Food Rules...Michael Pollan

Fascinating food for thought (that is too obvious a pun to pass by)...a lot of it makes sense, some of it isn't any fun....and while I don't abide by them all the rules, I do occasionally glance at the book and wonder how I'm doing.

Tip It! The World According to Maggie Griffin...for adults

For those who know me, they know I watch Kathy Griffin religiously - I admire her willingness to take on issues (Don't Ask Don't Tell) and her ability to see the absurd in everyday life. Oh sure, I spend some time asking myself, "Did she just say that?" but all in all it's good fun. I read her Official Book Club Selection last year and was pleasantly surprised to see her mom's Tip It! at Barnes and Noble the other day. Maggie Griffin is a saint - not because she puts up with her daughter but because she understands and accepts Kathy for who she is. The respect these two have for each other is wonderful. And it seems they follow a simple rule - don't take life too seriously and when life gets you down - tip it.

Andrew Clements...No Talking

Andrew Clements has mastered writing for the third through fifth grade population. In each book he creates characters that kids can identify with. No Talking explores the power of words and the importance of listening. Oh sure, he throws in some cooties and boys are better than girls stuff along with a humorless principal but ultimately the message he delivers is - it's not always who wins but what we learn along the way.

From Fluff to Substance

My mind, partly mush from the fluff of last weekend, is now engaged in Sue Miller's latest, Lake Shore Limited. I've also downloaded Anne Tyler's Ladder of Years to my Kindle. Looking forward to reading some beautiful language and well woven family drama. (I think it's only a coincidence that a beach is on both covers.)

A Gas of a Book

I was a bit surprised when Mrs. Belmonte pulled Doctor Proctor's Fart Powder out of the box. I couldn't remember ordering it but am glad I did. While the story is light, the language funny, author Jo Nesbo has given the reader plenty to think about when it comes to being different and dealing with bullies. We all need friends like Lisa and Nilly.

Nutmeg Books

Every year the kids of Connecticut have an opportunity to vote for their favorite book from a list of ten novels. At North Mianus we celebrate with the 5th Grade Nutmeg Book Bowl. For a list of the 2011 nominees, click here.

My summer reading will include finishing up the Nutmeg books (I reviewed a couple in April). Yesterday I read The Thing About Georgie by Lisa Graff. Put simply, it is an incredibly sweet book about a fourth grade boy who is a dwarf and how he deals with his place in the world. And yet there are far more layers. What does it take to be a good friend? What will it take to be a good older brother? Are there conditions on the love his parents have for him based on his dwarfism? Good stuff all around.

Rivals by Tim Green

Just finished this book . Green creates a good 21st century baseball story* along with a little bit of mystery. Towards the end of the book I think I found a mistake. If you read Rivals and think there is a mistake also, email me. A little prize will go to the first student who discovers what I did. (I just emailed the author to see what might have happened. I'll let you know if I hear back.)

*I grew up on Matt Christopher.

Crunch by Leslie Connor

Leslie Connor has written a thoroughly delightful book titled Crunch. It is a story of family, friendship and bikes. Good stuff to discuss throughout.

Fluff for the Weekend!

I stocked up my Kindle with fluff - a perfect way to start summer vacation. My writing will be limited as typing with a ruptured disc is still a bit painful.

A Week's Worth of Books - Kids

On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer rips at your heart. Two friends go for a bike ride, a dare goes wrong and only one comes back. At what point should Joel tell the whole story and when he does will forgiveness follow?





The Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute, graphic novel by Jarret Krosoczka is a whole lot of fun. Super hero lunch ladies, spatula helicopters and more. Part of a series that's bound to have many fans.





I finally read Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson. Put simply, it is a gently told story of friendship and acceptance (although I did want to yell at the parents a few times).





MJ Auch's One Handed Catch, a 2011 Nutmeg Book Award nominee is a very enjoyable read. Friendship, family, resilience, and determination are all prominent pieces to this sports story. Times have changed since 1946 - I wonder how an 11 year old boy i 2010 would deal with the adversity of losing his hand to a meat grinder.

