Moon Over Manifest

Finished another read aloud book today. You know what that means...

Book review time!

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

I must say, I knew nothing about this book prior to my mother handing it over to be read. When I discovered it was written by a Kansas author and its setting was based on a Kansas town, I was very eager to read it with my students.

When Abilene Tucker steps off the train and into Manifest, Kansas, she has no idea what the summer has in store for her. She unearths the history of this small town while in search of her father's history. What she discovers, however, is an identity she didn't realize she was looking for. 


This book really had some great one-liners that are revisited throughout the book:

"It is not down in any map; true places never are."

"The line between truth and myth is sometimes difficult to see."

"Things are not always what they seem."

78% of my students said they liked the book and would definitely recommend it to a friend.

"It's characters had real life people personality."

"It keeps you on your toes and you never know what's going to happen."

6% of my students thought it wasn't their cup of tea but others might like it.

17% of my students said they didn't like it and would never recommend it EVER.

"It is confusing."

This book essentially has two story lines. One follows Abilene on her journey of discovery. The second follows Ned Gillen and Jinx as they form a deep bond of friendship. In the end, questions are answered and connections are made as the truth about the characters unfolds.

From a teacher's perspective, the book is great for making connections, studying historical events during the two time periods in the book, making predictions, and making inferences. It might be a good idea to keep a plot chart going for each storyline to help keep up with the developments from day-to-day.

Fabulous Finds Build Excitement

I'm excited about my classroom theme next year... makes me wonder why I haven't done a better job of this sooner. Thankfully, I told hubs today, that teachers typically (I think) keep the same theme for 2-3 years then rotate to something else. (At least that's what the teachers at my school do.)

I'm even planning that maybe I could be a monster for the Halloween parade... hmmm...

Anyway, I started searching this weekend to expand my classroom library to include more lower level books and more holiday/seasonal books.

Perhaps next year's change will spark my creativity. I'm already excited for it!

Check out today's fabulous finds...

Surprisingly (or maybe not-so-surprisingly) Goodwill and thrift stores are great places to find some classic children's books. (This is about $30 worth of books [around 37 of them] from three different locations. Some hardback, some not.)

I'm super excited about the monster fabric I found at Joann's.

Our school is still keeping the HAPPY theme next year so I figured I wouldn't change ALL my curtains into monster ones, just every other one.





That is one of my summer tasks. They will look fabulous when I'm done!

The cashier at Joann's has probably inspired another summer to-do when she told me about a pattern that they sell...

Summer of the Monkeys

My classroom friends and I finished our read aloud book today just in time for spring break to start... for them. Sadly [since I'm a teacher], I had never read this classic before, but I really liked it.

Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls

Jay Berry Lee wanted nothing more than his own .22 and a pony. Jay Berry was out to fetch the family's cow from the river bottoms (again) when his best friend Rowdy, an old, faithful hound, trees a monkey. Through a series of events, Jay Berry and Rowdy try to capture the 29 monkeys hanging around in the river bottom trees after they realize the circus that lost them is offering a substantial reward. The monkeys leave them looking like fools instead. After an unexpected event, however, Jay Berry is able to gain the trust of the monkeys and lead them to the safety of his family's corn crib until the circus people come to claim them.

This book has some wonderful laugh out loud moments and unexpected twists. It can lead to a lot of great discussions about positive character traits and about the characters' relationships. Not to mention, I [the teacher] really like the ending and the decisions that Jay Berry has to make. The author did a great job of illustrating Jay Berry's decision-making and the personal dilemmas he faces.

83% of my students said they liked the book and would definitely recommend it to someone else.

"It taught me not to just think about yourself but to think of other people."

"The boy gave up what he wanted to make his family happy."

11% of the students said that the book wasn't their cup of tea, but other people might like it.

6% of them said they didn't like the book and would not recommend it to anyone, ever.

Since the Disney version of the movie was rated G, we decided to watch it after we were done reading the novel. Sadly, the movie has little in common with the book. For example, the whole reason that Jay Berry decides to catch the monkeys (after his grandpa tells him about the reward) is that he wants to use the money for the .22 and the pony. This is not the way the movie portrays it. There were no other boys out to get the monkeys. There was no old, grouchy man interacting with Jay Berry for being on his property.

