Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

By Lonica Rowley

Before recently, I've only read Orson Scott Card's religious fiction, Sarah. I enjoyed this novel and thought it was well-researched and uplifiting. Well, I should mention that I also read Ender's Game at the behest of my mother back as a teenager (that's a story for another day). I will say though, that I hated Ender's Game the first time around. As part of my young adult literature class I was compelled to read it again. I've been dreading it for weeks now. Pleasantly, I was rather surprised when I began reading it again and was immediately drawn in an intrigued by the story. I don't remember any of the plot from when I was younger, so I'd like to think that this was my initial attempt at the novel. I remained interested and motivated by the story right up until the end.

Essentially, the novel opens with a six-year-old boy, Ender, who has had his "monitor" removed. The reader, while entirely unsure of what a "monitor" is exactly, fully understands the significance and danger in which this places Ender. Luckily, Ender doesn't have survive without his monitor for long. He is summoned to Battle School where he is going to learn how to commande future armies in the world's ward against the Buggers. Over the course of the next five years Ender begins to slowly realize what exactly is instore for him.

I know, I know, it all sounds a little implausible, but Card does a wonderful job narrating his story and creating a great deal of sympathy for the Ender. While the novel is science fiction, the issues invovled really make the reader start to think. How should people best handle power? Is it right to put so much pressure on one so young, even if that is the only option? Is it better to be agressive or should we wait patiently for what will come?

While I might not have recognized it as a teen, I can truly see now why Ender's Game won both the Hugo and Nebula award, making Card the only recipient to recieve both of science fiction's most prestigious awards consecutively. If you are a fan of Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, The Giver, or The Host, Ender's Game could be right up your alley. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

What should I read now?

By Lonica Rowley

One of the most common questions I get asked when it comes to literacy is often, "What should I read now?" Finding a good book can often be difficult. I usually look to a few places when looking for something new to read. If you find yourself with this problem, maybe these tips can help you:

1. Look for new releases and books on display. I often browse the "New" or "Bestseller" sections of the library or local bookstores. I actually think that bookstores (like Barnes and Noble or Borders) are great places to find books. I'll spend hours (just ask Scott!) looking through the books they have on display and writing down the titles so I can look them up at the library later. While some libraries do a better job than others, they usually tend to "catalog" books, rather than display them. By looking through book stores I often identify the same books showing up in many different places. Start looking at the airport, grocery store, or book stores and you'll start to recognize the same titles showing up over and over again. In many cases, I can assume that if a book is worth displaying in many different locations, it must be worth reading. Don't get me wrong, this technique (like all techniques) has lead me astray many times, but it has also helped me find a number of great reads. An additional advantage? Most of the displayed books also happen to be the books that people are currently reading and you can then participate in scintillating literary conversations!


2. Weed through book awards. Look to see who has won the Newberry, the Printz, or the Nobel prize (to name a few). Obviously, if these books were good enough to win a major award, they are also probably good enough to merit an attempt at reading. While I haven't been able to find one website that conviently lists all the winners, try this one to get a start.


3. Search for your favorite books on Amazon.com. If there is one thing Amazon has learned how to do, it's market. Amazon can be a great place to look for new reads. Rather than outright searching for something new, search for a book that you really like, or something to you would like to read more of. Click on the book you've selected and scroll to the bottom of the page. Notice the "customers who bought this also bought..." section? These people often like the same books you do, check out the selection presented to you by Amazon and see if anything strikes your interest. More than likely, something will intrigue you.


4. Request the help of professionals. Believe it or not, the librarians sitting at the "Information" desk in the library are more than willing to walk the aisles of the library helping you track down a book that is "Sort of like the novel I read back in college that I can't remember, but really liked..." They can offer all sorts of suggestions and will even provide a mini-booktalk. Telling you about the book and what you might expect from reading it.


5. Consult compiled book lists. I have yet to enter a library that doesn't provide a whole slew of bookmarks listing a number of books on a number of different topics. These books are selected by people who have read and appreciated their literary merits. If you are a fan of Jane Austen, there will be a list for you. If you love to read murder romance fiction, I'm sure there's a list for you as well. This website is one of the best I've found online for offering comprehensive book lists. Check out what they have to offer. You can search for book lists by author, genre, topic, setting, or audience. They offer a TON of selection. Perhaps the list of "Tearjerkers" is right for you. Or maybe you'd appreciate the list of "Cool Reads for Hot Summer Days." Whatever you're cup of tea, there's sure to be a book list avaiable for you.

