The school year is over?

How is that even possible? Well, I don't know whether everyone who needs to know this information knows it (at work), but I'm putting it here anyway.

Next year, I will be teaching music, library, and health. That's a little different than this year. I am excited and nervous and bummed at the same time. It will be very different than this year, because I will most likely be busy constantly as opposed to busy sometimes. Also, library is a totally different animal.

I will be spending most of my summer reorganizing the library, because the last librarian did not have the books organized by the Dewey Decimal system. REALLY?!

Anyway...I am sure I have more to say, but it will probably take some more processing time.

Tangerine

This is (hopefully) the first of many reviews to come your way in the next 3 months. I'll probably figure out a better review style as the summer goes, but for now...

Title: Tangerine

Author: Edward Bloor

Target Age Group: Young Adult (probably 7th-9th grades)

My Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary: Paul Fisher and his family relocate from Texas to Tangerine County, Florida. Paul has always lived in his brother's shadow, as his father and brother attempt to live out the "Erik Fisher Football Dream". Paul starts the 7th grade in Tangerine County, labeled as "handicapped" due to being legally blind,  while Erik, a senior, is the star place kicker on the high school football team. Paul plays soccer, and the first thing he does at his new school is check out the team. Soon, though, through a serious of odd circumstances, Paul ends up at the school on the "wrong side of the tracks", so to speak. He joins their soccer team, makes new friends, and tries to blend his two new worlds together. The two don't mix well, as he quickly finds out. More bizarre and scary things occur. Throughout the book, different events spark Paul's memory of things that had happened to him back in Texas. Paul remembers things that change his whole view, and in the end he finds a new set of priorities and goals.
Review: Bloor is a great author. The book is written as Paul's journal, which I find incredible. A journal is so raw and emotional, and I think it really brings this story to life.

There are some things in the book that I felt were a little mature for the target audience at first. I think, though, that we are often too protective of what we allow children to read. I think it is a good way for children to really understand the dangers and mistakes that are realities in our world and society. I am not a soccer fan, per se. I don't really understand the game. I mean, yes, put the ball in the goal. I know that much. This book was fairly enlightening to me, as it taught me a little more about how the game works, and I even felt very connected with the descriptions of the game throughout. Maybe it was more the character that I connected with, but no matter what it was, I enjoyed even the parts about soccer. I am more than 10 years older than the target reader, but I still felt moved by the book. Some of it, I think, had to do with the friends/group Paul ends up with at his new school. Much like in Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan, Paul's new friends are involved in agriculture and taking care of fruit. Anyway, there's something about that I enjoy, and possibly the cultural factor, too? No matter. I liked the book a lot. Read it!

So, being my first review...what other sorts of things would you want me to include in my next review?

Summer Reading List

So, it's that time of year again. Last summer-well, most summers over the last few years-I was busy working. This summer, I'm taking it "easy". Well, as easy as possible considering how much work I really have ahead of me. *Insert vague reference here about my job next year*. More information soon, I promise.

Anyway, I'm not working a separate job, but I'll be working on things for next year. In my spare time (I'll actually have some!), I am going to be doing a lot of reading. Here's the beginnings of my reading list. I'll admit, there are WAY more books on this list than I probably can realistically read. But, I'm making the list nonetheless. I have so many books that I want to read, and I need to start somewhere.

Summer 2013 Reading List
1. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
2. All Saints by Liam Callanan
3. Quaker Summer by Lisa Samson
4. Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
5. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
6. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
7. A Son Comes Home by Joseph Bentz
8. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
9. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
10. Dark Sons by Nikki Grimes
11. The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak
12. Her Mother's Hope by Francine Rivers
13. The Trumpet at Twisp by Doris Elaine Fell
14. Atonement by Ian McEwan
15. After All by Mary Tyler Moore
16. Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
17. Cranford/Cousin Phillis by Elizabeth Gaskell
18. Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire
19. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
20. Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin
21. Teaching with Love and Logic by Jim Fay & David Funk
22. Crazy Love by Francis Chan
23. Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell
24. Sex God by Rob Bell

I will probably be adding to this later. Actually, I know I will. I may also be crossing things off the list on my blog as I read them. :)

I'm excited. I love reading, and there are times I just feel I don't have the time or energy to devote to a book. This summer is going to be the summer I just enjoy my books.

What are you planning to read this summer? Anything you think I should add to the list?

Being Sick

I hate being sick. It's hard to get anything done. Even though I probably would have spent most of my day lounging around and not doing much, it's hard knowing that I can't do anything else.

I made myself some homemade chicken noodle soup. Then all I could do for about 2 hours was lay in bed after eating a bowl of it. Then I had some more soup and had enough energy to finish a small project. I wish I had more energy. I am just so achy and my head hurts. Most of my other symptoms seem to have gone away or at least lessened.

Make it go away?

Scent

As humans, we smell SO MANY smells on a daily basis. Shoot, even on an hourly basis.

I wanted to write today about when you get a smell stuck in your nose. We've all been there, and it can be the most pleasant experience of your life or make your life a living hell. I think I more often remember the latter than the former, but when the former happens I really enjoy it. Or at least I usually do.

Here's the exception. I'm trying to be a rational human being, and not spend all of my waking hours thinking of someone in particular. Whatever. But then, I get a whiff of his cologne...when he is NOWHERE around. That's great for about a minute the first time. I smile, I feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and I look around to see if I am mistaken that he isn't around. The problem is when this happens over and over in a short period of time. The warm fuzzies are great, don't get me wrong. But if I'm going to spend any time at all thinking of other things, I need to stop smelling his cologne everywhere.

I'm just saying.

I don't want to be cryptic, as I don't particularly care to be cryptic. However, this is about all of the information I am comfortable posting on this blog. I will gladly dish out all the information in a less public forum. Email, facebook messages, phone call, texts, etc. Just ask. I'm not likely to say that I won't tell you. I am, however, likely to say that I won't tell you here on my blog. :)

Hello?

So, I haven't been a great blogger over the last few months. But...is anyone still reading? If not, I may take a hiatus.

Prayers?

This week is going to be long and stressful. I could use some prayers for calm nerves and patience. I will elaborate more when I can.