#IMWAYR and Monday Made It

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now… who knows, you might discover that next “must read” book!

Our Kid Lit to YA version is hosted by Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers.
GREAT IDEA! Check out all of the What Are You Reading? participants for title ideas.

Add Scaredy Squirrel Prepares for Halloween to the READ pile. Fun! Then ...

Had a great little discussion via comments on Goodreads about promoting picture book biographies. Both of them were quite good.

Penguin and Pinecone (or other books about Penguin) was on my Bookish Un-Boring List. I haven't made my video yet. 

Jasper and Joop are just so stinking cute. Not a lot to the story but they are so feathery fluffy.

Pirates vs. Cowboys. Not my most favorite story ever BUT ... I must try it as a read aloud. Pirate voices AND Cowboy voices? Needs to be attempted, anyway. ;) 

As always ... my TO READ appetite is bigger than my actual ability to finish. Look, for example, at my e-arcs. This is not counting books from the library.

And now, it's more of a Monday Middle of the Project but ...

Lunch during the school year is hard. I have struggled with the simplest grocery shopping and planning! So we'll see if this helps. Still have to attach everything. And decide for sure if I want to use this "due date stamped" fabric as the background or something else. This is not my favorite frame but it's one I had on hand. What should I put on the little boxes? And these are my silly "menu" choices. Suggestions? I need healthy and EASY.

The card template came from this first example.

and then I also looked at this one. Click through on both to get the original examples!

#IMWAYR and Monday Made It

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now… who knows, you might discover that next “must read” book!

Our Kid Lit to YA version is hosted by Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers.
GREAT IDEA! Check out all of the What Are You Reading? participants for title ideas.





Not quite as much reading this week as time was often spent playing with (or chasing after ... whichever you want to call it ;)) the littlest (at least for another month) nephew. I miss them when they are far away. :(

Favorite of these three is Time Stops for No Mouse. That's an old one ... but I now really want to track down the next three! Fun adventure story told by what is at first a bit of a fuddy-duddy stuck in his ways mouse. He gets out of his comfort zone and grand things happen! I read it as an audiobook.
The Fox Inheritance is a YA. Maybe it's because it's been a while since I read #1 (which I greatly enjoyed) but this one was not as engaging.
Templeton Twins, well. The narrator on that one bugged.

Loved Into the Volcano! Will have to get it for school. The Alamo from A to Z was a little disappointing. Completely generic or cookie cutter or whatever you want to call it. Will probably still have to get it because hello ... where do I live. But I wanted more from it.

Loved Vader's Little Princess but I'm not sure a non fangirl/boy would appreciate it.

Dear Publishers, I love the idea of more Worm/Spider/Fly stories. But this one with the "1" on it is misleading. Teachers and parents are going to think younger students can read it independently. This is not the case. Also why do you all "number/level" your books so differently?
Alvin Ho. He's not as funny as he used to be.
The Eyre Affair was a lot of fun as an audio book (GROWN UP audio book ... a bit of language :/). I've had the print book sitting on my shelf for years and had never gotten to it. I do that. Buy books and then never read them because hello, if I own them I can read them whenever. Library books are due. Which makes no sense at all.

And coming up ...

You'll notice a couple of these look familiar. Why is it when I OWN a book it takes me bazillion times longer to read?

THEN ...

Mostly school stuff this time. But not totally.

The first bunting is inspired by my favorite movie series of all time.

This one is saved in Google Drive. Click and download!

And then our school sort of "theme" this year is baseball and "effort." So while I'm not done with MOST of the signs and reading logs and bookmarks and such ... here's a freebie I posted on TPT. Because I learned how to use a layered template in Photoshop Elements! Still not sure how I did it but it's done. ;)

This one is a freebie on TPT. Click (and if you're already signed in) download!

The last Monday Made It is in honor of one of my nephews. He just turned 8 in June. Anyway, apparently he decided (without my sister's prompting!) that he needed a pen pal. I was the chosen honoree, as I like both Star Wars and Legos! This was his most recent letter ... my very own Lego set, complete with detailed "How To" drawings. I can't stand how adorable this is. Though I can't call it adorable to him. COOL, it must be. I've sent him a personalized Lego SW comic, some bookmarks I made and Capt. Underpants tattoos I found, and a Frankie Pickle book. What to do next? I need to write all the other ones, too. This was just too cute that he started it.

