Books!
Harry Potter: Page to Screen--An absolute MUST for any HP fan. This book goes into detail about the making of the HP films and the adaptations from the book and the reasons behind them. The book also goes into great depth and detail behind the movies' make-up design, costume design, and the architectural feats of the grand set designs.
Chasing Vermeer--Mystery, intrigue, art, CHICAGO! This is the first installment in what I believe to be the best young adult mystery series since Nancy Drew. (YES, it has been a long time coming.) There are twists at every corner, Chicago pulses and breathes off the pages, and the crime solving duo of Petra and Calder can't be beat. Check this one out!
Jamie's Food Revolution--This is an amazing cookbook to check out. It has awesome food that's easy to make, and the whole family can help make the food. My 21-month-old daughter even helps me: She stirs the pastas for the recipes in this book! Get cooking early, get cooking often, and start making healthy, yet tasty, food choices at home. You won't regret checking this book out...especially after our Jamie Oliver persuasive unit.
The Phantom Tollbooth--What an AMAZING book for studying and analyzing the intricacies of the written word! This book is great fun, and it is crazy to think about how many different ways you can use language to confuss and confumble others. There's also a little bit about math in there, too. ;)
The Hunger Games --This is one of the best YA books I've read in years. The female heroine, Katniss Everdeen is also the best I've ever seen put to paper (sorry, Anne, Hermione, and Bella). Kids are chosen to fight to the death for extra food, and for the communities they're from, it's entertainment. Talk about reality television gone horribly awry! Please check it out! There are two other books in the series, so be sure to check them out as well.
Anything by John Bellairs--I just started re-reading a John Bellairs book today (1/31/09)! He was my favorite author from when I was young, and his books are filled with awesome imagery and spooky, gothic settings. His eerie tales deal with the supernatural intervening in normal boys' lives (Johnny Dixon and Anthony Monday), who usually lived in the 1950s. His writing is absolutely superb, and if you like mysteries or ghost stories, PLEASE CHECK HIM OUT! Just make sure the books are by him and not his ghostwriter, who took over his two series when he died.
TV/Movies!
Back to the Future--The classic movie trilogy started with this 1985 blockbuster starring Michael J. Fox. What would you do if you were transported to 1955 and had to play matchmaker to your parents or you would fade from existence???
Toy Story 3--This final installment of Pixar's Toy Story trilogy is probably the most perfect ending to a series of films ever (and the highest grossing animated film of all time). In fact, this may now be the most well-written film trilogy in existence (no offense, BTTF, and Indy doesn't count anymore, since there are four). It made me laugh, cry, and my nerves jumped. Perfect.
Wall-E--Did you still not see this? Silly you! Robots do have a heart, and this lil guy will make yours smile. Go rent it/buy it/see it now!
Modern Family--This show is too much, keeps me in stitches, and Manny reminds me of some of my best students. (In fact, I wish he could be one of my students!) Modern Family also illustrates that it really does take all kinds to make up a family, and the more unique the family, the more special they are. :)
Doctor Who--Just watch it. Please, do yourself a favor, and just watch it. And, yes, using creative teaching techniques, I have worked this show into my class curriculum a few times.
The Electric Company--This is THE BEST tween program on reading, vocabulary, and grammar I have ever seen. AND, it's highly entertaining--even for adults! Not since Ghostwriter has PBS produced such an awesome educational program for young adults.
Music!
She & Him: Volume One--The sweet, soulful, paired down sound of this duet is relaxing and soothing. It's perfect study music. It also has a couple of covers that will introduce you to classic Beatles and Motown.
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog--A short, hilarious musical from the creator of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Joss Whedon. This musical is too much fun, and it follows the antics of villain Dr. Horrible, who longs to be in the Evil League of Evil. It stars Neil Patrick Harris (Barney from "How I Met Your Mother"), and it couldn't be better for the superhero fan in your household.
Hanson: Shout It Out--Without a doubt this is my favorite pop album of the past few years. The chords are absolutely infectious, the lyrics are too much fun, and you'll repeat the disc over and over. Hanson's latest effort is unadulterated, feel good pop at it's finest. This and Elvis 75 have been the only things playing in my car since I got them in June.
Elvis Presley: Elvis 75--A lot of my students ask me why I love Elvis if he was dead before I was even born. Now my answer will be simply, "Listen to Elvis 75." If you don't have respect for Elvis' range, and hear chords of inspiration that others still use to this day, then you don't truly appreciate 20th century rock n roll at it's finest. This disc, which spans Elvis' career, lets the listener experience Elvis from raw, rockin' teenager to serious, seasoned performer who forever changed the face of music.
The Beatles: LOVE--Don't come into my class not knowing who the Beatles are. You better do your Beatles homework before the first day of school. This is a great intro to the Beatles for any new fan. I've been completely obsessed with them lately: reading up on their 100 greatest hits, listening to them constantly in the car, and singing my daughter to sleep with their ballads. LOVE is produced by the Bealtes' longtime collaborator, George Martin, and this complilation is used in the Cirque de Soleil show currently showing in Las Vegas. It's absoultely wonderful, and I hope it makes you a lifetime fan.
Websites!
Shelfari--Go here to make a personal book shelf for your friends to see. All you need is an e-mail address and a desire to share books with your friends. You can even write short reviews for the books you've read. Check out mine!
Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution--Let's start a revolution!!! Over 600,000 Americans have signed Jamie's petition to eat healthier and demand better food in schools across the country. Join the number to fight for healthier food in your cafeteria. You shouldn't have to eat food that causes obesity and diabetes, because it's not cheaper than healthy, fresh food that tastes better!
BBC Onion Street--From the world's leading news source, the BBC, comes this website to help students of all ages. The BBC may originate in Great Britain, but it is helpful for students around the world. There are study tips, relaxation tips, and interesting articles about student life. Check it out!
ReadWriteThink!--Bored? Want some extra credit? Want to challenge yourself? Pick one of the projects from this website to broaden your literary horizons. The lessons deal with reading and writing, and there is a broad range of activities to choose from. Pick one out, and then discuss the project with me. You might be in the running for some major extra credit if you complete the work exceptionally well!
PBS Kids--PBS isn't just about Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers anymore. Their kids' programming is groundbreaking, entertaining, AND educational! Watch the shows after school, and then have fun on the website making videos, playing games, and watching clips.
BingBongBoom!!!--My personal blog is weird, awesome, and probably has tons of things you've never heard of (cause I'm so OLD). Sometimes it's hard for me to keep up with it, but it's fun to write about what I'm watching, listening to, thinking about, and reading. I try to keep the blog upbeat and positive, but I confess that sometimes it might drift into the territory of negative Nancy land. Please forgive me when this happens! Hope you enjoy reading it!
Miscellaneous Fun!
WORDLES
MOVIE QUIZ
Think you're a MOVIE BUFF? Think you know movie posters? Can you tell what a movie is just by looking at ONE letter of it's poster? Take THIS QUIZ from the British movie magazine Empire. I got 26 out of 44 right, so let me know if you beat me!
Photo courtesy of Empire Online
PENGUIN KNIGHTED
A penguin from the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland has been knighted! The penguin's name is Nils Olav...well, I guess that's SIR Nils Olav now. He also has medals for good conduct and long service. To read the whole story click HERE.
Photo courtesy of Associated Press