Oh, have I been having fun in the world of book talk! I’m trying to find books that will snare Sandra’s attention and not let her thoughts wander back to dancing in her room all afternoon. I’m looking for books for our teen book club – interesting for boys and girls ages 12-15 and talkable. I’m looking for books to read for myself. I’m looking for books for Matthias when he exits his Geronimo Stilton obsession.
Stacked (librarians, reviews, mayhem): great book review blog. I really get a lot out of their themed listings called Display This (example here). I’m really a librarian wannabe. These thematic lists of books you could group together for a display really leave me weak at the knees.
Via Abby the Librarian (whose great book blog is a daily visit for me), Jennifer Bertman’s Light and Round Project. After complaints that too much of YA is ‘dark and edgy’, she’s working to compile lists and reviews of ‘light and round’. (snicker, snicker)
Bookie Wookie: some kids and their dad, talkin’ about books. The kids are 10 and 12. I really dig the conversational format. The review of Book of Three made me laugh, particularly this part:
Dad: Why is Taran the one off looking for the pig?
Gracie: He wants his pig back. Wouldn’t you?
Isaac: Taran is the Assistant Pig Keeper.
Dad: Right, so the pig that ran off was his…? What.
Lily: Pig!
Dad: But it was his re–ssssss…
Lily: Servant!
Dad: His respon–ssssss…
Isaac: Responsibility.
There’s also Book Nut, a good book blog that has a good variety. Sometimes I wonder what my online life – and my evenings! – would be like if I hadn’t taken up knitting.
I just finished Fire by Kristen Cashore. I’d bought it on the recommendation of the amazing woman at Bakka Phoenix in Toronto. Based on the fact that Sandra loved Beka Cooper, she was able to point me in some really interesting directions.
I was unable to sleep the other night and polished off Fire within 24 hours of starting it. It’s got a really good set-up, and a strong female character whose journey did what a book about character ought to do: let us try out options, play with strength and weakness, explore morality, all safely in the context of the pages of a book. These books should make us hope that we’ll be as courageously moral if we ever need to be. Books that make us dare to dream we could take the harder road.
What are you reading about reading?
Handmade Homeschool 
I’m going to have to check out Fire. Have you ever used a Literature Map – might be a fun thing to check out. I also like to use a database my library subscribes to, called Novelist. It’s a great tool for checking out and finding new titles and authors. Here’s a link to the Literature Map site:
http://www.literature-map.com/tamora+pierce.html
“What are you reading about reading?” – Ha! I have been reading as much about dyslexia as I can get my hands on! I just recognized my 10 year old has it. I had no idea that it affected SO many areas as it pertains to language arts, reading, spelling, even math. It is really fascinating! It’s like a giant light bulb for us, and he is relieved to understand why he struggles too. It’s been really good for us both!