I NEED YOUR HELP!

As some of you may know, my undergraduate is in English Education, and I am currently working on my graduate degree in Library and Information Science.  So, as you can tell, books are a pretty big part of my life (not to mention I have a whole blog dedicated to them).  With my interest has come some amazing opportunities, one of which is having my reviews published in the Florida English Journal.

This is the main journal for the Florida Council of Teachers of English (FCTE), and they not only take reviews of Young Adult, Middle Grade, and Elementary books they also publish:

o  Feature Articles- Send us essays that relate to exceptional 21st century teaching.  The theme for this issue is “Be the Light…Be the Change…Be the Leader in the Classroom”. 

o   Original artwork/cartoons/poetry:  All artwork is printed in black and white.  Submit drawings on 8.5 X 11.5 inch unlined paper or on CD.  The artist should sign drawings.   

o   Practitioner’s Book Reviews:  Tell us about a practitioner’s book that has been especially helpful to you in your classroom. 

o   Teaching Tips:  Share items you have used successfully in your classroom:  lesson plans, books, web sites, classroom management techniques, etc.   

o   Copy This:  Simply send us one of your favorite original assignments.  Include background information on yourself, your school population, and guidelines for the assignment.  

o   News and Views:  Provide information on any new state or national legislation that is relevant to our profession; you may state your opinion on it, or simply relay the facts.   

So if any of you are educators totally submit some awesome lesson plans, tips, etc.  But they really need reviews!  That is where you all can help out.  Submission don't just have to be from teachers or people working in education or even people who live in Florida, they can be from people all over the world in all walks of life.  The only requirement is that you love books.

If you have some amazing reviews that you're just dying to share and try to get published, you can send submissions to sjames1@uwf.edu, courtesy of Dr. Susan James.  There are some guidelines that need to be followed.

o Short Summary:  This includes the plot line (don't spoil anything of course) of the book and some interesting aspects of it (POV used, writing style, topic etc.) 

o Notes to Teachers: This includes warnings (heads up to sexual situations, cursing, violence etc), as well as age group in which the book is appropriate for. 

o Possible Concepts:  This includes the overarching themes that are in the book, along with directions that a teacher could take discussions in.

You can check out Dr. James' website, The Book Dealer, where she has some reviews posted from the Journal.  Here are examples of reviews that I have submitted: The Difference Between You and Me, Pandemonium, Chopsticks, and The Raft.

Send the word out to reviewers and educators you know so we can get some submissions! And thanks so much for all your help!

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Top Ten Tuesday (19)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because they are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. They'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week they will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of their bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join. All they ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND post a comment on our post with a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post to share with us and all those who are participating. If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment.

The topic this week is: Top Ten Sites/Blogs/Vlogs You Read/Watch That Aren't About Books

I adore this week's topic, and I have some good blogs/vlogs to share with you all!

BLOGS:
A Beautiful Mess - A mix between fashion/lifestyle/diy, Elsie always inspires me!
Color Me Katie - Full of fun and bright photographs and craft projects, Katie turns each day into an adventure, and always brings a smile!
Oh Hey, What's Up? - A great lifestyle/general life blog that makes me laugh out loud; Corrin is also a larger girl like me, and I get so many fashion tips from her site!
All Lacquered Up - Did I ever mention I'm obsessed with nail polish? No? Well I am, and Michelle is the queen of nail polish!
Tumblr/Pinterest - Now I know these aren't a blog, but I literally spend most of day on these two sites; it's an addiction I want EVERYONE to get into!

