’s Bear, continues to creep up wiping out more males.  During this time crime has halted. Wars are no longer being fought.  Prisons have been transformed into libraries.  Women aren’t afraid to take jogs at night.

Fourteen-year-old Kellen feels alone.  His dad has chosen a life away from society, and his mom’s high pressure job seems more important than her son.  Kellen is also one of  only two boys in his entire class.

When his history class begins to study Alisha’s Bear, he and two of his classmates come across information that lead them to believe that there might be more to Alisha’s Bear than they originally thought.  When Kellen overhears that an outbreak might put his father in danger, he and his friends head out to try and warn him.

Dystopia/suspense/romance

Sweetly -- Jackson Pearce

The back cover of this book makes this statement, “Not everything is as sweet as it appears in this wickedly delicious reimagining of Hansel and Gretel.”

Jackson Pearce has done an excellent job of doing just that....reimagining.  Sweetly starts out very similar to Hansel and Gretel.  The story is familiar, but truly unique as it redefines the witch.

Ansel and Gretchen lose their sister in the woods, and no one believes them when they tell them a witch is to blame.  Over the years they continue to experience hardship, losing their mother and their father.  When Gretchen turns 18 and Ansel 19, their step-mother asks them to leave.

Driving as far away from the forest that has haunted them their whole life, they set out across country towards the beach.  When their car breaks down in a small town, the siblings find themselves working at Sophia Kelly’s chocolatier.

 

Fantasy/Fairy tales/Romance

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I eagerly awaited the release of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.  The story sounded so different, so magical.  I tried to get an advance reader copy without success .  I finally resigned myself to adding it to my “to read” pile and waiting.  In the meantime, I read reviews that claimed the book was a disappointment for various reasons.  I wondered if the book wasn’t going to live up to my expectations.  I needn't have worried.

This book was pure pleasure....completely imaginative and yet fully realized, each character unique.  The circus itself was an explosion to the senses. I could taste the caramel corn, feel the masterful ticking of the circus clock, and visualize each artist's performance.  I felt cold when I walked through the ice garden.  I smiled as I watched Poppet and Widget with their clever kittens.  I felt anxious when Bailey was in the bottle tent, and I found myself unconsciously stretching as the contortionist tucked herself into a small glass box.  This enchanting circus opens at dark and closes at dawn and is both artful and beautiful, each detail meticulously designed.

Behind the mystery and intrigue of the circus, an intense competition is playing out.  Two magicians have been pitted against each other by their teachers, not knowing that in this game only the winner can survive.  At first they are not aware of the other's identity but make their moves in response to their opponent or add to a display that the rival has created.  Eventually they are involved in a playful and fun collaboration.  When they are finally aware of the other's identity, they fall in love.  Their love is deep and passionate, and they delight in each other's ability and companionship with complete abandon.  When they realize that only the winner survives, it is no longer a game either wants to win.  Plus the lives of the performers and the patrons are also at stake.

The Night Circus is a masterpiece, well written and executed.  It is hard to believe anyone would be disappointed by this book, unless of course they were expecting something more like Harry Potter.  I had so much fun reading it and was genuinely sad when I finished.  I’ve found myself thinking about it many times since closing the cover.

Firelight Book Trailer

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Speedbooking

A video of Upper School Students participating in speedbooking!

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Jing on Spanish Prezi

Deadly Little Secrets by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Ok...how is it I never heard about this book? I love it! Let me try to label it It's a mystery, but also a romance...it's realistic with a touch of paranormal, and it could very easily be a box office horror film!

Camellia is your average teenage girl. She is pretty and nice. She is not overly popular, but gets attention from cute boys. Her friends are adorably quirky and funny. Her parents are eccentric and lovable.

Her life is pretty normal...humph...boring until the super hot, mysterious new boy Ben saves her life. Ben, unfortunately, arrives with a bad reputation. Camilla wants to trust him. She is drawn to him, but he acts so strange. He insists he wants to help her. He claims that she is in danger. When he touches her, something weird happens. Camellia's life starts to get scary. She begins to get strange gifts, pictures of herself, prank phone calls, frightening messages, and someone has been in her room. Camellia believes this is a practical joke and doesn't tell her parents or call the police. This is what reminded me of a horror film - like the girl who decides to go outside to check on a noise...WHAT?

Listed below are some of the reasons I found this book to be so good:


Great story
Lovable main character
Strong secondary characters
Complicated romance
Fun, witty banter
Constant anticipation

I read this book because a student recommended it to me. I had no idea I would like it so much!!!

Extremely Loud and Incredible Close by Jonathon Safran Foer

If I think about the whole story, it is incredibly sad. The characters are broken, ashamed, lonely, and devastated by the many tragic losses in their lives. I say this as I look back and think about the "whole story," but the young narrator's perspective made reading the novel not unbearably heavy. Oscar Schell has lost his father in the 9/11 tragedy. He and his father had an extraordinary relationship. Both are geniuses in their own right, and their relationship is fascinating and unique. Oscar takes his death incredibly hard and is having a difficult time moving forward.

When Oscar finds a mysterious key in an envelope with "Black" written on it, he goes on a quest to find the purpose of the key with hopes of finding out more about his dad. His plan is to visit each person in NYC whose last name is Black.

