Sunday's Hodge Podge of Reading

When I Grow Up I Want To Be a Veterinarian by Wigu

Genre: Children, Nonfiction

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This is the second book from this series I have read.  I have to say that I love the story and the way they mingle non-fiction information to support the story. In this story, Sofia wants a pet.  The answer is always the same NO. Her mom loves animals, but doesn’t believe that Sofia is ready for a pet. There is so much she needs to learn first.  Then one raining night Sofia thinks she sees a cat.  The next day she sets a bowl of leftover food outside and the cat comes back. Her mother isn’t pleased because she knows once you feed a cat it will return.  This cat doesn’t look very healthy.  The father convinces mom to take the cat to their friend the veterinarian.  While there, Sofia learns all about what a veterinarian does and the different types of animal doctors.  The question is, will mom let her keep the cat?  Like I said, there is a lot of great information in here, it is plugged in as part of the story line.  I love these books. 

The Lucky Seven Show by Mary Jo Wisneski Johnston

Genre: Children, Picture Book

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The 

opinions expressed here are my own.

This was a cute book that shows what can happen when chaos erupts and everyone wants their own way. It also shows what happens when there is collaboration,and the importance of compromise. I like the way the language was not dumbed down for kids. When I read a book to my grand kids I want them to ask me about unfamiliar words. That is how we increase their vocabulary.
I received a copy of this book to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Maus Series 1 & 2  by Art Spiegelman
Genre: Young Adult, Adult, Graphic Novel

Maus I - A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
I have had my eye on this book for quite some time.  I didn't want to purchase it for my shelves until I had read and reviewed it.  I teach sixth graders and this kind of material must be handled properly. I called our school librarian and asked if I could check out the book. She informed me they were used for our 8th grade curriculum and students couldn't check them out.  I informed her they were for me.  She checked both books out to me. My goal was to read something I'd wanted to read for a long time over winter break and to satisfy the graphic novel requirement for my classroom reading challenge.  I always participate in them.  I just usually double the number required for myself. I was intrigued as to why the author used mice and cats to represent the Jews and Nazi's. Then I learned he used dogs to represent the GIs and the Polish people were represented by pigs.  The mice, dogs and pigs where the way the Nazis referred to these people.  For a great video where the author speaks about his writing of this series I offer you the following web address:

http://www.pbs.org/pov/inheritance/photo_gallery_special_maus.php#.VKFg714AKA

The first book is the telling of Art's visits with his father trying to get his story about the Holocaust.  What is unique about this book is that we have two story lines going.  First you have the actual story told through memories of his father's life up until they were taken away.  The second story is the author's story as he interviews his father. He deals with awful events such as the suicide of his mother.  This is a brutally honest look at one of the most horrific events in history and how it affected so many.



Maus II - A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began


This second book is the story of his dad's survival as he is a prisoner of the Nazis.  It is also the story of survival for the author.  No one who has lived through a tragedy goes through it alone.  Think of 9/11. Those family members and especially the children of survivors of that day are forever affected by the way they lived life with those survivors after the event.  This is the case with Art Spiegelman.  We see how affected he was and how difficult life was for him. This is not an easy book to read. I know many of our students will pick it up and think only of it as a graphic novel.  However, I can guarantee you that as they read it, the last thing they will think about is the format.  I am glad our school is using this book for part of its Holocaust unit. I applaud them and recommend this series to Young adults and adult alike.

When I Grow Up I Want To be in the U.S. Army!

Genre: Upper Elementary, Children, Informational, Middle Grade
Source: I received a copy from the publisher to facilitate my review

My father was in the army, as is my son.  To say that I know a lot about the U.S. Army would be a lie.  I ma almost clueless.  When this book came up for review I requested it because I believe in our armed service,s and figured I would learn a lot as will my students.  This is the story of Jake a young boy who is given an assignment to come up with a creative way to show his classmates what he wants to be when he grows us.  Like Jake, a lot of my students don't know what they want to be.  They would like to be many things.  Jake talks with his father who helps him narrow it down. They visit an Army Surplus store to help Jake come up with the items he will need for his report.  One thing I like so much is how much information there was in the book.  The information is told in a way that doesn't feel like you are getting too much information. The pictures are wonderful and helpful. I loved that they put a glossary at the end of the book because it really helped me a lot. I won't feel so out of the loop when my son and daughter are talking from now on.  When you open the cover you have the "Soldier's Creed".  This is just one book by Wigu Publishing. Wigu stands for "When I Grow Up". Other topics include Teacher, Firefighter, U.S. Navy, Veterinarian, Nurse. There are more to follow.  I think these would be a great addition to my classroom shelves.
I received a copy from the publisher to facilitate my review.

