Hello everyone,
If you happen to be on Instagram and you like reading books, head on over to my new account. I created an account just for books :). My Instagram handle is @booksandmilktea . Thank you!
Sincerely,
Sara
Book Review
Title: Salt to the Sea Author: Ruta Sepetys Genre: Histotical Fiction Pages: 391
“How foolish to believe we are more powerful than the sea or the sky.”
Set during WWII(Winter of 1945), Ruta Sepetys documents the journey of four ficional characters to tell the true story of the deadliest disaster in maritime history, the sinking of Wilhelm Gustloff. The Wilhem Gustloff was carrying wartime personnel as well as civilians, with an estimated five thousand being children.
“The Wilhelm Gustloff was pregnant with lost souls conceived of war. They would crowd into her belly and she would give birth to their freedom. But did anyone realize? The ship was christened for a man, Wilhelm Gustloff. He had been the leader of the Nazi party in Switzerland.He was murdered. The ship was born of death.”
I knew what lay ahead before I even began this story. This story is raw, it’s emotional, beautiful but at the same time heart-wrenching. Emilia, Florian, Joana, Klaus, and Poet seemed so real to me. I laughed with them and I have cried with them….through everything. If you know about the goat scene, you know what I’m talking about . I could not at all relate with Alfred. I tried very hard because after all he shares a good part of the book, but I just couldn’t. My favorite pair was Emilia and Florian and the relationship they shared. I don’t want to give too much away but I literally choked up with what Florian did to try to encourage Emilia to accept her baby . It was just so beautiful!
Has anyone else read The Salt To The Sea? What are your thoughts?
Book Review
Wink, Poppy, Midnight
Author:April Genevieve Tucholke Genre: YA Mystery Pages: 256
“In a hundred years, who will care about my unicorn underwear? Who cares right now? There are bigger things to think about.
Bigger things like what?
Battles and wars. Lost causes and lost loves. Unsolved mysteries and magical rings and Here Be Dragons. Fairy Paths. Child-eating witches and child-saving witches. Tinder boxes and saucer-eyed dogs.”
While perusing the shelves of Barnes and Noble, this book caught my eye. I know I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but sometimes it’s all it takes for me to delve right in. This book is about a boy and two girls. Wink, Poppy, and Midnight. A hero, a villain, a liar. Who’s who?
Wink reminded me of Jerry Spinelli’s Stargirl. They are very similar in terms of personality and mysteriousness. The story captivated me in such a way that I read it in one sitting. It was truly magical. Do you buy any books based on its cover?
What was the purpose of my human?
– Hannah Gadsby, TED Talk
This is something I think we all pondered all throughout PD today. What is the purpose of my human? What role do I serve as an educator in the classroom? What role do I serve in my students’ lives? What connections do I share with them? As we delved into Social Emotional Learning (SEL) today, we focused on ourselves and what it means to be mindful. I think as educators we are just so focused on what’s happening around us, that we forget to be aware of ourselves and how we are feeling at the moment, which ultimately affects our students and classroom environment. To be honest, self-reflection is something I need to do more of. I just wish I had more time to do it. We are always in such a rush to get things done, that we ourselves don’t take a minute to smell the flowers and blow out the candles. Thus, my goal this year will be to engage in more self-reflection as well as self-awareness. I am better able to serve my classroom and community when I take care of myself first.
Sleeping in the most cutest poses
sometimes,
pain can only be
understood when it’s read
in between the lines
as our minds try to comprehend
it for the hundrenth millionth time
and we are left speechless,
dumbfounded,
our hearts
rendered
indifferent
is it too much to say
I don’t care anymore
