Top Ten Tuesday: Best Series

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Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because The Broke and Bookish are particularly fond of lists (as are we!). Each week a new Top Ten list topic is given and bloggers can participate.

 Today’s Topic: Top Ten Best Series

Today’s topic is supposed to be the Top Ten Best/Worst Series Enders. We didn’t want to be too negative, so we decided to share our favorite series, instead.

Ricki

1. The Boxcar Children Series by Gertrude Chandler Warner

This series helped me learn to love to read when I was a child. Sometimes, series get a bad reputation, but many kids learn to love to read through series books, so I couldn’t exclude this important collection from my top ten list. The kids in this series show incredible strength and are great role models for readers.

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2. The Graceling Realm by Kristin Cashore

I am sorry I keep bringing this series up in my posts, but it is my all-time favorite series, so it must make this list. The world-building is incredible and the characterization is beautifully written. I don’t usually enjoy the series books that others rave about, but Cashore shows that authors can really do it right. 🙂

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3. The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins

I love this series because it has such widespread appeal. These books were very enjoyable to read, and I loved sharing them with students because they hooked so many of my kids to reading. There are some great themes for teachers to discuss, and my students and I had a lot of fun viewing these books through the lens of 1984.

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4. Nancy Drew Series by Carolyn Keene

I am convinced that I am so good at predicting story twists because of this series. Nancy Drew taught me to look for clues in books and make solid predictions. I haven’t read one of these books in about two decades, but I am convinced they developed me as a reader.

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5. The Berenstain Bears Series by Stan, Jan, and Mike Berenstain

I bet you weren’t expecting this one! Who doesn’t love the Berenstain Bears? They have been teaching kids moral lessons for decades, so they need to be on this list.

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Kellee

I love so many series, so this one was very hard for me. I second Ricki’s Graceling Realm as it is brilliant and these are my favorites.

1. Baby-Sitters Club series by Ann M. Martin

This series, I believe, is why I am such an avid reader. I owned hundreds BSC books and loved them all. As an adult I’ve been collecting them to A) reread & B) for my children. I just love how each girl (and Logan) had a different personality and the books dealt with some really important situations. Such a great series!

2. Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness

Brilliant. I remember reading A Knife of Never Letting Go and knowing that the book was so important. Then when Monsters of Men won the Carnegie Medal, I knew that the masses had seen how amazing this series was.

chaos walking

3. Betsy books by Carolyn Haywood

My mom read these books when she was a little girl then she read them to me when I was a little girl and if I have a little girl, I will read them to her. Betsy was a great companion during my early childhood.

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4. The Giver Quartet by Lois Lowry

The Giver has been my favorite book since I read it in 1993. Though I was very satisfied with the ending and loved the ambiguity of deciding what happened to Jonas, when another book came out in 2000 then another in 2004 and finally the series finale in 2012, I had to read them all and I loved them. I think the way Lois Lowry writes is magical and the world of The Giver is brilliant, so I would read anything by her, set there.

the giver quartet

5. Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz

This series was my first series that I began reading when I started teaching. During my literature degree, my love of reading faltered (lit degrees are tough! And make reading such a chore!), but when I decided to become a teacher, I started reading middle grade and young adult books. I remember reading Stormbreaker and knowing I had to read the whole series. I have not stopped book talking this series since then.

alex rider

Honorary. Ramona series by Beverly Cleary, Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, Doctor Dolittle series by Hugh LoftingPercy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan, Skinjacker trilogy by Neal Shusterman, (adult) Spellman Files series by Lisa Lutz

I had to mention all of these because they are so great as well. I had a hard time picking the top 5, so I wanted to list these other amazing series as well.

Which series do you love?

