Favorite books–Now and then
Children’s Book Week is coming up the week of November 12-18. This event always awakens memories of favorite books that I read when I was in school.
One of these was Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. A fantasy before there were many of this genre, it was less a fast paced adventure than a phenomenal cast of characters and filled with a fascinating array of allusions. There was the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat and Humpty Dumpty, a particular favorite. I identify more and more with the Red Queen who having just run Alice off her feet says that “If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!”
Now I am reading Frank Beddor’s The Looking Glass Wars. I haven’t gotten far but the main character Alyce insists that Lewis Carroll, that horrible man got everything wrong. I plan to keep my copy of the original Alice close by so that I don’t miss any of these new allusions.
Another of my middle school favorites is The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Pope. Part historical fiction (flashbacks to the American Revolution), part ghost story, part mystery, part humor, and part romance, this book is one that I recommend to students who are willing to take a chance on an “old” book. Many of them have returned to say how much they enjoyed reading it. I highly encourage you to give it a try. I might just have to read it again soon myself.
I read so many new books now that it is hard to choose a favorite. However, I recently read a wonderful story called the Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt. On Wednesday afternoons when the rest of his class is either at catechism or Hebrew school, Holling Hoodhood is left behind with his teacher Mrs. Baker who makes him read Shakespeare. He tries telling his busy father, timid mother, and bossy sister that Mrs. Baker hates him but no one listens. The year is 1967. Vietnam is changing many people’s lives. Sometimes you just happen to find somebody special who changes yours. Oh, and don’t forget the rats in the classroom ceiling!
I just finished The Garden of Eve by K. L. Going. “Forced” by her father to move from the town where her mother died, Eve is transplanted to a farm with an orchard filled with withered apple trees that the locals say is cursed. She meets a boy who claims he is dead and is given a magical seed. If she plants the seed will she solve the mystery of the orchard? Find her beloved mother again? Can she overcome her grief and trust in the power of love?
Here is your chance to tell me about your absolutely favorite book memory. Is it a story someone read to you before you could read yourself? a read-aloud that you shared in school? A book a friend recommended? Something that you just finished? Don’t keep it to yourself. Someone else will want to read it too.
I just finished reading this awesome book called Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. Ever wondered how Peter Pan learned to fly? Or how Tinkerbell was created? Or even how the mermaids were created? Well, this book answers those questions and more! It all starts out when Peter and his friends are shipped off on a boat ,called the Neverland, to be slaves for a king. While on this ship Peter finds a box that is causing sailors to have happy feelings. So Peter sneaks in to try and steal the box and runs right into a world of adventures. But Peter isn’t the only one who wants the box. For the notorious pirate Black Stache wants it too and will stop at nothing to get it. Will Peter get the box and solve the mystery? You’ll have to read the book to find out!
When i was young my mother used to read many books to me. One of the books i remember is the book Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. I remember it because my sisters name is sam and i used to call her Sam I Am like the character in the book. When my mom read the book to me she always used to read it in a whole bunch of funny voices so i would enjoy the story more. there are alot of other books i remeber from when i was younger like Good Night Moon and The Three Little Pigs. i enjoy thoose memories from when i was young.
I just finished reading a seaires called the spirderwick chronicles. It in my option was probably one of the best books I have ever read. It has an odd combination of present day and fantise but when I say the word factices books everyone thinks of girly books but I think I found an exception. This book has sword fights, chases and close encounters. I would recommend this series to anyone, boys and girls it doesn’t matter this is all around a good book.
A recent book that I have read is LORD OF THE DEEP. This book is full of action and and drama and that is why I liked this book so much. If you like books that have alot of action and will keep you on your toes at all times, then this is the book for you. This book is great because you think you no whats going to happen next and then BAM something totaly different happens and it blows your mind. This is an awsome book to check out you’ve got to read this book.
Another one of my favorite books that I read in the past is FREAK THE MIGHTY.Freak the Mighty is about a crippled kid that in his mind he noes that he is crippled but he doesn’t let it affect his life. Freak (the crippled kid) is a very outgoing crazy kid who is not shy at all and Then freak hase to move to a neighborhood were his neighbor is a realy big and mighty kid who is shy and he doesn’t realy have any freinds until freak shoes up and they become the best of friends.
I just read one of the best books, RULES by Cynthia Lord. It was about a twelve year old girl with an autistic brother and a new neighbor her age. It was funny at parts and sad at parts. It was a book that just kept me wanting to read. It made you think about people with disablilities, and how they cannot help it. She also has a friend Jason who is in a wheel chair and cannot talk, but speaks through note cards. It shows you that even though someone has disablities doesnt mean they cant have a great personality. If you like books that you just want to keep reading I recommend RULES by Cynthia Lord.
I read this really cool book it is called Sweet Fifteen it is about this Mexican family that is going to make a big party for this girl that her mane is Stephanie but she is very sad because her father had just passed away and her uncle is going to buy her the dress. And the ladies that is making it she can tell that there is a sadness in her and she wants to help her but she doesn’t Know if she should do it or not. Her uncle thinks that jut with buying her all of this type of expansive thing that she is going to be happy. But through the story they learn how to help Stephanie.
It is a great story because it is a story about my culture and in my family we do that. It is really fun and that’s when a little girl stops being little and starts to be a women. I really do love this book.
I have read so many books I don’t have favorites anymore. I read books and when their good I keep a mental tab in my head stating that the book is a really good one, worth reading again. One of those books is called FireGold. It’s about a boy who an outcast because he has blue eyes and gold hair. He goes on an adventure to try and figure out who he is and why he is different. He tries to shut out one part of his life and in the end figures out that he has to accept both part. The book was one of those types that held significant meaning to me. It stood out because of how I could feel the emotions woven into the words and it kind of just popped out with its adventures. I highly recommend this book.
Ender’s Game and Ender’s Shadow are 2 awesome books
