Camp Post

Being with my friend, Twiggy, in Texas makes me think of camp. I miss it so much in the middle of the winter. So this is for all you camp friends who are a little camp sick.

YOU KNOW YOU'VE BEEN AT J. LOW TOO LONG IF:

-Your goal for the year is to kill a "hoe"

-You remember your first taste of Emergent"C"

-You miss Diet Dr. Thunder

-You look for wagons if you have to move something larger than a shoebox

-You have more than one bracelet with your camp name on it

-You can make anything with pipe cleaners and popsicle sticks

-In August, you try to hold stranger's hands

-You know camp sign langugage

-You know of the J. Low Time Warp

-You've had to have Marsha help you with lat bag tapes

-You plan what color of beads you want in January

-You can admit you like the Spice Girls

-You Dirty But Dry your own laundry

-You have one outfit with bleach stains

-The first thing you do when entering the lats is get a set of gloves

-You have mastered the changing without gloves master

-Nose goes and rock paper scissors solves all your disputes

-You have ever bought Flintstones vitamins to remind you of Rhonda

-You know what the keys open

-Your Chaco tan lasts all year

-You hate A/C

-You know if Bridget has had apples, tomatoes, or corn

-You have been run over by a EWC

-You have chigger scars

-When someone asks you to say grace you start thinking of songs

-You know what P.O.P.C. means

-You question the names on the flow chart

-You've worn a bib

-You can discuss the pros and cons of funky utensils

-You've received fudge from the Carlsons

-You can recite Marsha's graduation speech

-You can name which campers have fragile X, leaky guy, vagal nerve stimulators, and g tubes

-You have 50 hot dog recipes

-You save paper all year long to write Happy Notes on

-When you feel sad you go through your scrapbook

-You think an Olympic event should be water balloon throwing

-You know what Little Foot/Big Foot is

-You can name the tattoos that will be at the tattoo station

-You think fried oats are a part of life

-You know each others "schedules"

-You know the favorite napping spots

-You know the word to Yellow Submarine

-You have ever used chocolate milk as a meal replacement

-You have attempted to make gooey butter cake and grilled cheese bits at home

-You ignore expiration dates

-You know where to find the turkey bacon

-You have seen more than your fair share of butts and boobs

-You have used the green gold bond...and regretted it later

-You drink 2 glasses before starting a meal

-You take "lats" trips during the year

-You look for kitty litter afer you spill something

-You don't use the end sinks in the bathroom

-Your disability radar works within 50 feet

-You label things with your camp name

-Half of your phone numbers are programmed in with camp names

-You have a seperate part of your brain for things related to camp

-You can speak "camp"

-You sign your camp name until mid-September

-You cut all of your food before eating

-You like taking nudie showers with others

-You've taken an OP commando trip

-You've forgotten your towel but not been worried because you can always get J. Low ones

-You own more than one J. Low item

-You know what it means to "J.Low it"

-Thinking of camp gives you a slightly giddy feeling

-You know what every cabin's staff bed feels like

-You dread night swims, but haven't actually been in the water for 4 years

-You can name the Square Dance Man's songs in order

-You start dreaming about camp in mid-June

-You have more J. Low shirts than regular shirts

-You have a seperate tubbie for camp things

-You look forward to Fajita Day all year long

The FISH!!!

Time: Approx. 1:30 pm
Setting: Room 208...after lunch read aloud
Characters: Me, a slightly befuddled teacher on a little too much DayQuil trying to get through the day
Budachris (rhymes with Ludacris), a kid who has just too much; too much energy, too much talking, too much moving, too much yelling, too much imagining, too much inattention, too much impulsivity-you get the picture.

Me (reading along as fast as my cold-fogged head can read)
Budachris: (in my ear) Ms A. I have to tell you something
Me (ignoring him and trying to focus on the words swimming in front of me)
Budachris: (in my ear a lot louder) Ms A. I have to tell you something important
Me: Not now
Budachris: (forgetting the pretense of trying not to be distracting) Ms A. It's an emergency about the fish
Me: What? (all reading has stopped now)
Budachris: The fish! It's about the fish.
Me: What? (again the DayQuil making me not as sharp as usual)
Budachris: Something is wrong with the fish!
Me: What is wrong with the fish?
Budachris: They stopped time!
Me: What?
Budachris: They were all swimming and then all of sudden they stopped. The stopped time!
Me: The fish didn't stop time.
Budachris: Yes! They did stop time. They froze it and then they all started it again.
Me: I don't think the fish have the power to control time.
Budachris: They do too!
Me: Ok...? Can we keep on reading?
Budachris: Yeah, I just wanted you to know.
Me: Ok...thanks?

Needless to say this whole encounter left me more befuddled and more confounded. I can also tell you who I am not putting next to the fish tank again when we move desks.

Big Plans

There is a very funny picture book called Big Plans by Bob Shea (illustrated by the guy who did the Stinky Cheese Man). In the book, the protagonist boy gets in sent to the corner and the whole time he is making BIG PLANS! That background to say that I have a 5th grader who is this boy to the letter. I will call him Big Plans because of his big plans. Every day he tells me some story about something that he is going to do and every time these plans are so extravagant and well...big. Today we were riding to Balboa Park and he was telling Budachris (a later story) about how they were going to go to Colorado for Christmas. Not only were they going to go to the snow but they weren't going to go in a car they were going to get a RV. In the past few weeks he has told me about how they (Budachris and him) were going scuba diving, not snorkeling, but diving to catch sharks with knives. They are going to move to Temecula to get a fresh start (apparently 10 is the age at which you need a fresh start). They are going to go to Hawaii and live with a long-lost relatives. They are going to refurbish a abandoned trailer and make it a clubhouse in which they can put their PSP and DS. They are going to move into a dorm room with one of their brothers and go to parties at State. You get the idea...these elaborate stories sometimes annoy me but I began thinking today that these plans may be the only thing that keep these boys going. The community that I work in is pretty hopeless and maybe I should embrace the hope instead of shaking my head in disbelief. Maybe next time I should say, "Tell me about these big plans". Hopefully one day, a lifetime away from now, I will come across Big Plans and he can tell me about how the made all of these things happen...I believe he will because after all he has BIG PLANS!

Ansisters

Calvin (A fifth grader): Ms. A. I think that ancestors are prejudice.
Me: Ok....(imagine bewildered expression)
Calvin: Yeah, because even boys are called ancestors.
Me: Well....(again bewildered) boys can be ancestors.
Calvin: I mean they should call them something else.
Me: Uhhhh...(you can tell I was adding a lot intellectually to this conversation)
Calvin: It's just not fair. They all them annnnsssssiiiissssttteeerrrsss and they should be called anbrothers too.
Me: Actually it's annnccccessssstttorrrr.
Calvin: Oh, nevermind.
Me: (nothing more to say besides shaking my head in amazement)


Ahhhh the joys of teaching second language learners.

You'll Say WOW Everytime

For this story to make sense you need to know three things.

1: My roommate, Catherine , has in the past-much to my amusment and entertainment-clogged the "in-sink-erator" (I know that is like a Dr. Doofenschmertz name for a garbage disposal but scout's honor that's its brand). She has only done it a few times but based on the amount I talk about it you would think it happened quite frequently.

2: We had an "As Seen On TV" Party at our house recently and there is currently a huge table full of As Seen On TV stuff in our garage.