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Black Ants and Buddhists by Mary Cowhey

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Black Ants and Buddhists
Author: Mary Cowhey
Published: January 1st, 2006 by Stenhouse Publishers

Summary: What would a classroom look like if understanding and respecting differences in race, culture, beliefs, and opinions were at its heart? Welcome to Mary Cowhey’s Peace Class in Northampton, MA, where first and second graders view the entire curriculum through the framework of understanding the world, and trying to do their part to make it a better place.

Woven through the book is Mary’s unflinching and humorous account of her own roots in a struggling large Irish Catholic family and her early career as a community activist. Mary’s teaching is infused with lessons of her heroes: Gandhi, Eleanor Roosevelt, Helen Keller, Martin Luther King, and others. Her students learn to make connections between their lives, the books they read, the community leaders they meet, and the larger world.

If you were inspired to become a teacher because you wanted to change the world, and instead find yourself limited by teach-to-the-test pressures, this is the book that will make you think hard about how you spend your time with students. It offers no easy answers, just a wealth of insight into the challenges of helping students think critically about the world, and starting points for conversations about diversity and controversy in your classroom, as well as in the larger community.

Review and Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: Mary Cowhey’s book is a phenomenal resource for teachers. It is directed for elementary school educators, but I learned a lot, and I am a high school educator. Her main focus is to promote social justice, action, and independence in the classroom. Cowhey integrates stories from her personal life (she grew up without much money and as an adult, was a single mother on welfare) into her lessons to show how she helps her students feel comfortable and safe when sharing their own experiences. She teaches them that regardless of their social or economic standing, they have the ability to be successful.

Each chapter addresses important issues that teachers face, such as how to: set routines, differentiate, respond to tragedy, teach history so kids care, build trust with families, and go against the grain. When her students were dissatisfied with something, she had them write letters. They became young advocates. Cowhey has an extremely responsive classroom, where she takes the students’ interests and teaches different aspects of history, literature, and life each year. Some may find her ideas to be a bit liberal, but they are certainly adaptable for more conservative classrooms. Her students learn in the field, walking to see the mayor to demand a change in their town or visiting a sanitation company when a student wondered, “Where do the poops go?”

What I loved most about Cowhey’s book is that it showed me how to make my students more in-tune with their surroundings. I would love to have my own child in her classroom, as I know he or she would learn a lot about self-advocacy.

Discussion Questions: How do I teach my students to value social justice?; How do I create a culturally responsive and socially responsive classroom?; How do I make class meaningful for my students?; How do I create a safe and comfortable place for my students?; What do I do when students are distracted while I am trying to teach a concept?

We Flagged: “How we respond to tragedy, as teachers, as parents, as humans, not only provides comfort and security, but also can provide hope and power for children in a world that is often unfair, and sometimes unspeakably violent” (181).

Read This If You Loved: Reading, Writing, and Rising Up: Teaching about Social Justice and the Power of the Written Word by Linda Christensen, Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire, Teachers as Cultural Workers by Paulo Freire

RickiSig

What is your favorite book for professional development? Have you read this one? What did you think? Please share your thoughts!

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Turn-Offs

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Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because The Broke and Bookish are particularly fond of lists (as are we!). Each week a new Top Ten list topic is given and bloggers can participate.

 Today’s Topic: Top Ten Book Turn-Offs

You know when you are reading and something happens, and you think, “Ugh.”

Ricki

1. Point-of-View Shift

There many books that do this well, but overwhelmingly, there are too books that do it quite poorly. I hate when the point-of-view shifts because often, it doesn’t work out. Sometimes, the voices sound too similar, and other times, one voice is much stronger than the others.

2. An Inanimate Object or Animal Starts Talking

There have been many times that I have been enjoying a book, and then an animal or table starts talking. Please don’t. It rarely works out.

3. Marital Problems

This is one of the main reasons I tend to dislike adult books. I hate reading about a person who is cheating on his/her spouse. I am very happy in my marriage, and it really depresses me to read about people who are violate the trust and loyalty of that union.

