Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

School and National Board have been taking over my life but I did sneak in a read last week, Halo by Alexandra Adornetto. This novel includes three angels, Gabriel the warrior, Ivy the healer, and Bethany the teen. The teen? She is just that and part of the reason that the three of them are on earth. They have come down from heaven to help the shift from evil to good. They reside in a little ocean-coast town and while her older "siblings" are in control of themselves, Bethany finds herself behaving like a human teenager and even falling in love with a boy, Xavier Woods. However, evil forces come into play.

This novel was more centered around the love story of Bethany and Xavier then the fight between good and evil. And though I love a good a love story, I felt the ending was too quick... I wanted more from the "evil". I'm trying not to give it away, the ending.

I do think Adornetto did a great job capturing teenagers. She did not presume

much about them but created characters that I have in my classroom. I think my students would and will relate to this story.

I'm also finding a big draw for my students is the cover. And I get why, it's captivating. Nice job on the marketing whoever designed that one!

MOVED-ski!

I finally moved in!! Yes, its true, after four months of dreaming of sleeping in my house. It has finally happened, well about a week ago it did! Brad and I have 90% of our stuff here! The upstairs is mostly done, minus the master bathroom...don't worry I have a working one!

I just needed to post that... pictures to come later!!!

Donorschoose.org

Bill and Melissa Gates funded the website DonorsChoose in order to help schools get the basic needs and help school enrich their programs. Teachers can create a profile, create different projects (ranging from school trips, books, carpets for reading, computers, etc to anything you want that you can find through the vendors), and then wait for generous people to donate to their projects.

Companies like Build a Bear and Townsend Press go on to this website and make substantial donations toward projects. People who are not teachers make accounts and can donate to any classroom project they choose. They can donate a dollar if they want. As a teacher I know that a dollar can go a long way.

I have been creating projects on Donorschoose.org for two years. I have received 25 The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, 35 copies of Rachel's Tears, and over 60 independent reading books, including Before I die, Clockwork Angel, Willow, Hate List, Fallen, I am Number Four, and the list goes on. I would say that I have had about $2,000 worth of donations to my classroom. It's an amazing website. During March this year, for any dollar donated, the website would match it. I posted my project on my facebook and several of my friends donated money and project was quickly funded. (I am very grateful for friends!)

This website is a great resource that is probably under-utilized. Please pass on this website to other educators and people who are education enthusiasts!

Classic eBooks for Free

I have an overwhelming need to blog about the site that I have found! For all you, NOOK, Kindle, iPads and other eReader that is out there who love the classics. I mean Hawthorne, Twain, Malory, Joyce, Shakespeare and one else you can imagine, this site, the Gutenbergproject.com is for you! Yes, YOU!

Because of copyright laws, all the old classics are up for dibs on this website. It costs NOTHING, unless you want to donate. I just downloaded, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Scarlett Letter, Several Sherlock Holmes books, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, several of Shakespeare's play plus more! Did I mention for free? And that they work?

I have to say that I love the modern reads, but there is something comforting about the classics. Now they are forever part of my NOOK.

If you love the classics, go visit this site!

Second Draft Done and Making a Difference

The second major revision of my book is done. It took all summer and part of fall to do, minus the months of August and September because of the house, but it is finally done! Well, this section, at least. I finally have a full understanding of when people say "A piece of writing is never done." I mean, when I first finished the novel, I really thought it was ready for the editors. Stephanie Meyer, look out, I was going to be on Forbes too! Haha, OK maybe that was bit over-reaching for my first book. But, I really thought, I was in good shape. It is with this second draft, that I know Nadine is going to send it right on back to me with errors and gaps in it, and once I fix that Marie is going to turn right around and do it too! But that is OK. It's the process.

On a side note, I just received a text message from a former student and her college English professor told her she was the best writer in the class, that she was only person who knew how to cite correctly, and to thank me for doing a good job! I am very proud of Christian and also a little proud of myself!

Stemming from that, Christian participated (probably unknowingly) in one of my favorite activities: Make a Difference. It's where a person tells another person how they have made a difference in his/her life. It really does go along way!!!

Indiana Jones - Who has seen it?

I recently got done reading The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown with my seniors. It was a process but it is a rich text that isn't an easy read but current enough. For those of you who don't know this novel is about the search for the notorious Holy Grail. Brown puts an interesting twist on the Grail legend.

My class and I were discussing the different media and literature references to the Holy Grail and I brought up one that I thought was a "gimme," Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade. Do you want to know how many of my students had seen ANY of the Indiana Jones Trilogy? Two. Yes, I wrote two! I was baffled. How could these children know so much about "Old School" and not know Harrison Ford's greatest role!

I have a mind to have my students write a compare and contrast on Grail Legend just so that I can show them this movie! It may be the "Old School" in me, but everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, should watch at least one of these movies (and no not the recent one that came out either).

Fixing Up a Fixer-Upper

Bradley and I have been in the process of fixing our new home for about three months. It has been, well, a really long process that is not near to being over. It is nice though because things are coming together. My bedroom is painted and only needs touching up in paint and the floor cleaned. My bathroom needs the vanity and toilet and I LOVE THE COLOR OF THIS ROOM. It's a beautiful grey, tint of blue in it. My living room is a light yellow/tan called cozy cottage. One wall needs to be finished, needs some mud. I also have beautiful Maple cabinets that have been sitting in a trailer on my lawn. BUT... I am priming the kitchen today and hopefully within the week, they will be up!

What I have learned so far - i know what is lead paint and what is not, how to do the three layers of mud, how to sand and then finely sand, the patience to paint a room, prime, taping, ceiling, walls, touch-up and little odds and ends about the home... and lets be honest some of the things I have learned are because I have made mistakes.

But I'm getting close!