Melissa de la Cruz continues the saga of the Blue Blood vampires in Revelations. The wealthiest families of New York City are hiding many secrets. The biggest? They are not human, but are vampires. Not only are these vampires wealthy and powerful, they are also fallen angels given a chance for redemption. But not all the vampires want redemption. Some have turned to the dangerous Silver Bloods in hopes of overthrowing heaven.
In this third book in the Blue Bloods series, Schuyler van Allen is caught in the middle. After the death of her grandmother, she is forced to live in the Force household where Mimi will stop at nothing to make Schuyler’s life miserable and Jack remains a forbidden love. Schuyler is torn between her love for Jack and her love for Oliver, her human conduit. Looming over all is the threat of a breach by the Silver Bloods. In the final battle, a shocking revelation uncovers the true identity of the Silver Bloods at last.
If you are looking for a good vampire story after Twilight, these are good books to start with. They have been very popular among readers for the past several years. What are your favorite vampire stories?
You guys have got to overcome your resistance to historical fiction. Reading good historical fiction is nothing like reading a history textbook. Instead, these books bring history to life before your eyes and draw you into the story of a character who may not be too different from you. Some of my favorite writers have explored historical fiction along with their other stories: Laurie Halse Anderson, Walter Dean Meyers, Gary Paulsen, Avi. If you avoid this genre, you are missing out–like in this first book by Jacqueline Kelly, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate.
Calpurnia, known as Callie V. to her family and friends, is stuck smack dab in the middle of six brothers. During the summer of 1899 in Fentress, Texas, she is also stuck smack dab in the middle of life, too. Her mother wants her to grow into a proper young lady, skilled in the arts of running a home as wife and mother. Callie would much rather spend time down at the river with her grandfather. Together they collect specimens for the study of Science, and Callie records their observations in her notebook. Callie is amazed that her Grandfather not only has a copy of Darwin’s The Origin of Species, but also corresponds with both Charles Darwin and Alexander Graham Bell. Even though the rest of her brothers are afraid of Grandfather, Callie spends more and more time with him–until Mother inteferes with cooking and knitting lessons.
As one century ends, and a new one looms, Callie learns just what it means to be a girl and works to do it her way. The close of the old century brings many new inventions to Texas–a wind machine to try to beat the Texas heat, a fizzy new drink called Coca-Cola, the first telephone in town, and even a new automobile at the county fair. Discover the wonders of the natural world along with Callie as she explores the life teeming around her and navigates her place among her six brothers.
Kelly captures the life of a young girl growing up in Texas, caught between the way things have been done and the changes that new discoveries bring. Callie tells her story with honesty and wit. She begins each chapter with a quote from Darwin’s controversial work. Now I am inspired to go and read it for myself.
What stories transport you to another time and place?
I wasn’t sure what to think about this book when I first picked it up. Neither the front cover or the blurb on the back sounded like Cooney books I had read before. In many ways, though, this book is classic Cooney. From page one, there is an underlying sense of fear, that something is not quite right. That unease quickly swells to fear and even terror as Jared pieces together the parts of the story that no one is saying outloud.
First Jared is horrified that his parents have volunteered to take an African refugee family into their home. After all, no one else (besides his younger sister Mopsy, who is excited about it), is being asked to share a room or give more than old clothes to help this family. The family is not what anyone expected: Andre had both his hands cut off in the war. Alake does not speak at all, and the rest of the family doesn’t even look at her. Celestine is eager to learn but is scared of the dark and the doorbell. Mattu carries the ashes of his grandparents in flimsy cardboard boxes.
Unknown to Jared’s family and the church, the Amabos were followed into America by a ruthless fifth refugee. He is seperated from them in the airport, but he will stop at nothing to get what belongs to him. Jared finds himself learning that “there are now good guys” from a civil war and must make decisions that thrust himself and Mopsy into the middle of an international conflict. Flashbacks from Alake’s past drive home the fact that no one is innocent.