The Power of Habit by Eddie de Jong

Genre:  Nonfiction, Self Help

The author has created a book that effective helps people look at their habits, both good and bad and make decisions that will improve their life.  The book contains links to sites where you can get more help or info.  I’ve read multiple books like this throughout my life.  Like the author I was a very shy person and was comfortable sitting someplace alone with a book.  Books like this have helped me throughout my life.  They brought me out of my shell and made me the person I am today.  I think I liked this, more than any of the other books I’ve read because it was more user friendly.  I didn’t feel like the author had written over my head.  This is a book that should be required reading from high school on up. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone who needs to get their life in order.

 

Source: I received a copy to help facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Nonfiction Recommendations and Something for Teachers

I Survived True Stories: Five Epic Disasters 
by Laruen Tarshis

I have always enjoyed these true stories.  I purchased this book to put on my classroom shelves and had to read it first myself.  This one contained stories about the 2011 Tsunami that took out the power plant in Japan.  I was very familiar with most of that information.  There was a story about the Titanic which we are currently reading about in class.  The Henryville tornado of 2012 was just a couple of years ago.  I was very intrigued with the Children's Blizzard of 1888 since I grew up in Indiana.  I lived in the country and was very familiar with tying ropes from a post on the porch of our house to our wash house, then out to the garage where we kept our chickens, to the barn and finally out to the gate and then the hog houses so we could feed them.  I learned a lot about this blizzard I had never known before. The one I enjoyed the most was the Great Molasses Flood of 1919.  I had heard it mentioned once or twice before but had never read anything about it.  Lauren Tarshis does a fabulous job of making all of the information interesting to the reader.  i also love that after each one she gives information on other similar incidents and gives a list of resources so the reader can do more of their own research.  I really can't wait for my students to read this book.


World's Scariest Prisons by Emma Carlson Berne

This is another wonderful book I purchased for my class. If I know my students and I do, they will look at the title and think this is a book about haunted prisons.  I know I did.  This book describes different prisons from all over the world.  I never thought of teh Roman colosseum as a prison, yet it was.  Each story starts with a fact card at the top. This card lets you know the other names it went by.  It tells you where it is located, the years it was in operation, the number of prisoners and any notable inmates.  I was surprised to learn that social status and money could and often played a role in how a prisoner was treated, what they ate or their accommodations. Just in case you were disappointed about this not being a book about haunted prisons, there are a couple of stories about ghosts in some of the prisons.  I found this to be a very informative book and I'm sure my students will lvoe it as well.


For all of my teacher friends out there I have something for you.

3-Minute Motivators by Kathy Paterson
This book is full of quick little motivators to use when students are lagging. There is a lot of visualization used throughout the book. favorite is found on page 136 "The Unfair Test". Growing up I hated pop quizzes. I considered them to be extremely unfair. I swore I would never do this. In this activity you give a pop quiz and ask questions like "What is H2O", "What is this (hold up a pencil). The reason this test is unfair is because the only correct and acceptable answers are the ridiculous ones such as, H2O is "a home for fish" orthe pencils is "a back scratcher". The different tasks are coded by subjects and whether it is an individual, group or team activity. They also tell you when and why you can use the motivator. There are so many I really want to try with my students.

Real Dogs Don’t Whisper by Kelly Preston

Pages: 200

Genre: NonFiction

Source: I received a copy from the author in exchange for my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. I was not compensated in any way.

From Goodreads:

Do you believe in second chances? Real Dogs Don't Whisper book is about second chances and miracles. Special needs dogs teach their human about life and how to believe and live in the moment. Award winning, Real Dogs Don't Whisper is more than a book about dogs - it's a book about life. Named Winner for the 2013 National Indie Excellence Awards, Alex Carroll Radio Publicity Sponsor's Choice. 2013 Silver Award Winner in Readers' Favorite Non Fiction, Animals/Pets category. 2013 Finalist in Readers' Favorite Awards, Animals/Pets category. 2013 Finalist in the National Indie Excellence Awards, Animals/Pets category. 2013 Finalist in the "Animals/Pets: Narrative Non-Fiction" category by International Book Awards. Real Dogs Don't Whisper is about rescue dogs that were ready to be given up on because they have special needs. It is about how these special four taught their human, Kelly, about life. Real Dogs Don't Whisper: Life Lessons from a Larger than Life Dog! (and his Owner), is the true story of a remarkable family as told in a unique way by both Kelly Preston, the owner of the household, and her spunky, hilarious, nine-year old Lhasa Apso, Mr. MaGoo. Kelly, Mr. MaGoo, Buffy, Carla Mae, and Betty Boop. A girl, her two Lhasa Apsos, one Cocker Spaniel, and one adorable mutt - each with their own challenging set of difficulties to overcome. One puppy has serious neurological disorders. Two were severely abused. All are on a journey of discovery. Together, learning love and patience along the way, they have grown and thrived. And perhaps none so much as the girl.