Each of his visits brought me closer to the amazing character of Oscar. His ability to flatter, listen, interpret, and relate to the various "Blacks" he encounters on his journey is amazing! He is truly a character - read the book and you'll see what I mean!

There is also an underlying story of Oscar's grandparents. Their story is sad and tragic in a way that IS heavy, painful, and ultimately frustrating. The grandfather's inability to move past his loss causes other people pain, and I can't forgive him for his selfishness. I think it is a good comment on Foer's writing that I'm actually so mad at one of his characters.

And Oscar!...I wish he was my neighbor! I love that he is a real person in my mind! I love that this book made me laugh and cry. I love that I now have the term "heavy boots" in my vocabulary!

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Amazing! Coming of age collides with science fiction and Jenna Fox is born...or reborn... I loved reading this book. It was thought-provoking, touching, and at times laugh-out-loud funny. If you haven't read this yet...you should!

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

I'm not going to summarize this book because, by Ford, it's been done a million times. The first third of the book is so technical that I had a hard time getting into the story. I couldn't get a feel for the characters or the landscape. Once The Savage is introduced, the story and the characters develop....a little. The reader basically relies on the conversations that take place between characters to ascertain their nature. Through various conversations the reader can see Huxley's warnings to the world - beware of mindless consumption and diversions, knowledge is power, science can be used to control, and happiness can be taken to an extreme. The price for Utopian society is high...it will cost your freedom, faith, love, virtue, endurance, and individuality. The happiness achieved is not true happiness, which can never be known without experiencing sadness or despair. How could anyone ever know true sadness when they are conditioned to take a soma when they start to feel the slightest discomfort? Hmmm....It appears that the new world is not so brave after all?!

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

The village surrounded by The Forest of Hands and Teeth is a dark and dirty place saturated with fear that stems mostly from the Unconsecrated that claw at the fences, but also from the Sisters who control the villagers. They maintain their status as the leaders by perpetuating the fear and guarding the secrets of what lies beyond the forest.

Mary has dreamt of the ocean since childhood. Her mother told her stories passed down from her mother about the world before The Return. When Mary's mother is turned and pushed out into the forest and her brother turns his back on her, she is forced to take a life of solitude with the sisters. Mary deals with many heartaches. Her father disappears, her mother is lost, and she carries the blame from her brother. The one she truly loves,Travis, is betrothed to her best friend, and she is forced into the rigid confines of the sisterhood. When the fences are breached and the unconsecrated engulf the village, Mary and a small group manage to escape down a path that leads through the forest.

Their journey is full of danger and death. There is so much sadness and despair. I kept thinking this story could not possibly get more bleak, and yet it did. It was hard to read. I can't imagine how writing this affected the author, who was certainly more invested in the story than I.

I know the ocean represents a better life, but I was never uplifted by this hope. It was just one bad event after another. Even when she finally makes it to the ocean, she is alone. Maybe the sequel, The Dead-Tossed Waves will be more hopeful. Perhaps, Mary will finally find happiness.

Overall, this book really bummed me out.

The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher

This book was so disappointing. The idea of the story is brilliant. The execution...Abysmal (I like that word).

The cover art is beautiful and the idea behind the book is intriguing but everything else was flat and disjointed. Proving the Age-old adage: you can't judge a book by it's cover ;). (insert cymbal)

Watersmeet by Ellen Jensen Abbott

Speed Booking at SBS

Speedbooking: “Do you like to read? Are you persuasive? We have just the thing for you...Speedbooking...you know -- like Speed dating. You have 2 minutes to make someone fall-in-love with you...I mean your book. Stop by the library for more details.”

Wuthering Heights Glog

Interim Term 2011 -- Multimedia Presentations

This class was so much fun! I had 8 wonderful students (Meredith, Sydney, Moriah, SaMaya, Nina, Nick, Davis, and Taylor). The first day the students signed up for animoto.com and picked out their books. They were asked to choose one novel or five picture books. After they finished the book, they created a book trailer using animoto. The idea was to try and get someone to read your book.

I've posted all of their wonderful book trailers. I hope you enjoy watching them as much as we enjoyed creating them!

The Watcher in the Woods by Robert Liparulo -- Created by Sydney Salters

Hot Zone by Richard Preston -- Created by Davis Dick

The Cobra Event by Richard Preston -- Created by Meredith Ammerman

New Moon by Stephanie Meyer -- Created by SaMaya McCalpin

Carla's Sandwich by Debbie Herman -- Created by SaMaya McCalpin

Balarama by Ted Lewin -- Created by Taylor Dick

Clifford's Family by Norman Birdwell -- Created by Nick Anderson

The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Suess -- Created by Nina Garcia

Matched by Ally Condie -- Created by Moriah Odermann

Matched by Ally Condie

Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

This book portrays the life of young Kyra who is a part of a religious polygamist cult. When the prophet decides she is to marry her 70-year-old uncle, she begins to think of running away from her life in the compound. The events that lead up to her escape are tragic. My emotions ran high during her escape! I was so mad at the men in this book. I had to remind myself that this was a fictional story - fighting the urge to drive to the compound and yell (or worse) at those horrible men.

The events in the book have replayed in my mind throughout the day. I think this is a book that will continue to resonate with me.