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Name: | Cris Crissman
(cris@TeenReadNC.org)
| | Date: | Thu 14 Sep 2006 09:47:41 PM EDT | | Subject: | Let the Recommendations Begin . . . | | |
So what books do you think your teachers should read . . . and why? Be sure and write to teachers and include the why. I may respond to your post with a Cris Note if we have questions or would like more information. Also, remember that this is a step up from IM-ing -- you're actually publishing for an audience -- an older, maybe not-as-hip audience at that -- so please strive to communicate well.
Teachers are busy like you and will take the time to read only the most informative and persuasive book pitches. So we will select carefully and those of you who are published are to be congratulated. Be sure and brag to your teacher about your "15 lines" or so of fame. Reading our guidelines and tips for teen reviewers should help . . .
Note to Teachers: Though the temptation may be great, please do not make this forum an assignment. Our invitation is to teens who want to post because they want to share their ideas and aren't motivated by extra points. | | | Post Reply | Display replies to this message
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Name: | Sallie
( Sallie@TeenReadNC.org)
| | Date: | Wed 03 Jan 2007 03:57:22 PM EST | | Subject: | Notes From a Liar and Her Dog by Gennifer Choldenko [Cris's Note: What a great hook to draw your readers in, Sallie! You've got a real knack for this. I know I want to read this book now.] | | | Would you forge your grades on a report card from A's to F's just so your parents would think you weren't smart? Chances are, none of us would. However in this fresh and interesting teen book from Gennifer Choldenko, that's exactly what the main protagonist Antonio does! Antonio is convinced she is an orphan and refuses to believe that she is a member of the rest of her "picture perfect" family. She doesn't fit in her family...or does she? Read this book for exciting new views of a stressed out teen and how she finds herself and her place in life. | | | Post Reply | Display replies to this message
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Name: | Tanzania
(Tanzania@teenread.org)
| | Date: | Wed 03 Jan 2007 04:06:19 PM EST | | Subject: | House of the Scorpion [Cris's Note: Sounds like Tanzania is concerned that we adults can't deal with ambiguity as well as teens. So do you think that's an advantage of teens growing up "digital" and so comfortable in this rapid-paced technological world?] | | | It's an awesome book that will leave a lasting empression on you, because it just worps peoples minds. You've got to be a thinker in order to keep up, your fingers will become burned and callused from flipping the pages so fast, just to see what happens next. Teachers if they're thinkers then they'll enjoy this book, if their minds are developed enough to keep up with the confusion and mindboggling events. Ow, yes this is the book worth flipping more than two pages over. | | | Post Reply | Display replies to this message
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Name: | Alexa
(alexa@teenreadnc.org)
| | Date: | Mon 22 Jan 2007 01:43:18 PM EST | | Subject: | the harry potter series! [Cris's Note: Kudos for making such a persuasive argument in supporrt of Harry, Alexa. Your English teacher would be proud of the way that you wisely addressed counter-arguments!] | | | Dear teachers and students,
The Harry Potter Series is one of the best series of books ever! I love to read and I try to read this series onece or more a year. If you haven't tried these books, do it now. Some parents say that they are bad to read and influence kids to believe in magical lands, but it's not true. I have read these books a lot, and i'm no weirdo. Each book has a moral and is filled with adventure. These are not just kid books, they are great for adults too! If you are already a Harry Potter fan, make sure you don't miss the 7th book out this summer along with the 5th movie. Just a quick hint, the 7th book's title is "Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallow".
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Name: | Alexa
(alexa@teenreadnc.org)
| | Date: | Mon 22 Jan 2007 02:20:04 PM EST | | Subject: | Harry Potter [Cris's Note: Wow! Thanks for posting book blurbs for the first six of the Harry Potter series, Alexa. It was a nice walk down memory lane for us and reminds us of how ready we are for the seventh book! The buzz is that major characters, maybe even Harry dies. Can you believe J. K. will do this to us?] | | | The Harry Potter Series So Far...