My Thoughts:

This is a wonderful book.  You don’t have to be a dog lover to enjoy this book.  I grew up on a farm much like the author did.  We raised pigs.  We rented out our fields to neighboring farmers. We always had 1-2 dogs and loads of cats.  I was the cat lover in the family and everyone else the dog lovers.  We took in dogs that were dropped off in the country and found their way to our house, or dogs that were given to us because someone had abused them and they needed a good home.  I could identify with the author in so many ways.  There is  a lot of work that goes with taking in pets like this.  There are ups and down. There are times when you are overjoyed by what your dog is doing and then there are times that  are tough to deal with. Kelly has gone above and beyond with her dogs.  She has taken in dogs with a plethora of medical and personality disorders that would prompt others to put them down.

Another reason to read this book is because of the sheer humor found in it.  The book starts out being told by Kelly’s co-writer and dog, Mr. Magoo.  His humor in the way he sees things makes the story flow. The books is peppered with pictures of her dogs throughout the years.  I am so glad I was given the opportunity to read and review this book.  It is one I will definitely cherish and recommend to my friends.

Day 2: Found Reviews

Sorry about the gap in posting my found reviews.  Today I will be posting only one of them.  I seem to have caught what my grand-kids have had.  I've been in bed most of the day with my grandson laying beside me.  Naps worked wonders for both of us. Here is the only one I felt like typing up today.  We'll see how I feel tomorrow.

Katie: The Little Girl Who Stuttered and Then Learned to Talk Fluently – Ronald L. Webster

Pages: 38

Source:  Review Copy in exchange for my honest review

This is the story of young Katie who had a stuttering problem.  Her parents took her to many doctors.  They said that her problem was because she was nervous around people, or her parents expected her to be perfect, or even claimed she stuttered because she wasn’t very intelligent.  When she started first grade she was bullied by kids

Her mom saw a news report about a doctor who helped people who stuttered.  He didn’t think the way the other doctors did.  He believed it was just something that happened.  Her parents took her to this doctor.  He did some tests then started her on the road to end her stuttering.  It was a lot of hard work.  She found out she had to learn to control certain muscles to make certain sounds  and that helped her with her stuttering problem.  She was excited to get back to school and show the kids that she could talk just like them.

This is a true story.  It doesn’t end there.  If you want to find out more about Katie when she grew up get the book.  If you have a child who stutters, get the book.  This is an inspirational story.  It points out how determined Katie was to fix this problem.  It also shows how cruel kids can be when they don’t understand the problem.  This would be a great book to give to a school speech therapist.

About the Author:

Ronald L. Webster, Ph.D. is a pioneer in the treatment of stuttering. He created the first comprehensive, behavioral stuttering therapy in 1972 and founded Hollins Communications Research Institute (HCRI – www.stuttering.org), a leading nonprofit center dedicated to stuttering treatment innovations. HCRI has served more than 6,000 people from 48 countries. Dr. Webster’s center provides a program for parents of children who stutter and works with the National Institutes of Health in research on the genetics of stuttering.. Dr. Webster’s work has been the focus of news stories by the New York Times, Newsweek, Scientific American, Parade, Sports Illustrated, 20/20, NBC Today, Nightline, CBS Morning News, and Good Morning America. In addition to serving as HCRI president, Dr. Webster is a licensed clinical psychologist and professor of psychology (emeritus) at Hollins University. He wrote this book to offer encouragement and inspiration to children who stutter and their parents.

Student Saturday: Super Storms

Super Storms That Rocked the World: Hurricanes, Tsunamis, and Other Disasters – Mark Shulman

Student Reviewer:  Maddy 

From Goodreads:

Life-changing hurricanes, devastating tsunamis, and last-minute tornadoes are just a few recent havoc's that Mother Nature has wreaked upon us. But with "Super Storms that Rocked the World" by Meredith Books, you'll get to take a glance into the devastation of nature before the era of technology. Explore shocking disasters from the past century and the last few years that ravaged nature as we know it today.

