Book Reviews

A snow day like today seems like the perfect time to sit down with a nice hot cup of cocoa and read. Unfortunately I am on day one (in fact, hour one) of a detox/allergy diet, and day one consists of nothing but green smoothies. That's right, today I am drinking spinach and ginger. Yum. Not the best snow day fare, but I am trying to figure out some of my allergies, and starting from scratch seems to be the only way to go. So! Instead of cocoa and reading, I will tell you about a few of my current favorite books.

"Guyku: A Year of Haiku for Boys" by Bob Raczka and Peter H. Reynolds
Ages 5 and up

I love, love, love, love
haiku. I also love boys.
The best of both worlds.

Seriously, though, this book is kind of amazing. The haikus are fun and quirky and sound great when read aloud (tried, tested, and true, based on the reactions of my third graders), and the illustrations, while paying homage to the traditional ink drawings that often accompany haiku poetry, are silly and spontaneous and have lots of little details to catch kids' eyes. The book takes place in four parts, one for each season, and follows the outdoor adventures of an inquisitive little boy. Here is an excerpt from  the book:

The wind and I play

tug-of-war with my new kite.

The wind is winning.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Young Adult Fiction

Although I did have a few fifth graders reading books from the Hunger Games series last year, I would say that they are more of a middle school book, not because of readability, but because they are quite...dark. Maybe I am overly sensitive? Don't answer that; we both know the answer. Mockingjay is the third and final book in the Hunger Games trilogy. I have only just started the book, so this isn't as much a book review as it is a recommendation for the series--I couldn't put the first two books down! The series takes place in the twisted, futuristic society of Panem, and follows heroine Katniss Everdeen as she transforms from a rebellious hunter in her native District 12 to a two-time victor of the Hunger Games, where children are put into an arena and forced to fight to the death for the entertainment of the elite class who live in the Capitol. In this third book, Katniss has rescued those who were left in District 12 and has agreed to lead the rebellion against President Snow and the Capitol as the figurehead of the rebellion, the mockingjay. Bad-ass heroine? Check. Intriguing setting? Check. Two hot guys pining for said heroine, who is fiercely independent but loves them both? Yes, please. This series is well-worth reading, even if young adult fiction isn't your usual genre. I just hope they don't screw up the books in the upcoming movies.

The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre

My brother gave me this cookbook for Christmas and it's my new favorite. Did you know that turmeric is one of the best anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic spices? Me either, until I got this book! Besides yummy, healthy recipes, this cookbook is also a reference for the health benefits of different whole foods, spices, oils, etc. The recipes that I have tried so far are easy to cook with--not too many crazy health-food-store ingredients that you don't already have in your pantry, although there are a few...(teff? kombu? goji berries?), and the results are delish.