Reading Levels

Today I was reading Ten Years in the Tub. It is an anthology of articles written by Nick Hornby on books and reading. Mostly I skimmed and jumped around and read the chapters where he discusses books I have read. Skellig was on his list and he had a great quote from the book. Michael's home schooled friend, Mina, comes over and is looking at some of his books:

"Yea, looks good," She said, "But what's the red sticker for?"
"It's for confident readers, "I said. "It's to do with reading age."
"And what if other readers wanted to read it? ...and where would William Blake fit in? ... "Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright / In the forests of the night." is that for the best readers or the worst readers? Does it need a good reading age? ... And if it was for the worst readers would the best readers not bother with it because it was too stupid for them?"

Nick Hornsby goes on to muse about whether or not he is missing all sorts of great novels because they're not for adults. I'm with him.

Ladybug Girl (David Soman and Jacky Davis)

These are all really cute books. There are quite a number of them in the series. They are all about a girl who overcomes her fears. Great books for character lessons!

Inkheart (Cornelia Funke)

For some reason this has often been a stall book for me. I get half way through it then don't finish it. Despite all the times I started and didn't finish it, I love this book! (I did finally finish it) I love the idea of having stories come to life. I loved how people escape into the stories and escape out of the stories. I loved that reading well can make it all happen. I loved all the references to other books and stories. Fabulous story! Goodreads Summary: Twelve-year-old Meggie learns that her father, who repairs and binds books for a living, can "read" fictional characters to life when one of those characters abducts them and tries to force him into service.   Characters from books literally leap off the page in this engrossing fantasy. Meggie has had her father to herself since her mother went away when she was young. Mo taught her to read when she was five, and the two share a mutual love of books. He can "read" characters out of books. When she was three, he read aloud from a book called Inkheart and released characters into the real world. At the same time, Meggie's mother disappeared into the story. This "story within a story" will delight not just fantasy fans, but all readers who like an exciting plot with larger-than-life characters

Charlotte's Web (E.B. White)

I can't believe I never thought to read this book aloud right at the beginning if the school year before. It's on my list for this fall. Love this story.  Wonderful example of the power of influence and how anything can happen if you will it.

I bought a couple copies of this book because we are reading it for a book club at church with our kids. The copy I bought has a forward by Kate DiCamillo, which I loved! She is brilliant. I had to wonder, after reading her intro, if authors like E.B. White weren't a big influence on the books she writes.

Think Smart (Richard Restak, M.D.)

I listened to this on CD while we were traveling. It was quite interesting. The beginning talks about the best things to do for your brain's health: eat well and exercise (why is it always the same thing?!) :)
He also tells of interesting ideas for ways to increase your mental capacity. It inspired me to work on my memory and concentration skills. I have set a goal to memorize six piano songs over the next year and continue learning new words, writing, and memorizing lists.
I was particularly fascinated with his information on Alzheimer's. When people's brains were examined, after death, they discovered that there were grey areas of the brain - as if those areas of the brain were worn out. The interesting thing is they appeared in people's brains who exhibited symptoms of Alzheimer's as well as those who didn't. The difference seemed to be those who worked on brain active brain skills rather than falling into passivity in old age, as well as if they had spent their younger years learning and staying mentally engaged. Fascinating.


Goodreads Summary:

In Think Smart, the renowned neuropsychiatrist and bestselling author Richard Restak details how each of us can improve and tone our body's most powerful organ: the brain.

As an expert on the brain, Restak knows that in the last five years there have been exciting new scientific discoveries about the brain and its performance. So he has asked his colleagues—among them the world's leading brain scientists and researchers—one important question: What can I do to help my brain work more efficiently? Their surprising and remarkably feasible answers are at the heart of Think Smart.

Dr. Restak combines advice culled from cutting-edge research with brain-tuning exercises to show how individuals of any age can make their brains work more effectively. In the same accessible prose that made Mozart's Brain and the Fighter Pilot a New York Times bestseller, Restak presents a wide array of practical recommendations about a variety of topics, including the crucial role sleep plays in boosting creativity, the importance of honing sensory memory, and the neuron-firing benefits of certain foods.

In Think Smart, the man the Smithsonian Institution has called "wise, witty, and ethical" offers audiences helpful suggestions for fighting neurological decline that will put every listener on the path to building a healthier, more limber brain.

Will and Whit (Laura Lee Gulledge)

Last summer I read Page by Paige and thought it was one of the best graphic novels I'd read. I decided I should read a few more graphic novels this summer. I thumbed through the shelves at the library and picked this one - only to later discover it was the same author as Page by Paige.
This story is about an adolescent girl struggling with the death of her parents. She admits she is afraid of the dark. In the dark there is no hiding. It is just you and your thoughts. Her shadows all through the story are interesting and seem to chase her and be rather ghoulish. Through friendship, she is able to deal with the darkness and find light.
A good read!

Goodreads Summary:

Wilhelmina “Will” Huxstep is a creative soul struggling to come to terms with a family tragedy. She crafts whimsical lamps, in part to deal with her fear of the dark. As she wraps up another summer in her mountain town, she longs for unplugged adventures with her fellow creative friends, Autumn, Noel, and Reese. Little does she know that she will get her wish in the form of an arts carnival and a blackout, courtesy of a hurricane named Whitney, which forces Will to face her fear of darkness.
Laura Lee Gulledge’s signature visual metaphors will be on full display in this all-new graphic novel, a moving look at shedding light on the dark corners of life.

I Didn't Do My Homework Because.... (Benjamin Chaud)

This book would be really fun to read with my class. Our school gives homework each day and it is a big topic! I wonder if it would work to read this book early in the year after we have talked about homework needing to be done each day as well as the consequences that go with not doing it. Everyone's pretty keen at first, but it doesn't take too long until issues start to creep up. It would be fun to have the kids pick crazy reasons for homework not getting finished, illustrate it, and have it on the bulletin board. I wonder if we could get rid of some of the excuses by having a funny discussion starting by reading this book.

Goodreads Summary:

How many excuses are there for not doing homework? Let us count the ways: Giant lizards invaded the neighborhood. Elves hid all the pencils. And then there was that problem with carnivorous plants.... The excuses go on and on, each more absurd than the next and escalating to hilarious heights. Featuring detail-rich illustrations by Benjamin Chaud, this book is guaranteed to amuse kids and their parents, not to mention anyone who has experienced a slacker student moment—and isn't that everyone?

Here are some of my favorite pages from this book: