Literature Young Adult Fiction » Buried Treasure

How to Get Through a Bad Book

First Mate Keira — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 09:57:34 +0000

by First Mate Keira

Once I was in an English class where the teacher brought out a list of books – thirty some titles long – one for each class member. We were to do a 10 page report on our selected book and had a month and a half to complete it.

He went over all the books and I made a list of ones I thought I’d like to read. When he called my name (I’m in the middle of the alphabet) all my books had been taken already by other students. Total bummer.

I couldn’t remember anything about the other books on the list so when he suggested a classic “romance” and said I’d really enjoy it because I was always reading romance novels in class, I took the book.

Big mistake.

Big. Huge. Mistake.

Suffice it to say he was dead wrong. This classic romance is still in my top 3 worst books ever read. As it was for a class assignment there was no way I could get out of reading the book (and because of this book I’m a firm believer in quitting while you’re ahead if you hate a book).

The teacher set up the assignment so that we had to read most of our chosen book in class. I couldn’t fake reading the book and grab the CliffNotes. (Which really sucked, because CliffNotes would have made it so much easier.) No. I had to read it in front of him.

To get through that really bad terrible awful horrible stinky book I had to learn a few tricks. Here’s how you too can get through a really bad book:

Force Yourself to Read a Little Every Day. I didn’t and had to cram about 400 pages (and that was less than half of the book by the way) in two days and still write the 10 page report. Yikes. Never do that. It makes the whole experience worse. Trust me.
Learn to Skim. Best practice I ever found was to read the first sentence of every paragraph. If it looked important I would read the whole paragraph. If it didn’t I moved on to the next one.
Keep the CliffNotes Handy. Your teacher may let you use CliffNotes and if that’s the case, do so. If not, it still doesn’t hurt to have them close by to save time. Use the CliffNotes to stop yourself from doing any cumbrous rereading. They have already figured out the book and will help explain passages to you that get tricky.
For Reports – Take Notes. Use notecards. They make good bookmarks too.
- 1 notecard for each chapter. Try to explain what happened in a few sentences. Note any major themes, plots, events.
- 1 notecard for every major character. Write a short bio, note the strengths and weaknesses, the motivation, and mark down any development that occurs.
- 1 notecard for all minor characters. Make it easy on yourself and put them all together and explain in a sentence who they are and why they’re important.

What tips and tricks do you have for getting through a bad book?

You might also be interested in 6 Reasons to Love and Hate Required School Reading.

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13 Ways to Beat the Summer Slide

First Mate Keira — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 09:31:44 +0000

by First Mate Keira

Most students see summer vacation as the time to cease all things educational. They refuse to do anything that feels like school work and unfortunately this includes some pretty important subjects and activities they should be practicing. This decline in grade level equivalency is what educators call the summer slump or summer slide. And did you know that by the end of elementary this could result in a two year deficiency in your reader?

What is the Summer Slide?

It’s important to note that most kids learn at the same rate during the school year. Summer slippage causes students to fall behind which causes a host of problems for the student once school restarts.

It’s a significant loss of learning retention across several core subjects like reading and math. Summer slippage usually affects lower-income students and is a big factor for achievement gaps seen at school. Bad reading habits over the summer can cause summer slippage in other less disadvantaged students too.

I’ve seen various claims but the general idea is that students lose approximately 1-3 months of learning due to bad summer habits. On the other hand, students who read over the summer actually make learning gains.

Considering a school year in America is 9 months that is a severe loss for a student especially if their classmates are readers. Not only will they be behind, but their friends will be ahead. Your student will be fighting to get back on top all year only to end up behind again because they see summer as the time to stop thinking about learning.

Why is Maintaining Reading Levels Important?

Reading is a skill. If you don't practice, you won't get any better. You won’t develop the skills reading teaches or obtain the ease and speed that comes with time.

"Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body." ~ Joseph Addison

Reading makes all class assignments easier and that is why this post is focused on ways to combat the decline in literacy over the summer.

13 Ways to Stop the Summer Slide

Preventing summer slippage is easy. Reading consistently is the key. Look below for ideas on how to increase your child’s exposure to reading over the summer.

Visit the Library and Get a Library Card
Read a Book a Week
Read a Summer Book List
Write Mini Book Reports
Start a Summer Book Club
Listen to Audio Books
Hire a Tutor
Make Reading Play-Dates with Friends
Go to Summer School
Go on a Book Shopping Spree
Read Together
Host an Audio Book Party
Have a Reading Picnic

Your turn: Do you have a child who hates reading? What have you done to encourage reading over the summer?

