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Betsy's Story, 1934 by Adele Whitby
Whitby, Adele. BETSY'S STORY, 1934 New York : Simon Spotlight, 2015 IL 3-6, RL 5.4 BN 1481427520 Lady Betsy lives in England in her family's home. Chatswood Manor is a beautiful home and Betsy has grown up in luxury. She has her own lady's maid and plenty of servants. Her 12th birthday is coming up and it has been the tradition in the family that a ball is held to celebrate the occasion. Betsy is looking forward to it. Not only will it be a grand affair, she will finally become the owner of the Elizabeth necklace. It has been in the family for several generations and handed down to the eldest daughter on her 12th birthday. But when she hears of her cousin Kay's problems in America, she decides to cancel her ball in solidarity with Kay. If Kay can't have her ball and receive her necklace because of money problems, than Betsy won't either. But odd things are happening at Chatswood Manor. There are rumors that they may be in financial difficulty as well. Can that possible be true?
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Today's podcast 04/30/2015
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Today's podcast 04/29/2015
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Wescott, Shelbi. AFTER LIFE North York, ON : Arthur Press, 2014 IL YA ISBN 1500668753 When Mara's little brother tells her about his death, Mara is not quite sure what is going on. He talks about his brothers and his other sister. OK, it is normal for 4-year-olds to make up stories and have imaginary friends. But this feels different. When Mara learns that her mother and step-father knew about these stories but never said anything, she can't let it go. She asks Soren lots of questions about the time he was Cole and the story begins to focus. With the help of friends, Mara learns about a murder that took place 15 years ago in a neighboring town. The little boy who was murdered by his own father was named Cole. Could there really be a connection? Could Soren be the reincarnation of Cole? Could his memories be real?
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Today's podcast 04/28/2015
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Strasser, Todd. NO PLACE New York : Simon & Schuster, 2014 IL YA ISBN 144245721X Dan is a high school senior with a great life and a wonderful future ahead of him. He has loving parents and is on track for a baseball scholarship. He dreams that he may even get drafted right out of school. His girlfriend is beautiful if a bit demanding. All this is about to change. His parents have lost their jobs and have been living on savings and part time work. That just doesn't take care of all the bills and now they have lost their house. Living with their uncle isn't working out so great so the family is forced to move to Dignityville -- the town's tent city. With so many people losing their jobs, the town has designated land near the center of town for a tent city. Can anything be worse than living in a homeless camp?
Monday, April 27, 2015
Today's podcast 04/27/2015
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In Their Shoes by Deborah Refer
Reber, Deborah. IN THEIR SHOES New York : Simon Pulse, 2015 IL YA ISBN 1481428128 Have you ever thought about someone's life and wondered what it would be like to walk in their shoes? The author has chosen women in all sorts of occupations to help you walk in their shoes. Go beyond job descriptions and educational requirements for jobs and find out what they are like from women living in them. There are interviews with women who are working at a variety of jobs.
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Today's podcast 04/26/2015
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The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney
Pinkney, Andrea Davis. THE RED PENCIL Boston : Little, Brown, 2014 IL 3-6 ISBN 0316247804 Amira and her family are living in a peaceful Sudanese village and she is hoping to be able to go to school. But when the Janjaweed attack the village, the family must run for their lives. Amira's father is killed in the raid and the family has no choice but to keep walking to live. They finally arrive at a refugee camp but don't know what to expect. Life in the refugee is camp is brutal and very different from their life in the village. Among the harsh reality of her day to day life, Amira is given a gift that can help her survive the horror around her -- a red pencil.
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Today's podcast 04/25/2015
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The Classroom : Trick Out My School by Robin Mellon
Mellom, Robin. THE CLASSROOM : TRICK OUT MY SCHOOL New York : Hyperion, 2014 IL 3-6, RL 6.5 ISBN 1423150651 Libby Gardner just knows this is going to make her the most popular student at Westside Middle School. She and the principal have kept it a secret and now it is time to make the big announcement. Libby has entered their school into a contest to win a school makeover -- and they won! None other than Kip Lee is coming to trick out the school for his reality tv show -- Trick Out My School. It is so exciting when the tv crews and the cameras arrive. But the hammering and all the construction is not making everyone happy. What Libby doesn't know is that things are not going to be as wonderful as she thought.
