To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (Audio) Performed by Sissy Spacek--Recorded Books ****
I loved listening to this again. I had to read it for English in High School and I enjoyed hearing the story again. Ms. Spacek does an excellent job as the reader.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Preschool Confidelntial
Preschool Confidential by Sandi Kahn Shelton
This book had me (and Hannah, Jonathan, and others who stopped to listen to me reading excerpts out loud) in stitches. She has an incredibly humourous way of putting down in writing all the quirks of three years old (the 400 some odd daily questions, the tantrums, the negotiations, and the growing independence). Fun read.
--Dealing with the mutiny in the checkout line (aka: begging or bribing?).
--Presenting scientific proof that toddlers ask 437 questions per day.
--Unveiling the four "answers" that any parent can recycle to respond to any toddler's question.
--Ranking tantrums on a Richter scale.
--Understanding day-care romances.
--Ducking the sex questions every kid is destined to ask (at the most inopportune moments).
--Dissecting the anatomy of a birthday party (or how to control a group of four-year-olds without ropes or sedatives).
--Coping when the four food groups are Cheerios, macaroni and chesse, Jell-O, and lollipops.
--Cooking purple mashed potatoes, and emergency tactics to stave off a hunger strike.
--And much more!
Preschool Confidential will have you howling at the apt, accurate, and painfully honest look at the preschool years. It will also have you thinking, I thought only my child did that!
This book had me (and Hannah, Jonathan, and others who stopped to listen to me reading excerpts out loud) in stitches. She has an incredibly humourous way of putting down in writing all the quirks of three years old (the 400 some odd daily questions, the tantrums, the negotiations, and the growing independence). Fun read.
Book Description
So you thought you'd made it past the difficult part: the midnight feedings, the colic, the breast pumps, the endless diaper changings. Just when you thought you'd reached the blissful part of parenthood...here come the toddler/preschool years! Only Sandi Kahn Shelton could deliver such a dead-on, hilarious, true-ringing look at the walking, talking, crazy years. In Preschool Confidential, she explored such universal occurrences as:--Dealing with the mutiny in the checkout line (aka: begging or bribing?).
--Presenting scientific proof that toddlers ask 437 questions per day.
--Unveiling the four "answers" that any parent can recycle to respond to any toddler's question.
--Ranking tantrums on a Richter scale.
--Understanding day-care romances.
--Ducking the sex questions every kid is destined to ask (at the most inopportune moments).
--Dissecting the anatomy of a birthday party (or how to control a group of four-year-olds without ropes or sedatives).
--Coping when the four food groups are Cheerios, macaroni and chesse, Jell-O, and lollipops.
--Cooking purple mashed potatoes, and emergency tactics to stave off a hunger strike.
--And much more!
Preschool Confidential will have you howling at the apt, accurate, and painfully honest look at the preschool years. It will also have you thinking, I thought only my child did that!
On Becoming Preschool Wise (-)
On Becoming Preschool Wise: Optimizing Educational Outcomes: What Preschoolers Need to Learn by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam.
(Could I give this a no star or negative star?)
I saw this at the local library while researching under the topic "Preschool." I was interested to know what the founders of GFI would say about this topic.
As with other Babywise books, this book decidedly put me on edge--both the writing style and the information. It is "parent Directed" as is most in their books...but I found myself frustrated and angry (once again) after perusing this book.
Link at "Ask" as to the background of the Ezzos and their books: here
(Could I give this a no star or negative star?)
I saw this at the local library while researching under the topic "Preschool." I was interested to know what the founders of GFI would say about this topic.
As with other Babywise books, this book decidedly put me on edge--both the writing style and the information. It is "parent Directed" as is most in their books...but I found myself frustrated and angry (once again) after perusing this book.
Link at "Ask" as to the background of the Ezzos and their books: here
Hourglass
Hourglass by Myra McEntire
This is another of a series of paranormal romance YA novels I have been reading of late. There seemed to be some gaps as to the science behind her time travel abilities--but overall it is a fast and enjoyable read.
