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This is a story that follows a week in the life of Phillip Isaac Penn, otherwise known as "Pip." Each chapter is one day of his life. He is a very misunderstood boy and seems to always be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is accused of all kids of mayhem, but he always seems to have good intentions.
The character Pip reminds me a lot of Luke Dunphy on the TV Show, Modern Family. He seems a little ADHD and everyone around him has a difficult time understanding why he does the things he does even though it makes complete sense to him. I kept picture Luke in my head while I was reading this book.
As a teacher, I had a really difficult time reading about how badly his teacher treated him EVERY DAY. Everything was his fault even before he was given a chance to explain, even after he was proven innocent just the day before. As a teacher, I understand how hard it can be to deal with challenging students, but I'd like to think that I'd give all my students a fair chance to explain before blaming them for something. I kept wanting Pip to defend himself in the story. To explain himself and his actions, but it seemed like he wasn't given enough chances to do so.
I didn't really care much for the pictures because they looked a lot like sketches and didn't quite match up to the nice cover, but I did like the discussion questions at the end, which would be good to use as a parent reading this book with their child over the summer break.
Even though, it really bothered me how Pip was picked on by everyone around him, I did enjoy how he reflected upon each day and how he planned on making the next day better. I kept wanting him to find redemption at the end, but the author did a good job of showing that it really is hard to be a kid.
Overall:
I think kids would enjoy this story of the adventures of a very much misunderstood boy. I can especially see young boys (ages 6-10) enjoying it.
My husband and I are new parents of a 10-month old who STILL does not sleep through the night. (We're working on it.) Out of everything, I think the single most-mystifying thing about having your own baby is sleep. Everyone warns you about it when you become a parent, but you are never really fully prepared for the first couple of months of parenthood when your world is so much fuller because of the new baby in your life, but also so insanely overwhelming because you are so sleep-deprived. I chose to request and review this book because I thought it'd give me a good laugh about those crazy nights we've had where our baby girl would NOT sleep and I wholehearted started believing that she (and I) would never go back to sleep EVER AGAIN.
The story reads a lot like a bedtime story because of the illustrations and poetic verses, but please do not confuse it with an actual bedtime story that you can read with your little ones. However, it would make a great gift to share with parents - especially new ones.
I think the writing could have been a little sharper. Maybe because I've read so many Dr. Seuss books lately, but I was expecting a little more of a rhythmic bounce to the story a la Seuss-ical fashion.
I personally don't use curse words in my life and don't really care to hear it used when I'm around, so I didn't care much for the profanity in the book. It was funny the first couple times around. After the first few pages, it got a little old for me. And it made me a little uncomfortable that this parent was so free with them around his kid or when thinking about his kid. You might think that makes me a prude and old-fashioned and I know the author was using it more for emphasis than any other thing, but in my opinion, I think the book would have been just as enjoyable and have the same effect without all of the curse words on every single page.
Overall:
That being said, I did really enjoy the book. I thought it greatly captured the frustration and every day (and night!) reality that parents face when it comes to the issue of sleep (or lack thereof) with babies and young ones. It was real, raw and honest and as a new parent, wishing of the day when my daughter will sleep through the night every night, it was very entertaining to read.
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I am a little bit ashamed to admit that I am completely inept when it comes to cooking. I grew up in a home where my dad and grandfather did almost all of the cooking. I spent my time after-school as a young child in the Chinese restaurant that they owned and operated. I ate very well growing up and even now as an adult, I still crave home-cooked meals by Dad or Grandpa. Luckily for me, I married a man who also loves to cook, which alleviates me of the need to learn how to feed my family on a daily basis.
I wish I COULD cook though. I am very much a recipe person when it comes to cooking and I have often been frustrated when trying to learn how to cook from my dad because, like most good chefs, he is such a good improviser in the kitchen. I, on the other hand, need more exact instructions if I expect to prepare a decent tasting meal that people will actually want to eat. This is actually why I own a whole shelf full of cookbooks in attempt to become a better chef and maybe not despise cooking so much, but in all honesty, I don't use most of them. I find the instructions for a beginner chef like myself very confusing, especially when there are no photos to look at!