VLOGS:
Crash Course - Not only is John Green an amazing author, he also really likes history.  Here he teaches you all about different historical periods in a fun and engaging way! (now Hank Green is talking biology too!)
Sci Show - Speaking of Hank Green, he teaches us not only on Crash Course, but on Sci Show, the best show about science ever!! No seriously, he makes ME interested in science!
Improv Everywhere - This is a New York based prank/improv group founded by Charlie Todd.  They are responsible for such classics as The No Pants Subway Ride & Frozen Gand Central Stations.  Very entertaining, and makes me wish I could do it too!
Charlieissocoollike - Yes that is all one word, and it is about a 20-something English dude named Charlie who makes videos about whatever he wants.  Sometimes tea, sometimes Doctor Who, but always fun!
Miss Glamorazzi - As much as I love nail polish, I also really like make-up, and Ingrid is one of my favorite "make-up gurus".  She is so sweet, explains tutorials really well, and just so darn cute!

See I do have interests beyond books!  How exciting!  And I hope you found some fun new blogs/vlogs to check out!  Leave links to some of your favorite non-book blogs/vlogs in the comments so I can check those out!  DFTBA!

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Top Ten Tuesday (10)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because they are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. They'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week they will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of their bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join. All they ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND post a comment on our post with a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post to share with us and all those who are participating. If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment.

The topic this week is: Top Ten Books You'd Hand To Someone Who Says They Don't Like To Read


I feel like this week's Top Ten is especially hard because as a teacher I know a lot of that depends on the individual.  But I feel there are some books that many entice people to read.  I'm going to focus on teens, as YA is what I read the most, switching back and forth between boys and girls.

1. Peak by Roland Smith - I feel like this is a great adventure story.  Overcoming a huge obstacle, both literally and figuratively, is something I think is relatable. 
2. Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs - This is a really funny book with the added awesome of mermaids.  And it's a quick read, which is perfect!
3. Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer - This is such a fun vampire book.  Vlad is a great protagonist; as an outsider he can appeal to reluctant readers.
4. Babe in Boyland by Jody Gehrman - Another hilarious, quick read.  I really think this would appeal to many girls.  Super cute. (REVIEW)
5. I Am Number Four by Pitticus Lore - Non-stop action will definitely attract the boys.  I feel like having a male protagonist is important to reel in reluctant readers, and Four is a great one.
6. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins - Who doesn't love a good witch story?  Sophie is a great mix of screw-up and heroine, really great for those "outsider" girls.
7. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green - What boy can't relate to a break-up?  The male voice is so real in all of John Green's books, but I love the broship within this book in particular.
8. Heist Society by Ally Carter - Smart chicks stealing stuff? Awesome!  A really strong female protagonist with such a fun plot will pull readers into the story.
9. Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry - Zombies, Mercenaries, and teen angst, oh my!  I haven't met a boy yet who isn't obsessed with zombies, and when they're crafted this well, it's irresistible.  (REVIEW)
10. Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison - The epitome of teenage girl, this hilarious book discusses all those problems girls go through but with a delightful British spin!

I hope you enjoyed my picks, and of course my suggestions aren't gender specific, just what I think boys and girls would gravitate more towards!

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Bystander (Review)

Title: Bystander

Editors(s): James Preller
Edition: Paperback, 256 pages

Publisher: Square Fish

Publication Date: September 29, 2009

Source: Bought from B&N

Buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

The Summary

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Eric is the new kid in seventh grade. Griffin wants to be his friend. When you’re new in town, it’s hard to know who to hang out with—and who to avoid. Griffin seems cool, confident, and popular.

     But something isn’t right about Griffin. He always seems to be in the middle of bad things. And if Griffin doesn't like you, you’d better watch your back. There might be a target on it.

     As Eric gets drawn deeper into Griffin’s dark world, he begins to see the truth about Griffin: He’s a liar, a bully, a thief. Eric wants to break away, do the right thing. But in one shocking moment, he goes from being a bystander . . . to the bully’s next victim.

(Goodreads)

My Opinion
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Bystander by James Preller came to my reading pile in an interesting way.  As some of you may know, I have my B.S. in English Education.  Due to that little fact, I was contacted by my mother's principal to help develop comprehension questions for an anti-bullying program the school was starting in light of all the bullying problems.  Bystander was one of the books on the list.

