Giada De Laurentiis
Pasta doesn't make you fat. How much pasta you eat makes you fat.
Attribution
October 16, 2015
Last week’s three-day weekend led to a jam-packed week this week. Whew!
When we left off, I was headed to the Ocean County Library's Book Group Leaders Tea in Toms River. What a fun afternoon that was with 100-plus very enthusiastic book group members in attendance, including my mom. I presented 40 books that we selected over at ReadingGroupGuides.com to be book group favorites; it was really a lovely day, and I was glad my mom got to share it with me! I wave my bookmark at the library team that coordinated and ran this event. I learned that they even made the refreshments --- lovely cucumber sandwiches among them!
Mid-October 2015Hi Teenreaders, Not to sound like an old-school SAT test, but I’m all about analogies today. You know --- a Pumpkin Spice Latte is to fall as Hot Chocolate is to: A) Fall (The answer is B, by the way). While they no longer exist on standardized tests, analogies help you translate something that might be out of someone’s grasp into terms that are more understandable.
Editorial Content for After the AshesBookReviewer (text)Christine Irvin
The year is 1883, and 13-year-old Katrien Courtland doesn’t have time for her aunt’s lessons on how to be a lady and run a household. She wants to spend her life exploring the magnificent jungle around her village on the island of Java, sharing her discoveries with her best friend, Slamet, a native boy. Katrien delights in finding new flora and fauna, as well as wild animals. Her particular passion is proving Darwin’s theory of natural selection. Read More Teaser
One stifling afternoon, Katrien's world turns upside-down when the nearby volcano Krakatau erupts with a terrifying blast. For days, a deathly ash rains down on the Javan coast, and everything is soon buried under the dust or destroyed by the tsunamis that follow. Amidst the chaos, Katrien knows her only hope of survival is to flee the jungle with the one person she vowed she'd never befriend. PromoOne stifling afternoon, Katrien's world turns upside-down when the nearby volcano Krakatau erupts with a terrifying blast. For days, a deathly ash rains down on the Javan coast, and everything is soon buried under the dust or destroyed by the tsunamis that follow. Amidst the chaos, Katrien knows her only hope of survival is to flee the jungle with the one person she vowed she'd never befriend. About the Book
In this riveting coming-of-age survival story, a stubborn and intellectual teen must fight for her life when the mighty volcano Krakatau erupts and puts her hometown on the Javanese coast in mortal danger.
In 1883, on the island of Java in the Dutch East Indies, 13-year-old Katrien Courtland is determined to prove Darwin's theory of natural selection. Unfortunately, nothing causes her Aunt Greet more angst than Katrien crawling around the muddy jungle collecting bugs in the name of science and in the company of a native boy, no less! If only Katrien would take an interest in running a household and making friends with other girls. But Katrien has no interest in changing, especially if it means socializing with the likes of mean Brigitta Burkhart.
Then, one stifling afternoon, Katrien's world turns upside-down when the nearby volcano Krakatau erupts with a terrifying blast. For days, a deathly ash rains down on the Javan coast, and everything is soon buried under the dust or destroyed by the tsunamis that follow. Amidst the chaos, Katrien knows her only hope of survival is to flee the jungle with the one person she vowed she'd never befriend.
Set against the backdrop of one of the most spectacularly horrifying natural disasters in human history, this debut novel by Sara Joiner is by turns exciting, funny, tragic and poignant.
Editorial Content for Most Dangerous:Reviewer (text)Sydney Scott
In 1971, Ellsberg, formerly a Washington insider, leaked a top-secret document to the press. He did this with one goal in mind: To tell the truth, which was important above all else. The document revealed a deep shame that the U.S. government was hiding. It reported facts about the Vietnam War, facts that the public had never before known because it threw the U.S.’s entire involvement in Vietnam into doubt. And then, Daniel Ellsberg became America’s most dangerous man. Read More Teaser
Chronicling every action the government had taken in the Vietnam War, The Pentagon Papers revealed a pattern of deception spanning over 20 years and four presidencies, and forever changed the relationship between American citizens and the politicians claiming to represent their interests. A provocative book that interrogates the meanings of patriotism, freedom, and integrity, MOST DANGEROUS explores the man who revealed it all. PromoChronicling every action the government had taken in the Vietnam War, The Pentagon Papers revealed a pattern of deception spanning over 20 years and four presidencies, and forever changed the relationship between American citizens and the politicians claiming to represent their interests. A provocative book that interrogates the meanings of patriotism, freedom, and integrity, MOST DANGEROUS explores the man who revealed it all. About the BookFrom Steve Sheinkin, the award-winning author of THE PORT CHICAGO 50 and BOMB comes a tense, exciting exploration of what the Times deemed "the greatest story of the century": how Daniel Ellsberg transformed from obscure government analyst into "the most dangerous man in America," and risked everything to expose the government's deceit. On June 13, 1971, the front page of the New York Times announced the existence of a 7,000-page collection of documents containing a secret history of the Vietnam War. Known as The Pentagon Papers, these documents had been comissioned by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. Chronicling every action the government had taken in the Vietnam War, they revealed a pattern of deception spanning over twenty years and four presidencies, and forever changed the relationship between American citizens and the politicans claiming to represent their interests. A provocative book that interrogates the meanings of patriotism, freedom, and integrity, MOST DANGEROUS further establishes Steve Sheinkin as a leader in children's nonfiction. Editorial Content for A Tale of Highly Unusual MagicReviewer (text)Sarah Rachel Egelman
An Exquisite Corpse is a collaborative storytelling game that was popular in Victorian parlors. In it, each participant adds blindly to the story hoping to create a surprising but cohesive tale. In her latest middle grade novel, A TALE OF HIGHLY UNUSUAL MAGIC, Lisa Papademetriou uses a very special Exquisite Corpse to unite two girls, one in Texas and one in Pakistan, and explore themes of family, friendship and the importance of being yourself. Read More Teaser
Bestseller and author of the popular middle grade series Confectionately Yours Lisa Papademetriou is back with a magical, page-turning adventure for readers of all ages --- a touching tale about destiny and the invisible threads that link us all, ultimately, to one another. PromoBestseller and author of the popular middle grade series Confectionately Yours Lisa Papademetriou is back with a magical, page-turning adventure for readers of all ages --- a touching tale about destiny and the invisible threads that link us all, ultimately, to one another. About the Book
Bestseller and author of the popular middle grade series Confectionately Yours Lisa Papademetriou is back with a magical, page-turning adventure for readers of all ages --- a touching tale about destiny and the invisible threads that link us all, ultimately, to one another.
Kai and Leila are both finally having an adventure. For Leila, that means a globe-crossing journey to visit family in Pakistan for the summer; for Kai, it means being stuck with her crazy great-aunt in Texas while her mom looks for a job. In each of their bedrooms, they discover a copy of a blank, old book called The Exquisite Corpse. Kai writes three words on the first page --- and suddenly, they magically appear in Leila's copy on the other side of the planet. Kai's words are soon followed by line after line of the long-ago, romantic tale of Ralph T. Flabbergast and his forever-love, Edwina Pickle. As the two take turns writing, the tale unfolds, connecting both girls to each other and to the past, in a way they never could have imagined.
A heartfelt, vividly told multicultural story about fate and how our stories shape it.
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