3: Not too long ago, our landlords replaced our in-sink-erator with a new, top-of-the-residential line disposal. I literally quote, "It should be able to take care of anything you have".

Now fast forward a few weeks. My roommate was on the East Coast and I was holding down the fort. I found an amazing little market called North Park Market (you should go, it's on H street) and got a few huge pineapples. I happily peeled, cut, and ate pineapple. After finishing the cutting process I decide to have another go at propagating pineapples. I quite happily peeled the leaves of the pineapple and then decided to put them in the sink. I decided to take this new disposal for a test run. I guess it is fair to also tell you that ground up pineapple leaves have the consistency of a old dish rag. I think it is also fair to assume that you can guess what happened soon after the grinding ensued.

Of course, the other side of the sink starts to fill up with the bits of pineapple, strawberry tops, an orange peel, a few other unidentifiable pieces of previous vegetative matter. I don't panic yet, I being a well-rounded individual have a basic understanding of disposals and pipes. I know that you need to get the clog out and the hope that the clog is not so far in the wall you have to call some guy named Joe who likes to show his butt cleavage.

I open the doors and get the allen wrench. I turn this way and that..who knows what lefty or righty it needs but at this point I still fell confident that I will be able to unclog this sink and no one, including Catherine, will find out about it-this of course would lead to the end of my bit about Catherine and the disposal and I hate losing good material. After quite a bit of turning I try the water, try the grinder, try the hoping, try the mild cursing-no luck.

I decide the best idea is to empty the sink of water and try again. Some people may have thought that I scooped out the water. Those people would be a far sight more sensible than I. I thought the best way to empty the sink of water was to drain it from the bottom. I moved the various sundries from under the sink (not all of them mind you because again that would show some foresight) and started to unscrew the pipe on the left side of the sink. I underestimated a few things in this manuever; 1) the amount of water in the sink, 2) the comparative smallness of the pot that I found, 3) the amount of pressure that was pushing the water downwards, 4) the position of the L bend pipe, which made an amazing deflector for the aforementioned chunky water.

You can imagine my surprise the water didn't neatly fall into the pot like I had imagined but instead shot out (or more appropriately out and up) of the pipe all over me, the inside of the cabinet, all of the things I had left inside the cabinet, and the floor. So there I am sitting in a puddle of water with bits of pineapple in my hair. I undid every pipe under the sink and each time more water filled my already soggy kitchen. I couldn't get the blasted thing to work so I put all the pipes back together and decided that I would wait until Catherine got home and confess my sins. As I stood up, I noticed the drain plug. I plugged up the left side of the sink and turned on the disposal with a muttered prayer. Sure enough that wad of pineapple fiber shot through the pipes and into the ocean (you know all drains lead the to the ocean...Nemo fans?)

At that moment I felt a wave of triumph and then I looked around; I was covered in soggy clothes and had disposal gunk all over me, there was an inch of standing water in the cabinet, every thing under our sink was dripping and soaked, the floor was awash in water and bits of pineapple. My heart sunk....then I remembered the ShamWow in the garage! I gleefully ran out to the garage and got the brand spanking new felt-ish cloth and sure shootin' that ShamWow soaked up about a gallon of water. Again my life was flooded (pun definitely intended) with a sense of victory. Looking around at the mayhem that I had created I just smiled to myself and said "wow". It's true what the infomercial says, "You'll say WOW everytime."

Pineapple Express...not really

Catherine and I have started propagating pineapples and our first one is in the garden with two little "pups" coming off the sides. Pups are smaller suckers that can produce fruit so this is exciting. We will soon have pineapples to enjoy (in 2-4 years)! The first step is picking the perfect pineapple. It should have green leaves that are not easily pulled out. I should be a little on the under-ripe side. When you cut it cut right below where the crown meets the fruit. Pull off about 1 inch of leaves until you have a some bare stem. You should be able to see little nodules of roots beginning. The pineapple below is about 2 weeks old.


A closer view of the little roots just forming. When the roots are about 2 inches long you can plan them in a sandy soil and wait (and I literally mean wait) for the magic to happen.


We are currently using this little jar but only because it was in the clean dishes when I was looking for something to use. I have used cups with success. It's important that the stem is in the water but the leaves are above the water as they are prone to rotting. I change the water when it gets cloudy and smells funky.


Best of luck! Here are some more shots of the cute little pineapple plant :)


New growth inside the middle. This is where the stems will come with the flowers and eventually the fruit. YUM!

Kinder Treasures

I have some treasures from kindergarten that my students made. So I thought I would share them. This is me standing on a student...I also have fangs!


In this one my hair is really crazy and apparently I am going on a treasure hunt because X marks the spot.


This may not be of me at all but rather a family at a beach. My favorite part is the sun is saying "Go". Let this be an admonition to indeed GO...to where? no idea but at least go.



I am standing on the right side of the paper...next to a chair? I'm not sure.

Ms. A, is that a rainbow on your head? No, no just my hair.


Again with the crazy hair...it's like there is a pattern over time or something.

This is not me...It's Mario. I thought the kid had a cousin named Mario who was a plumber but then it all started to make sense when he talked about Luigi.

This is my favorite one. I am the circle person and I am holding hands with my friend Uh-uh from the earlier post. The sweetest gesture he made ever. I hung it on my desk and will continue do so to remind me that the kids who are the most difficult need the most love and patience.

Easy Come, Easy Go

My life has been so full of transition that I was waiting until I was absolutely positive to post a new message. I haven't taught kindergarten in a while and to that I can only say, "Thank God Almighty I am free at last". So apparently if you start something with full blown optimism and somewhere deep down you know that the situation is a train wreck waiting to happen then there is quite a bit of relief when it ends abruptly. So that sums up kinder for me ....optimism, screaming, train wreck, relief. I have done a lot of crazy things in my life but kinder is by far the craziest thing that I tried. For the most part, the kids were cute, funny, interesting and endearing. Then there were the kids who make hairs gray, sighs weary and days long. We will call them No and Uh-uh. Literally all they did everyday was say No and Uh-uh...of course that's when they weren't crying, throwing, or trying to escape. It was ridiculous! It seems as though according to the other kinders I won the lucky honor of having "The class". You know the class that starts in kinder and strikes fear into the hearts of the next years teachers. So needless to say I was elated when they had to close a class due to enrollment.

This leads us to what I have been doing for the last two weeks. I gave the WRAP and Express Placement (lame-o assessments) to all the kinders (about 90 kids in all) and then gave it 30 more times in Spanish. Apparently I have mad skills. That pretty much took a whole week. I also had the privileged of doing lunch and recess duty. There is nothing more uplifting then yelling at kids you don't know for a solid hour about rules you think are ridiculous and that suck the fun out of being a kid. Because our school has uniforms, 80 percent hispanic kids, and an excessive amount of hair gel being used it's extremely difficult to yell at kids using descriptors...ie Hey you kid! Stop that! No not you the kid in the white shirt (they are all wearing white shirts), Yeah you with the black hair (they all have black hair) and the faux hawk (most have faux hawks) STOP!

