Three more Golden Sowers done!!

I finished three Sowers this afternoon, and all were really good, quick reads.

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick uses the same, unique form he created for The Invention of Hugo Cabret. The novel is told in pictures and text, so that a book of 617 pages, only has about 100 full pages of text.  This time the story involves a young deaf girl from the 1920's, whose story is told in pictures.  Her images are intertwined between the story of Ben, told in 1977.  The stories are more straightforward than the tale in Hugo, but I think Ben's quest will make this tale more appealing to the middle school reader.

May B by Caroline Starr Rose is written in the form of a poem, so it is another very quick read.  May B is twelve when her family takes her out of her country school and sends her to help another farmer in this 1870's tale.  Although May B  longs to be a teacher when she turns 16, she struggles with reading.  A new teacher in her one room school house doesn't help, so her parents send her 15 miles away to another Sod House farm.  When the new bride at the Oblinger farm runs home, her husband chases after her, leaving May stranded and alone in the Oblinger Sod house.  How will she survive the horrible Kansas winter?  This is a great historical fiction choice for students who enjoy The Little House on the Prairie novels.

My last read today was Payback by Carl Deuker.  This sports novel is also a mystery.  Dan "Mitch" True, longs to be a top reporter someday.  When he and school newspaper photographer Kimi Yun find a new stand out football star on their HS team, they can't wait to write a fantastic story for their school paper.  It's when they are told no, that the anomalies start appearing and the two decide to investigate the new player.  Lots of football action, so you feel like you are right there, at the game.  Mitch is a great character, who really works hard at becoming a better writer and stronger person.  Super book for all sports and mystery fans.

I"ll keep working through the Golden Sower nominees, and let you know my favorites!!!

Updating and upreading

I have been updating our Middle School Library sites as I create our new Integrated Technology curriculum.  I hope that the updates have made the links and info on the site easier to access.  Feel free to check it out.

My goal to read every Golden Sower nominee this summer is not quite completed, but I have a few days before summer is over.  Here are the nominees I have read so far:

Intermediate Nominees:

The Clockwork Three by Mattew Kirby

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

Wonder by R.J.  Palacio


Young Adult Nominees:

Matched by Ally Condie

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25  by  Richard Paul Evans

Dark Life by Kat Falls

Red Cell by John Kalkowski

Legend by Marie Lu

Epitaph Road by David Patneaude


As you can see, I have quite a few titles left to read.  Hopefully this week and next weekend will afford me some time to get caught up.  My favorites so far have been Wonder and The Unwanteds, I was surprised by how much I loved both books.  I talked both of them up on my Twitter feed Follow @jessiesandre