JennaScribbles

I’m Sitting in my PJs – Here’s a Reminder

Posted on November 25, 2011 by JAScribbles

Did you head out to do some Black Friday shopping? I didn’t. I’m sitting here in my PJs and being lazy. I think I have a turkey hangover. {burp}

In case you’re like me and plan to stay in today, I wanted to remind you of a few popular posts I have on my blog. These may make your holiday shopping a little easier.

Also, remember that many bloggers are also affiliates with various online stores. If you do any shopping online you should consider routing to the seller via one of their links. Say for example, you click on any one of the Amazon links on my blog and then buy something, anything, I will get a small referral fee. I cannot see who bought what, your names are never given and no cost is added to your purchase. No matter what you buy too! You don’t have to buy the item listed on the blog. When I shop Amazon I always route through various blogging friends sites first.

Soooo – that was a not-so-subtle hint.

Here are a few gift buying posts that you may find helpful:

Gifts for Video Game Lovers that aren’t Video Games

Great Movies for Tween Boys (girls will like some of these as well)

Why a Kindle Makes a Great Gift for an Older, Elderly Reader

Of course there are many posts in my series – Top Rated Kindle Books Under $3

And finally -

Funny Geeky Gifts

Enjoy your day and happy shopping!

~ Jenna

Trash – Book Report Option

Posted on November 22, 2011 by JAScribbles

It appears I have some new subscribers and that some of you work for a school district or are college students. Welcome! I hope you find these posts helpful. Over the next year or so I will load up the Book Report category with lots of options. I also have lots of posts regarding struggling readers. I invite you to take a peek at those as well.

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This post is about a book that boys would particularly like. It is also a great starting point for a unit on poverty.

Trash

Author – Andy Mulligan (click name for bio and an interesting video about the book, Trash.)

222 pages

Lexile measurement – 850L … Note that this story is told in a loose, conversational fashion. Various people take turns telling the story. Some of the characters seem to have English as a second language. I feel this makes the difficulty a notch higher than 850L – but that is just my opinion.

Accelerated Reader Info – AR Quiz No. 140092 EN Fiction, IL: MG+ – BL: 5.1 – AR Pts: 8.0 (Do those things make sense to you? Sorry, they don’t to me. I know Lexile, not AR information. Let me know what parents and teachers look for and I will be sure to post it. )

Original publication date – October 2010

For grades 7 and up, age 12 and up. (I agree with this based on the content. I would not suggest this for kids under 12.)

Setting – A shanty town called Behala. The country is not given but many feel it is based on Manila, Philippines.

The primary narrators are all boys – Raphael, 14 – Gardo, 14 and Rat, 11. There are a few adult side characters.

New and used copies can be purchased HERE.

My thoughts – this story has it all. It’s a mystery, adventure tale, but at the same time, deep, touching, thought-provoking, etc. Teachers who want to do a unit on various parts of the world, or compare our lives to the lives of others – this one will spark that conversation. Big time! There is also a lot of focus on justice and fairness. The setting is so well drawn, you will be amazed.

For middle school and high school teachers looking for a book to read regarding the themes below, I highly recommend this one.

Content – (Again, I give this info to help parents and school employees an insight into the book, not to ban or censor. Watch out for spoilers.) Poverty explained in detail, horrible working conditions, handling feces, life with rats, fist fights, mention of a woman committing suicide by placing her head on the railroad tracks, a boy punched and beaten by police, threatened to the point of wetting and defecating on himself, a boy hung out a window, lots of intimidation, tense scenes where the boys hide and run from the law, lying, young boys smoking, drinking, and horrible prison conditions. There were a few uses of shit, hell and ass – maybe five times total for all words. There was no God/Jesus or sexual references or nudity.

OK – that sounds kind of bad. It is a wonderful book for older students. Do not ignore this one.

Themes – Shanty towns, poverty, third world countries, survival, doing whatever you have to in order to survive, doing the right thing, homelessness, life without parents or family, keeping secrets, fear & distrust of police and government, convicts, prisoners, secret codes, starvation, injustice, feelings of worthlessness, and lying to save your life or the life of another.

Part of this book talk about the Smokey Mountains and this is why readers feel the author was referring to Manila and the garbage heaps there. Here are some pictures from that area:

photo credit UMC.org

photo credit gbgm-umc.org

photo credit hiro miyazawa

I will end this post by saying it is not a depressing book – it’s quite thrilling. A wonderful mystery set in a part of the world I was completely ignorant of.