For the past week I have been the lunch monitor/recess lady and teaching computer lab. Let me tell you there is nothing to instill your place as the coolest teacher at school then to be related to the computer lab. On Tuesday, I found out that I will be teaching 5th grade starting on Monday. I am really excited about it. I have been working in the class and they are delightful kids...there are enough "High Fliers" to keep it lively but not so many that is overwhelming. I am excited to take over and get all my stuff in the class. The teacher who is there is transferring to a different school and is working on getting her stuff out so I am kind of in limbo. I will have a lot of work to do this weekend but am really quite excited! I'm not sure if it will be more exciting to teach 5th grade or to not be in kindergarten...only time will tell.

The First Week

As some of you know I began teaching kindergarten this year. I am excited but also a little discouraged that another year will be spent doing primary. I also moved schools so that has been a hard transition. When I left Whitman last June I really thought I would be going back and so closure has been very slow to come. I am now working at a HUGE elementary school in south San Diego. The demographics are a little different but I am enjoying my students and their families. The hardest change is that I really don't know anyone. It's nice that I get a lot done during lunch and can go home before the sunsets but it is awfully lonely.
I have 11 kids in my class right now. I am probability going to get more this week. You would think that 11 is a really small number but I have a slough of behavior problems and 4 year olds should not be in a full day kinder program. It's hard to have so many good ideas for upper grades and then be stuck on the color red FOR A WEEK!!! Needless to say, I am singing a lot of songs and doing everything I can to make letters and numbers interesting. I will keep writing of my adventures...hopefully more amazing than awkward.

Summer 2009

A list for the last day of summer!

Happiness is…
Cold milk and warm cookies
Air conditioning
Magic Bulleting stuff
Lazy summer afternoons
Eating produce you grew from a seed
Taking naps while the sun is shining
Cherry sno-cones
Coming home after a long trip
Seeing old friends and making new ones
Winning at Scrabble
Cold sheets
Swimming late at night in the moonlight
New crayons and sharp pencils
Making new school year resolutions
Sleeping in late
Cooking on the grill.
The smell of a rainstorm coming
Finishing a scarf…finally
That chlorine smell that lingers
Hot dogs cooked over a fire
Listening to books on CD
Extra crispy bacon
Fried oats
Cheesy puns
Cheese in general ☺
Gorilla Tiles “Tiles of the Unexpected”
American Gladiators
Little fish babies
Graphjam.com
C.O. Bigelow Lipgloss
Over The Moon 1% Milk
Musicals
Meerkat Manor
Finally having a schedule again
Working hard at something and succeeding
The last first class of my master's program
Having friends and family that care and support me in all of my adventures

The Arts

Every now and then, when you're on stage, you hear the best sound a player can hear. It's a sound you can't get in movies or in television. It is the sound of a wonderful, deep silence that means you've hit them where they live. -Winters

I went to Wicked the musical today. If anyone has been to it before they know that the stage, the costumes, the music, the plot is amazing. It is transfixing! Incredible! Amazing! As I was sitting in the dark auditorium and the audience was hushing, I was struck by the thought that the arts have the ability to transform thoughts, ideas, and feelings. It seems that paintings, sculptures, photographs, plays, musicals, songs, and other manifestations of creativity can take people out of their humdrum lives, away from the stresses of the day-to-day, and into a world where the limits are only set by what can be imagined. The beauty of humanity is that people empathize with others through arts.

Music takes us out of the actual and whispers to us dim secrets that startle our wonder as to who we are, and for what, whence, and whereto. –Emerson

I am transfixed by the thought that emotion that can be captured in a photograph, drawing, or song. To be able to touch the heart of others who are unknown to you and come from a different context is a humbling power. The power of the arts is in its ability to make people embrace humanity.

Once the mind has been stretched by a new idea, it will never again return to its original size. -Holmes

One of the most wonderful and terrible things about creative arts is that often the most thought provoking and remembered are the things that make us disquieted, uncomfortable, unsure. By providing cognitive dissonance, art forces us to re-examine beliefs we hold true and ideas we were once sure of. Once we confront these emotions and assimilate the new perceptions and perspectives into our frames of context then our world becomes a little bigger, a little more tolerant, a little more forgiving, a little more passionate. The world could use a little more of all of these things so embrace the arts, the artist in you, the art around you no matter if it is a masterpiece or a crayon drawing taped to the fridge.

Prejudice much?

Well, I usually don’t get annoyed with cars or mechanics but I was really annoyed with the Saturn guy. So let me back up. Yesterday, I went to get some “too good to pass up” sale items from around the city…you know pencils for 10 cents, folders for a penny, scissors for 12 cents…thing that make teaching and shopping a rewarding experience.
So I drove to Wal-mart (I’m not proud but I am cheap ☺) I parked my car, Pacifico, and went to turn off the engine as one does when they are parking a car. I turned and nothing, I jiggled and then turned nothing, I jiggled and then turned and then swore and nothing. So I moved my car to a different spot assuming that Pacifico was having a bad day and tried again. Nothing again. Now I am extremely annoyed at having my day of shopping nirvana interrupted.

I drive to National City to the Mile of Cars in attempt to go to the dealership there. I drive up and down Mile of Cars Way and don’t see a Saturn dealership. I get out my new GPS toy and program in and sure enough there is one in the area and it takes me to where the Saturn dealership used to be…now it is a Subaru dealership. So I then look at the next closest dealership…Kearney Mesa (about 15 miles away).

I drive up there and park in the service area and go inside. Of course there is your usual smattering of semi-annoyed/bored people sitting around looking at magazines that they have no interest in….Muscle Cars Today, Homemaking in the 21st Century, Pop Culture R Us….you know these magazines-the herpes of waiting rooms around the world. There are also the usual cast of mechanics and service people…all named Joe, Mike, Tom, Bob, or some other one-syllable name. Lee (my service guy) asks what the problem is and I look straight at him and say, “My car won’t turn off.” He looked at me like I was quite possibly the dumbest person on earth. I was expecting this so I smugly watched as he went to my car, got in and then tried to turn it off. He shifted gears, tried again. Jiggled the key and tried again. Essentially repeating the same few steps that I went through. He got out and said in a truly astounded voice, “It really won’t turn off” I refrained from using the phrase, “No shit” but was willing him to get the message by my general body language.

We went back inside and he took my information. When looking up my name he asked if it was under my parents name…I know I am young looking but honestly! He then took at deep breath like he was preparing to inform me that I only had 2 weeks to live and said in a very serious manner, “Well it is either a problem with your key or your ignition.” Again I had to refrain from stating aloud the phrase that was bobbing around in my head. He said it would be a few hours and I replied that there was nothing I was planning on doing besides reading Outdoor Fishing and Hunting Weekly and luckily I could do that here. After I had settled among the various secondary characters in the waiting room he came out again and with a grim expression informed me that he was going to have to keep it overnight. I called the Greifes and they rescued me from Kearney Mesa.

Fast Forward to this morning. Lee at the Saturn dealership called and informed me that it would be this afternoon before Pacficio was ready so I happily gave up my to do list in favor of sleeping and watching Netflix. My friend Michael drove me up to Kearny Mesa and on the way I was venting about how irked I was when mechanics treat me like I am to stupid to understand even the most basic concepts about cars and maintenance. Anyway, I picked up my car and it was cheaper than they had quoted which was a delight.

