Happy New Year!

 Well, folks, if anyone is actually left reading my poor, forsaken blog, it certainly has been a minute! 2024 was not terribly kind to me, health wise. I missed about six months of school last year and thought I would need to retire in June. Thankfully, the cause of my terrible fatigue was discovered after much self-advocating, and my energy slowly returned. Over the summer, I actually read and blogged! Once school started though, my energy tanked. I loved being back, but the demands of the school day left little energy for anything but taking care that Boo got enough exercise. I had no energy to practice yoga or do much reading. I pushed the button for retirement effective January 1 on September 30. Once I did so, I felt a great weight release. It was time.

Then, in early October, I ran a fever for five days. Negative for Covid, flu and pneumonia, I was told to just let it run its course, and run its course, it did! Coughing and fatigue for MONTHS! Not fun. 

Yesterday, I posted grades for the final time. My replacement can start grading the assignments she delivers. I'm very happy with the gal who will be the new librarian and wish her the best of luck.

So, today, I am officially retired. I returned to yoga last week and hope to resume my daily practice. I was invited to join a group of retirees who meet the first Monday of each month for lunch. I was asked to join the Library Board in my town. I plan on attending Wednesday bird walks hosted by the Bergen County Audubon Society. And, Boo doesn't have to be alone for nearly eight hours during the school week. I will be busy doing all the things I didn't have time or energy to do. I also hope to resuscitate the blog and post more. I have missed reading and recommending books for young people. Onward and upward.

2024 Audio Books

 January (1)
1. Her Radiant Curse by Elizabeth Lim* (1/19)

March (2)
2.The Dragon's Promise by Elizabeth Lim (3/18)
3. Louder Than Hunger by John Schu (3/24)*

April (3)

4. Coyote Lost and Found by Dan Gemeinhart (4/5)

5. Good Dog by Dan Gemeinhart (4/20)

6. James by Percival Everett (4/26)*

May (3)

7. The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh (5/1)*

8. James by Percival Everett (audio reread) (5/14)*

9. Dust by Dust Bowling (5/28)

June (2)

10. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Moore (6/12)

11. The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko (6/30)

July (3)

12. Shark Teeth by Sherri Winston (7/16)

13. Ferris by Kate DiCamillo (7/21)*

14. Me Before You by JoJo Moyes (7/25)

August (3)

15. The Prisoner's Throne by Holly Black (8/6)

16. Elf Dog and Owl Head by M.T. Anderson (8/9)

17. Stepping Off by Jordan Sonnenblick (8/17)

September (2)

18. Such Charming Liars by Karen M. McManus (9/2)*

19. Air by Monica Roe (9/10)

October (1)

20. The Enigma Girls by Candace Fleming (10/7)*

21. If He Had Been with Me by Laura Nowlin (10/31)

November (4)

22. Twenty-Four Seconds from Now by Jason Reynolds (11/9)

23. If Only I Had Told Her by Laura Nowlin (11/17)

24. Roll with It by Jamie Sumner (11/20)*

25. Jupiter Rising by Gary D. Schmidt (11/24)*

December (1)

26. Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi (12/12)

2024 Reading

 January (1)
1. Her Radiant Curse by Elizabeth Lim* (1/19)

February (1)
2. The Goddess Crown by Shade Lapite (2/11)

March (4)
3. Sunny Parker is Here to Stay by Margaret Finnegan (3/12)
4. The Dragon's Promise by Elizabeth Lim (3/18)
5. Break by Kayla Miller (3/23)
6. Louder Than Hunger by John Schu (3/24)*

April (5)

7. Coyote Lost and Found by Dan Gemeinhart (4/5)

8. Wild Inventions by Sandra Markle (4/10)

9. Huda F Cares by Huda Fahmy (4/14)*

10. Good Dog by Dan Gemeinhart (4/20)

11. James by Percival Everett (4/24)*

May (7)