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
J. K. Rowling
The book that started it all! Harry Potter has never played a sport while flying on a broomstick. He's never worn a cloak of invisibility, befriended a giant, or helped hatch a dragon. All Harry knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley. Harry's room is a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years. But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger....
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
J. K. Rowling
Harry Potter can't wait for summer to end and for his return to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But a message from an impish creature named Dobby says that if Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike. And so it does, in the form of an outrageously stuck-up new professor, a spirit named Moaning Myrtle, and the unwanted attentions of Ron Weasley's little sister. But these all pale in comparison to the real trouble: Hogwarts students are being turned to stone! Could the venomous Draco Malfoy be behind it? Or even Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects ... Harry Potter himself!
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
J. K. Rowling
For twelve long years, the dread fortress of Azkaban held an infamous prisoner named Sirius Black. Convicted of killing 13 people with a single curse, he was said to be the heir apparent to the Dark Lord, Voldemort. Now he has escaped, leaving only two clues as to where he might be headed: Harry Potter's defeat of You-Know-Who was Black's downfall as well. And the Azkaban guards heard Black muttering in his sleep, "He's at Hogwarts ... he's at Hogwarts." Harry Potter isn't safe, not even within the walls of his magical school, surrounded by his friends. Because on top of it all, there may well be a traitor in their midst.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
J. K. Rowling
Harry wants to get away from the pernicious Dursleys and go to the International Quidditch Cup with Hermione, Ron, and the Weasleys. He wants to dream about Cho Chang, his crush (and maybe do more than dream). He wants to find out about the mysterious event that's supposed to take place at the Hogwarts this year, an event involving two other rival schools of magic, and a competition that hasn't happened in a hundred years. He wants to be a normal, fourteen year old wizard. Unfortunately for Harry Potter, he's not normal -- even by wizarding standards. And in his case, different can be deadly.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
J. K. Rowling
In this fifth volume of the series, fifteen-year-old Harry feels frustrated about the growing public skepticism about the Dark Lord's return. Unfortunately, the Ministry of Magic is also voicing its doubt, and all of Hogwarts comes under the watchful eye of an oppressive Ministry representative. Despite the additional problems of looming O.W.L. exams and Hagrid's inexplicable absence, Harry's main preoccupation is his vivid dreams that take him to places -- and make him witness events -- that horrify and intrigue him. These dreams provide a shocking clue to his very existence, and when eventually they lead Harry to confrontation, the wizard must cope with a tragic death and a telling prophecy about his future.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
J. K. Rowling
As they waited for this sixth installment of the Harry Potter saga, readers were full of questions: How would the wizarding world react to the announcement by the Ministry of Magic that Lord Voldemort had returned? Who will choose to side with the Death Eaters? How would Harry handle his feelings after the tragic death of someone close to him? And now that Dumbledore has revealed to Harry the details of the Prophecy, will the burden of the knowledge be too much for him? The ever-darkening latest volume of the Harry Potter epic left readers shocked, stunned, and ultimately satisfied when question after crucial question was finally answered, including the biggest one of all: Who is the Half-Blood Prince?