Ever since I became a mother, I feel a lot more pressure to build on my cooking skills because I need to feed my baby girl something other than Costco chicken or Ramen noodles everyday. As any new mother can easily attest to, it is hard to find the time to do this though. This is why I really enjoyed reading Real Mom Kitchen by Laura Powell.
I loved that the recipes were so simple and almost all of them had less than 10 steps total. The recipes were very simple to follow and the cookbook itself is full of beautiful photos and graphics. I don't understand cookbooks with very minimal photos because how am I supposed to figure out if it looks right, if I have nothing to compare it to? Real Mom Kitchen is full of mouth-watering images and even though they're not on every single page, it's definitely enough to get you hungry! Plus, the ingredients that Laura uses in her recipes are items that you can easily find in your fridge, pantry and/or local grocery store.
The recipes are REAL dishes that moms (and dads) could make on any normal given day or even for special occasions or gatherings. Nothing too fancy, but still simple to prepare and yummy to eat. I especially appreciate that they don't take a ton of time or expertise to prepare or make.
Some of the recipes that I bookmarked to try out this next month are:
Appetizer: Black bean and corn salsa
Bread: 45 minute cinnamon rolls
Salad: Chili cheese Fritos salad (I mean, who doesn't love Fritos?!)
Main dish: Mom's meatballs and rice
Dessert: Pumpkin bars
I picked one from each of the sections of the cookbook. Hopefully I can find some time to photograph the process and share it with you on the blog.
Overall, I really enjoyed Real Mom Kitchen. You can tell from the start that it is written by a REAL mom who understands how hard it can be to get a meal on the table everyday, but also how to make it a simple, enjoyable process as well.
Huber Hill is a teenager who is not exactly what you would call one of the "cool" kids in school. In fact, he is bullied and picked on by his nemesis, Scott McCormick, who gave Huber the nickname, "Puber" during a 5th grade maturation assembly. Life is pretty miserable for Huber at school and at home where his parents can't seem to stop fighting everyday.
The only good thing in Huber's life is spending time with his ailing Grandpa Nick. When Grandpa Nick dies, Huber and his twin sister, Hannah are completely devastated.However, amongst the things that Grandpa Nick leaves them is treasure map left behind by the Spanish conquistadors, now called the Tesoro de los Muertos of Dead Man's Treasure. According to legend, it is cursed and no one has found the treasure and/or live to share about it.
That's when the adventure really begins. Huber embarks on a journey to find the treasure and prove that the tales his grandpa has shared with him are really true. Once the action starts, it is a very past-paced adventure that will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Without giving away too much, this book has all the ingredients you are looking for in an action/adventure book - a vicious villain, a journey to find lost treasure, old myths and legends, wild animals and unexpected twists and turns to keep you guessing what will happen next.
Overall:
I really enjoyed this book. It took a little bit to get going, but once it did, I couldn't put it down. It is going to be a great addition to my classroom library and my 5th graders (especially the boys) are going to love it.
I absolutely loved this book. It was on my to-read list for the longest time and once the school year ended in June, I finally had the time and energy to read teaching-related books. I initially borrowed this book for our local library, but immediately purchased it after I finished it (in one evening) so I that I could have my own copy to write in and plaster with post-its.
This book was everything I was hoping for and more. This is the book I wish I was around when I first started teaching. It is no secret that I love reading and have loved reading for as far back as I can remember. One of the reasons I became a teacher was because I wanted to share my love reading with kids and instill that same love of reading within them. Even though I think I've done a decent job of sharing that with my students over the years with various things that I've implemented in my classroom, I loved that this book gave me practical ideas that would be easy to introduce in my classroom right away.
The hardest thing about being a teacher nowadays is the pressure to perform on tests. It's all about the test scores and subsequently, what we know to be "good teaching" goes by the wayside because there really isn't any time to do it. About a year ago, I was almost at the end of the year and realized that I just did not like teaching reading anymore. I dreaded that part of the day because it was so dull to me. It was all about reading passages and answering test questions. No wonder they were bored, I WAS BORED! My grade-level and I had a deep discussion about it and we decided we need to do read-alouds again, not because we wanted to teach some standard or whatever, but just to enjoy the act of reading and sharing a story together. Go figure.
