Welcome Back!

Well here we are! Summer has come to a close and another school year has begun. I feel like summer went by far too fast this year but I'm excited for what this school year has in store.

Some of the highlights of my summer were:

Meeting Raina Telgemeier, author of the graphic memoir Smile.

Going to Universal's Islands of Adventure to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and HOGWARTS!

...and getting to drink butterbeer!

Hanging out with The Lorax among the truffula trees

Going parasailing in Key West

Visiting the Hemingway House

Reading one of my favorite books, Turtle in Paradise, on the very street where the book takes place

Visiting The Turtle Hospital in Marathon

I also visited South Beach in Miami and Savannah, Georgia. It was a great summer and went by way too fast!

Now it's your turn. Tell me something cool you did over the summer.

The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen

On her way home from a track meet, Jessica loses part of her leg in a school bus accident. For her, the thought of never running again makes her want to curl up and die. There are many dark days for her at the beginning of her recovery but after she stops feeling sorry for herself, she begins making speedy progress to walking again. Soon her coach and track team show her that her dream of running again might not be that far fetched after all...

At first the story was incredibly depressing. It felt like we were journeying through Jessica's dark night of the soul with her. But as the novel progressed, it got more and more hopeful. When she stopped feeling sorry for herself, Jessica became a force to be reckoned with. 

I am someone who hates running with a passion. I want to like it so bad. I have tried on several different occasions to like it, but I just can't force myself to do it. So despite my distaste for running, I still loved this book. All of the characters and situations are so masterfully written that every scene manages to stir up some sort of  clear emotion within the reader whether it was love, fondness, frustration or even all-out hate (Jessica's biggest rival for example was someone I would have loved to smack upside the head).  The first few pages give the reader an indication of just what is so appealing about running for Jessica when she describes what running did for her as a person. She said, "Running aired out my soul." I mean wow! What a statement. Those five words alone made me want to attempt to take up running again. And for me, the mark of a successful book is one that I still want to live inside of even after I finish it. It's been a few days since I finished this book and I am still living with Jessica. I can't let go of her. 

This book can appeal to a wide array of readers: whether it's runners or athletes in general, people overcoming physical disabilities, readers who know a friend or family member who had to overcome a physical disability, or anyone who just likes reading stories of overcoming adversity. What I also loved about this book is while it is categorized as Young Adult for the simple fact that the main character is in high school, it could easily be read by students in any grade. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for an inspiring read.

There will never be another One and Only Ivan

I was devastated to find out earlier this evening from my friend Mr. Schu that Ivan the gorilla passed away today. It is especially sad for me because my husband and I are on vacation in Florida right now and were considering stopping at Zoo Atlanta to see him on our way home to Michigan.

If you have not read The One and Only Ivan yet, I highly encourage you to do so. It rivals Charlotte's Web when it comes to children's literature that will stand the test of time.

Rest in peace Ivan. You will be dearly missed and your memory will live on in your story.

Audiobook Review: The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy

Did you know the princes who saved Rapunzel, Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty weren't actually named "Charming" as we so often believe? No, these men have real names: Liam, Duncan, Frederic and Gustav to be exact. So why are they all named "Charming" in their fairy tales? Well, the bards in charge of telling their stories can't seem to keep names and details straight, that's why.

In fact, we only know these beloved stories up until "happily ever after" but the truth of the matter is, all four of the aforementioned princesses rejected their associated Prince Charming in some form or another and forced the princes from their kingdoms. In the meantime, they manage to discover a nefarious plot afoot that puts all of their kingdoms at risk. Can these dunderhead princes save the day or will they fall short and risk the lives of the people in their kingdoms?

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom is a brilliant debut novel by Christopher Healy and one that is bound to become a children's classic. In fact, I'm predicting it won't be long before a movie studio gets wind of this book and snatches it up for an animated feature.

This is one of the most memorable audiobooks I've listened to in recent history and that is all thanks to the sheer comic genius of actor Bronson Pinchot, who not only narrates this audiobook, he performs his heart out in it. The person you always associate with the words "brilliant", "audiobook" and "voices" is Jim Dale, (narrator of the Harry Potter audiobooks) but let me tell you, Mr. Pinchot gives Mr. Dale a run for his money. I would definitely coin Bronson as the American Jim Dale, but I might even be so bold as to say his voices are BETTER and FUNNIER than Jim Dale's. But maybe that's my own bias talking because I have loved Bronson Pinchot ever since he played Balki Bartokomous on the ever cheesy 80s sitcom Perfect Strangers. If you've never heard of it kids, look it up. All of Pinchot's voices are brilliant, but my personal favorite is that of Prince Duncan, who sounds more like a surfer dude who's fallen off his board one too many times than that of the dignified prince one imagines to have married Snow White. For those of you who listened to The True Meaning of Smekday and understand why I love it so much The Hero's Guide and Smekday are neck and neck in terms of my favorite audiobooks, with the slight edge being given to Smekday.