#IMWAYR and Monday Made It

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. It is a great way to recap what you read the previous week and to plan out your reading for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading.

Our Kid Lit to YA version is hosted by Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers.
GREAT IDEA! Check out all of the What Are You Reading? participants for title ideas. Prepare for a TBR list you'll never see the end of!

A Million Shades was quite interesting ... but I don't see it as a high interest book for most elementary students. Maybe I'm wrong. Walls Within Walls sort of reminded me of Chasing Vermeer. 

Don't read a lot of "grown up" stuff but I DO read pretty much anything by James Rollins. Good times!

Doll Bones ... it is definitely more than a creepy doll book.

Steve Jenkins equals automatic WIN.

Wild About You is a great adoption book.

And I love the Jonathan Allen owl books. They're not perfect but that fluffy little owl is just so adorable.

Sadly not a huge fan of The Monster. What happened? Keys to the Kingdom was so good!

This week ...

I have to finish (at least the assigned selections of) Guided Inquiry. Have a two day "institute" next week.
Notice and Note! *hangs head in shame because it does sound really good*
finish listening to The Eyre Affair and Time Stops for No Mouse
OH! Finish the Shakespeare's Star Wars! It was so good and then I got distracted.
Alvin Ho: Allergic to Babies, Burglars, and Other Bumps in the Night (Is it just me or has this been a very uneven series? I loved a couple of them and the others? MEH.)
Crowfield Demon

And ... whatever else I might pick up from my hold shelf at the library or from my Adobe Digital Editions (ie advanced reading copies or ... the ridiculousness of it ... books I have purchased and not read). SO MANY BOOKS and not enough time. Summer! Where did you go? Two days of "work" the week after this. Then ONE MORE WEEK of no work. Then two to four days the week after that (Depends on how long it takes me to unpack the library. Are we taking guesses? Like three hours would be nice). Then back to the every day of the workweek. Love the kids. Just wish school wasn't so stressful. :/

Because I also get distracted with ...

I <3 how these little $1 totes from Michael's turned out (but oh ... bad lighting in this pic :/ ... I tried with the flash but then I had glare reflections. Sorry). Will be using them to keep bookmarks by the circulation desk

Bookish Un-Boring List Update #2 & Monday Made It

Monday Made It is at the bottom of this post. The top is my 2nd update on my year of Bookish Un-Boring Goals and their progress

Ummm ... nothin' much happening.

Better get on that.



1. Go to a comic book store and buy a Star Wars comic.
Done in January. And then the store was not so helpful after I missed the February issue due to being in the hospital and all. So I got off track and it did not become a regular thing.

2. To go along with R2D2's Guide to Folding and Doodling I made this. I'm a bit early but oh well. I may recut the shapes either with sharper scissors (EGADS cutting duct tape!) or get some vinyl and use my Silhouette Cameo. For now I like him as he is.

3. Read The Twelve.
Then ... run/walk 500 miles using the Zombies Run app. Over the course of the ENTIRE YEAR.
And ... finished the book. Sadly, didn't love it as much as The Passage. Anyway, appendicitis threw a wrench into the run/walking and I am behind. Plus I lost count somewhere in April. Last week I did ... well, ISTE got in the way. But I think I did about 4 miles on the treadmill and 10 or so on the bike. Week before was better ... bout 12 miles on the treadmill and 10 on the bike. So I may have to adapt it and say 250 from July to December.

4. Read Penguin and Pinecone.
Then make a video (either a booktalk or just something about penguins!) using the puppet I got at SeaWorld last spring. My puppet is more lifelike than the cute book illustrations but I don't think that matters. DO things like make videos. Don't just think about it!
Nope. Haven't even started on that one. I DID read Penguin on Vacation whilst hanging out at B&N. And it was adorable. So I need to get on that.

5. Straight up stealing the visit new indie bookstores goal. Right now I know of exactly ONE anywhere close to me. Haven't been there yet. Lame, right?

6. The Harry Potter Nook in the new place. Well. It turned out to be WAAAAAAAAAAAAY smaller than I thought (I mean, it was always going to be cozy ... but egads). So we'll see. :/ If I get claustrophobic trying to paint something fun it doesn't really matter if the kiddos still like it.



7. A wall of bookcases in new place! A WALL.
Only I am scared of putting together IKEA ones and having them look decent. Thoughts? I would have SWORN they had an online tool to plan the different kinds of shelves (and if you wanted doors or cabinets or extra shelves on top) but now I can't find it.

