Not a huge pile for July. Kate Morton’s The Lake House is a hefty read with a cast of about forty people across three generations – a lot to keep track of. It’s a great story, especially if you like to get lost in a mystery full of dark family secrets, crimes, and hidden identities.…
All posts by Jill M Smith
Summer Reading
How to Catch a Polar Bear by Stacy Dekeyser Caregivers, if your child is looking for a fun, neighborhood, family adventure, Stacy Dekeyser’s How to Catch a Polar Bear is the perfect choice for that summer reading assignment or long road trip. Mishaps abound as Nicky and his two pals, Ace and Penny, try to…
Bookstores & More
While vacationing in western North Carolina, I visited the The Battery Park Book Exchange and Champagne Bar in Asheville. I think I’m in love. Forget the coffee & book combo. This place knows how to keep readers inside. A beautiful setting to sip bubbly from crystal glasses while browsing the shelves or sitting with a…
Summer Reading
Looking for an adventurous, animal-centered story for your summer reading project? Look no further than Dave Eggers’ The Eyes & the Impossible. My library has this beautiful edition with front and back covers made of wood. The illustrations are gorgeous. This book is a pleasure to behold, and to read. Johannes, a stray dog, is…
Monthly Reads: June
Posted on Author Jill M SmithPosted in Care Givers, Monthly Reads, What I'm Reading, WritingLeave a Reply
This month I’ve read two fiction books, and one non-fiction book on the craft of writing. Anne of Green Gables is a children’s classic that I just read for the first time. It is interesting to see how the craft of writing and publishing standards have evolved over the years. Hang the Moon was about…
Sensational Sentences: The Lake House by Kate Morton
Posted on Author Jill M SmithPosted in Sensational Sentences, Teacher Resources, Teacher Tuesday, WritingLeave a Reply
If you are a reader or a writer or both, I’m sure you have come across sentences that make you pause and re-read them, not because they are confusing, but because they are so beautifully crafted you couldn’t take it all in the first time. I have a journal in which I copy sentences from…
Teacher Resources: Public Speaking
If you assign public speaking, oral presentations, debate, or any type of speaking in your classroom, I can bet that you are met with opposition from some shy students. Even our best writers, readers, and thinkers can be intimidated by a presentation assignment. The pressure not to mess up can be paralyzing for students. Why…
A Classic to Consider: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Teachers, as you revise your reading lists for the next school year, I recommend taking a look at The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Over the last few years I have seen many teachers asking for ideas on how to teach The Odyssey [TO] because students were struggling. I love TO and I…
A Gem of a Poem: “Dreams” by Langston Hughes
Posted on Author Jill M SmithPosted in A Gem of A Poem, Teacher Inspiration, Teacher TuesdayLeave a Reply
Dreams by Langston Hughes Hold fast to dreams For if dreams die Life is a broken-winged bird That cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams For when dreams go Life is a barren field Frozen with snow. Teachers, are you looking for something inspirational, short, and accessible for the end of the school year? I hear…
May Reads
Three books for the month of May: Fredrik Backman’s The Winners; Katherine Applegate’s The One and Only Ruby; and Rebecca Serle’s One Italian Summer. Serle was a new author for me and I enjoyed this story set on the Amalfi Coast – what’s not to like about that? TOaO Ruby is the third in a…