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Name: | Anna
(anna@teenread.org)
| | Date: | Sat 27 Jan 2007 10:37:09 PM EST | | Subject: | Copper Sun [Cris's Note: Anna is obviously up on the latest and greatest books. Copper Sun was published in 2006 and just recently was honored with the Coretta Scott King Award for Literature for Young Adults.] | | | Copper Sun is a great book. It is about a slave girl named Amari. However it isn't a typical slavery book. It begins in Africa and chronicles the journey to America on the ship. Then it follows her experiences through to when she escapes. This book is quite a refreshing read. | | | Post Reply | | |
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Name: | Anna
(Anna@teenread.org)
| | Date: | Fri 02 Feb 2007 08:00:59 PM EST | | Subject: | The Outsiders [Cris's Note: An oldie but a goodie ;-) This book, published eons ago, has staying power.] | | | The Outsiders is an outstanding book for teens. It was written quite a while ago so some of the cultural references might be out of date, but the voice remains true. This book takes a good look at East Side vs. West Side type rivalries. The characters are wonderful and original. I would recommend this book to just about anyone over the age of 12. | | | Post Reply | | |
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Name: | Amelia
(amelia@teenreadnc.org)
| | Date: | Fri 30 Mar 2007 08:09:51 AM EDT | | Subject: | Life in the Fat Lane | | | Life in the Fat Lane is a book about a girl who has everything. Everything in her life is perfect until she starts to gain weight. See she's the girl that all the girls in the school want to be. The popular, homecoming queen, skinny girl. After she wins homecoming queen however, she gets this rare disease that makes her gain weight no matter what. Suddenly her life becomes less than perfect. Her friends, boyfriend, and family seem to leave her alone in the world. I think this book is a great one for teenage girls because it will help them appreciate what they have a little more. For the popular girls who read this book, it should help them understand that things can change very quickly, so its better to have a good personality than a good body. This book can be read by guys too. For guys I think it will show them how sensitive girls are and that they shouldn't say things to girls without thinking about what they're about to say. This book is great and I think teens will be less self centered after reading it. | | | Post Reply | Display replies to this message
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Name: | Icarus
(icarus@teenreadnc.org)
| | Date: | Fri 30 Mar 2007 08:37:16 AM EDT | | Subject: | A Break With Charity | | | Dear Teachers, A Break with Charity is a fascinating story! I read it more then 6 times in a row since I was caught in it's suspenseful story about the Salem Witch Trials and the accused. It's about three young girls that are in a circle and accuse people as being witches and being tortured by them so those people are put on death row for execution. More die in prison waiting for execution then they do by being hung. The sad part of the story is no one can trust anyone anymore in the village of Salem; all friends start to turn on each other and thinking of them as a witch. If you haven't read this story yet, you should check it out. It's not just a children’s book adults love it too!! My Social Studies teacher loves this book so and I do as well. So I thought I might express it so you can see how the trial beings and then ends. It's more of Historical Fiction if you like those kinds of books you'll love this one. Who will be the next accused Victim? | | | Post Reply | Display replies to this message
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Name: | Cris
(ccrissma@dpi.state.nc.us)
| | Date: | Mon 07 Jan 2008 03:10:46 PM EST | | Subject: | Recommendation for I Am a Taxi | | | Angel, an ESL teacher who also reviews books for DPI, was so excited about this book and its appeal to her students, that we just had to share the news:
"The book I reviewed in the summer-I Am a Taxi -has inspired my 8th grade boys to READ. They have asked to buy the sequel which was just released in November. One has even asked if he can borrow a copy of the book so that he can read it again on his own. They talk about the novel OUTSIDE of class with each other and with other people who have not read it without prompting from me. When we finished the book, they were disappointed because it was over. They wanted to keep going! This was a group of boys who avoided reading at all costs and now suddenly they see value in it........The power of the printed word!" | | | Post Reply | Display replies to this message
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Name: | Josh
(Josh@teenread.org)
| | Date: | Thu 05 Feb 2009 04:23:50 PM EST | | Subject: | One Of the best books I have ever read! | | | I have recently read the book called "The Fire Within" by Chris D'lacey. It was amazing, immaginative, and most of all, a really great read. In my opinion, this book is one that i would pitch to any teacher in need of a book that the children in their classroom would be interested in. I won't say a lot about the characters because i really want you to check it out but, I will tell you that there is a very peculiar thing about the clay dragons that the Pennykettle's are known for. There is also a "story within the story" if you read it you'll get what I am saying. In conclusion, anyone who enjoys fantasy, fiction, or just a captivating story should check this one out and it's great for any age! I hope upon reading this you'll get the first book of this captivating series by Chris D'lacey! :D | | | Post Reply | Display replies to this message
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