DWEEB: Burgers, Beasts, and Brainwashed Bullies

Starmer, Aaron. DWEEB: Burgers, Beasts, and Brainwashed Bullies. New York: Delacorte Press, 2009.

There are some totally strange things happening at Ho-Ho-Kus Junior High in Aaron Starmer’s DWEEB: Burgers, Beasts, and Brainwashed Bullies.  The diverse group of five guys who make up DWEEB (Denton, Wendell, Eddie, Elijah, and Bijay) will need to use their “nerdy” skills to get to the bottom of these strange occurrences.  This one is not what you might expect, is a page-turner, and leaves you wanting to read about the next adventure of the DWEEB guys.  The principal locks the guys away in the bowels of the school as punishment for a crime they didn’t commit.  Each chapter is written from the perspective of a different DWEEB member.  This keeps the story moving and keeps you from being able to put it down.  This is a recommended read for most but perfect for a tween guy.

 

The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Middle School

Borgenicht, David, Ben H. Winters, Robin Epstein, and Chuck Gonzales. The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Middle School. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2009.

If you are panicking about beginning middle school, know that you are not alone.  The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Middle School is your go-to book for how to deal with that first day in middle school, surviving gym class, social stuff, and so much more.  It is written in a format that is easy to read – with lots of light-hearted illustrations and plenty of lists.  The reader could read through the entire book in a short amount of time and go back to it as a reference.  Thinking about my friend’s stress before our first day of middle school (she was concerned about someone offering her drugs), this would have been a great resource to have.  One flaw to note is its lack of respect for the rules/ authority when dealing with detention and how not to get caught next time.

 

Bad Girls Don’t Die

Alender, Katie. Bad Girls Don’t Die. New York: Disney Hyperion Books, 2009.

If you dare to read Bad Girls Don’t Die, then you will discover a thrilling novel about pink-haired, snarky Alexis and her dysfunctional family that will have you glancing over your shoulder, while, at the same time, unable to put down the book.  Alexis has begun to notice strange things going on with her younger sister, Kasey, and with the old house where they reside.  Discover whether or not Alexis really is a “bad kid” and exactly what is causing Kasey’s strange behavior.  It’s amazing that this is Ms. Alender’s debut novel as it is well-written and has a plot that develops nicely. There are two sequels scheduled to be released in 2011 and 2012!  There are no controversial items within the book and would be a suitable book for tweens and teens and will be well-liked by this audience.

 

Gobble, Gobble

My turkey picture (taken with my phone):

 

Snow

Oh, and it’s snowing on my blog. I love that. There’s a chance of snow this weekend! And roll tide roll. Ah I feel better.

 

Random Update

So, I survived Thanksgiving and Black Friday 2009.  It is the week before finals where I work and is getting a little crazy. I am finished with one of my classes as of one night this week. They’re all a blur, who can remember? And my final project for the other class is due tomorrow night.  That class meets this weekend.  It’s a little strange because of the weekend format. We’re so close to the end of the semester, but since we only meet 4 weekends during the semester, I’m really only 3/4 of the way finished with it at this point.  Anyway, I’ll have a class discussion of observations of a teen program, a class discussion of current events, a class discussion of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, a booktalk of a controversial book (in my case, Forever by Judy Blume), a booktalk of a professional book (in my case, Get Connected: Tech Programs for Teens), and a booktalk of my favorite book for which I had to write a review. Hmphf. Sigh. Let us pray.

 

Have You Signed It Yet?

“Christians, when they have lived up to the highest ideals of their faith, have defended the weak and vulnerable and worked tirelessly to protect and strengthen vital institutions of civil society, beginning with the family.

We are Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians who have united at this hour to reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join us in defending them. These truths are:

1. the sanctity of human life
2. the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife
3. the rights of conscience and religious liberty.

Inasmuch as these truths are foundational to human dignity and the well-being of society, they are inviolable and non-negotiable. Because they are increasingly under assault from powerful forces in our culture, we are compelled today to speak out forcefully in their defense, and to commit ourselves to honoring them fully no matter what pressures are brought upon us and our institutions to abandon or compromise them. We make this commitment not as partisans of any political group but as followers of Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen Lord, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

(co-authored by Dean Timothy George)

 

Amazing Times

I just finished reading Katie Alender’s debut novel, Bad Girls Don’t Die, for my Young Adult Literature and Services class.  It is one of the three books for which I will be writing a review.  My review will be positive and possibly will be posted on this blog and my blog later. Funny story: Part of the creepiness of this book has to do with a doll collection. As I’ve been reading the book, I find myself constantly looking over my shoulder. When I opened my mailbox yesterday, there was an American Girl catalog waiting on me. Creepy! Random. I have no idea why they sent me that catalog. And I wasn’t familiar with this company at all until a couple of years ago. Anyway I digress.

The thing that is amazing to me about the time in which we’re living is how you don’t just read a book and then be done with it. If you want to know more about an author, you can visit their website. And from there you can find their blog, twitter account, daily photos (of Ms. Alender’s adorable dog, for example), discussion guides, etc.  Many books have their own websites now. From Ms. Alender’s website, you can find “Alexis’s Darkroom” which has all kinds of multimedia goodies. Did you know that there are book trailers?! Apparently I’ve been under a rock and wasn’t even aware of this book’s trailer until after I finished reading it. I LOVE THIS CONCEPT!!! I have taken the “Which Bad Girls Don’t Die Character Are You?” quiz and am looking forward to listening to the Bad Girls Don’t Die inspiration playlist on iTunes later. Amazing!

 

Bittersweet

I have enjoyed the holidays as long as I can remember. Thanksgiving is just around the corner. While I have so much to be thankful for, it is going to be a difficult day, I’m afraid. I can’t help but miss my Grandma G. This will be my first Thanksgiving since she passed into her eternal home in heaven. Thanksgiving is so closely associated with food, and she was the expert!

On a lighter note, I’m looking forward to Black Friday and have made my own version of this shirt!

Mood: teary-eyed

 

 

Today’s Color Quiz Results

Emilykira took the free ColorQuiz.com personality test!“”Seeking an escape from the things that are bringi…” Click here to read the rest of the results.