Another big difference that many of my classroom friends were disappointed by were the amount of monkeys. The movie only had four goofy monkeys, which may not seem like a big deal, but when Jay Berry gets surrounded by the monkeys coming closer and closer before they attack and bite him, 29 monkeys are going to be scarier then 4 goofy monkeys. Also, when Jay Berry and the monkeys finally come to the house, and his sister Daisy starts yelling about him coming home with thousands of monkeys, the kids thought it was so funny they laughed out loud.

Not only were there some big differences, there lots of little differences too. Let me point out a few... In the book, Jay Berry didn't work in Grandpa's store with him. Rowdy, the hound, wasn't a hound in the movie. Daisy, Jay Berry's twin, didn't walk with a crutch like in the book. (The book actually said she was unable to walk without a crutch, and the crutch was a very touching part of the ending.) In the book, Daisy never almost fell in the river, and the monkeys never went in the family's home and messed it up.

Really, the book and movie are almost two separate stories based on the same main characters.

All that aside, pretty much all of the students liked the movie.
About half of them liked the book better than the movie.
[I think I agree! The book had so much more detail and so many more fun parts. Also, let me reiterate, I like the ending in the book much more than the movie.]

Brink of Death

Just finished the latest book I've been reading, Brink of Death by Brandilyn Collins. Pretty good book.

The main character is Annie Kingston, a single mother with a son and daughter. They have recently moved from the Bay Area to Grove Landing, when an unfortunate murder happens next door. Annie discovers that it's connected to her deceased father's last court case and feels obligated to do anything necessary to bring this loving, godly family justice, even if it means putting her own life in danger. Through this experience Annie not only unfolds this mystery, she begins to discover what's been missing in her own life.

In the next book of this short series, I expect to see growth in Annie's walk towards the Lord as she continues to develop this newly discovered passion for forensic art.

I enjoyed the book and am grateful to Mom and Dad for this read... (given to me a few Christmases ago).

Ghost Shadow

Just finished Ghost Shadow by Heather Graham tonight. Interesting. Overall, I have mixed feelings about the book.

Like a good mystery? Read it.

Like suspenseful books? Read it.

Like the supernatural? Read it.

Like explicit love scenes? Read it.

This book was recommended and loaned to me by a coworker. I have to be honest, though. I don't plan on reading the other recommended book by this author. I like a good mystery and a suspenseful book, especially one with cliffhangers that make you never want to put it down, but I'm NOT really into the supernatural world or reading explicit love scenes. (Honestly, when the hubs and I are watching a movie we've rented, we fast forward through the explicit love scenes, which is what I had to do with this book.)

The plot...

The setting of the book is Key West. The main character, Katie, meets up with David who comes back to town (after 10 years) to take care of some family business. They work together (along with the ghosts Katie can see and hear) to find the killer who mysteriously strangles community members (and leaves the victims' bodies in museum displays) every time David comes to town.

In the meantime, of course, Katie and David form a bond. However, David didn't come to town to stay. Will their relationship last beyond the resolution of the murder cases?

All in all, the mystery part of the book was great. I don't think I would recommend the book, though, because of the supernatural aspect, the explicit love scenes, and some unnecessary language.

Thanks for the read, though, coworker. Much appreciated!

A Successful Shopping Trip

I'm not ashamed to say I'm a Goodwill shopper. Clothes. Books. Games. Random items. Once we even bought a rocker/recliner there. Sometimes you can find some really good deals.

I made it to the Goodwill today. I had [2] things on my list this time.

1. A long sleeve bright green shirt to wear underneath my HAPPY school shirt. 
2. A couple of skirts to wear on my upcoming missions trip.

Amazingly enough, I successfully found both items [and more]!

Check out my buys!