However you go about finding good books to read, I hope that you do find the book that is just right for you. Don't give up! Just because you just finished reading "The Best Book Ever" doesn't mean that there isn't another one out there you'll wind up liking as much. Hopefully, these tips will help you find that next good book.

Vocabulary development

By Terri Hessler

Two researchers in the early ‘80s (i.e., Morris and Crump, 1982) discovered that students with learning disabilities were more likely to use fewer different words in their written expression than students without disabilities. They surmised that a lack of spelling ability could account for this, i.e., students with disabilities were more likely to use words they knew how to spell than “new” words, resulting in a repetition of easier-to-spell words. For example, a student might write the following:

I wulked to the store I din’t care. I wulked rite passed a big dog. I din’t see the big dog. I all most fell. He was a nice dog.

Other research (e.g., the body of work by Hart & Risley) indicates that the number of words a student is exposed to before the start of school correlates with 3rd grade academic achievement (i.e., higher number of words means higher academic achievement). So, to go back to the Morris and Crump study, perhaps students who are using fewer different words do not have a rich vocabulary from which to draw. Of course, Morris and Crump do not indicate if the students who used fewer different words had a richer oral vocabulary than their written expression indicated. Interestingly, it is quite common for students who are identified with disabilities and who have deficits in written expression to tell stories and give verbal descriptions using at- or above-grade level vocabulary that does not seem to appear in their writing pieces. Such a student might tell the story in the example given above like this:

“I strolled to the store casually, not caring about anything. I walked right past a mammoth of a dog (a Harlequin Great Dane, I think) without seeing him because I was absorbed in my thoughts. I almost tripped over him, but he didn’t even growl. That dog had a calm disposition.”

Notice that not only is the vocabulary more varied and advanced, but the description is longer and more involved. Shorter writing pieces are a classic characteristic of students with disabilities, especially those who have deficits in written expression.

So the short and simple message for this month is to help your child develop a better vocabulary and help him or her to learn to spell the words he or she uses.

One way I do the former (i.e., develop better vocabulary) with Carmi is to talk, sing, and read to her as much as possible. The landmark longitudinal study by Hart & Risley isolated as many variables as possible to determine that the number of words a child hears by the time he/she is 3 correlates with 3rd grade academic achievement. By doing so, the results showed that there is a 30 million word gap in the number of words a child of low SES (socioeconomic status) is exposed to compared to a child of high SES. Education researchers have long known that districts with high numbers of poor kids have lower achievement outcomes than students in more affluent districts (e.g., Columbus Public Schools compared to Upper Arlington City Schools). My translation of this is not that people need to be in high SES before having kids or even that they need to move to UA or Bexley or Dublin or New Albany before their kids start school. The take-home for me is that I need to make sure my child hears as many words as possible by the time she turns 3.

I knew of this study when we first brought Carmi home, but I didn’t get serious about it until she was about 6 months old. I just couldn’t get used to talking, singing, and reading to a being who didn’t reciprocate in some way. My bad. I lost a lot of time, I think. Fortunately, Russ is an incessant talker so I think he is more than making up for lost time. Take note: Television doesn’t count! There has to be interaction along with the exposure to the words.

For the latter (i.e., learn to spell the words she uses), I haven’t read the research on this. I’m not even sure there is research on this. So what I’m doing is helping Carmi become familiar with word families. One of our favorite programs to watch with her right now is Super Why? on PBS. In this show, one of the main characters is Wonder Red (in reference to Little Red Riding Hood, I think) who has Word Power, which is essentially an affinity for word families, such as ar words like far, car, jar or at words, like mat, cat, bat. So Carmi and I (and Russ does this, too, so there’s consistency) will occasionally sing the song on the show with new words. I know you won’t be able to imagine the tune, but if you go to www.pbskids.org/superwhy you might be able to find it there, but also watching it just once (9 a.m. on ch. 34/WOSU) will cause it to stick in your head (it’s one of those kinds of jingles). Just pick a word (one syllable works best), and think of another word that rhymes with it. I’ll use the word cap. A word that rhymes with cap is tap. The lyrics go like this: “Cap, tap, cap. Wonderific, you’re terrific, cap, tap, cap, wonderific, you’re terrific, cap!” After Carmi and I sing the song, I try to think of and say as many of the words in that word family as I can (e.g., flap, gap, lap, map, nap, rap, sap). I try to do this when I’m in the car with Carmi, because I tend to gravitate towards listening to talk radio, which probably isn’t much fun for her. It’s also a better alternative for me than tapes of kid songs, which I can only listen to one or two time through before my ears start to bleed.

