Biggest Reader Update: Stephanie

Check out what Stephanie's been reading for the challenge...

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong
This is the second book in the series, Darkest Powers. It leaves off where Chloe has been caught again by Dr. Davidoff and is to planning to escape. Chloe is called a necromancer, she can summon the dead and Dr. Davidoff and his staff are trying to imprison her and two others who have supernatural powers and deprogram them. Two of Chloe’s friends have escaped and the doctor is in the process of finding them as well, eventually Chloe escapes with Tori and they meet up with Derek and Simon the other two that had escaped previously, and hide from Dr. Davidoff. Chloe comes to find out more about her past and the four of them are on the run
trying to find a trusted family friend who can help them. They find him and continue on their journey to find themselves and their past. This book is great, there are so many close calls to them getting caught. You get caught up in the adventure of them being one step ahead of the bad guys. It ends with you wanting to know what happens next so you know there will be another one. I like how they are getting to know how to use their supernatural powers and I have a feeling they will need to use them in the future. This book had
adventure, suspense, fantasy, and mystery. It’s a very good series and I am looking forward to the next one.

Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy by Jenny Nimmo
Charlie Bone is on another adventure, but this time it involves a blue boa, an invisible boy, a sorcerer, and so much more. Charlie has to figure out how to stop the blue boa from squeezing anyone else and making them invisible, as well as trying to get the sorcerer back into his painting before he causes any more havoc, and figure out how to make the invisible boy, visible again. With the help of his friends, they do all of these things and use their endowments for good. There is always something going on at Bloor’s Academy and Charlie is on the case. These books just keep getting better and better. I like how you get involved with getting to know the characters and I just can’t put this series down, I have to know what happens next. If you enjoyed Harry Potter, you would definitely enjoy the Charlie Bone: Children of the Red King series.

Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors by Jenny Nimmo
Charlie Bone has started another semester at Bloor’s Academy and this time there is a phantom horse who turns out to the Red King’s wife, Bernice who watches out for Charlie and his friends. There is also the adoption of Billy Raven who is adopted by the De Grey’s who turn out to be some bad people who make Billy take an oath and if he doesn’t keep it he gets punished. Charlie and his friends end up saving him with the help of the Flames, three cats who have very special powers and save him from the oaths. Olivia comes to find out that she too is endowed with the gift of making illusions and everyone is keeping her endowment a secret so the Bloors can’t get wind of it. Charlie and Billy end up finding the Castle of Mirrors because Charlie thinks his father is being held there and comes to find out it is not his father, but someone else, and save him. Charlie is highly disappointed that is not his father, but is not giving up hope on finding his father who he believes is still alive. This was another great Charlie Bone book and with each one you learn more about each character. I like how Charlie and his friends use their endowments for good rather than evil. It is amazing to me how he, his mom, his good grandma, and his uncle can stand to live with his mean Grandma Bone who is endowed also, but uses her powers for evil along with her sisters. I like how Charlie keeps the hope in believing that his father is still alive and is determined to find him. It’s also neat to see how each of the families of those that are endowed for good support and believe in their endowments. Each book is just as good as the last one before it and I hope you enjoy them as much as I am.

Lucy Maud Montgomery: A Writer’s Life by Elizabeth MacLeod
This is a biography about Lucy Maud Montgomery who wrote the Anne of Green Gables series. She preferred to go by Maud instead of Lucy. Her mother died when she was two and grew up with her grandparents for most of her life. She loved to write and was
determined to become a writer which was hard in those days during the 1800’s. She lived on Prince Edward Island. Maud ended up going to college and became a teacher, she also worked at a newspaper office called the Daily Echo and edited the stories that went into the newspaper, and also wrote short stories to earn money. In May of 1905 she began to write Anne of Green Gables and in October of 1905 she was ready for it to be published, but all five publishers rejected it so she put it in a hatbox and forgot about it. Then months later she found it again and tried again by sending it to an American publisher by the name of L. C. Page & Company and they accepted it. On June 20, 1908 her book was finally here. Then after that she had more published. Maud didn’t marry until after her grandmother died and she married a minister and had two children. Maud died on April 24, 1942, but we know her through her books, that she was a gifted writer, and fulfilled her life long dream of becoming a writer. This book was very informational and had a lot of great pictures. I definitely learned a lot more about Lucy Maud Montgomery than I knew before.