The book tells the story of A 7th grader named Eric.  He's new in town, and is still trying to get his footing.  The day before the first day of school he meets Griffin, a charismatic boy who everyone loves.  Griffin befriends Eric, but as their relationship grows the facade disappears,  revealing the bully underneath.  Unfortunately, Griffin is one of the worst kinds of bullies: the golden child who has all the adults fooled.

Pressler writes such a realistic look at bullying, the "not bully" bully, and the bystander.  Eric is that bystander for much of the book.  He watches Griffin terrorize kids and at one point the thought "At Least its not me" flows through his mind.  that is real.  This clearly shows the conflict that many kids go through.  The flip-flop between wanting to help the victim and not wanting to become the victim is a tough place to be.

I've noticed that many people who have read this book have not liked the ending .  I can see why; we, as a people, love a happy, tied-up ending where the hero triumphs and the villain is punished.  Well, unfortunately, that is not how the real world works.  The situation Preller presents between Eric and Griffin is realistic; the boys settle the bullying themselves, and the book ends without any adult-dealt punishment.  The ending is what, for me, makes Bystander a good book.

I would recommend parents and teachers read this book with their children or students, as it is a nice jumping off point to the discussion of such a scary epidemic such as bullying.  A really great discussion guide is included in the back of the paperback edition (I'm not sure if it's in the hardcover), and an author interview is also included.  Please check out Bystander by James Preller today!

Extras

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The Bystander Effect 

Final Rating

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Book Cover: 5/5

Book Title: 4.5/5

Plot: 9/10

Characters: 9/10

Writing: 9/10

Ending: 9/10

Overall: 45.5/50: A-

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NCTE: Day 3 - Mistakes & Madness

Today was the last day of the main conference portion of NCTE.  Today was also the day the exhibitors left.  Needless to say, it was a bit of a mad house!

My Schedule:

Session L: 8:30-9:45
L.25 21st Century Literacies

Stephanie Perkins Signing 10:30-11:30

Session M: 11:30-12:45
M.49 Teaching Literacy for Love & Wisdom

Session N: 1:00-2:45
N.01 Reports from Cyberspace

At least that's how my day was suppose to go.  It didn't work out that way.

I was running late this morning, so I didn't even make it until 8:45.  I suppose I could've gone to my first session still, but I feel it is very rude to enter late.  Therefore, I went to wait to get into the Exhibit Hall.  I had a really great conversation with a librarian from Chicago (I love talking to librarians who are my age to learn how they got their job).  I'm actually really happy that I went to wait for the Exhibit Hall because were the teachers going crazy.  Penguin waited until the last day to put out some amazing ARCs, as did some of the other publishers.  Additionally, some publishers had immediately discounted books to super cheap or were giving books away!  It was pretty amazing, but a nightmare for someone claustrophobic as there was a lot of squished bodies reaching for books.

After that I asked the amazing ladies at Penguin when they were starting the line for Stephanie Perkins, as Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler were signing that morning.  That's when I found out my program LIED to me!!  At the beginning of the conference, we were given an Author Signing program; inside it says Stephanie was suppose to be signing at Penguin at 10:30. Lies!  Then I thought I had gotten the booth wrong, as I didn't have my schedule.  To investigate I headed over to the Anderson's Bookshop booth where many authors were signing.  Nope, not there either.  Come to find out, after reading her tweet response to someone else, she's not going to be here until tomorrow!  Grrr NCTE!  Get things right!  Anyway, by that time I was caught up in the discount frenzy, so that's how I spent the next 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Then I went on to my last two sessions, both of which were fantastic!  My favorite topics to focus on during conferences are GLBT lit, 21st Century Tech, and Censorship.  I was lucky to get to go to all three.  Then it was definitely time to lug my books back to the hotel.  I can't wait until tomorrow for ALAN (which Stephanie will be at, along with an AWESOME YA Author panel at Anderson's Bookshop, which I am going to!!!).  I've never been to ALAN, but I've heard it is utterly amazing!

