I Love to Read month

February is I Love to Read month at my school.  This year I came up with a new idea to help kids find reading interesting.  I collected a bunch of used picture books.  Then I wrapped each book.  Each time a group comes, one student gets to choose a book to unwrap.  I read the story aloud, and then another student's name is chosen.  That student gets to take the book home to keep.  By the end of the month, everyone will have at least one chance to open a book, as well as take a book home.

meet English and French

It has been over a year since I have had fish in my classroom.  English and French came to live in my classroom last Friday, adopted from Wal-mart.  They are definitely more interesting than the collection of plants I have on my desk and table.  The fish generate a lot more conversation, but I am sure that it would have been easier to take pictures of my plants than these squirmy little creatures.

Where Are All the Minnesotans?

Where Are All the Minnesotans? by Karlyn Coleman and illustrated by Carrie Hartman is a celebration of winter activities here in Minnesota.  From ice fishing to sledding, it depicts a variety of ways people spend time outdoors during Minnesota's long winters.  Though marketed as a children's book, adults who live in Minnesota will appreciate it as well. 

pineapple block quilt

I finished this quilt last evening, in time to meet my deadline of finishing before the end of the year.  The pattern is called a pineapple block.  Though I like how the block looks, I didn't like how long it took to make each one.  I started making this quilt at a retreat last November where my sister Amanda was teaching.  Now there are three red, white, and blue quilts in my collection, but that's about right for someone with a fourth of July birthday.

books for 2017

 

My total of books read for the year is 42.  Six were books I had read before-a trilogy by Renee Riva, The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas, As Waters Gone By by Cynthia Ruchti and Unseduced and Unshaken by Rosalie De Rosset.

Recommended fiction

• As Waters Gone By by Cynthia Ruchti    Emmalyn moves to Madeline Island, wondering what's next in life and waiting for her husband to finish his time in prison.  Emmalyn meets some new friends and finds a way to make something good out of difficult circumstances. 
• Catching the Wind by Melanie Dobson    Daniel was a young man living in Europe during World War II.  Now he is in his 80s, and he hires journalist Quenby Vaughn to find a girl he knew from his boyhood in Europe.  
• The Giant Pumpkin Suite by Melanie Heuiser Hill   This book is written by a Minnesota author and is the story of a group of neighbors who work together to grow a giant pumpkin. 
• Secrets She Kept by Cathy Gohlke   Hannah goes to Germany to meet a grandfather she never knew existed.  Hannah learns much about her family history that she never knew.  Like Catching the Wind, this is also about World War II

Recommended nonfiction books are

• The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom   An autobiography of a woman who lived in Holland during World War II, including time spent in a concentration camp.
• The Art of Explanation by Lee LeFever    This book is for anyone in education, sales, marketing, human resources or someone who wants to improve their communication skills.
• Better Off (Flipping the Switch on Technology) by Eric Brende    Brende tells the story of his year living with minimal technology.
• Unseduced and Unshaken by Rosalie De Rosset    Written for women who want to live an intentional life.  Though De Rosset's target audience is young women, it is relevant for those past their twenties.

What books did you read this year that you would recommend?  

Maple and Willow's Christmas Tree

Maple and Willow's Christmas Tree by Lori Nichols is a book I have added to my books to read aloud in December.  Maple and Willow are sisters who get along, most of the time.  In this book, they are excited to get a real tree for Christmas.  It is exciting for them, until they realize that Maple is allergic to the real tree.  A story about sisters and forgiveness at Christmas time is perfect for preschool and school age children.