Book 54 ~ Gotcha!

GOTCHA!
By Jamie Gilson
Illustrated by Amy Wummer
© 2006 Clarion Books NY, NY
ISBN# 0618543562
68 pgs
February 25, 2007 Sunday

Book 53 ~ It's A Wonderful Life For Kids!

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE FOR KIDS!
By Jimmy Hawkins
Illustrations by Douglas B. Jones
© 2006 Dutton Children's Books NY, NY
ISBN# 0525477675
40 pgs
February 25, 2007 Sunday

Book 52 ~ The Medieval World

THE MEDIEVAL WORLD
By Philip Steele
© 2006 Kingfisher/Houghton Mifflin Boston, MA
ISBN# 0753460467
95pgs
February 25, 2007 Sunday

Book 51 ~ Mountains The Tops of the World

MOUNTAINS THE TOPS OF THE WORLD
By David L Harrison
Illustrations by Cheryl Nathan
© 2005 Boyds Mills Press Honesdale, PA
ISBN# 1590783263
32 pgs
February 25, 2007 Sunday

Book 50 ~ My School Mi Escuela

MY SCHOOL MI ESCUELA
Written by Ginger Foglesong Guy
Illustrated by Vivi Escriva
© 2006 HarperCollins NY, NY
ISBN# 0060791012
24 pgs
February 25, 2007 Sunday

Book 49 ~ The Deaf Musicians

THE DEAF MUSICIANS
Story by Pete Seeger & Paul Dubois Jacobs
Illustrations by R. Gregory Christie
© 2006 G.P. Putnam's Sons NY, NY
ISBN# 039924316x
32 pgs
February 25, 2007 Sunday

Book 48 ~ Hush, Little Baby

HUSH, LITTLE BABY
Adapted and Illustrated by Brian Pinkney
© 2006 Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins NY, NY
ISBN# 0060559942
32 pgs
February 25, 2007 Sunday

Book 47 ~ Matilda's Humdinger

MATILDA'S HUMDINGER
Story by Lynn Downey
Illustrations by Tim Bowers
© 2006 Alfred A. Knopf/Random House NY, NY
ISBN# 0375924035
40 pgs
February 25, 2007 Sunday

Movie 4 ~ Strictly Ballroom

STRICTLY BALLROOM
1992 * PG * 94 min * Miramax Films
Directed by Baz Luhrmann
February 22, 2007 Thursday
Seen on dvd - Tuscaloosa, AL
With Marion
IMDB

Book 46 ~ Ready, Set, Preschool!

READY, SET, PRESCHOOL!
by Anna Jane Hays
Illustrated by True Kelly
© 2006 Random House Children's Books NY, NY
ISBN# 0-375-82-519-3
30 pgs
February 19, 2007 Monday

Book 45 ~ The Dream Keeper

THE DREAM KEEPER
by Robert Ingpen
© 2006 Penguin Young Readers Group NY, NY
ISBN# 0-698-40-036-4
32 pgs
February 19, 2007 Monday

Book 44 ~ Watermelon Wishes

WATERMELON WISHES
by Lisa Moser
Illustrated by Stacey Schuett
© 2006 Houghton Mifflin Company NY, NY
ISBN# 0-618-56-433-0
32 pgs
February 19, 2007 Monday

Book 43 ~ I Heard It From Alice Zucchini: Poems About The Garden

I HEARD IT FROM ALICE ZUCCHINI: POEMS ABOUT THE GARDEN
By Juanita Havill
Illustrated by Christine Davenier
© 2006 Chronicle Books NY, NY
ISBN# 0-811-83-962-1
32 pgs
February 19, 2007 Monday

Book 42 ~ The Read~Aloud Handbook

THE READ~ALOUD HANDBOOK
by Jim Trelease
© 2006 Penguin Books NY, NY
ISBN# 0-14-30-3739-0
340 pgs
February 19, 2007 Monday

Book 41 ~ Jason's Gold

JASON'S GOLD
by Will Hobbs
© 1999 Morrow Junior Books NY, NY
ISBN# 0-688-15093-4
221 pgs
February 18, 2007 Sunday

Theatre 1 ~ The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

This was the first Valentine's Day Date with the Southern Gentleman and a fabulous one it was.


We were going to try and get student rush tickets at the box office when a woman offered us main floor seats for what we would of spent on the rush tickets! We got an awesome deal!

