School Days...A Quick Review...

This was a lovely book.  It is thoughtful.  It is a book that you will keep in your heart for a long time.

It is the story of some fifth grade students and their first year teacher, Mr. Terupt.  Mr. Terupt is kind, gentle, inspirational and one of those teachers that you will never forget.  His students have issues.  Peter, the prankster,  Luke, the intellect, and Lexie the bully and bad girl.  Jessica is the new girl and Danielle is the big girl and Jeffrey doesn't say much of anything at all.  Anna has been told by her mother to not let kids tell her what to do so she stays away from almost everyone.  That is until Mr. Terupt designs his classroom with amazing math quests and holiday projects and adopts a class of students with learning disabilities. 

Wonderful things happen in Mr. Terupt's classroom until the day the not so wonderful thing happens.  And that becomes the most amazing teaching lesson of all.

I cannot tell you how much I loved this book.  I am a teacher and I loved that the book was so real. 

It is one of those must read books for everyone.

Rainy Daze...

After a nearly 80 degree Monday...when we almost turned on the air conditioner...we have had nothing but chilly rain and gloom for the past two days.  I am cuddled up and reading...Lucy Grace has the right idea, too.  She is snuggled in one of her favorite places...my bed...my side...my soft blanket!!!

She looks as though she is having lovely sweet dreams!!!

I spent the morning lingering...yes...totally lazy and lingering in bed...with coffee... to finish Enclave...which was thought provoking and frightening and really really exceptionally good. 

I just happened to see a review of this book yesterday...I cannot even remember where...but...this morning my Kindle's Amazon Daily mentioned it again...with a brief thoughtful review by John Irving.  Something compelled me to buy it. 

I just finished the first chapter and I already love it.  It is about a new teacher and his students.  Each chapter is told from a student's perspective.

It is one of those books that just drew me in.  Sort of perfect for a chilly rainy day when you have no obligations.

I almost need to make chili or soup today!!!

What book are you engrossed in today?

Deliciously Delightfully Dangerous...

Orphans…what is it about feisty orphans with a quest? And there are three of them…siblings…Michael, Kate and Emma…and they are smart, brave and adventurous!!!

I loved this book…I could not bear to put it down. It was fun and thrilling and evoked much anticipation and excitement for me…the reader.

Kate, Michael and Emma have been removed from their parents for unknown reasons early on in the story. Kate, the eldest, is the only one who even remembers her mother and the promise she made to her mother. That promise was that she would always take care of her brother and sister. Kate takes her responsibility seriously as the siblings are shuffled from orphanage to orphanage and finally deemed “unadoptable”.

Their last placement is where all of the action really begins to develop. Things begin to happen to Kate that seem to have no explanation. She and her siblings are able to go back and forth in time. Creatures are after them because they all hold a power over a series of books. They have many friends helping them and watching over them as they encounter evil after evil after evil. Michael is obsessed with dwarves and dwarves are definitely in this story, Emma is sort of a doer and not a thinker…and Kate just feels responsible for everyone. There is a Mr. Pym, a wizard of the highest order, who looks out for them and appears in the past as well as in the future. Gabriel is a mighty giant of a man who will fight to the death to restore goodness in this world and who becomes a fierce protector of Emma. Captain Robbie, who later becomes King Robbie, is also a fierce warrior and protector and much to the delight of Michael…a real live dwarf.

This book is full of characters that you adore and that you hate. There are Screechers…who seem to be the worst of all things evil until you encounter other creatures that are even worse!!!

This would make a wonderful family read out loud book. It is thrilling and exciting. I found the pace to be fast. I was never bored. I read this book much too fast because I needed to know what happened almost before it happened…my bad.

I am almost certain this book is the first of a trilogy…hurray!!!

Happy Monday To Me!!!

I think I am sort of spring cleaning today.  I have a bucket with some water and some Pine Sol in it...it smells clean and fresh and I am dabbing it on wooden surfaces that are as tall as I am...does that count?

It is a lovely sunny day...finally.  I hear a lawnmower next door.  Everyone seems to be cleaning up after winter.  We put out some pots and I will fill them with pansies later this week.  Lucy and I will get some afternoon sun on the deck later today.  We should grill!!!  Oh...and daffodils are up all over the place!!!

This is my favorite part of spring.  I hear birds everywhere and geese and ducks are actually running through the backyard.  A squirrel is sitting on my deck railing...waiting for peanuts.

I am working on my new laptop...waiting for Carbonite to restore files...so I am without lots of my favorite things for a while.  Posting will be sporadic this week.

What are you doing to welcome in spring?