Friday, April 24, 2015
Today's podcast 04/24/2015
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The Classroom : Student Council Smack down by Robin Mellon
Mellom, Robin. THE CLASSROOM : STUDENT COUNCIL SMACKDOWN! New York : Hyperion, 2013 IL 3-6, RL 4.9 ISBN 1423150643 Things may get ugly this year at Westside Middle School. Libby Gardner and Cindy Applegate have been best friends and nothing can come between them, right? Well, the position of class president may mean the end of the friendship. They have flip-flopped the office for the past few years -- Cindy in fourth and sixth grades and Libby in fifth. But they are both determined to win the seventh grade election no matter what it takes. When Trevor is forced into the race, he wants to find a way to help Libby win. When Libby hires Molly Decker as her campaign manager, things change. Now Trevor is determined to win. And things are getting ugly. All the while, a film crew is on hand to document it all.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Today's podcast 04/23/2015
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Martin, Ann M. RAIN REIGN New York : Feiwel and Friends, 2014 IL 3-6, RL 3.5 ISBN 0312643004 Rose is a young girl living with Asperger's syndrome. She tries to remember the rules and live by them but others seem to be breaking the rules all the time. Rose gets upset when she sees drivers breaking rules. She's even gotten kicked off the school bus for her obsession with rules of the road. Another obsession she has is with homonyms -- words that sound the same but are not spelled the same. Her classmates and even her teachers get a bit tired of her obsessions but try to work with her. When her father brings home a stray dog, Rose is very excited. She names the dog Rain since she was found in the rain and the two become very close. When Rain follows Rose to school, the other kids fall in love also and now Rose has something to share with the other kids. But when a major hurricane hits their small town things are changed forever.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Today's podcast 04/22/2015
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The Human Body by Ken Jennings
Jennings, Ken. THE HUMAN BODY : JUNIOR GENIUS GUIDES New York : Little Simon, 2015 IL 3-6, RL 7.0 ISBN 1481401742 Did you know that the part of your back that you can't scratch is called acnestis? Or an adult's skin weighs six pounds or more? Or that humans are the only primates whose eyes have sclera -- the whites of your eye? This book is full of lots of useful information about the human body. But it is also chock full of unusual facts. Written by Ken Jennings, you know it has a lot trivia in it. Jennings is the all time highest money winner on the game show Jeopardy. Pick up this book and open to any page. You are sure to learn some interesting new information that will amaze you.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Today's podcast 04/21/2015
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The Key That Swallowed Joey by Jack Gantos
Gantos, Jack. THE KEY THAT SWALLOWED JOEY PIGZA New York : Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2014 IL 5-8, RL 5.1 ISBN 0374300836 Homeschooling didn't go so well for Joey Pigza so the decision has been made for him to return to public school. He is back living in the same house but now Dad is no longer around and Mom is having difficulty coping with life. The only good thing is Carter Junior. He is perfect. Joey isn't sure about going back to school. But the first day is starting out OK. Joey is trying to be positive. Then the phone call comes. Joey's mother needs Joey to come home right away to take care of the baby. She is losing it and needs to check herself in to the hospital. She needs Joey to be the man of the house . Joey really tries. He is determined to make things better for his mother. His mother makes Joey promise not to let his father take the baby. And then his angry friend Olivia shows up because she has run away from "blind school" and is hiding out at his house. Through all the craziness that swirls around him, Joey is trying to remain positive and be the normal one in the group.
