Confessions of a Bibliovore

Title : Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster Author : Jonathan Auxier Copy Obtained : Purchased About the Book from Goodreads For nearly a century, Victorian London relied on "climbing boys"--orphans owned by chimney sweeps--to clean flues and protect homes from fire. The work was hard, thankless and brutally dangerous. Eleven-year-old Nan Sparrow is quite possibly the best climber who ever lived--and a girl. With her wits and will, she's managed to beat the deadly odds time and time again.  But when Nan gets stuck in a deadly chimney fire, she fears her time has come. Instead, she wakes to find herself in an abandoned attic. And she is not alone. Huddled in the corner is a mysterious creature--a golem--made from ash and coal. This is the creature that saved her from the fire.   Sweep is the story of a girl and her monster. Together, these two outcasts carve out a life together--saving one another in the process.   One sentence review:  A sweet story about...

On Saturday I attended the MN Youth Reading Awards event to announce the winners of the Maud Hart Lovelace Award.  I've gone now for three years in a row, and this year I really tried to encourage kids to read the Maud Hart Lovelace nominees so they could vote. I plan on doing even more this year. So on to the winners! I was actually surprised by the winner in Division 1. Not because I didn't like it! But I just didn't have as many kids read it. But when I thought about the fact that this division is for grades 3-5, and voted on by the kids, then it made perfect sense!  I was not at all surprised by the winner for this category.  So many kids read, and loved, A Night Divided.  I was super happy to see Ghost as an honor title!  Now the nominees for next year. Division 1 Grades 3-5 I'm excited about Framed! and Towers Falling! Oh and Amina's Voice! (I won a drawing at the event and got to pick a book - that's the one I picked!) Division 2 Grades 6-8 I've had s...

Title : Owling: Enter the World of the Mysterious Birds of the Night Author : Mark Wilson Copy Obtained : From publisher for an honest review About the Book from Goodreads From Hedwig, the Snowy Owl of Harry Potter fame, to Winnie-the-Pooh’s beloved friend Owl ,  this wide-eyed bird of the night has found its way into young hearts and imaginations everywhere.  Owling  invites young readers into the world of real-life owls, to learn about their fascinating behaviors and abilities.   Wildlife photojournalist and nature educator Mark Wilson presents a one-of-a-kind look into the mysterious lives of these distinctive birds. Dramatic images of the 19 owl species of North America nesting, flying, hunting, and catching prey are accompanied by information about the birds’ silent flight, remarkable eyes and ears, haunting calls, and fascinating night life. Kids will learn how to spot owls; identify their calls, plumage, and pellets; and even carry on a hooting ...

I am a middle school media specialist - grades 5-8.   Here are some things happening in our media center!  April is National Poetry month, so we are doing some things to celebrate and encourage the reading/writing of poetry. Here are some that students made: And book spine poetry.  Several kids have make poetry from the magazine words. Still working on getting some to create spine poems.  Plus we have a display of books in verse, biographies on poets and poetry books. Thank you Kwami Alexander for making boys read books in verse!!!