I try to remember to connect all the phoneme practice with anything we read. I’m not very good at that, but I’m trying. And I’m certainly not systematic about it either. She’s only just now starting to say a lot of words spontaneously so it might get to be more fun as she joins in.

I also try to work on phoneme practice every chance I get. This will help her be ready to read, but I also believe it may help with spelling later. Phonemes are simply the smallest sound segments in our language, like the sounds the individual alphabet letters make. According to some research that I find compelling, it’s more important for a child to learn what sounds the letters make than to learn what the letter names are. The way I give Carmi extra phoneme practice now is in the bath tub with foam letters. I’ll hold up the letter C for example, and then I’ll say (very enthusiastically) something like “This is the letter C, Carmi! Your name starts with C! C makes the /k/ sound. Can you say /k/?” Sometimes she does, sometimes she doesn’t. It’s a very low pressure activity, and I do my best to make it a short activity and fun.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie

This book combines an interesting mixture of humor and pathos. I didn't realize that a story so sad could also be so funny! Arnold Spirit, at the suggestion of one of his teachers, leaves his reservation school for the larger and more "hopeful" high school off the reservation. As a traitor to his tribe and friends, Arnold, must learn how to pave a new direction in life for himself, while still staying true to his heritage.

I was particularly fond of Alexie's style and humor. While the book is slightly crude, with some bad language and sexual images, I found the story to smack of authenticity. Teens would relate well to the emotions Arnold faces. More than anything, Alexie possesses the knack for depicting real life in writing. As a National Book Award Winner, this book is one that everyone should read.

I also selected this book to review for another important reason. I've often had people ask me how I feel about audio books--are they a legitimate form of literature? I would easily argue--yes!

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a perfect example of a high-quality audio book. Not only did it win the Odyssey Award, an award for for the best audio book of the year, but it also provides an enriching dimension to reading the paper copy of the book. Read by the author, the audio recording adds to the humor and dynamics of the story. In fact, the book (since it contains a large number of cartoons drawn by the main character) goes well when read along with the audio recording.

Young adults (or anyone for that reason) can learn a lot when listening to the pitch and rhythm of the written word when delivered by a skilled narrator. Listening to audio books are particularly valuable for students who struggle to read, stutter, suffer from dyslexia, or even avoid reading. Following along in a text while listening can help readers to train their inner "listening" ear; it can help them learn to recognize the way that punctuation should be read. I worked with many students who miss the humor or meaning of a story when reading silently to themselves, but pick up on it when listening to the story vocally.

Audio books also have the advantage of being portable and allowing the listener to multi-task. You can listen to a story while folding laundry, washing dishes, exercising, or even driving (assuming you can do it safely!). If finding time for reading is difficult, audio books can help circumvent this difficulty. I'm not sure about the Columbus Metropolitan Library, but I know that Upper Arlington is starting to offer more and more books in a Playaway format. This audio recording doesn't require a tape or CD player to listen. The book comes entirely downloaded on a 2"x3" device that you can plug a set of head phones into. They are easily portable and convenient.

If you need are still hesitant about audio recordings, this information, taken from YALSA site, might help convince you:

Circulation for children's audio books rose 10.7 percent and the budget for these materials rose 4.8 percent (Audio Publisher Association, December 2004)

The growth in circulation of audio books is outpacing overall library circulation. Book clubs are increasingly made up of hybrid listener-readers, and the market for children's audio books is booming! (“Loud, Proud, Unabridged: It Is Too Reading!; The New York Times, May 26, 2005)

It's important that we recognize the role of audio books in the development of literacy. Consider the following:

Research shows that one of the most important reasons for the increasing interest in audio books for young people is the correlation between listening to audio books and improvements in reading comprehension, fluency, language acquisition, vocabulary development and improved achievement. (“Not Just for Listening,” Book Links, May 2005)

Fewer Americans are reading books than a decade ago, according to the National Endowment for the Arts, but almost a third more are listening to them on tapes, CDs and iPods. (“Loud, Proud, Unabridged: It Is Too Reading!; The New York Times, May 26, 2005)

According to Wendy Kasten, an education professor at Kent State University, “Listening to tapes with books in front of students is very, very good for building vocabulary.” (“To Curl Up with a Good Book, Listen Up,” The Plain Dealer, May 23, 2005)

At any rate, if choosing between not reading at all or listening to a story, I would much rather have student listen to the story. While there are significant advantages to seeing English written correctly (students can see spelling, grammar and mechanics of words), participating in literacy, whatever the medium might be, is better than missing out entirely.

