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Updates Made by SJ Kessel
Tuesday, February 17, 2015 5:47:29 PM
SJ Kessel wrote a blog post titled Revisiting Wonder by Reading The Julian Chapter and Looking Over 365 Days of Wonder:
SJ said, "I regularly teach Wonder. As I was preparing to teach it this semester, I decided I'd finally buy 365 Days of Wonder--which includes a quotation or precept for each day of the year along with some observations from Mr. Brown. On Amazon,..." more
Tuesday, February 3, 2015 9:17:12 AM
SJ Kessel wrote a blog post titled Rob Thomas (not the musician) Owns My Heart Forever:
SJ said, "Mr. Kiss and Tell. Someone whom Veronica hadn't been able to save during high school is brutally sexually assaulted. Even though the survivor doesn't want Veronica on the case, she finds herself drawn in, pushing Veronica to the point in..." more
Monday, January 19, 2015 8:15:16 PM
SJ Kessel wrote a blog post titled Audiobook Review: Lockwood and Co. (The Screaming Staircase AND The Whispering Skull):
SJ said, "After her career ends tragically, Lucy moves to London looking for a new beginning and a new job as a ghost hunter. She manages to find a home at the small agency Lockwood and Co. Her only co-workers are Lockwood himself and a boy named..." more
Sunday, January 11, 2015 11:18:22 AM
SJ Kessel wrote a blog post titled Quick Review: Skip Girl Online and Stay Offline:
SJ said, "I finished listening to the audiobook of Girl Online a couple of days ago and wanted to share some thoughts on the story.First for those of you who haven't heard of Girl Online, the story is narrated by Penny who lives in Brighton, England and loves..." more
Friday, January 9, 2015 12:32:28 PM
SJ Kessel wrote a blog post titled Quick Review: In Real Life:
SJ said, "Doctorow, C., & Wang, J. (2014). In Real Life. New York: First Second.175 pages.Appetizer: After a guest speaker visits her school and after her mom establishes some rules for her online life, Anda joins Coarsegold,..." more
Friday, January 9, 2015 12:18:13 PM
SJ Kessel wrote a blog post titled Tis the Season: A Quick Review of My True Love Gave to Me:
SJ said, "It's snowing outside and I'm about to make myself some hot chocolate. So, it seemed like the perfect time to post this review.Perkins, S. (2014). My True Love Gave to Me. New York: St. Martin's GriffinAppetizer:..." more
Friday, January 9, 2015 12:08:38 PM
SJ Kessel wrote a blog post titled Quick Review: El Deafo by Cece Bell.:
SJ said, "Bell, C. (2014). El Deafo. New York: Amulet Books.Appetizer: El Deafo is the memoir of Cece Bell, who after a bout of meningitis was left severely deaf. She shares about learning to read lips, going to school and..." more
Thursday, December 11, 2014 10:14:06 AM
SJ Kessel wrote a blog post titled Quick Review: The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry (Drink tea as you read this book...make make sure nobody is trying to poison you first...):
SJ said, "I just finished listening to the audiobook version of The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry.Set in the Victorian era, after the seven girls at their finishing school realize that their headmistress and her brother..." more
Wednesday, December 3, 2014 5:55:17 AM
SJ Kessel wrote a blog post titled Quick Review: The School for Good and Evil (Deconstructing ):
SJ said, "I just finished listening to the audiobook of The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani.I really enjoyed it. The book gave me Harry Potter flashbacks. It felt like a commentary on how characters from certain houses almost always..." more
Sunday, November 30, 2014 10:45:00 AM
SJ Kessel wrote a blog post titled REVIEW: Diary of a Wimpy Kid The Long Haul (AKA the worst road trip ever):
SJ said, "Kinney, J. (2014). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The long haul. New York: Abrams.217 pages.Appetizer: Inspired by a Family Frolic magazine article, Greg's mom has required the entire family go on a road trip..." more
Wednesday, May 14, 2014 4:18:43 PM
SJ Kessel wrote a blog post titled Quick Post: Every day by David Levithan:
SJ said, "Levithan, D. (2012). every day. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.322 pages.Appetizer: Each morning, A wakes up in the body of a new teenager, to live the life as him or her for a single day. One morning, he/she..." more
Sunday, March 9, 2014 8:22:53 PM
SJ Kessel wrote a blog post titled Audio Book Review: Cress by Marissa Meyer:
SJ said, "The third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cress, is a very enjoyable read. I enjoyed it more than Scarlet, the second book in the series.Like the fairy tale of Repunzel, Cress has been trapped in a satellite orbiting Earth. Her path..." more
