50 Things #20--Novel Studies

I am thankful that I am able to read and to share novels with my students.  I love when I look around and they are ALL following along with the text.

This novel has had belly-laughing moments from the entire class!



The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

I finished readingRebecca Sloot's The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks over Easter break.  It was Dayton's "Big Read"; however, I finished the book about two weeks after all of the events were over.  This book was a fascinating read.

In short, this non-fiction is a biography of sorts about Henrietta Lacks--a Baltimore woman who died in the early 50's of cervical cancer.   Before her death, a doctor harvested some of her cells which later became the first cells to remain alive, grow, and reproduce.  These cells (called HeLa--I had never heard that term before, but it means something to science-minded people) have been used in research to develop cures and treatments to hundreds of diseases.  Henrietta died poor; her surviving children could barely affort their own health care even in their adult years.

This book raises so many questions and topics surrounding the good of science, patient consent, experimental practices, HIPA laws, HPV virus, research for profit, health care, etc.  I highly recommend this book if you are looking for something not-too-difficult nor too long, but thought-provoking.

March Madness--Library Style

Our regional library system has set up its own version of March Madness.  I'm happy to say that I've read a good portion of these books.  If you are interested, click Dayton Metro Library Brackets .

Now I just need to pick the final two and the winner so I can win a new color NOOK (I promise--I still love you Kindle!).

Missing Book

The other day I got online and estimated that our family checks out about 400 books a year through one library system and another hundred through a second library system.  The majority of these are books I pick out for my classroom.  Even with online renewal system and email notification, we still get small fines here and there.

My daughter came downstairs the other day looking like she was about to get into the biggest trouble of her life.  Turns out that she found a paperback library book she checked out this summer and never returned.  Honestly, when I get their due/overdue email notices, I just forward them to the correct daughter and don't pay attention.  She racked up a whopping $8 fine.  To her relief, I just laughed.  An $8 fine spread over 500 books makes the library the best bargain in town!

Library Books

I am reading . . . or should I say WAS reading a really good book--Kathryn Stockett's The Help.  I'm about 275 pages into a 400 page book.  I planned to finish the novel on this upcoming 3-day weekend.  It was due on Tuesday, so Tuesday morning I got online to renew it.

My request was DENIED!  Someone else had requested the book.  It's like watching a good movie on television only for the power to go out fifteen minutes before the ending.  I thought about saying the heck with it and just pay a late fee.  I decided to do the right thing and return it.  I'm now on the wait-list.  Bummer!

Editing literature

The poll on today's local news website:  Should classic literature be edited before allowing students to read it?  The specific reference was to taking the "n" word out of Mark Twain. 

I can (and do) choose to edit the books my own children read; however, let's not have the "powers that be" arbitrarily trying to rewrite classic literature's version history.  It waters down our perspective of the times.

Travel Routines

For the past ten or so years, our extended family (parents, g-parents, siblings, etc.) live six hours away from us.  Every year at Christmas, we spend a few days at one side of relatives, drive five hours Christmas day, and spend a few days at the other side.  This year--we are only spending four nights out-of-state.  Nonetheless, the travel routines are still in place. 

My husband usually insists on driving--which means he's in control of the radio.  Six hours of sports radio there, five hours in the middle of our trip, and six hours back.  It also means he's in control of the temperature in the van.  This leads to my routines for sanity.

Today's travel outfit is typical.  I have on a pair of jeans over my running tights, three shirts/sweatshirts, socks, and running shoes.  I'm thinking of breaking routine and also packing a blanket--my husband is very warm blooded; I'm a cold-blooded lizzard. 

I also pack two "play-aways" from the library with the corresponding book.  I listen to the recorded book on the mp3 player w/ headphones.  If it's really good, I finish reading the hard copy when we get to our destination.  I wanted the Girl w/ the Dragon Tattoo since I've started it; however, the library did not have it.  Instead, I'll be enjoying Shutter Island.  Let the driving begin!