Hey guys. Just started a new book - Bird - by Rita Murphy. Miranda - no last name - gets carried off by the wind to a place she does not know about. The sole inhabitant of Bourne Manor, Wysteria Barrows, takes her in and cares for Miranda. Miranda, the name given to her by Wysteria, has no recollection of her life before she landed in the Manor trees. She doesn't know from where she came or who she was. Wysteria makes her wear heavy, leaded boots so she cannot be carried away by the wind again. Miranda's life is okay at the Manor, but Wysteria is very controlling. She makes Miranda weave fishing nets, and will not let her "explore" the entire 4 story house. But one day when Wysteria leaves to go to town, Miranda finds a secret passage and begins to wonder what happened to Wysteria's husband the Captian.
I am only 4 chapters into the book. So far it is very interesting and Miranda is beginning question things. She found a room that is full of kites. She even flies the kites from the room while Wysteria is away in town. She is careful not to let Wysteria see the kites though. Miranda is afraid of Wysteria and Wysteria is very controlling of Miranda. I am hoping that Miranda finds the courage to question Wysteria more and break away from this old maid woman. More later. |
Welcome to the newest part of the BCMS library - blogging! I am going to be posting blogs about books I am reading that will be avaliable for checkout at the middle school library. I will be reading books that are nominated for the KY Bluegrass Award in the beginning -but who knows where this will take us. I invite you to post comments and ask me questions about the books I've posted. Keep in mind that I will be monitoring/approving the blogs - and absolutely NO objectional or offensive information will be posted! You can blog anonymously or you may put first names, but please do not put first and last names for security reasons. If you would like me to post a new blog about a book you are reading so others can ask you quesitons about it - please give me the information at middle school or e-mail it to me. I will post your information for others to read and respond to. I am excited about the new format that we can use to communicate with each other about books and reading. Let the blogging begin ! ! ! Mrs. Cummins |
Have things ever been so bad you just wanted to get away? 11-year-old Thomas Hammond was having a bad day. His mother just told him she might be marrying his teacher. While the guy was a good teacher, Thomas just didn't want to have him for a Dad. So Thomas decides to take a trip down the creek on a piece of styrofoam from the new refrig they just bought. What Thomas didn 't plan for was getting lost and not being able to get back.
Thomas have lived on this ridge all his life. But never in his wildest dreams did he ever think he could get lost inside the mountain. The creek just seemed to suck him up and he took one wild ride before he came to rest on a beach in the darkest place he had ever been. Thomas embarks upon the journey to find his way out of the mountain. On his way he finds a dog, a corpse, a flashlight, has to eat crawdads, and eventually another person. Together Thomas and Reg explore to find a way out. Will they get out? Can they explain the strange drawings on the walls? Does Thomas' mother get married anyway after the loss of her son? To find out read Leepike Ridge. |
My newest read is a historical fiction book set during the American Revolutionary War. The main character, Nathan Wade, wants to be a patriot, but he is too young to join the army. His cousin, David, is a graduate of Yale and an inspiring inventor. David convinces Nathan and another cousin to help him with his latest invention that he assures them will help win the war. The "turtle" as they nickname it, is the first submarine to be used in warfare. At this point in the book they are still building the turtle. David stresses complete alliance to the project and makes the boys pledge to keep their project a secret. Nathan thinks David will not be able to solve a problem they have with the turtle, so he decides to write Benjamin Franklin - yes the Benjamin Franklin of U.S. history - and ask for his advice on solving this problem. Then Nathan worries that the letter will be intercepted by the Tories.
So far the book is interesting and if you are a history buff you might want to check this out. I wonder if there really was a David Bushnell that invented a submarine during the Rev. War? I am going to do some research on the topic on the internet. More later. |
Travis requested this thread about the book Sea of Trolls and it's sequel - The Land of the Silver Apples. From the cover they look like fantasy, but we'll have to wait on Travis' post to see for sure. |
This thread is for all the Harry Potter fans out there that would like to comment. |
I am beginning this blog for Ms. Conley's 8th grade classes who are reading this book. I remember reading this book for a graduate class many years ago. At the time is was newly published and caused some controversy, but I enjoyed the book at the time. I like books that make me think. This book definately makes one think about how society sees things that it does not deem "perfect". My question is could the world ever be 'Perfect"?" |
Read the comments from Nathan below about a series that he really likes. |
If you like baseball and fantasy this is the book for you. This is one of five books in the "Baseball Card Adventures " series. The first I believe is Honus & me. The main character - Joe Stoshack - is able to travel back in time to the exact date on any old baseball card he touches. I am only 15 pages into this book, but I like it so far. Joe's dad is hurt in a car accident and he tells Joe about the 1951 Mickey Mantle rookie card he has hidden in Joe's room. That's all for now. |
If you are looking for a short, fun read - this is the book for you. I know many of you have read Fudge, Double Fudge, Ramona and other books by Judy Blume. If you liked those books you will like this one. The book is about a brother (the pain) and sister (the great one) and their relationship. If you have a brother or sister then you know how siblings get along. The book is filled with how they get on each other nerves. In one chapter she thinks he ruins her 1/2 birthday party when he gets sick. Then how silly she thinks he is over getting a hair cut and how crazy it is for him to wear earmuffs so the barber won't cut his ears off. This is a fun book to read with great illustrations, but it is not going to challenge you as a reader. |
I began reading this book only 2 nights ago and at first I was not really into the book, but it is getting better.
First let me tell you what I know so far about the story. The Finch family is a very conservative "church going" family. They are what I would typically describe as the wholesome American family. There is the father, mother and two children - a boy who is about 16 and a girl who is 13. They are very active in church and life seems to revolve around it. The story begins with the family agreeing to sponsor a family from Africa who are refugees who want to come to America to get away from the civil war. More later. Anna C. |