Monday, April 20, 2015
Today's podcast 04/20/2015
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Year of Mistaken Discoveries by Eileen Cook
Cook, Eileen. YEAR OF MISTAKEN DISCOVERIES New York : Simon Pulse, 2014 IL YA ISBN 1442440228
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Today's podcast 04/19/2015
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Night Gardener By Jonathan Auxier
Auxier, Jonathan. THE NIGHT GARDENER New York : Amulet Books, 2014 IL 5-8, RL 5.3 ISBN 141971144X
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Today's podcast 04/18/2015
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Today we add the last podcast from Ms. Jennifer Sacks' class in Darien CT. I've enjoyed sharing these and I know I learned about some good books. Thank you to all the students who shared their books with us. Today's podcast is from Lennan, Grade 7, Middlesex Middle School, Darien CT Higson, Charlie. THE ENEMY New York : Puffin, 2010 IL YA
Friday, April 17, 2015
Today's podcast 04/17/2015
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Selfors, Suzanne. SMELLS LIKE DOG
Today's podcast by Eric, grade 7, Middlesex Middle School, Darien CT Selfors, Suzanne. SMELLS LIKE DOG Boston : Little, Brown, 2011 RL 3-6
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Today's podcast 04/16/2015
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Today's podcast by Caroline, grade 7, Middlesex Middle School, Darien CT Gratz, Alan. PRISONER B-3097 New York : Scholastic, 2013 IL 5-8
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Today's podcast 04/15/2015
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Today's podcast by Liam, grade 7, Middlesex Middle School, Darien CT Gewirtz, Adina. ZEBRA FOREST Somerville, MA : Candlewick, 2013 IL 3-6
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Today's podcast 04/14/2015
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Today's podcast by Charlotte, grade 7, Middlesex Middle School, Darien CT Palacio, R. J. WONDER New York : Knopf, 2012 IL 3-6
Monday, April 13, 2015
Today's podcast 04/13/2015
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Today's podcast by Eva, grade 7, Middlesex Middle School, Darien CT Palacio, R. J. WONDER New York : Knopf, 2012 IL 3-6
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Today's podcast 04/12/2015
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Today's podcast by Colin, grade 7, Middlesex Middle School, Darien CT Boorman, Kate A. WINTERKILL New York : Amulet, 2014 IL YA
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Today's podcast 04/11/2015
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Raskin, Ellen. THE WESTING GAME
Today's podcast by Cole, grade 7, Middlesex Middle School, Darien CT Raskin, Ellen. THE WESTING GAME New York : Dutton, 1978 IL 5-8
Friday, April 10, 2015
Today's podcast 04/10/2015
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Van Draanen, Wendelin. THE RUNNING DREAM
Today's podcast by Sophia, Grade 7, Middlesex Middle School, Darien CT Van Draanen, Wendelin. THE RUNNING DREAM New York : Knopf, 2011 IL YA
Thursday, April 09, 2015
Today's podcast 04/09/2015
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Dashner, James. THE MAZE RUNNER
Today's podcast by Austin, grade 7, Middlesex Middle School, Darien CT Dashner, James. THE MAZE RUNNER New York : Delacorte Press, 2014 IL YA
Wednesday, April 08, 2015
Today's podcast 04/08/2015
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Today's podcast by Mariam, grade 7, Middlesex Middle School, Darien CT Tolkien, J. R. R. THE HOBBIT New York : Harper, 2013 IL YA
Tuesday, April 07, 2015
Today's podcast 04/07/2015
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Today's podcast by Grace, grade 7, Middlesex Middle School, Darien CT Stasse, Lisa M. THE FORSAKEN New York : Simon & Schuster, 2012 IL YA
Monday, April 06, 2015
Today's podcast 04/06/2015
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Rollins, James. THE 6TH EXTINCTION
Today's podcast by Truman, grade 7, Middlesex Middle School, Darien CT Rollins, James. THE 6TH EXTINCTION New York : William Morrow, 2014 IL AD
Sunday, April 05, 2015
Today's podcast 04/05/2015
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Elston, Ashley. THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING
Today's podcast by Coco, grade 7, Middlesex Middle School, Darien CT Elston, Ashley. THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING New York : Hyperion, 2013 IL YA
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Today's podcast by Mackenzie, Grade 7, MIddlesex Middle School, Darien CT Anderson, Laurie Halse. SPEAK New York : Farrar Straus Giroux, 1999 IL YA
Saturday, April 04, 2015
Today's podcast 04/04/2015
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Draper, Sharon/ OUT OF MY MIND
Today's podcast by Eliza, grade 7, Middlesex Middle School, Darien CT Draper, Sharon. OUT OF MY MIND New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2010 IL 5-8
Friday, April 03, 2015
Today's podcast 04/03/2015
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Anderson, Laurie Halse. FEVER 1793
Today's podcast by Kelly, grade 7, Middlesex Middle School, Darien CT Anderson, Laurie Halse. FEVER 1793 New York : Simon & Schuster Books, 2000 IL 5-8
Thursday, April 02, 2015
Today's podcast 04/02/2015
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Today's podcast by Drew, grade 7, Middlesex Middle School, Darien CT Trueman, Terry. HURRICANE New York : HarperCollins, 2008 IL 5-8
Wednesday, April 01, 2015
Today's podcast 04/01/2015
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Today's podcast by Chris, grade 7, Middlesex Middle School, Darien CT Mills, Cliff. DEREK JETER New York : Chelsea House, 2007 IL 5-8