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

The Biggest Reader Challenge continues on and I think its safe to say that for a couple of us, there has been a lull- or a decline in excitement. For me when I started the challenge I was very excited and was reading a lot of different books and then November hit and my mind started wondering to other things at the Library. Plans went underway for our Youth Service Christmas Open House, which is tomorrow from 9:00 a.m. to noon for the whole family. We will have story time at 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. as well as crafts and activities for all ages. Then we also started working on our "Giving Tree"- you can give the gift of reading this year at the Library. We have ornaments you can pick from our trees and donate a book to the Library, and we will also put a special book plate in the book with your families name on it. Or you can donate a book in memory of someone this holiday season. You can read more about it on our website www.limalibrary.com or you can become a fan of the Lima Public Library on Facebook and learn about it there too.

So things have slowed down for me with the reading challenge, but they will slowly be picking back up later next week as I read some Christmas stories from our Holiday section. Every year I read, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. It's a classic and a wonderful story that everyone should read. (So if you haven't read it- make sure you do!) Every time I read it I laugh and cry through it. And no- the movie is not that good- so don't bother watching it.

Happy Reading!

Biggest Reader: Chanda

Make Lemonade By: Virginia Euwer Wolff
Once I got into this story, I remembered reading it in library school. Very real, very truthful. Written in prose, so it's a quick read.

Meet Julie, Meet Josephina, Meet Kaya (American Girls Collection)
By Various Authors
I have enjoyed each of these titles with my daughter, who is in first grade. Our favorite so far is Meet Josephina. Filled with lots of history and vocabulary, and great to read together. And now of course we're gearing up for Christmas and the possibility of having our own American Girl doll.

Harry Potter and the Dealthy Hallows By: J.K. Rowling
Ok, I'm officially off the "worst librarian" list because I've

finally finished the HP series. Loved it! Can't wait for the movies now! It took me awhile to get back in the groove, but once I did, it was hard to put down.

A Midsummer Nights Dream By: Daniel Conner

I remember reading this in high school (I think) and not getting it then. I was hoping the graphic novel format of this book might help, and it did, but the language

is s

till very difficult to keep straight.

Biggest Reader: Steve

Phineas L. MacGuire Gets Slimed! By Frances O’Roark Dowell
In this sequel to Phineas L. MacGuire Erupts we rejoin Mac as he begins his quest to create a mold museum in the school’s basement. But can he make penicillin for Aretha’s scout badge? Will Ben be elected class president? And what will Mac do when the alien babysitter from the planet Pink gets rid of his dried worm collection?

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
After fifteen year-old Liz is hit by a taxi and killed, she finds herself in a world much like Earth where time moves backwards. Follow Liz as she learns to “live” in the land of Elsewhere and as she adjusts to the changes between Earth and Elsewhere. And if time moves backward in Elsewhere, what happens when you get back to the time of your birth?

The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin
As a letter written to his younger sister, Emmy, seventeen year-old Matthew writes of his attempts, starting at a young age, to free himself and his two sisters from the clutches of their physically and emotionally abusive mother.

Dark Water Rising byMarian Hale
Seth’s family moved to Galveston, TX for the opportunities it offered. Jobs, college, and family. But when a powerful hurricane strikes, who will live? How can they all survive? And what will life be like in this used-to-be wealthy, elite and prosperous city?

Chaos Code by Justin Richards
When Matt arrives at his dad’s house for vacation, he finds it a mess, and his dad missing. His father had been searching for an ancient code rumored to have brought down the Mayans, and maybe even the city of Atlantis. What will happen if this code falls into the wrong hands?

Prince of Underwhere by Bruce Hale
Something strange is going on in Zeke’s neighborhood. When he, his sister, his friend Hector, and Hector’s cat Fitz are running for their lives, they find a way into the land of Underwhere. While there, Zeke is hailed as the prince of Underwhere and is urged to free the Undies from the evil UnderLord’s rule by finding and destroying his throne!

Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid by Megan McDonald
Stink Moody is short. His sister Judy measures him every day, and today, he’s even shorter than yesterday. Is he really shrinking? And what does President’s Day mean to Stink? Two words: James Madison (America’s shortest president)!

Melvin Beederman Superhero: The Curse of the Bologna Sandwich by Greg Trine
Melvin Beederman graduated from the superhero academy and moved to LA. He knows the code of a superhero. He even knows his weakness to bologna. And now he has a sidekick. But how will he ever be able to overcome his weakness to bologna and stop the McNasty Brothers?

Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
When Miranda hears that an asteroid is going to hit the moon, it just seems like an excuse for more homework. But the asteroid moves the moon closer to the Earth and the world experiences tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The power goes out, the phones don’t work, food is scarce, and winter is bound to be rough. How will Miranda and her family survive?

Biggest Reader: Stephanie

Just Jane by William Lavender
Jane Prentice comes to America from England to live in Charlestown, South Carolina just as the American Revolution gets really heated. The war is not just between England and the American colonies, but between members of her family. Jane struggles with this war, but in the end discovers who she really is and gains strength and courage to be just Jane. This was a great book especially if you enjoy historical fiction. It portrayed how a war could not only tear up a country, but families as well. Jane was caught in the middle of it and through it she learned how to be herself, make decisions for herself, developed courage, and became a strong young lady
emotionally and mentally. Just as America gained its independence so did Jane.

Charlie Bone and the Time Twister by Jenny Nimmo
Charlie Bone has started another year at Bloor’s Academy. He discovers one of his long lost relatives, Henry Yewbeam has come through time from 1916 at Bloor’s Academy and has to keep him hidden from those who want nothing good for him. With the help of his friends, he saves him and discovers that now he can speak to people in paintings. This series has been really good so far, each book definitely spurs you onto the next one so you know what happens with Charlie Bone. Each one is packed with mystery, adventure, and excitement. If you enjoyed Harry Potter then you would enjoy this series.

Dreams of the Dead by Thomas Randall
Kara Foster has just moved to Japan with her Dad from America. Her dad is a teacher at the school she now attends. The both speak very good Japanese, but Kara has trouble fitting in because she is from America, but then two girls befriend her. One of them, Sakura has just lost her sister who was mysteriously murdered. Kara and a lot of students at the school start having horrible nightmares that include Sakura’s sister, then some of the students start dying. Something supernatural is going on and it is not pretty. Kara and her friends discover what it is and do something about it, which ends the killing spree. This book definitely deals with the supernatural of the Japanese culture which is interesting to someone who doesn’t know a lot about it. I like how it shows that and some other aspects of their culture. I sympathize with Kara being the outsider, but she doesn’t let it bother her, which is great. It has mystery and horror all mixed into one, but everything is comes together well. I look forward to reading the next one in the series.

Spirited by Nancy Holder
Isabella Stevens is on her way to Fort William Henry with her father, Dr. Stevens during the French and Indian War with some soldiers for protection. They get attacked by Indians and Isabella and her father are captured. Wusamequin is the shaman and warrior for his tribe, he protects Isabella from being killed by his tribe members and from a life threatening wound. They fall in love, but he lets her go back to her father, but in the end she comes back to him and they end up happily ever after. This book is part of the Once Upon a Time series. This one is based upon Beauty and the Beast, one of my favorites. I like how the author wrote it using the Indians and the French and Indian war. You learned about the culture of the Indians and what happened when you were captured. Of course my favorite is when they end up together and it is happily ever after. It was a very good book, well written.

First Test by Tamora Pierce
Keladry of Mindelan (Kel for short) is a girl who wants to become a knight. The king now allows girls to be trained if they want to. Kel goes to be trained, but it is not easy, she is not treated like a girl, but as one the boys. Some of the other boys do not like that she is there and thinks that she needs to go home, so they mess up her room, add weights to her lance, and more just to make it miserable for her so that she will go home. Kel does not back down, she works even harder because she is determined to become a knight. In the process she makes friends with some of the other boys & animals, gets into fights, and becomes stronger physically, emotionally, and mentally. I like how she is determined to become a knight and works extra hard at it. I also like how there is some fantasy combined in it with the different creatures who live alongside the humans, some good and some bad. This is the first one in the series, Protector of the Small Quartet. I am now in the process of reading the second one, they are really good, makes you want to find out what happens with Kel and if she becomes a knight.