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center Concert Hall.
Birmingham, Alabama
February 17, 2007 Saturday at 2pm

Some Links:
wiki page
official 'Bee' website

National Touring Production

• Alan H. Green as Mitch Mahoney
• Katie Boren as Marcy Park
• Michael Zahler as Leaf Coneybear
• Eric Petersen as William Barfee
• Jennifer Simard as Rona Lisa Peretti
• Lauren Worsham as Olive Ostrovsky
• Miguel Cervantes as Chip Tolentino
• James Kall as Douglas Panch
• Sarah Stiles as Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre

After the show we went to the Globe Restaurant for dinner and had the following dishes:

Baked French Brie
A French rind-ripened cheese, slow baked and topped with roasted garlic cloves, herbal mix, and extra virgin olive oil. Served with Italian focaccia bread.

Chicken Korma
Chicken breast strips sauteéd in butter with Indian Masala spice, sweet onions, carrots, tomatoes, and yogurt. Served atop jasmine rice and garnished with poppy seeds, lemon wedges, and cilantro. Topped with cinnamon.

The Oberon
A 12-ounce prime center-cut strip loin encrusted with fresh thyme, salt and black pepper, char-grilled and topped with smoked tomato butter and fried shallot rings. Served with the vegetable of the day.

For dessert we shared a piece of Creme Brulee Cheesecake.

I learned about the restaurant shortly after getting to Alabama - what peaked my interest so much is that all the decor comes from local theatre productions. I was a very neat ambiance and the food was great as well! Not sure when, but we will be going be back.

Book 40 ~ A Child is Born

A CHILD IS BORN
by Margaret Wise Brown
Illustration by Floyd Cooper
© 2000 Hyperion Books NY, NY
ISBN# 0-7868-2564-2
22 pgs
February 12, 2007 Monday

Book 39 ~ Miz Berlin Walks

MIZ BERLIN WALKS
by Jane Yolen
Illustration by Floyd Cooper
© 1997 Philomel Books/Putnam & Grosset NY, NY
ISBN# 0-399-23300-8
29 pgs
February 12, 2007 Monday

Book 38 ~ Chita's Christmas Tree

CHITA'S CHRISTMAS TREE
by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard
Illustration by Floyd Cooper
© 1989 Bradbury Press NY, NY
ISBN# 0-689-71739-3
29 pgs
February 12, 2007 Monday

Book 37 ~ Tree of Hope

TREE OF HOPE
by Amy Littlesugar
Illustration by Floyd Cooper
© 1999 Philomel Books/Penguin Putnam Books NY, NY
ISBN# 0-399-23300-8
37 pgs
February 12, 2007 Monday

Book 36 ~ Shake Rag From the Life of Elvis Presley

SHAKE RAG FROM THE LIFE OF ELVIS PRESLEY
by Amy Littlesugar
Illustration by Floyd Cooper
© 1998 Philomel Books/Putnam & Grosset Group NY, NY
ISBN# 0-399-23005-X
36 pgs
February 12, 2007 Monday

Book 35 ~ Caddie the Golf Dog

CADDIE THE GOLF DOG
by Michael Sampson & Bill Martin Jr.
Illustration by Floyd Cooper
© 2002 Walker & Company NY, NY
ISBN# 0-8027-8817-3
29 pgs
February 12, 2007 Monday

Book 34 ~ Be Good to Eddie Lee

BE GOOD TO EDDIE LEE
by Virginia Fleming
Illustrated by Floyd Cooper
© 1993 PaperStar Book/Putnam & Grosset Group NY, NY
ISBN# 0-698-11582-1
29 pgs
February 12, 2007 Monday

Book 33 ~ Visiting the Art Museum

VISITING THE ART MUSEUM
by Laurene Krasny Brown & Marc Brown
© 1986 E.P. Dutton NY, NY
ISBN# 0-525-44233-2
32 pgs
February 12, 2007 Monday

Book 32 ~ The Diary of a Killer Cat

THE DIARY OF A KILLER CAT
by Anne Fine
Pictures by Steve Cox
© 1994 Farrar, Straus & Giroux NY, NY
ISBN# 0-374-31779-8
58 pgs
February 12, 2007 Monday

Book 31 ~ My First Ballet Book

MY FIRST BALLET BOOK
by Kate Castle
© 2006 Kingfisher Publications Boston, MA
ISBN# 0-7534-6026-2
48 pgs
February 12, 2007 Monday

Book 30 ~ Please Don't Upset P.U. Zorilla

PLEASE DON'T UPSET P.U. ZORILLA
by Lynn Rowe Reed
© 2006 Alfred A. Knopf/ Random House NY, NY
ISBN# 0-375-93654-8
31 pgs
February 12, 2007 Monday

Book 29 ~ Handsprings

HANDSPRINGS
Poems & Paintings by Douglas Florian
© 2006 Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins NY, NY
ISBN# 0-06-009281-5
48 pgs
February 12, 2007 Monday