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Books similar to Trash -

A Long Walk to Water - Age 9 and up, 128 pages, 720L

Mud City - Age 10 and up, 176 pages, 740L

The Danger Box - Age 9 and up, 320 pages, 750L

?? More to suggest? Let me know and I’ll add them.

Be sure to check out all the books in this category by clicking the link on the right. You can also subscribe to receive JennaScribbles by e-mail.

Happy reading!

~ Jenna

Posted in Book Reports | Tagged Book Report Reading List, book report trash by andy mulligan, Book Reports Middle School, books about poverty, books for boys, high school book reports, school unit about poverty, teacher resources for book reports | Leave a comment

Mockingbird – Book Report Option

Posted on November 19, 2011 by JAScribbles

It’s time for me to post another book report option. Please browse this category for all the titles I have detailed. I am doing this to help parents, teachers, and students find great books to read in class or for book reports.

Mockingbird

Author – Kathryn Erskine (click link for bio)

Grade 5 and up – Age 10 and up

Lexile measurement/Reading Level – 630L

Accelerated Reader Level – 3.6, Points 5, AR Quiz No. 136100 EN

Length – 235 pages (Note: The margins and line spacing are very wide in this title.)

Original Publication Date – April 2010

Setting – Virginia

Main Character – Caitlin, girl, 10 years old. The side characters are varied – males and females of all ages – her dad, a teacher, students in elementary school, etc.

Description – Caitlin has Asperger’s. The world according to her is black and white; anything in between is confusing. Before, when things got confusing, Caitlin went to her
older brother, Devon, for help. But Devon has died, and Caitlin’s dad is so distraught that he is just not helpful. Caitlin wants everything to go back to the way things were, but she doesn’t know how to do that. Then she comes across the word closure- and she realizes this is what she needs. And in her search for it, Caitlin discovers that the world may not be black and white after all.

You can buy new and used copies via Amazon HERE.

My thoughts - This title was written for kids ages 10 and up. I actually found it in the children’s section of the library. Kids this age will like it and I don’t think the content is too sad or violent for them. I feel though that older kids should read this book. I believe the discussion would be so much better with middle school aged kids and older.

The storyline follows a girl with Asperger’s Syndrome and how she deals with the death of her brother. There are many themes in this story (see below) and I feel it would spark wonderful classroom discussion or material for a book report. I also intend to suggest it as a title for my book club.

Themes – Asperger’s Syndrome, Autism, kids with disabilities, understanding emotions, missing loved ones who have died, grief, loss, family, coping, rituals, inside the mind of a child with a disability, surviving school, friends, making friends, fitting in, parenting a child with a disability, loss of a child, school counselors, blaming, and healing.

Content – (These details are given to aid parents and teachers in selecting a book – not to ban or censor a title.) Death by shooting (mentioned, not detailed), a short recess fight, name calling, death of a mother mentioned, teasing, school shooting incident (not detailed, happened months earlier), a handful of sad and somber scenes. There is no: swearing, use of the word God/Jesus/etc., and no sexual references or nudity.

I hope that helps!

Let me know if you have titles you’d like me to read and detail. I’d be happy to.

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Need books similar to Mockingbird? Here you go:

Waiting for Normal - 570L, 320 pages

A Mango Shaped Space - 770L, 240 pages

Anything but Typical - 640L, 208 pages

Perks of Being a Wallflower - 720L (this one is for ages 12-17 years), 213 pages

Dancing on the Inside - reading level unknown, 236 pages

Harmonic Feedback - reading level unknown, recommended for age 14 and older, 288 pages

Happy reading!

~ Jenna

Posted in Book Reports | Tagged 5th 6th 7th 8th grade books for book reports, Accelerated Reader Level points Mockingbird, Book report Mockingbird, Book Report Reading List, Books about people with Autism, Books with characters with Asperger's Syndrome, content detail Mockingbird Erskine, Lexile measure Mockingbird, Mockingbird Kathryn Erskine | Leave a comment

Top Rated Kindle Books Under $3 – Nov 17

Posted on November 17, 2011 by JAScribbles

Has it been a week already? You need some more great books, don’t you? These are all under $3 and getting good reviews from readers. Make sure you check the price carefully and also peek at the full list.

How about some mysteries?

