It's Great to be a Sports Fan in New England!

Wow, how lucky are we to be fans in New England? The Red Sox didn't just win, but swept the World Series last night (allowing me to finally get to bed at a reasonable hour tonight)!! What a season and what a future we have with our young players. The Patriots are having an incredible season - 52-7, wow! Tom Brady is on pace to smash records and Randy Moss just can't miss. And lets not forget BC football (ranked #2) - what a game Thursday night against Virginia Tech. Being a BU girl I typically don't cheer for BC but since BU doesn't have a football team anymore (another topic for another time), I will gladly support the Eagles in this case. The Bruins and the Celtics are also looking good. Patrice Bergeron had a scare on Saturday but he's been released from the hospital and the prognosos is good. My kids have no idea how lucky they are. They're 10 and 8 and have both been around for two Red Sox World Series wins and three Patriots Super Bowl wins. I asked them how many Super Bowls they thought I'd seen the Patriots win and Colin said 7 or 8. He was quite surprised when I told him that I'd only seen three. Times have changed for Sox and Patriots fans. Congratulations Red Sox and Red Sox Nation!

Staples

Yesterday was a beautiful day, sunny, and in the 70s. Unfortuantly, I spent over two and a half hours of that beautiful day at the emergency room with my son, Colin. He and his brother Sean were wrestling, as boys often do, and Sean ended up pushing Colin off his bed, causing him to hit his head on his bookcase. Needless to say there was a lot of blood and it didn't take long to determine that a trip to the emergency room would be necessary. Fortunately, I had the presence of mind to grab a few books before heading out. We have been reading Judy Blume's Fudge series together and were close to finishing one so I brought the next one as well. Though he wasn't up to reading himself, he was happy to have me read to him. A young girl who was also waiting to be seen moved closer so she could enjoy the story, too. We had finished Fudge-a-mainia by the time we reached the second waiting area and were well into Superfudge by the time the doctor finally arrived in the examining room. Reading these books really helped pass the time for both of us. I can't imagine how miserable he would have been if he was simply sitting in the waiting room, feeling sorry for himself, with nothing to distract him (not to mention how miserable I would have been in his company). There are many instances in our lives that require waiting and down time. I highly recommend keeping something to read with you at all times, whether in your car or in your bag, so that you can make the most of wait times. Getting your oil changed or waiting to see the dentist is much more pleasant if you can read something you enjoy at the same time. Try it!

Teen Read Week

Yesterday marked the beginning of ALA's Teen Read Week with the theme of lol@yourlibrary. In keeping with this theme I thought I'd write about some funny books that I've enjoyed but it occurs to me that most of the books I read are not exactly laugh out loud funny. I know there are some, but I do tend to gravitate toward heavier subject matter. I will confess that even though it isn't meant to be a comedy, I did find myself laughing out loud at times while reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Some of the things that came out of Christopher's mouth were just hilarious! Another book that comes to mind is the Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin. Though I read this several years ago I do remember laughing out loud at some parts and crying at others. It was recently made into a movie starring Scarlett Johansson (which I did not see, so I won't comment). Jimmy Buffett's books are also entertaining and light. I really wanted to head to the tropics after reading A Salty Piece of Land. Some of his characters are outrageous. I guess I should branch out and start reading some lighter stuff. Does anyone have any suggestions to help me lighten up my reading?

Attleboro's Big Read

Like Norton's One School, One Book, program but on a much larger scale, the city of Attleboro has embarked on a reading program of its own. Called "The Big Read," this town-wide initiative has the town reading and talking about Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. Bishop Feehan and Attleboro High Schools have gotten involved, as have many community groups, including the Larson Senior Center, the Attleboro Garden Club, and local churches. A variety of free activities have been developed to accompany the book, including numerous book discussions, guest speakers, and movie screenings. Though I read this book many years ago, I thought it was worth another look and I was not disappointed. The book recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, yet it is as relevent today as it ever was. This futuristic look at the dangers of censorship, the effects of mass media, and the dangers of a too powerful government (to name just a few), is particularly important today in the face of political correctness, reality TV, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. If you haven't read Farhenheit 451, or if like me, you haven't read it in a long time, it is well doing. Several copies are available in the Norton High School Library.

Why I Love SSR (Sustained Silent Reading)

We've been doing this SSR thing for about a month now and it seems that things have settled down a little. Students and teachers have had time to adjust to the idea and I'm hearing far fewer complaints, laments, etc. than I was hearing earlier in the year. Now I understand that change, even positive change, is often difficult and takes time. That said, let me tell you why I love SSR.

As you know, I love to read. What a treat it is to be able to do something that I already make time to do at home, in the middle of my work day! I have my SSR book that I keep here at school and I have another book that I am reading at home. I'll admit that I haven't progressed very far in my SSR book as I often have customers during this time, but I'm not complaining. I am happy to put down my book to assist students with finding books for themselves. Which leads me to another reason why I love SSR. Kids are reading more! I usually see several students per day during SSR who are returning a book that they have finished and looking for something new. Students also stop by between periods (an even better idea since it doesn't interfere with their reading time) to check out books. I realize that with homework, part-time jobs, sports, and activities, students feel crunched for time and often don't make time to read. Now that they have been given the gift of time, some kids have rediscovered their love of reading for pleasure. Hopefully facutly members are making the same discovery. If you haven't been completely converted to an SSR lover, please keep at it. Don't think of it as "one more thing I have to do," but rather, embrace this time. It's probably the only part of the school day in which you can read whatever you choose, just because...

Summer Reads

Though I love to read and do so all year, I always read quite a bit more during the summer. This happens mainly for two reasons. I have more time, as I am not in school, and I tend to stay up later because I don't have to get up at the crack of dawn. I read quite a few books this summer and will comment on just a few. First, I finally got around to reading Wicked by Gregory Maguire and I'm so glad I did. I've talked to people who didn't care for it or didn't even finish it, but I loved it! I'm not sure there's any point in ever watching The Wizard of Oz again, as my view of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, has been turned completely upside down. Not wicked, but rather, misunderstood, Elphaba is a likable outcast with a passion for animal rights. It is a little difficult to read knowing, as we all do, her eventual fate, but even harder when you realize that she's not so wicked afterall. I would love to see Wicked, the musical, and lookd forward to the book's sequel, Son of a Witch. Wicked is available here in the Norton High School Library.

The second book on which I must comment is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I have been a huge fan of the books since day one and the final installment did not disappoint. All of the questions are answered and the ending is very satisfying. Rowling does not sugar coat things as some of our favorite characters lose their lives along the way but I still came away with a good feeling at the end. Though I will miss reading about my friends at Hogwarts (where I secretly wish I could have been a student) this book, unlike its predecessors, left me with the sense of a journey completed and as a bonus, a glimps of the next geration. I will donate my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to the Norton High School Library after my family has finished passing it around.

NHS Favorite Reads

Hey Norton High Students, Faculty, and Staff,
What are you reading? What are your friends and colleagues reading? What is your all time favorite book? Please post a brief synopsis of a book you'd recommend to others. Be sure you include the title and author. After you've posted your own, check out what others are recommending!