Wow, summer is ending fast!

It's so nice to be able to see what everyone is doing. Sorry I haven't posted! I hope all of your summer has been great so far. I've been enjoying my break and busy getting ready for Baby Madison. We should be painting our basement soon, so it can be converted into a second bedroom. I went for a doctor's visit today and things are well. I will be going into school on Monday to start setting up the room. I'm excited to see everyone again and I hope you are all READING!

Tiger burning bright

Hi readers!

It's been a while since I wrote on this blog. I just can't believe it is already August. Where has time gone???

My husband and I took a trip to Toronto last week, and guess what, instead of flying, we took a bus to cross the border! It was a 10 hour ride each way. That means I had A LOT of time to read on the bus. Well, I brought two books with me, and ended up finishing one of them. Other than that, I slept and slept on the bus :)

Boys and girls, I really enjoyed the book I chose for the trip! It is called The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo. Some of you might know her as the author of Because of Winn Dixie. For one reason or another, the characters in her books are always sad and have family problems, and this one was no exception.

Having read this book, I realize now that I am a reader who is into realistic fiction. Characters in realistic fiction seem... REAL (duh), and I can find so many things about them that I can relate to. Rob and Sistine in The Tiger Rising, Opal and Preacher in Because of Winn Dixie, all of them remind me of people I know in real life. To me, that makes reading so much more fun and meaningful.


Okay, no more talk about reading tonight. My husband is cooking dinner. Right about time to eat!

Harry Potter Update

I went to the beach in North Carolina for about 5 days around the 4th of July. It was fun to go to the beach, play miniature golf and hang out with my husband and my family, but while I was there I also read through 2 Harry Potter books!

I loved the Prisoner of Azkaban, that was definitely my favorite, I thought it was really funny. It was also so exciting and I loved the twist at the end. I also thought that it was helpful to learn more about Hermione and Ron's personalities. Also, to hear more about Harry's parents.

I am officially addicted, but what will I do when I have read them all? I guess I will have to move on to another series like this one. I found a great website to help me with that. It's called BookAlike, click here and put in the book you love and find other books like it.

Back to reading! I'm half-way through the Goblet of Fire.

Melvin Beederman, Superhero

It was just like Christmas... Teacher Erin gave all of us teachers books to read over the summer! The book I got was called Melvin Beederman Superhero:The Curse of the Bologna Sandwich.

Girls and boys, I highly recommend this book! I'm usually not into superhero stories, but this series is very different from any superhero books I've read. The main character, Superhero Melvin, is not perfect and invincible(it means you are really strong, and cannot be beat), but actually has a lot of weaknesses. For instance, when he sees a bologna sandwich, he drops down to his knees , gasping, "Can't move.... get... me... out.. of..he...re....."

I just learned that there are 8 titles in the series, and the author is still writing more! If you love superhero cartoons like Batman or funny stories like My Weird School, you'll love this series. Give it a try!


This book is perfect for those of you who are reading "white" or "N" books.



Teacher Mayuko

Soccer Fever Continues...

I just purchased a Japan soccer jersey last week. I've always been a soccer fan, but the World Cup has reignited my passion for the sport once again!

I've been doing a lot of reading about different players in each team on the FIFA Website. This website not only contains articles, but also has many video clips and statistics (information that has to do with numbers, like scores) about the games played in this year's World Cup.


Of course, my favorite team is Japan, and they've been doing well so far. (YES!) They are playing against Denmark on Thursday, June 24. If they win the game, they will move on to the next round. Japan has never ever made it out of the first round before, and I'm hoping that they will this time!!!

Please root for Japan. Go Samurai Blue!!!!

A good magazine

On Saturday morning my husband and I stopped at a cafe to have some tea on our way home from the farmers market. I picked up an issue of my favorite magazine. It is a free magazine that is published in Philadelphia all about things that are happening around the city to make our lives more sustainable for the planet.

As I flipped from article to article I got so excited because there were so many that I was interested in reading. I love reading magazines, especially on the bus. The small articles are easy to read through and easy to remember.

I have a few favorite magazines and it helps give me something new to read between novels.

Telekinesis

I just read a book that I loved when I was in 7th grade. It made me believe that I could move things with my mind (that's what telekinesis is). It was really fun to read it again, because I remembered some parts, but not all, so the plot was both surprising and familiar.

I remember giving a book report on it in 7th grade in Mrs. Patschke's class. I had thread attached to different things in the room so that it would look like I really was moving things with my mind. Some people were actually fooled (briefly). I'm glad I have brown eyes, though.