Michael and I went to dinner as we had already driven up north. We went to the Teri Café, which is an amazing Asian place that has great food. I ordered my usual Chicken Teriyaki bowl and Michael got something that was soup like. When we got our food the guy gave Mike (who is Chinese) chopsticks and me a fork. Talk about salt in the open wound of self-concept/esteem.

Pacifico is now back at home, safe and sound. I ate my chicken, veggies, AND rice with chopsticks to prove to that guy that I too know how to use chopsticks…I really showed him! Now if I can find a way to stick it to the mechanics!

Have you ever played Uno...ok, it's nothing like that

Over the last few months I have played cards with a lot of great people. For the sake of time and efficacy I am posting the rules to the games here so get some decks of cards and play on.


Canadian Salad
Players: Any number greater than 3
Number of decks: 3-5 people= 1 deck; 6-10 people = 2 decks; 11-15 = 3 decks.
Score: Low score wins!!!
Time Commitment: 20 minutes or so
Object of the game: To not take “tricks” and not turn tricks….ha! This game is played like Spades except there are NO TRUMPS at all, and only six hands are played.
Rules
*You MUST follow suit lead if possible.
*On multiple deck games, when two identical winning cards fall, the first one thrown wins trick.
*Deal the whole deck and the person to the left leads the first trick.
The tricks are as follows
First No tricks Each trick = 10 pts
Second No hearts Each heart = 10 pts
Third No queens Each queen = 25 pts
Fourth No K of spades K of spades = 100 pts
Fifth No last trick Last trick =100 pts
Sixth** All of the above Points count as above
**It’s easier to keep track of the score after each trick during the last trick



Threes
Players: 2 or more
Number of Decks: 2
Scoring: Low score wins!!!
Time Commitment: 5-20 minutes per hand
Object of game: To get rid of all of the cards in your hands. Each card in your hand is worth 1 point at the end of the round.
Rules:
First person takes 4 cards and then tries to make either a set or run of three or more.
If they cannot make a set or run of three then they need to keep drawing until they can.
Once they put their set/run in the middle of the table then they can knock on the table and pass the cards or say “Pass”.
The next person draws 4 and tries to lay down a new set/run or add to the existing cards, if they can’t play then they keep drawing until they can play something.
This continues until someone discards all of their cards.
*All cards on the table must be in sets or runs of three or more.
*The cards can be rearranged as desired to create opportunities for play as long as there are still three in each set/run at the end of that player’s turn.



Hand and Foot
Players: 4 (2 teams of 2), 3 (cut-throat….every man for himself)
Number of decks: 4…if more than 4 are playing then add one deck for every person.
Score: High score wins!!!
Time Commitment: 1 hour..a little more if you have more people
Object of the Game: The aim is to get rid of cards from your hand (11 cards), and then from your foot (11 cards), by melding them. A Meld is a set of three to seven cards of equal rank placed face up on the table. A Meld cannot have fewer than three cards. After a Meld of three or more cards has been started, you can add further cards to it until there are seven, which makes it a book. Then it becomes a Book. You can meld cards of any rank from A, K, Q, ... down to 3. Deuces and Jokers are wild cards and can be used in melds, as long as there is at least one more real card than wild cards. You cannot meld wild cards alone.
Every round you pick up two cards and then discard one.

There are two types of books:
A Clean(No Wilds) Book = 500 pt.
A Dirty(Wild) = 300 pts
First team/person out = 100 pts.

Card Values:
Jokers = 50 points (Wild Card)
Deuces = 20 points (Wild Card)
Aces = 20 points
Eight through King (8-K) = 10 points
Three through Seven (3-7) = 5 points
RED THREES = -300

Round Points-You must lay down at least the round points to play ONLY the first time someone lays down in that round per team/person.
Round 1, cards points must total at least 50 to play
Round 2, cards points must total at least 90 to play
Round 3, cards points must total at least 120 to play
Round 4, cards points must total at least 150 to play

In order to go out, you must:
1. Have reached your Foot and played it completely.
2. Have at least one Red Book and one Black Book.
3. If you are in partners, your partner must “get into” their foot and play it at least once.

In order to pick up the discard pile the following criteria must be met:
1. You must have 2 matching cards in your hand
2. You must be able to play the top discard
3. You must have the required round points
The top discard may give you the required round points, no other cards below can be used to give you the round point when you first lay down.

SCORING:
You receive two scores per hand. One for the books, then the combined face value of all cards played on the board, booked or not. Once your books have been counted then all the cards you played, including those in the books, are added up at the card point value.
This applies to all players, not just the person going out. If you did not go out, and are caught with cards in your Hand and/or your Foot, those points count against you. If you did not go out and you have books and or cards on the board, those points count for you.

Books, Books, and Yes More Books

I know some of you think that I only read children's books....which is mostly true. If you are looking for some good end of summer reads before school resumes or life gets crazy then here are some of my favorite "adult" books.

Travel:
In a Sunburnt Country, Bill Bryson
Anyone who knows me well knows that I have a deep love for this kind of chubby, kind of dry, kind of rambling, completely amazing writer. He has a way with words that makes sense to me. If you walk into a library and see anything by him-you will not be disappointed…if you are then you should go see a doctor because your sense of humor is not in working order.

Non-fiction:
Microtrends: The small forces behind tomorrow’s big trends, Mark Penn
This is a fascinating book about trends that are affecting politics, commerce, and other landscapes in America. It provides short vignettes about different trends of less than three million people that can and do have great impact on society.

Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping, Paco Underhill
You will literally never go into a store without thinking about some of the basic concepts that my friend, Paco (ok…we’ve never met but I think we could be friends) discusses. As you can tell I love consumer trends (even though I hate shopping…enigma aren’t I) and this book is the one that started it all for me.

Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy, Martin Lindstrom and Paco Underhill
This book I read just because Paco wrote it and I was very impressed. It uses vignettes to map the neurology of buying and what certain brands make us feel on a biological level.

Freakenomics, Steven D. Leviitt
Oh gosh! This might be one of my favorite books of all time. It you think economics is boring then you are as wrong as Richard Simmons in sweat pants! All I can say is READ IT…you will love it-unless you are Richard Simmons and then all bets are off.

A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson
This book is not short but it does cover nearly everything. DO NOT READ THIS BOOK…you need to listen to it on cd. If you do not heed this warning and start reading this book then you will be overwhelmed. It also has a pretty extreme evolutionary bent so if you get riled up about that then do your blood pressure a favor and read something else. It is a comprehensive history of scientific progress and worth the listening time especially if you have a long commute.

Lies My Teacher Told Me; Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong, James Loewen
A great book for teachers. Read it with an open mind…think upon the things presented and let it give rise to being aware of prejudices and biases. It has a really good chapter on poverty and every teacher should read that chapter at least.

Rethinking Globalization, Teaching for Justice in an Unjust World
This book has short non-fiction stories from around the globe about different topics related to globalization and what it is doing to cultures, people, and places.

Fat Land; How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World, Greg Critser
Don’t read this if you ever want to enjoy a donut or potato chips for a while. It is very similar to Fast Food Nation and Supersize Me in the sense that it explores a lot of the politics and things behind the national food scene. It is an extremely honest look at food and how Americans relate to food.

