Completely Full Bookshelf

For Poetry Thursday, I am recommending "On the Pulse of Morning" by Maya Angelou.  This  is a transcript. The page also has a link to the recording of Maya Angelou reciting the poem during Bill Clinton's first inauguration. The recording won a Grammy, so listen to it!

For MMGM, I'm recommending Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo. Here's the publisher's description: Raymie Clarke has come to realize that everything, absolutely everything, depends on her. And she has a plan. If Raymie can win the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition, then her father, who left town two days ago with a dental hygienist, will see Raymie's picture in the paper and (maybe) come home. To win, not only does Raymie have to do good deeds and learn how to twirl a baton; she also has to contend with the wispy, frequently fainting Louisiana Elefante, who has a show-business background, and the fiery, stubborn Beverly Tapinski, who’s determined to sabotage the contest. But as the competition approaches, loneliness, loss, and unanswerable questions draw the three girls into an unlikely friendship — and challenge each of them to come to the rescue in unexpected ways. ...

For Poetry Thursday, I am recommending "Wild Geese" by Mary Oliver. You can read it  here . In addition, a recording of Mary Oliver reading the poem is available  here  by scrolling down. I hope you enjoy the poem! (P.S. If you haven't noticed, I love Mary Oliver's poems!)

Edit (10/30/2016): A formatting error has been fixed. For MMGM, I'm recommending Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier. Here's the publisher's description: Catrina and her family are moving to the coast of Northern California because her little sister, Maya, is sick. Cat isn't happy about leaving her friends for Bahía de la Luna, but Maya has cystic fibrosis and will benefit from the cool, salty air that blows in from the sea. As the girls explore their new home, a neighbor lets them in on a secret: There are ghosts in Bahía de la Luna. Maya is determined to meet one, but Cat wants nothing to do with them. As the time of year when ghosts reunite with their loved ones approaches, Cat must figure out how to put aside her fears for her sister's sake — and her own. Raina Telgemeier has masterfully created a moving and insightful story about the power of family and friendship, and how it gives us the courage to do what we never thought possible. Fi...

For Poetry Thursday, I am recommending "Some Questions You Might Ask" by Mary Oliver.  Here  is the link. I hope you enjoy it!

Edit (September 25, 2016): I have fixed the formatting issues, and added the cover of Tricky Vic . Sorry that my book review is late. I haven't had a lot of time this week. However, I have the review, but first, Poetry Thursday. This poem has helped me go to sleep before, and it is "The House Was Quiet and The World Was Calm" by Wallace Stevens.  This  is the link. Now for the book review. I am recommending "Tricky Vic: The Impossibly True Story of The Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower" by Greg Pizzoli. Unfortunately, since I am posting from my iPad, I can't post the cover, but I can post the description: In the early 1900s, Robert Miller, a.k.a. “Count Victor Lustig,” moved to Paris hoping to be an artist. A  con  artist, that is. He used his ingenious scams on unsuspecting marks all over the world, from the Czech Republic, to Atlantic ocean liners, and across America. Tricky Vic pulled off his most daring con in 1925, when he managed to “sell” the ...

Today's poem for Poetry Thursday is "Pot Roast" by Mark Strand. Here's the link: http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php?date=2001/03/11 Thanks!

Other posts: Poetry Thursday (August 18, 2016): "The Summer Day" by Mary Oliver My feature today is for Ruby Goldberg's Bright Idea by Anna Humphrey, and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton. Here's the publisher's description: Ten-year-old Ruby Goldberg is determined to win her school science fair and beat her nemesis Dominic Robinson. She’s snagged second place for the last two years, and she’s set on claiming first prize. The only trouble is that Ruby has no ideas. When her grandfather’s beloved basset hound dies, Ruby thinks of the perfect thing that will cheer him up and win her first place—an innovative, state-of-the-art, not-to-be-duplicated Ruby Goldberg invention! Before long Ruby is so busy working on her idea that she ignores everything else in her life, including her best friend, Penny. And what started out as simple turns into something much more complicated! Can Ruby get her priorities—and her project—in order before it’s too la...

I've decided to start Poetry Thursdays, in which I will post a link to a poem that I love. Today's poem is "The Summer Day" by Mary Oliver. Click  here  for the poem. (Note: This link won't open in another window, so, if you want it to, right-click it and click on "Open in New Tab" or "Open in New Window." If you have a Mac mouse that doesn't right-click, turn right-click on in the settings.)

Edit (10/30/2016 ): A format ting error has been fixed. It feels like it's been two weeks since my last post! But I checked and nope, it's only been one. Anyway, for today's MMGM, I'm reviewing Ava and Pip , by Carol Weston. Here's the publisher's description: Meet outgoing Ava Wren, a fun fifth grader who tries not to lose patience with her shy big sister. When Pip's 13th birthday party turns into a disaster, Ava gets a story idea for a library contest. But uh-oh, Ava should never have written "Sting of the Queen Bee." Can Ava and her new friend help Pip come out of her shell? And can Ava get out of the mess she has made? I really enjoyed this book. It is depicted as Ava's diary, which is a nice change from the traditional first-person point of view. There are also two interesting ideas in the story that aren't in the description. The first is that Ava's family loves words (Ava enjoys writing), and the children's...