14 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
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Movies...
Molière (2007)
In 1658, playwright/actor Molière, having been given a theater in the capital by the King, is back in Paris after touring the kingdom of France with his company of players. One day, a young lady asks him to follow her to the deathbed of her mother... Thirteen years earlier, Molière already runs a troupe but goes broke and is thrown to prison. Fortunately, his debt is covered by Monsieur Jourdain, a rich man who wants him to help him rehearse a one-act play he has written with a view to seducing a beautiful bright young widow. As Jourdain is married to Elmire, and is the "respectable" father of two daughters his design must remain secret so Molière is introduced into the house as an austere priest...mistaken identity, cuckoldry, and hilarity ensue.
M: I just recently saw this movie and it was fantastic. Much more humorous than I had originally though, especially the scenes in which Moliere is giving acting lessons to Monsieur Jourdain...who knew horses could be so different!
In 1658, playwright/actor Molière, having been given a theater in the capital by the King, is back in Paris after touring the kingdom of France with his company of players. One day, a young lady asks him to follow her to the deathbed of her mother... Thirteen years earlier, Molière already runs a troupe but goes broke and is thrown to prison. Fortunately, his debt is covered by Monsieur Jourdain, a rich man who wants him to help him rehearse a one-act play he has written with a view to seducing a beautiful bright young widow. As Jourdain is married to Elmire, and is the "respectable" father of two daughters his design must remain secret so Molière is introduced into the house as an austere priest...mistaken identity, cuckoldry, and hilarity ensue.
M: I just recently saw this movie and it was fantastic. Much more humorous than I had originally though, especially the scenes in which Moliere is giving acting lessons to Monsieur Jourdain...who knew horses could be so different!
Middle School Reads...
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
In a time when a good marriage decides a girl's future, Mrs. Bennet is doing everything she can to find her five daughters the perfect match. But sometimes things don't work out the way they should. Especially for smart, independent, and stubborn Elizabeth Bennet. When she meets the handsome and wealthy Mr. Darcy, he seems proud and arrogant. But could her first impression be wrong?
This is the perfect story of love, life, and foolish misunderstanding.
M: Amazing! Lizzie Bennet is such a wonderful character who is able to see the error of her judgements and come to terms with her own misconceptions. Everyone has a flaw and she is able to see hers and make amends accordingly. Great characters all around!
In a time when a good marriage decides a girl's future, Mrs. Bennet is doing everything she can to find her five daughters the perfect match. But sometimes things don't work out the way they should. Especially for smart, independent, and stubborn Elizabeth Bennet. When she meets the handsome and wealthy Mr. Darcy, he seems proud and arrogant. But could her first impression be wrong?
This is the perfect story of love, life, and foolish misunderstanding.
M: Amazing! Lizzie Bennet is such a wonderful character who is able to see the error of her judgements and come to terms with her own misconceptions. Everyone has a flaw and she is able to see hers and make amends accordingly. Great characters all around!
Middle School Reads...
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
The novel describes the passionate love between the courageous orphan Jane Eyre and the brilliant, brooding, and domineering Rochester. The loneliness and cruelty of Jane's childhood strengthens her natural independence and spirit, which prove invaluable when she takes a position as a governess at Thornfield Hall. But after she falls in love with her sardonic employer, her discovery of his terrible secret forces her to make a heart-wrenching choice. Ever since its publication in 1847, Jane Eyre has enthralled every kind of reader, from the most critical and cultivated to the youngest and most unabashedly romantic. It lives as one of the great triumphs of storytelling and as a moving and unforgettable portrayal of a woman's quest for self-respect.
M: Great novel! I read it in seventh grade and absolutely loved it! I had recently moved to Texas from Pennsylvania and I was able to connect with Jane through our shared sense of being an outsider. Everyone should read it. Period.
The novel describes the passionate love between the courageous orphan Jane Eyre and the brilliant, brooding, and domineering Rochester. The loneliness and cruelty of Jane's childhood strengthens her natural independence and spirit, which prove invaluable when she takes a position as a governess at Thornfield Hall. But after she falls in love with her sardonic employer, her discovery of his terrible secret forces her to make a heart-wrenching choice. Ever since its publication in 1847, Jane Eyre has enthralled every kind of reader, from the most critical and cultivated to the youngest and most unabashedly romantic. It lives as one of the great triumphs of storytelling and as a moving and unforgettable portrayal of a woman's quest for self-respect.
M: Great novel! I read it in seventh grade and absolutely loved it! I had recently moved to Texas from Pennsylvania and I was able to connect with Jane through our shared sense of being an outsider. Everyone should read it. Period.
College Course Texts...
The Book of Margery Kempe by Margery Kempe
Considered by some to be the first autobiography in the English language, the book follows Margery's life as she encounters God and travels on many pilgrimages across Europe. The text was transcribed by two different scribes under her supervision.
M: The book is very interesting to consider and helps illuminate the experiences of a middle class woman in the Middle Ages. Somewhat slow, but clearly a classic and noteworthy text.