Mouse Tales: Behind the Ears Look at Disneyland, David Koenig
This is by far the best 10 cent book I have ever purchased at a used book sale (and I have bought a lot of used books). The expose book has chapters about deaths, practical jokes, behind the rides, history, and even the lawsuits that have taken place at the Happiest Place on Earth. If you like Disneyland, or even if you are ambivalent like me, this is an interesting read! Plus it will give you more things to discuss at awkward social gatherings...believe me sometimes you need to state how many people have died while riding the Matterhorn to break the ice (the number is 2 in case you were curious).

Biographical/Auto-biographical:
Across the Wire: Life and hard times on the Mexican border, Luis Alberto Urrea
By the Lake of the Sleeping Children: The secret life of the Mexico border, Luis Alberto Urrea
These books are hard to read but are extremely well worth it. Luis documents his time working with the people who live in the dumps of Tijuana. He describes with both shocking honesty and refreshing humanity the lives of the people who change his life.

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, Bill Bryson
This book on CD is read by the author and I suggest listening to it. Bill (he’s my friend like Paco) relives his childhood growing up in small town America in the 1950’s. He is a delightful writer who shares his stories with wit and wonder.

Shakespeare: The World as Stage, Bill Bryson
A great look at how William has changed the English language and the influence he had on writers, theater, and culture.

Etymological:
Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language and How It Got That Way, Bill Bryson
The only thing I love more economic books are books about the history of words!!! This is a great book about how Americans have ruined, improved, and change English.

Alphabet Juice, Roy Blunt Jr.
An alphabetical look at words that are rich in history or funny in the way in which they came to be. A good bathroom book…a little daunting to read all in one shot.

Word Wizard: Super Bloopers, Rich Reflections, and Other Acts of Word Magic, Richard Lederer
Short stories about language and the way in which it is used, misused, and sometimes abused. An excellent book to read if you are a social misfit because then at parties instead of standing awkwardly by the French onion dip you can entertain the other guests with stories of obscure words and expressions…it works for me ☺

Short Stories:
Woman Hollering Creek, Sandra Cisneros
The author goes above and beyond in her short stories of women. She does an amazing job of connecting the stories with great writing, a whole lot of heart, and a true representation of women throughout their lives, ages, and cultures.

House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros
This book is half poetry, half short stories but completely amazing. I absolutely love the figurative language. Cisneros writes about her life growing up in the barrio and gives glimpses into a child’s life that are both humorous and heart wrenching.

Religious
Ragamuffin Gospel, Brennen Manning
If you are going to read one religious book (apart from the NKJV) hands down it should be this one. This book is an amazing reflection of what could be if people chose to live their lives as if it is indeed God’s grace that makes us worthy of love. If you are unsure, undecided, or just plain fed up with organized religion this book makes a strong case for getting back the basics.

What’s So Amazing About Grace, Philip Yancey
Another great book that gives vignettes about what it means to be gracious, graceful, and be forgiven by grace. If you are interested in the application of grace in and through your life it is worth a read.

Nebraska...land of straight roads and soy

Sometimes driving alone, I find myself enjoying the things that are so common, so usual, so ordinary. Like the sweet smell of rain showers that take me back home to lazy summer afternoons. The hypnotic repetition of delineator posts. How Nebraska seems half full of corn, half full of old tired looking barns, but all the way full of I-80 running like a silver stream to the horizon. The excitement about the destination and what is to come. The gentle ping of bugs losing their fight with a windshield. Corn rows quickly comng into and going out of focus at a dizzing pace. The earthy and rich smell of feedlots- "That's the smell of money, kids." Humid air that is almost tangible and weighty. Heat haze looking like a tiny pool in the middle of a black sea of asphalt. The rumble of a semi, like a gaint woken from slumber. The neon yellow and green spats of insects, like a Pollock on my windshield. Dust bits and chaff thrown by the farmers mowing the median; how sweet that smell of grass, and dust, and summertime is. The heinous zing and startle of the rumble strips as my tires fly over them. The quiet charm of towns that once were but are now shadows of the past-forgotton and forlorn. The calm that surrounds as the sun quickly dips past the horizon and makes the world a wash of vermillion, scarlet, ruby, tangerine, and saffron.

A Happy List from Camp

As many/all of you know, I work at a camp in Missouri. Working at this camp gave me the most terrific experiences and I have gotten to work the the most amazing people. One of those sweet people is Jell-o and she has a habit of making "Happy Lists" and so this is for you Jell-o...I missed you.

A Happy List
J. Low 2009

• The Hoedown Throwdown Disaster
  
• The Sugar Shack
  
• Julia's kisses
  
• Jell-o's visit
• Sewing aprons for the Go-gos
  
• The new macro lens
• Titan and the other ho-dos (host-dogs)
  
• Clean But Wet shirts
• Salmon surprise and other questionable menu items
  
• Katianne's enthusiasm
• Getting to watch a movie instead of going to the pool on closing day
• Slide...like an onion
• The weirdest staff meetings ever
• Jillian and the mixed emotions of her involvement in the Ad Building
• Getting the giggles at lunch
• Getting glared at like first year counselors for the giggle fit
• The stupid lights key...I hate that key
• Surviving Shitstorm 2009
• "So formal"
• Hanging out with Dot and the Sci-Fi Channel
  
• Kayla's dry dry humor
• Cooking out like 5 times in a row...not on purpose
  
• Being a Unit Counselor again
• Realizing how good I have it as a Unit Leader
• Lepi's wellness and zest for honesty
  
• Cleaning up vomit in every color, viscosity, and stage of digestion
• Cleaning up poop in every color, viscosity, and stage of absorption
• Razzle's friendship bracelet
• The Paper Source
• Staying up late talking to Twiggy
  
• Calvin the mouse in cabin 3
• 84's camp chic look
• My Keens...so comfortable, so fugly
• Duhbul's expressions that are not really expressions
• Missing out on all the Michael Jackson news
• Lauren's laughter
• "There are snakes in the grass, get your ass in the cabin!"
• Meeting the new campers
• Sequoia's impromptu orienteering course
• Maggie's fishy faces
• Spending time at the tables with 'Da Unit
• The incredible weather
• Getting to spend an evening with Katydid
• A Diva is a female version of a hustler
• Unit 1...enough said!!!
• Throwing pepperoni and hot dogs into the woods
• Elmo's sweet smile...and teasing her about Abraham
• The cooking demo
• Hearing about the cooking demo about a million times
• Trying a few of the cooking demo ideas...abandoning the rest
• Lizzy and her swimming program and sweet letters
• Bamboo/Katherine Heigl
  
• Mullet Margaritas
• 4th of July+Missouri+Online Ordained Minister+Breathalyzer=Awesome time (the breathalyzer was used purely for recreational purposes)
• Discovering Facebook Scrabble
• The charcoal chimney vs. chiminea discussion
• Twiggy
• A thousand little smiles and laughs that cannot be captured or described but make up memories that will last a lifetime

Silkworms...finally

Ok, I have been promising the last installment of insect posts for a while now....and I was waiting for the silkworms to complete their life cycle. The tragedy in this post is that they have been in their cocoons for about 1 month and I am a little doubtful that they will release their enzyme and crawl out of the carefully woven silk to flutter, mate, and then die.

So these little preciosos started as little grayish blue eggs and hatched into wonderful little caterpillars with large heads and fuzzy little bodies. In the picture below you can see the three first instars (stages) of their lives. The one in the middle is at the end of the first instar....all balck and fizzy. The second instar is the one in which they get a little bigger, loose the fuzz, and get a bigger abdomen.

