What a BAD Example!

I cannot believe it has taken me this long to post to my blog. Not sure why I say that--I am actually meeting myself coming these days. Our electricity was off when the alarm went and I thought "If I get up, it will just be dark--no coffee, no light--just dark. Might as well stay here and sleep." It was awesome to just lay there in bed, in the dark, and not have to get up. How long has it been since I could do that?

Life is going on--MATs, Lake Village 4th and 5th graders, Midlevel Interns--UAM SOE, AfricaReads, family. (I think I got that in the wrong order....) Oh. and I forgot Tenure and Promotion. Fun, fun.

I have a video I want to post if I can. The Lake Village 5th graders I tutor did a Reader's Theater today, Advice from Dracula. They really had fun. I will try to get it posted this week.

Also, I have to tell you about the book I just finished, Unwind, byNeil Shusterman. Wow! The characters are still running around in my mind. A very haunting book. You should read it. You might like it. Or not.

A Day in the Life of an Eighth Grader

Wow! Did I have a good time last Thursday! I got to be an 8th Grader for one whole day! Some of you may be doubting my sanity, but it always blows me away how much fun it is to be with a group of young adolescents. Of course, the secret to my happiness may be the fact that I get to leave and don't have to come back the next day...
I will post photos and tell you about the fun things I did later..

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I read this book last year and had to re-read it before I went on the the sequel, Catching Fire. I found the book depressing and difficult to get out of my mind. However, it was a great read! One of my criteria for a really good book is that the characters and the story don't fade away after I read the last page. This one stayed, and stayed, and stayed. The setting is futuristic in a country which seems to be the United States. The country is divided into "Districts" with "The Capitol" being somewhere close to Denver, CO. All of the Districts are ruled by "The Capitol" who used cruel, inhumane strategies to keep people hungry and in submission. The cruelest strategy is the Hunger Games in which teenagers must fight to the death in a created environment completely controlled by The Capitol. Everyone is required to watch the monstrosities that take place in the name of competition. Not only is the story one of survival but also of love and loyalty to family and friends. Katniss, the protagonist, is caught in a love triangle with her best friend, Gale, and a boy who has befriended her family, Peeta. Too find out more about this captivating story, read this book!