The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

 The Book Thief by Markus Zusak-566 pages

I previously read this during a teen librarianship class while studying for my MLS. I thought it was a good book then and I have an even greater appreciation for it after reading it a second time. It's the story of a young girl named Liesel who arrives, starving and lonely, at 33 Himmel Street, Molching, Germany during World War II. It's a story of love and loss. It's about Liesel's love for her foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann and their love for her. Also, it's about the love between Liesel and Max Vandenburg, Liesel and Rudy, and all of Liesel's friendships. It's a coming-of-age story for Liesel. She goes from illiterate to writing a book of her own. Along the way, Liesel "steals" books and steals words away from Hitler and Nazi Germany. A quote from Liesel that stays with me is "I have hated the words and I have loved them and I hope that I've made them right." Words can be a very powerful tool for both destruction and building up. Hitler gained power through his rhetoric. He was a demagogue who said what the German people wanted to hear at the time. Albus Dumbledore says to Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that “Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.” This is another great quote about the power of words. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. 

Duncan the Story Dragon

by Amanda Driscoll - 40 pages

A cute tale about a story loving dragon who has issues finishing a book without burning it.  He looks for someone to help him.  Through his endeavors, he finds a friend.

The Read-Aloud Family

The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie
288 pages



Inspiring book -

From Amazon's page:  Founder of the immensely popular Read-Aloud Revival podcast, Sarah knows first-hand how reading can change a child’s life. In The Read-Aloud Family, she offers the inspiration and age-appropriate book lists you need to start a read-aloud movement in your own home. From a toddler’s wonder to a teenager’s resistance, Sarah details practical strategies to make reading aloud a meaningful family ritual. Reading aloud not only has the power to change a family—it has the power to change the world.

Read the Book, Lemmings! by Ame Dyckman

Read the Book, Lemmings! by Ame Dyckman - 32 pages

Lemmings don't jump off of cliffs . . . unless they are lemmings in this book.

This might possibly be my favorite picture book of the year.  I laughed out loud reading it.

The Book Whisperer: Awakening The Inner Reader In Every Child by Donalyn Miller

The Book Whisperer: Awakening The Inner Reader In Every Child by Donalyn Miller, 228 pages

I wish this book was written years ago.  Donalyn Miller is a 6th grade language arts and social studies teacher in Keller, Texas.  She also writes a blog. I love how she motivates her students to read.  She instills in her students to read for pleasure.  She believes there is a reader in all of us.  I love how she surveys her students to get to the core of their reading interests.  She says all her students in her class read at least 40 books a year and score high on the state's reading assessment test.  This is how successful her program has been.  I recommend page 16, Key Components of a Reading Workshop; and page 66 Unusual Places To Read (my favorite the trampoline and I personally don't recommend reading a library book in the shower.)  Page 75 is The Rights Of The Reader (a must read) especially the right to read anything and the right to not finish.  Check out page 114, Why You Should Read Children's Books As An Adult, a very important factor this month which happened to include National Library Week!  The most important thing I realized is reading children's books IS FUN and also very inspirational!  After reading this book,  I realized reading is a personal choice and one that involves your personal interests.  No one should be made to read if it is not enjoyable or pleasurable!

Artful Reading by Bob Raczka

Artful Reading by Bob Raczka - 32 pages

This book uses various pieces of artwork by famous artists to demonstrate the importance of reading:  where to read, what to wear when reading, people to read with, etc.  About a third of the pieces of artwork depict libraries, including home and monastic libraries.  At the end and of interest to adults, but not so much kids, a summary/history of each piece of artwork is provided.  Overall, an okay read but I think the interest lies more with adults than children.

Reading Makes You Feel Good by Todd Parr

Reading Makes You Feel Good by Todd Parr, 29 pages

Short simple sentences teach a child all the things they can learn/do/see when they read a book. From a library, to school, to the bookmobile, to anywhere they can imagine, there is no better place to read a book.

The End of Your Life Book Club, by Will Schwalbe

The End of Your Life Book Club, by Will Schwalbe, 336 pages

This was a poignant memoir (of sorts) about the time spent and the books read by the author and his mother after she was diagnosed with terminal cancer.  This made me feel like I don't talk to my dad enough and like I don't read enough.  This would make for excellent book club discussion- there are alot of really important discussions about reading, illness, living and dying.