Request an ARC of The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There

Image Credit:  Goodreads 

Macmillan is offering a limited number of ARC copies of the NEW Fairyland novel.  Here is what Macmillan has to say about the book, 

"September has longed to return to Fairyland after her first adventure there. And when she finally does, she learns that its inhabitants have been losing their shadows—and their magic—to the world of Fairyland Below. This underworld has a new ruler: Halloween, the Hollow Queen, who is September’s shadow. And Halloween does not want to give Fairyland’s shadows back.  

Fans of Valente’s bestselling, first Fairyland book will revel in the lush setting, characters, and language of September’s journey, all brought to life by fine artist Ana Juan. Readers will also welcome back good friends Ell, the Wyverary, and the boy Saturday. But in Fairyland Below, even the best of friends aren’t always what they seem. . . ."

Leave a comment, let us know what you think of this series, and Happy Reading, from the folks here at The Things You Can Read.

Image Credit: Macmillan

If you are still unsure about this one, here is what Goodreads has to say about The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There:

Excerpt from Goodreads:

The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There (Fairyland #2)

by Catherynne M. Valente (Goodreads Author), Ana Juan (Illustrator)

 4.23  ·   rating details  ·  35 ratings  ·  23 reviews

September returns to Fairyland to reunite with A-Through-L, Saturday, and Gleam, and to confront her shadow-self, who has become the queen of Fairyland-Below, the upside-down world beneath the Fairyland of the first novel, filled with creatures of water and shadow, tales of ancient Fairyland before the human world was born, and not a few hungry buffins, blind birds of ice and moonlight. The yearly revels of Fairyland-Below climax in a mysterious rite September must avert or else lose her shadow forever.

Hardcover, 272 pages

Expected publication: October 7th 2012 by Feiwel and Friends (first published October 2nd 2012)

edition language

English

url

http://us.macmillan.com/thegirlwhofellbeneathfairylandandledtherevelsthere/CatherynneMValente

series

Fairyland #2

Extra, Extra, Read All About It!

Boy, are we here at The Things You Can Read excited about this great find.  If you want to spice up your blog or your classroom multimedia presentations here is a resource for you, The newspaper snippet generator.   This free Internet tool can presto chango  your writing or that of your students, and make the words look like a real newspaper article.  Fun stuff!

Also on this site are links to The Movie Clapper Generator:

The animated Squirrel, Daffodil, Tomato, Owl...etc, etc, etc...


Have fun playing with these resources and let us here at The Things You Can Read know what you create with them.  We love to hear from our readership!

Happy Reading & Writing from the folks here at...

Did You Know? Amazing Fact Generator

Did You Know?

Image Credit: olooa.blogspot.com/

As we, here at The Things You Can Read, were perusing the Internet, we came across a great little feature on Mental Floss.  We had some fun hitting the The Amazing Fact Generator a number of times as our brain was fast at work thinking...how we might use this in our English classroom?  We don't have an answer yet, but we would love to hear from our readership.  We'll throw the question out there.  Give us your suggestions-How can this great feature be used in a middle school English classroom?  Check out The Amazing Fact Generator on Mental Floss, and don't forget...have fun!

 

In early drafts of Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Holly Golightly was named Connie Gustafson.

Read the full text here:

The Ultimate Guide to the Independent Princess

What a great find.  If you have a "Princess" at home, but don't want her to have a "wait around to be rescued" attitude, here is a great list of books to add to your "Little Princesses" library that sends the "Rescue Yourself" message  The list has something for everyone.  According the Mighty Girl Website, "These princesses are smart, daring, and aren't willing to wait around to be rescued - more than likely, they'll be doing the rescuing themselves!"  We here at The Things You Can Read are busy adding quite a few of these titles to our "Wish List".  What titles do you already own?  What titles would you like to add to your library?  Let us know here at The Things You Can Read.

Test Your Reading Speed

Image Credit:   Mark Matcho

Thanks to Lettora over at I'm Booked for reminding me of a great little feature that one of the groups over at Goodreads recently discussed-Test Your Reading Speed.  Check out I'm Booked's posting to find out more.