Student’s Thoughts:

How many of you out there love storms?  I know I do.  I think this book is perfect for storm lovers.  This book teaches you how storms happen, why, and how they can wreck the outdoors.  This book has a lot of facts about storms.  A lot of storms wreck things, but some do not.  Have you ever seen a lightning storm?  If so that is one that does not usually make destruction.  It is a cloud full of lightning.  If you like storms, read, borrow, check-out, or even buy this book.

Student Saturday: Every Human Has Rights by National Geograpic, Mary Robinson

Student Reviewer: Madison D

I think if someone does not believe in your culture or religion or if you think you do not have rights to do things, you should read this book. I made a lot of life connections to this book and other people I see around me. This book is right you have rights to do things and no one can tell you differently. This book tells you about how you have religious, cultural freedoms and rights. So you shouldn't judge other people. I thought this was a touching and amazing book.

A Case for Solomon - Tal McThenia and Margaret Dunbar Cutright

Publisher:  Free Press

Pages:  464

Source:  Review copy from publisher

Genre:  Adult, Non-fiction

A CASE FOR SOLOMON: BOBBY DUNBAR AND THE KIDNAPPING THAT HAUNTED A NATION chronicles one of the most celebrated—and most misunderstood—kidnapping cases in American history. In 1912, four-year-old Bobby Dunbar, the son of an upper-middle-class Louisiana family, went missing in the swamps. After an eight-month search that electrified the country and destroyed Bobby’s parents, the boy was found, filthy and hardly recognizable, in the pinewoods of southern Mississippi. A wandering piano tuner who had been shuttling the child throughout the region by wagon for months was arrested and charged with kidnapping—a crime that was punishable by death at the time. But when a destitute single mother came forward from North Carolina to claim the boy as her son, not Bobby Dunbar, the case became a high-pitched battle over custody—and identity—that divided the South. Amid an ever-thickening tangle of suspicion and doubt, two mothers and a father struggled to assert their rightful parenthood over the child, both to the public and to themselves. For two years, lawyers dissected and newspapers sensationalized every aspect of the story. Psychiatrists, physicians, criminologists, and private detectives debated the piano tuner’s guilt and the boy’s identity. And all the while the boy himself remained peculiarly guarded on the question of who he was. It took nearly a century, a curiosity that had been passed down through generations, and the science of DNA to discover the truth.

A Case for Solomon is a gripping historical mystery, distilled from a trove of personal and archival research. The story of Bobby Dunbar, fought over by competing New Orleans tabloids, the courts, and the citizenry of two states, offers a case study in yellow journalism, emergent forensic science, and criminal justice in the turn-of-the-century American South. It is a drama of raw poverty and power and an exposÉ of how that era defined and defended motherhood, childhood, and community. First told in a stunning episode of National Public Radio’s This American Life, A Case for Solomon chronicles the epic struggle to determine one child’s identity, along the way probing unsettling questions about the formation of memory, family, and self.

My Thoughts:

This is one of those books that sticks with you for a while.  I was horrified to learn the role the press played in this whole fiasco.  We really have not learned from past mistakes.  When Bobby Dunbar went missing, no stone was left unturned.  Yet when a boy was found who was similar in looks, the press was there to “get the story”.  I felt like they were willing to make the story fit a happy ending no matter what. 

My sympathies went to Julia Anderson who had no resources due to her financial circumstances.  I was pleased to learn the truth had been found but saddened by the pain everyone involved in this case suffered.  The authors have done a tremendous amount of research and have successfully told the story in a way that carried the reader along, making them want to know what happened next.

We are given a look at the time period and how things worked for those who had and those had not.  In this day and age we have the benefit of DNA testing.  Yet I wonder how much  the press would be able to skew the opinions of all parties involved.  It is sad that so many lives have been destroyed.  Yet I feel that a mystery was left unanswered in this story.  I don’t know if anyone will ever solve that mystery.  This is definitely worth the read. 

Off to Class – Susan Hughes

Publisher:  Owlkids Books

Pages:  64

Source:  I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Genre:   All Ages, Non-fiction

This book made its way through several of the teachers at my school before I got it back to review.  We are an IB World School, so the other teachers thought they should read this book to share with their students how lucky they are to be able to have an education that comes so easy.  It was eye opening to see how these kids live and how much they value an education.  This is a block that definitely will go on my shelves.  My students need to realize how good they have it. 