Another little picture of the first few weeks of life for these caterpillars.

Here is the third instar...they are so cute!

You guessed it instar number four and the classic "I am king of the moutain" pose. I love their cute little prolegs (the suction ones in the back) and the little back spike.

This big boy is in his fifth instar and is a few days away from starting his cocoon.

Here he is about a day before changing into a cocoon. As you can see he is shrinking a little bit, his skin went from gray white to a creamy white and he is getting a little wrinkly. He got quite a bit shorter and then stopped eating.

This is the beginning of what I call "flossing" in which he begain stringing thick silk strands to an fro in his egg carton. As you can see he had a pretty loose frass (poop) and that will be the last time he ever poops. He also has lost a lot of length. His body got a lot thicker and the last few segments kind of absorbed up into his body.

After a whole lot of flossing he starts producing the actual silk and goes back and forth, back and forth, back and forth until a cocoon starts taking shape. This is the stuff that they use to make silk cloth and it is just one long thread. Below his head is far away and his prolegs are at the top most part of the cocoon.

This is kind of like ultrasound pictures to me...I don't really see the baby's foot, ankle, face, until I look at it like a 3D picture from 1994. In this one he is on his side with his front legs facing up and his back curling around the bottom.

And finally a cocoon!!!

Silkworms were by far my favorite insect this year. I had so much fun watching them grow. The kids loved them. I had to leave them before they hatched (who am I kidding they aren't going to hatch) so I left my roommate in charge. I told her to throw them away if nothing happened by August. It's only supposed to take 3 weeks...it's been about 5- maybe next time something will actually come out of the cocoons.

2 Words....Economic Downturn

Well as a few of you (ha...I mean all of you) know this great country that we live in is in an economic recession/downturn/cluster@#&*. Anyway, because of this awesome future Vh1 "I Love the 2000's" show I am not going to be at my amazing, great, superb school next year. I will be at some other equally is amazing school (I HOPE!).
Soooo to the story, one of my dear 5th graders asked me if I was going to be teaching 5/6 next year-which was the plan until the Board of Ed. got in the way with their "Budget Crisis". Again I digress... I told her that I was going to be at a different school and I know she will do well (all of that BS that teachers tell kids when the truth is a little too painful). Then I told her that she had to study hard and become a lawyer, or a banker, or the president so that her generation could get us out of a mess. She looked at me nodding in agreement and then said, "Boy, I hope you are still alive by then." So, I was hopeful that this economic downturn was going to be resolved a little sooner than later but then again time is irrelevant when you are 11.

Self-Concept?

Throughout the year my students have drawn pictures of me and I wonder if this is what they think of me. I hope not :S.

Before we get started with the art, I thought I would take a minute and revel in what a good teacher I am. At least he spelled teacher right...I have been the "World's Best Techer" a LOT!

This is me and the Governator on a boat.
Please look at my face (on the right) I look a little seasick.

The bigger picture. Apparently a fish is chewing on the anchor. I love this kid! I know you are not supposed to have favorites but he is absolutely one of mine :)

Ironically this is from the same kid who peed on the fence (see first post for more details).

Me and the girls. Apparently MAdlinc (me) has orange dots following along.

This could be my favorite abstract. At least he got the right number of fingers.

This is the best one...and the worst one :) I love that the boys are crawling around me. Maybe a little too realistic to be flattering. Great attention to detail though1

Baseball

My favorite thing about the spring is baseball. Ok...maybe not all of baseball just little kid baseball. I love it all. The smell of the grass and dirt. The kids with dirty knees and koolaid stained faces. The sunflower seed spitting and nachos with little bits of overcooked cheese. How the kids look wobbly with their oversized cleats and how their helmets are about 3 and 1/2 times as big as their bodies. I love the parents who say things that I don't understand like "Come on, hips and whips this time!", "In and on the outside!" and "Getcha head in the game"...oh wait that last one was from High School Musical. I love how the little siblings play in the dirt and eat rocks. In essence there are very few things I would rather be doing on a spring Saturday than sitting on a bench and cheering for the ________ (insert name of team my student is playing on). Going to Little League games is the only thing that makes my ovaries flutter and my biological clock tick. I work 7 hours a day with kids and that is extreme birth control and yet when a goofy looking kid who is all arms and legs and no teeth tries to hit a ball it make me understand why people chose to procreate. Anyway... I love baseball and I was enjoying one of my student's games this evening (they won! YAY!) and three funny things happened:
1. This very small kid was playing first base and every time he caught the ball he would leap off the base, fly through the air, and catch the ball with such great enthusiasm that he would jump off the base and belly flop on the ground, ball in glove, and tippy toes about 1 inch off the base. The runner was always safe and the first baseman was always a few centimeters from glory.
2. As one of the Jayhawks was running around third, a Cardinal caught a pass and then threw it with a lot of gusto. With soooo much gusto in fact that it flew past third, flew past the third base coach, flew past the fence, flew past the spectators, flew past the previously mentioned kids eating dirt, and into the field across the way. The best part was that no one knew what to make of it. Pandemonium ensued. The coaches were yelling. The parents were yelling. The kids were running everywhere but on the bases. Hilarious!
3. The Cardinals were in outfield and as the first hitter was going up the umpire called a one-minute timeout. This was confusing to everyone as it seemed like an illogical delay of game. Of course it seemed illogical until a tiny little body hopped over the fence, sprinted to the tree line at the edge of the field and then proceeded to relieve himself why everyone waited for him. The umpire said he had a minute and by golly it took him just under. Apparently it was an emergency and the coach said it would take more than a minute to get to the bathroom and back so the woods were the only option. The best part of this is that when the poor kid got back all of the spectators gave him a standing ovation.

Pink Pajamas Penguins on the Bottom

Matsavinya matiseema va vinya yay
Pink pajamas penguins on the bottom
Pink pajamas penguins on the bottom

hmmm hmmm (not sure of the words)
The sun rolling high
Through the sapphire sky
hmmmmm (more unknown words)
crescendo to It's the Circle of Life!

Ok it's not really that dramatic in Room 15. There is no manic/spooky monkey holding a little lion cub over all the animals of the Savannah but it is special that we have gotten to see the middle, end, beginning, middle, and soon to be end of the butterfly life cycle.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.... no that's a different story. We got these wonderful painted lady caterpillars about a month ago (see previous post about the hot glue/trauma/butterfly crisis for more detailed history). They grew into 5 1/2 butterflies (one was kind of special needs and might have been on the spectrum). As soon as they hatched it was painted lady porn in our room! I didn't take any pictures of the explicit act simply because I didn't think it was appropriate to draw attention to it in front of the kids and because even insects should enjoy private moments of intimacy. If you really want to see it google image search it :).

Here is the boy chasing around the one any only girl.
You can tell by the size of their abdomen (butt).

I have taught my kiddos a lot of good phrases (TCB, You're on the radar,
Touch it again...see what happens!) and one that I taught them was "Peacocking" That is exactly what Lucky (they named them all Lucky...I don't know why) was doing in this picture.

