Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Book Talk Tuesdays!



Hi Friends! I am linking up with Deanna from Mrs. Jump's Class for her Book Talk Tuesday Linky! I love the idea of sharing my favorite books with the blogging community and am even more pumped to get some new book ideas for this summer and my classroom!

I want to share with you today my favorite "find" of this school year. It is a wonderful little book called The Little Red Pen!

I came upon this book while searching for a fun read aloud to review personification right before our 3rd grade standardized test in reading. It is a funny, engaging read aloud about a little red pen who is struggling to complete all her grading and correcting on her own and asks for help from the other supplies. They all say no, and then the little red pen goes missing! The other supplies realize she has ended up in the {gasp!} wastebasket and they must work together to save her. 

My students LOVED this book. They found it hilarious and loved the different personalities of each of the office supplies. They fought over who got to check it out next at the library! And it was indeed the perfect book to review personification! I highly recommend you check it out! 

I'm now going to switch gears for a moment and share with you my most current read for pleasure novel that I just finished. It is called Reconstructing Amelia.
Here is the Amazon description of this book: 
In Reconstructing Amelia, the stunning debut novel from Kimberly McCreight, Kate's in the middle of the biggest meeting of her career when she gets the telephone call from Grace Hall, her daughter’s exclusive private school in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Amelia has been suspended, effective immediately, and Kate must come get her daughter—now. But Kate’s stress over leaving work quickly turns to panic when she arrives at the school and finds it surrounded by police officers, fire trucks, and an ambulance. By then it’s already too late for Amelia. And for Kate.
An academic overachiever despondent over getting caught cheating has jumped to her death. At least that’s the story Grace Hall tells Kate. And clouded as she is by her guilt and grief, it is the one she forces herself to believe. Until she gets an anonymous text: She didn’t jump.
Reconstructing Amelia is about secret first loves, old friendships, and an all-girls club steeped in tradition. But, most of all, it’s the story of how far a mother will go to vindicate the memory of a daughter whose life she couldn’t save.
I will say, this is not an uplifting, positive novel. It is dark, sad, and at times disturbing when you read about what happens at Amelia's private school. There is also quite a bit of offensive language throughout the book. That being said, it is an intriguing, fast paced mystery of a read that I could not put down. I was desperate to learn more about the months and days leading up to Amelia's death and what truly happened that day on the roof. And I will say, I did not see the ending coming. 


Well, those are my book shares for this week. Be sure to link up with Deanna Jump so that you can share your favorite literary treasures as well!