Where I’m Hiding February 21, 2011

Where Have I Been Hiding?

In plain sight, but off the blog-o-sphere.

Wishing to be blogging rather than yearning to blog.

I tell myself, it’s all worth it.

I’m hidden:

• Under a pile of professional books both for grad classes and for
• “catching up” (Building My background Knowledge) with the point of view our new superintendent brings with him to our district

Good thing I find his thinking right in line with my own, and also as a positive for our district

 

Recently finished:

Leading Change in Your School: How to Conquer Myths, Build Commitment, and Get Results by Douglas Reeves

Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards Through Assessment by P. J. Black & Dylan William

My current professional reading list:

The Leadership Challenge by Kouzner & Posner

Guided Instruction: How to Develop Confident and Successful Learners by Douglas Fisher

Ahead of the Curve: The Power of Assessment to Transform Teaching and Learning by multiple authors (Reeves, DuFour, Marzano, Stiggins)

 

In progress:

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

The Things that Keep us Here by Carla Buckley

The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex (audio in progress)

 

Wish List (What I wish I was reading!)
Every Last One by Ana Quindlin

Linchpin: Are you Indispensible by Seth Godin

 

Alas, I must stop procrastinating the revision of grad papers so I can get them crossed off my to-do list. It doesn’t seem like one type of writing should count as procrastinating for another type of writing, but it sure is for me.

 

 

Upper Arlington is in for a Treat! February 7, 2011

Approximately two hundred lucky Granville students got to hear a talk/presentation by THE Lauren Oliver. If you weren’t one of them, head on over to Cover to Cover Bookstore in Clintonville for the 7:00 presentation and autographing, OR pose as a UA student tomorrow and sneak into their presentation.

 

The students (and other lucky audience members) were treated to a humorous and inspiring talk, as well as getting time to ask many thoughtful questions.

Lauren started with herself as a writer and shared many interesting personal facts along the way. Here are just a few:

Her father is a published author, as well.

Her best friends all have each other’s names tattooed on their bodies. Sorry Samantha Kingston. No one is going to be getting your name tattooed on them!

Her parents wanted her to be a lawyer. She’s really glad she didn’t take their advice.

Her words of advice:

Write every day

 

 

If you haven’t checked out her blog, you should.

 

 

 

Thank You Lauren Oliver!
Thank You Cover to Cover!
Thank You Sally Oddi!
Thank You HarperTeen and the fabulous editor and publicist who helped arrange her tour

Thank You Weather Gods for not snowing us out! (Sorry Lisa Klein-we’ll get you rescheduled-You betcha! You aren’t escaping that easily! )

Thank you GHS principal, librarian, and English teachers who took time to introduce your students to this great YA author, AND help them make a Brave New World connection!

February 6, 2011

Delirium

by Lauren Oliver

HarperCollins

February 1, 2011

 

Check out this amazing hook! “It’s been sixty-four years since the president and the Consortium identified love as a disease, and forty-three since the scienctists perfected a cure. Everyone else in the family have had the procedure already. My older sister, Rachel, has been disease free for nine years. She’s been safe from love for so long, she says she can’t even remember the symptoms. I’m scheduled to have my procedure in exactly ninety-five days, on September 3. My birthday. Advanced Review Copy Cover   I like the released cover better. It’s much more intriguing! They say that the cure for love will make me happy and safe forever. And I’ve always believed them. Until now. Now everything has changed. Now, I’d rather be infected with love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years smothered by a lie.   Check out the interview on PageTurner’s blog     At 25 years-old, Lauren Oliver signed her first book contract for Before I Fall. It soon became a favorite of young adult audiences, bloggers, librarians, and booksellers. Lauren will visit Granville High School and Cover to Cover on February 7th to discuss her second book Delirium, set in a future world where love is considered a disease and one must take the “cure” at 18 years of age. Both frightening and thought-provoking, Delirium is the first in a trilogy by this talented young author.

 

Amazon listed Delirium as one of its Best Book of February 2011

You can also find the soundtracks that Lauren listed to go with her book.

 

Delirious for Delirium! Lauren Oliver is amazing February 5, 2011

So intrigued by Delirium. Still thinking about it long after, just like Before I Fall.

So excited to be in the countdown to having Lauren Oliver talking to some of our students Monday afternoon.

So excited to share it all with you!