3-5 days after the 8 hour humping session these tiny mint green eggs showed up. It was amazing! You could actually see the mommy butterfly sticking her abdomen down and sticking these little dots to the leaves. If you look really closely you can see a little black speck on the leaf on the left upper part and that is newly hatched caterpillar. There is also one in the middle of the left cluster of eggs. When they hatch they are less than an 1/8 of an inch long and have the biggest head (like an orange on a toothpick!) and the tiniest little bodies.

Here is a picture of the first 200 or so that hatched. Yes they are the little tiny black specks!

This is a picture of a one-week old caterpillar and one day old caterpillar. I know that this is the curse of the new mother. Every gurgle, spit-up, and dirty diaper is the best, most wonderful, special bodily fluid ever created. Even though my commitment is only for another month or so I still feel like every leaf chewed is chewed in a way that no caterpillar has ever masticated before, and every piece of frass (poop) is the most perfect frass ever created, and every little tiny molt need to be documented, photographed, and then told to everyone I know.
In essence my caterpillars are in the top 99% of all the caterpillars in the whole entire world.

This is a three-week old caterpillar on a mallow leaf stem.

Here they are getting ready to make their J shapes

Some more of the ridiculously huge 3 week old caterpillars.
On the verge of changing into chrysalises.

Here are some of the chrysalises. As the larvae inside age they get more and more beautiful!

This is a chrsyallis who attached to the top of the net. You can see the silk pat really clearly. Here is the butterfly net filled with our butterflies!!!

More metamorphic madness to follow...until the next insect installment :)
Awesome alliteration also :)

Mealworms to Darkling Beetles...an Incredible Journey

This is going to be the first of several installments about the life cycles of bugs in my classroom. Thank you in advance for reading about something that not even my dearest friends can tolerate anymore...so I am a little obsessed! I can tell when the people I work with start to get that look like they would rather live through a month of Mondays than keep listening that I have gone from "Endearingly Engaged" to "2 Cats Short of Being the Crazy Lady with the 2 Cats" Anyway...I will start where Room 15 started...mealworms! We got our mealworms and eagerly started investigating their weird (and a little creepy) body structures. They are pretty tough and the kids L-O-V-E them. Initially we had put in pretzel bits and graham crackers as food but then that was replaced by bran cereal. Here is one of our cute little mealworm...

It's so cute with it's segmented shell and little pincher mouth. Yes, these are the silly insects that my kids carry around and put on their shoulders, heads, arms, knees, shoes, noses. They even make little obstacle courses with pencils and markers to put them through.

I love his little cute face in this picture!

After waiting for months and months and months....ok less than a month. Our dearly beloved mealworms turned into "mummies" actually pupae. These particular pupae are disgusting looking. They are similar to chrysalises in that if they are bumped then they wiggle like crazy.

Initially I had put the pupae in with the adult beetles but after a tubbie cleaning in which I found about 30 pupae that had either their heads or butts chewed off I moved the few surviving ones back in with the mealworms. It was super disgusting! Even now the kids sometimes find legs and body bits in the bran flakes...sick!

This is before the adults started chewing off butts!

The adult beetles also eat bran and veggies. They have wings but can't fly and they have very sticky feet. My biggest fear is that somehow they are going to escape and invade my whole room. The kids also love, love, love these (even the ones who were scared at first). They have named them all (which makes it a little more traumatic when Sheldon was found half eaten or Rock went belly up for no apparent reason) and have races with them. I was hesitant at first to stick my hand in the tub but over time I began to do it with courage and bravery.

There are some color variations. The light one is newly hatched. When their wing covers are opened (like the one on the left) you can see the ridges that were also apparent on the pupa.

A good example of the sticky feet I mentioned earlier.

Synonyms: Irate, Angry, Mad, Raging

Everyday we learn a new word of the day. We talk about the synonyms, antonyms, syllabication, and then come up with an action. During the day I try to work it in to sentences and questions. Some are silly (scrumptious), some are content related (conservation), and some are just words that "feel right" (hullabaloo).
Today, a big house lizard came into the classroom and you can imagine the hullabaloo that ensued. There was some screaming, some ruckus, and some general foolishness. I being the competent and ever-ready lizard wrangler I got two rubbermaid lids and started my strategic way towards the door-the child wrangling was a little more difficult then the lizard. Anyway, as I am scooting and cajoling the lizard towards the door I hit the edge of a paint palate, which was sitting on the table, with my arm. This particular paint plate I had asked Preciosa to put in the trash about 1 hour before. When I hit the plate it didn't spill, it didn't tip, it didn't even fall. It flipped up and stuck to my sweater...I had a rainbow of tempera all over my sweater with a paper plate stuck to it, a lizard I didn't want, and a class full of hysterical 7 year olds. I was sooo angry at Preciosa for not doing what I had asked, even when I had reminded her. I was also angry at myself for not just throwing the paint away, and I was very mad at this lizard who interrupted math and my life. I looked up into 18 pairs of saucer eyes and a tiny voice in the back peeps "Furious! You look just like the word of the day." Before I could growl, shout, or exclaim. A chorus of agreement erupted and it was at that point I realized how ridiculous this situation was. A teachable moment-yes. However, when they talk about teachable moments in teacher education programs they never mention paint, lizards, or chaos. Tomorrow's word of the day: pandemonium

Another Field Trip

Things overhead on Room 15’s field trip:
-Look Ms. A. it says F…..U…..C……
-Ok, that’s enough good reading skills though!
-Look those monkeys are doing what the butterflies do in the class (oh YES they were getting jiggy with it).
-Ms. A. do you think that I could live with the tigers when I grow up?
-He’s my best friend! (10 minutes later) I’m not inviting him to my birthday!
-Can we see the snakes again…pleeeeaaaassseee!
-Please sit down when the bus is moving.
-Please keep your feet inside the bus.
-Please do not stick your hands outside of the bus.
-Please do not stand on the seats while the bus is moving.
-Please sit down.
-Sit down.
-Sit now!
-SIT! SO HELP ME I WILL TURN THIS BUS AROUND!
-What?!? 300 hundred pounds of poo!
-What is that smell?
-That my friend would be the 300 pounds of poo.
-Look it’s peeing on the other orangutan’s head.
-Ms. A. this sunbutter tastes really bad….next time I’m bringing a Lunchable.
-Here Ms. A. I saved you a Dorito.
-Wow, thanks I really was hoping you would give me one.
-This was the best day ever!

Books, Books, Books

The most powerful catalyst in my reading is listening to people talk about the books they love, it makes me want to sip, slurp, and savor stories. We had a lady come to our school and do an inservice on books and it made me want to read, re-read and share the good books in my life. Many people have asked over the years for a list of the books I love and this is it...I will probably remember one in the middle of the night and add to it. I have also categorized it in a way that make sense to me so don't judge me on my genres :). Oh... and to conserve space and my fingers I am only listing the first in a series even though you should go on to read all of them.

Realistic Fiction:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid- J. Kinney: A graphic novel which is written in first person by a middle school boy who is chronicling the big (and not so big) events in his life. Hilarious! A book that will keep you laughing and turning the pages to the very end.

Freak the Mighty- R. Philbrick: Max and Freak are an odd couple whose friendship sees them through some hard times. Get out the Kleenex because there is a Max in all of our lives and his joys and sorrows make an impression on every reader.

Frindle- A. Clements: A great book for kids who are precocious. A boy changes the English language by creating a new word. An awesome book about the etiology of language and how it changes over time.

