Tag Archives: reading

Summer Reading Programs

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A lot of folks have been disappointed that the SC Department of Education will not be proceeding with a No Book Left Unread Summer Reading Challenge this summer.   While I appreciate that this is sad news, there ARE other State summer reading programs as well as reading programs sponsored by other organizations.

Here are just a three:

Collaborative Summer Library Program – This program has three levels: childrens (“One World, Many Stories”), teens (“You Are Here”), and adult (“Novel Destinations”).  The goal is to “travel” through books.

Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge:

“Now in its fifth year, the Summer Challenge invites kids to log the minutes they spend reading as they Read for the World Record. The 20 schools with the most minutes logged will receive recognition in the 2012 Scholastic Book of World Records. Kids can participate in weekly challenges, earn digital rewards, enter sweepstakes to win fabulous prizes, find great books to read, and more.”

Barnes and Nobel Summer Reading - For every 8 books read the student can choose a free book from the list on the back of the reading journal.  Meant for elementary levels (1st through 6th grade).

And of course, you can ALWAYS promote the SC Book Award Program.  Challenge your students to read all 20 of the books and plan your own “rewards” for students.

2011-12 SC Young Adult Book Award Nominees

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Presentation1The nominees for next year’s SC Young Adult Book Award have been announced.  Why not get ahead by checking one (or more!) out today.  The titles include:

Angry Management by Chris Crutcher
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Brutal by Michael B. Harmon
The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams
Diary of a Witness by Carol Ryan Hyde
Dirty Little Secrets by Cynthia Jaynes Omololu
The Ghosts of War: The True Story of a 19-year Old GI by Ryan Smithson
The Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines
Gray Baby: A Novel by Scott Loring Sanders
Hate List by Jennifer Brown
Hold Still by Nina LaCour
Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern
King of the Screwups by K.L Going
Leviathan by Scott Westerfield
Muchacho: A Novel by LouAnne Johnson
Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough
Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick
Rock n’ Roll Soldier: A Memoir by Dean Ellis Kohler
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Unsigned Hype: A Novel by Booker T. Mattison

Voting for the 2010-11 nominees is open through February 28th.  Ask your library media specialist how you can cast your vote!  Remember, you must read at least three nominee titles to be eligible to vote.

I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to be Your Class President by Josh Lieb

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Cover image for I am a geniusTwelve-year-old Oliver Watson is a closet genius.  Everyone, including his parents, thinks he’s mentally deficient.   What they don’t realize is that he’s a certifiable genius, secretly running a fortune 500 company, and wealthy beyond belief.   An ingenious inventor, he has his home and school tricked out to make his life more bearable – for example, he’s rigged the water fountains at school to dispense root beer for him and he has a secret lair accessible from his bedroom where he runs his corporation.

Oliver tolerates his mother, but despises his father.  Oliver decides to run for class president in order to destroy his father’s faith in the elections system.  You see his dad was class president and sees it as the ultimate achievement.  Oliver’s goal is to prove his father’s accomplishment means nothing if he, Oliver the dim-wit, can win the election.  Oliver uses his considerable resources and underhanded tactics in his election campaign.

A cross between Artemis Fowl (also an evil boy genius) and The Gospel According to Larry (use of footnotes and sarcasm), I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to be Your Class President is a laugh our loud read.  You don’t know wether to root for Oliver to win or to be defeated.  I couldn’t put this book down and finished it in one sitting, a rarity these days for me.  Oh, and I’ve heard that the movie rights were purchased and the project is in development.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

Category: Contemporary/Science-Fiction

Tags: fiction, science fiction, comedy, action, bullying, contemporary, politics

Additional Resources:

I am a Genius of Unspeakable Genius Website – website for the book

USAToday.com: “Josh Lieb of ‘Daily Show’ puts his wit to ‘Unspeakable Evil’” – article and video of the author reading from the book.

YouTube Video: “I AM A GENIUS OF UNSPEAKABLE EVIL AND I WANT TO BE YOUR CLASS PRESIDENT, by Josh Lieb” – Book Trailer Created by June Henson