I devoured this book in one evening and then promptly raved all about it on my facebook to share with my fellow colleagues and teacher friends. I feel like it started a little "Book Whisperer" revolution amongst my closest teacher friends and several of them bought, read and also implemented ideas from the book as well. My grade-level team also read the book and we started off this school year with a mutual enthusiasm to create lifelong readers in our students.
My students plowed through the book tubs full of books from my classroom library on the first day of school. We all read together and it started my year on the right foot with reading at the core of my mornings. They are currently deeply into their 40 book challenge this year (and beating my measly 8 books) and on fire with the number of books they are reading. We have book commercials on Fridays and I love seeing how many of them are reading books that their peers have recommended. Even though sometimes I curse myself for doing them because they take up a lot of time each evening, my students and I converse once a week with letters that we write back and forth to each other in their reader's notebooks. I really know my students as readers. They come to me asking for recommendations and it delights my heart when they dig through my classroom library each day looking for their next favorite book.
Thank you, Donalyn Miller, for helping me to create the classroom of readers that I always dreamed of.
Overall:
It was an fantastic read and I highly recommend it to teachers who love reading and want to create a classroom of lifelong readers. While it shared some theory and education philosophies, it definitely provided a lot of practical tips and ideas that were easy to implement into my classroom. The way Miller writes makes you feel like you're having coffee with an old friend. Her love of reading pours out of this book and it is so contagious, you can help but catch it and want to pass it on. Get this book now, you won't be disappointed!
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(2 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
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The Misadventures of Phillip Isaac Penn by Donna Lee Peterson
the bookish mama, December 20, 2011
This is a story that follows a week in the life of Phillip Isaac Penn, otherwise known as "Pip." Each chapter is one day of his life. He is a very misunderstood boy and seems to always be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is accused of all kids of mayhem, but he always seems to have good intentions.The character Pip reminds me a lot of Luke Dunphy on the TV Show, Modern Family. He seems a little ADHD and everyone around him has a difficult time understanding why he does the things he does even though it makes complete sense to him. I kept picture Luke in my head while I was reading this book.
As a teacher, I had a really difficult time reading about how badly his teacher treated him EVERY DAY. Everything was his fault even before he was given a chance to explain, even after he was proven innocent just the day before. As a teacher, I understand how hard it can be to deal with challenging students, but I'd like to think that I'd give all my students a fair chance to explain before blaming them for something. I kept wanting Pip to defend himself in the story. To explain himself and his actions, but it seemed like he wasn't given enough chances to do so.
I didn't really care much for the pictures because they looked a lot like sketches and didn't quite match up to the nice cover, but I did like the discussion questions at the end, which would be good to use as a parent reading this book with their child over the summer break.
Even though, it really bothered me how Pip was picked on by everyone around him, I did enjoy how he reflected upon each day and how he planned on making the next day better. I kept wanting him to find redemption at the end, but the author did a good job of showing that it really is hard to be a kid.
Overall:
I think kids would enjoy this story of the adventures of a very much misunderstood boy. I can especially see young boys (ages 6-10) enjoying it.
Go the F**k to Sleep by Adam Mansbach
the bookish mama, December 20, 2011
My husband and I are new parents of a 10-month old who STILL does not sleep through the night. (We're working on it.) Out of everything, I think the single most-mystifying thing about having your own baby is sleep. Everyone warns you about it when you become a parent, but you are never really fully prepared for the first couple of months of parenthood when your world is so much fuller because of the new baby in your life, but also so insanely overwhelming because you are so sleep-deprived. I chose to request and review this book because I thought it'd give me a good laugh about those crazy nights we've had where our baby girl would NOT sleep and I wholehearted started believing that she (and I) would never go back to sleep EVER AGAIN.The story reads a lot like a bedtime story because of the illustrations and poetic verses, but please do not confuse it with an actual bedtime story that you can read with your little ones. However, it would make a great gift to share with parents - especially new ones.
