Read, Write, and Knit

My church is also the home of Noah’s Ark Childcare and Preschool.  This is where I went to preschool and pre-K.  But due to the economic downturn and some turbulence at our church, Noah’s Ark could use new books! With the help of my aunt, my mom and I are creating a fundraiser that anyone anywhere can participate in.  It’s as easy as ordering books!  That’s right: for every 10 books ordered through my Aunt’s online bookstore, she will donate a book to Noah’s Ark! How cool is that! If you are planning on buying books for yourself or gifts, buy them through my Aunt’s store using the promotion code Noah in the order comments section. Below is the bookmark we created to advertise this special fundraiser.

Spoiler Alert!

“Mankind was my business.  The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence were, all, my business.”

This is a quote spoken by Marley’s Ghost, during Scrooge’s first encounter with the spirit world.   Scrooge is telling Marley how he was a wonderful businessman and Marley spattered out this comment.   He is saying that though he was good at his “job” and succeeded, he had failed in the job of helping others, being kind, being helpful, and caring about others.  Had he chosen to do these things, he would not be in Scrooge’s home, telling him these things.  Instead, he had spent his time working and tricking people out of their money, while being cold and unkind to them.

So Marley’s Ghost came to Scrooge to remind him to be kind and helpful to others, or he will suffer the same fate as Marley.  Marley and Scrooge had been partners, yes, but they had been so alike in their personality and manners.  If Scrooge doesn’t learn to be kind to others, he will be forever lugging around the chain of his unkind, money- infested manners.

After this quote had been spoken, Marley went on to say that his “job” was no more than “a drop of water in the ocean of [his] business”.  Scrooge must learn to be more than an accountant, but a community member who makes stops on his way to and from work.  And so Marley sends three ghosts: The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future.

TO BE CONTINUED . . .

My heartfelt thanks goes out to Abigail for reminding me that I have not blogged once about reading this summer. Like her, I thought that I would be busy, but I guess that when you have six and a half hours of your day that you didn’t have during the school year, you don’t seem as busy. Also like her, I have read more this summer than I have any other summer.

Some of my favorite books/ authors have been:

• 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
• Books by Gloria Whelan
  • Parade of Shadows
  • The Turning
  • Angel on the Square
  • Listening for Lions
• Sarah Weeks
  • Jumping the Scratch
  • So B. It (I finally read it!)
• Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
• Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
  • Please note: this book made me cry my guts out (almost). So, if you don’t like sad books, I would not advise to reading this book.

Books I am excited to read:

I was in Michigan from last Wednesday thru Sunday. We were visiting my aunt. She owns a bookstore up there, and we visited and bought many books. I have eight books that I am super- excited to read! (Ella Minnow Pea and Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet were from there as well, but I have already read them.)

• The Help by Kathryn Stockett (reading now)
• The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
• An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears
• Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (for Anna)
• Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (for Taite, Kelsey, and Caroline)
• The Runaway Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

My Absolute Favorite Book This Summer (perhaps ever)

This is hard to pick just one, but I think that my favorite was Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet because it made me cry. I cry during almost every movie (including Madagascar 2, sad I know) and some books. But my favorite books always end with me crying. This one was extra special though, because I was crying both tears of sadness and happiness. I won’t say anymore, but I will let you read it for youself!

What has been your absolute favorite book this summer?

I really liked this book! It was short and a super easy read, but I enjoyed the plot. Jamie has to move to his aunt’s trailer when she has an accident at the cherry factory. He has to endure and new school and mean teachers, as well as trying to get his aunt to remember things. She needs to “jump the scratch” and remember.

If you would like to join our book club, you can leave a comment on Marnie’s blog!

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Personally, I think that they are both good. I mostly read actual books, but every once in a while it is nice to listen to an audiobook. The only reson that I do not like audiobooks is that it is harder to remember things from them because you are not actually reading the text.

What are your thoughts on the subject?

or ?

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This is the book that we read for the E-book Club.

This book is about a girl and her dad who are in the WPP (Witness Protection Program). They have moved around the country with different disguises, but at one of their stops, she meets a boyfriend and a best friend. She is devistated when they have to leave, and she has to fake her own death. She makes a visit to try and explain things to her friends, but they think she is a ghost. This is a funny yet serious book.

I absolutely loved this book!

If you want to join us next time, please go to Marnie’s blog and let her know that you are joining us! Thanks!

Carmele’s uncle is shot in the head and her husband is kidnapped. She investigates this mystery, even though the police would rather she didn’t . . .

Rating: 6/5 stars

Our 1,000 pages are due next Tuesday, so I am squeezing in a couple more books.

Hanging by a Thread- Monica Ferris- 263 pages

This great book is about an old mystery that Betsy, a shop owner, stirs up. The town is convinced that Foster Johns is guilty, but Betsy doesn’t believe it. Can she prove him innocent?

Rating: 5/5 stars

A Crossworder’s Holiday- Nero Blanc- 185 pages

This is a collection of winter themed short stories with mysteries from an old ghost to a dead man at a ski resort inn. Read it by the fire on a cold winter day or read it in the sun while eating a popsicle in the summertime. It’s still a great book!

Rating: 5/5 stars

My Aunt Jilly owns a bookstore in Michigan called Saturn Booksellers.  She was wondering if you would like to guest reviewers on her website!  I know my class has reviewed books for MP, and I’m sure everyone reads books!  If you want to be a guest reviewer, comment to let me know! 

Also, on the topic of Saturn Booksellers, the store has books galore!  If you want to order a book, you can do that at her website!

-Abbey

My classmate Marnie is starting an e-book club this summer (or winter for my friends down under!) and I want to invite you to join us! There are 8 of us at this point who are going to read How NOT to Spend Your Senior Year. If you want to join us, please go to Marnie’s blog and let her know that you are joining us! Thanks!

-Abbey