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Wendy and the Lost Boys

This kind of sounds like an erotic title, but it isn’t. It’s kind of a cozy mystery – definitely a female sleuth. It is only $0.99 at the time of this post and has 17/18 five star reviews. People seem to really love it.

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Rottweiler Rescue: a mystery for dog lovers

I read this one a while back – when I first got my Kindle – and really enjoyed it. I wish Ms. O’Connell would get her butt in gear and write more in this series. Hint, hint.

It is currently priced at $2.99 and has 66 four and five star reviews – all of um!!

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Crashed (The Junior Bender Series)

At first I thought this was a young adult or middle grade book, it’s not. The main character is an adult. This author, Timothy Hallinan has written a few series (all of which are getting good reviews) and many of which have won awards! Awesome. They all come at a great price too – less than $3. We love.

Crashed is listed at $2.99 at the time of this post and has 24 four or five star ratings – 23 are five stars! Sounds awesome.

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Ok – well, now you have more to pick from. Swing back and look at my previous posts in this category AND subscribe.

Until next time!

Posted in Books and eBooks, Kindle | Tagged Amazon Kindle, Bargain Kindle Books, cheap Amazon Kindle ebooks, cheap Kindle mysteries, cozy mysteries for Kindle, How to get notified of kindle books on sale, Kindle Fire books, Top Rated eBooks, Top Rated Kindle Books, top three under $3, Where to find bargain Kindle Books | Leave a comment

Top Rated Kindle Books Under $3 – Nov 12

Posted on November 12, 2011 by JAScribbles

Hi friends – here is a quick post for ya. These books are under $3 and have great reviews.

I just downloaded both of them!

Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider (The Rabbit Trilogy)

It’s only $0.99 and people are loving it. It’s a vampire tale with a unique spiritual twist. I’ll let you know what I think when I’ve finished reading it.

It has 103/111 four or five star reviews at the time of this post.

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Something Like Summer

I’ve been wanting to read this one for a long time. I was going to read it for my Book Report series, but then realized it isn’t a teen book! Oh well – I KNOW I’ll like it.

“Something Like Summer is a love story spanning a decade and beyond as two boys discover what it means to be friends, lovers, and sometimes even enemies.”

It’s only $2.99 and is getting good reviews.

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That’s it for today! Remember – I have LOTS of books in the Top Rated Under $3 category. Check them out HERE.

Happy reading

~ Jenna

Posted in Books and eBooks, Kindle | Tagged Amazon Kindle, Cheap top rated Kindle books, How to find free Kindle books, Top Rated Kindle Books, Top Rated Under $3, top three under $3, Where to find bargain Kindle Books | Leave a comment

More Ways to Borrow Kindle Books

Posted on November 9, 2011 by JAScribbles

Previously, I mentioned that there are a few sites where you can borrow books for your Kindle. Well, now you have two more options: by signing up for an Amazon Prime Membership and through your local library. (Read on, you will be surprised about this.)

Amazon Prime members will have the ability to borrow books directly from Amazon. You may borrow one book at a time and lending still needs to be enabled for the title.

Remember how to do that? You need to pull up the product page and look at the details:

So you do not have access to the million + books on Amazon, BUT you also do not need to find someone who already owns the title. This removes that “Does anyone have _____ that they can loan me?” aspect. Just go to Amazon, search their Lending Library, and request it. You need to be a Prime member. There are lots of advantages to that, but I will spare you the sales pitch. (At the time of this post the lending library is hunt and peck. I will update the link once they make that more user friendly.)

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Another option for borrowing Kindle books - your local library!

Wait… you will be surprised about this one.

You can actually check out books that do not have lending enabled! Not every single title you can think of, but more!

Isn’t that cool?

Each library system will probably handle loaning a bit differently so I won’t explain the technical how-tos. Just contact your county library and ask them how to do it.

It’s free!

At my local library I need to download a piece of software – an app of sorts. Once I have that, the software will help transfer the book file to my Kindle.

I’ve done this for about five titles and it’s SO EASY!! There are limits on the number of books you can check out to your Kindle and you also have a limited time to read them – three weeks - the same as any other DTB (dead tree book).

Here’s the great part – there are more titles to pick from. More than the Kindle ebook lending sites and more than Amazon Prime.

Yippee!!!

Here are some example of titles I can get through my library. NONE of these have lending enabled on Amazon. There must be an agreement between the publisher and the library systems. (The links will bring you to Amazon)