Sorry about the multiple posts a couple of days this week, my bloggy loves. Blognut actually paid me to stop (in the way of a hefty Booby Walk donation... you rock, Gorgeous!) and I think I offended Mo.Stoneskin's "delicate sensibilities"... oops! But it was an eventful week for me. And others. Our dear Former Reader is still busy sending emails. I'm sure one of them was an apology (snort) but I didn't bother to open them before I hit 'delete', so I'll never know for sure. Oh well. I'll live.
Anyway, it's Friday, so (as usual) I'm going to fill your screen with miscellaneous crap and then go mow the lawn.
First, I have to brag a tiny bit. Ryan got her end-of-year reading assessment back yesterday... she's at a 10.2 level (10th grade, after the 2nd month of school). Tenth graders are 16 years old. She's 9. Cool, huh? Also, she reads at a higher level than 98% of the 4th graders in the country. Me likey. Of course, she still struggles with her 8 times table, so it all balances out in the end.
Second, as of right now, my Booby Walk fundraising effort is at 78% of goal! Whoo hoo! Thank you again to everyone who has donated (including the lovely blogger, She-Who-Is-Not-(Always)-She!). Just in case you'd like to join the ranks of the Booby Savers, here's the link to my 3-Day Event Donation Page. Any and all donations, large and small, are welcomed and appreciated!
Third, I have a book recommendation for you. I just finished Michael J. Fox's Always Looking Up - The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist and it was wonderful! I always found him to be a supremely likeable actor and he's always seemed to me to be a supremely likeable guy... and based on this book? He is. It deals, in part, with his quest for a cure for Parkinson's but it's mostly about his life (and his family, faith, politics, his mission, etc) and his attitude toward living, which is pretty remarkable. It's beautifully written with humor, intelligence, respect, and incredible optimism. I loved it and will likely read it again.
Last, a couple of people asked for my summer reading list, so I figured I'd post it here. I've stacked 20 books to plow through between now and September 1... non-fiction and fiction, with a concentration of (fiction/non-fiction) books about WWII and the Holocaust, a topic I'm very interested in. So, here's my list:
WWII/Holocaust Books
A Song for Summer (Eva Ibbotson)
The Book Thief (Markus Zusak)
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Mary Ann Shaffer/Annie Barrows)
The Devil’s Arithmetic (Jane Yolen)
Anne Frank and Me (Cherie Bennet/Jeff Gottesfeld)
The Magic of Ordinary Days (Ann Howard Creel)
On Hitler’s Mountain (Irmgard Hunt)
Man’s Search for Meaning (Victor Frankl)
Non-Fiction
Under the Banner of Heaven (Jon Krakauer)
The Freedom Writer’s Diary (Erin Gruwell/Freedom Writers)
The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder (Vincent Bugliosi)
Losing It (Valerie Bertinelli)
Such a Pretty Fat (Jen Lancaster)
Fiction
The Noticer (Andy Andrews)
The Witch of Portobello (Paulo Coelho)
Sundays at Tiffany’s (James Patterson)
Year of the Fog (Michelle Richmond)
In the Woods (Tana French)
Atonement (Ian McEwan)
The Girl Who Stopped Swimming (Joshilyn Jackson)
And that'll do it for today, I think... no more posts 'til (probably) Sunday, I promise! Have a wonderful weekend, my bloggy friends! XOXO
18 comments:
Yay for Ryan!! I knew she was a smart girl!
And like I told Jenners... quit reccomending books!! My to-read list is ungodly in length, and now I have to go and add another one!
Kudos to you for not opening the emails. I would have been way too tempted to see what else he had to say. :)
Congrats for your daughter. Being a good reader is a great indicator for future success in school.
Love your summer reading list!
Good Goddess, Diane - What books! I too am interested in war-time books and novels, quelle surprise, non?!
Congrats to Ryan on doing so, so well in her tests - You set such a fine example to her, my friend...
Have a wonderful weekend x
Congratulations to Ryan! She is a smart kid, jut like her mom (except her mom is not a kid; except at heart;))
I am wishing you a lovely weekend and I will check out the books on your list.;))
xo
Z
Gorgeous? Hee hee! Well, okay then!
Congratulations to Ryan on her rocking reading scores. And those 8's? Man, they sucked. I don't blame her for struggling a bit with those.
As for the reading list, I'd like a 3-4 paragraph review of each book within 5 days of completion so we can monitor your progress. 'k? :)
XO
I too have put together my summer reading stack. Lots of Tim Dorsey and Carl Hiaasen (the guys I want to be when I grow up), Stuart Woods, Chris Moore, and a few others.
Saw "Freedom Writers" on your list. I started my teaching career with Erin Gruwell's sister (we were at the same school for a few years) and I met Erin a few times. Wonderful teacher and a great person.
Ryan Rocks!!
Thank you for the beautiful words you left me! On Monday I'll be making my donation to the Booby cause. :)
Just one post today? Or have I missed a few?
;op
So chuffed that about the fund raising. It doesn't surprise about Ryan. ;)
Ryan IS AMAZING! YOU GO, GIRL!
(And math is overrated! Reading, however, TOTALLY ROCKS!)
SUCH A PRETTY FAT is on my shelf waiting for me to get to it!
I'm reading STILL ALICE right now!
You can send your reports to me, too. Blognut and I will give you feedback! We bass asses have to stick together!
Happy Weekend!
yaya for ryan- english over maths any day.........ask SOM..........
She takes after her mom! Those stupid 8 tables always screw me up too.
Good for Ryan! Yeah!
I also just finished Michael J. Fox's book...loved it!
I am actually posting tomorrow on it!
I have read Paul Coelho's Alchemist
...it is a beautiful, lovely book!
"...with a concentration of (fiction/non-fiction) books about WWII and the Holocaust."
Me too!
And you will LOVE Man's Search for Meaning. Have you read Suite Francaise? Highly recommended. I adored it. Also, I loved Mila 18 (by Leon Uris...though I think it's more "mass market than the others on your list).
I'm loving your book list. Lots of good stuff for me to look into.
In addition, the names Booby Walk and Save the Boobies are inspired.
Yay for Ryan! She is one special and smart kid! And math is overrated anyway I think! To be able to express yourself and read is much much more important! I'm sure she is still smarter than 99% of the other kids around though .. including me!
And I love your list of books. Some of them I've read (I loved "Under the Banner of Heaven") and I've heard nothing but raves about Jen Lancaster. I have her "Bitter Is The New Black" on my TBR list.
Go Diane! Thank you for posting about your upcoming walk - I have been meaning since your first post to donate, and this is the reminder I needed!! I am so proud of all you do, and of Ryan's success, too. She is so lucky to have you as a role model.
And I just may have to go check out a few additional books I see on your book list. I have a few of the same ones, so I bet I'd like some of the others!!!!
Happy Sunday.
Promise me you wont let her graduate early and go to college at 13. Way to go Ryan!
I read the Freedom Writer's Diary. I enjoyed it.
ooooh, Jen Lancaster has a new book out, too!
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