Considered by some to be the first autobiography in the English language, the book follows Margery's life as she encounters God and travels on many pilgrimages across Europe. The text was transcribed by two different scribes under her supervision.
M: The book is very interesting to consider and helps illuminate the experiences of a middle class woman in the Middle Ages. Somewhat slow, but clearly a classic and noteworthy text.
College Course Texts...
Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol
Kozol discusses the disparities in education between schools of different classes and races. It is based on his observations of various classrooms in the public school systems of East St. Louis, Chicago, New York City, Camden, Cincinnati, and Washington D.C.. His observations take place in both schools with the lowest per capita spending on students and the highest, ranging from just over $3,000 in Camden, NJ to a maximum expenditure of up to $15,000 in Great Neck, NY.
M: This book was shocking to me and opened up an entirely unexplored truth. I especially recommend this book to anyone entering the field of education.
Kozol discusses the disparities in education between schools of different classes and races. It is based on his observations of various classrooms in the public school systems of East St. Louis, Chicago, New York City, Camden, Cincinnati, and Washington D.C.. His observations take place in both schools with the lowest per capita spending on students and the highest, ranging from just over $3,000 in Camden, NJ to a maximum expenditure of up to $15,000 in Great Neck, NY.
M: This book was shocking to me and opened up an entirely unexplored truth. I especially recommend this book to anyone entering the field of education.
College Course Texts...
Maggie: A Girl of the Streets by Stephan Crane
The story follows Jimmie Johnson and his family as they struggle to survive in New York's Bowery neighborhood. Jimmie, his older sister Maggie, and their younger brother must face an abusive father and a drunken mother. As Maggie struggles to rise above her situation, her reputation is questioned and tarnished until she is left with no choice but to become the very thing she is accused of being.
Maggie is a shockingly explicit portrait of the brutal conditions that existed in the poverty-stricken slums of New York.
M: Great story about a young girl who tries so hard for a better life but is given a losing hand by Fate.
Maggie...
The story follows Jimmie Johnson and his family as they struggle to survive in New York's Bowery neighborhood. Jimmie, his older sister Maggie, and their younger brother must face an abusive father and a drunken mother. As Maggie struggles to rise above her situation, her reputation is questioned and tarnished until she is left with no choice but to become the very thing she is accused of being.
Maggie is a shockingly explicit portrait of the brutal conditions that existed in the poverty-stricken slums of New York.
M: Great story about a young girl who tries so hard for a better life but is given a losing hand by Fate.
Maggie...
College Course Texts...
The Red Badge of Courage by Stephan Crane
Henry Fleming is a young, idealistic 18 year-old who signs up with the Union Army during the American Civil War. He cannot wait to earn his "badge of courage" on the battle field, but as he faces the actual brutality and horror of his first battle, his dreams of heroism and invulnerability shatter before his eyes. He flees from the Confederate enemy and witnesses the death of a close friend. Caught in the seemingly never ending terror of war, it is ultimately Fleming's own anger and confusion that spur a true act of courage.
M: Excellent novel that helps bring both the Civil War and the horrors of battle into perspective, especially for young students.
Red Badge of Courage
Henry Fleming is a young, idealistic 18 year-old who signs up with the Union Army during the American Civil War. He cannot wait to earn his "badge of courage" on the battle field, but as he faces the actual brutality and horror of his first battle, his dreams of heroism and invulnerability shatter before his eyes. He flees from the Confederate enemy and witnesses the death of a close friend. Caught in the seemingly never ending terror of war, it is ultimately Fleming's own anger and confusion that spur a true act of courage.
M: Excellent novel that helps bring both the Civil War and the horrors of battle into perspective, especially for young students.
Red Badge of Courage
College Course Texts...
Push by Sapphire
Claireece Precious Jones endures unimaginable hardships in her young life. Abused by her mother, raped by her father, she grows up poor, angry, illiterate, fat, unloved and generally unnoticed. So what better way to learn about her than through her own, halting dialect. That is the device deployed in the first novel by poet and singer Sapphire. "Sometimes I wish I was not alive," Precious says. "But I don't know how to die. Ain' no plug to pull out. 'N no matter how bad I feel my heart don't stop beating and my eyes open in the morning." An intense story of adversity and the mechanisms to cope with it.
M: Disturbing and heartbreaking novel that you want to put down but can't.
Claireece Precious Jones endures unimaginable hardships in her young life. Abused by her mother, raped by her father, she grows up poor, angry, illiterate, fat, unloved and generally unnoticed. So what better way to learn about her than through her own, halting dialect. That is the device deployed in the first novel by poet and singer Sapphire. "Sometimes I wish I was not alive," Precious says. "But I don't know how to die. Ain' no plug to pull out. 'N no matter how bad I feel my heart don't stop beating and my eyes open in the morning." An intense story of adversity and the mechanisms to cope with it.
M: Disturbing and heartbreaking novel that you want to put down but can't.
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