I think the writing could have been a little sharper. Maybe because I've read so many Dr. Seuss books lately, but I was expecting a little more of a rhythmic bounce to the story a la Seuss-ical fashion.
I personally don't use curse words in my life and don't really care to hear it used when I'm around, so I didn't care much for the profanity in the book. It was funny the first couple times around. After the first few pages, it got a little old for me. And it made me a little uncomfortable that this parent was so free with them around his kid or when thinking about his kid. You might think that makes me a prude and old-fashioned and I know the author was using it more for emphasis than any other thing, but in my opinion, I think the book would have been just as enjoyable and have the same effect without all of the curse words on every single page.
Overall:
That being said, I did really enjoy the book. I thought it greatly captured the frustration and every day (and night!) reality that parents face when it comes to the issue of sleep (or lack thereof) with babies and young ones. It was real, raw and honest and as a new parent, wishing of the day when my daughter will sleep through the night every night, it was very entertaining to read.
(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
Real Mom Kitchen: Keepin' It Real in the Kitchen by Laura Powell
the bookish mama, December 20, 2011
I am a little bit ashamed to admit that I am completely inept when it comes to cooking. I grew up in a home where my dad and grandfather did almost all of the cooking. I spent my time after-school as a young child in the Chinese restaurant that they owned and operated. I ate very well growing up and even now as an adult, I still crave home-cooked meals by Dad or Grandpa. Luckily for me, I married a man who also loves to cook, which alleviates me of the need to learn how to feed my family on a daily basis.I wish I COULD cook though. I am very much a recipe person when it comes to cooking and I have often been frustrated when trying to learn how to cook from my dad because, like most good chefs, he is such a good improviser in the kitchen. I, on the other hand, need more exact instructions if I expect to prepare a decent tasting meal that people will actually want to eat. This is actually why I own a whole shelf full of cookbooks in attempt to become a better chef and maybe not despise cooking so much, but in all honesty, I don't use most of them. I find the instructions for a beginner chef like myself very confusing, especially when there are no photos to look at!
Ever since I became a mother, I feel a lot more pressure to build on my cooking skills because I need to feed my baby girl something other than Costco chicken or Ramen noodles everyday. As any new mother can easily attest to, it is hard to find the time to do this though. This is why I really enjoyed reading Real Mom Kitchen by Laura Powell.
I loved that the recipes were so simple and almost all of them had less than 10 steps total. The recipes were very simple to follow and the cookbook itself is full of beautiful photos and graphics. I don't understand cookbooks with very minimal photos because how am I supposed to figure out if it looks right, if I have nothing to compare it to? Real Mom Kitchen is full of mouth-watering images and even though they're not on every single page, it's definitely enough to get you hungry! Plus, the ingredients that Laura uses in her recipes are items that you can easily find in your fridge, pantry and/or local grocery store.
The recipes are REAL dishes that moms (and dads) could make on any normal given day or even for special occasions or gatherings. Nothing too fancy, but still simple to prepare and yummy to eat. I especially appreciate that they don't take a ton of time or expertise to prepare or make.
Some of the recipes that I bookmarked to try out this next month are:
Appetizer: Black bean and corn salsa
Bread: 45 minute cinnamon rolls
Salad: Chili cheese Fritos salad (I mean, who doesn't love Fritos?!)
Main dish: Mom's meatballs and rice
Dessert: Pumpkin bars
I picked one from each of the sections of the cookbook. Hopefully I can find some time to photograph the process and share it with you on the blog.
Overall, I really enjoyed Real Mom Kitchen. You can tell from the start that it is written by a REAL mom who understands how hard it can be to get a meal on the table everyday, but also how to make it a simple, enjoyable process as well.