And here's my loot from today (when I get back home I'm doing a IMM like no other).

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NCTE: Day 2 - So Many Signatures!

Second day of NCTE down, and I am exhausted,  a good exhausted.

My Schedule:

Session F: 8:00-9:15
F.51 Zagat Guides, the New Yorker, & Cartoons

Session G: 9:30-10:45
G.45 Chicago Pride: The Streets of the Windy City

Session H: 11:00-12:15
H.08 Secondary Level Gallery of Posters

Veronica Roth Signing 12:00-1:00

David Levithan Signing 2:00-3:00

Laurie Halse Anderson 2:30-3:30

Session K: 4:15-5:30
K.01 Censorship Alive, Well and Showing

More awesome up there.

Today was a real focus on the authors for me, as many (MANY) amazing authors were signing.  In addition to the ones I planed on meeting above, I also got signed books from David Mccinnis Gill, T. A. Baron, Arlaina Tibensky, Jennifer L. Holm, Alan Sitomer, Kiki Hamilton, and Jackson Pearce (see, MANY author signings).  They were all lovely and couldn't have been more excited to meet us!  I love that about authors, especially YA authors.  Almost every time I meet one they are super pleasant and excited that you read their book.

I also sat in on a fantastic panel (all of them are awesome, but I especially loved this one) on Chicago itself. The panel had John Green, David Levithan, Simone Elkeles, Jillian Larkin, and James Klise on it; they've all written books which have been set in Chicago.  The panel examined how setting can play such an important part in a story, and what process/how much work it takes to place a character within an already established location.  It was very interesting to here from the people who live/have lived in Chicago (Simone, James, & John) and the ones who have visited (David & Jillian).

Overall, a very productive day.  I spoke with some awesome teachers, learned some awesome stuff, and can't wait until tomorrow!

Oh, here's a picture of my books from today!  Lots of stuff for my followers in here!

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NCTE: Day 1 - John Green, ARCs, and Crowds Oh My!

Today was my first official day of NCTE.  It was so fun, but a little crazy.

This was my schedule:

Session A: 9:30-10:45
A. 40 Modern Media Meets Masterpieces

Session B: 11:00-12:15
B. 28 Bullying - Reflecting on the Past

John Green Signing: 12:30-1:30 (OH YES!!)

Eric Luper Signing 1:00-1:30

Nathaniel Fick Signing: 1:45-2:45

Session D: 2:30-3:45
D.35 Creating Space Today For All

Session E: 4:00-5:15
E.34 Bisexuality and the Identifiable

LOTS of awesome up there!  Luckily everything was at the Hilton Chicago.  Not having to travel down to the Palmer House in this freezing Chicago weather made me very happy!

First off, meeting John Green was the highlight of the whole day.  He is so nice and awesome.  I brought all of his books except Let It Snow for him to sign and he jokingly said "Thank you for buying my entire collected works."  Of course I thanked him for writing them!  I also got a special something for all of you to give away for my birthday, so get excited!

Secondly, I really loved going to the panels on bullying and GLBT fiction (Sessions B, D, & E).  It is so nice to be in a room full of like-minded teachers, who want to go past simple tolerance and reach acceptance.  Such an important difference.  I also have a list of books to check out that have GLBT characters.  Can't get enough book lists!

Thirdly, teachers be crazy!  There were SO many people, mostly because this convention is NCTE's 100th anniversary (debating wether or not to buy a t-shirt).  Also, a bigger venue means more people.  I got hit with so many bags today it became routine.  One time as I was bending down, fixing my bags, hiding in the wall nook, I got beaned in the head.  I had such a big headache after that.  Jeez!