12. Duel by Jessixa Bailey (5/1)

13. The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh (5/1)*

14. James by Percival Everett (audio reread) (5/14)*

15. The Night Librarian by Christopher Lincoln (5/14)*

16. The One and Only Family by Katherine Applegate (5/19)*

17. Dust by Dust Bowling (5/28)

18. Eddy Eddy buy Kate De Gold (5/31)

June (6)

19. A Walk in the Woods by Nikki Grimes, Brian Pinkney and Jerry Pinkney (6/4)*

20. Milly Fleur's Poison Garden by Christie Mandin (6/4)

21. When Black Girls Dream Big by Tanisia Moore (6/10)

22. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Moore (6/12)

23. The Witching Wind by Natalie Lloyd (6/26)*

24. The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko (6/30)

July (13)

25. The Yellow Bus by Loren Long (7/2)*

26. Coretta: the Autobiography of Mrs. Coretta Scott King by Coretta Scott King with the Reverend Dr. Barbara Reynolds (7/3)*

27. My Lost Freedom: a Japanese American World War II Story by George Takei (7/3)*

28. Snapshots: the Wonders of Monterey Bay by Celeste Davidson Mannis (7/4)

29. Modern Guide to Mudras: Create Balance and Blessings in the Palm of Your Hands by Alexandra Chauran (7/11)

30. Mercy Watson is Missing! by Kate DiCamillo (7/12)*

31. Shark Teeth by Sherri Winston (7/16)

32. Ferris by Kate DiCamillo (7/21)*

33. When We Flew Away: a Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary by Alice Hoffman (7/22)

34. Me Before You by JoJo Moyes (7/25)

35. Sunny Makes Her Case by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm (7/27)*

36. Bookie and Cookie by Blanca Gómez (7/27)

37. Invisible Isabel by Sally J. Play (7/28)

August (4)

38. Road Home by Rex Ogle (8/1)

39. The Prisoner's Throne by Holly Black (8/6)

40. Elf Dog and Owl Head by M.T. Anderson (8/9)

41. Stepping Off by Jordan Sonnenblick (8/17)

September (6)

42. Such Charming Liars by Karen M. McManus (9/2)*

43. Hum by William David Thomas (9/5)

44. Air by Monica Roe (9/10)

45. ADHD is Awesome by Penn Holderness (9/24)

46. Remember Us by Jacqueline Woodson (9/25)

47. Gamerville by Johnny Christmas (9/30)

October (4)

48. Diet Soda Club by Chaz Hayden (10/2)

49. The Enigma Girls by Candace Fleming (10/7)*

50. Light Enough to Float by Lauren Seal (10/10)

51. If He Had Been with Me by Lauren Nowlin (10/31)

November (5)

52. Twenty-Four Seconds from Now by Jason Reynolds (11/9)

53. Things in the Basement by Ben Hatke (11/11)*

54. If Only I Had Told Her by Laura Nowlin (11/17)

55. Roll with It by Jamie Sumner (11/20)*

56. Jupiter Rising by Gary D. Schmidt (11/24)*

December (2)

57. Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi (12/12)

58. A Meerkat Diary: My Journey into the Wild World  of a Meerkat Mob by Suzi Eszterhas (12/31)

Middle Grade Monday: Remember Us by Jacqueline Woodson

Image: Penguin Random House

Remember Us by Jacqueline Woodson. 192 p, Nancy Paulsen Book/ Penguin Books for Young Readers. October, 2023. Review of e-audio borrowed from public library.

Happy Monday! It has been a minute since I posted a daily book talk. I thought I had enough energy to return to school after my health travails last school year, but I truly do not. I am sad about this, because I enjoy interacting with students. I don't have the energy to do all the things that teachers do, let alone keep up with these posts, during the evenings and weekends. I take care of Boo, feed and walk him and am in bed at ridiculously early hours each night. I think I lost all my immunity while on sick leave last year!

Today's book talk is Remember Us by Jacqueline Woodson. Eleven-year-old Sage is at a crossroads.. She loves to play basketball, but her friends who are girls are distancing themselves from her and her baller frienda are as well. She's trying to decide where she belongs as her Bushwick neighborhood burns down. Her mother is looking to move the family out, but Sage isn't so sure she wants to move.

