Throwback Thursday (book review): Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler, ill. by Maira Kalman

Little Brown, 2011
Min is mad, but more than that, her heart is broken...

Min doesn't have a lot of friends, but the ones she does have are loyal and close, with Al being her closest friend.  Between him and the avant-garde movies she loves, her life is really good.  Until Ed Slaterton showed up....

She was "arty;" he was an athlete.  She had a free-spirit; his was defined by his friends.  Min was under the radar; Ed was the one girls wanted to be with and guys wanted to hang with.  Her lifestyle was nostalgic; his was trendy.  Both of them showed each other a new world.

It was a complete accident, their meeting.  She searched for him, he handed her a beer (which Min poured out discreetly).  They talked that night and soon, this led to another meeting, then another...and then they became a couple. 

And everyone wondered why they were together.  But Ed knew, with all of his heart, that Min was different and he loved the fact that she wasn't just another pretty face.  Min was secretly, than openly, thrilled about being Ed Slaterton's girlfriend, even if it meant she had to sacrifice some things, including her favorite coffee shop.


But today, she wants no part of Ed.  Nothing about him in her life is the cleansing she needs.  So she takes everything they ever shared, including a:
pinhole camera
toy truck
plant pod

oily kitchen towel....and so much, so many more.


They go in a box, along with her story of why they broke up. 

The premise of this book is simple.  Each chapter contains an item and the story that goes along with it in chronological order.  Told from Min's point of view, the reader becomes entangled in her story and the curiosity quotient is raised of how, not especially why, Min broke up with him.  But this book is unique in another very different way.  Daniel Handler writes with dangling participles galore.  It will take a reader to fine tune the voice in their head to follow the pattern his writing takes on, including the ever important comma pauses he uses.  It is also because of his stylized writing that Min's character truly comes out, filled with emotion and packed with meaning.  Handler also creates the town Min lives in and the world of film she loves, not with the branded names of coffee houses, Hollywood, and music, but with care, choosing imaginative names to convey the feeling each name evokes. 

Simple book, intricate writing....two very different styles that compliment and run alongside the two main characters in this book that reflect Handler's writing.  Interspersed throughout are deft, well-spaced illustrations of each item Min discards.  Recommended for high school (9-12).

Sidenote: it has been a long time since I've read a book that was actually sewn.  Also, this is a heavy book (literally, not figuratively) with glossy thick pages.  Not your typical YA book, and one that definitely stands out. 

Connecting with the real world: Booktalking notes for spring 2013

I had my last booktalk of the year in April, strategically before state testing so the students would have something really good to read.  Here are the notes for the books I talked for 9-12th grade:

Miracle by Elizabeth Scott (real life read):  Final Destination, the movie.  PTSD
Leading question:  Other than war, what are some other instances where people can suffer from PTSD?


Zoe Letting Go by Nora Price (real life read):  famous journals in history
Leading question: Why do people keep journals?  How would you react if someone read yours?

Legend by Marie Lu (dystopia): current hot topic issues Americans face today that deals with government (gun control)
Leading question: Do you trust the government 100%?  Why or why not? 

Darkwater by Catherine Fisher (fantasy): stories about the Devil throughout history (Devil and Daniel Webster, Faust
Leading question:  how many of you have ever heard this song?  Do a little Charlie Daniels.  Explain how this is recurrent theme throughout literature.

The Diviners by Libba Bray (supernatural): haunted places in our area
Leading question:  Anyone ever heard of la Llorna?  How about Chupacabra?  Regional legend ghost stories.  Are they true or not?

Eve & Adam by Michael Grant and Catherine Applegate (science fiction): protein folds mystery and the gamers who helped solve it.
Leading question: What would the perfect teen look like (in your mind?)  Is it ethical or not to "play" with genetics?

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta (fantasy): Talk about Kony or Saddam Hussein
Leading question:  What causes people to become refugees?  How can they start over again?

Falling for You by Lisa Schroeder (girl reads; novel in verse): signs of an obsessive person (taking up all of your time, needing you in his life in order to live, constant contact, telling you what to wear/look like)
Leading question:  Where is the fine line between a relationship and obsession?  Has anyone ever heard of a crime of passion?

Fateful by Claudia Gray (historial supernatural): Titanic exhibit in Ft. Worth; the 2015 launch of the replicated Titanic
Leading question: How long have werewolves been around?  How did they get from Europe to America?

