I just checked the google form responses and it looks like we've read 30 books so far this summer! WOOHOO! Great job, everyone! Keep reading!
I've finished three more books. It took me a while to get down to entering them, but here are my three latest reads:
1. Countdown by Deborah Wiles - This book would be good for students in 5th grade and up. I really enjoyed this novel, which is the first in a trilogy. In this book, Franny Chapman, a 5th grader living in 1962, is having trouble with her family and friendships. What makes this story unique is that the book takes place during the Cuban Missile Crisis, when America and the USSR were at the height of the Cold War. The author calls this a documentary novel, because she includes actual photographs, media images, and speeches given during the crisis. Having these images and texts from the Cold War really helped the reader understand the characters' lives. I highly recommend this book and can't wait to read the others in the series.
2. Spark by John J. Ratey, MD - This book is written for college students or adults. It is a nonfiction book about the link between exercise and the brain. I always try to learn more about the brain and what scientists and doctors know about it, because I know it will help with my teaching. The basic message of this book is the brain responds to the stress caused by exercising by becoming stronger, working more efficiently, and releasing chemicals that help to combat (among other things) worrying, attention problems, and aging. It took me a while to get through this book because it was so technical in terms of medical and biological language - luckily those words use a lot of Greek and Latin stems, which make them easier to remember (for those Caesar's English and Building Language students!).
3. Doll Bones by Holly Black - The most recent book I completed was Doll Bones. This book would be for students who aren't easily spooked in grades 5 and above. It is about three friends who go on a quest to help a haunted doll get back home. The book is sort of a horror/adventure. It's not scary, but does have some spooky situations with the haunted doll (or maybe she's not haunted - it could be in their minds!).