This character- driven novel will make you ponder much. It is short and lyrical and touches upon the reality of many working class families.

Middle Grade Monday: Air by Monica Roe

Image: Macmillan

Air by Monica Roe. Unabridged downloadable audiobook, ~5 hours. Read by Sandy Rustin. Recorded Books/ Macmillan, March, 2022. Review of audiobook borrowed from public library.

Happy Monday! We've had quite the run of spectacular weather here in northeastern New Jersey. I survived my first full week of classes with students and am so-o tired! 

Middle Grade Monday features Air by Monica Roe. Twelve-year-old Emelyn, "Emmie," has the need for speed. Being in a wheelchair doesn't slow her down, it's accessibility issues that hamper her ability to get around, especially at school. When a trick goes wrong thanks to a rickety ramp at school and she gets scraped up, her hovering and cautious school principal calls her father in for a meeting to re-evaluate Emmie's IEP. Her mom used to take care of that and would fight fiercely for Emmie's independence, but her dad, who works several jobs and also goes to night school, acquiesces and Emmie finds herself with a one-on-one aide.

This first-person novel is at turns hilarious and thought-provoking as spunky Emmie goes toe-to-toe with her new principal and the aide she doesn't want/ need.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Right Call by Tommy Greenwald

Image: Author's FB Page

The Right Call by Tommy Greenwald. 272 p. Game Changer series. Abrams, April 15, 2025. 9781419772856

Oops! Wednesday is almost over and I forgot to post my Waiting on Wednesday book. Waiting on Wednesday features books that I am excited for and that will soon be published. This week features The Right Call by Tommy Greenwald. I learned about this companion novel to his Game Changer series from his Facebook page last week and am super-excited because I have enjoyed reading his books ever since Ms. Sidrow told me about his Charlie Jackson books!

The Right Call won't be out until April, but you can enjoy any of his books including the Game Changer books at TMS library before then. Here's the publisher synopsis: From award-winning author Tommy Greenwald comes a thrilling companion novel to Game Changer that explores the growing pressures in youth sports, and the lengths some parents will go to make sure their kid comes out on top

Cal Klondike’s life revolves around baseball. He’s the Walthorne Baseball Academy’s star pitcher, and everyone from his coach to his dad to the town sports blogger is telling Cal he has an unlimited future in the sport. But with all this attention comes a lot of added stress, especially as the season kicks into high gear and college and pro scouts start to show up at the games. Inevitably, tensions that have been bubbling under the surface finally boil over, culminating in a confrontation that could change Cal’s relationship to baseball forever.

Told through a combination of transcripts, articles, texts, and emails, The Right Call is a gripping, fast-paced story about our split-second decisions, facing the consequences, and the courage it takes to forgive.

Happy reading!

Middle Grade Monday: Sunny Makes Her Case by Jennifer L. Holm

Image: Scholastic Inc.

Sunny Makes Her Case by Jennifer L. Holm and illustrated by Matthew Holm. 224 p. Sunny Book 5. Graphix/ Scholastic Inc., February, 2024. 9781338792447. Review of finished copy borrowed from public library. 

Happy penultimate Monday of summer break! I hope to make the best of the remaining days. Middle Grade Monday features Sunny Makes Her Case by Jennifer L. Holm and illustrated by Matthew Holm. This is the fifth book in the Sunny series, which is loosely based on Ms. Holm's childhood. This graphic novel series is enormously popular at TMS. Sunny is settling into middle school, sort of. While her classmates have extracurricular activities, such as cheering, Sunny hasn't yet found hers. Then, her friend Arun talks her into starting a debate club.Sunny likes arguing, so she and Arun find an advisor. At first, it's just the two of them, and then, Sunny learns there's a lot more to debate than just arguing!

The artwork, by Matthew Holm, continues to shine. Bright colors and dynamic panels move the story along. Of course, Sunny in all her relatability continues to charm. Must purchase!

Happy reading!