8. I felt like I should do something Oz-ish. I can't decide about the new movie adaptation.
I actually saw it just like a week ago. Should I change this one? The excitement from the kids is kind of over. Or maybe I'll just count the Monday Made It at the bottom of this post



9. Also a kind of stolen idea ... book art. Only I am going to try Knuffle Bunny style with some photos I take (part of a goal ... photography!) and illustrations that I will get my nieces and nephews to make. ;) Had a student have to come show me that Trixie was reading a P&E book today. And a new Sunday School student that was SO IMPRESSED I knew about Mo Willems. So ... Knuffle Bunny style book art.
Haven't even started this one yet, either. What is my deal?

10. I WISH I could say "Visit Prince Edward Island." But that one will not happen this year. So we'll say when I get into my new kitchen? Host some sort of get together and try making this.
Well. Cooking is still not my strong point. But I shall prevail!

I've had a Silhouette Cameo for over a year now.

And I only tried cutting vinyl on Saturday.

It takes a little getting used to. But I think I'm going to like it. Anyway. Thanks to Pinterest when it's time to go back to school we will have these. Already some things I would change but Hey! A project that was finally started and completed (well ... will be completed after I put some sort of varnish on them).

I'm a teacher librarian so of course these have been on my Pinterest "To Do" list for like a year and a half. I like the signs on one pic better than the other (already wishing I'd chosen different paint or vinyl colors) but better FINISHED than perfect. And #betterlatethannever! ;)

What Are You Reading & Monday Cameo Made It

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now… who knows, you might discover that next “must read” book!

Our Kid Lit to YA version is hosted by Teach Mentor Texts.
GREAT IDEA! Check out all of the What Are You Reading? participants for title ideas.


The reading has slowed down. A LOT. *insert slightly sad face here* *but only slightly because hey! the kids!*

THIS WEEK
Lunch Lady and the Mutant Mathletes (review when I finish all of them and do a LL post)
Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute (same)
Babymouse Burns Rubber (same ... only a Babymouse post)

Black Heart by Holly Black
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cassell pulls off his best work yet on this one.

Bravo.

Does it have to be over?

The Third Gate by Lincoln Child
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I think I like his work with Douglas Preston best ... but hey. Any good mysteries set in Egypt, right?





NEXT WEEK
I'm listening to Everlost by Neal Shusterman while I'm on the treadmill or bike. I'd better finish it!
I really must finish the professional books.
Plus I have 3 more Sisters 8 books checked out from the library.
And The Hollow City (Dan Wells) And my E-ARCS.
Apartment 101 is ... sort of dragging. The main characters are in high school but the story reads like an overly simplified juvenile fic, if that makes sense.
Trying to get through the E-ARC of In a Glass Grimly but the format is strange (2 page spreads so I have to zoom in to even read it and then turning the page is hard).
Gem (Holly Hobbie) and a Lunch Lady are waiting for me on the library hold shelf.






And my Monday Made It's? More like Monday About Two-Thirds Finished ...

These are going to go inside the Super Hero Stuff table supply boxes (PS Melonheadz clip art ... SO CUTE!). They are for, obviously, pencils. Bummer thing is they are about an inch too short to put the lid on if you have new pencils. Pencils won't stay new for long.

These ... I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to do with them. Laminate and put sticks on the back. Then ... hmmm. Not really sure. Kids can use them to show books they like during book talks? Silly to make something I'm not sure what I'm even going to do with.

Imagine 7 or 8 of each of these (plus some flags I still have to make and the letters of the author's name) hanging as a fishing line banner from the ceiling of the library. Do you know what visit we are preparing for from these hints?

What Are You Reading? & Superheroes Monday Made It

Excuse the long post. Reading is at the top. Monday Made It is at the bottom. ;]

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now… who knows, you might discover that next “must read” book!

Our Kid Lit to YA version is hosted by Teach Mentor Texts.
GREAT IDEA! Check out all of the What Are You Reading? participants for title ideas.