For me the most interesting thing was the Platform schools.  Kids are free to cme and go,  or bring younger siblings.  This eliminates many problems they may have.

I personally would love to hold school in a tree house.  I think Ill share this book with my students at the beginning of next school year.  Maybe then they will appreciate the free educational chances they have.

The Tuskegee Airmen: An Illustrated History: 1939-1949 - Caver, Haulman, Ennels

Authors:  Joseph Caver, Daniel Haulman, Jerome Ennels

Publisher:  New South Books

Pages: 300

Source:  Review Copy from Publicist

Genre:  Illustrated History

From Amazon:

Many documentaries, museum exhibits, books, and movies have not treated what became know as the “Tuskegee Experiment” involving black piots who gained fame during World War II, as the Tuskegee Airmen.  Most of these works have focused on the training of America’s first black fighter pilots and their subsequent accomplishments during combat.  This publication goes further, using captioned photographs to trace the airmen through the stages of training, deployment, and combat actions in North Africa, Italy, and German in an attractive coffee table-book format.  Included for the first time are depictions of the critical support roles of doctors, urses, mechanics, navigators, weathermen, parachute riggers, and other personnel, all of whom contributed to help complete the establishement of the 477^th Composite Group.  The authors have told, in picture and words, the full story of the Tuskegee Airmen and the environments in which they lived, worked, played, fought, and sometimes died.

My Thoughts:

I was thrilled when the publicist asked if I would be interested in reading and reviewing this book.  I had recently read and reviewed “A Rare Titanic Family”, published by NewSouth Books.  I knew very little about the Tuskegee Airmen, except that they were black pilots during World War II.  For that reason alone I wanted to read it.  Any time I can read a book and gain more knowledge I am thrilled.

From the very beginning of this book I found myself angry.  I was angry at a society that could think that the color of ones skin could affect the size of ones brain and their ability to learn.  Having been raised in a home where I was taught there was no difference between people of different colors I am always amazed at the worlds stupidity and  the resilience of those who don’t fit into those stupid little boxes. 

Joseph Caver and Jerome Ennels – archivists along with Daniel Haulman – a historian with the Air Force Historical Research Agency at Maxwell AFB came together to create and present an account of the Tuskegee Airmen.  Before reading this book I knew they were black and they were considered an elite group of pilots who did not receive recognition for their service until many years later.  I was shocked to learn there were over 14,000 people in the various organizations.  I didn’t even know they had several different organizations.

It amazed me as I read the book to see the accomplishments of these people and how long it took for them to be recognized for their accomplishments.  With ignorance the country tried to hold back these airmen to the point they waited years to be recognized for their role in World War II.  Thank goodness we have men like these authors who are willing to get the information out there for people like me who thirst for knowledge but don’t always know where to find it.  I would like to say that I am keeping this book on my shelves.  However, a math teacher at my school saw I was reading it and wants it for his classroom to share with his students.  I am all for passing on books to other teachers of different subjects if they will promote reading.  Especially when he told me how he can use the book when talking about statistics. 

I whole-heartedly recommend this book to everyone who loves history.  It doesn’t have to be a particular era of history you love to enjoy this book.

Student Saturday: Incredible Captures - Bill Morgan

Publisher:  Scholastic
Pages:  112
Genre:  Young Adult, Non-Fiction
Reviewer:  Autumn

Incredible Captures by Bill Morgan  the characters are John List, Bobby Comfort, Brinks Gang, Lauren, and Johnny Kon.  They all are criminals.  The crimes take place in apartments, cars, streets, hotels, prison and houses.

The biggest, sweetest, richest robbery ever was in a hotel by Bobby Comfort and some of his friends.  This robbery is listed in the top 10 robberies in America.  There were thousands of boxes with jewelry, money and of course diamonds.  they only took less than half of the boxes because they knew that someone was coming.  Bobby Comfort was only seven years old when he started to steal.  His mom wanted him to steal from his father when he was sleeping.  He stole for himself took and then did even more serious things.  John List's family was about to become homeless so then he killed everybody, even his kids, wife mom and brother.  The Brinks gang started robbing store then hotels.  Lauren started to do crimes by kidnapping a girl and the mother got her back.  Johnny Kon started to do crimes by robbing stores.

This book is about good, bloody, interesting and exciting crimes.  There are a lot of details and descriptions of people and things.  What made the criminals start to do these crimes?  What made them stop?  It' so interesting that I could not put down this book.