Scandalous: 50 shocking events you should know about (so you can impress your friends) by Hallie Fryd (non-fiction): Look at cover and talk about two events: Elvis and his shocking antics: Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding.  How the impacted history.  Yes, history does have a dark and dirty side, and this book has the stories the textbooks leave out.

Infects by Sean Beaudoin (supernatural tongue-in-cheek):Zombie talk  (fast, slow, what infected them, how to kill/evade them)
Leading question:  Have you ever had a case of food poisoning? 

Trinity: a graphic history of the first atomic bomb by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm (non-fiction): How many times was the A-bomb detonated?  Where?  One of the best kept government secrets of its time.  Oppenheimer was the creator, but how did he feel about this thing he created?  Why did the U.S. choose Nagasaki or Hiroshima?

The Raft by S.A. Bodeen (real life read; thriller): Life of Pi; the effects of dehydration
Leading question:  Besides food and water, what would be the most important thing to have on a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean?

Breathe by Sarah Crossen: air quality alerts; the most polluted cities in the world
Leading question: Do all people need the same amount of oxygen to survive?  What about those that live in mountains vs. prairies dwellers?  Athletes or sendentary people?

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (supernatural): Different ways of divination (tea leaves, magic ball, tarot cards)
Leading question: Do psychics have the abilities they claim or not?  Ever watched Long Island Medium or Psychic Detective on television?

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson (girl reads): hindsight; spending your entire summer with your parents and siblings
Leading question:  Ever had one of those moments when you know you screwed up but didn't do anything about it?  Ever wished for a do-over?

Zoo by James Patterson (adult fiction): story about the chimpanzee that turned on its owner and caused substantial facial damage
Leading question: If you had a pet you loved and it turned on you, what would you do?

Ten by Gretchen McNeill (mystery): movie the Elevator; Agatha Christie
Leading question: What's the best thing about being on an island?  The worse?

The Turning by Francine Prose (psychological mystery): long-distance relationships
Leading question:  If you were offered a summer job that paid big time, would you give up all phone and internet access the entire summer? 

Before You Go by James Preller (real life read): Three things guys think about (food, girls, hanging out) and the nothing box they are all equipped with
Leading question: What is the best summer job for a teen?  Are they different for guys and girls?

Visit Sunny Chernobyl: and other adventures in the world's most polluted places by Andrew Blackwell (non-fiction):  brief history of the infamy of Chernobyl; current disasters that pollute the earth (Fukishima).  Talk briefly about one other place in the book (India river) and end with the fact the Texas made the top five list of the most polluted places on earth. 

My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf (non-fiction): Which is more difficult, elementary or junior high?  How about junior high or high school?  Talk about Jeffrey's history in school and the demons he had to battle.  Describe his social life and his relationship with his friend Derf.  Then talk about what happened 10 years later, when Derf saw him on television...

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

Balzer +Bray, 2013

Juliet once knew the life of luxury, but that is far behind her now.  Her reality is working as a cleaning woman, rubbing her knuckles bare scrubbing the bloody floors of the surgical hospital to keep her off of the streets.  Even if Juliet isn’t working on the streets, she still must fend off those who have enjoyed seeing her and her family’s fall in society and feel she should be treated as such.  

Her father is dead, but he caused enough damage to ruin Juliet and her mother’s future without him.  But one item, a drawing of a vivisection taken from her father’s journal, leads Juliet to seek out the person who owns this.  And that one item will also lead her down a dark and dangerous path.  This ripped page from her father's personal journals is all the confirmation Juliet needs to motivate her desire to seek the truth, and leads her to Montgomery, an old friend and former servant.

What he tells Juliet is beyond belief.  Her father is alive, living on an island as a recluse and using Montgomery to go for supplies when needed, regardless of how odd or dangerous those may be.  Juliet demands she goes back with him, even though his friend Balthazar makes her uneasy. 

The journey is more than anyone bargained for, and when Juliet finally reaches the island and understands exactly what her father, Dr. Moreau is doing, the true horror begins.  Juliet’s life is also in danger due to an aberration Dr. Moreau has created that is beginning to kill the natives and will think nothing of killing the humans….madness has taken control.

Shepherd has taken the classic tale of The Island of Dr. Moreau and created an alternate re-telling, which includes many of the same characters but in a slighty variegated form.  This story is as chilling as the original  and readers of historical fiction and horror fiction will find themselves mesmerized.  Juliet is a strong female character trapped not only physically on an island but emotionally as well as she battles between her desires and fears.  Although Shepherd doesn’t write in detail about Moreau’s creations, the reader can most certainly “see” them through the small details she does provide.  I'm firmly grounded in the camp of readers that thoroughly enjoyed this book.  As a bonus, the cover is as enthralling as the story told within it.   Recommended. 