If you are interested in speed reading, two other online speed reading tests can be found at Reading Soft and Turboread.  Compare your tests results, and learn your true reading speed.

Let us, here at The Things You Can Read, know how fast you're reading!

Best-Ever Teen Fiction

NPR's List of Best-Ever Teen Fiction

The folks here at Things You Can Read are big NPR listeners, and we were delighted to discover the NPR feature on YA fiction unveiled on August 7, 2012 in Harriet Russell's NPR post.  Interestingly enough, NPR conducted a poll of over 75,000 people. Voters cast their ballots for the BEST-Ever Teen Fiction.  "It's almost a cliche at this point to say that teen fiction isn't just for teens anymore. Just last year, the Association of American Publishers ranked Children's/Young Adult books as the single fastest-growing publishing category," stated the NPR article.  

I'm sure you are salivating by this time to know what the list looks like.  It can be found at Best-Ever Teen Fiction, and if you are really curious to check out all 235 finalists, NPR provides the list, as well as a list of the top 100 in printable form, if you are a hard copy kind-a-person.  

Let us here at The Things You Can Read know what you think of the article.  We absolutely love to hear from our readership.

Do You Keep a Journal? Writers Project

http://befickle.blogspot.com

Journaling

Writers Project

Do you journal?  Does your child?  Do your students?  Well, if you'd like to begin, Instructional Strategies has some great tips for starting the journaling process, so does What Every Teacher Wants.  If you need help creating journal prompts check out Minds in Bloom.  If you are unsure that journaling really offers any kind of benefit, Educational World  touts the advantages of journal writing.  As you gear up for the new school year, and want to find new exciting ways to reach your children at school or at home think about using journals.  Consider journaling with your child.  Make it a bonding activity.

Check out Flavor Wire, which recently reported on a writers project entitled Writers I Have Loved.  This online source shared Joshua's Landsmans journal stating "A picture is worth how many writers? For his 'Writers I Have Loved' project, Joshua Landsman 'keeps a gorgeous notebook filled with excellent drawings, musings and quotations from some of his favorite authors, from Samuel Beckett to Flaubert,'"  Check out Joshua's journal at Flavor Wire, and share your thoughts on keeping a journal with us here at The Things You Can Read.  

http://www.minds-in-bloom.com/2011/10/how-to-write-great-journal-prompts.html

http://whattheteacherwants.blogspot.com/

If You Liked the Hunger Games...

We here at The Things You Can Read are hearing all kinds of buzz about a not-so-new dystopian series.  The series has been on the QT because it is not published by one of the big publishing houses, but rather it has been self published.  Why then are we hearing about it?  Well, the reason for all this chatter has a lot to do with the rumor that 20th Century Fox has bought the movie rights to this series...Looks like this is a case where someone self published and things worked out for them.  Some are even saying this is the new Hunger Games.  Check out Wool-Omnibus Edition and let us know what you think.

Excerpt from Goodreads: 

Wool Omnibus Edition (Wool #1-5)

by Hugh Howey (Goodreads Author)

 4.50  ·   rating details  ·  3,095 ratings  ·  680 reviews

Contains WOOLs 1 - 5.

This Omnibus Edition collects the five Wool books into a single volume. It is for those who arrived late to the party and who wish to save a dollar or two while picking up the same stories in a single package.

The first Wool story was released as a standalone short in July of 2011. Due to reviewer demand, the rest of the story was released over the next six months. My thanks go out to those reviewers who clamored for more. Without you, none of this would exist. Your demand created this as much as I did.

This is the story of mankind clawing for survival, of mankind on the edge. The world outside has grown unkind, the view of it limited, talk of it forbidden. But there are always those who hope, who dream. These are the dangerous people, the residents who infect others with their optimism. Their punishment is simple. They are given the very thing they profess to want: They are allowed outside.

Kindle Edition, 540 pages

Published January 25th 2012 by Broad Reach Publishing

ASIN

B0071XO8RA

edition language

English

series

Wool #1-5

Also read what folks have to say on Amazon

Don't forget to check out The Things You Can Read's review of the Hunger Games.