I think that this book is good and that if you like to watch Americas Most Wanted or mysteries and crimes, then I would think that you will love this book.  I read this book in less than half a day.

Learn Chinese Through Songs and Rhymes - Lydia Lin

Publisher:  CreateSpace

Pages:  400

Genre:  Instructional Bilingual

Source:  I received a copy from the author in exchange for a review

About the Author

Because of her father's occupation, Lydia Lin has lived in a few different countries during her childhood and youth. Whenever her family moved from one place to another, she and her siblings had to deal with the issue of learning the language used at the new school and, at the same time, maintaining a working knowledge of their native tongue, Mandarin Chinese. Consequently, Lydia has rich first-hand experiences to draw on for compiling this Chinese language instruction book, even though her studies and job functions have been in the fields of science and technology

My Thoughts

When I was first asked to review this book I was very excited.  It was not that I wanted to learn Chinese.  I teach at a middle school that has as one of its three foreign languages, Chinese.  I asked our Chinese Teacher Mr. Liu to review the book after I had and give me his feedback.  For my part I thought the book was an excellent example along with the audio files.  I loved that she used a lot of familiar Western songs.  No, I will never be proficient or anywhere near passable in Chinese.  My students have tried for three years.  I have a problem with hearing some of the sounds that are in the Asian languages.  My ESOL students used to throw up there hands in frustrations because of this. 

Mr. Liu took the book home.  He felt after examining it that if the book was used without the audio then I would be difficult to learn. His one suggestion was a CD to accompany the book.  He was impressed enough to use it as an incentive for his students.  One of his students will own the book at the end of the year.  He tells me they are working very hard for this book.

I believe this is just one more aid to help our students learn a foreign language.  In this case Chinese.  I whole heartily recommend this book.

Promote Your Book – Patricia Fry

Product Details

Paperback: 224 pages

Publisher: Allworth Press (August 10, 2011)

Language: English

The ideas and tips in Patricia’s book were most helpful.  I was really pleased.  I found myself going from one link to another, checking things out.  I self-published my book and I wish I had read this book a year before I published.  There is so much information in this book.  I found the section on promoting my book to be the most helpful.  When you self-publish it is all up to you to promote your book.  The book doesn’t give you every single step.  It is more like giving you the basics, and pointing you in the direction of many resources to help you along the way.  I reviewed this book in an e-galley format.  I will most definitely need to purchase it for the advice within as I prepare to publish my next book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the NetGalley book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Two Wonderful Books By Linda Ballou

Saying Goodbye with Love – Linda Ballou

From Amazon:  What your family should know before going to the funeral home. This book is about final expenses and final wishes. This book will make it easier for your family when making funeral arrangements.

About a week back my husband and I went to a local Amish restaurant with two goals in mind.  The first was to seek out the manager in regards to a possible book signing at their restaurant and the second was to eat at their delicious breakfast buffet.  Upon entering we noticed an author set up for her book signing.  After eating we stopped by to look at her books.  I got more than I bargained for.  I chose to purchase her book “Saying Goodbye with Love.  The reason was simple; my elderly mother lives with us.  She is constantly telling me that she has everything in her file cabinet in her room.  I didn’t know what else I needed to do for her or how to bring up the subject.   I new the following things:  My mother was to be buried next to my father in the national cemetery and that her insurance would cover it.  She would always tell me that we would discuss the rest later.  I never knew how to bring up the subject without offending her.  That is where Linda’s book came in. 

My mother has had a living will for quite some time.  It wasn’t until my sister passed away and was cremated that I found out my mother does not want to be cremated.   I decided it was time to sit with her and to use Linda’s book to get things in place.  This went from simple things such as the funeral home to the things most people don’t think about and discuss with family.  I have her wishes for her funeral, who I need to contact, nursing home information in case it ever becomes necessary.  She did the research and chose the one she thought was a best fit.  The financial end is taken care of.  I remember the decisions we had to make when my father passed away.  Tough decisions to make anytime, but especially when you are grieving.  I was going to give this book away on my website but have decided to pass it on to other family members.  I have a sister and niece,  both with cancer.  They have told me I am to handle everything.  This book will help.  I have made a plan for  my own children.  This is not a subject we like to talk about, but it is a necessary subject.  Linda has just made it much easier for us.  I recommend this book to everyone.

Soft Selling in the 21st Century – Linda Ballou

From Amazon:  Dr. Linda Ballou has extracted the essential gems from her renowned sales training seminars and concentrated them all in one prescription for sure-fire sales success. Dr. Ballou covers essential preparation to sell, from goal-setting to eliminating the competition. Then she lays out a clear "Blueprint of Sales" that will guide any reader, from beginner to seasoned professional, to foolproof closings. Throughout she emphasizes the new musts for 21st-century sales: educating the client and stellar service.