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

2013. G.P Putnam's Sons (imprint of Penguin)

 They came way before, nestling into the quiet brains of the sleeping, waiting and biding their time.... Eighteen years later, they showed themselves, their ship hovering like a giant green eye in the sky, silent. Everyone watched it for ten days, hoping for some kind of communication or sign. Their unease grew, but if these aliens were trying to kill, wouldn't they have done it by now?

On the tenth day, the attack began. Electricity and power shut down by a massive EMP. At first people were thinking that it would be restored in a few hours, but it didn't happen. The mayhem grew, causing worldwide panic, and few died.

 Then the second wave hit. This was planned methodically and with precision. The result were giant tsunamis taking out cities, countries, entire chunks of the earth as we knew it. Millions died, and without any electricity there was no hope of rescue. But they weren't done yet.

 The third wave was the most deadly. They used nature to attack humanity, spreading a deadly virus that killed. If the second wave didn't kill you, this one would. Millions more were killed in this wave, with a few who lived through it because of resistance to the virus. Humans became an endangered species.

The fourth wave was the first direct assault from the aliens. The silencers...tracking down humanity and killing them point blank, no questions asked. They used drones and foot soldiers to locate colonies and wipe them out. No mercy. Whatever you called them, they were the enemy.

Cassie saw her family die, and now alone, she struggles to survive, holding the last remnants of her old life, a teddy bear her little brother loved. Beside the bear is her protector, an M-16. Cassie knows survival depends only on yourself, never any other person. One will make you invisible, two will make you a target.

Little did she know that there was a 5th wave, the deadliest of all...

Told in four teen perspectives, Yancey writes an incredibly in-depth dystopian novel that is noticeably more sophisticated. The reader walks beside Cassie, a tough kick-A girl who knows the reality even when it frightens her; her little brother Sam, an innocent kid who wants protection but becomes the ultimate pawn; Ben, a popular athletic boy who finds himself defending his life and those of others as a soldier; and Evan, who escaped attacks through isolation and ingenuity. Although it is the characters that capture the readers' attention,it is the psychology behind the attacks and how it affects survivors that gives this novel an edge, pulling the reader through the story until realization dawns on them about what exactly is happening. The pace is fast and the writing is spot on for anyone wanting hardcore dystopian science fiction. You had better buy not two copies, but three or four because they will be quickly checked out and on demand. The book trailers are equally compelling (found on http://www.rickyancey.com/ ). HIGHLY recommended!!

If you need help with library signage...

Take a look at this hilarious video!  The music is cheesy, the signage is great!  I got a kick out of it :)  Can't say that librarians are nothing short of creative!!

Hysteria by Megan Miranda

Walker Books, 2013

Mallory knows the definition of isolation because she’s living it right now.  Her mother avoids her; Colleen, her best friend, is forbidden to see her; and Brian…..well, he’s dead.  

Mallory was the one that killed him, but she was never charged with murder.  Although she’s technically free, it doesn’t seem like it.  Brian’s mother is constantly parked in front of their house waiting and watching.  She can’t help but bump into Dylan, Brian’s younger brother and knowing he sees a murderer.  The whole town looks at her differently, whispering behind her back.  The best thing her parents can do is remove her from the situation.

On the day Mallory enters Monroe Prep, she knows her past has followed her, thanks to the dean’s son, Jason.  For her, it was dislike at first sight.  For him, it was a new target.  Then comes the dorm debacle, with her roommate moving out as soon as she hears about Mallory’s past.  No matter where she goes, the isolation follows.  Krista and Taryn, part of the Monroe student elite, snubs her and makes sure everyone else follow suit.  Herd mentality at its best.

But at night, Mallory knows she’s not alone.  Something or someone has followed her, getting into her room at night, whispering to her.  She sees a car near campus, waiting just outside the gates…too much like home.  So, she copes with all of this through sleeping meds, but she still hears the Boom Boom Boom of Brian’s heart, still hears his voice, and sees his searing handprint on her shoulder.  No one can help, not even Reid, the person Mallory allows closest into her private life.  

And then the unthinkable happens and Mallory is once again center stage….