YALSA Yearly Book Awards

The end of January is a big time of year for young adult literature fans, as it marks the announcement of that year’s award winning novels. Many people are familiar with the popular children’s awards, The Caldecott and The Newberry, but fewer people realized that young adult books also receive awards. The Young Adult Library Services Association (or YALSA) hosts and organizes this annual event. After committees read, nominate, and vote on winners throughout the year, the association meets at the end of each January to announce the yearly winners.

The Printz

The Printz award is perhaps the most coveted and prized of all young adult fiction awards. The purpose of this award is to identify “a book that exemplifies literary excellent in young adult literature.” One book each year is granted this honored award, but four as also selected as the honorary books of the year.

This years winner, Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta, is a story about Taylor Markham, a young woman haunted by her past, who reluctantly leads the students of the Jellicoe School in their secret territory wars against the Townies and the Cadets. Marchetta’s lyrical writing evokes the Australian landscape in a suspenseful tale of raw emotion, romance, humor and tragedy.

Melina Marchetta lives in Sydney, Australia, and is the award-winning author of two previous novels. A former high school teacher, she is recognized for the authenticity of her teen characters’ voices.

2009’s Honorary Printz Awards include:

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II, The Kingdom on the Waves, by M.T. Anderson; The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, by E. Lockhart; Nation, by Terry Pratchett; and Tender Morsels, by Margo Lanagan.

The Margaret A. Edwards Award

The Edwards Awards is in honor of one outstanding author whose body of writing has made a significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature. Furthermore, "it recognizes an author's work in helping adolescents become aware of themselves and addressing questions about their role and importance in relationships, society, and in the world."

I was excited to find that this year, Laurie Halse Anderson, was selected to recieve this award. As the recipient of this year's awards she will be the key note speaker at this years annual YALSA conference this upcoming summer. Although Anderson has written a number of different books, this award particularly highlights her novels Catalyst, Fever 1793, and Speak. With the publication of Speak, itself a 1995 honory Printz book, Anderson marked herself as a strong author who not only produces high-quality literature, but also as someone who can appeal to young adult readers.

The Alex Awards

The Alex Award is given yearly to ten books written for adults, but which would have particular appeal for to young adults, ages 12-18. Many books, either fiction or non-fiction have recieved this honor.

William C. Morris Award

The Morris Award saw it's debut this year with the selection of A Curse as Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce. The award is given to an first-time publishing author writing to teens and "celebrates impressive new voices in young adult literature."

In addition to these particular awards, YALSA publishes a number of different booklists each year. These lists are a wonderful place to start when looking for good literature to read. Each year's lists include: (To see this years winners in each category, click on the link below.)

Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults

Best Books for Young Adults

Fabulous Films for Young Adults

Great Graphic Novels for Teens

Oustanding Books for the College Bound

Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults

Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers

Teens' Top Ten

Whatever your personal interest, the books selected by YALSA each year can be a great place to start looking when you need something new to read. Understanding the awards and the purpose of each award can help you deliberate, decide and better appreciate the literature you find on the bookstore or library shelve.

Get out those Thank You cards!

By Lisa Hymas

We often like to recite the old adage, "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!" In reality though, Elder Holland reminds us of, "a line from the Apocrypha . . . 'The stroke of the whip maketh marks in the flesh: but the stroke of the tongue breaketh the bones," Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Tongue of Angels," Ensign, May 2007, 16–18).

The point? Our words can be powerful! One of the most powerful ways to use our vocabulary is by praising and complementing.

When there is a company I admire or a product I love, I want to let them know. Saying thank you is a great and simple way to accomplish the task.

I have written to Chick-fil-A thanking them for not opening their stores on Sunday - Go here to thank them yourself!