Lastly, I am over this cold weather.  I have a sore throat, super chapped lips, and dry hands and I've only been here TWO days!  Argh!  Also, what the F is up with the drivers here?  We almost get into accidents 5 times a day because people are constantly cutting you off, or driving partially in your lane or BLOCKING ONE WHOLE SIDE OF A STREET WHICH ALREADY HAS CARS PARKED ON IT!!  Deep breaths...but downtown is pretty cool.  I got to go to the Hersey Store and ate at Pizzeria Uno.  Love me some deep dish pizza.  All in all a pretty cool day!

Oh and did I mention I got 47 books today?  Yes that's right.  NCTE is definitely worth the free books.

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Poetry Sunday (10)

This is a fabulous blog feature here at Eli to the nth!  Thanks to Genna from Reading, Writing, and the World of Words, who created this awesome feature and gave me the permission to host it here, as well as, use her cute graphic!  Poetry is one of my passions, but I have yet to share it here.  So this feature gives me the perfect opportunity to do so!

This week I wanted to share a poem by author/poet/illustrator Dalla Clayton.  He's the author of two books, An Awesome Book and An Awesome Book of Thanks, both of which are children's books.  But I love them because they are inspirational!  Really!  Dallas also has a cool tumblr which you should check out for more of his poetry and illustrations!

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EXPLORERS by Dallas Clayton

You can’t be an explorer anymore.
Not the way it used to go down -
just being the bravest guy in the room
with a machete and a hat and a desire to walk
long distances across places no one had ever been
(except the native populations
that had been living there comfortably for centuries.)

You can’t discover Nebraska anymore.
We’ve scared off all the dangerous animals
killed them up
or pushed them to the hills.
 
You can’t be an explorer anymore,
unless you really want to get involved
far underground or deep in the sea.
The easy work’s already been carved out.
They’ve already written their names on the mountains.

You don’t need to be an explorer anymore
We’ve got plenty of space already
to entertain ourselves
with big scary ideas
like “what if new animals came to get us”
and “how would we fight them off.”

We’ve had plenty of time to arm ourselves
with ideas and weapons from the future,
and muscles that you couldn’t get from god.
There’s no need for explorers
just makers
protectors
defenders of what we already own.

You can’t be an explorer anymore
unless you really want to
unless you feel it in you heart
and you stop all this thinking
about how all those other guys already saw things
for the very first time
way back before you were born
and what it all looked like to them.

Unless you stop caring about who owns what
and why someone would ever want to write his name on a mountain
and start wondering what it would be like
to go out into the darkness
and get so totally lost
that you never find your way back
and maybe
just maybe
you never want to.

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for not posting.

for not commenting.

for not getting the winner of my giveaway out.

i'm super busy right now as the end of the semester of university is coming.

mama needs to get that degree.

will be back, sporadically, as soon as possible.

thanks squareheads!

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NCTE: Sessions, Teachers, and Authors, Oh My!

This past weekend I had the amazing opportunity to attend my first education convention.

 

The convention was set up just like a sci-fi convention (which I have been to many times); there was 17 different slots for sessions, not including the 4 General sessions and the Thursday Featured session.  All together there were WAY TOO MANY OPTIONS for each slot.  I wanted to go to practically everything.  And as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 opened the same weekend, visions of Hermione's Time-Turner kept flashing in my head; if only it were real.

However I did have to choose and choose I did, but as a Pre-Service Teacher I was a little overwhelmed.  What did I want to focus on?  Many of the secondary sessions seemed to be split up into Reading or Writing with a smattering of everything else.  Did I want to focus on writing?  Did I want to focus on reading?  WHAT DID I WANT OUT OF THIS WEEKEND!?  Of course that was the million dollar question.

In the end I tried to do a little of both, but I mostly picked sessions simply based on the descriptions from my monster of a convention booklet.