Megan Miranda has written a provocative psychological mystery that interweaves stories both known and unknown.  In traditional format, the reader gets to see the viewpoints of all the major characters in the book, but it’s the main character and her battle with the trauma she went through that will carry the readers into wanting to know what will ultimately happen to her and who exactly is involved.  The reader will question which character they can trust, and which ones they find culpable.  The cover is equally dynamic, also hinting at the mystery hidden within the pages.  Is someone getting framed?  If so, who and why? 

Those looking for a thrilling read will be sure to enjoy this one. 

Ounce of Curation is Worth a Pound of Cure: Information about Digital Curation

I've been fascinated about digital curation and its uses in education.  So here, in note-taking format, are things I put down about digital curation after I proposed this to our tech department as a topic for a  tweetchat.  It's also sparked me to use this for a presentation proposal at a tech conference(crossing my fingers!)
Read on if you want to know a little more about digital curation :)


DC is the process of sorting through too much information and packaging it around a theme

it is NOT the same as social sharing or repost/retweet.  It's not about ME, but more about the INTENT

You can include social media for S (students) to access content and leave feedback as a source of evaluation

Scoop.it; Storify; Pinterest; Paper.li; digital bookmarks; trap.it (best testing); Flipboard

Impacts digital literacy, student engagment and creativity

Get S to curate for projects, research papers et al to collaboratively share information

T (teachers) can use across curriculums as well as enhance their own

DC MUST use Bloom's through forum and discussion.  Don't use curation tools to simply bookmark sites.  It MUST ENGAGE students!

DC should answer the why, who for, and the value of its whole for T and S together

DC isn't autonomous and helps create a broader PLN

When textbooks are no long used in a class, DC is an alternative to creating your own textbook

McGraw Hill Create excellent example of DC

Open Author another good example.  Also excellent OER

Knowmia over 10k video lessons for teachers, including creating/sharing lesson plans and vids


http://webtools4u2use.wikispaces.com/Curation+Tools
www.cats-pyjamas.net/category/digital-curation
http://www.slideshare.net/ADFI_USQ/curation-15491485

Infographic: How to Create a Book Trailer

I looked at all of the presentations I've done or articles I've written, and condensed them into an easy to read infographic that tells it all simply and visually. This will also be in my presentation at Tech Day for the Southern California Inland Library System in May 2013. The static link is: https://magic.piktochart.com/output/9a1b311b-fc4a-4fca-aa6d-a61b4d7ad843

Librarian Six Word Memoir Collaboration

From everywhere and from different backgrounds and knowledge, we all came together to create this site and I thank you so much!  Click on the image to get there and enjoy....

25 Book Campaign for high schools

This isn't going to be a typical blog, more like all the notes I made when talking to two outstanding junior high librarians who do this at their campuses.  There, of course will be some tweaking for high school, but I can see this happening :)  So in incomplete sentence and bulleted notes, here's what was said:

• Prizes awarded at 5, 8, 12, 15,20, and 25 books.  Prizes are incremental, ie school bracelet, ice cream, coupon for Chick Filet, front of the line lunch pass or one-day delayed assignment, and a trip to Main Event.  Every five books after that going in a drawing for iTunes cards
• ELA teachers are responsible for keeping track (one teacher does book conversations)
• Students don't like to write down anything or keep logs
• Librarian role is to help find books and keep interest high
• Advisory time is DEAR time, once a week for 25-30 minutes
• Do books by genre

Another junior high does this program:

• Create a Moodle page for the 25 Book Campaign.
• Embed a database into the Moodle page.  HTML will show up if it's copied and pasted
• Iterate this is NOT an ELA thing.  It's a school thing
• Dates are important to the database so only that month is checked
• Students are allowed to keep adding into previous entries to create on book account
• Teachers can export an .xls document and sort information
• What has access to the database?  The librarian manages it and disseminates the info to teachers

High school adaptation and ideas of implementation:

• get students involved in the process.  Call the President's Club (president's and one other rep from each club on campus) to be the voice of the students
• Classroom competition for pizza parties?
• Advisory-based bulletin boards throughout the school to promote readers
• Teachers are expected to read 25 books as well.  They will get rewarded too.  Modeling is important
• Must decide what a book is:  do magazine articles count?  How about reading news or articles online?  Classroom required reading can be used.  Page count is important.  ie 10 magazine or online articles represent 1 book
• Librarian's role is to roam and do mini booktalks to classes.  Check out books on the spot using online catalog
• Each advisory teacher will be responsible for their group.  These are typically smaller in size than regular classes and more equitable instead of doing this only in ELA classes.  EVERY teacher is involved, not just a department
• Do a prize patrol to reward students - make it a big celebration, not just an announcement.  Principals will be in charge of this
• Modify this program for SPED students so they can actively participate.