Cooney explores a lot in this book–themes of family, war, faith and trust–but the action and characters drive the story without it getting bogged down or preachy.
What do these three words mean: taunt, attest, wail?
Read these three sentnences. Do you need to revise your predictions?
1) “Your dress is the ugliest one at the dance,” taunted Allison.
2) “There’s the killer!” the witness attested as she pointed to the defendant.
3) “Give me back my toy!” the two-year-old wailed.
What do these three words have in common? That’s right! They are all synonyms for “said.” These are the synonyms for said I found in the first chapter of Diamonds in the Shadow by Caroline B. Cooney: told, cried, went on, demanded, asked, admitted, explained, pointed out, agreed. What words for said do you find in the book you are reading?
Reflect on these questions. Post your thoughts in a new post on your blog. Title the blog post “Says Who.” For bonus points, look in the book you are currently reading and list the words for said you find in one chapter.
Why not just use the word said only? Why do authors use different words for said? How do we, as young writers, learn variations of words like said? How do we learn variations of other words that will strengthen our writing? Why is it important to develop broader vocabularies? How does reading help us to become better writers?
Dig deep for details. Good writers make things come alive by adding details. Look at the hat I pass around the classroom. The more we describe this hat, the more it will come alive. Write down all the details you can think of to describe it. Use your five senses (okay, maybe not taste–don’t lick it!). The more writers struggle to describe something, the more it comes alive: Be specific! Now describe the hat again–really describe it. Use your best details to write a brief description . Which list was more fun to make? Now go and find where you can dig deep for details in your memoir. Scribble your added details in the margins or between lines. HOMEWORK: Read 30 minutes–memoir first. Choose five words for Weekly Word Study.
Tuesday
Adding snapshots to writing. Writers can zoom in on important moments in the story. They do this by adding more particular physical description. Find an important moment in your memoir that you want to slow down. Picture that moment in you mind. Share that moment with a partner. Tell them the details you’ve written and thought of adding. Your partner should ask questions about details they wonder about. Switch roles. Then go and write the additional details to add to that scene. Watch Barry Lane show how to Explode a Moment in your writing. HOMEWORK: Read 30 minutes
Wednesday
Adding thoughtshots. Good memoirs explore why an experience matters and create a theme or “so what.” One way to achieve this is to add your thoughts and feelings. Read through your memoir. Put an “*” anywhere you could add your thoughts and feelings. Homework: Read 30 minutes
Thursday
As you are ready, get a computer to add your snapshots and thoughtshots to your draft. Print out a newcopy of your your memoir. HOMEWORK: Word Study due today. Three-five pages of writing due today! Read 30 minutes. Get your reading log signed.
Friday
Reading makes you a better writer. What do you think these words mean: taunt, attest, wail? Now read the sentences using each word. Revise your predictions, if needed. What do these three words have in common? Brainstorm as many synonyms for said as you can think of. Answer the questions in the Says Who blog post in the comments. Then you may blog, comment, or read your book. HOMEWORK: Reading Log due TODAY. Read over the weekend.
FRONT of title page: Include the title and author of the book and draw a picture of an important scene or something that shows your understanding of the book.
BACK of title page: Copy an important quote from the book that points toward the theme (put author’s last name and page number in parentheses at the end). Then write a paragraph or two that explains how your quote and picture reflect the theme of your book.
Here is the FRONT of an excellent title page:
BACK**: I tried to show important characters in my picture. At the top is the reporter who first took Phillip’s story. You might say she pushed the first domino. Next is Miss Narwin. At the bottom is Phillip’s parents. They supported him even when he didn’t know the truth.
Phillip is in the cage. I did this because every time he told a lie, he boxed himself in. The bars of the cage contain lines from “The Star-Spangled Banner.” I did this because most of his lies were formed from his experience singing it.
**You also need to include an important quote from the story that ties into your picture and explanation.
Our next meeting is on Thursday, October 28, after school. Come hang out in the library and celebrate the Young Hoosier books. We will be having a Savvy party and creating publicity for this and the other books. We have posters, video cameras, and computers. Come see what you can do! Of course, there will be food!
