The Sharp Time by Mary O’Connell –NOT RECOMMENED

O’Connell, Mary The Sharp Time, 240 pgs. Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2011. $11.98. (Language-PG13 Swear Total: 6, Violence-PG13; Sexual Content-PG)
After the death of her mother, 18yo Sandinista Jones is very much alone. Although her day to day life is stable –she owns her home and a car and has enough money to pay the bills, her personal life is a shambles –she is utterly alone. When a teacher at her school is “mean” to her, Sandinista stops going to school, gets a job at her favorite clothing store, and contemplates revenge.
Flat out –this book was a chore to read. It was “overly artistic” - never thought I would say that- via a plethora of descriptive words, maybe trying to show us Sandinistas unique world view but the result was just uninspiring and irritating. I detested her obsession with the school teacher that was mean to her. It filled nearly half the book. It was worse than reading a teen’s obsession with a member of the opposite sex –because the teacher was boring and wasn’t even that evil. At one point I swore that if she mentioned her again, I would throw the book across the room. But then I remembered I was a mature adult book reviewer that needed to read the whole thing –but I don’t think teens will have a problem pitching this book after the first few chapters.
HS – NOT RECOMMENED Reviewer: Stephanie MLS graduate.

Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading by Tommy Greenwald - ESSENTIAL

Greenwald, Tommy Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading, 220 p. Roaring Brook, 2011.  Charlie Joe, middle schooler,  is desperate to never read a book from cover-to-cover.  The lengths that he will go to in order to avoid reading are outrageous and legendary.  If you have an aversion to laughing, you’d better not get this book.  It begs to be read out-loud to the nearest person you can find to listen – even total strangers! EL, MS – ESSENTIAL. Cindy, Library Teacher

10 Valentine Friends by Janet Schulman - OPTIONAL

Schulman, Janet. 10 Valentine Friends. Alfred A, Knopf, 2011 $8.99. Content G-PICTURE BOOK.. This counting book is bases on the valentine/love theme. It shows how not just lovers can celebrate the holiday, but the entire neighborhood. The pictures are bright and colorful. OPTIONAL for HOME/FAMILY use.  Shauna, reading teacher.

Oh No Not Again!

Here we go again.  I am a teacher.  I have a Master's Degree and I work full time.  To dispell the misconception about my pay, I chose to have my salary for 187 days broken down over a nine month period so as to not interrupt my insurance.  This morning when I came in I had an email from a teacher buddy of mine who wanted me to read a news article done by David White.  The title of the article was "Alabama legislators will get $1,608 raises if they don't decline them in writingMONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Each state lawmaker will get a pay raise of $1,608 per year starting in April unless he or she declines it in writing".  The article goes on to say that Senate secretary Pat Harris and House of Representatives clerk Greg Pappas said. House and Senate records show that 45 of Alabama's 140 state lawmakers now make $53,438 in legislative pay in a typical year(I don't know about you but this is danged good money for a part-time job), during which no special legislative session is held. Other legislators have refused previous pay raises and make less now. The automatic cost-of-living increase that would be implemented in April would push the annual pay for those 45 to $55,046, a raise of 3 percent. Two of those legislators, Birmingham Democrats Sen. Rodger Smitherman and Rep. John Rogers, said they intend to accept the raise because of the rising costs of gasoline, lodging in Montgomery and other work-related expenses. ''If the cost of living didn't increase, we wouldn't get it," Rogers said. Smitherman said, ''I'm going to accept it because of the increased expenditures." He said he stopped for gas recently and premium gasoline was $4 per gallon (yeah...well I drive an hour twice a day...with gas at that price and I have not had a raise since 2007). House and Senate records also show that 73 lawmakers now make $52,646 in legislative pay in a typical year. An increase of $1,608 would be a 3.1 percent increase. Those 73 legislators declined last year's automatic cost-of-living increase of $66 a month. Some legislators voluntarily have cut their pay to levels at or below $30,710 in a typical year, the amount a typical lawmaker made before the Legislature passed a 61 percent legislative pay raise in 2007. The resolution approving the raise included a provision to annually boost a lawmaker's monthly expense allowance to reflect increases in a federal consumer price index. That monthly allowance makes up most of the pay for serving in the Legislature. Lawmakers also get a salary and another expense allowance when they're in session. Lawmakers could change or replace the pay-raise resolution, but have not. Legislators who make $30,710 a year or less in a typical year include: Sens. Dick Brewbaker, R-Pike Road; Ben Brooks, R-Mobile; Del Marsh, R-Anniston; Bryan Taylor, R-Prattville; and Reps. Paul DeMarco, R-Homewood, and Lynn Greer, R-Rogersville, House and Senate records show. Some other legislators have volunteered to make less than most of their peers but more than those six. A few lawmakers, such as Speaker Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn, the House leader, make more than most legislators because of their leadership positions. Hubbard's legislative pay is $70,856 in a typical year, House records show. Brewbaker and DeMarco in interviews said they would decline the scheduled cost-of-living adjustment. ''It just doesn't seem right for legislators to take COLAs, or certainly take a big pay increase, when state employees certainly aren't getting them," Brewbaker said. State agency employees last got a cost-of-living salary increase, of 3.5 percent, in October 2008. Public school teachers last got a COLA, of 7 percent, in October 2007. DeMarco said he wanted nothing to do with the 2007 pay raise, including its automatic cost-of-living adjustment. ''I think it hurt the credibility of the Legislature," he said (Ya think????)  The 2007 pay raise resolution raised a typical lawmaker's annual legislative pay from $30,710 to $49,550. Opponents in 2007 said the raise was way too big. Supporters said lawmakers hadn't had a raise since 1991. Many lawmakers hold jobs other than their legislative positions. Many own their own businesses, and many are lawyers, for instance. The median annual household income in Alabama in 2006 through 2010 was $42,081, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Half of state households had more and half had less."  So, if you want to get rich quick...come to the state with no lottery, who lets any business come in and not pay taxes, who continues to take from the children's education fund, and become a politician.  We can't even fund the programs we have now...and they are getting a raise????  I guess it will come from the Education Trust Fund too....and we will be forced to lay off, or fire more teachers.  Sigh!  It is another beautiful day in the political world.

