Weather and books

A continued thank you to everyone who has been sending the weather reports, the children are enjoying the geography project so much!

On a booky note I am currently reading The Memory Keepers Daughter but am going very slowly:) I have been reading a lot of teaching books instead and have been working with an Advanced Skills Teacher who has inspired me lots!

Thank you!

To all those wonderful people who are volunteering to help my class out, you are all absolutely wonderful! As I say often, the more the merrier!

Help needed from people not in the UK- something for my class

I teach primary school children and one of our geography units this term is about connecting with the world where basically we have to communicate with someone in another country and find out about the weather there etc. Ideally I should do it with another school but I just don't know where to start with that so I thought I could do it with individuals instead! If there is anyone out there who doesn't mind sending me
- daily preferably or every few days reports to what the weather is like where you live- this would be for a week or two beginning this week. The 'report' would only need to be brief ie an indication of temperature, what you see and what it feels like
- a link to your local newspaper if possible so we can get a feel of the area you live.and ...um thats it, I would be really grateful!

You wouldn't have to give your name or anything like that and in return I would be very grateful My kids may like to type you a thank you letter so if I could have a way of emailing you that would be great too!

My plan is to have a map on our wall where we track the different weathers around the world on a daily basis for a week or so. Sorry for the long post!

Bibliotherapy and bits

A great article about all the wonderful effects of reading. As if we needed to be told:)

I am also addicted again to Read It Swap It

And this wonderful forum called Book Club Forum where I chat to even more like minded people!

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka- Review

Title and author of book?
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka

What led you to pick up this book?
Recommendation from other people and an interest in the subject matter (not Tractors but Ukrainian History!)

Summary
From Amazon
'Two years after my mother died, my father fell in love with a glamourous blonde Ukrainian divorcee. He was eighty-four and she was thirty-six. She exploded into our lives like a fluffy pink grenade, churning up the murky water, bringing to the surface a sludge of sloughed-off memories, giving the family ghosts a kick up the backside.' Sisters Vera and Nadezhda must put aside a lifetime of feuding to save their emigre engineer father from voluptuous gold-digger Valentina. With her proclivity for green satin underwear and boil-in-the-bag cuisine, she will stop at nothing in her pursuit of Western wealth. But the sisters' campaign to oust Valentina unearths family secrets, uncovers fifty years of Europe's darkest history and sends them back to roots they'd much rather forget...’

What did you like most about the book?
I loved the dialogue and the exchanges by all the characters. I raced through it because I was desperate to see how it ended.

What did you like least?
It made me realise that I needed to read up more on the subject matter as it is a while since my history A-Level and lots of things have been forgotten.

Have you read any other books by this author? What did you think of those books?
No but will definitely be searching them out.

What did you think of the main character?
A great family and I loved the looks back into their history.

Any other particularly interesting characters?
The father and Mike.

Share a quote from the book:
So many from Valentina had me chuckling but your heart wrenches for the father.

Share a favourite scene from the book:
The last scene where he is saluting the sun!

What did you think of the ending?
One I was pleased with, bless him.

I highly recommend this book! There is so much more to say about it, delving into the historical aspects and immigration and I will try and comment on these later, I just wanted to give my general opinion of the book.
Rating (trying out this system!)

This is also a book completed for the What's in a Name? Challenge!
4.5/5

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak- Review

Title and author of book?
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

What led you to pick up this book?
So many recommendations from other people and intrigued by the cover and title- anything to do with books!

Summary
From Amazon
“1939 - Nazi Germany - The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier. Liesel, a nine-year-old girl, is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books. This is her story and the story of the inhabitants of her street when the bombs begin to fall. Some important information - this novel is narrated by death. It's a small story, about: a girl; an accordionist; some fanatical Germans; a Jewish fist fighter; and quite a lot of thievery. Another thing you should know - death will visit the book thief three times.

What did you like most about the book?
I loved the narration of death and the way the characters and their relationships were presented. I loved the way that it tugged at my heart strings, especially at the end and I am not ashamed to admit I had a cry!