Twilight by Meg Cabot
Suze is a mediator, she can talk to ghosts and helps them cross over. She also has a boyfriend, but he is a ghost. Paul is another mediator who does things a little differently sometimes not the right way. Suze’s principal at her school is another mediator, but all of them keep it quiet because they don’t want anyone else to know. Suze and Paul go back in time to help Suze’s boyfriend, Jesse from being killed, but that means he would never meet Suze. She goes back to not let Paul save him so that she can still be with Jesse, but in the end she realizes that because she loves him, she will save him. Now a confession that I have to make is that this is the last book in the The Mediator series and didn’t realize that so I accidentally started with the last one instead of the first one, but I am still going to read the first one and the rest of them in order. I really enjoy Meg Cabot’s books and I like stories about ghosts so it was a good combination. I like how Suze realizes that she needs to the right thing and in the end it is happily ever after. A very good book.

Amelia Earhart and Poetry

The Biggest Reader Challenge continues! It has been a week or so since I have read much for the challenge. I took a small break to read a couple of adult books. So last week I started back on the challenge and found myself reading poetry anthologies. I love poetry! It's one of my favorite things to read and occasionally I write poetry too- well I use to. I wrote one for my husband and used it for our wedding 9 years ago. That is probably the last time I really worked on personal poetry. Now I just enjoy reading it and looking through a full aisle of children's poetry books. Every April I try to focus on a specific poet and I make sure I do a National Poetry Month display in Youth Services. The first book I choose from the shelf was, Opps! By: Alan Katz, which are was pretty funny. I have read his other poetry books like, Take Me Out of the Bathtub, and loved them but I had never picked up one of his larger books. It was wonderful of course! If the Shoe Fits: Voices from Cinderella by Laura Whipple was another selection. This books is poetry written from different characters perspectives in the Cinderella story. There is a poem from the wicked stepmother, the fairy godmother, the mice, and even the glass slipper! It is a neat collection of poetry that most girls would love! Heroes and She-Roes: Poems of Amazing and Everyday Heroes by J. Patrick Lewis was the next poetry book I selected. A couple of years ago we had J. Pat come to our Library and he was wonderful. I had not actually read this book yet, so I thought now was a great time. It was wonderfully written - of course! And my favorite poem from this particular book was called "The Riveter" which was all about Rosie the Riveter. The Young Oxford Book of Christmas Poems was the next book that caught my eye. I love Christmas, it's my favorite holiday and anytime I can read Christmas poetry I do. It is a collection of old and new poetry. Some things were classics and then there were some funny ones thrown in there too. One that I really enjoyed was called "Carol" and was all about that famous Christmas nativity play that a lot of churches still do! It was very funny and if you work with your church for the nativity play or if you ever have you should read this poem. Brings back memories of reading The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Last but not least was Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by 20th Century American Art, edited by Jan Greenburg. This poetry selection was a nice surprising find! When I come across a neat book like this, that has been sitting on a book shelf for a couple of years unnoticed to many, it makes me appreciate the Biggest Reader Challenge even more. I love art and so to read another person's perspective about a painting and what they saw when they looked at it was very cool.

I decided to read a biography about Amelia Earhart. I love to go to the movies at the big theatre. So when I saw a preview for an upcoming movie titled Amelia with Hilary Swank and Richard Gere I was immediately intrigued. Before reading the bio about her I really didn't know much about her. I choose the DK Illustrated Biography series for my source of information. I came to realize that there was a lot more to Amelia Earhart then just flying. She was a social worker for a long time and loved doing that job. The book held great photographs and did well to aide in explaining her life and the people that were most important to her. The biography did well to explain her last trip in an airplane. In 1937 when she was on the last leg of her long trip around the world, she was suddenly missing somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. It was a little bit mysterious, which made the book that much more intriguing. And the fact that historians have still not determined for sure what happened to her and the other pilot she was with is fascinating to me. I cannot wait to go and see the movie when it comes to the big screen.