Lots o' Reading This Week ... pretty fast reading, too. Must remember that balance ... stop and enjoy the writing once in a while instead of just plowing through to get to the plot.

several Babymouse books--will post reviews when I finish ALL of them ;]
a couple Lunch Lady books--see same reasoning above
some poetry picture books--reviews posted yesterday
Madam President (Lane Smith) (SO FUNNY! I'd heard of this one and I'm pretty sure we have it at school but I'd never actually picked it up before. My favorite part is the "Cabinet." May have to think up something fun to do with this one in November! Plus, hello. MADAM President. Without it being all strange about it.)
Don't Read this Book
When a Dragon Moves In
I'm Fast!
Beverly Billingsly Borrows a Book


Justin Case: Shells, Smells, and the Horrible Flip-Flops of Doom by Rachel Vail
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

(Go to the Goodreads link if you are interested in the review ... and make sure to read the last page before school starts!)





Theodore Boone: The Accused by John Grisham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

(In a nutshell WAAAAY better than the first one but that's still not saying much.)





Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A fairy tale retelling. I did enjoy it.
Only a couple times I had to make myself keep reading. There are so many bits of fairy tales in here it can be hard to keep them all straight.



books two and three in the Quantum Leap series by Michael Carroll (they seriously remind me of X-Men Origins but he started writing them before that movie ever came out!)
The Gathering by Michael Carroll
My rating: 4 of 5 stars







The Reckoning by Michael Carroll
My rating: 3 of 5 stars








Super Human by Michael Carroll

As a stand alone story it was lots of fun.

As part of the series? It sort of seems ... like a weird tangent. Couldn't figure out how many stars to give it.




Lockdown by Alexander Gordon Smith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Creepy. And a couple scenes (one in the "trough room" in particular) made me gag. Definitely YA.
But still. I just may have to come back for more in the series. I want to know what happens!



The Wolf Tree by John Claude Bemis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ray is in the story ... but he is not nearly as central a character. Sally takes on a much larger role, as does Marisol (and her snakes ... which still give me the creeps). Jolie, too. And (without giving too much away) another character we did not expect to see again.

I don't quite "get" the whole machine thing, but I think book three should tie that up. This book was definitely a middle "we're not ready to finish but we want to tell you some more" kind of volume. Things happen to Buck and Si that really don't seem to serve much more of a purpose than to explain why they are not in this book very often. Could be foreshadowing or not.

Still. I'm hooked and we'll finish the series!

View all my reviews


Still in the Middle of
the professional reading--both books are really good but I can't zip through them like I do with fiction


Hoping to Read in the Next Two Weeks because #bookaday Is Going to End WAY TOO SOON
the last book in the Quantum Leap series
One Year in Coal Harbor (having trouble moving E-ARCs over to my Nook :X ... I don't always get it out when I should but now when I move files over they say they are not authorized ... must check on this further as it has never happened before :X :X :X ... I CAN read them on my Mac but that is sort of a pain)
In a Glass Grimmly
Unspoken
The Classroom
Ashen Winter
more of the Escape from Furnace series (if I don't get too creeped out)
Beyonders
Candy Shop War
more Babymouse and Lunch Lady (OH! And Squish!)

So for Monday Made It I went to Pinterest. I am the teacher librarian in an elementary school. I came from a high school Spanish/English teaching background (yes! Culture shock!). Never had to manage much more than papers.

The amount of time myself and (when she wasn't sent somewhere else on campus) my assistant spent handing out and picking up scissors, crayons, glues sticks, etc. to or from each table was just crazy. We couldn't leave it out, though, because with no walls and being in such a high traffic area? Without people even meaning to things walk away. "Oh, I'll just borrow this and return it." Enter all sorts of interruptions and they would forget.

Our school has a new principal (well, she started in late February so this is her first full year) who is instituting a schoolwide Super Heroes theme along with the "Seven Habits."

I made these to put on top of containers. We will fill up the containers (once with the basic supplies, then day by day depending on the specific activity with those needed supplies), set them out, and ... shouldn't that work? Of course lots of stuff will still disappear--it's really hard to remember to give every class and every table monitors every time they come. Or remember to ask teachers whose job it might be back in the class. (We won't get in to the teachers that disappear as soon as the class comes ... when this is NOT their planning time. But I digress cause it's not all of them!) Will these work, do you think? Plus ARE THEY NOT SO CUTE? Melonheadz clip art along with some designs on my Silhouette Cameo.

Can you see the bazillion glue sticks in the one container I put in the pic? They were on sale at ... gasp. Walmart. I dislike Walmart. But they were only $.10. The number of glue sticks we go through confounds me. And we don't get any of the classroom school supplies from the students at the beginning of the year. Oh well.