I have written to the Quaker Oats Company thanking them for their Simple Harvest granola bars and the healthy ingredients they contain. A few weeks later I even received a thank you box in the mail from Quaker! It contained a few boxes of granola bars, oatmeal, and ten dollars in coupons! Want to send them a note?

In response to a question about television viewing from a 1981 Ensign, Bruce L. Christensen states:

"Once we begin to exercise disciplined viewing, we are ready for the next step: expressing to the programmers our preferences. When you see a program that you especially enjoy or feel to be a worthwhile broadcast, write to the station, network, and sponsor and let them know. Do the same for objectionable programs."

"It has been my experience that people take time to write only when they are angry. Few people inform programmers the kinds of programs they want to watch or specify what they would like to see. Although you might feel a stronger motivation to write letters about undesirable programs, positive letters that thank sponsors, networks, and stations for quality programs may ultimately have more influence."

Have you seen a wholesome, uplifting movie or television show recently? Send the producers a letter of appreciation. Did you catch what products were advertised during the time slot? Send a letter to the advertisers telling you how you enjoyed seeing their commercial during such a good and family friendly program. Not only does it let people know the kind of person we are taking the time to say thank you, but it will help us to see more good around us.

Need some ideas for good movies, try this website: CAMIE Awards (Character and Morality in Entertainment)

Who else can you thank?

Write a Memoir

By Jenny Allen

This Valentines Day, starting a memoir is the perfect way to say, "I love you", to your spouse, friend or loved one. What exactly is a memoir, you ask? A memoir is a brief historical account or biography written from personal knowledge or special sources (New Oxford American Dictionary).

The possibilities for memoir topics are endless. With your spouse in mind you could write about your first impression, favorite date, first kiss, wedding day, first house, car, or pet. With a parent or sibling in mind you could write about your favorite childhood memory or family gathering. A friend would love to have a memoir filled with stories from your friendship spanning from the time you first met to the present.

To help get you started read the following article "5 Tips for Starting Your Memoir". This is sure to motivate not intimidate. Memoirs are a fun, easy, and a delightful way to journal those moments that you want to cherish for a lifetime.

5 Tips for Starting Your Memoir

1. Write memoir, not autobiography.

An autobiography is the story of an entire life, but a memoir is just one story from that life. You can only ever write one autobiography, but you can write countless memoirs. It's a much less intimidating project if you view it that way.

2. Diagram your life.

Some people have one burning story to tell. Others find it difficult to immediately pinpoint anything. Tristine Rainer, author of Your Life as Story, recommends diagramming your life to gain perspective. To do this, get in a retrospective mood, enlist the help of a friend or spouse (martinis also work), and plot your life's six most significant moments. When you do it thoughtfully and honestly, there will usually be one pivotal event that stands out as particularly intriguing and/or meaningful. If there isn't, don't worry. There are many different ways to diagram a life. Try dividing yours by critical choices, influential people, conflicts, beliefs, lessons, even mistakes. Experiment until you find the one story that wants to be told, the one experience that really fashioned you.

3. Don't begin at the beginning.

Don't tell your story chronologically. That's too predictable. Think of your favorite books. Most don't start at the beginning. Instead they rivet you with instant action and intrigue. A good beginning is a tease. It gives readers just enough action to hook them without divulging the outcome. Then it flashes back to the real chronological beginning and fills in the background.

4. Use all your senses.

The best writers create vivid new worlds for readers to inhabit. Yet most budding memoirists produce first drafts that are flat. To transport readers (and yourself), write vividly. This is done through detail, by using all your senses to fully re-create a moment in time. You can teach yourself to do this. The next time you're waiting in a restaurant, a doctor's office, or even in traffic, notice the various sights, sounds, smells, and textures. It's what writers do, both in reality and in their stories.

5. Build your writing muscle.

You have a writing muscle, and it needs exercise to perform well. Set a daily goal of writing 200, 500, or even 1,000 words. Set aside a regular time, like early morning, and be disciplined. Don't worry about making what you write perfect. Just focus on getting the story out. (There will be plenty of time for polishing later.) Above all, relax. Memoir is the easiest type of writing to do well. You've already done the research and are intimately familiar with every character. Now you just need to tell it.

Source: Kita, Joe. Reader's Digest: The Story of Your Life, 1/09.

