Teaser Tuesday ~ A Mercy

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:


* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


This week's teaser brought to you by A Mercy

We all hear footsteps climbing the path, I am still busy in the closet, and although I cannot see who enters, I hear the talk ~ page 112

and

Galloping along, he was sweating so heavily his eyes salted and his hair matted on his shoulders. Already October and Regina was drenched and snorting ~ page 6

Lost and Found Trailer

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

LOST AND FOUND - Adapted and Directed by STUDIO AKA's PHILIP HUNT - is a beautiful story based on OLIVER JEFFERS award winning children's picture book. This is a beautiful trailer, it makes me both want to read the book and watch the full movie which is exactly what a trailer should do.

LOST AND FOUND Trailer from STUDIO AKA on Vimeo.

Teaser Tuesday Molly Moons Hypnotic Time Travel Adventure

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:


* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's Teaser is brought to you by Molly Moon's Hypnotic Time Travel Adventure by Georgia Byng.

"and how much would you sell that scarred green stone for?"
"the dirty green stone?" the small Molly piped up. "Don't buy that stone!" ~ page 250

and

"Don't bother trying to outdo me," and Waqt. "I'm invincible..." ~ page 68

Book Review - Public Schools are Archaic by M.R. Ussery EdD and S.R. Pargman

Sunday, July 18, 2010

For those of you who don't know I live in New Orleans, Louisisana. Do I need to tell you the schools are bad there? Probably not, you have probably heard it somewhere a news story or possibly it's just one of those known fact/rumors that are mentioned in random school discussions throughout the country.
Fact, New Orleans public schools (and a fair share of the private ones) are bad, bad as in children do not learn to read and to math let alone anything else useful while in the New Orleans Public School System. Using a rating system where 100 is most children are working at grade level there is a school in New Orleans with a 12 many more in the 20's and 30's*. I ask you exactly what is it that a 12 school is teaching their kids if 100 is just grade level? Does a 12 school teach them how to beg for change on the street corner because I have a hard time envisioning a better future for those kids with that kind of education.
As you can see I was very eager to read Public Schools Are Archaic when I received it to review from the author. Mr. Ussery's ideas are not exactly new in fact they are simply common sense aren't they? Reward students for their actions by making those actions "count." It blows my mind how simple and seemingly obvious this concept is and yet how far away from it our current education system has veered.
Teaching students through doing, not lecturing or testing or writing it out 100 times but actually DOING. How brilliant! Think back in time when instead of learning a basis in everything we learned the details in one or two things we would go out in the field with our parents, get our hands dirty mending fences and plowing the earth, DOING. Or maybe we would apprentice with the cobbler or seamstress cutting fabric, molding leather DOING until we had absorbed the skills to make the trade our own, For hundreds and thousands of years people have learned by doing so why is it that we have an education system that has evolved into grading us on sitting and memorizing.
Why don't we give credit (real honest credit that "counts") for Drama, Football, Spanish Club, Service Clubs and all the rest? We encourage our children to participate in these extra-curriculars why? Because they enrich their lives, they teach skills and they get them ready for the real world why then do they not count for credit toward graduation? Using the system put forth in Public Schools are Archaic all of these real life DOING activities would count. That simple step would make so much difference combine that with getting rid of standardized tests (also in the book) and you have a recipe for success.
I hope with all my might that Mr Ussery's system or one like it does make its way into the public education system, these changes can only be for the better. It is a daunting task but a whole system overhaul is needed and the ideas laidout in Public Schools are Archaic just might be able to pull it off.



* this info comes from the booklet that the New Orleans school system puts out each year to inform parents of the schools in the area.

Summer reads to be proud of

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Do you want something light but thought provoking this summer? Something you can read on the beach but not be embarrassed when someone spots you reading it?

The Huffington Post has put together a great list of some books for you.

Check it Out Here.

Book Review - The Time Bike by Jane Langston

Friday, July 16, 2010


I picked up The Time Bike by Jane Langton at Beth's Books in New Orleans. I was on a mission for books to fulfill my current reading challenges though this is the only book I found it was a good find. The Time Bike is the sixth novel for children in the Hall Family Chronicles. I haven't read any of the others but having previously worked in a book store I had heard of them when I found The Time Bike on the shelf and knew it was a time travel series and so perfect for the Time Travel Reading Challenge.
In this novel we follow Eddy and his sister Eleanor as they travel through time on a magical bike that was sent to Eddy mysteriously when his regular bike was stolen. This book would make a great introduction to the world of time travel and fantasy. Although I could tell there were some things that had happened to Eddy and Eleanor that I wasn't privy to having not read the other books in the series I was easily able to follow the story.
Now I am on a new mission to find the other titles in the series, more Eddy and Eleanor adventures await.



