| Reviews
2002-2003:
1/1/02:
In the Girl with a Pearl Earring the author has looked
at one famous portrait by Vermeer and imagined a very plausible
and engrossing story for the face in the portrait; the personal
choices made are as relevant today as they were in the 17th
century.
12/29/02:
For those who have followed the Song of Ice and Fire Fantasy
Saga, this latest edition (3rd in the saga) continues the saga
of the Stark children and the growing threat from the North
will have me on the alert for the 4th episode. A Storn of
Swords is a great "escape" read.
12/20/02:
The Clothes They Stood In & The Lady In The Van are
two novellas (one book) by a famous British playwright. I preferred
the first story over the second. It was about an upper-middle
class couple who live in an apartment in London and find their
lives turned upside-down when their apartment is robbed. The
second is the diary account of an elderly homeless woman whom
the author protected for about 20 years, as he allowed her to
park her van in his driveway. This book is now included in my
in-class library; it was read during SSR time. At first glance,
Californians may not imagine themselves to have much incommon
with a British playwright. But this dip into London society
and his unique perspective may hold some worthwhile surprises.
Teacher
12/10/02:
Hacker Cracker is described by the publisher as "A
Journey from the Mean Streets of Brooklyn to the Frontiers of
Cyberspace". It's a very moving and interesting autobiography.
This book will quickly grab you as it opens with Ejovi describing
a legal hack. I couldn't put it down. At thirteen he was discovering
the world of computers and the internet at the same time that
I was. Teacher
|
 10/31/03:
Morality for Beautiful Girls is one book
of a series of new-style detective novels
set in the country of Botswana. The author
has captured the ambience and culture
of Botswana beautifully, The main character,
Precious Ramontswe, is simply a wonderful
character whose thought processes and
insights about life one thoroughly enjoys.
Here are a few additional links about
this delightful series of detective stories.
9/30/03:
Escape from Slavery is an inspiring
autobiography of a young Sudanese man
who, at the age of seven, was captured
and forced into slavery for 10 years.
It tells of his life as a slave, his escape
from slavery and how he came to the USA
as a refugee. Here are few links about
the author, his book and his cause.
,
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Important
Sites for Students, Parents & Teachers:
.California
Reading List: Matches Students to Books based on the Stanford
9 Achievement Test Results. Good for selecting books designed
to improve student reading skills.
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