Kathryn: This is a sweet book. This book is about a girl named Terra (terr means earth) who is trying to find True Beauty. From the back Terra is amazingly beautiful but when she turns around all you can notice is her distinguished birthmark on her cheek. While she searches she finds a new friend who shows her tons of things about nature, and herself. One special thing about this book is that it has lots of metaphors about maps. I would recommend this book to anyone 12-112. If you have already read this book then PLEASE leave a comment, I would love to know what you thought of it!!
Friday, February 25, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac
Kathryn: When my teacher assigned this book to our class I thought it was the typical class book study book, its only use is to make us feel good about ourself ( which is crazy considering I haven't been assigned one bad book!) I was so wrong about that!! This book not only deals with racism issues, but it also talks about the importance of Navajos during WW1. The great thing about this book is that it tells about the circumstances of the war that changed the whole world.
Monday, February 7, 2011
My Non-Fiction Challenge
Jennifer: I'm compelled to write about the fact that, at the moment, I'm reading (or, more accurately - attempting to read) a non-fiction book. It is slow going. I mean, I'm the woman who polished off almost 1000 pages of Ken Follet's latest in about 72 hours (give or take). I inhale good books - too quickly in many cases. Someone in my non-profit management course recommended that I read The Leadership Challenge (Kouzes and Posner). I have to admit - it's pretty good. I've certainly gained some insights...but I'm not zipping through it. And I'm starting to avoid my night-table because I'm no longer in the mood to read when that's all I've got.
I mean - when I read fiction...good fiction, that is...I can't put it down. I lose sleep by staying up all hours reading, and then I dream about it once I do fall asleep. While non-fiction strikes me as interesting theory, fiction is "real" to me.
My favorite movie of all time is Ever After (with Drew Barrymore). I suppose plenty of people would consider it to be a simple piece of fluff, but for my money, there's more truth in a well-written fairy tale than in some non-fiction business stuff. Maybe that's because I think love drives people more than money or logic.
In a way, that's one of the messages in The Leadership Challenge - not love per se - but the idea that people work harder and do more when they're inspired. Life is just more fun when you care about what you're doing and the people you see every day.
This isn't an official review of The Leadership Challenge because I haven't finished it. It's good - and maybe someday I will finish it - but in the meantime, I'm returning to the world of fiction. I've missed it. I suppose it's enough of a compliment to Kouzes and Posner that I've talked about some of the ideas in the book to friends and I kept plowing through it for a good two weeks. That's saying something in my case. Tonight, however, Morgan le Fay beckons. I'm re-reading The Mists of Avalon, which I haven't read since I was in Jr. High. I'm bound to gain some leadership insights from her and Arthur.
I mean - when I read fiction...good fiction, that is...I can't put it down. I lose sleep by staying up all hours reading, and then I dream about it once I do fall asleep. While non-fiction strikes me as interesting theory, fiction is "real" to me.
My favorite movie of all time is Ever After (with Drew Barrymore). I suppose plenty of people would consider it to be a simple piece of fluff, but for my money, there's more truth in a well-written fairy tale than in some non-fiction business stuff. Maybe that's because I think love drives people more than money or logic.
In a way, that's one of the messages in The Leadership Challenge - not love per se - but the idea that people work harder and do more when they're inspired. Life is just more fun when you care about what you're doing and the people you see every day.
This isn't an official review of The Leadership Challenge because I haven't finished it. It's good - and maybe someday I will finish it - but in the meantime, I'm returning to the world of fiction. I've missed it. I suppose it's enough of a compliment to Kouzes and Posner that I've talked about some of the ideas in the book to friends and I kept plowing through it for a good two weeks. That's saying something in my case. Tonight, however, Morgan le Fay beckons. I'm re-reading The Mists of Avalon, which I haven't read since I was in Jr. High. I'm bound to gain some leadership insights from her and Arthur.
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