What did you like least?
It took me a while to get into for some reason but then suddenly gripped me.

Have you read any other books by this author? What did you think of those books?
No but will definitely be searching them out.

What did you think of the main character?
What a feisty young lady! Made me consider heavily what I would do in her situation.

Any other particularly interesting characters?
Papa. And Rudy. And Max. I loved the male characters in this book.

Share a quote from the book:
“She leaned down and looked at his lifeless face and Liesel kissed her best friend Rudy Steiner soft and true on his lips. He tasted dusty and sweet. He tasted like regret…” I was blubbing at this point.

Share a favourite scene from the book:
One of the meetings of Max and Liesel- don’t want to say more and give a spoiler.

What did you think of the ending?
Wonderful but sad. Sad at what happens and sad that it ends.
I highly recommend this book!
Rating (trying out this system!)
5/5

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I finished this book about five minutes ago and my goodness what a read. I was worried because it took me a while to get into the book and then suddenly I became hooked and ended up blubbing a bit at the end.

I will write a fuller review tomorrow when my head is clearer and also I have decided I need more of a structure to my reviews so I am going to read some blogs to get some ideas.

But my basic thing to put forward is read this book! And yes I know I am probably one of the few people who hadn't read this book but just in case you haven't yet and was thinking about it- READ IT! lol.

Costa Book Prize

The finalists for this prize have been announced and unfortunately I haven't read any of them so couldn't comment! Has anyone read any of them? If so which do you think deserves to win?

Ann Kelley-The Bower Bird
AL Kennedy-Day
Catherine O'Flynn0-What Was Lost
Simon Sebag Montefiore-Young Stalin
Jean Sprackland-Tilt

Chunkster Challenge

The Chunkster Challenge is being run by So Many Books, So Little Time
Details
"To qualify the book must be 450 pps regular type OR 750 pps large text.
You must read FOUR chunksters (one each quarter), you OBVIOUSLY may read more
The Challenge will run Jan 7th, 2008 - Dec 20th, 2008 (the only chunky thing occupying my mind over Christmas is ME! AND I am using my foresight remembering my inbox on Dec 31st/ Jan 1 of THIS year when all the challenges ended). BUT any chunkster started after Jan 1 qualifies. "

My choices are-
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood-637 pages
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon- 506 pages
The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber- 835 pages
The Dark Tower by Stephen King- 683 pages

What's in a name Challenge

Am hoping to sign up for this challenge too, the What's in a Name Challenge?
Dates- 2008
Challenge- Read one book from a set of given categories (details below with my choices)

1. A book with a color in its title -Crimson Petal and the White by Michael Faber
2. A book with an animal in its title- The Goldfish Bowl- Married to the Prime Minister by Cherie Blair and Cate Haste
3. A book with a first name in its title- Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee
4. A book with a place in its title- A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marine Lewycka
5. A book with a weather event in its title-Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy
6. A book with a plant in its title-Extra Virgin: Among the Olive Groves of Liguria by Annie Hawes

All to help me get down my TBR!

TBR Challenge 2008

Remembered to sign up for this one too:)
TBR Challenge hosted by mizb
Dates- 2008
My Choices (not changeable)
1. The Crimson Petal and the White by Michael Faber
2. The Dark Tower by Stephen King
3. The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfield
4. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
5. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
6. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
7. Small Island by Andrea Levy
8. Himilayas by Michael Palin
9. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
10. The Island by Victoria Hislop
11. On Beauty by Zadie Smith
12. Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre

Young Readers Challenge

Young Readers Challenge
Dates- Jan- Dec '08
Challenge- Read 12 books or more for the under 12's, perfect challenge for getting recommendations for my class.
My Choices
I think I am allowed to choose as I go:) Will check!

Shakespeare

Shakespeare Challenge at BiblioShakespeare choices.
Date Runs- 1st Jan '08-31st June '08
Challenge- Read four books by or about Shakespeare
My Choices
- Romeo and Juliet
- A Midsummer Night's Dream
- Othello
- Hamlet