Are These Dictionary Worthy Words?

Mental Floss featured a list of thirty-five modern words that have been added to the dictionary.  What do you think...are these dictionary worthy words?  Check them out:  35 modern words recently added to the dictionary

Another Fiction List

Unsure about what to read next, well, here is another list of summer reading that professes will cool you off and take you into fall...find it on Critical Mob, check it out: Summer Reading List of Fiction to Last You Until Fall.  The Things You Can Read loves comments, so let us know what you think of this list.  Add a title or two, we'd love to hear from you!

Happy Summer Reading,
The Things You Can Read

Books for Toddlers

Check out Parents.com list of books for toddlers published in American Baby...How many have you read to your child?  What would your list look like?  Take a look at a sampling of a few of the books recommended by the experts at American Baby.

Excerpt from Parents.com:

Books for Toddlers, 3-5

Books aren't just for eating anymore. Reading is fun, and exposure to books helps kids do better in school. Here are some favorites to help you build your library.

Compiled by Stephanie Wagle from American Baby

• 
  

Happy 100th Follow for The Things You Can Read

Thank you so much for your readership!  Today, July 31, 2012, a few days shy of our two month anniversary as an operational blog on the blogosphere scene, The Things You Can Read has reached a milestone, 100 followers!  Thank you, we here at The Things You Can Read appreciate YOU, our readers, and welcome comments.

We Give Books-Book of the Week-The Little Engine that Could

Reading guide

Book website and activities

Reading extension activity

Read online at We Give Books now!

Review of OyMG by Amy Fellner Dominy

OyMG by Amy Fellner Dominy

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was lucky enough to win an autographed copy of OyMG by Amy Fellner Dominy back in April 2012 on the YA Reads for Teachers (And Any Other Adults!) Goodreads group. I was so excited to receive the book and join in the discussion on Goodreads, but alas, the last third of the book waited for my summer break to finally see me complete this charming YA novel. Well, having just completed OyMG, I wanted to share my thoughts.

OyMG is the story of a young teenager, Ellie Taylor. Ellie is a born arguer, and she has par-laid this talent into becoming a successful debater. However, Ellie has just finished middle school, and wants to attend the private and ultra-exclusive, Benedict High School, which is known for having the best debate team around. Not having the money to attend, there is only one way Ellie can make her dream reality, and that is to win the scholarship that is offered at the Christian Society Speech and Performing Arts Summer Camp that is held at the school. The one fly in the ointment is that Ellie has been raised in the Jewish faith, although her father is Christian, her family embraces her mother's Jewish heritage. How will she handle the problems that arise at camp?

I'll jump right in, the concept of uniqueness is one that has always intrigued me. OyMG addresses this theme in a big way. In movies, we see memorable characters that are unique and different, and we love them. However, movies are not reality, and even though these unique characters are placed on a pedestal and admired for their unconventional, unexpected, and unorthodox qualities-think the French film, Amelie-this is not the way of the real world. I guess the question I keep asking myself is, does the majority of society really value this type of person? We tell children that everyone is unique and that this is something to be valued, but yet "sameness" and "conformity" is often what is expected, and ultimately more valued, especially at school. I don't want to explore why this is true, but rather state that it is and relate it to the novel.

The main character, Ellie Taylor, is faced with having lived her life as someone who is unique-different, but when her dream of attending an exclusive private school forces her to deny who she is, she is quick to conform. All the while, telling herself she still is the person she always has been, and this conformity is just a means-to-an-end. In other words, Ellie lies to herself. Ellie is lucky enough to have her parents and her grandfather in her life, each try to help her see that by denying who she is, she is selling out, and this choice has consequences. One of the consequences is that Ellie will never be the person she once was if she denies her heritage/race and her beliefs.

