November Challenge - Texas 2x2 Tuesday

November 25 - Texas 2x2 Reading List

My plan was to spotlight another great book from the Texas 2x2 Reading List for today's blog post. Then I realized this is my last for Texas 2x2 Tuesday for this 2014 November Challenge. I started to get very sad until I realized the power I have to share ALL of the titles (300 to date) ever named to the Texas 2x2 Reading List. Now, don't get all anxious. I am NOT going to review every one of the titles. I am merely going to provide you with a way to quickly obtain a list of all of the titles, authors, illustrators, and the year the book was named to the list. This is actually a document I began working on about seven years ago. I wanted to quickly be able to locate the authors and illustrators of the 2x2 books and be able to find out how many times a specific author or illustrator had been named to the list. There was no such document, so I (being the CDO person I am - yes, it is CDO - it MUST be in alphabetical order) created one.

All you have to do is scan this QR code in order to go directly to the Google shared document. If you cannot scan the code, that is fine. Here is the URL - bit.ly/Texas2x2ReadingList.

When you first scan the QR code, you will
be directed to an advertisement, just wait a few
seconds and you will be directed to the document.

If you have a young child in your life and you are looking for the very best books to read to them, or purchase as a gift, I suggest checking out the titles, authors, and illustrators on this list. It is interesting to note, a number of the books named to the Texas 2x2 Reading List in early January of each year by the Texas 2x2 Reading List Committee (a project of the Children's Round Table, a unit of the Texas Library Association), have also been honored with distinctions from the Association of Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association. Some of these include - the Caldecott Medal and Honor, Geisel Award, and Notable Children's Books.

You can also view all of the Texas 2x2 Reading List titles on Shelfari.

November Challenge - Mystery Monday

November 24 - Mystery Monday - Scrapbook Mystery series by Laura Childs

A Scrapbook Mystery Series
by Laura Childs

When you have a hobby or passion you try to find your joy in all things you do in your life. One of my greatest passions in life is reading. I'm sure that is kind of obvious. There are other hobbies and interests I have too, including football and scrapbooking. So, when I discovered Laura Childs's (pseudonym of Gerry Schmitt) Scrapbook Mystery series I knew I was in heaven. Not only could I enjoy preserving my family memories through the use of beautiful papers, stickers, and of course my photos, but I could carry the enthusiasm for this creative hobby over into my reading.

Carmela Bertrand, the owner of a scrapbook store in New Orleans is the protagonist in this twelve (to date) book series. Although Carmela is constantly finding herself in the middle of a mystery, she still finds the time to create amazing scrapbooks. I love to read about her creations and only wish I had the skill and ability to replicate some of the cool techniques Childs describes in her books. If you are a crafty person, a lover of mysteries, or a fan of NOLA, I believe you will enjoy this series. 

Other series written by Childs includes The Teashop Mysteries and The Cackleberry Club Mysteries.

The Teashop Mysteries revolve around Theodosia Browning, the owner of the Indigo Tea Shop, and the mysterious and historical city of Charleston, South Carolina. The Cackleberry Club Mysteries are set in a fictional town in the Midwest. Three women in the mid-forties have launched an egg themed cafe which offers a yarn shop and a cozy book nook. This series provides the reader with great recipes and tips on cake decorating and knitting.

*I have written about another scrapbook mystery series in a past posts (July 2011 and November 2014)

November Challenge - Sexy Saturday

November 22 - Bid Time Return by Richard Matheson

Bid Time Return
by Richard Matheson

Somewhere in Time
by Richard Matheson

At first, I was reluctant to include Richard Matheson's book Bid Time Return (the title later changed to Somewhere in Time following the movie release in 1980) because I didn't want anyone to have the wrong idea of books contents. So, I did what any good librarian does, I did some research. I found the word sexy means attractive, interesting, and appealing (as well as sexually suggestive, stimulating, and erotic). This book, to me falls into the Sexy Saturday category based on the first part of the definition because of the character descriptions (very attractive), the time travel aspect (interesting), and the idea that love can transcend time (appealing).

My husband and I started dating in August of 1990. Somewhere in Time (starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour) was the first movie we ever saw together. It became our movie. It wasn't merely the romantic love story between two people who lived eighty years apart (she in the 1890s and he in the 1970s), but the music which captured our hearts. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini would become our song.

This is one of the rare occasions when I saw a movie based on a book before I read the book. In fact, when I saw the movie I was not aware it was based on a book at all. After falling in love with the movie, the soundtrack, and the man who would become my husband, I fell in love with the book.

The protagonist, Richard Collier, a screenwriter in his mid-thirties has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. He decides to spend his final days at the Hotel del Coronado. It is here, Richard becomes obsessed with the photograph of Elise McKenna, a famous theater actress who performed in the hotel in the 1890s.  Richard's infatuation with Miss McKenna becomes so intense he is convinced he must travel back in time to meet and pursue a relationship with the actress.

I am a huge fan of time travel, which is obvious based on titles I have written about in the past. Richard Matheson, has stated that Bid Time Return and What Dreams May Come [1978] (made into a movie in 1998, starring Robin Williams) "represent the best writing I have done in the novel form." Sadly Mr. Matheson passed away in June of 2013. Among these two great novels, both of which I have read, he leaves behind a huge legacy. To read more about the writer who "scared three generations of kids", read Richard Matheson (1926-2013): The Wizard of What-If? the Remembrance article from Time Magazine.