I don't know of many high schools that do this, so this is an exciting and curious journey we'll be undertaking next year.  When things get settled in, I'll be sure to add more information.

This was an email I received from a librarian today that I thought was an excellent idea I will also pitch to the committee:

In Pasadena, TX we have the Name That Book Challenge and each level has a list of 20 books to read and then culminates with a  competition team of 5-7 from each school.  Quotes are used at the competition to determine a winner of 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place @ the Elementary level (3-4), Middle (5^th & 6^th) Intermediate (7 & 8) and HS.  Each level competes against the same level.  This is my first year but my students are really excited and are really working hard to get to the competition.  This is done district wide and is part of our Gotta Keep Reading Campaign.  It also gives students who love to read a competition to work for and medals to earn. 

 

Some really great sites to create a stellar presentation et al!

So, I'm waiting for Animoto to finish my booktalk preview I show when the kids are all coming in.
As I'm doing that, I started thinking about all the sites and apps I use or think about using when I begin creating my booktalk.  So here are some you may find just as amazing to use as I do.

Online image editors:

Thanks to creative online genius,the perfect image editor was born! PicMonkey allows users to upload and modify images from cropping to color to frames and so much more!  I use it when creating my book trailers to add depth and complexity to just another flat image.  And the extras are awesome!  Create/add zombie, vampire, and ghost features as well as themed backgrounds and textures.  This is a go-to must have website.  Currently, it has no app, but some things are better to manipulate online.

Need to find something out of the ordinary to use for your blog, presentation or to share?  Imagechef  may be the answer to your needs.  Creates anything from personalized notes to word mosaics to so much more.  And it's all free!  And this site has a companion app, so either way you can create and share.

 Video creators, web-based and app-based:
  Gotta love Animoto!  If you haven't used it in awhile, you're in for a nice surprise.  The reconfiguration now includes different video styles, awesome CC music, and instant social media sharing.  As always, you can include video and text into this.  Worth the price (but you can get an educator discount!)  No wonder this is a cornerstone of technology for education!  Animoto has an app but search in the iPhone section.  Currently there isn't one for the iPad.

If you want to try something new without the headache of learning a difficult platform like Adobe or Sony, make your way over to ProShow Web.  Their free account allows users to create a full-on video or trailer with a lot of the intuitive bells and whistles of other video programs.  The only caveat is the free version will only allow 15 photos, but text is unlimited.  I made a full trailer using Proshow with really excellent results! There's an app for that as well.

And the fun continues with those powerful little creatures called apps...
This is what I have in my photography folder on my iPad, and I use these for personal and educational use.  The sky's the limit on these!

Image Editing Tools
ColorBlast!Lite:  allows you to upload and create a beautifully modified picture that contains color within a black and white photo.  Post it on social media or email to yourself. It's addicting!

Instagram:  enough said.  Contains several filters to give your boring picture pizazz and pop!  When you create an account, you can also view it online but only if it's a public account.  Allows sharing and email.

Photofunia:  Take a pic and instantly make it into so many other items, including billboard signs, book pages, magazine covers, and so much more.  Also includes many filters you can use within categories. Save, email or share via social media.  This is SUPER fun!!  

Pho.to Lab:  does the same thing as Photofunia and is an excellent alternative.  Just have fun with this and the creativity and imagination will begin to flow.  

Snapseed:  The ultimate in photo editing on your iPad.  Contains many tools to edit and diversify your photo.  The best way to learn this is download and play with the image already provided.  You'll be hooked.  Hands down my favorite image editing app.

Pixlromatic: take an image, choose from the many options of filters, backgrounds and frames, and you've successfully modified it into something gorgeous!  

Video Apps
 Vine:  Got six seconds?  That's all you get with this nifty video app.  Video what's most important to you and Vine creates a collaged video worthy of sharing.  You can share or embed them as well as create your own account.  People are doing some pretty cool things with this app!

VidRhythm:  Okay, I don't use this when creating book trailers, but I had a blast creating one!  You pick the song and style, and follow the directions while recording.  The end result is, well...just see for yourself :)

Picture Collages 
Frametastic:  You decide what frames, theme and images to use, the app will put it together for you.  Simple as that.  

PicCollage: like frametastic, you can build a collage from your pics, Facebook, or camera.  Then put in some text, add stickers and your collage is done.  Even more than that, with creativity, you can make a quick infographic to send out and share.