Now I Know My ABC’s

By Andrea Jeppesen

Knowing the alphabet is a necessary precursor to learning how to read. Children who know their ABC’s before starting school have a huge advantage over those who don’t. Here is a list of some fun ways to help your child learn. If you have any other suggestions, please share! What fun things have you done at your house?

1. The Alphabet Song – point to the letters as you sing

2. Find the Letters on Everyday Objects – cereal boxes, at the store, around the house

3. Alphabet Coloring Pages – for example, (http://www.dltk-teach.com/alphabuddies/mabcposter.html)

4. Letters of their Name - Start by just saying aloud the spelling of their name. If you can come up with a little song for the letters of their name then the learning is usually much faster. For example, if your child has a 5 letter name try replacing the letters of the song BINGO with the letters of your child’s name

5. Tracing Their Name – on paper, or in salt, sand, gel, fingerpaint, pudding, or shaving cream.

6. Tracing the Letters of the Alphabet – use same ideas as above

7. Playdough - roll out and make the letter (or use a toothpick to write the letter on the playdough).

8. Magnetic letters – on the fridge or cookie sheet

9. Matching Games – talk about the shapes of the upper and lower case letters. Are they the same or different?

10. Take your finger and trace the letters on the palm of the hand or on your child's back.

11. Practice using sticky notes and label objects in the house that begin with the letter.

12. Alphabet Stamps – useful for alphabet recognition, making words, and spelling

13. Eating the alphabet – form letters using vegetables, pretzels, potato sticks, and candy. Decorate cupcakes, cakes or cookies using frosting tubes to print letters. Squeeze mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, or jelly letters out of containers to enhance your food. Try Alphabits Cereal for breakfast and name the letters.

Sources:

Anderson, Sheila. Teach the Alphabet: 8 Fun Tips to Teach Your Child the Alphabet, 2009.

Mascle, Deanna. 15 Tips For Helping Children With Learning the Alphabet Letters, 2007.

Stolen Lives Book Review

Review Written by Kristen Smith

Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail

By Malika Oufkir

So this is my first attempt at ever reviewing or reccomending a book to anyone. So, I am including the book review from Oprah's book club website. My mother-in-law read this book for her book and club and reccomended I read it as well.

The details of the book are included below so I will just share my brief thoughts. First off, this book opens your eyes to a world more foreign than I could wrap my mind around. The idea first that princesses and actual royalty that still exists. Second, the courage people have to stand up for what is right in countries where human rights don't carry a whole lot of weight. Third is the fight that exists in every human soul if allowed to persist and fourth the power of family.

You would think it was a fictional story by human rights activist trying to blow the whistle on how people are treated in some countries, if the women the story was about did not actually live today in Europe. Live being the key word. It opened my eyes to what is going on in the world that I have no idea about.

It is an incredible true story about one women's will to save her life and her families.

As far as ease of read goes, you won't want to put it down.. However, you can read it in spurts and it is suitable for most mature audiences. There are some things you would not want teenagers reading about. But you could read it first and help navigate them through those brutally honest and uncomfortable areas.

Announced May 16, 2001

An Introduction to Stolen Lives
The eldest daughter of General Oufkir, the King of Morocco's closest aide, Malika Oufkir was adopted by the king at age of five as a companion for his daughter. She spent most of her childhood and adolescence within the gilded walls of the palace, living an extraordinarily privileged yet secluded life.

Her world was shattered on August 16, 1972, when her father was executed for his part in an attempt to assassinate the King. Along with her mother and five siblings, Malika, then nineteen, was imprisoned in a penal colony. The Oufkir family spent the next fifteen years in prison, the last ten in solitary confinement, until they managed to dig a tunnel and escape. Their freedom ended five days later, however, when they were captured and returned to prison. In 1996, after twenty-four years of incarceration, the Oufkir family was finally granted permission to leave Morocco.

In Stolen Lives, Malika recounts her family's story with unflinching and heartrending honesty. She recalls their day-to-day struggle for survival in harsh conditions, being watched around the clock by prison guards, and communicating with her family solely through prison walls for more than a decade. She tells of raising her brothers and sisters, teaching them good manners and attempting to provide them with some semblance of a normal life. They celebrated Christmas and birthdays, saving up rations to make cakes and fashioning toys out of cardboard. Through it all, Malika managed to draw upon her sense of humor, which, she says, "allowed us to survive even-and most of all-at the worst moments."

