Forbidden

 

The Gist:  Brother-Sister-Love....yup, that's right.  Father dumps the family for a new one; mother looks to escape reality, partying and spending what little money she has to regain her youth.  Five children trying to survive, pretending that all is fine at home so that social services won't split them up.  The oldest has anxiety issues while he and his sister have basically been the parents for the last five years.  Did I mention that the middle child is hanging out with thugs and blaming his siblings for all his troubles?!?  

They know it is wrong.  They fight the urge to be together.  They make a plan...but plans rarely work out the way you hope. 

Opinion, if you please:   I give it a complicated 4 out of 5 stars.

Wow!  The ultimate taboo...it is so wrong yet their situation is so infuriatingly impossible, you can understand how it came to this...well, sort of.  This book will challenge you in unexpected ways.  Heartbreaking....subject well written (although a bit drawn out in the middle)...must read!  

Warning: there is sexual content but not overly done. 

Extras: 

Book Review by Maxie Magyx (love her reviews...what do you think??)

Tabitha Suzuma's website

**Disclaimer:  I received this book from the publisher after winning a book-blogger-give-away....and boy am I glad that I won it!!**

Hunger Games: The Movie!!

If you haven't read The Hunger Games trilogy, then you are missing out!  

As we are eagerly awaiting for the movie to get here, check out the actors playing Katniss, Peeta, and Gale.

http://hollywoodcrush.mtv.com/2011/07/28/hunger-games-expert-weigh-in-on-gale-peeta/

What do you think?  Do they fit their roles??

Matched by Ally Condie

The Gist:  Picture a perfect world, where everything is just...well, perfect!  Everyone is in great shape and never has to cook because the Society provides perfect, well-balanced meals and a specialized exercise plan.  Everyone finds their perfect mate because the Society collects data on all individuals desiring a family and chooses their perfect match.  No need to be jealous of your neighbor as the Society provides everyone with the same clothes, the same housing units, and keeps any family heirlooms you may have safe and sound in a museum.  Worried about what job you will have?  No problem; the Society takes care of that too, assigning individuals according to personal skill levels. 

There is just one problem:  The Society made a mistake *gasp*.  Cassia was thrilled to find out her best friend, Zander, is her match...only another boy's face pops up on her screen.  Is there more to life than just going along with what the Society believes is best? 


Opinion if you please:  *Disclaimer: I listened to the audiobook, read by Kate Simses.  I believe her careful, articulate reading really brought home the point that this future world is a very cautious, practical place.**

I give it a 4 out of 5.  I'll definitely be continuing this series.

What can I say?  I love a good story on a dystopian future!   Ally Condie creates a world that is quite believable: far into a future where technology became so overloaded, society collapsed upon itself.  Recreated so that you only need the bare minimum to be happy, everyone within the Society happily and willfully complies.  Of course, this may have something to do with the use of force that no longer is needed. 

Some question how we could lose the skill of writing.  Let's think about that...anyone out that find themselves typing WAY MORE than writing by hand?  Recently, state standards have dropped cursive handwriting and replaced it with keyboarding.  Hmm...interesting...

The romance is rather weak, but I get it.  They must be very careful and abide by the rules for fear of endangering their families and each other.  I would have liked to see an uprising happening earlier in the story (such as in Uglies by Scott Westerfeld), but the next two books in the trilogy promise more than dutiful rule-followers.


Extra Info:

Follow Matched Trilogy on Twitter

Check out the Official Website - Got facebook?  The Society will help you find your optimal match. :-)


**I read (actually, listened) this book for the Eliot Rosewater 2012-2013 book selection committee.**

The Big Idea

So what is the big idea with this blog?

1. Share books that I've been reading: I read so many great page-turning novels only to turn around and forget the titles, authors, or details.
2. Connect titles with Book Trailers, authors' websites, and more.
3. Share fun online tools for school projects or just for fun.

I'm sure there will be a few surprises along the way.  I just want a place I can turn to for ideas o

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Incarceron Book Trailer

Overview:  Sealed for centuries, Incarceron was supposed to turn even the hardest criminal into the perfect citizen.  Instead it created a hostile environment for its own amusement.  You see...the prison is watching.

Finn doesn't remember anything before suddenly waking up inside a prison cell.  It is impossible to enter or escape Incarceron, so he must have been born of the prison, right?  


Outside the prison, Claudia is forced to keep up the appearances of living in an earlier period despite huge technological advances.  She soon will be sent off for an arranged marriage to the future king.  She is desperate to find where her father, the Warden of Incarceron, has hidden the entrance to the prison and find freedom from her own plight.


Soon Claudia and Finn are planning escape, but they must not underestimate Incarceron....you see, the prison is alive.



Opinion:  I give this book a 3.5 out of 5 star rating.  I appreciate the uniqueness to the storyline, but I was left with a take-it or leave-it feeling.  Taking place in a future, dysotopian society, the author leaves enough mystery that you are never completely sure if Finn is the missing (REAL) heir to the throne or not.  The biggest surprise...finding out where the Warden has hidden Incarceron.  Whoa!  The final test for me in whether a book was good or not is...do I want to read the sequel or not.  The answer is YES! 

More Info:

Author's website

Don't forget to read the sequel: Saphique

And check out her latest 4 part adventure: Relic Master (released May, June, July, and August 2011 consecutively.

Movie in the works!  Currently set to star Taylor Lautner as Finn.  Possible release date in 2013!!
  

**I read this book for the Eliot Rosewater 2012-2013 book selection committee.  I received a copy of Incarceron from the publisher for my consideration.** 

Tech Skills Broken Down by Grade Level

Check this blog entry out:  "Great Expectations: What Should Elementary Students be able to do and When?" written by Mary Beth Hertz



The time is NOW for all elementary students to learn what is considered to be the basics in computer use.  We can't afford to have our students waiting until middle school (or even later) to learn how to determine a valid website from erroneous information, how to protect their personal information, or even how to save files correctly.

Common Scenario...

Student:  My file is gone.  I KNOW I saved it.

 Me:  I believe you.  The question is, where did you save it to and what was the file type?

Student:  Huh??

There is no doubt that teachers across the board are being asked to cover more and more in a short amount of time.  The question is, what is more important?  Getting that research paper typed out or spending extra time on how to find expert information while avoiding plagiarism? 

One of the biggest mistakes we can make as adults is to assume that students have it all figured out when it comes to technology.  Many students spend a lot of time downloading music, editing self-created video, photoshopping photos, and perusing online.  Exploring and creating come naturally, but safety and analysis must be taught.