Huber Hill and the Dead Man's Treasure (Huber Hill) by B. K. Bostick
the bookish mama, December 20, 2011
Huber Hill is a teenager who is not exactly what you would call one of the "cool" kids in school. In fact, he is bullied and picked on by his nemesis, Scott McCormick, who gave Huber the nickname, "Puber" during a 5th grade maturation assembly. Life is pretty miserable for Huber at school and at home where his parents can't seem to stop fighting everyday.The only good thing in Huber's life is spending time with his ailing Grandpa Nick. When Grandpa Nick dies, Huber and his twin sister, Hannah are completely devastated.However, amongst the things that Grandpa Nick leaves them is treasure map left behind by the Spanish conquistadors, now called the Tesoro de los Muertos of Dead Man's Treasure. According to legend, it is cursed and no one has found the treasure and/or live to share about it.
That's when the adventure really begins. Huber embarks on a journey to find the treasure and prove that the tales his grandpa has shared with him are really true. Once the action starts, it is a very past-paced adventure that will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Without giving away too much, this book has all the ingredients you are looking for in an action/adventure book - a vicious villain, a journey to find lost treasure, old myths and legends, wild animals and unexpected twists and turns to keep you guessing what will happen next.
Overall:
I really enjoyed this book. It took a little bit to get going, but once it did, I couldn't put it down. It is going to be a great addition to my classroom library and my 5th graders (especially the boys) are going to love it.
The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child by Donalyn Miller
the bookish mama, December 20, 2011
I absolutely loved this book. It was on my to-read list for the longest time and once the school year ended in June, I finally had the time and energy to read teaching-related books. I initially borrowed this book for our local library, but immediately purchased it after I finished it (in one evening) so I that I could have my own copy to write in and plaster with post-its.This book was everything I was hoping for and more. This is the book I wish I was around when I first started teaching. It is no secret that I love reading and have loved reading for as far back as I can remember. One of the reasons I became a teacher was because I wanted to share my love reading with kids and instill that same love of reading within them. Even though I think I've done a decent job of sharing that with my students over the years with various things that I've implemented in my classroom, I loved that this book gave me practical ideas that would be easy to introduce in my classroom right away.
The hardest thing about being a teacher nowadays is the pressure to perform on tests. It's all about the test scores and subsequently, what we know to be "good teaching" goes by the wayside because there really isn't any time to do it. About a year ago, I was almost at the end of the year and realized that I just did not like teaching reading anymore. I dreaded that part of the day because it was so dull to me. It was all about reading passages and answering test questions. No wonder they were bored, I WAS BORED! My grade-level and I had a deep discussion about it and we decided we need to do read-alouds again, not because we wanted to teach some standard or whatever, but just to enjoy the act of reading and sharing a story together. Go figure.
I devoured this book in one evening and then promptly raved all about it on my facebook to share with my fellow colleagues and teacher friends. I feel like it started a little "Book Whisperer" revolution amongst my closest teacher friends and several of them bought, read and also implemented ideas from the book as well. My grade-level team also read the book and we started off this school year with a mutual enthusiasm to create lifelong readers in our students.
My students plowed through the book tubs full of books from my classroom library on the first day of school. We all read together and it started my year on the right foot with reading at the core of my mornings. They are currently deeply into their 40 book challenge this year (and beating my measly 8 books) and on fire with the number of books they are reading. We have book commercials on Fridays and I love seeing how many of them are reading books that their peers have recommended. Even though sometimes I curse myself for doing them because they take up a lot of time each evening, my students and I converse once a week with letters that we write back and forth to each other in their reader's notebooks. I really know my students as readers. They come to me asking for recommendations and it delights my heart when they dig through my classroom library each day looking for their next favorite book.
Thank you, Donalyn Miller, for helping me to create the classroom of readers that I always dreamed of.
Overall:
It was an fantastic read and I highly recommend it to teachers who love reading and want to create a classroom of lifelong readers. While it shared some theory and education philosophies, it definitely provided a lot of practical tips and ideas that were easy to implement into my classroom. The way Miller writes makes you feel like you're having coffee with an old friend. Her love of reading pours out of this book and it is so contagious, you can help but catch it and want to pass it on. Get this book now, you won't be disappointed!
(2 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
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