Hello friends! I was hoping to have some of the other Biggest Reader "contestants" blog on here about their reading, but I haven't received anything from them so I guess I will keep on posting my books.

I recently finished two books for the challenge. I decided to do a Margaret Peterson Haddix book since she is coming to speak and sign books at our Library on November 4. Dexter the Tough was one of her books that I had not read yet. I used this for my realistic fiction pick. This books is not like most of her other books that contain some mystery and suspense. This book is more for younger readers, those kids who are just beginning to read on their own. Or if you have a 1st grader like I do, he likes me to read him a chapter a night now. So it would be a perfect read-aloud. The book is about a boy named Dexter who has moved to a new school. But he is not very happy about it. At first the author doesn't tell you why he has moved there, the reader just knows that he is in a new school and living with his grandma. Dexter is asked to start writing a story for English. The story can be real or made up. On his paper he begins his story by writing that he beat up a kid in the bathroom this morning. Dexter seems to be very angry about his life and reading the story reveals why Dexter is so tough acting. It was an easy book to read and it had a nice lesson within the story. But not overly exciting like I am use to reading with her other books. I recommend if you are going to try one of her books you try reading Among the Hidden, Turnabout, Running Out of Time, Just Ella or Found. Those are excellent and will have you reading all night long!

The other book I choose was for my biography selection, although it was fairly short, so I will probably do another one like it to equal it out. It was called Yours for Justice, Ida B. Wells: The Daring Life of a Crusading Journalist by Philip Dray. This picture book biography is about the famous Ida B. Wells who was born into slavery in 1862. When Ida was three years old, the Civil War ended, and slavery was now illegal. So Ida and her parents were no longer slaves and this began the journey of Ida's notable life of freedom. Ida B. Wells, who later became a famous “crusader for justice” was also a famous journalist. This books was interesting and I learned a lot about her.

Biggest Reader: Steve

To begin the reading challenge we're doing at work, I picked Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix. I started reading and realized quickly that this book was not catching my interest. I gave it a few chapters and put it back. Next I tried Swiss Family Robinson (because I love the movie) and after reading for 20 minutes and not even making it through 11 pages, I gave up on it. It felt like they were speaking another language - at least to me. I'm sure these are both wonderful books to the right reader, but that reader was most certainly not me.After two strikes, I figured I had to pick a book that I KNEW I would get through, so after about 20 years of absence, the Hardy Boys reentered my life!I wanted to start with #1, but of course it was checked out. Had I been willing to dig through boxes in my attic, I could have found it since I own the book. Unfortunately I haven't seen the book since I was about 10. So, instead, I chose to start with #7: The Secret of the Caves.In The Secret of the Caves, Frank and Joe Hardy are helping their father with two mysteries at the same time. First, their father needs help with a case involving mysterious happenings at a radar site close to the Hardys' home. But then they become involved in another mystery - a missing college professor. As they investigate these mysteries, they meet some very unusual characters - another college professor who seems a bit off and tries to run some of the Hardys' friends off the road. They also meet a hermit who seems to be bordering on certifiably insane.The mysteries lead them to Rockport and the Honeycomb Caves. The Hardy Boys and their friends seem to turn into danger magnets throughout the story. From bashes over the head and being tied to railroad tracks, to booby traps, fires, bombs, and imposters, this book has it all. It's sure to keep the interest of even the youngest of mystery fans.I'm counting this book as one of my traditional/classic literature books because it is timeless and always popular. Next, I'm reading Phineas L. MacGuire Gets Slimed! and I'm currently listening to Elsewhere on CD.

Biggest Reader: Arin

An Unlikely Friendship: A Novel of Mary Lincoln Todd and Elizabeth Keckley by: Ann Rinaldi

This is my first historical fiction account for the challenge and I loved it! Again, anything to do with slavery is interesting to me, so I finished this book in two days. I love learning things about famous people in history that I didn't know! For example, did you know that Abraham Lincoln's wife Mary was what we would call today a "shopaholic!" Yes! When she was depressed she would shop for new dresses and redecorate rooms in her home and later the White House. Living in the White House gave the Lincoln's an allowance of $20,000 and she spent it rather quickly. At a young age Mary Todd Lincoln always dreamed of living in the White House.