Todd Harris did the illustrations for The Hero's Guide and that is the one drawback of listening to the audiobook instead of actually reading it: missing out on his laugh-out-loud funny drawings. Luckily I own a copy of the book, so I was able to thumb through it from time to time while I was listening to the audiobook. But no matter which way you choose to partake in this book, either via traditional means or audiobook, it is sure to entertain you for hours and cause you to beg Christopher Healy to write another book... QUICKLY! Come on Healy! I need another fix! When's your next book coming out? I hope you've already got one in the works!

If you're looking for a hilarious, lighthearted book for your summer reading, I highly recommend The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom!

Look who I got to meet

So I know how much you all love the graphic novel Smile by Raina Telgemeier. Look who I got to meet at the Kids Read Comics event at the Ann Arbor District Library this past weekend:

Yes, that's me with Raina Telgemeier, author of the awesome graphic novel, Smile:

Not only did she sign a copy of Smile for me, but I also got a Smile t-shirt too! I can't wait to wear it to school when we come back in September.

Other cool things at the Kids Read Comics Event:

Artist Chris Houghton signed a copy of Reed Gunther for me and then drew a personalized picture for my classroom.

 My friends Brian, Colby, Jen, and I pose with  Vordak the Incomprehensible (Photo courtesy of Colby Sharp)

Raina also gave a "turn your life into a comic" workshop at the Robot Supply and Repair Shop a couple blocks from the library. It was such a fun workshop about turning your life into a comic. Well, I say fun, but for me it was quite stressful since I can't draw even a stick figure to save my own life. It was much more inspiring to watch Raina at work than to try to do any sort of drawing myself.

Raina makes an outline of a story from an audience volunteer

Raina draws a comic from the story outline right on the spot

The hilarious finished comic

Overall it was a fun day of getting to hang out with friends and of course meeting great authors and artists. Oh, and let's not forget that I got a Smile t-shirt and a copy of the book signed. Yay! You will definitely see me sporting my Smile shirt when school starts back up again.

Guenter likes Smile too

I hope you all are enjoying your summer. What cool things have you done/will you do?

THE TRUE MEANING OF SMEKDAY'S GOING TO BE A MOVIE!

I'M USING ALL CAPS BECAUSE I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!

Check out this official announcement made today. 

Here's the gist:
It's going to be produced and animated through Dreamworks
Jim Parsons will be the voice of J.Lo
Rihanna will be the voice of Gratuity
It will be out in late 2014

Looks like you all chose well for your March Book Madness Champion! :)

Thoughts on Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm

When her mother gets a new job as a housekeeper for a woman who doesn't like children, Turtle must move to Key West to live with her aunt and uncle while her mother waits for her dreamer of a boyfriend to pop the question so they can finally be a family.

In the meantime, Turtle adjusts to life with her relatives in Key West which includes a band of raucous boy cousins who call themselves The Diaper Gang (because they, ironically, know how to soothe fussy babies) and the surly grandmother who had a falling out with her mother.

As Turtle gets to know the family she's never met, she comes to grow an affection for them - even her cousin Beans who does not appreciate having to give up his room for this surprise familial intruder.

While Turtle in Paradise is not a book with an exciting story arc and/or lots of edge-of-your-seat drama, there is a quiet beauty to it. It's one of those books where you just want to sit down on the porch swing with a glass of lemonade and visit with the characters for a while - and it is an additional reminder as to why I will forever prefer character-driven novels to plot-driven ones. In Turtle in Paradise, Jennifer Holm weaves family stories into something magical. I highly recommend reading the author's note at the end. It's a great way to show students and aspiring writers alike how to take inspiration from all around you.

I finished the audiobook of Turtle in Paradise in less than 24 hours while I was recovering from LASIK surgery thanks in part to the soothing voice of the narrator, Becca Battoe. It's one of those audiobooks that makes you enjoy the listening experience just as much, if not more so than than the reading experience.

If you're looking for a quiet yet fun summer read, look no further.  (Oh, and don't forget that Jennifer Holm is also the writer of Babymouse!)