Holes- L. Sachar: A crummy setting and situation are changed by a stroke of dumb luck. You will fall in love with the characters and be engaged by the flashbacks.

Ida B:..and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disasters, and (Possibly) Save the World- K. Hannigan: The girl in this book is feisty, fun and has a fantastic voice. She copes with changes in her life and tries to deal with them in her own way. After you read this you will start writing a children's book of your own because the language is amazing.

Maniac Magee- J. Spinelli: Maniac doesn't have a home, an address, or a reason to stop running until he meets some unforgettable characters and remembers what it's like to have a family and friends. This book makes me want to be a better writer.

Stargirl- J. Spinelli: A boy tells the story of his high school life and the people who drift in and out of it. The main character is his friend/girl friend who lives life her own way. Bad things happen when he wants her to change more than he wants her to be happy. The sequel is a little disheartening.

The Thief Lord- C. Funke: A group of orphans and runaways are lead into a life of crime by a disguised leader. The protagonist has his beliefs challenged by experiences, discoveries, and being the caretaker for his brother. A lengthy book but well worth it.

Historical Fiction:

Al Capone Does My Shirts- G. Choldenko: A novel set in the 30's and about a boy and his family who live on Alcatraz island. The subplot about his interactions with the warden's daughter are a sunny spot this powerful book about growing up. It has a great plot and fascinating characters who are endearing, frustrating, and delightful.

Esperanza Rising- P. Munoz: Set in the 1930's a girl finds her self, her courage, and her hope in a desperate time and situation. A very interesting story of field workers and their trials.

Milkweed- J. Spinelli: A story about a orphan who grows up in during the Holocaust and finds refuge and friends in a Jewish ghetto, even though he is not a Jew. A different perspective on the Holocaust story told by a little boy who doesn't understand why his friends live behind the fences and why things are changing.

Number the Stars- L. Lowry: A story about a girl growing up during the Nazi invasion of Denmark and how she overcomes her fears to be the hero her family and best friend need.

Petey- B. Mikaelsen: A unique look from a severely disabled boy who is institutionalized in the 1920's and his growing up. This story is heart breaking, uplifting, and life changing.

The Teacher's Funeral, A Comedy in Three Parts- R. Peck: This book has a dry outlook on growing up in the early 1900's. The boys are smart, playful, a little obnoxious and exactly how boys should be.

True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle- Avi: Written in first person by a girl who shuns convention on her voyage across the Atlantic in 1802. This book challenges stereotypes of girls in the 1800's and their roles in society. WARNING: This is a slow starting book so push through the first few chapters to the murder and betrayal parts and there is one with a stupid cover so get the one that doesn't have the lame dame looking girl on the front...believe me- EVERYONE judges a book by it's cover.

Biography/Autobiography:

Harris and Me-G. Paulsen: This could be my favorite book of all time....really! It combines the hard topics of foster families and the sheer joy of 11 year old boys on a farm. You will laugh until you cry and then cry some more because the story is so good and powerful. It is written in what I like to call "stream of consciousness" style which is entirely entertaining. A good read is Popcorn Days and Buttermilk Nights, same setting, author, and concept but fictional characters.

I Have Lived A Thousand Years- O. Bitton-Jackson: A heartbreaking book about the courage and resiliency of the human spirit. The author lives through the Holocaust as a teenager and loses her family, friends, and life but never her integrity.

Knots in My Yo-Yo String: The Autobiography of a Kid- J. Spinelli: This is best read after a few Spinelli books-it links the stories and the author. A great book to illustrate how authors write about what they love and know.

Fiction:

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory- R. Dahl: This book is as odd as the day is long and twice as delightful. If you have never read it-do yourself a favor and read it!

Charlotte's Web- E. B. White: A classic that is better as an adult (in my opinion). It is a slow starter so be ready to push past the first few chapters. If you've only watched the movie then spend a day or two with these characters and fall in love with them again...or for the first time.

The Giver- L. Lowry: A great book about a utopian society that has some dark secrets. A boy is given the memories of the city and finds a great life outside of this highly structured society. You must read Gathering Blue and The Messenger...it will blow your mind!

Gossamer- L. Lowry: A book that explores foster parenting, second chances, and anger through the perspective of dream makers. An interesting look at the problems that kids, adults, and families face.

The Ink Drinker- E. Sanvoisin: A little book with big figurative language. This book is great short read that is as suspenseful and it is well-written. The author has captured the essence of enjoying a book and wrapped it in a wonderfully engaging story.

Tale of Desperaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread- K. DiCamillo: Exactly what the title says. It is written in second person which adds some interest. The stories intertwine and the moral is that every action starts a chain of events. This is another book that makes me want to be a good writer.

Nod's Limb (Edgar and Ellen)- C. Ogden: Engaging for non-readers. Similar to the Lemony Snicket books except the children are throughly bad and nothing ever works out in their nefarious plans. The pet that they hate and torment is really good and foils them at every turn.

High Fiction:

Artemis Fowl- E. Colfer: A boy who is equal parts smart and self-serving tricks the fairy world into releasing it's secrets and gold. The greatest lessons in life are those that are learned through trial and err and Artemis learns a few along the way. A great series. An even better book on CD-the reader is AMAZING!

Eragon- C. Paolini: A boy and his dragon...need I say more. Similar to Tolkin and Lewis but wonderful and worthwhile all the same. The books are pretty heavy and need to be read with an alertness that isn't often found after 9:00.

The Edge Chronicles (Beyond the Deepwoods)- P. Stewart: Set in an alternate world with a very definite class system a boy realizes his dreams of being a sky pirate. The pen and ink illustrations make this book come alive. Clear your calendar and settle in for a good read.

Magick- A. Sage- A boy is the seventh son of a seventh son and this changes the destiny of his world. The the plot is complex, the characters multi-dimensionally, and the pace surprisingly fast.

Midnight for Charlie Bone- J. Nimmo: A boy with special powers fights against the dark powers to find his father and save his friends. The characters are engaging and memorable.

Poetry:

House on Mango Street- S. Cisneros: A refreshing free-verse poetry book about growing up in the barrios. The writing and words are playful and celebrate life. Not all poems are appropriate for students so pre-read :).

Where the Sidewalks Ends- S. Silverstein: A collection of wacky poems that will make you smile, laugh, and shake your head in wonder at the odd creations of verse.

Adventure/Mystery:

Among the Hidden- M. Haddix: In the future the government limits the number of children a family can have and the "hidden children" fight against the population control. Every book is by a different third child and tells a different part of the story. You will not put this down until you get to the end and then you will immediately go to the library and get the next one in the series.

Chasing Vermeer- B. Balliett: A odd pair of friends solve a mystery of a missing painting using observation, pentominoes and good old fashion sleuthing. The following two books are also very good.

City of Ember- J. Duprau: Set in the future it's the story of a city whose foundations are being shaken by the unknown. A few kids set out in search of answers in a suspenseful, fast paced story.

Hatchet-G. Paulsen: A boy, a hatchet, a airplane crash in the Canadian wilderness adds up to a very good book that combines courage, ingenuity and sheer luck.

The Sisters Grimm- M. Buckley: The two sisters are descents of the Brothers Grimm and solve mysteries for the Ever Afters (fairy tale folk). It's interesting to find who are the heros, who are the villians, and who are the clinically insane. A great fractured fairy tale spin.