Introducing Alexa

Over the next several weeks, I'll be introducing you to several student bloggers from my summer book club. Each blogger will be answering questions from Welcome to My Tweendom.  These students are new to blogging and look forward to sharing their book thoughts with you.  Please help me welcome:


Alexa 


of 


Simon Cowell's Corner




What are your favorite genres to read?
 I read a wide variety of books, but my favorite genres are probably science-fiction and fantasy 


 How do you select the books you want to read? 
 Usually, I see ads for books on the internet or someone recommends them for me. 


 What is your favorite book so far?
 My favorite book is The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan. 


 What is your favorite thing about reading? 
 I love the fact that there are so many creative ideas that people come up with, and really experiencing what it would be like, asking yourself, "What if?" 


 Do you read on an e-reader/phone/computer? 
Yes, I read on my I-pod touch on an amazing app called the Wattpad. ( Free books written by people and sent out, and given feedback.) 


 What kinds of books do you think are most popular with kids your age? Why?
 I believe that books that kids my age really like to read romance novels, (though I really don't enjoy them) All kids, mostly girls, at the pree-teen age like to imagine if they had a boyfriend like the wonderful, non-realistic ones they experience in novels. 


 What book are you waiting to be released? 
I am anxiously awaiting the release of the third book in the trilogy the Iron King, the Iron Prince. I heard it comes out this month, so excited!! 


 What are you currently reading? 
 I am currently reading the new novel Matched, by Allie Condie though I haven't gotten into it yet!

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The Sunday Salon - Reading Plans

I don't know why I post reading plans, they always make me fee boxed in.  But, they also help me to see what's on my plate.  I've been trying to combine reading from the various groups I'm in:

The SJCPL Mock Newbery clubs - one for kids and the one for adults
The DMS Mock Newbery club - for kids at my school - private
The Goodreads Mock Printz online club - for anyone
The Goodreads Mock Newbery online club -for anyone

Here are some I still need to read, in no particular order:

• Blink and Caution
• Amelia Lost
• Bird in a Box
• Paper Covers Rock
• Dead End in Norvelt
• Trouble With May Amelia
• Freedom Stone
• Flint Heart
• Hound Dog True
• Wildwood
• The Mostly True Story of Jack
• Everybody Sees The Ants
• The Scorpio Races
• Jefferson's Sons
• Adventures of Sir Gawain The True
• Bigger Than A Breadbox
• City of Orphans
• Icefall
• Dark of the Moon
• The Summer Before Boys
• Small Persons with Wings
• Dragon Castle
• Flyaway
• The Queen of Water
• Planet Middle School
• Eight Keys
• Ten Rules for Living with My Sister
• The Inquisitor's Apprentice
• Ghetto Cowboy
• Akata Witch
• Liesl & Po
• Desert Angel
• Jane Austen: A Life Revealed
• Imaginary Girls
• Eddie's War
• Bluefish
• The Silver Bowl
• Water Balloon
• Blizzard of Glass
• Charles Dickens and the Street Children of London
• A Month of Sundays
• The Luck of the Buttons
• Heart and Soul
• I Broke My Trunk
• Money We'll Save
• Never Forgotten
• I am J
• Life Exploded
• Berlin Boxing Club

This doesn't include adult books, under the radar books, holiday books, or books I just want to read!  Hopefully, I can still fit them all in! Being a school librarian helps in that I will have two days off for Thanksgiving and two weeks off for Winter Vacation.

What's on your reading list?  Are there any titles I need to add?

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The Great Global Puzzle Challenge with Google Earth- Review

THE GREAT GLOBAL PUZZLE CHALLENGE WITH GOOGLE EARTH-REVIEW BY LUCY

Hi Everyone!

It is very exciting and today I will be reviewing my first book! As you saw the title is THE GREAT GLOBAL PUZZLE CHALLENGE WITH GOOGLE EARTH.  It was an exciting book that was very interactive. At the beginning of the book it was very detailed on how you set up things on Google earth (yes, for someone people it may be a downside if you don't have a computer) At home, we already have Google earth, so with a couple of clicks I was ready to begin my journey. At each destination you had coordinates to type into Google earth. It would then take you to the location to explore. In the picture inside the book you were asked to spot 3 things/items, a flag, a historical and geographical misfit, and pick up a souvenir. I didn't do these things right away. It was something I could skip and it wouldn't ruin up the number points I needed for the "final/secret destination" With each destination it would then tell you to either type in a destination in that city or to scroll along. (For example cruise down a river until you get to the ninth bridge along) It total there were 11 destinations before you had all the numbers for the "final/secret" destination.

My favorite destination was Tokyo. It had a neat challenge on where you had to pass green roofed buildings to reach a pagoda. If you messed up you were back at square one. And sadly I messed up. I took a turn somewhere, when I shouldn't have. Out of everything there was one thing that I didn't like, and it would be the final destination. I thought it was going to be some exotic place, but it wasn't. I guess I thought that it was leading me up for some neat destination. I found this book very educational, as I learned new things about each city by doing fun events. I would highly recommend this book especially to kids as it is a fun way to learn!

I would like to thank Blueslip Media for the book! It was very generous!

~Loving to Read One Step at a Time

Lucy

2nd Book and Videos!!

I've finally reached my second book: Drums Girls and Dangerous Pies I am currrently on page 64. To keep the mood of reading I found a couple of videos! Take a look!