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Reading Even if Your Friends Don’t

First Mate Keira — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 09:23:47 +0000

Do you love reading? Do your friends think reading is dumb? Do they make fun of you for reading books outside of assignments? Don’t worry you’re not the only reader who has gone through something like this.

Reading today is either an activity that is loved or hated. There doesn’t seem to be a middle ground. In school where your actions can and are sometimes influenced by your peers and your friends, it’s imperative that you stand firm on issues that are important to you, like reading.

Don’t let them destroy your passion for reading. They’re not worth it. Trust me. Friends will come and go but books will stay with you forever.

So how do you keep on reading even when your friends don’t? It seems impossible, but depending on how vocal they are and your own personality you have a lot of options.

Blow Them Off. Read anyway. Even in front of them. Maybe you’ll turn your friends into readers.
Defend Your Position. Explain why you love reading. They will probably back off once you do because nobody can argue with personal experience.
Read at Home. Don’t read at school if it’s too much drama. Liking to read isn’t something to be ashamed of but if you’re hoping to avoid confrontations this is an easy option.
Challenge Them. Get them to try one of your favorite book or series. If you can share the same enthusiasm for certain books you can start doing bookish things together like attending midnight parties and releases.
Make New Friends. Get together with people who like to read. Start a club. You don’t have to ditch your old friends to do this so don’t worry. It’ll just help you expand your friend base.
Listen to Audio Books. Switch from print to audio and nobody will ever know. Listen to books on the way to and from school no matter your transportation (bus, bike, foot, carpool, etc) by plugging an audio book into your iPod. People will just think you’re listening to music.
Sometimes you just have to say, "That's nice, but I just don't feel the same." Feelings like experiences can't be argued and your response gives very little for your non-reading friend to go on and the argument will just die down.

My best advice? Just keep reading!

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How to Host an Audio Book Club or Party

First Mate Keira — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 09:22:49 +0000

A real fun reading activity to put together is an Audio Book Club or Party. Here’s how you put one together:

Who to Invite:

Whether you’re putting a club together or hosting a party it’s important to figure out who you want to participate. You can make it a mother-daughter thing, your friends from school, all girl or all boy, whatever works!

Where to Gather:

Next you have to decide where you will meet. Your options include:

Somebody’s House – perfect for a private book club or party
The Library – for more open book club or party setting where all are welcomed just ask first
A Book Store – get permission first and they’ll probably want to open it for all their costumers
The Park – a public place will require portable audio players
The Beach – bring big towels and some sun cover

Picking the Audio Book:

Do you want something short? Do you want to start a series? Do you want to celebrate a book-to-movie conversion? Think Harry Potter and Twilight Saga. You audio selections are limitless.

Theme it Up:

Make it fun by creating a theme for the audio book club or party. Should everyone dress in costume? Should you play or make up a game to go with the book? Serve certain types of food and drink?

Setting Up:

You will need lots of comfy seating, plenty copies of the book, one copy of the book in audio format, an audio player with speakers, some food and drink, and to decide how long to play the audio book. Chances are you can’t all go 6-12 hours straight, so break it up and host several times.

Discussion:

You can do a formal discussion after the segment is read or allow free flowing conversation to happen while it’s being read. It will depend on everybody’s familiarity or lack thereof with the book and of course personal preferences.

That’s it! Now go have fun!

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Why Read a Summer Book List

First Mate Keira — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 09:52:58 +0000

Do you wonder why schools use summer book lists? Or why you should be bothered to read the books on the list? Does it feel like the whole endeavor is a time suck? Do you feel you’ll hate all the books on the list? The purpose behind summer book lists is different depending on grade and literacy level. Here are some things to consider:

Summer Book Lists by Elementary School Grade:

The books picked will help grow particular reading skills necessary for that year. Getting your child to read the books on this list will ensure your child is ready for the upcoming school year. It will help them for all their lessons not just literacy instruction (reading and writing).

Summer Book Lists for English Class:

The books offered here will help you once school has started. You never know which books your teacher will instruct on or demand papers for so it’s best to read as many as possible to be the most prepared. If you’re in a higher level English class you may even take a test at the end of the year for college credit on these books so it’s important to get started early. If you have trouble getting through the books, be sure to grab cliff notes.

Additional Benefits of Summer Book Lists:

Summer book lists expand horizons and introduce new authors and genres. You never know what you’ll like until you try it. A summer book list helps you explore beyond your comfort zone which not only makes you a better reader, but a more educated one at that.