4. End-of-Chapter Hooks

I loved this technique when I was a kid. It made me want to keep reading. As a more mature reader, it bothers me and makes me wonder if the author isn’t confident enough in his/her own writing and thinks this is the only way to keep his/her readers from putting the book down.

5. Coincidences

Is the main character picking up a hitchhiker?  Please don’t let it be his/her long-lost father. Coincidences drive me nuts. They give fiction a bad name.

Kellee

It is so interesting to see what Ricki’s turn-offs are. I actually love her #1 and #2 (as long as they are done well). 

1. Lack of resolution at the end of books

I do not mind sequels and series, but I like each book to have a resolution at the end and not a huge cliffhanger ending that makes it so you feel unsatisfied without reading the next book.

2. Poorly done magical/fantastical realism

I generally do not like magical or fantastical realism though there are some I do like. I think I’ve come to realize that it is that I don’t like poorly done magical/fantastical realism. I don’t want to be reading a realistic or historical fiction book and all of a sudden there are ghosts or someone has powers — that really takes away from the original story in my opinion. I do not mind if the fantasy or magic is part of the story from the beginning, it is the throwing it in for plot twists or an explanation I do not like.

3. Character lists in the front of books instead of introducing characters

I actually really like character lists, but there are books that have character lists and then never have an exposition to introduce us to the characters because they listed them in the front. A list should just be a reference not part of the story.

4. Shallow secondary characters

All characters should be thought out thoroughly.

5. Stereotypical characters

Enough said.

What are your book turn-offs?

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All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill [Ricki’s Review]

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All Our Yesterdays
Author: Cristin Terrill
Published: September 3rd, 2013 by Disney Hyperion

GoodReads Summary: “You have to kill him.” Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.

 Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside.

Marina has loved her best friend James since the day he moved next door when they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles apart, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Now someone is trying to kill him. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it. At least not as the girl she once was.

All Our Yesterdays is a wrenching, brilliantly plotted story of fierce love, unthinkable sacrifice, and the infinite implications of our every choice.

Review: This is a great science fiction text that will please readers who enjoy reading about time travel and/or dystopian settings. I was immediately pulled into the prison cell with Marina. Terrill does an excellent job with imagery, and I enjoyed the way the plot unfolded. As with most books that discuss time travel, I found a few paradoxes that felt like plot holes, but most books with a time-traveling plot seem to raise this concern for me, as time traveling is sort of a paradox in itself. Overall, I think Terrill did an excellent job trying to alleviate any possible plot issues, and I was impressed with her ability to build such an, intricate, complex plot. While there was a love story, it doesn’t take front and center of this novel, which I appreciated. Often, love stories forced in science fiction books, and Terrill seems to achieve the perfect balance between plot, theme, and romance. The book contains wonderfully richly realized themes that I will discuss in the next section, and I think teachers would be wise to add this book to their classroom libraries. Teens will absolutely love this one.

You can also see Kellee’s point of view by viewing her review here.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: The themes of this novel truly make it shine. This book would provide for some fantastic classroom discussions. Teachers could have students examine power and how it influences people, or they could look at loyalty and whether there is a limit to our loyalty to our loved ones. Students would have a lot of fun imagining one thing they would change if they could use a time travel machine (either changing a worldly event or a personal life event). The journal opportunities are endless.

Discussion Questions: How does power influence an individual? Given extreme power, will all people be driven to selfishness?; Who are we most loyal to? Is there a limit to our loyalty?; What events would we change if we could travel back in time? How would our changes impact the world or our lives in a positive way? What are the negative outcomes?; What paradoxes come with time travel? Is there any way to alleviate these?; If we had the power to travel in time, should we? How might time travel be harmful?

We Flagged: “‘Was [the world] always this beautiful and we just never noticed?'” (Chapter 5).

“…But progress is always dangerous, isn’t it? Most of the time, walls don’t get dismantled brick by brick. Someone has to crash through them” (Chapter 19).