In the Preface to Stolen Lives, co-author Michˆle Fitoussi recalls that, upon first meeting Malika, she asked herself, "How can anyone appear normal after such suffering? How can they live, laugh, love, how can they go on when they lost the best years of their life as a result of injustice?" The answers are found in this poignant and inspiring account of a family who endured with courage, determination, and dignity the cruel and unjust circumstances fate had in store for them.

And the Winner Is...

After a very scientific selection process (that involved writing everyone's names on a post-it, folding them in half, depositing them in a small basket, and having Scott randomly draw a name), the monthly challenge winner is...

LISA MCGEE

Congratulations Lisa! We wish you the best of luck in beginning your own personal library--hopefully your gift card can help you get started.

For those of you who weren't as lucky, we'll be having a new challenge for this month. Read below to find out more...

All of us read. It might be a book, a magazine, or even an article in a newspaper. Whatever it is you read, we would love to hear about it. Essentially, this month's challenge is to share a book review with the literacy blog community. You can write a brief (or not-so-brief) review of something you've read lately and it will be posted on the blog for others to read and learn about.

Hopefully, most of you will be willing to share a review out of the goodness of your hearts, but for others it might take a bit more enticement. In order to entice those of you who might not be so good-hearted (just kidding, you can be good-hearted and still want a free book), for every review you submit this month, you'll be entered into another random drawing to win a copy of Long After Dark.

As the back of this fiction book states, "A man struggles--literally--with his dead father. A housewife suffers from post-calling depression. The son of a plygamist comes to terms with his upbringing. An unwed teen mother faces her father. In these award-winning stories and a new novella, Todd Robert Petersen takes the reader on expeditions to Utah, Arizona, Brazil, Rwanda, and into the souls of twenty-first-century Mormons caught between their humanity, faith, and church."

While I have not read the book, I have heard very good things about it, and I hope this month's winner will enjoy it!

So, in order to participate, all you need to do is write up a short review and e-mail it to Lonica2.blogforliteracy@blogger.com. I will post your review to share with others and you will automatically be entered to win this month's prize. What more could you want? Get started writing your review today! You only have until the 28th of February to participate.

One Last Day to Set a Goal

Don't forget that today is the last day to set a goal for our monthly challenge. Well, of course you could always set a goal later, but you wouldn't be part of the drawing for a $10 gift certificate. Check it out and participate here. Happy goal setting!

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Brian Selznick created waves with his “picture book” The Invention of Hugo Cabret. At 530 pages long, this is definitely not your typical picture book (most picture books have a standard 32 pages). It is, however, a wonderful story—so wonderful in fact that it was awarded the Caldecott Medal in 2008, marking it as the most distinguished American picture book for children of the year.

Told with beautifully illustrated images, this story follows the adventures of Hugo as he strives to survive alone, lonely, and destitute in a Paris train station. With a talent for working on clocks and fiddling with machines, Hugo hopes to keep himself alive long enough to reconnect with his father by rebuilding an automaton he hopes will pass on a message from his father who died years earlier in a fire.

Along his quest to reconnect with his father, Hugo manages to get himself into a few scrapes, meet some new friends, discover some new truths, and find himself and loving and caring family. A tear jerker and heartwarming at the same time, The Invention of Hugo Cabret is not only a landmark literary creation, it is also an emotional story readers of all ages can enjoy.

Have you read a good book lately? Tell us about it! E-mail your review to Lonica2.blogforliteracy@blogger.com and it will be posted to blog.

The Hunger Games by Suzzane Collins

I recently read and devoured The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. It was a great and quick read! Although, it’s a young adult novel, this work of fantasy/science fiction could easily be consumed by teens and adults alike. The story begins years into the future after the destruction of North America. In an effort to keep the newly-formed “districts” under control the Capital hosts a yearly “Hunger Games” event. Two teenagers from each district are selected to travel to the Capital and fight to the death in this Gladiator-like experience. When her younger sister is selected for the competition, Katniss volunteers to take her place, thus saving her sister’s life. But can Katniss save her own life? You’ll have to read to find out! I highly recommend this book to anyone. Although not much of a fan of science fiction, I found I could hardly put this book down. As a growing popular novel, you’ll want to find out for yourself what all the excitement is about.

Have you read a good book lately? Tell us about it! E-mail your review to Lonica2.blogforliteracy@blogger.com and it will be posted to blog.