Book 28 ~ Across the Alley

ACROSS THE ALLEY
By Richard Michelson
Illustrated by E.B. Lewis
© 2006 G.P. Putnam's Sons/Penguin Young Readers Group NY, NY
ISBN# 0-399-23970-7
27 pgs
February 12, 2007 Monday

Book 27 ~ Brothers

BROTHERS
By Yin
Paintings by Chris Soentpiet
© 2006 Philomel Books/Penguin Young Readers Group NY, NY
ISBN# 0-399-23406-3
30 pgs
February 12, 2007 Monday

Movie 3 ~ Adventures in Babysitting

ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING
1987 * PG-13 * 102 min * Touchstone/Buena Vista Pictures
Directed by Chris Columbus
February 10, 2007 Saturday
Seen on dvd - Tuscaloosa, AL
With Marion
IMDB

Book 26 ~ 17 Things I'm Not Allowed To Do Anymore

17 THINGS I'M NOT ALLOWED TO DO ANYMORE
By Jenny Offill & Nancy Carpenter
© 2007 Schwartz & Wade Books/Random House NY, NY
ISBN# 978-0-375-93596-1
29 pgs
January 31, 2007 Wednesday

*Kids will love this book

*Beverly Cleary's Ramona's long lost cousin

*The bookjacket has raised "glue"

*Page backgrounds are awesome - there is even one of underwear

Book 25 ~ (Emily Post) Emily's Everyday Manners

EMILY POST EMILY'S EVERYDAY MANNERS
By Peggy Post & Cindy Post Senning
Illustrated by Steve Bjorkman
© 2006 HarperCollins NY, NY
ISBN# 0-06-076177-6
27 pgs
January 31, 2007 Wednesday

*I don't feel kids will want to read this.

*Adults will want the kids to read this - but the kids will balk at the idea of it.

*There is just too much going on - on every page.

Book 24 ~ The Just-So Woman

THE JUST-SO WOMAN
By Gary Blackwood
Pictures by Jane Manning
© 2006 HarperCollins NY, NY
ISBN# 0-06-057727-4
48 pgs
January 31, 2007 Wednesday
I Can Read 3 (Reading Alone)

*Cute but wordy

*I don't think most children would pick it up again

Book 23 ~ Do Lions Live On Lily Pads?

DO LIONS LIVE ON LILY PADS?
By Melanie Walsh
© 2006 Houghton Mifflin NY, NY
ISBN# 978-0618-47300-7
24 pgs
January 31, 2007 Wednesday

*Very Cute

* Big bright bold colors

Book 22 ~ Flamingos On The Roof

FLAMINGOS ON THE ROOF
POEMS AND PAINTINGS
By Calef Brown
© 2006 Houghton Mifflin Books NY, NY
ISBN# 0-61856298-2
59 pgs
January 31, 2007 Wednesday

* Cute but Odd

Book 21 ~ Betty Lou Blue

BETTY LOU BLUE
By Nancy Crocker
Illustrated by Boris Kulikov
© 2006 Dial Books/Penguin Young Readers Group NY, NY
ISBN# 0-8037-2937-5
30 pgs
January 31, 2007 Wednesday

*Teased by other children because of her big feet, only Betty Lou can saver her tormentors one snowy day.

*Great Pictures - such big eyes!

*Great Message - Do the right thing and Mom is right!

*Rhyming Text

Book 20 ~ 3 Little Cajun Pigs

THREE LITTLE CAJUN PIGS
By Mike Artell
Illustrated by Jim Harris
© 2006 Dial Books/Penguin Young Readers Group NY, NY
ISBN# 0-8037-2815-8
30 pgs
January 31, 2007 Wednesday

*Cute Pictures but hard to comprehend

*I read the book out loud and had a very difficult time figuring out some of the words

*I think it would be difficult for young children and those just learning the English language

Book 19 ~ The School Is Not White!

THE SCHOOL IS NOT WHITE!
A TRUE STORY OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
By Doreen Rappaport
Illustrated by Curtis James
© 2005 Hyperion Books NY, NY
ISBN#0-7868-1838-7
38 pgs
Ages 7 - 12
January 31, 2007 Wednesday

*Depressing but good

*Might scare some children about school

Book 18 ~ Snapshots: The Wonders of Monterey Bay

SNAP SHOTS: THE WONDERS OF MONTEREY BAY
Words and Pictures by Celeste Davidson Mannis
© 2006 Viking/Young Penguins Group NY, NY
ISBN #0-670-06062-3
30 pgs
Age 6 & up
January 31, 2007 Wednesday

*Beautiful Photography

*Short on text but paired with blocks of more in-depth info