Plus, don’t you feel a sense of accomplishment on a grandiose scale when you’ve crossed through that last title? I know I did when I was younger!

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Why Libraries are Important

First Mate Keira — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 09:28:16 +0000

by First Mate Keira

Budget cuts for library funding is a terrible thing. It's happening because many people have lost sight of why libraries are important. Libraries are not an extravagance. They are not a waste of resources. They are possibly one of the best uses of funds and resources around. Here's why:

Libraries are necessary for the literacy and education of a community.

A library grows the community.

Through a library new ideas are learned, expressed, and acted upon.

Without them the value and wealth of a community goes down.

Libraries are a hub of social and educational activity.

Libraries host events and services that the community wouldn’t see without them. Just think without libraries… Where would you go for a school project or paper? Where would you go for a free lecture on personal finance? Where would you go for direct access and help on job searching and career building?

Libraries are a source of employment for many individuals. Budget cuts could mean loss of income and loss of jobs.

Libraries are good for authors. There are usually multiple copies of books inside a library system. Now multiply it by how many libraries there are in the country. That's a lot of sold books!

The standard of living has gone up with the increasing number of libraries.

Libraries grow the middle class.

Libraries are responsible for bringing a community together.

Libraries are the gatekeepers of culture. One of the saddest moments in human history was the loss of the Library of Alexandria when it burnt down. Can you imagine the wealth of knowledge we'd have access to if a fraction of it's contents had come through unscathed?

Inside libraries are your new best friends. They are the stories that stick with you and shape you.

They are a resource and one we should never take for granted.

Public libraries may not be the newest of concepts, but their very big presence in today’s society is a new idea. Let's not lose it! Visit your library today to support it’s presence in your community.

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The Question of God in Young Adult Fiction

First Mate Keira — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 09:37:44 +0000

by First Mate Keira

One of the saddest things for me in fiction today is how God is treated. If you’re not a Christian fiction novel you’re an atheist. It comes up unexpectedly in text and it really bugs me because it always seems to me like evangelizing others to not believe in God too. It’s in more books than I care for and it really irks me.

Why is being an atheist cool but believing in God is not cool?

Why is it okay to preach God doesn’t exist, and not that He does exist?

Why is this anti-religion movement so prevalent? Why cater to a small minority of readers? Is it because authors/publishers think being an atheist isn’t offensive? Is it because they are atheists themselves?

Do authors/publishers think kids don’t believe in God? How is this possible? Or that the ones who do, shouldn’t?

Can’t authors at least have the characters agnostic? That way they avoid the denomination conundrum. Believing in God doesn’t automatically make you a religious nutcase or an evangelical psycho.

Why does Christian fiction have the connotation of being preachy when the plethora of anti-religious viewpoints gets away without comment?

I think the constant bombardment of this anti-God mentality needs to stop. If you can’t bring God up in the novel without:

a) having a character scoff at His existence

b) having a faux logical conversation between characters as proof He doesn’t exist

c) having a character say they used to until X happened to them

Please don’t bring up God at all.

Over half of the time it’s a pointless bit of dialogue or mental narration. It adds nothing to the story, and doesn’t do anything but make the character more inaccessible.

Even atheists shout curses and sing praises. They might not know it, but they do. It’s part of English vernacular and culture. It’s too engrained to give up cursing a stubbed toe or saying hallelujah the light at the intersection finally turned green. Who are they talking to if not to God?

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What Books to Pack on Vacation

First Mate Keira — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 22:06:33 +0000

by First Mate Keira

Its summertime and everybody is getting ready to go on vacation it seems. I don’t know about anybody else but when it comes to packing I always make sure to bring along ~~a few~~ okay a lot of books. Whether you’re planning a road trip, flying somewhere, or just heading to the local park or beach here are a few book packing tips with a slant towards what to bring with you.

How Much Should I Bring?

That’s the first question you should address. The answer depends solely on where you’re going and how you’re going there and for how long you will be staying.

If you’re on a road trip I would suggest at least two dozen books. You’ll be spending a lot of time in the car there and back and also there will be down time while you’re there.

If you’re flying, I wouldn’t suggest bringing two dozen books. First, because of how much a piece of luggage costs to bring with you (unless it’s international where the price of luggage should be free) and the limits on weight associated with your luggage. Second, because you need space for clothes and toiletries and gear. I would stow two in your carry-on and no more than four in your suitcase.

If you’re doing a day trip somewhere local like the beach or the park, you don’t need more than two because you probably won’t be able to finish one, let alone two, and that’s even taking into consideration that you might have started one of the books.