Mary made friends with her seamstress Lizzy, who was a slave at one time that bought her freedom. The book starts off with the day of Lincoln's assassination and the events that led up to that horrible moment. Mary instantly requests that her friend Lizzy be brought to her to comfort her as a friend. The book then begins to tell the story of a young Mary Todd and her family life moving through the years until she met Abraham. Then we jump back to the childhood of Lizzy and her life as a slave and then by the end of the book we are back to the two women become friends and their time in the White House.

Check out this interview with the author of The Book Whisperer Donalyn Miller. Her book was our inspiration behind the Biggest Reader Challenge. This interview came from Education World Wire Side Chat series: and the whole article can be found at the website: http://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/chat/chat242.shtml.
She is quoted as saying, "Schools do a good job of teaching children how to read, but provide little motivation for students to read outside of school. Reading becomes a school task for many children, not an activity they enjoy."

This statement is so true!! And I guess this is where our job, as librarians, becomes important. This is the point when a librarian needs to step in and give the kids that extra motivation.

Hats off again to Mrs. Miller!

Informational Books and an author visit

Another book for the challenge is done. I picked Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson as one of my informational selections. I had a friend recommend this book to me a couple of months back, but didn't think much about it because I thought it sounded like something my grandma would read. It sounded like a boring old lady book about some ladies having tea and thinking about the good ole' days. I tend to judge books by the covers- I know I shouldn't but I'm not going to lie, I do a LOT. But I hadn't seen the cover of this book yet. I was walking through Ollie's a local discount store that has awesome books for sale at a very low cost, I'm talking 3.99 for a brand new title. So I was walking around children's book aisle and found this book- it was the young readers edition and the cover didn't match what my mind thought the book was going to be about. So for 2.50 I grabbed it and decided to include it in the challenge and then after that I would donate it to the Library--budget cuts means no new books for us. The Young Reader edition includes wonderful extras, such as, maps, definitions, timeline, color pictures and more. This is a true story written by a man named Greg who got lost while hiking up a large mountain. He received help from a nearby village in Pakistan. The people from this village soon became his friend. After touring their small village, he learned that the kids did not have a school. They sat in an open field area and wrote with sticks and mud to do their lessons. So that day Greg vowed to the village that he would raise money to build a proper school for all the children. Along the way, Greg has to deal with many frustrating and scary trials, things like being kidnapped! At one point it seems as if Greg will not be able to build this school for the village. But Greg keeps on working and finds some people to help him out. I give this book 5 stars in my review because it is a wonderful story and teaches all of us readers to look beyond ourselves and our needs and help those who really need it.

For me the challenge is going well. But I haven't been reading any other adult books right now. Not because I am so focused on the challenge, just because I can't seem to find anything good to read right now. Our Library did find out that we are hosting Margaret Peterson Haddix here on November 5, 2009 at 4:00 p.m. Margaret Peterson Haddix is a wonderful children's author, who lives in Columbus Ohio. She is the author of one of my favorite books ever, Among the Hidden. Really, all of her books are wonderful and if you haven't read them- you really should. Do you have a favorite book by her? If so, we would love to know which one. I am going to be reading up on some more of her books before her visit.

Biggest Reader: Arin

The House of Dies Drear byVirgina Hamilton was the first book I selected for the biggest reader challenge. The author is from Ohio and has set the book to Ohio. Another reason this book looked interesting to me was because it also dealt with the Underground Railroad- my favorite time in history. I love to read and learn about slavery and all the people that were influential to that time period. I love all of history, but this has got to be the one part of history that I am drawn to. This book is about a family that moves to Ohio into an old house that is said to be haunted and also was a home that was a part of the Underground Railroad operation to help free slaves. The young man in the book, named Thomas immediately begins to investigate the home and all the secret passages. He soon learns that there are many mysteries left unexplained and sets out to figure them all out. I give this book 3 stars simply because, while the book was interesting, I have found that I have read other juvenile books about the underground railroad that were more exciting. The book gave a lot of great information about the operation and how the slaves moved from home to home, but it lacked something... I just can't put my finger on it. The ending left you hanging too- but then I soon realized that there is a sequel to the book. Hopefully the sequel will clear things up for readers. Overall, this was good book, and had some heart thumbing parts to it, but if you want to read some good juvenile historical fiction or mystery about the Underground Railroad you might try reading North by Night by Katherine Ayers instead.