• 4 [spring-colored] shirts, including the desired long sleeved, bright green one (the top shirt is my favorite out of these new-to-me's)

• 1 white tank top (to wear as an undershirt) 

• 1 pair of jeans

• 1 pair of jean capris (which I've been wanting for quite awhile but have never found any my size/style)

• 2 skirts (one long jean skirt, one to-the-knees gray cotton skirt)

Luckily, 4 out of the 9 items were 50% off.
All this for just under $20. Isn't that great?


As a teacher, I have a weakness for children's books. I found several at both Goodwill stores I went to this afternoon. I could have bought many more than I actually left the stores with. 16 books for almost $16. Sounds good to me! Not as good a deal as buying them at a garage sale, but way better deal than buying them full price or slightly discounted online!

When I saw Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Where the Wild Things Are, and Bedtime for Frances my heart melted. I l-o-v-e finding books I remember reading when I was little!

My last little thought about my shopping adventure today...
The difference in cleanliness/tidiness between the two stores I went to today was so amazing to me [but not surprising, I suppose]. The first one I went to, where I bought most of my merchandise, was very inviting. The checkout lady was so, so friendly. The dressing rooms were clean. The second one I went to was too full. It's a smaller store, so the racks were too packed with clothes. The smaller space made moving around people too difficult. The dressing 'stalls' were too messy (tags, clothes, and hangers everywhere). I felt the need to tidy up as much as possible before leaving the stalls. Not surprisingly, the first store was in a better neighborhood than the second one.

Chasing Vermeer

My fifth graders and I recently finished reading Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett together.

The story begins when three unknown characters each receive an identical note revealing that a famous work of art has been stolen. Then, we learn about the book's two main characters and sleuths, Calder and Petra. The world is turned upside down by disappearance of the painting and strange coincidences begin to happen. Luckily, Calder and Petra are able to work together to connect the pieces of the mystery and reveal the thief's identity.


I thought the book was pretty good. It definitely has moments of action and excitement. Some of the chapters end on cliffhangers, which I love as a teacher because it keeps the kids interested. Sometimes I felt the story was a little wordy, but overall I loved the mystery of it. It provided many prediction opportunities throughout. It also provided a few opportunities for the students to decode messages from one character to another. I would recommend this book to other teachers or students. 

Here's what my kids thought:

• 58% of the students said they liked the book and would definitely recommend it to other people.

"I liked the mystery and action."

"...it kept me on my toes."

"... It teaches us about famous art historians."

• 37% of the students thought the book wasn't their cup of tea but that other people might like it.

"I liked the mystery but there wasn't much excitement or action."

• 5% of the students didn't like the book and wouldn't recommend it to anyone, ever.

The author of Chasing Vermeer also wrote two other similar mystery books:

The Wright 3
starring Petra, Calder,
and Calder's friend Tommy

The Calder Game

starring Petra and Tommy,
in search of Calder

5 Stars: More Reviews

Though I'm sad to see the Thanksgiving vacation end, the days off were great! Not only did I get to spend time with the people I care about and love the most, I got to sleep in (always a blessing) and take some time to do things that I want to do (also a blessing).

One thing I like to do is watch a good movie. Doesn't matter if it's at home or in the theatres, a good movie is a good movie. I also like the fulfillment of reading a good book.

This weekend, I was blessed to catch two flicks at the theatre with friends and family, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Unstoppable.


The Deathly Hallows: Part 1

I had not read any of the Harry Potter books before this last book of the series, which I read two summers ago. I was excited to see the movie, more excited than I've been to see a Harry Potter movie, simply because I'd actually put the time in to this book. 

I must confess, I think I'm a bit disappointed by the movie, which covered 2/3 of this thick book. The problem is that there is so much in the book, so many events, so many levels to relationships between the characters, that there's no way that movie makers could truly do an excellent job. The movie would just be too long. It occurred to me today that this last book would really have made a great TV series. In fact, I'm sure there was a lot left out of most of the books, so maybe they should have made the whole book series into an everlasting TV series. I know I would have tuned in each week. Well, I would have once I realized how great it was.

(I wasn't an immediate Harry Potter fan. In fact, I remember a friend giving me the first book as a gift. And though I tried to read it and get in on the hype surrounding it, I just wasn't interested. Then the movies started coming out, and I wasn't interested in watching those at first, either. Somehow, somewhere, I started to enjoy the movies. And now that I've read the last book and was hooked the whole way through, I want to go back and read and see how much more I can learn from the other Harry Potter books.)