After purchasing the book I proceeded to talk with Linda about my first and upcoming book signing.  I discussed my fears with her.  She graciously gave me little tips and hints to make things easier.  I had one of my books with me and I gave it to her as a gift.  Then she handed me her second book and told me that it would help me.  I have read positive thinking books most of my life.  I’ve read some of the best books on selling.  However, Linda’s book Soft Selling in the 21^st Century is a gentle reminder not only to those who sell a product, but to those of us who must sell our skills and talents every day.  It was a reminder that even with writing I must still set my goals and then create a plan to get there.  I must set goals and plans for all aspects of this new venture.  So that is what I did.  It’s funny because within thirty minutes of working on my plan I had two book signings scheduled and two stores asking me to bring in my books because they wanted to carry them.  I was so happy.  As soon as I returned hope I sat at my desk and started working at those goals again.  This book will work for everyone no matter what your walk in life.  Most importantly it gave me back the confidence I needed to see what I had to do.  Do I think this will make this book a best seller?  No.  Do I think it ups my chance of getting my book in the hands of those who can make it a best seller?  Most definitely.  I can’t thank her enough for allowing me the opportunity to read and review two wonderful books.  Thank you Linda and I will spread the word about your books.

Berlin in Early Cold-War Army Booklets – T.H.E. Hill

Publisher:  CreateSpace

Pages:  272

Source:  Received copy for review from publisher

Genre:  Adult, Non-fiction

This book is a compilation of six booklets.  I will attempt to give a brief overview of them.  The first booklet “US Sector of Berlin” is a guide for the service men and their families.  It gave me insight into the daily lives of these men and women.  The booklets discussed everything from what to expect upon arrival to the end of their stay.  This is not an official document but was used as a souvenir.   One thing I found most beneficial was the list of emergency phrases.

“Special Services Tour of Berlin” is a historical trip that takes us to some of the most beautiful buildings and areas with a brief history of the area.

“Special Services Tour of Potsdam” is similar to the previous booklet.  Here the reader can visit the market square, the Neue Palais to the Palace of Sans Souci.  If nothing else this booklet wets the appetite of those like me who will use this info to do more research.

“Special Services Berlin Tour” is an updated version of the 1950’s booklet.  I not only enjoyed the updated information but the information which describes what the buildings were originally used for and if they had been rebuilt.  There was a wealth of information for shopping including some of the best places to find jewelry, leather goods, etc.  I loved the unique phone numbers.

“Berlin” is an informational booklet that compares east and west Berlin.  It demonstrates how the western half helped speed recovery for the people while the eastern half slowed down that recovery through socialism.

“Special Services Berlin Tour” is the third booklet with updated tour info. 

This book was a wealth of information for anyone looking into the history of Berlin.  I am one of those people.  I don’t really know what started me down this path but like many other areas in history, I am fascinated with it.  I will definitely need to investigate this further and this was a good book to give you a glimpse into Berlin right after the war

Three New Reviews

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

Publisher: Farrar,, Straus, and Grioux, 2005
Ages 12 and up

Lizzie Hall is fifteen and preparing to get her driver’s license and help her friend pick out a dress for the prom. All of these plans change in the blink of an eye. Suddenly Lizzie wakes up on a ship called the SS Nile. She and her roommate Thandi, dressed in white pajama’s leave the room to find food and explore. Unlike Thandi it takes Liz a while to realize that she, like everyone else on this ship is dead. When the ship finally stops she finds herself in a place called Elsewhere and on the dock is her Grandmother Betty.
Liz tries all kinds of things to find out who she is in this strange place. Just when she thinks she has it figured out and has found someone to love, her luck changes again.
This was an absolutely delightful read. You see the rebellious teenager unwilling to change at first and then you see the teenager who has decided to give her time in elsewhere her best. She finds talents she never knew she had and uses them to help others. This was a fun read. I found myself giggling out loud at times. This book definitely gets a 5 out of 5 for being easy, delightful and fun.









