July 11th, 2010 — 4.5-5 Treasure Chests, Book Review, M-O, Romance, School Situations, Science Fiction
by First Mate Keira
Title: Academy 7
Author: Anne Osterlund
Format: Trade Paperback
Page Count: 259
Grade Reading Level: Grade 8 +
Summary: Academy 7 is like Star Wars meets Harry Potter. Two kids, Aerin and Dane, must overcome great odds to attend and survive their first year in the universe’s most prestigious school. Aerin must hide her true background, that of a fugitive slave from an X-Level planet. Dane must outwit his father, one of the Alliance's most powerful leaders, who loathes him and favors his elder brother. Both are excellent students and compete for top grade in every class. Trickery abounds and their only hope is to navigate it together.
Why I started this book:
I bought Academy 7 for something to read on a road trip.
Likes:
- The world-building is swift, complete, and extremely interesting. It’s fun to see that in a world so advanced there’s still budget problems which result in a crumbling school that still manages to keep and maintain advance computers. I can’t wait to see how certain factors play out.
- Aerin is a strong female character. She excels at computers and fighting, attributes rarely given to heroines. She’s also fragile, constantly worried about exposure. She comes to realize she knows almost nothing about her parents and with Dane’s help is determined to unlock the secret.
- Dane is the typical cocky good-looking rich and popular boy. His life however isn’t as pretty as it seems. His father hates him and he’s not entirely sure why. The only planet he has called home until school, isn’t a place he can ever return to—not if he wants to live to see another day.
- I loved the fighting classes. Aerin whipping Dane over and over again is really quite fun. I also like that Dane isn’t so insecure about it. He actually proposes a deal to help her learn Alliance history in exchange for more beat downs (training to be a better fighter).
Dislikes:
- I think the mean girl of the school was dropped a little too soon. I don’t know who is going to take her place and cause friction in the future.
Last Minute Thoughts: Academy 7 is the possible start of a trilogy (woohoo!), but the author has admitted it takes her a lot of time to write her stories and currently she is working on a sequel to another story. I hope she finishes it soon because I want to know what happens next for Aerin and Dane.
Buy: Academy 7
Rating: 4.5 Treasure Chests
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July 9th, 2010 — Guest Blog
by Cook Cutlery, guest blogger
Everybody has reading distractions and it’s hard to avoid them. They get in the way of finishing your work, your book, or even getting started. Reading for a lot of people is a chore and so they find anything and everything to do besides actually reading. I know I do this a lot and I’ve had to work hard to stop the distractions.
What are Reading Distractions?
Reading distractions are things that get in the way of you reading. They can be texting, television, internet, hanging out with friends, anything really that wastes time and keeps you from getting things done. I bet your reading distractions are the same distractions that keep you from getting your homework done!
My Top Reading Distractions:
- Television – This is the number one culprit that eats away my reading time. I am guilty of watching Nickelodeon or Disney channel when I should be finishing the next chapter in my book.
- Cell Phone – My cell phone is another reading distraction. It practically ties with television because I will be watching a movie and texting my friends instead of doing something productive.
- Computer – Sometimes, I’m watching television, texting on my phone, and chatting with people on AIM or Facebook. It’s pretty bad and drives my sister to distraction because she and I both know I should be reading.
3 Tips on How to Stop Being Distracted:
Here are some of the things that I do to get back to reading.
- If you’re like me, turn your TV, cell phone or your computer off when you need to read. Or at least on mute!!!
- If your room is part of the problem because you can always find something else to do besides reading, then you should go find somewhere else to read.
- If noises distract you, dedicate an hour or two to reading in pure quiet.
Reading distractions are hard to stay away from because they always sound so much better than cracking your book open. Be strong and force yourself to get away from your distractions and soon you’ll be flipping those pages faster than you can imagine and getting your reading done in no time. Good luck!
Your Turn: What are your reading distractions and how to you get rid of them?
July 7th, 2010 — Buried Treasure, Reading Activities
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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July 5th, 2010 — Buried Treasure, Reading Activities
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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July 3rd, 2010 — Buried Treasure
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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