What Should I Read?

Ah! A trickier question that because now it depends on your classes, school year, and personal tastes.

If you’ve got a summer book list for your English classes or for your year at school, I would highly suggest bringing these. Word to the wise: if you’re checking them out from the library be sure to get the books as close to the day you’re actually leaving to avoid fines. Also, if you are bringing library books with you on your vacation, double check if you can renew online and be sure you know how to do it. (Write your library number on a piece of paper so you won’t forget.)

Now if you’re all caught up with summer book lists and are looking for some pleasure reading you should be considering your to be read pile. If it’s anything like mine its monstrous huge. Go through it and select a hot single title or two or three that you’ve been meaning to get around to reading.

Consider starting or continuing a book series. Summertime is the perfect time to get hooked on new stories. If you can’t think of any series to start, check the “If You Love” category here at Literature Young Adult Fiction and also with your librarians. They always have reading recommendations.

The Easiest Choice is Digital Books: If you’re lucky and own a digital reader, the easiest thing to do is bring it with you on vacation. You can pack it with your summer book list, require reading, pleasure reading, and only take up the space of one book! Not a bad idea – but then again if you plan to be near water, I suggest a few print books too because you wouldn’t want to ruin your digital reader.

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Should I Bring Along Fluff Reading?

Personally, I don’t, but you go right ahead and bring along any magazines you’ve been meaning to catch up on. Read them and donate them to others when you’re through with them. People at rest stops and waiting areas will love you for it.

What am I Forgetting?

You’ve got your books all selected and you’re ready to hit the road running, but have you thought of everything? Use this handy list:

Books to Read
Ereader + Charger
Book Light
Bookmarks
Lap Pillow

That should do you! Have fun on your vacation and read lots of books!

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5 Free or Discounted Things to Do with Your Library Card

First Mate Keira — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 09:08:48 +0000

by First Mate Keira

Did you know there’s more you can do with a library card other than check books and movies out? Depending on where you live and what your library and county (and state) programs are there are five other things a library card is good for!

1. Museum Passes:

You can get free or discounted museum passes with a library card. It works two ways.

The first is the library holds the pass and you check it out like a book or movie. This pass will get you in at the museum, but you must remember to return it back to the library when you’re done using it. Be sure to pick it up early in the morning because passes go quickly.

The second method is to flash the museum your library card. When you do, the sales clerk with ring you up appropriately. You might need a library card per person in order for the free passes or discount to apply to all ticket purchases.

2. Public Transportation Passes:

You can get free passes on public transportation by presenting a library card. I’ve heard of free bus transportation and discounted subway passes. Be sure to double check in your area before assuming you can just hop on and get a free ride.

3. Zoo Passes:

Like with museums, you can get free or discounted entrance into zoos in your area by taking your library card with you. Most of the time I hear it’s a one time deal, but it’d be a great way to spend an afternoon and if you really like your local or city zoo be sure to get a season pass to keep your future costs down.

4. State Park Passes:

Some state parks offer free or discounted admission certain times of the year when you bring a book or library card with you. Enjoy your time outdoors and pack a picnic!

5. Entertainment Passes:

Sometimes you can even go see performances likes plays, shows, music festivals, even go to the movies, etc. for a far cheaper price with a library card. Keep an eye out for such announcements and don’t be afraid to ask if you’re unsure.

Remember, the availability of these discounts or freebies on activities depends solely on where you live and the places you wish to go. Be sure to call ahead and see if they offer Free Library Cardholder Days before heading out just in case they don’t. Also check with your library to see where they’re partnering. Sometimes they even display flyers and posters with information about free activities you and your family can do together.

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Review: Harry Potter World, Universal Islands of Adventure (Soft Preview)

First Mate Keira — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 02:23:12 +0000

by First Mate Keira

Today Captain Yarr, Cook Cutlery, and myself went to Islands of Adventure thinking it would be a normal everyday experience. We’ve been breaking in our newly bought season passes and exploring the park while waiting for June 18 to come for the launch of Harry Potter World. Imagine our surprise when we entered the main gates and a man who worked there loudly called out – “Go see Harry Potter while it’s open!”

They were doing a soft preview and of course we didn’t bring a camera so we have no pictures from inside Harry Potter World, but we do have a scanned copy of our trip to the Three Broomsticks and our shared Butterbeer. We got only one because we weren’t sure we’d like it (which was silly because of course we LOVED it). It comes two ways: frozen like a slushie or cold with whip cream foam on top. We had heard from a group of Potter fans that the whip cream version was their favorite (unanimously) and so that’s what we got. Drinking Butterbeer and getting foam mustaches would make a great photo!