This is another of a series of paranormal romance YA novels I have been reading of late. There seemed to be some gaps as to the science behind her time travel abilities--but overall it is a fast and enjoyable read.
Book Description
One hour to rewrite the past . . .
For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.
So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.
Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?
Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut.
For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.
So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.
Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?
Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut.
Cake Pops
Cake Pops: Tips, Tricks, and Recipes for more than 40 Irresistible Min treats by Bakerella (Angie Dudley)
This book bought me time at the local library while researching how to build our own custom play set (with a backyard all angles and slopes--a "boxed" set won't do. Shucks!). The book has great photos of step-by-step how to make cake balls on a stick and decorate them. Very cute! Wish I had had time to make some for our youngest Second Birthday.
Fun book to own. Easy to check out and use for holidays and birthdays.
This book bought me time at the local library while researching how to build our own custom play set (with a backyard all angles and slopes--a "boxed" set won't do. Shucks!). The book has great photos of step-by-step how to make cake balls on a stick and decorate them. Very cute! Wish I had had time to make some for our youngest Second Birthday.
Fun book to own. Easy to check out and use for holidays and birthdays.
Midnight in Austenland
Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale
Joe and I agree that Shannon is getting to be a wonderful writer. Charlotte, a divorced mother of two, comes across as a strong character who is able to put the pieces of a murder mystery and of her life (success and failings) together at a summer in the adult "amusement park" of Pembrook Park.
Joe and I agree that Shannon is getting to be a wonderful writer. Charlotte, a divorced mother of two, comes across as a strong character who is able to put the pieces of a murder mystery and of her life (success and failings) together at a summer in the adult "amusement park" of Pembrook Park.
When Charlotte Kinder treats herself to a two-week vacation at Austenland, she happily leaves behind her ex-husband and his delightful new wife, her ever-grateful children, and all the rest of her real life in America. She dons a bonnet and stays at a country manor house that provides an immersive Austen experience, complete with gentleman actors who cater to the guests' Austen fantasies.
Everyone at Pembrook Park is playing a role, but increasingly, Charlotte isn't sure where roles end and reality begins. And as the parlor games turn a little bit menacing, she finds she needs more than a good corset to keep herself safe. Is the brooding Mr. Mallery as sinister as he seems? What is Miss Gardenside's mysterious ailment? Was that an actual dead body in the secret attic room? And-perhaps of the most lasting importance-could the stirrings in Charlotte's heart be a sign of real-life love?
The follow-up to reader favorite Austenland provides the same perfectly plotted pleasures, with a feisty new heroine, plenty of fresh and frightening twists, and the possibility of a romance that might just go beyond the proper bounds of Austen's world. How could it not turn out right in the end?
Torment ( Fallen, Book 2)
Torment by Lauren Kate
© Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Gr 9 Up–This sequel to Fallen (Delacorte, 2009) continues they complex tale as Luce tries to uncover the truth and break the cycle of falling in love, dying young, and being reincarnated. Daniel, her lover through the ages and a fallen angel, institutes a truce with Demons to protect her from the Outcasts, who would do her harm. For her safety, Daniel hides her at a boarding school for the Nephilim, children of human and fallen angels, and cautions her to remain on campus and learn all she can. Unfortunately a little knowledge can be dangerous and Luce's naive attempts to manipulate her powers constantly put her and others in danger. Some of the rescues employ a deus ex machina as is the case when Arriane inexplicably arrives in Vegas and saves the day. At times the story plods along, with a full chapter devoted to a fencing lesson. Daniel regularly returns to check on Luce and there's lots of swooning, passionate kissing, and playing at being in love, though it often ends with bickering. Interest is piqued with the hint of a love triangle, and the suspense is ratcheted up in the heart-pounding final battle scene. In the end, readers won't be much closer to unraveling Luce's mystery and will need to stay tuned for the next installment. It's unlikely this title will garner new fans for the series, but those already hooked on the epic romance won't want to miss it.Patricia N. McClune, Conestoga Valley High School, Lancaster, PA© Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.
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