November Challenge - Fantasy Friday

November 21st - Fantasy Friday - Locke & Key series by Joe Hill

Locke & Key series
by Joe Hill

I wrote about Joe Hill's wonderful graphic novel series, Locke & Key earlier in the year. Since then, I have finished reading all of the books in the series.

• Welcome to Lovecraft
• Head Games
• Crown of Shadows
• Keys to the Kingdom
• Clockworks
• Alpha & Omega

These books are a perfect combination of horror (for which Joe Hill's father, Stephen King has built a pretty good reputation on as a writer) and fantasy. The amazing graphics by Gabriel Rodriguez make this a must read series for those who love these genres. I have to admit I have never really been a fan of graphic novels, but Hill and Rodriguez have pulled me in to this world. I highly recommend this series for Fantasy Friday.

It was recently announced at Comic-Con the books will be made into a trilogy of movies by Universal. I have not seen any information about a release date, but I did read the script is "half written". I'm so glad I have read the books. I just hope the script writers are true to the work. It makes me so sad when a great book is butchered into a movie.

November Challenge - Thriller Thursday

November 20th - Thrilling Thursday - The 13th Hour by Richard Doetsch

The 13th Hour
by Richard Doetsch

When I think of Richard Doetsch's book The 13th Hour so many adjectives come to mind...gripping, riveting, blood-tingling, and mind-blowing. I could actually go on, but I'm sure you would like to know why I would describe this book in this manner.

Nick Quinn is given the chance to go back in time  to prevent the murder of his wife, which he has been accused.  The coolest part of this sci-fi, fantasy, thriller is how the book moves from chapter to chapter. He is given a talisman which allows him to go back in time in one hour increments in order to collect the clues to identify her killer. It is hard to talk about this book without giving too much away. It is one of those books that immediately grabs you and will not let you go even after the final words.

November Challenge - Whatever Wednesday

November 19th - Whatever Wednesday - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
by Rebecca Skloot

Now, before I tell you about this fascinating book, I want to define Whatever Wednesday. I did not intend for this category to be taken as flippant. On the contrary, so many books can fit into the category (and I almost think it is my favorite because of that). With the guidelines I set for myself, this title would not have fit into any of the categories if I had not made Whatever Wednesdays. So, with that being said, let me tell you about my selection for today.

Now, if you remember my review from Sexy Saturday I am not usually a science-y person. I lean toward history. However, the mixture of science and history throughout this extraordinary story of HeLa cells and Henrietta Lacks is gripping. I have always been intrigued with genetics. I remember learning how to complete a blood type chart in high school biology. and I was fascinated by DNA. By reading this book, I have discovered that I might not have learned about cells, DNA, and so many other amazing biological discoveries if it had not been for Henrietta Lacks.

I first learned about The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot from my husband. The book was selected as the common reading for the incoming freshman. In the winter of 2011, Texas Christian University hosted members of the Lacks family at the 2011 Fogelson Honors Forum. 

Skloot's book has been named the winner of a number of awards including the 2010 Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize for Nonfiction, the 2010 Wellcome Trust Book Prize, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science's Award for Excellence in Science Writing, the 2011 Audie Award for Best Non-Fiction Audiobook, and a Medial Journalists' Association Open Book Award.

During the Fogelson Honors Forum at TCU, Mrs. Lacks's great-granddaughter, Erika Johnson said, "If you know someone who hasn't read the book or learned about it, pass along your knowledge. It's important, not just to the science world, but to everyone." Oprah Winfrey and Alan Ball are doing just that by working with HBO to bring Mrs. Lacks's story to even through the medium of television. As an avid reader, I always say the book is so much better than a movie could ever be, however, if Mrs. Lacks's legacy is shared with more people because of the adaptation of Skloot's book, it will be for the best. Thank you, Ms. Skloot's for sharing the life of Henrietta Lacks with all of us.

November Challenge - Texas 2x2 Tuesday

November 18th - Texas 2x2 Tuesday - Nugget & Fang: Friends Forever--or Snack Time? 

Nugget & Fang: Friends Forever--or Snack Time?written by Tammi Sauer and illustrated by Michael Slack 

Nugget (a fish) and Fang (a shark) are the very best of friends, until Nugget goes off to school. It doesn't matter what the subject Nugget is learning, it seems everything points to the fact that sharks and fish cannot be friends! 

This is a great story to use with young children when talking about diversity.  No matter our differences, we can make adjustments and be friends, regardless of what anyone else says. During the time we were reading the Nugget & Fang our students were learning about choices. We talked about the choices Fang and Nugget made throughout the story and if they were good or bad choices and why. The children laughed at Fang's Food Chain at the end of the story, so we made sure to include it with our costumes.

Nugget & Fang was named one of the 20 books for the 2014 Texas 2x2 Reading List. At my school, we love this book so very much, my clerk and I dressed as Nugget and Fang for our Fall Literacy Night. 

Mrs. Betts as Nugget and Mrs. Wilson as Fang