The 100 Thing Challenge: How I Got Rid of Almost Everything, Remade My Life, and Regained My Soul by Dave Bruno

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Living with only 100 personal items. Could I do that? Even as I read the book I thought about how much we all possess. Then, as I drove down the road on a recent trip, I counted in four different towns storage facilities. We truly are a culture of consumerism. We buy so much stuff that we have to spend more money to store everything and then we forget we have it and we go out and buy more. CRAZY!



I have thought about putting together a list of 100 items I could live with if they were the only 100 things I could have. It would be a difficult list to put together because I am used to all of my stuff.



SUMMARY:

Dave Bruno is a blogger who promotes a simple lifestyle. Then one day, as he looks at his overcrowded garage and his overflowing closet, he decides he is not living the life he promotes on his blog. He decides to give himself a personal challenge of living with only 100 things (personal possessions) for one year. This is his story of his personal challenge.



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XVI by Julia Karr

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Debut Author Challenge Book...

For 2011, I joined the debut author challenge and this was the first book I read as part of the challenge.

Not normally a science fiction fan, this book offered interesting insights into how young girls (those about to turn 16) could be viewed by a society run by the government that promotes sexual promiscuity among young teenage girls.

Reading the novel made me remember parts of 1984 by George Orwell and the overwhelming power that governmental control can have on an entire culture.

An enjoyable read at times... the storyline centering on Nina (the main character) and the man her mother was having a relationship with (Ed) was, to me, the focus of the novel. The intricacies of how she was going to be able to overcome his power over her life and her sister's life, was intriguing. Without the help of her friends, she would not have survived.

A testament to the power of friendships - for teenagers.

PLOT SUMMARY:
The novel is set in 2051. Nina is getting ready to turn 16 making her a sex-teen. She must get XVI tatooed on her wrist to let all men know that she is now of legal age for sex. Nina's mother is murdered, but noone seems to really care because she is only a two-tier. The society in which they live is government controlled and is based on a tiered system, with ten being the top tier.
She has a younger sister who she is now responsible for since her father was killed when Nina was born. But is her father dead? What will she do about her newfound feelings for Sal? She does not want to be sexually active and be used by men, but she also wants a boyfriend to love her.
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Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


There are some books that you can read dozens of times and they will touch your heart... this is one of those books. The lessons that we need to learn in life, many times, are not the lessons we as educators teach in the classroom from the textbook - but the lessons we share with our students. Will they always understand the significance of the lesson when it is presented... probably not. Will they appreciate it years down the road... I do believe they will.

TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE is a poignant book about the power of friendship. Life lessons to be taught. Life lessons to be learned. What it always boils down to is - Relationships.



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Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A teenage romance novel set in Paris...the characters learn to deal with disappointments, betrayals, friendships and family. The main character Anna must come to terms with being sent to France for her senior year of high school to attend the American School in Paris. And of course, there is all the teenage romance drama that comes from 100 students living in dormitories together. But, more than that, below the surface is a story of teenagers learning to let go of their parents protection and depending on themselves to make difficult decisions.




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The Last Summer Of The Death Warriors by Francisco X. Stork




I heard about this book through a twitter chat. I was intrigued by the story line from the very beginning.

It is a story about two young boys - one dieing of cancer and the other dieing slowly from the hate that he feels towards the man that was responsible for his sister's death. What is extraordinary about this novel - is the power of friendship and understanding that develops between these two boys.

I always think it is interesting when we begin to see, hear or notice similar themes in various aspects of our lives. Books that I have been reading lately make me think of the power of friendship and how it can really have a tremendous impact on one's life.

I would recommend this book to my students who are struggling with a decision - and show them through literature, that one can take a very difficult situation that fills one with anger and from that situation develop an understanding that takes one to forgiveness.



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Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I finished this book - my second time reading it in the past year. I felt it was necessary to reread before I begin presenting it to my 10th grade class when the new semester starts at my high school at the beginning of February.

This time, I really paid attention to the connections she (meaning the main character) made to others... focusing on the different definitions that characters in the novel had regarding friendship. I think this can be a powerful force for discussions in the classroom - What makes a friend a friend? What do you look for in friendships? How many times are we friends with someone because of what we can give to them as opposed to what they can provide for us? (Social status, etc)

Looking forward to reading with students - and hoping that someday I can be the teacher that they feel comfortable enough to share what is bothering them - like her art teacher. I want my classroom to be a safe place where you are able to express your opinion freely and openly.



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The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Every once in a while we come across a book that is simply a great read. And this book is one of those. I found the author's voice refreshing and the storyline had me hooked from the very beginning. I finished the book in 24 hours and was disappointed each time I had to put it down.

The mixture of mystery and teen age romance was well done.

I have already recommended the book to my daughter to read... I hope she enjoys it as much as I did.



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