A Week's Worth of Books - Adults

In Anne Lamott's Imperfect Birds we catch up with Rosie, former teenage tennis phenom. At 17, Rosie is an A student and an accomplished liar who struggles with addictions of all kinds. Elizabeth, her flawed and recovering addict mother wants desperately to believe Rosie isn't as bad as she is, while her husband unsuccessfully tries to set boundaries (both because of his own limitations and because Rosie is a master manipulator). I love Anne Lamott's work and I found Imperfect Birds to be gut wrenchingly hopeful.



The Condition by Jennifer Haigh is an intense family drama. Every one of the characters is flawed - from the mother who desperately wants a perfect life to the workaholic husband to the three kids who flee as soon as they get the chance. I laughed, I yelled, I cried.





In Linda Fairstein's Hell Gate, Alex, Mike and Mercer are back on the job investigating human trafficking. Not a light subject but as usual, thoroughly researched. With Fairstein you get a tightly wound mystery, some New York City history and politics. Good stuff.




The Kids Are All Right, a memoir written in alternating voices by the Welch siblings of Westchester County tells the story of a family devastated by their father's accidental death in a car accident, a mother dying of cancer and their children who struggle unsuccessfully to remain together. It's not easy; it's not pretty. Somehow, though, there is hope.


The Usual Rules, a novel of September 11th by Joyce Maynard is a compelling story of how one blended family deals with the loss of their wife and mother. The last forty pages packed quite a punch.

Newbery Honor Book...Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

When a student tells you they've read a book 14 times because every time she goes back she sees something new, that's a pretty good recommendation. Today I finally read Newbery Honor Book, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin. Wow. Lin is an incredible storyteller and because I fear I cannot do her book justice, checkout: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and go to the bottom. The reviewers from School Library Journal and Booklist did a far better job than I could ever do. And then - read the book.

Think Twice by Lisa Scottoline

There are some authors who I've read for years - their characters familiar. When I saw Lisa Scottoline had a new book I waited for it it to appear on the shelves of Rowayton Library. Think Twice was there for the taking on Friday and I spent Saturday afternoon becoming reacquainted with lawyers, Mary, Bennie, and Judy. Is it great literature? No. Is the identical twin storyline believable? No. But it was fun catching up with some old friends.

For kids...

When I read a chapter book for kids the question I often ask myself is, "Would I want to be friends with the main character?" I found two books recently where the answer to that question was yes.

I'll be honest - I only picked up Dessert First by Hallie Durrand because of the title. Who wouldn't want dessert first? As it turns out, Dessert isn't just a food group, she's a young girl figuring out how the world works. She's helped along the way by her fondue restaurant owning parents and Mrs. Howdy Doody, her delightful third grade teacher. Put simply, this is a sweet but not too sugary story of one third grader's struggle with figuring out right from wrong.


How Oliver Olson Changed the World by Claudia Mills was recommended by my favorite children's librarian Kathy J and she was right on with this recommendation. Oliver's parents are the doting, over protective type. Wanting nothing more than for their son to succeed, they decide it's best for them to do his projects. As it turns out, Oliver wants something too - to do his own projects. Can the Olsons let go of their need to control? Can Oliver speak loud enough for his parents to hear and understand? Read How Oliver Olson Changed the World to find out.

For the Adults...

Someone mentioned the book Go Ask Alice recently. I remember reading it way back when and thinking it was a book my parents probably wouldn't approve of. Well I reread it and three things struck me - there is no way I understood what was happening within the pages of that book. I wish I could go back to that Amy and have a conversation. I was also struck by the parents love for their daughter, despite the choices she made, the parents were always there to help pick up the pieces. Lastly, being a teenager has always been hard - technology may hasten things but kids can be cruel.


Jodi Picoult's new book House Rules offers an engaging and compelling story. While I have not read all her books, I often find myself thinking, "I can't believe how predictable this story is," and then wham, I'm blindsided by a twist I never anticipated. So yes, there's a twist in House Rules. Is it as jaw dropping as My Sister's Keeper? No, but the character development is superb and Picoult does a masterful job of writing from five different perspectives, including that of 18 year old Jacob, a young man who has Asperger's Syndrome. It is a book you won't want to put down and you don't want to end.