Giv: The Story of a Dog and America
Author: Boston Teran
High top Publishing, 2009

The book came to me with the quote, “The Forrest Gump of dog books”. This was so right on target. The author crafted the story so well that I had to go back to make sure the story was fiction. This is the story of Giv, a dog who travels all across the states. He survives a kidnapping, Hurricane Katrina, an abusive period only to be rescued by a Marine, who finds it was he that needed rescued. This Marine decides to find Giv’s owner, which takes him across the country. Once again Giv rescues someone and it is believed that Give is lost. When found his past meets up with his future. This was a wonderful book. Each owner has a story. It is usually one that starts out negative until Giv enters the picture. Lives are changed because of him. Anyone who has ever had a pet, or read stories of animals who have rescued others, often giving their own life for the human will want to read this book. Just like in Forrest Gump, every negative thing that happens to him turns into something positive. I gave this book a 5 out of 5 rating.



Ageing Well: A guide to Rejuvenation and Longevity
Author: Dr. George Cromack,
Outskirts Press, 2009

Just when you think you are doing everything you can to help you age gracefully, along comes another book to show you how to do it better. Unlike a lot of books, this book chose to treat the whole person. This book is basically an informational book. It gives you options to improve your lifestyle. I usually don’t put a lot of stock into these types of books because they want you to make such strict changes to your lifestyle that is not always compatible with those who live with you. I didn’t feel that way about this book. I have incorporated breathing exercises, strength training. A lot of the natural products; antioxidants, probiotics and enzymes suggested in the book, I had already added due to six surgeries over the last year and a half. They were products that my surgeons recommended to aid in the healing process. This book took a more homeopathic view of treating our bodies. They were common sense items that were probably the things our grandparents or great-grandparents used.

Color Is Everything

Color is Everything by Dan Bartges is the best color theory book I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I have been dabbling in painting for several years now and still have a problem with color. After reading the book I took my very first painting and was able to figure out what I need to do to fix it so that I will like it again. The fix is very simple. I have had a color wheel for years, due to quilting but never really had someone explain and give examples of how to use it. Believe it or not it came with a color theory book for quilters. The most beneficial part of the book was where he put up pictures and had the reader figure out the color scheme used. The ability to do hands-on work with the book was also very helpful. I pulled out some of my fabric I had put together for quilts and found some very common mistakes I had made. These would have been not too pleasing. I usually have my daughter help pick out my color schemes based around one central color because she has that “natural ability” that so many of us don’t have. I will share this book with her as she has been experimenting with painting. This is definitely a book for the beginner and advanced artist or artist in training. I will give this book 5 out of 5 and recommend it to my quilting and arts and crafts friends.

Surrender Tree, Chosen One, The Wall, Thirteen Reasons Why

Last week was awful at school. The students are shutting down. With less than 25 school days left they are acting crazy. Fighting, horse play, all of which cause injuries. I did get to read some great books this week.

 I ordered and read The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle. It was a great book. One of my students read it and told me how much he liked the poems.
The next book I read was Secret Keeper by Frances Hodgson. This is the story of a young girl waiting with her mother and sister while her father seeks work in America. Forced to live with her uncle she must make some choices that change her family's future. I asked myself if I could be as unselfish as she was.

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams reminded me of so many scenes we have seen of religious groups gone bad. I was reminded of Jim Jones as I read this book. I could not put it down and finished it in two hours.
I purchased the book

The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis. It was his story of growing up in a communist country after the wall was put up in Berlin. Although he was not in Berlin the stories were similar. It gave me more insight into the Berlin Wall. I have been doing research for my book. I recommend it to Middle School children to teach about life during the cold war.

The last book Iread this week was calld Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher. This is the story of young girl who commits suicide then sends out a box of tapes to those who were a part of her story explaining why. I recommend this book to teens and adults alike. There were so many signs in the book that this girl was in trouble. It made me ask myself how often I have seen similar signs and didn't reach out to ask a question.
I am currently four lesson behind on my 2YN (for those new to my blog that means 2 year novel). We had global youth services week. During the week of the 21st our students did service projects. Each grade had their own day. By the end of the week they had logged in over 4000 combined volunteer hours. I had students making baby quilts in my classroom. They sewed them by hand. We have a total of 12 handmade baby quilts. It took a lot out of me but was so worth it. We start our next round of testing. My reading class had a benchmark and oral reading fluency test this last week. The county had a fluency test for all of my reading students that was separate from their other test. We have a test this next week for my English for Speakers of other Languages students. Then there are at least 2 others for our students. All of them fall this month. I am wondering when I am going to be teaching with only 24 days of school left. I am looking forward to the end of the school year. I have at least forty books that I plan on reading and I plan on hitting the writing hard.
This of course will be after my final eye surgery a week after school is out. Until later, keep reading.