Please note: The above quotes are from the Advanced Reader Copy. The e-book (a galley) did not provide page numbers. The quotes may change when the book is published.

Read This If You Loved: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, The Time Machine by H.G. Wells, The Giver by Lois Lowry, Legend by Marie Lu, Divergent by Veronica Roth

Recommended For:

litcirclesbuttonsmall  classroomlibrarybuttonsmall

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**Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for providing the Advanced Reader Copy for review!**

Top Ten Tuesday: Best Sequels Ever

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Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because The Broke and Bookish are particularly fond of lists (as are we!). Each week a new Top Ten list topic is given and bloggers can participate.

 Today’s Topic: Top Ten Best Sequels

Unlike the stereotype, these sequels will rock your world!

Ricki

1. Prodigy by Marie Lu

I greatly enjoyed Legend, but I might argue that Prodigy was even better! It is rare that I like the second book more than the first. I wonder if I was just more into the world that Lu created after the second book. This second book is incredibly good.

2. Living with Jackie Chan by Jo Knowles (Warning: This is a companion book, not a sequel.)

Oh, look, I cheated again. I just read this book a month ago, and I absolutely adored it. It is a companion book to Jumping off Swings and is told through Josh’s voice. I don’t care if it isn’t technically a sequel, it is going on my list.

3. Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore (The third book in the Graceling realm—Does this count?)

I disregarded food and sleep while reading this book. It is one of my all-time favorite reads. If you haven’t gotten lost in this series of companion books, do yourself a favor and read them. They rock.

4. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman

His Dark Materials will always hold a special place in my heart. I read the first book in college in a literature course about Hell and the devil, and I couldn’t stop there. Each book was excellent.

5. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

I really enjoyed both The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, and I secretly wish they never became a movie series because the craze seemed to water down how truly great these books are. I was hooked to this second book, so I thought it was deserving of this top ten list.

Kellee

1. Hattie Ever After by Kirby Larson

I loved both Hattie books, but the sequel actually resonated more with me. In both Hattie faces circumstances that most woman wouldn’t face in the early 1900s; however, in the sequel, Hattie really grows up and finds herself. I also loved that in this one she was going after HER dream.

2. Son by Lois Lowry (the 4th book in The Giver quartet, but technically the only true sequel to The Giver)

The Giver has been my favorite book for 20 years now and I have always been fine with the ending, but when companions came out and finally a series finale, I couldn’t not read them. Though some people found that the end of the series was a bit too wrapped up, I loved finding out what happened to all of my favorite characters.

3. The Ask and the Answer and Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness

This series is just so epic and the two sequels of Knife of Never Letting Go are just as intense as the first.

4. Red Glove and Black Heart by Holly Black

I love this world that Holly Black came up with and Cassel’s adventures are just as addictive in the sequels as the first.

5. The Trouble with May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm

Like Hattie Ever After, this is a sequel that while I really liked the first, I found the sequel to really hit home for me. I think it once again has to do with our protagonist growing up.

What are your favorite sequels?

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The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

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The Dream Thieves
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Published: September 17th, 2013 by Scholastic Press

Summary: Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after…

Review: This sequel will not disappoint lovers of The Raven Boys. The book is written in multiple points of view, but in my opinion, Ronan’s perspective is the highlight of this installment of the series. He is tormented by terrible nightmares and his harrowing past. Each of the characters is further developed from the first novel, and I loved the new advancements. Additionally, readers are introduced to two, incredibly complex characters, The Gray Man and Kavinsky, who offer dark perspectives and are essential to the unfolding of the story. I loved the new characters and the intricacy of this story. I will admit that I missed the central focus on Blue and her household of psychics (as in The Raven Boys), but Blue certainly plays a strong role in this book. The psychics were my favorite part of the first book in the series. Stiefvater does a brilliant job in the development of Ronan’s story which adds an interesting twist to this book. I also enjoyed how she wove several, different plot threads. This book kept me guessing, and it is quite unpredictable, which made it a pleasure to read.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: It would be hard for teachers to introduce this text as a whole-class reading if students haven’t read the first book in the series. That said, teachers could set the context of the story and show samples of the darker passages from Ronan’s perspective to teach imagery and mood. If a small group chose it as a literature circle text, students would enjoy comparing and contrasting the author’s purposes and characterization between the two books in the series. This would show students how important it is to build characterization both within a story and across books in a sequel as a plot advances.

