6) Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

This is a catch-up post.  This was the sixth book I read this year, but I'm just now getting around to posting this.

I read this because Tim Burton's movie is coming out soon.  I really liked this classic story and I'm surprised I hadn't read it earlier considering how much I love the Disney version.  I must say, this is one instance though, where I found the Disney movie to be better than the book.  It leaves out all the part I didn't like from the book (the Duchess and the pig baby, the Mock Turtle) and expands on the ones I loved (the tea party).  I was surprised how little a part the tea party had in the book.  That really disappointed me.  I'm still in the process of reading Through the Looking Glass, but I must point out that I've stopped halfway through to read a few other books and I'm really not enjoying it at all.  :(

4) Time of the Witches by Anna Myers

This is a catch-up post.  It was the fourth book I read this year, but I am just now getting around to posting this.

I got this for my classroom library.  It's no suprise I wanted to read it myself because I love any kind of historical fiction that has to do with early American witchcraft issues.  Since I've read so many books that address the Salem Witch Trials, it's not often I find a story that offers such a unique and intersting retelling of the events. 

This fictitious version of events really makes it easy to understand the power of suggestion and the role that possibly played in the hysteria.  Most young people find it difficult to answer the question of how did this happen and can't seem to wrap their brains around the power of suggestion theory.  This book could definitely clear that area up for younger readers.

The elder Ann Putnam was delightfully wicked in this version and I think her character really pushed this book from good to great!

My favorite quote: "That is ridiculous, my dear," said [Ann Putnam].  "Rose cannot be a witch.  The girl still owes us a year of service.  Maybe next year."

3) Dear Dumb Diary #9 by Jim Benton

This is a catch-up post.  It was the third book I read this year, but I'm just now getting around to posting it.

This was a cute and funny read for young girls.  Benton delivers sarcasm and laughs that any young teen would appreciate.  I'm adding it to my classroom library with the rest of the Dumb Diary series.

41-43) Dear Dumb Diary Series by Jim Benton

I got these from a used bookstore to add to my classroom library.  Some of my past 2nd graders couldn't get enough of Benton's Franny K. Stein series, so I trusted that he was capable of creating entertaining books for an older audience as well.  I wasn't wrong.  I'm not sure how ashamed I should be about the love I have for this author.  These books are wonderful reads, not just for students. I couldn't get enough of them.  I was so sad that the bookstore only had #1, #2, and #5 because I would like to read them all!  They're so true to a general middle-school experience that they had me recalling my most embarrassing adolescent moments, as well as some of the my better experiences.  LOVE these books and I can't wait to read more in the series.

40) Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne

I've been wanting to read this for a long time now since I love Disney's version of the silly old bear.  Barnes and Noble tricked me because when I walked in, they had a beautiful display of the collector's editions for this book and Return to the Hundred Acre Wood right in front of my face and they were an extra 20% off.  I figured I'd never find the deal again and bought them both, not realizing RttHAW wasn't even an original written by Milne.  GRR!  Anyways, enough about that.  I have to say that I didn't really like this book.  I wanted to, but it was too boring for me.  I understand that people love it so much because of its purity and simplicity, but I just wasn't appreciating it.  It was slow and nothing exciting happened.  It was kind of like listening to a book on tape that's read in monotone, without any expression.  No fun!  However, I did love the colored illustrations.  They were beautiful and in my opinion, the only reason one should buy this book.  From now on when I get a craving for Winnie-the-Pooh, I'm simply going to pop in Disney's The Many Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh.  Shame on me, I know.

39) The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

Oh, how I loved this book!  Let me count the ways.  This book was recommended to me by a 2nd grade teacher I work with.  She said that she read it to her class and they absolutely loved it.  She and others felt that it should have been a Newbery book.  I completely agree!  This story was simple and sweet.  The moral of the story is quite clear: It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.  It's elegant in a way I never expected and Katherine Paterson's blurb on the back cover couldn't be more right:

"Why should I care what happens to an arrogant, overdressed china rabbit?  But I did care, desperately, and I think I can safely predict you will, too."

Children's literature doesn't get better than this!

38) The Robe of Skulls by Vivian French

I bought this book from a book order to add it to my classroom library.  I didn't necessarily intend on reading it right away, but I decided that it might be fun.  A fairy tale to the very core, this book was wonderful!  For an adult, it was a light read that had enough entertainment value to keep me interested.  The main characters were likeable and the evil characters get their just desserts.  I liked it so much, that if I do ever teach a 4th or 5th grade class, I will use this book as a teacher read-aloud.  I know the kids would enjoy it as much as I did.