13 years ago
Monday, October 26, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Middle School Reads...
Jackaroo by Cynthia Voigt
An intense and elegantly written historical adventure-romance set in "a distant time and far-off place." Gwyn, the high-spirited daughter of the innkeeper, finds a disguise she believes to be that of the legendary Jackaroo, a figure whose actions resemble those of Robin Hood. Gwyn decides to use Jackaroo's disguise to help those less fortunate than she. But readers soon learn that there are several other individuals who masquerade as Jackaroo, each for his own selfish or unselfish reasons. Jackaroo will stimulate the imagination and make readers marvel at Voigt's creative genius. She presents a carefully designed, mystery-filled plot which once again illustrates her abilities as a master storyteller. Characters are somewhat reluctant to reveal themselvesbut this is a most appropriate style for a tale of dangerous and uncertain times. Jackaroo will cause readers to pause and consider the process of legend making and the changes that take place in the retellings of legendary deeds.
Karen P. Smith, Yonkers Board of Education, N.Y.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
On Fortune's Wheel by Cynthia Voigt
Birle has agreed to be wed to the huntsman Muir as an escape from the drudgery of life at her father's inn -- but the moment she looks into the bellflower blue eyes of the man she comes upon stealing one of her father's boats, Birle knows she cannot marry Muir. Even after she discovers the mysterious stranger is Orien, a Lord and as unreachable to an innkeeper's daughter as a star, Birle is determined to travel with him as far as he will allow.
Their travels take Birle to a world far from home, a world where Lords may become slaves, where Princes rule by fear, and where Fortune's Wheel turns more swiftly and dangerously than Birle could have imagined.
Newbery Medalist Cynthia Voigt's second novel of the Kingdom, set two generations later than Jackaroo, is a memorable combination of thrilling adventure and heart-stopping romance.
Again, favorites from middle school. My copies definitely got a lot of use.
An intense and elegantly written historical adventure-romance set in "a distant time and far-off place." Gwyn, the high-spirited daughter of the innkeeper, finds a disguise she believes to be that of the legendary Jackaroo, a figure whose actions resemble those of Robin Hood. Gwyn decides to use Jackaroo's disguise to help those less fortunate than she. But readers soon learn that there are several other individuals who masquerade as Jackaroo, each for his own selfish or unselfish reasons. Jackaroo will stimulate the imagination and make readers marvel at Voigt's creative genius. She presents a carefully designed, mystery-filled plot which once again illustrates her abilities as a master storyteller. Characters are somewhat reluctant to reveal themselvesbut this is a most appropriate style for a tale of dangerous and uncertain times. Jackaroo will cause readers to pause and consider the process of legend making and the changes that take place in the retellings of legendary deeds.
Karen P. Smith, Yonkers Board of Education, N.Y.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
On Fortune's Wheel by Cynthia Voigt
Birle has agreed to be wed to the huntsman Muir as an escape from the drudgery of life at her father's inn -- but the moment she looks into the bellflower blue eyes of the man she comes upon stealing one of her father's boats, Birle knows she cannot marry Muir. Even after she discovers the mysterious stranger is Orien, a Lord and as unreachable to an innkeeper's daughter as a star, Birle is determined to travel with him as far as he will allow.
Their travels take Birle to a world far from home, a world where Lords may become slaves, where Princes rule by fear, and where Fortune's Wheel turns more swiftly and dangerously than Birle could have imagined.
Newbery Medalist Cynthia Voigt's second novel of the Kingdom, set two generations later than Jackaroo, is a memorable combination of thrilling adventure and heart-stopping romance.
Again, favorites from middle school. My copies definitely got a lot of use.
Middle School Reads...
Sirena by Donna Jo Napoli
Here, she retells the Greek myth of the Sirens, whose sweet, beckoning singing caused countless shipwrecks. But did the Sirens (who Napoli imagines as mermaids) really mean for the sailors to perish? Or were these sultry singers cursed themselves? In Napoli's tale, because they are half-human, the 10 Sirens are doomed to lead short mortal lives--unless they can convince men to become their mates. But after witnessing a shipwreck in which the survivors kill one of her sisters, 17-year-old Sirena decides she would rather lose her chance at eternal life than trick a human into loving her. She vows to live alone on "an island where the first rays of sun bring sight to blind eyes.... I am going there to find new sight. I will wipe from my brain the sights I have seen and start over." Little does she know that due to a jealous goddess, a sea-serpent bite, and a dead hero, a man will come to her island and love her for herself, not just her song. Sirena is the perfect teenage heroine--questioning authority and falling in love no matter what the consequences. In creating this beautiful story, Napoli brings mythology alive for today's young adults. (Ages 12 to 15) --Jennifer Hubert
Another great book by Napoli, I love Greek Mythology and this was a pleasant find in my middle school years.