Of course I went back through the book to figure out what was missing. I even made a pretty hefty list (yes, I'm a list maker). Then, I also read through the last 1/3 of the book closely to review it for the next movie coming out in the Spring. A few family members who went to see it thought it was slow. They expected more action. (They obviously hadn't read the book to know most of the action happens at the end.) All-in-all, I think I will give Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 three and a half stars out of five. Maybe Part 2 will be more fulfilling.

* * * 1/2



Unstoppable

Unstoppable is another great Denzel Washington movie that also stars Chris Something-or-other from the newest Star Trek movie. It was inspired by a true story of a runaway train in Ohio. It had funny moments, not just smile-because-it's-humorous but laugh-out-loud funny moments, even in the touching ending. While I felt the beginning was somewhat slow, the middle and end really picked up speed and were very interesting and entertaining. I'm torn between giving it three and a half or four stars.

* * * *



On a side note, I did see Despicable Me with my husband and his brother while we were in California at the end of the summer, and I thought it was great. I did not catch Nanny McPhee Returns in the theatre, so we'll have to rent that. I also have not yet seen MegaMind. It is yet to be determined as to whether or not I'll have to rent it or if we'll make it to the theatre before it leaves. I am also interested in renting Tangled once it comes out on DVD (it just entered the theatres), and I know Mom has already made plans for us all to see the latest Narnia film The Voyage of the Dawn Treader during the Christmas break.

Yikes! Lots of movies!
Happy movie watching!

An Excellent Read-Aloud

My fifth graders and I just finished a great book this week. We definitely recommend it to be read immediately!

Fern Drudger discovers she was given to the wrong set of parents when she was born; this explains why they are so boring and she is so interesting. Her real father comes to visit the Drudger house, and Fern goes to spend the summer with him. It is through this experience that she learns who she truly is and about her family.

Her real father and mother are part of a group of people known as 'Anybodies'; they can transform into anyone or anything. Since the death of her mother, though, things have been going downhill for her father, and Fern has to help him find a special book called The Art of Being Anybody before his enemy does.

This book is hilarious, one that especially 5th-8th graders would appreciate. Just as Fern discovered, you will soon realize that "things aren't always what they seem."

This author has an interesting way of writing. Very conversational. In fact, sometimes she will pause the storyline to comment and relate with the reader.

Fortunately, this book has a couple of sequels. We probably won't read the sequels as a read-aloud (simply because I like my kids to experience lots of different books and authors), but it's good to know that Fern's story continues.

I'd love to hear what you think of any of the three books!

Happy reading!

Redeeming Love

I just finished my first book of the summer early, early this morning, as I couldn't sleep last night before finishing it off. Now I'm left disappointed that the book is over.

A friend handed me Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers over Memorial Day weekend, and once I actually decided to pick up the 464 page book, I absolutely couldn't put it down! Thanks, Trish, for sharing with me.

Redeeming Love is a book set in the mid-1800's that grips you from the Prologue. You really feel for the main character, Sarah, along her journey and hope she can get pull herself out of the mindset and the situation she is in.  Sometimes you just wish you could shake her and say "Listen here!" The book definitely intends to pull at the heartstrings of your inner romantic. Michael Hosea acts as the Prince Charming of the book trying to rescue our beloved Sarah from herself and get her to love him and gain a relationship with the Lord.

I was able to find something about each character that I could relate with, something I found true in my own life or walk with Christ. The character that I understood the most, though, was Susanna Axle. At one point in the story, when she's trying to guide and comfort Sarah, she confesses that she is 'a fixer, a worrier.' She says that she has a difficult time 'just let[ting] things go.' I absolutely understand that. I too struggle with giving things to the Lord and letting Him take control! Proverbs 3:5 comes to mind a lot for me (Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding) and it seemed to be one of the main themes of the book. God is in control!

I even liked the ending to the book. Sweet. Simple. Not too much information, not too little. Well done, Francine Rivers!