Piglet and Papa
by Margaret Wild. No one loves Piglet as much as his Papa. Even if Piglet does bite his Papa's tail!
Tickle the Duck
by Ethan Long. He doesn't want to be tickled, except that he does. Hoo haw hee hee.
Edwina, The Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct
by Mo Willems. (*****)
Before Green Gables
by Budge Wilson. Two thumbs up from this Anne fan. (****)
Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance
by Atul Gawande. A book of non-fiction that focuses on the idea that doctors (and others) can make a radical difference in the world just by doing things better. Excellent read. One worth buying. (*****)
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
by Gregory Maguire. Quite political. A bit racy. Very long. Not as good as I hoped. I prefer the musical and its Hollywoodized ending. (***)
The American Plague: The Untold Story of Yellow Fever, the Epidemic that Shaped Our History
by Molly Caldwell Crosby. Amazingly researched. Well written. An excellent narrative non-fiction about the yellow fever viral epidemic that still continues. (*****)
Astrid and Veronika
by Linda Olsson. It was okay. The characters not always sympathetic, though the storyline was poignant enough. (***)
Were You Raised by Wolves?: Clues to the Mysteries of Adulthood
by Christie Mellor. A great graduation gift. In fact, I got one for my brother. (****)
An Act of Vengeance
by Erik Larson. My cousin wrote this novel, a tale of suspense and revenge. The style is reminiscient of turn-of-the-century detective novels: detailed, mysterious, straight forward prose. (****)
Eat, Pray, Love
by Elizabeth Gilbert. While Ms. Gilbert's worldview is quite different from my own, I find her writing to be lovely and her personal adventure to be inspiring. (****)
Small Surrenders: A Lenten Journey
by Emilie Griffin. A wonderful and inspiring addition to the Lent season. (*****)
A Thousand Splendid Suns
by Khaled Hosseini. The most emotionally moving book I have read in years. I cried the last 100 pages, and for days afterwards. Incredible. Hosseini captures motherhood, the bond between women, and the struggle of Afghanistan in a powerful way. Please read this book. (*****)
Steering the Craft
by Ursula K. Le Guin. Wonderful writing prompts and literary snippets.
Teaching Writing in Middle and Secondary Schools
by Margot Iris Soven. Theory, Research and Practice well worth reading if you teach writing.
In the Middle
by Nancie Atwell. Greatly influenced how I taught writing when I was in the secondary classroom. Even though some aren't keen on the workshop method, this book still has some great ideas.
The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
by Michael Pollan. Engaging. Fascinating. Convicting.
« Saving the Littlest Bums | Main | Week 202: You Picked a Fine Time to Read to Me, Lucille (Clifton) »
To breathe in deeply,
Slowing down and being still--
There beauty is found.
(video 1:30)
Absolutely worth watching even if it is an advertisement. Beautiful.
(Thanks to my brother Tyler for giving the link to this. (Update: Ok, so Tyler informs me the link is from our youngest brother Jake, so don't worry Jake. Ty didn't take credit for your brilliance.)...Here's the full-length version of Cinematic Orchestra's "To Build A Home")
*****
(c) Creature Bug 2008. All rights reserved.
Becoming the Parent You Want To Be: A Sourcebook of Strategies for the First Five Years
by Laura Davis. I just got this textbook-sized book from the library, but I've heard good things about it, so I'm seeing what it's all about.
Anne of Green Gables
by L.M. Montgomery. In honor of the 100th anniversary of this classic, I'm spending the summer working through the series (again).
Jane Clarke: Stuck in the Mud
Can't go wrong with farm animals.
You are right, it is beautiful. Thanks for sharing it with us.
And as for saving those little bums, good for you for getting back on that blogging horse (am I mixing my metaphors here?). Of course you are a wonderful parent; that is easy to see. I too have had bumps on an "otherwise wonderful blogging journey" (love that) that have made me question my blogging. Maybe that just goes with the territory. Anyway, I'm rootin' for YOU! Just wanted you to know.
Posted by:Sophie | Sunday, April 06, 2008 at 10:28 AM
Very cool!
Hey - thanks for the story cd! It was a nice surprise to have mail when I got home. Maddie and I started listening to it yesterday and will try to find some time for the rest of it this week when things start to get back to normal.
Posted by:Heather | Sunday, April 06, 2008 at 07:20 PM
Just for the record, Ty actually got that link from me. And I bet he took full credit for it, too. AUGH!
Posted by:jake | Monday, April 07, 2008 at 12:15 PM
Now now. Tyler gave you credit, little brother. :)
Posted by:Stephanie | Monday, April 07, 2008 at 12:27 PM
What are you talking about? I visit your blog every day! And you know, you haven't been commenting all that much on mine lately, either. So...I guess we've been mutual bad sisters. : ) But, yeah, cool commercial; yes, I should do more writing; I'm down with a new banner whenevs; and memphis was absolutely ridiculous tonight. So...there you go. : )
Posted by:sister | Monday, April 07, 2008 at 10:08 PM