Weekend Fun

A Bit of Me from There's A Book

This Weeks Question: What is your favorite type of art? Or do you happen to have a favorite painting/artist/sculpture/etc.?

I don't consider myself much of an art person.  I think it is just because I have not been exposed to much during my life.  Then I met my husband and he is the art person in the family.  He is a photographer and I have been able to attend some art shows with him.  One was at the Durham Art Guild in Durham, NC.  He has also had a photo accepted into PhotoSpiva.  So, I better say photography is my favorite type of art :)

I like to take his photos and group them into themes.  I call this his flag collection!

Poetry Month

Spend your weekend discussing
some great poems with the kids. 

Visit us at BookBlogFun and let us know your favorite poetry books or rhyming words.
 
We also have poetry activities such as "Writing for a Rainy Day" and
"How to Write Haiku."See you at BookBlogFun!  Let's get together and share some books.

Book Review

Priscilla the Great Book 1

Book Blurb –  amazon.com

Did you ever want a blowtorch for a finger? Meet Priscilla Sumner, an ordinary seventh grader with extraordinary gifts. As if middle school isn't hard enough, not only does Priscilla have to fight pimples and bullies, but genetically enhanced assassins trying to kill her and her family. Armed with wit, strength, and a genius best friend, Priscilla must defeat the Selliwood Institute, a mysterious organization with a mission of turning children into killing machines.

Review

With an over protective father, Priscilla keeps a fairly low profile in her hometown of River Bend, PA.  About the biggest news in her 7^th grade life is wondering when she will get her first kiss.  With her mom often traveling on business, she longs for girl time and maybe a discussion on all this hormone stuff.  At least she has her BFF Tai, the awkward science genius that she is.  Prissy doesn’t have the brains she has but she sure can stir up some heat once in a while.  As a matter of fact it’s becoming quite frequent and she really needs to find out why.  She runs to Tai with her secret of producing flames and hearing voices.  SNAP - her somewhat normal life bursts into action as she discovers she has secret powers.  With her older brother’s help, they confront mom and dad about the truth which comes with awesome responsibilities.

As a reader I like twists and turns that keep my attention and surprise my mind.  Priscilla the Great filled that role fully.  An incredible mix of young people’s drama and fast moving events keep this book rolling from start to finish.  And speaking of finish, Holy Hotdogs!  Don’t do that to me!!  Where is the next book??  Don’t worry……There are plenty more.  Check them out at:  www.priscillathegreat.com

~ Lauri Chandler

www.bookblogstuff.blogspot.com

Rating - HOT

 

Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed are strictly my own based on my personal reading experience and in no way influenced by others.  I was not compensated for this review.

Book Details

Title:  Priscilla the Great Book 1

Author:  Sybil Nelson

Format:  e-book about 276 pages

Publisher:  WorldMaker Media (December 14, 2010)

Review Source:  Snagged a copy from Member Giveaways at LibraryThing

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Monday 4/11/11

Book Journey says - It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between!

I would say that my post for this Monday falls under the anything in between categorie.  I decided to do something a little different for this It’s Monday What Have You Been Reading?  It goes back a little further then a week, however I thought it was worth sharing.

It started with Granny Torrelli – Grandma role models in juvenile literature

This was not planned at all but over the last few months I have been on an adventure reading stories that revolve around tween age girls and their wonderful relationships with their grandmothers.  It started with Granny Torrelli makes soup by Sharon Creech.  Granny Torrelli was there to talk with her granddaughter when she needed it most.  I was not lucky enough to have a relationship like that with a grandmother and I began thinking how wonderful it must be. 

I went about my book selecting as usual.  I have been trying to read some Newberry Award winners and Battle of the Books selections that I did not get to read in prior years.  Next came Love, Ruby Lavender by Deborah Wiles.  Ruby’s grandma is the world to her.  When grandma has to leave the state, they communicate in writing.  They maintain an open, honest relationship that every girl should get to experience. 

Grandma fights for what is right in Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan.  While raising her granddaughter, this feisty grandparent teaches culture, heritage and moral values. 