Let's Hear It For Non-Perfect!

This was posted in Redbook:

If your eyesight stinks and you can’t see it, it basically asks why women feel the need to be perfect all the time.

The thing is, I don’t care to be perfect. At all. Perfection to me=a dull person.

I don’t feel guilty when I take my kids to McDonalds. I never understand when I see on Facebook or Twitter from another parent, “Taking the kids to McDonalds. I know. Shame on me.”

Um. Who cares if you take the kids to McDonalds? Don’t feel GUILTY. The Big Macs are awesome. You kid isn’t going to keel over if he eats a fry, I promise. If you have a person in your life who gives you snide remarks about that sort of thing, please, drop them. They aren’t worth having around.

I buy store bought cupcakes to take into my kid’s school. I don’t fret about making them fancy at all. I walk into Wal-Mart, pluck down 20 bucks and walk out with neatly decorated treats that I didn’t have to stress over. It doesn’t bother me if I see another mother walking in with the aforementioned fancy cupcakes complete with fondant and edible glitter. If she wants to spend her time like that, good on her.

I don’t care if people don’t agree with my parenting opinions. When my kids would cry as babies, I’d wait a few minutes before rushing in to get them. I think that because I did this, my kids can entertain themselves in the morning. I hear horror stories about parents saying that their kids wake them up at 6. My kids entertain themselves until 9.

My son was circumcised. Yes, I hear the news on how it’s wrong and shame on me, but do I care? Nope. I know I made the right choice. I got my daughter’s ears pierced when she was 1. Without her permission. Some people say that she’ll resent me for putting holes in her ears when she’s older. I say if she’s going to resent me for something like that then she will have to be prepared for when I laugh and probably blog about it.

I breastfed my kids but I would have turned to formula if I had to. There’s nothing wrong with formula. You’ll get the mothers who try and make other mothers feel guilty about not breastfeeding but I know that those mothers have nothing better to do with their time and most likely have a stick permanently wedged up their butt. They were the kids that tormented others in elementary school and have decided to continue to do so as an adult. It’s a shame, really.

I rarely craft with my kids because glue generally gets stuck on my fingertips and I start to cry. But I do other things like take them to the park or have impromptu pillow fights.

I don’t always walk out of the house with makeup. It’s not that I don’t have pride in my appearance, it’s because my daughter has hidden my lip gloss and foundation again. Or that I think, “Why do I need to get dressed up for the grocery store? I’m not in Beverly Hills for God’s sake.” (And that’s another thing: I wish those Beverly Hills mothers would walk out more often with no makeup. Set a trend.)

I’m always baffled when I see women walking around in heels wherever they go. Don’t their feet hurt? I bet some of those women would prefer to run errands in comfortable shoes but that they worry if they go out in Nikes that people will talk behind cupped hands. “Did you see Suzy today? In TENNIS shoes? Ew. Who does she think she is, Forrest Gump?”

So no. I don’t care that I’m not perfect. I never strived to be. When I see my kids laughing when I belt them with Nerf darts, when the doctor tells me how healthy they are, I know I’ve done my job. When my husband thanks me for making him Rice Krispy treats or for washing his favorite shirt, I know he doesn’t care that I’m not caked with makeup.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go put in an order for store bought cupcakes. My son’s birthday is Friday and he’s requested Angry Birds ones.

(Yup. I allow him to play video games too. Sometimes more than two hours a day.)

Let’s hear it for all the non-perfect women out there.

Crafty Crow Couture $10 Credit Winner!

I did a giveaway for a $10 store credit to a wonderful Etsy store called Crafty Crow Couture here.

I used random.org to pick a winner and it chose...

...number 8 which is Emily!

Congrats!

If you didn't win, I'll have more giveaways in the future!

The Rites and Wrongs of Janice Wills by Joanna Pearson - OPTIONAL

Pearson, Joanna  The Rites and Wrongs of Janice Wills 224 pages Scholastic, 2011. $16.99 Content: Language: PG-13 (16 swears; 13 God); Mature Content: PG-13; Violence: PG.  Janice is a Junior in high school and is a self-proclaimed anthropologist.  Her observations about fellow classmates seem to be factual to her, until her best friends point out to her that she is overly critical and maybe her observations are judgmental.  Janice has a change of heart after a boy she liked ends up being mean to her and she fights with her best friend.  In the end it was interesting, but my biggest complaint is the author seemed to be writing a middle school novel and then half way through it turned very high school with some mature content.  HS-OPTIONAL.  Reviewer, C. Peterson.