And don't forget the gorgeous picture book called Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carol Weatherford and Illustrated by Kadir Nelson. The illustrations in this book are awesome and she be included on your reading lists.

Another Deleted Post Found: Let the Challenge Begin

Biggest Reader Begins! Day 1:Well it's day one of the Biggest Reader challenge! Steve has put up a wonderful display that shows our patrons the new challenge, along with colorful flags hanging in our chapter book and non-fiction areas. It looks awesome and makes the room look really colorful and exciting! We have all started reading our first book for the challenge:
Steve: Uprising By: Margaret Peterson Haddix
Arin: The House of Dies Drear by: Virgina Hamilton
Debbie: Diary of a Wimpy Kid By: Jeff Kinney
Chanda and Stephanie also have picked there selections- I just didn't have time today to find out what they were. Sorry friends. I actually started reading my book last night--after midnight. The boys were in bed by 9:00 p.m. and I finally had a chance to sit down to read, but ended up asleep in my chair. (It was a very long and exhausting day!) I woke up to the sound of Conan O'Brien on the television. So I headed up stairs to bed. When I finally laid down, I wasn't able to quickly fall into sleep again. So I looked at my clock, which said 12:14 and I thought to myself, well I might as well get started- it's September 1! I have started The House of Dies Drear and have already made it to chapter 4. I am hooked. Not only is it one of my favorite time periods in history- Underground Railroad- it was also written by an Ohio author and set in none other than OHIO! What a great pick.Can't wait to get in bed tonight, when everyone is quiet and asleep to read some more.Day one for the challenge is looking exciting.

Oops... Deleted Posts Found! Thanks Steve!

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

It's Tuesday and the Biggest Reader Challenge is quickly approaching. Here in the Youth Services Department we are getting ready to debut the challenge. I have been making signs to put out and I have also been browsing through the chapter books trying to get an idea of what book I am going to begin with next week.
Today some of the discussion about this book challenge was weather or not to pre-pick our titles from the specific list of genres we all have to read from...or to pick them as we go. Stephanie has decided to make a list and she has already picked most of the books she is going to read for the Biggest Reader. I personally think I am going to pick them as I go. I would love for people to give me suggestions as I make my way through the list. I don't think I am going to begin and finish a specific genre, instead I am going to jump around and sort of let the books come to me.
I was getting a book for a boy today in the basement (part of our overflow area) and I saw The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman. I have always wanted to read this book! I think when I was younger I may have tried reading it and gave up for some reason. Actually even today I find that I do that to books. If the book doesn't catch my interest within 3 chapters, I usually put it back on the shelf. There is a chance I will find the book another time and read it- possibly even love it! I have come across The Whipping Boy many times since I was younger, but now that the challenge is upon us, I am going to take that as a sign that this is the book I am going to start off with. I also saw the Beverly Cleary book called Ribsy. I have read almost all of Cleary's other books, except for this title. So maybe I should start with that one instead? And out of both of these books can I count them as my "traditional or classic literature" selection? What's your opinion? What is your first choice going to be in the Biggest Reader? The Youth Services Department wants to know.
Posted by ArinB at 1:10 PM 0 comments

Thursday, August 20, 2009
What will we read?
We learned through The Book Whisperer that students were given guidelines that they had to follow. So we are going to follow those same requirements only making a few minor changes when needed. This is what each participant of the "Biggest Reader" has to follow for the next 9 months.
Forty-Book Requirement
5-Poetry Anthologies
5-Traditional (Classic) Literature
5-Realistic Fiction
5-Historical Fiction
4-Fantasy
2-Science Fiction
2-Mystery
4-Informational
2-Biography, autobiography, memoir
6-Chapter-Book Choice
*Any book over 350 pages counts as two books*