Here, she retells the Greek myth of the Sirens, whose sweet, beckoning singing caused countless shipwrecks. But did the Sirens (who Napoli imagines as mermaids) really mean for the sailors to perish? Or were these sultry singers cursed themselves? In Napoli's tale, because they are half-human, the 10 Sirens are doomed to lead short mortal lives--unless they can convince men to become their mates. But after witnessing a shipwreck in which the survivors kill one of her sisters, 17-year-old Sirena decides she would rather lose her chance at eternal life than trick a human into loving her. She vows to live alone on "an island where the first rays of sun bring sight to blind eyes.... I am going there to find new sight. I will wipe from my brain the sights I have seen and start over." Little does she know that due to a jealous goddess, a sea-serpent bite, and a dead hero, a man will come to her island and love her for herself, not just her song. Sirena is the perfect teenage heroine--questioning authority and falling in love no matter what the consequences. In creating this beautiful story, Napoli brings mythology alive for today's young adults. (Ages 12 to 15) --Jennifer Hubert
Another great book by Napoli, I love Greek Mythology and this was a pleasant find in my middle school years.
Middle School Reads...
Zel by Donna Jo Napoli
In mid-16th-century Switzerland, Zel, on the threshold of adolescence, accompanies her mother on a rare trip from their remote cottage to the village. By chance she meets a youth named Konrad; unknown to her, he is the son of the count, and he is charmed by her apparent simplicity and forthright manner. Napoli gently guides the reader through the inevitable consequences of this meeting, mining every movement in the fairy tale for its psychological treasures. Zel's mother, no longer a routine villainess, has sacrificed everything, even her soul, for the witchcraft that enables her to have a daughter; a desperate fear of Konrad's attentions drives her to imprison Zel in the famous tower. Isolated, Zel wavers between recognition of her mother's sacrifices and her own fury, and wanders into madness. Konrad, meanwhile, must discover the difference between love and obsession. Napoli imagines the precise quality of the mother's supernatural powers, the colors of the stones in Zel's tower, the rustle of the trees in the forest. But the genius of the novel lies not just in the details but in its breadth of vision. Its shiveringly romantic conclusion will leave readers spellbound. Ages 11-up.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
I don't know how many times I read this book, it is a great take on the fairy tale of Rapunzel and the characters pull you into the story. I can still picture Zel eating a peach and letting the juice fall on the stones fortress that is her prison, watching the ants come and sip the sweet liquid. Fantastic!
In mid-16th-century Switzerland, Zel, on the threshold of adolescence, accompanies her mother on a rare trip from their remote cottage to the village. By chance she meets a youth named Konrad; unknown to her, he is the son of the count, and he is charmed by her apparent simplicity and forthright manner. Napoli gently guides the reader through the inevitable consequences of this meeting, mining every movement in the fairy tale for its psychological treasures. Zel's mother, no longer a routine villainess, has sacrificed everything, even her soul, for the witchcraft that enables her to have a daughter; a desperate fear of Konrad's attentions drives her to imprison Zel in the famous tower. Isolated, Zel wavers between recognition of her mother's sacrifices and her own fury, and wanders into madness. Konrad, meanwhile, must discover the difference between love and obsession. Napoli imagines the precise quality of the mother's supernatural powers, the colors of the stones in Zel's tower, the rustle of the trees in the forest. But the genius of the novel lies not just in the details but in its breadth of vision. Its shiveringly romantic conclusion will leave readers spellbound. Ages 11-up.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
I don't know how many times I read this book, it is a great take on the fairy tale of Rapunzel and the characters pull you into the story. I can still picture Zel eating a peach and letting the juice fall on the stones fortress that is her prison, watching the ants come and sip the sweet liquid. Fantastic!
Middle School Reads...
The Raging Quiet by Sherryl Jordan
The Raging Quiet is a book about a girl named Marnie who moves to a seaside town with her new husband. Widowed early in the novel, Marnie must learn to adjust to life in the village of Torcurra, despite the fact that she is suspected of killing her husband. She befriends the local priest, Father Brannan, as well as the "town lunatic," a boy called Raven, who is deaf. As an outsider, Marnie is accused of witchcraft, and even faces discrimination when she returns to her home village. The arrival of her brother-in-law eventually forces Marnie from her home, causing Raven and herself to leave Torcurra in search of greener pastures. Written in the same style, and sharing the same themes as, Arthur Miller's "The Crucible," "The Raging Quiet" demonstrates the inadequacy of one belief system as the basis for living.
Great piece of historical fiction that I really enjoyed as a middle schooler.
The Raging Quiet is a book about a girl named Marnie who moves to a seaside town with her new husband. Widowed early in the novel, Marnie must learn to adjust to life in the village of Torcurra, despite the fact that she is suspected of killing her husband. She befriends the local priest, Father Brannan, as well as the "town lunatic," a boy called Raven, who is deaf. As an outsider, Marnie is accused of witchcraft, and even faces discrimination when she returns to her home village. The arrival of her brother-in-law eventually forces Marnie from her home, causing Raven and herself to leave Torcurra in search of greener pastures. Written in the same style, and sharing the same themes as, Arthur Miller's "The Crucible," "The Raging Quiet" demonstrates the inadequacy of one belief system as the basis for living.
Great piece of historical fiction that I really enjoyed as a middle schooler.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Sweet Stop-Motion Music Video
Here is a really neat music video, and a lovely song, that I found online. I used VideoANT to annotate it. Enjoy!
"Her Morning Elegance" by Oren Lavie
"Her Morning Elegance" by Oren Lavie
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