I've gotta get me one of these!

Here's the only thing I want for Christmas.
It's not much.
Say, not as much as a gold plated Mercedes.
And way less expensive than a trip on the space shuttle.
It's a bio-fuel car that can go 180 mph. And it can fly!
So really, I'm helping the earth by driving this and I'm reducing highway congestion by flying with this to work.
So if you could put in a good word for me with the guy in the red suit, I would be deeply appreciative.
I know you want one too, so go to Skyjet's site.

Guest Blogger: Dylan (my book-reviewing son)

I mostly like to read sci-fi and fantasy, so I don't know a lot of books on other genres. Here are my favorites.

* The Artemis Fowl series, by Eoin Colfer, as well as the Supernaturalist and the Wish List by the same author.
* The Inheritance cycle is very popular right now: Eragon, Eldest, and Brisengr by Christopher Paolini. A little thick, probably above the average 8th grader.
* The Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddel.
* The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerizzi and Holy Black. Lower level than 8th grade, but that means I've talked to some of my classmates, even a football player, who like this series.
* Harry Potter is, of course, world renowned, but I sort of think that if students were going to read these huge books, they would have done it by now.
* The Black Tattoo by Sam Enthoven. One of my favorite all-time books. However, it is sci-fi, and sort of redefines religion and belittles God, making him look like a nerdy twerp compared to other entities. (Yes, these are the kind of books I read.)
* The Land of Elyon series is good, a story for either gender, with talking animals. By Patrick Carman. One of the lower level books, they're around 250 pages each.
* The Olympians series is good, by Rick Riordan. It is about modern day gods, and kids who find out they are Greek demigods. First book: The Lightning Thief.
* The Bartimaeus Trilogy is awesome as well, by Jonathan Stroud. About slavery among demons.
* Another sci-fi slavery book is The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima. It has a theme, anti-prejudice among races. This is also a series.
* The Ranger's Apprentice, by Lohn Flanagan. It's sort of a medieval fantasy book. Comparatively short, but tough vocab.
* Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke. About a girl who with no mom, finds out that when her dad reads aloud, the characters come to life, lost her mom in a book. I think it even won a few awards a few years back. Sequel: Inkspell.
* This series, Warriors, is like Inkheart and Land of Elyon. Girls might actually read it. By Erin Hunter. About wild cats in clans who fight among themselves. Seems to address common issues like racism between countries, but with cats.
* Pendragon series. Hard core sci-fi. Multiple dimensions, time warps, and, of course, a guy who wants to rule all of them. By DJ MacHale.
* The City of Ember- Jeanne Duprau. This is a cool book, it's part of a series, and the movie is just out, so kids are more likely to read it.

I have four good books that aren't sci-fi--

* Alex Rider series, by Anthony Horowitz. Sort of a "if James Bond died and had a son" action-adventure book. Alex is blackmailed, and unwillingly put into the British secret service. He's like 15.
* Young Bond series. Not as good, but guys will read it because it IS about the kid version of Bond. By Charlie Higson. Just went on the site. Apparently, there are graphic novels out for his books as well.
* The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp, by Rick Yancey. Very cool. Like a search for the Holy grail meets Indiana Jones meets James Bond.
* Last, The Series of Unfortunate Events. (a series) The author's pen name is Lemony Snicket. Cynical humor, most of the adults are bad.

Shiny, Happy Stories

OK. I've always said that I write for my students.
But Friday they threw me a curve ball.

Several ninth graders in 5th and 7th period told me they want more shiny, happy stories--where no one gets shot, eaten, exploded, and all animals featured in the story live happily ever after...including cats. Which is difficult for a language arts teacher whose definition of "fervent" is when your cat gets stuck in the heating duct. (That would be "fur vent" for those of you auditory to visual learners.)

So I accept the challenge. But only for a short story. Maybe something featuring Teletubbies or Barney. OR Teletubbies VS. Barney in an all out ninja war. No, no. that's not shiny, happy.

This will take some work.

Until I get a better one, I'll submit "Fishing for Corn" which they will see in January anyway.

And while that's stewing, I'll get back to the story referenced below containing grenade launchers and such.

See ya soon.

Insomnia and Grenade Launchers

So I'm at the point in writing the new story that I can't sleep. The characters are starting to keep me awake, and I have to get up at 4:30 to write things down.
Soooooooo. It's a really good thing that I plan my lessons before I go home the week before. It's also good that I have a lot of coffee.

I wonder if a hydropack will hold hot liquids.
hmmmmmmmmm....

My Favorite Banned Books

I’m working on reading the 100 most banned books in the last 7 years. I feel it’s my duty to read them all. Toni Morrison has several on the list, so I’m going to have to try one of hers next.

In the ironic category, I love the fact that Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry is on the list. It was challenged at a middle school where I used to work. A parent thought it was racist. A book written by a black woman about a girl in Mississippi learning to deal with racism was racist? Luckily my principal (a black man, incidentally) defended the book and the book stayed in the classroom.

And Captain Underpants???? Oh, come on!!!

Happy reading!

My completed list so far.

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling

Forever by Judy Blume

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers

We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Ordinary People by Judith Guest

The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell

Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey

Blood and Chocolate Annette Curtis Klause

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor

A Time to Kill by John Grisham

Check out the Top 100 most frequently challenged books from 2000-2007 here.

National Book Festival

At the National Book Festival on Sept. 27, there is a Pavilion of States. In this pavilion, each state library sets up a display to represent literacy in that state.

To encourage the 120,000 visitors to check out each state's site, there is a kids' map activity where the object is to visit every state display and get a stamp.
Therefore, each state chooses one children's or YA book to represent the state.



Delaware's book is Fakie.

So while I'm an hour or so away at the Baltimore Book Festival, my book will be in DC on display--representing the First State.
Please wave at it if you go.

End of Summer

I had to start back at school this week, so the fam and I went camping for the last hurrah of vacation.

Cape Henlopen State Park (Delaware)


In addition to the whole tent and marshmallow thing, we biked to the beach with body boards under our arms. The waves were big because there was a storm brewing, so we rode them for hours. Sorry, no pictures, too busy.

Now I can deal with September!