Discussion Questions: How do the purpose and direction of this book differ from the first book in the series?; How does Stiefvater develop her characters further from the first book?; In what ways does Ronan struggle to negotiate with his past?; How does Adam cope with his obstacles and circumstances? Do you agree with his approach?

We Flagged: “Sometimes, some rare times, a secret stays undiscovered because it is something too big for the mind to hold. It is too strange, too vast, too terrifying to contemplate” (Prologue).

Please note: The above quotes are from the Advanced Reader Copy. The e-book (a galley) did not provide page numbers. The quotes may change when the book is published.

Read This If You Loved: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, White Cat by Holly Black

Recommended For:

    classroomlibrarybuttonsmall

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**Thank you to NetGalley and Scholastic for providing the Advanced Reader Copy for review!**

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on our Fall 2013 TBR Lists

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Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because The Broke and Bookish are particularly fond of lists (as are we!). Each week a new Top Ten list topic is given and bloggers can participate.

 Today’s Topic: Top Ten Books on our Fall 2013 TBR Lists

We can’t wait to read these! 🙂

Ricki

1. The Living by Matt de la Pena

I love anything by Matt de la Pena, so I can’t wait for this book, due to be released on November 12th. It is set on a cruise ship, which is a really cool idea. I have it pre-ordered, and I just can’t wait to get my hands on it.

2. Just One Year by Gayle Forman

I absolutely adored Just One Day by Gayle Forman, so I am incredibly excited for the sequel to come out on October 10th. It is told from Willem’s perspective, so I am quite excited to fall into his voice.

3. If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch

This one has actually been released, but I haven’t gotten my hands on it. It seems mysterious and haunting. I know a lot of people are putting it on their mock-Printz lists, so I feel like I need to read it…now.

4. Thrice Told Tales by Catherine Lewis

This was released at the end of August, and I heard from Teri Lesesne that it was very good. The book takes the Three Blind Mice nursery rhyme and uses it to illustrate about a hundred different literary terms. Many people are saying that it is great teaching text.

5. Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

I am getting really good at cheating in my top ten list. It says the books are on my Fall 2013 TBR list, and this one will be on my Fall 2013 list, but it won’t be released until February 11th, 2014. Does that count? The kids in the book release an unstoppable army of “horny, hungry, six-foot tall praying mantises.” Seriously? Who wouldn’t want to know more about that book. Once again, I have pre-ordered this gem, which I have heard is excellent.

Kellee

This list is actually really hard for me. I don’t usually plan that far ahead and I hadn’t looked at Fall books at all. So, this is a list of books that I plan on reading even if their release date isn’t Fall 2013.

1. The Real Boy by Anne Ursu

I loved Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu so this novel of hers is one that I have been waiting for. I have also only heard really great things about it so that makes me even more excited!

2. Doll Bones by Holly Black

I’ve had this one for a while to read, but I decided to save it for the Halloween season as it is a scary book. Holly Black comes up with such unique ideas and is an excellent writer (I LOVED her Curseworkers series), so I am looking forward to this one.

3. Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

After Ricki’s review, who wouldn’t want to read this one?!?!

4. Wake Up Missing by Kate Messner

Everything I’ve read by Kate Messner has been amazing, so I am sure this one will be as well!

5. Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Who isn’t waiting anxiously for this one?!?! I am so excited to read the finale.

Which books are you most looking forward to reading this fall?

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