I truly enjoyed following Ellie's progress through the novel. It is an easy read, geared more to tweens, in my opinion. The main characters are believable. One of the most flushed out characters in the novel is Ellie's Jewish grandfather, Zeydeh, who truly helps Ellie value and accept herself-just as she is. The wealthy anti-semitic antagonist is painted in a manner that helps teenagers see how someone can appear ever so nice on the surface, but harbor deep seated prejudices. Throughout the arc of the story, young people learn that discriminators don't look different; it is their actions that make them appear ugly, and this is what sets them apart.

Happy Reading!

The Things You Can Read!

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

 

 

How to Answer the Question: What Should I Read Next?

How many times have you heard, "I loved __________________(you fill in the blank), what should I read next?  Well, if you know what books your child or student likes that is a big start. Use it to your advantage. Blessing or curse, the age of computers has changed things, but one of the good things a parent or teacher can use the Internet for is to help answer this question: What should I read next? Here are a couple of sites, which are available free on the Internet that can help find a book that meets the readers interest.  Take a peek...see what you think!  Let us know here at The Things You Can Read if either of these worked for you or if you have a favorite recommendation Internet source!

What Should I Read Next:

http://whatshouldireadnext.com/

Random House Kids Recommends:

http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/recommends.html

Happy Reading!

The Things You Can Read

Summer Reading-Are You Having Fun Yet?

According to Kidzworld.com here are the Top 10 Summer Beach Reads.  Check out their list, what do you think?  How many have you read?  Try this out...If you had to make a Top 10 Summer Beach Read list, what would it look like?  The Things You Can Read would love to know what your Top 10 Summer Beach Reads list looks like.  Take a minute and post your list below or on Kidzworld.com. 

Happy Summer Readiing, from your friends here at The Things You Can Read. 

List from Kidzworld.com

No. 10: Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter

With her entire memory of her summer gone, teenage spy Cammie Morgan and the girls at Gallagher Academy must piece together the trail of clues that Cammie left behind. Check out the Gallagher Girls book 5, Out of Sight, Out of Time.

Out of Sight, Out of Time
Courtesy of Hyperion Book CH

 

No. 9: Stunning by Sara Shepard

In Pretty Little Liars book 11, A continues to spin an evil web around best friends Emily, Aria, Hannah and Spencer as they try to forget the death of their friend Alison.

Stunning
Courtesy of HarperTeen

 

No. 8: The Selection by Kiera Class

Historical fiction meets ABC’s The Bachelor in this story of love, destiny and fierce competition. Check out The Selection by Kiera Class.

The Selection
Courtesy of HarperTeen

 

No.7: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

In this dystopian retelling of Cinderella, Cinder - a cyborg mechanic - becomes entangled in the world of the handsome (not to mention human) Prince Kai.

Cinder
Courtesy of Feiwel

 

No. 6: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

In Pandemonium, sequel to the bestselling novel Delirium, Lena is torn between two lives: one where the late Alex is the center of her world, and another where a new boy steals her heart.

Pandemonium
Courtesy of HarperCollins

 

No. 5: The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore

Conclude your summer reading with the third installment in the teen sci-fi series The Lorien Legacies, as the members of the Garde team up to fight the evil Mogadorians.

The Rise of Nine
Courtesy of HarperCollins

 

No. 4: Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult

Bestselling author Jodi Picoult teams up with teenager Samantha van Leer to try her hand at the world of teen fiction. Between the Lines follows Delilah, a teenage loner, and Oliver, a prince trapped within the pages of a fairy tale.

Between the Lines
Courtesy of Emily Bestler Books

 

No. 3: The Kill Order by James Dashner

Haven’t had enough of The Maze Runner trilogy? Well, the most anticipated prequel of the year arrives just in time to end your summer right. Discover how the sun flares hit the earth and how mankind fell to disease.

The Kill Order
Courtesy of Delacorte Press

 

No. 2: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Check out Insurgent, the anticipated sequel to the bestselling dystopian novel Divergent, as Tris Prior finds herself in the heat of the Faction war.

Insurgent
Courtesy of HarperCollins

 

No. 1: City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

Closing out our number one spot is book 5 in the beloved Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, City of Lost Souls. But if you haven’t read the rest of the series, we recommend you start with book 1: City of Bones.

City of Lost Souls