Another grandmother that must look after her granddaughter is found in Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech.  She is somewhat like Granny Torrelli as she spends time traveling with her granddaughter and wants to hear all that the girl has to tell, plus more. 

These coming of age books belong on the TBR pile of our daughters and granddaughters everywhere. 

I have now just started The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly which was recommended by a friend.  I am listening to this on audio and have gotten just far enough to discover that this story involves a granddaughter and her relationship with her grandfather. 

Have any others to add to my list? 

Just finishing: Priscilla the Great by Sybil Nelson  

Just into: Following My Toes by Laurel Osterkamp   

Next up:  Ain't No Sunshine by Leslie DuBois 

Poetry Friday

Yesterday I browsed the shelves to see what I could find,

With April here already I had some poetry in mind!

This is it, here's my pick.  Should last me for some time,

But wait, I'll browse again today.  A new genre of mine.

~ Lauri Chandler

Book Review

Book Blurb  (from amodernwitch.com)

Can you live 28 years without discovering you’re a witch?

Lauren is downtown Chicago’s youngest elite realtor.  She’s also a witch.  She must be - the fetching spell for Witches’ Chat isn’t supposed to make mistakes.  So says the woman who coded the spell, at least.

The tall, dark, and handsome guy sent to assess her is a witch too (and no, that doesn’t end the way you might think).  What he finds in Lauren will change lives, mess with a perfectly good career, and require lots of ice cream therapy.

Review

Chapter one shows just how modern these witches are with Jamie inside a website and Nell testing programming code.  Even though I am not a “techy” type person at all, I was able to get through words like “sniffer cookie” and understand what was going on.  As a matter of fact, I loved what was going on.  This modern witch family put a spell on me and pulled me right in – as was their plan!  With such a deep devotion to their heritage of witchcraft, Jamie, Nell and some other more senior witches “seek the ones who share their gifts.”

Nell and the other witches are excited when the fetching spell they designed grabs Lauren in Chicago as she sits on her comfy couch with her laptop and pretty much calls it a normal evening.  The slight intuition Lauren was used to feeling in her life definitely enhanced her career, but could it be more?  She agrees to go through the witch screening process and when Jamie comes to do some basic testing they encounter a wide-open mind witch experience.  As you can imagine, Lauren’s life becomes not so normal anymore. 

If you enjoy the notion of witchcraft, intuition and precognition, you’ll want to start downloading now. Not only to experience the intrigue of super natural powers but a story of strong family ties and finding the “circle” of friends you belong with.  Although I look for a few more twists and turns in a story, A Modern Witch by Debora Geary got me close to the characters, made me laugh and kept me engaged with its originality.  Looking forward to book two in the series so that I can hang out with this “circle” of friends a little more.~ ~ ~Lauri Chandler           

Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed are strictly my own based on my personal reading experience and in no way influenced by others.  I was not compensated for this review.

Book Details

Title:  A Modern Witch

Author:  Debora Geary

Format:  e-book about 300 pages

Publisher:  Fireweed Publishing (March 12, 2011)

Review Source:  Snagged a copy from Member Giveaways at LibraryThing

Book Bloggers are Great

So I click on Book Journey by Sheila to link up my list, because it's Monday, and I see my name as last week's winner.  WOOOOOHOOOO !



I got to visit her Reading Cafe and select a prize.  Thank you so much Sheila!
Visit Sheila's blog and link up to It's Monday!  What are you reading? for a chance to win as well.

What I am Reading -

This week I read:

The Best Yard Sale by Mercer Mayer                                                                       

Little White Rabbit by Kevin Henkes

What’s in the Egg, Little Pip? By Karma Wilson & Jane Chapman

Bark George by Jules Feiffer

The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! By Mo Willems

Henry the Dog with No Tail by Kate Feiffer

There’s a Wocket in my Pocket! By Dr. Seuss

The Great Gracie Chase, Stop that Dog! By Cynthia Rylant

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein

The College Student’s Research Companion 5^th edition by Arlene R. Quaratiello

Getting Started On:

Savvy by Ingrid Law - nominated for the National Homeschool Book Award. 

Visit BookBlogFun for more info.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by

Jacqueline Kelly - audio