Book of the Week: Beneath the Surface

Oh my gosh I am obsessed with this book.

Beneath the Surfaceis the account of a former Sea World orca trainer.

It's the second week of school and I have stayed up way past my bedtime reading this every night this week. It also references an academic article, which I found and read as well. People kept asking me if the book was making me sad. No. This book makes me angry. I've only been to Sea World once, when I was little. But I feel terrible about it. I feel terrible that this is still happening, and nothing is really being done to stop or change the way of life for these orcas.

Maybe I need to channel my inner Free Willyand kidnap a whale and put him on a trailer and take him back to the ocean.... (I'm kidding. I've read enough to know these orcas can't be returned back to the ocean like that.) Sea pens!

Book of the Week: Orbiting Jupiter

Orbiting Jupiter by: Gary D. Schmidt

I went to two different librarian conferences this summer. At both conferences librarians were preaching how great this book is. One librarian said she bought 11 copies, about 8 of which disappeared at the end of the year. She said, "I don't care. I'll buy ten more copies if it means my boys are reading books they like." I knew I had to read it for myself.

I'm a little over halfway through. I've had trouble putting this book down. It reads so easily and so quickly. Before I know it I've read fifty pages. The narrator just sucks you into the story. While I haven't finished yet, I can definitely see the appeal this book has for middle school boys. Especially middle school boys coming from less than stellar home lives. I plan on passing this title along to my English teachers. 

Also. I'm super stressed about how this is going to end. I feel like I might cry. It takes a lot for me to cry. But I'm super worried about where the characters are right now... wish me luck. 

Book of the Week: Missing!

This week was finals week AND my first week back at work. I've been a little bit busy. :)

I got a book from the library I learned about at one of my library professional development conferences over the summer.

Missing!: Mysterious Cases of People Gone Missing Through the Centuries

I'm super excited about this book! I started it last night and I am loving it! It seems like it's going to be really good for middle school level kids. I think it will be a good one to try and give to reluctant readers since it has the true mystery element. 

Drama-brarian

Hello!

My name is Jessie and I am currently working on getting my Master's in Library Science.

This means I love books!! My undergraduate degree is a Bachelor of Fine Art's in Acting. I have spent the last six years working as a middle school theatre teacher. I LOVE my job. But it's a lot of time and work outside of school. I'm looking forward to the library transition.

Some of my all time favorite books:

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

 I wanted somewhere to document what I am reading. I love going back and looking at where I was. 

So that's my goal. (I'm hoping by writing it out I stick to it better.) I will blog at least once a week with what I'm reading.