Keep READING!!

~Loving to Read One Step at a Time

Lucy

24 Hour Read-a-thon: Another Update!

Hey all, Aneeqah here! I'm sorry I haven't been able to update, I just got home from my relative's house! Luckily, I had some good time to read there. Here are my updated stats:

Right now, I am currently reading All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin.

Number of Pages Read Since Last Update: 196

Number of Books Read Since Last Update: 1

Number of Minutes Read Since Last Update: 120 Minutes

Total Number of Pages Read: 555

Total Number of Books Read: 1

Total Number of Minutes: 330 Minutes

I'm starting to get sleepy... so wish me luck!

Wrap!

Its a wrap for me folks! More to come later in the week of reviews! (I hope)

~Loving to Read One Step at a Time

Lucy

Mid Event Survey

1. What are you reading right now? Drums Girls and Dangerous Pies

2. How many books have you read so far? 1

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? Sadly NONE

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? Off Reading Yes!

5. Have you had many interruptions? Too Many

How did you deal with those? Sadly nothing!

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? How tiring it is!

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? ..... No?

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? Read more!

9. Are you getting tired yet? Too much! And my favorite football team just lost.. Waste of my time.

10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered? Nope

~Loving to Read One Step at a Time

Lucy

October ReadAThon - Update #3 - The Apothecary

Shop Indie BookstoresThe Apothecary by Maile Meloy. GP Putnam and Sons. 16.99. 9780399256271.

With a mix of realistic fiction and fantasy, known as magical realism, we are drawn into Janie Scott's memories as she looks back almost 60 years ago when, at the age of 14, she had the best year of her life.  She lived in London with her parents but that wasn't the great part as it was 1952 and London still hadn't put itself back together after World War II.  The great part was meeting Benjamin and his father, the apothecary.  Benjamin and Janie were caught up in the apothecary's plan to save humanity by isolating, and hopefully reversing, the atomic bomb.

I was sucked into the story from the "note to the reader" all the way to the end.  Even though the story was told from Janie's memories, it felt more immediate.  Though, I admit, it was little jarring to go from being 7 on one page to 14 on the other.  Other than that, I found The Apothecary fascinating. I will need to go back and read it again to see if stands up to Newbery scrutiny, but even if it doesn't, I can't wait to see what the students think of this one!

Update:

Title of book(s) read since last update:

The Apothecary by Maile Meloy

Number of books read since you started:

2
Pages read since last update:
353p.

Running total of pages read since you started:

715p. plus 30 min audio

Amount of time spent reading since last update:

3h 50 min
Running total of time spent reading since you started:
8 hours



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Book 1: Completed!

Book 1 Completed!

I had already started this book, but was dying for finish it, so I did.

Its an amazing story from growing up in "the ghetto" to NFL football.

Michael Oher grew up with a mother doing drugs. His siblings and himself, never knew where they were going to sleep, and if there mother would even show up at their house that night. One day he met the Touhy family, who legally adopted him around the age of 18. Its an amazing, powerful story, that I would highly recommend.

On page 236 Michael pledges is support to be the best role model that he can be through appearances and speeches.

He also asks that children reading this book will pledge to value their life enough to commit to making it no matter what; and that every adult will pledge to find a way to give back.

Michael- you HAVE my pledge to help out! Do you all pledge?

I would like to finish this post with some quotes from the book:

"All out shooting matches were pretty rare, but I do clearly remember one time watching a baby get sot in the midst of an argument" (6).

"Take a look at yourself. You are a unique person created for a specific purpose. Your gifts matter. Your story matters. Your dreams matter. You matter. " (235).

~Loving to Read One Step at a Time

Lucy

October Readathon - Update #2 - The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman

The Fingertips of Duncan DorfmanThe Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman by Meg Wolitzer. Dutton. 16.99. 9780525423041

Duncan Dorfman just discovered the coolest thing about himself.  But he promised his mom he wouldn't tell anyone. But, circumstances have forced his hand. His fingertips, I mean. Of his left hand, precisely.  You see, Duncan can read with his fingers.  I mean, really, even with his eyes closed.  And it could be his way out of obscurity.  So he agrees to cheat at the annual Youth Scrabble Tournament in Yakamee, Florida. 

And that is just the beginning of Duncan's slippery slope down into the bowels of evil. Or at least into more and more lies.

Meg Wolitzer's writing is solid and keeps you reading about Duncan and the other scrabble geeks in the book.Wolitzer wends a LOT of Scrabble rules into the story but using all caps gives you a chance to skip it if necessary.  Some of the information is fascinating and I found myself wanting to start a Scrabble club at school.  But, in the end, the story proves to be predictable and almost everything wraps up neat and sweet.  The only loose end is why Duncan has this talent or where he got it from. Maybe there are plans for a second book.

While I enjoyed The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman, I didn't find it nearly as compelling as The Cardturner by Louis Sachar.  The Cardturner is about another unlikely subject, bridge, but Sachar's writing elevates the story and makes you care about the characters while Wolitzer's are bare and unknown.

Update:

Title of book(s) read since last update:

The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman by Meg Wolitzer

Number of books read since you started:

1
Pages read since last update:
158 plus 30 min of audio

Running total of pages read since you started:

362p plus 30 min audio

Amount of time spent reading since last update:

2hr 10m
Running total of time spent reading since you started:
 4hr 10 min

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