During the soft preview they kept traffic in the stores under control by having people queue and only letting in a handful at a time. I’m not sure how they’ll handle the opening launch because there really aren’t places to queue around the stores. Because we were unprepared for the soft preview, we hadn’t any cash in which to splurge on wizarding goods so we decided to skip the stores and head for the rides. The lines were fairly short because of all the queuing around the shops so we got to ride several times.

If you don’t want to be spoiled on what the rides were like, skip the rest of this post.

The Dragon Challenge – This ride is made over from an old ride called Dueling Dragons. The new queue area is way cooler than the old because it’s been revamped to look like Harry Potter during the Triwizard Tournament. As you walk up to the main entrance there are signs and banners for each of the champions urging you to root for them. Inside the main queue area you immediately come across a round room designed to look like the inside of the tent of the first task. There’s even the Goblet of Fire with blue fire/light wafting. It’s placed high so people can’t mess with it, but the area is prime for good photos. The next queue zone has the Triwizard Cup held aloft and is another spot for photos. Past that in the next area is a cupboard containing the three golden eggs the champions rescued from their dragons. Soon after you’re asked to make a choice: Chinese Fireball or Hungarian Horntail? Why not both? That’s what we did. Both dragons run simultaneously and you are suppose to be flying on them – watch out for the near crashes! As a group, the three of us rated it an average of 8.5 out of 10. We rode it twice more.

Flight of the Hippogriff – My sister, Cook Cutlery, said it was a remastered ride that before had been about unicorns. I don't remember it, but I'll take her word for it. It’s a kiddiecoaster and more of a family ride than a ride for older people. I thought it was worth going on because before you climb the lift you get to see Buckbeak resting in his nest. Hagrid tells you to bow to him and if you’re like everyone in our group you will be doing it because it’s fun. Hagrid tells you well done and now we can fly him and then the coaster takes off. The cars are wicker baskets with the front basket having a sort of Hippogriff head on it. The ride is pretty short and on average it got 4 out of 10, but that’s because my sister’s thought they were too cool for it.

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey – It’s time to go to Hogwarts now and ride the brand new ride. I can only describe it as being similar to Spiderman with the combination of real action and simulation, but upped to the next next level. We rode it twice and both times went through the single rider lane because otherwise the wait promised to be very long. From what the website says, it looks like there was another entrance to the ride that we missed because we didn’t tour Hogwarts, we just got into the ride queue. The first time we rushed through the queue and only peripherally saw the portraits and setting of the grand staircase area and didn’t stay there long enough to see anything. The second time we heard a bit of what the portraits were saying and saw the Sorting Hat. He talks and gives the safety speech before you and your party are escorted to your broomstick. From talking with others later in the day, waiting in line was just as neat because of how it was themed, so it’s really up to you how you want to go through the lines. The ride itself was AMAZING. It’s definitely my personal favorite ride at Islands of Adventure now. We gave it a perfect 10 as a group for meeting and exceeding all of our expectations. What happens is this:

Hermione casts a spell that allows Muggles to ride a wizard broomstick. Harry and Ron are going to escort us to the Quidditch match between Slytherin and Gryffindor and along the way we run into Hagrid, who has lost the Hungarian Horntail of all things, which of course we find! Yikes! A swerve and a miss brings us to the Forbidden Forest and all those nasty Acromantulas – watch out they spit! Hermoine guides us out and we have a near miss with the Whomping Willow before managing to get to the Quidditch pitch where Harry wonders where we’ve been. In the race for the snitch suddenly Dementors appear and we’re following Harry to safety in and around the sides of the stadium, sort of like movie two with the rogue bludger. A dive and we’re in the Chamber of Secrets, but the Dementors have followed us and are trying to suck our souls. Luckily Harry knows his Patronus! The fight knocks out the walls and with the Chamber collapsing we have to hurry to find a safe way out. A quick flight across the Great Lake and we’re back at Hogwarts where Harry, Hermione, Ron, and other Hogwarts students cheer us on before we run into Dumbledore who gives a speech and welcomes us to come back anytime. Another swoop and we’re unbuckling from out broomsticks and getting off the ride… only to get back on of course!

We officially can’t wait for the real launch because this time we’ll bring our cameras and take pictures all over the place! By the Hogwarts Express, by Honeydukes, in Ollivander’s, of Hogwarts, of Hogsmeade, and everything in between. See you there!

Photo Credits: Universal Studios

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