Friday, February 28, 2014 1:28:38 AM
SJ Kessel wrote a blog post titled REVIEW: a + e 4EVER:
SJ said, "Mercy, I. (2011). a + e 4 EVER. Maple Shade, NJ: Lethe Press, Inc.Appetizer: Ash is the new kid at McMillan High. He's attracting a lot of attention due to the fact that he looks very effeminate. The only..." more
Friday, February 28, 2014 1:28:38 AM
SJ Kessel wrote a blog post titled REVIEW: Rules:
SJ said, "Lord, C. (2006). Rules. New York: Scholastic.200 pages.Appetizer: Catherine is looking forward to the summer, especially since she learned that another girl her age is moving-in next door. Catherine has her hopes..." more
Friday, February 28, 2014 1:28:38 AM
SJ Kessel wrote a blog post titled I'm Alive I Swear! And REVIEW: Diary of a Wimpy Kid Hard Luck:
SJ said, "*Brushes the dust off the blog.*Oh, hello there!Please excuse the lack of posting. It proved to be a crazy semester.Whenever I wasn't reading for my classes, I was reading for the Cybils YA fiction award. I've been sharing all of my..." more
Friday, February 28, 2014 1:28:38 AM
SJ Kessel wrote a blog post titled REVIEW: The Surprise Attack of Jabba the Puppett (might make you cheer for Jabba):
SJ said, "Angleberger, T. (2013). The Surprise Attack of Jabba the Puppett. New York: Abrams.208 pages.Appetizer: *The author of this blog insists you hum or listen to the opening credits of one of the Star Wars movies as you..." more
Friday, February 28, 2014 1:28:38 AM
SJ Kessel wrote a blog post titled REVIEW: Bink & Gollie: Two for One (A light tale of friendship):
SJ said, "Yay, first post of 2014! Happy new year, few but dear readers! May your year be filled with many enjoyable books, but no paper cuts!One of my resolutions for the year is to try and focus more on my writing. I may try to post about..." more
Friday, February 28, 2014 1:28:38 AM
SJ Kessel wrote a blog post titled Just One Year Audio Book --A quick and dirty review:
SJ said, "So, for those of you not in the know, Just One Year by Gayle Forman overlaps with the events of her previous title, Just One Day (which I always struggled with the name of, because while must of the focus is on one day, a lot of the..." more
Friday, September 6, 2013 2:53:42 AM
SJ Kessel wrote a blog post titled REVIEW: In Darkness:
SJ said, "Lake, N. (2012). In Darkness. New York: Bloomsbury.337 pages.I'm not gonna lie, ya'll. I got stuck in this book. Like crazy cartoon nightmare stuck: The floor and walls all turned to sticky bubblegum..." more
Friday, September 6, 2013 2:53:42 AM
SJ Kessel wrote a blog post titled REVIEW: Drama:
SJ said, "Telgemeier, R. (2012). Drama. New York: Scholastic.233 pages.So, after getting stranded in reading In Darkness for months and after going through getting the chance to act in a production of Five Women Wearing the Same..." more
Friday, September 6, 2013 2:53:42 AM
SJ Kessel wrote a blog post titled REVIEW: Lulu Walks the Dogs:
SJ said, "Viorst, J., & Smith, L. (2012). Lulu Walks the Dogs. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.144 pages.Appetizer: Lulu is back after her adventures with a dinosaur. This time she wants money for something..." more
Friday, September 6, 2013 2:53:42 AM
SJ Kessel wrote a blog post titled REVIEW: The Madness Underneath ("Never get stabbed--it makes everything awkward"):
SJ said, "Johnson, M. (2013). The Madness Underneath. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.290 pages.Appetizer: After the traumas she experienced at the end of The Name of the Star, Louisiana native, Rory, is recovering in Bristol and..." more
Friday, September 6, 2013 2:53:42 AM
SJ Kessel wrote a blog post titled REVIEW: In a Glass Grimmly:
SJ said, "Gidwitz, A. (2012). In a Glass Grimmly. New York: Dutton Children's Books.314 pages.Appetizer: In the companion to A Tale Dark & Grimm, Gidwitz weaves more fairytales together as cousins Jack and Jill (and a talking..." more
Friday, September 6, 2013 2:53:42 AM
SJ Kessel wrote a blog post titled I'm Back! (And I'd like to share about what I did and read while I was in China):
SJ said, "Hello! I am back state-side and (slowly) recovering from my jet lag from the 12-hour time difference. My adventure in China was awesome.I had wonderful students:I was teaching conversational English to English teachers. Some of the..." more
Thursday, March 12, 2015 10:56:46 AM
SJ Kessel wrote a blog post titled I Wade In--Gender and Literature: Contemplating Issues Raised by Shannon Hale and Andrew Smith:
SJ said, "So, within the last few weeks, for those of us who are passionate about YA and children's literature, the internet exploded. A few times.First, Shannon Hale started a conversation on Twitter and Tumblr about by discussing some of her..." more