Here's what I picked:

Thursday:

• Featured Session - Naked Reading: Creating Life Long Readers

Friday:

• Session A - Rationales for Graphic Novels: Because Living Literate Lives Means Having The Opportunity To Do So!
• Session B - The English Classroom as a Social Network
• Session C - Moving the Books to the Front of the Room: Integrating LGBTQ Themed YAL into the English Curriculum
• Session D - Poster Session: Middle Level Gallery of Posters
• Session E - Finding the "Courage" to Write and Teach It

Saturday:

• Session F - Author Strand: Heather Brewer, Andrea Cremer, and Melissa De La Cruz
• Session G - Expectations and Negotiations: Teachers and Students Creating Connections Through LGBT Inquiry
• Session H - Poster Session: Secondary Gallery of Posters
• Author Signings - David Levithan & Rachel Cohn; Ellen Wittlinger
• Session J - A Classroom Without Walls: Collaborating with Web-Based Tools

Sunday:

• Session L - Read-Alouds in Middle School: The Questions Isn't "Why?" It's "Why Not?"
• Session M - Using YA Literature to Teach Critical Literacy
• Session N - Engagement: A Critical Component of Helping Struggling Readers and Writers

I gained something from each of the sessions I attended.  Every person attending was so smart and had so much knowledge to share.  I really tried to soak in as much as I could.  I loved the welcoming feeling I got from each person.  No one looked down on me just because I was "Pre-Service"; if anything they were super excited I was there.  But even though I learned a lot in each session, there were three which really stuck out: Session C, Session L, and Session N.  In each of these sessions, I felt like I took away tangible ideas that I can immediately use in my classroom.  

I especially loved Session L, the Read-Aloud session.  The presenters demonstrated both Teacher-lead read-alouds and Student-lead read-alouds.  I loved both options and feel that both can really work to engage students, but the Student-lead read-alouds really focused on creating a classroom dynamic which lead to authentic readings.

Session C dealt with including LGBTQ literature within the classroom. By using content presented in the literature, teachers are able to have a strong rationale in using LGBTQ YA books.  As many contemporary YA lit has LGBTQ characters, this inclusion is becoming easier, and by having content to back it up the teacher is able to make a good and research-based argument.

Finally, my favorite session of the weekend was Session N.  This was lead by two of my favorite educators: Kylene Beers and Linda Rief (I've used their books in several of my education classes). Each spoke of new ideas which they are enacting within the classroom: Beers presenting "Notice and Note Lessons", which is her new book with the other presenter Robert Probst, and Rief presenting "Creating Writers".  Each gave us strategies to use these ideas within the class right away.  I must admit it was like meeting rockstars for the first time, mostly because Beers came to the table I was sitting at with some of my classmates from USF, which was crazy (if you were in English Education you would understand).

Another very special part of the conference came during the author signings.  I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to meet some of my favorite YA authors, two through a session and three through signings.  Melissa De La Cruz and Heather Brewer write some awesome Vampire books, both of which are NOTHING like Twilight (thank God).  I was able to attend the session they had on Saturday morning.  The the same day I got to meet Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, both of whom write fantastic YA books separately, but also write fantastic YA books together.  I had two books signed: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist and Dash & Lily's Book of Dares, the first being my favorite and the second being the newest.  

THEN came the ultimate experience: meeting Ellen Wittlinger.  She is my hands down favorite YA author.  I own every one of her books.  I've loved her since I was in 8th grade, and I finally got to meet her.  Of course I had two books of her's signed as well: Hard Love and its companion Love and Lies: Marisol's Story.  Hard Love won both the Lambda Literary Award and the Printz Honor Book Award in 2000 and it is a fantastic LGBTQ story, which is only one reason I love it (GO READ THEM!!!).

Overall the convention was amazing and exhausting.  I hope to be able to travel to next year's in Chicago.  I love this collaborative community that NCTE represents.  As cheesy as it might sound, I feel I've been reaffirmed in my choice of career.  I really feel like I can be a great teacher, and I know that there are hundreds of other teachers out there just as passionate and as eager to be the best they can be and who are willing to help me when I need it.

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