This issue's special- 30% off!

Teacher Feature (for parents, too!)

February 17, 2005

I had the great fortune to run into two wonderful people this week at Watermark – two of my gradeschool teachers from El Dorado, Iris Lawrence and Sheryl Connell (although in my heart she’ll always be Miss Winzer). Seeing them again reminded me of how influential educators are in students’ reading patterns for the rest of their lives.  I read Tolkien every summer like clockwork because Sheryl read us “The Hobbit” on carpet mats in the classroom corner, and I still love a great story, thanks to Iris’s read-alouds with her perfect character voices.  Thank you, teachers, for my love of reading!

One of my favorite new releases this week is Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth (Scholastic, ISBN 0439339111, $16.95).  Three children meet a panda bear, and the panda becomes a storyteller of “zen shorts” – small meditations and ideas to puzzle over, in the Buddhist tradition.  Lessons in carrying resentment, learning to accept the good and bad, and enjoying what we’re fortunate enough to have in our lives are all taught through this simple tale, beautifully illustrated in watercolors by the author. 

Also new in the store this week is a book perfect for middle readers – “Shredderman: Meet the Gecko” by Wendelin Van Draanen (Knopf, ISBN 0375823530, $12.95).  Kids, especially those who enjoyed the first two “Shredderman” books, will like this fast-paced, quirky story where they learn that “even superheroes have problems”.

Our store item receiving a 30% discount this week is Take the Lead, George Washington, by Judith St. George (Philomel, ISBN 0399238875, $16.99).  The second book in the Turning Point series about major moments in the young lives of American presidents, kids will get a look at Washington’s early challenges, including the loss of his father and a major surveying expedition at age sixteen.  An interesting read for ages 7 to 10.

For younger kids, check out “John’s Secret Dreams: The Life of John Lennon” by Doreen Rappaport (Hyperion, ISBN 0786808179, $16.99).  Those too young to understand the legacy of Lennon’s message will enjoy this beautifully illustrated picture book describing his life through narrative and original lyrics.  One word of caution - if you’re not careful, you might find yourself wanting this book just for your own bookshelves.

For middle readers ages 8 to 12, check out The Illustrated Mum by Jacqueline Wilson (Delacorte, ISBN 0385732376, $15.95). Published in the U.K. a few years back, we finally get the chance to read this story by one of my favorite children’s authors.  Wilson gives us a girl named Dolphin with an untraditional family, facing the challenges of her mother’s mental illness, growing into adolescence, and managing to handle it all with humor and intelligence. 

For teen readers, you might consider “Light Years” by Tamar Stein (Knopf, ISBN 0375830235, $15.95).  A new book in our store, I was blown away by this story of a young woman who loses her boyfriend in an Israeli suicide bombing.  In the face of her grief, she recounts the struggles of starting college in America, and learning to reconcile her future and her past.  Gripping and moving, this tale of youth, Israel, and living in today’s world of violent reality provide one story of loss, strength, and cultural heritage.

Our website of the week:

Want a fun diversion for your workweek?  Teachers, especially English ones, will appreciate the humor behind the “Book-A-Minute Classics” website (http://rinkworks.com/bookaminute/).  Here you can find a quick synopsis of everything from Hamlet to Catcher in the Rye.  Take The Great Gatsby for instance:

Gatsby: Daisy, I made all this money for you, because I love you.

Daisy: I cannot reciprocate, because I represent the American Dream.

Gatsby: Now I must die, because I also represent the American Dream.

(Gatsby DIES.)

Nick: I hate New Yorkers.

Have a great week! 

Shaunna

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