Mid Winter Musings

In the bleak mid-winter...

In Mississippi it isn't too bleak. Sure the days are shorter and the weather is unpredictable but there are still plenty of growing things around our house.

The baby doll bed has a healthy crop of hardy succulents and the viney things in the corner will continue to live through the cold in their protected space near the bubbling fountain.

Violas and parsley are doing well in this pot and Mr. M recently planted pansies in a sunny spot.

These red berries look festive by the front door. I think if the birds get hungry enough, the berries will get eaten.

I'm enjoying all the Christmas music on PBS-TV and radio.

What am I reading? I've started a binge on mysteries by Leslie Meier. The setting is Maine. It's not hard to visualize since we visited Maine on our way to PEI a few summers ago.

This two week break is flying by. I'm trying to savor each day and not hurry back to thoughts of work.

How about you? Do you like this time of year?

Summer Books from ILA Convention

Here are three books I received this summer at the ILA Convention. I may have mentioned in an earlier post that I mailed a box of books to myself from Boston. One good reason to attend the conference is all the free books that publishers give away to the attendees. 

These books are for young adults-mature middle and high school students. Most of my students aren't ready to read on this level, so I'm giving these away to a friend who teaches high school English.

Unexpected Everything is a great book about an independent girl who rigidly organizes her life and finds in the course of the book that experiencing unexpected things can be rewarding.

The Graces really pulls the reader into the narrator's life and explores the manipulation of teens from different view points. The ending is very surprising.

Iron Cast is science fiction that travels back in time to the early 1900's to an imaginary place where some people use the arts to create fantasy situations for all who see or hear. These special people are misunderstood, hated, and feared. A great way to explore differences in people.

I enjoyed reading these books and the others in the box. Can't wait for next summer to get some more books to preview.