I did read in May. I’ve just been slow getting my tally up here.
May tally:
So I now have 6 Adult and 5 YA books left to read. I’ve actually gone past my Children’s goal by 3 books (I will still read more though!). I’m working very hard to reach my goal by the end of June. I just might make it, too.
I’m so excited about all the new things coming from my favorite band lately - new album, new drummer (but I miss you, Travis!), and a new tour. They’re also tweeting now, but I’m not into Twitter, so that one isn’t so exciting for me.
The new album, Paper Empire, is typical Better Than Ezra. A great balance of fun, catchy pop songs and lush, melodic ballads performed by a truly talented group. I can’t wait to see the band perform the new tunes live. Seeing BTE live is always a great time. They know how to put on a fun, high energy, rocking show.
In addition to the new album and tour, BTE has also launched their own channel on YouTube – the aptly named BetterThanEzraTV. Their first feature on the channel is the music video for their new single “Absolutely Still.” Check it out below. I love that the video starts with Kevin, Tom, and a couple of ladies making crafts like we make during storytime at the library – you can make anything out of toilet paper tubes, crayons, glue, and scissors!
Enjoy!
I’m still making good progress toward reaching my reading goal for the year. I’ve actually started aiming for completing my goal by the end of June now. In fact, I’ve already met my goal for J books. YA books are coming along, too. I just need to figure out how to fit in more Adult titles. Hmmm…
April tally:
So that’s 12 Adult, 6 YA, and no Children’s books left!
Another April, another National Poetry month. To celebrate poetry in my storytimes this week my theme was “Rhyme Time.” I know poetry doesn’t have to rhyme, but this was an introduction to poetry for preschoolers and you have to start somewhere.
I started out with an old stand-by: The Tale of Custard the Dragon by Ogden Nash, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger.
I’ve read this one countless times, and it never fails.
Next, I read a book that I had never used before: Roadwork by Sally Sutton, illustrated by Brian Lovelock.
I knew that this book would be well-received because of the trucks and machines in the book, but I had no idea just how much the kids would like it. As soon as I started reading the kids were really into it. Each page has a simple rhyme about one step in the process of building a road, with the last line being a set of three onomatopoeias of the sounds made by a construction machine:
“Load the dirt. Load the dirt.
Scoop and swing and drop.
Slam it down into the truck.
Bump! Whump! Whop!”
Every time I would get to the end of a stanza the kids couldn’t resist repeating the last line after me. I love it when the kids get involved. Huge success!
Next up was a book I’ve used a few times before, and once again the kids loved it: Who Ate All the Cookie Dough? by Karen Beaumont, illustrated by Eugene Yelchin.
When Kanga the kangaroo discovers her cookie dough has gone missing she asks each of the animals she encounters if they ate it. The rhymes repeat throughout the book and have a nice steady rhythm. The beautiful illustrations show cute, cuddly animals such as Cheetah, Hippo, and Monkey. The kids love the mystery. They try to guess which animal is the cookie dough thief and are pleasantly surprised when the answer is revealed at the end.
I love it when a program really comes together with the right books for the right audience. This was one of those programs. We also sang some fun songs and played a rhyming guessing game to round it out.
Now that I’ve learned how to put audiobooks on my MP3 player, I’ve really begun to enjoy listening to them as I walk and jog. It’s important to find just the right audiobooks for listening to while exercising, but I’ve been fairly successful so far.
One of my recent favorites was Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary “Jacky” Faber, Ship’s Boy written by L.A. Meyer and read by Katherine Kellgren. The book is a great adventure story with lots of humor sprinkled throughout. The audio version is fantastic. Kellgren uses various voices and accents that bring the words to life. It made the drudgery of exercise much more bearable.
My review of the book:
After being orphaned and left to survive on the streets of eighteenth-century London, thirteen-year-old Mary spends her days begging and scrounging for food. But in a split-second twist of fate Mary makes the decision to become “Jacky” and take to the high seas as a ship’s boy. Disguising herself as a boy and making use of her quick wits, Jacky sets off on a life-changing adventure filled with hard work, excitement, and danger. This novel brings to life the experience of being in the British Navy during its heyday – traveling to exotic ports, battling pirates, and enduring wild storms. Author L.A. Meyer infuses this story with history, humor, and heart – a winning combination.
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