This takes care of another requirement for the Time Travel Reading Challenge hosted by At Home With Books

Varmints Book Trailer

Thursday, July 15, 2010

I found this book trailer through bookscreening.com it is so beautifully done I want to watch the nonexistent movie Varmints as much as I want to read the book. Enjoy!


VARMINTS Trailer from STUDIO AKA on Vimeo.

Book Review - Lucy Springer Gets Even by Lisa Heidke

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Are you looking for a Summer read? Yes? Well, stop looking, go straight to your local bookstore and buy Lucy Springer Gets Even by Lisa Heidke.

Lucy Springer used to be a star and now she's a...a...a wife, a mum and a reluctant remodeler. Things are about to get bad and then worse and then... is there a light at the end of the tunnel? As the title suggests there Lucy Springer Gets Even leaves you with a bit of a spark in the end.
This book is lovely from beginning to end a perfect lighthearted approach to emotional and all too real life situations. I was thoroughly entertained each step of the way as Lucy's house falls apart and her marriage comes unglued. I loved watching as she slowly gets her groove back making it all come together.

Do yourself a favor, get a deck chair, a fruity drink and read this book. You could settle for a quiet spot in a comfy chair but it wouldn't be as much fun. I give Lucy Springer Gets Even two thumbs up, I'd give more but sadly I was only blessed with these two.


I received Lucy Springer Gets Even as part of Lisa Heidke's virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion.

Teaser Tuesday Elannah and Sam Edition

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:


* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's edition is from Of Lights in the Night; Friends and Adventure: The Everlasting and Fantastical Adventures of Elannah and Sam by Sean Noonan.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Friends and Fiends, we will take a short break now before the next display to enjoy a mug of pixie-strength hot chocolate and to feast on marvellously munchie marshmellows" ~ page 19

and

Rodger ande Arnold turned and ran back up the path. Elannah tripped and fell and watched in horror as the troll ran straight to where she lay. ~ page 48

Driving My Tractor Book Trailer

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Check out this trailer for Driving My Tractor by Jan Dobbins illustrated by David Sim. I am not usually a fan of Steve Songs but here it fits perfectly, at times looking more like a music video for Steve Songs than a book trailer it's fun to watch.

Book Review - Permanent Obscurity by Richard Perez

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Permanent Obscurity: Or a Cautionary Tale of Two Girls and Their Misadventures with Drugs, Pornography and Death by Richard Perez is not about gray area, it's two girls living in an all or nothing world. Still, it leaves me with the feeling that I should love it or hate it. Let's dig down past all that, the truth is I am supposed to hate it but I don't...

And I think that is exactly the point of this book and the multitudes of others like it in the world. The art of shock and awe, you want to turn away, put the book down and walk off but you are compelled through a natural even primal urge to flip to the next page and read on. Like racing cars and scaling cliffs this book is not for those who need quiet security in all they do. Permanent Obscurity is for those who like to live life a little closer to the edge.

Find more on Richard Perez and his book at PermanentObscurity.com

Book Review - The Farm Book by Jan Pfloog

Friday, July 2, 2010

I used to have The Farm Book when I was a child, I had completely forgotten about it until I recently volunteered to organize the old library of a local non-profit parent run preschool. That is when I found this book sitting on the shelf, memories came flooding back as I flipped through the pages, I just knew I had to check it out to read at home to my son.
The story follows members of the family as they go about the day doing their jobs on the farm. The illustrations are like Norman Rockwell for kids, that all American look at everyday life. Somehow this book makes the simple tasks of life on a farm look like so much fun.
After all these years The Farm Book still works it's magic, as I read it to my son his eyes lit up, he started talking animatedly and pointing at the pages. At the end he asked if we could go to a farm, this book definitely has a certain charm

Book Review - Green Pieces: Green From the Pond Up by Drew Aquilina

Thursday, July 1, 2010

I received Green Pieces: Green From the Pond Up - A Cartoon Collection by Drew Aquilina for review here on my blog. I had mixed emotions going into this read because you see no matter how much I love animals and the environment I don't what you would call 'love' comic books. But this book taught me an important lesson. There is a big difference between comic books and comic strips. Now I don't know if that is technically true but it seems that as for me I don't enjoy comic books but I DO enjoy comic strips.

Green Pieces follows the lives of Iggy, Radic, Cabby, Roc and all the other animals around the pond. How they live and get along out in the world and interact with humans as they encroach on their land. It's a fun and informative look at life in the wild, not the kind of wild what most of us never get to see but the kind of wild that is right in our backyard or at a neighborhood pond. This would be a great book to share with a young person in your life, the cartoonish drawing would get them reading and they just might walk away having learned a little something.

You can learn more about the pond and it's colorful characters at their home here on the web. www.greenpiecescartoons.com

Related Posts Widget for Blogs by LinkWithin
 
 
 
Creative Commons License
This work by Rayna Nielsen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.