Hi! I hope you enjoy exploring our blogs tonight a stop back by often. This blog is the hub of my language arts classes. You can find weekly assignments (usually “stuck” to the top of the page, print out extra copies of notes from our Language Arts binder, read book reviews, and check out links to cool book and author websites. In other words, it is your one-stop for all things to do with reading and writing.
Every student has his or her own blog, too. Students will be keeping copies of the finished writing on their blog as well as works in progress. Right now you should be able to read at least two poems and some different narrative leads for the memoir they are currently writing. Some students have also added other poems, reading updates, six word memoirs, and more.
You can find student blogs under the Blog Roll links. Student blogs are organized by class period and show the most recent posts first. You may have to scroll through several screens (click “see more blogs” at the bottom of the page) to find the one you are looking for. To leave a comment on a blog post, click on the blog title. The link will take you to the comment form. You will be asked to leave your name (students leave their first name and last initial only), an email address, and antispam word. Email addressses are not published. Students use a “fake” email that I set up for this purpose.
I hope you have finished your memoirs. Today you get to enjoy your last discussion over your books. In today’s discussion, focus on the character of the memoir writer. How is their character revealed? Through the way they look, talk, act, think? Through what others say or think about them? Through the choices they make and how they get along with others? For your discussion notes today, pick three passages that reveal something important about your character. List the page number where the passage is found and a brief summary of what happened.Then reflect on what this passage reveals about what kind of person the character is.
Tuesday
ACUITY testing in Language Arts. I will select questions that will be graded. Don’t worry–if a question is about something we haven’t discussed in class, I will not grade it. Do your best!
Wednesday
Create a title page for your book. On the front of a piece of paper, draw an important scene from the book or other images that represent your understanding of the book. Remember to include the title and author! On the back, copy a quote that you think reflects the theme of your book. Then write a paragraph explaining how your picture and quote represent the theme.
NO Word Study or Reading Logs due this week! You get to read this week for free!
Last month I told you about my outrage over unfair accusations against one of the most powerful YA books I’ve ever read, Speakby Laurie Halse Anderson. Anderson’s book was not the only book unfairly accused; it was just the only book I had read. Yesterday, I received a copy of one of the other books under fire, Twenty Boy Summerby Sarah Ockler.
Oh my, once I started, I could not put it down. Ockler has written a beautiful book that plumbs the depths of grief and reemerges into life lived full again. This book will speak to anyone who has loved and lost, who has stood by a friend, who has yearned to seize the day. Ockler’s words sparkle like the pieces of brightly colored sea glass that appear and reappear throughout the story.
On her fifteenth birthday, Anna’s wish finally comes true. Her best guy friend Matt kisses her. For one month they keep their changing relationship a secret from their families, including Matt’s sister and Anna’s best friend Frankie. Matt makes Anna promise not to tell Frankie until he can talk with her first. He plans to tell Frankie during their annual family vacation to Zanzibar Beach, but he dies of an unknown heart defect just before they leave. Now Anna wonders how long she must keep her promise to keep their secret and how long she must remain faithful to a ghost.
Through the past year, Anna has bit her tongue while standing faithfully by Frankie through her grief. She has seen Frankie withdraw into silence and the emerge with a new personality–one that is ready to party on the outside but locked up on the inside. Now Anna is going to Zanzibar Beach with Frankie and her family for the Absolutely Best Summer Ever (A.B.S.E.) . Frankie is determined that they will meet twenty boys, one for each day they are on vacation. Anna reluctantly agrees, knowing she can never tell Frankie why she only wants the guy who is already dead. Once Anna meets Sam, she is torn between her memory of Matt and her attraction for Sam.
If you want to read a book that will break your heart and inspire to live life to its fullest, all in the same breath, pick up copy of Twenty Boy Summer today. What books have touched your life and heart? If you want to have those books that speak to your life and heart, SpeakLoudly.
