New Blog

Since we are switching over to new school Google accounts, I decided to switch my blog over to that account as well.  So, I will leave this blog live until the end of the school year and then delete it.  For the time being, if you want to check out what I'm reading, you can see it at the new blog.

Mrs. Palmer's new book blog

YA Book Suggestions

This may be a surprise to you, my students, but I don't read any books at home, other than picture books to my three children.  I do, however, read quite a bit on my Kindle.  It's the perfect device for me at home, as the majority of my reading is done right before I fall asleep.  I'm still rereading the Harry Potter series.  I'm currently on book 4 and loving it.  My older two have been watching the movies with me as I read the books, so it's a win-win all around.

For today's post, I decided to go back to two of the YA books I read earlier this school year that I think would be of interest to my students.  So, drumroll please.....

#1: If I Stay:  I blogged about this book here, so I'm not going to rehash the whole thing, but I did find one other quote from this book in my clippings on my Kindle (this is where you can highlight lines for whatever reason and it saves them for you, including the page number, nice and neat, to revisit whenever you want).  I chose this line because it reminded me so, so much of Fahrenheit 451 and Clarisse.  Forman writes, "But seventeen is an inconvenient time to be in love" (Forman 175).  Even though she's not saying the same thing, I immediately thought of Clarisse when she says, "I'm seventeen and crazy."

#2: Tell the Wolves I'm Home: I never blogged about this book when I read it last semester, but I LOVED it.  Great characterization, interesting plot.  It kept me guessing the whole time and I loved the uniqueness of the story.  You can check out a synopsis of the book here.  I have so, so, so many lines from this book that I highlighted.  One of the main characters dies, and so a lot of the reflection is about the importance of how we use our time here on Earth.  Here are some of the golden lines I found:

• "It had been such a long, long day.  Probably the hardest in my life.  I felt like I had proof that not all days are the same length, not all time has the same weight" (Brunt 101).
• "Don't you know?  That's the secret.  If you always make sure you're exactly the person you hoped to be, if you always make sure you know only the very best people, then you won't care if you die tomorrow" (Brunt 203).
• "It's the most unhappy people who want to stay alive, because they think they haven't done everything they want to do.  They think they haven't had enough time.  They feel like they've been shortchanged" (Brunt 203).
• "I really wondered why people were always doing what they didn't like doing.  It seemed like life was sort of a narrowing tunnel.  Right when you were born, the tunnel was huge.  You could be anything.  Then, like, the absolute second after you were born, the tunnel narrowed down to about half that size" (Brunt 254).
• "Home is home is home" (Brunt 351).

Lots of quotes, right?  I just loved this book and these quotes are a lot of the reasons why.  The main character was extremely wise for her age, just fourteen.  She made me ponder life in general, as well as the way I approach it.  I think either of these books would be great reads for a young adult.  Happy reading!

Harry Potter Revisited

I was having trouble deciding what to read a few weeks ago and watched one of the Harry Potter movies at my parents' house and chose to revisit one of my favorite series of all time.  I first heard of Harry Potter my freshmen year in college.  It was the fall of 1999 and I was taking a YA children's literature course at Miami University.  Harry Potter was on the reading list.  I remember asking my mom, who is also a teacher, who Harry Potter was.  I'd never heard of the book.  She was shocked and proceeded to inform me that it was one of the highest grossing books and extremely popular with her students.

Needless to say, I loved it and was one of those crazy people who went to book store release parties at midnight and read the subsequent books in the days following their respective releases.  I still vividly remember the fifth book coming out in the summer while I was working as a swim instructor at Camp Wildbrook.  I had the book on it's release and spent every spare moment those first few days reading in the sun at Camp, trying to finish the book.  All the other lifeguards/swim instructors did this too - just picture six college students sitting at a table reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix poolside on their summer vacation.

J.K. Rowling is just as brilliant an author as I remember.  I've finished the first two books over Christmas break and just started Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Normally I don't like to reread books, especially series, but it's been long enough since I've read these that I don't remember everything.  It's kind of like looking back through photograph albums from my childhood - it's nostalgic and enjoyable all in one.  I'm hoping to finish the third book next week and work my way through the last four.  I can't wait until my own children are old enough to enjoy these. Have you read the Harry Potter series?  Any fans out there?