After reading this book I personally was excited that a teacher was finally speaking out and taking a stand on the methods schools are using today for reading assignments. Forcing kids to read specific books and taking a computerized test on it is not the best method. We are not teaching our kids today that reading can be exciting and fun. We are teaching them that it is a job. Schools are turning kids away from reading. Working in a children's library we see kids everyday who turn down really great books because the titles are not on his or her schools list. I found myself wishing my teachers would have tried this sort of assignment on us when I was in school.When I first approached everyone about trying out this assignment, most were hesitant. Only one person said yes (very excitedly) right away and that was Stephanie who is an avid reader. She was ready to start right away. Debbie was next in line. She was willing to give it a try and was excited like us. We were excited at the chance to discover new titles we hadn't read yet and to be able to help parents and kids find books when they asked for new suggestions. Chanda and Steve were sort of - well- if you asked them I think they would say they were basically pressured into trying it out.We agreed to make sure we used chapter books in the children's department and the young adult section. We all agreed that using adult books would take longer. And we wanted to be able to apply the project into the Youth Services Department. That is where the idea came in to start a review box. After we finish reading a book off the list, we will personally review it and then stick it in a box that kids/adults can look through when they come up to pick out a book.I have to admit I am a little worried that I won't have enough time to get through the requirements. I am always reading more than one book at a time. I have a women's book club that I am in charge of running, so I am always reading books for future discussions. And like some of my fellow staff members, I am a working-mother and wife. So some days I don't feel like there are enough hours to accomplish everything I need to get done. But I guess we'll see how it goes.What should we start reading first?Is there anyone out there brave enough to take this challenge with us? Please let us know if you are going to join in on the "Biggest Reader" we want to hear from you!
Posted by ArinB at 12:50 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, August 19, 2009
The Youth Services "BIGGEST READER" challenge is about to begin.
From September 1, 2009 to June 1, 2010 the YS staff will be taking on the challenge to read 40 chapter books and/or Young Adult books in 9 months.
Here is the annotation of the book:
"Known for her popular blog, "The Book Whisperer," Donalyn Miller says she has yet to meet a child she couldn't turn into a reader. No matter how far behind Miller's students might be when they reach her 6th grade classroom, they end up reading an average of 40 to 50 books a year. Miller's unconventional approach dispenses with drills and worksheets that make reading a chore. Instead, she helps students navigate the world of literature and and gives them time to read books they pick out themselves. Her love of books and teaching is both infectious and inspiring. The book includes a dynamite list of recommended "kid lit" that helps parents and teachers find the books that students really like to read.Donalyn Miller (Bedford, TX) teaches 6th grade language arts and social studies at Trinity Meadow Intermediate School in Keller, Texas. Her blog is hosted by Teacher Magazine."
So as a group we are each going to pretend we are her students and we are each going to attempt to read 40 chapter books and/or young adult fiction in 9 months. Keep track of our progress by visiting our special “Biggest Reader” blog. And don’t forget to stop by our Library to check out a special review box we have set-up to see what the staff has been reading!We will attempt to follow The Book Whisperer's guidelines as much as possible. On this journey we hope to learn about new titles that we haven't read yet and we hope to encourage the young readers in our community to look at reading as an exciting adventure and not a chore!
Join us as we become the BIGGEST READERS!

As most of you can probably tell, I am new to blogging. So new in fact, that while messing around with the Biggest Reader blog, I accidentally erased all the posts I have written up until today. I don't really know what all the different tabs within the blog "dashboard" means so I have been just going through the site and clicking on things and teaching myself how everything works. Well, now I have really done it. I am so bummed that I have done this, even the comments are gone, lost into cyberspace! So with a sad face, I will be starting the blog over again. Sorry to those of you that have left comments. Please leave new ones for everyone to read and keep us updated on what you are reading- again. We really want to know how your challenge is going?!
I am going to re-post my first two books from the challenge and pray that I don't ever erase anything again.