Calhoun Chronicles Books 1-4 (The Charm ...

The Horsemaster's Daughter Wiggs_ Susan
Book starts out with Hunter and he raised horses. The latest is very brutal and he knows he needs some help to tame this one.
With help from a boy they get the contained horse on a small barge and take him to where they hope the horsemaster lives. He'd be the one to tame him.
He arrives and only finds a woman-his daughter. Her father is gone.
Like learning about the wild horses and how they show up to be close to her.
He watches as the next day Hunter sees the horse catching her but she wants a chance with the horse.
She had been taught by the expert, her father and she knew she had to take her time with the horse.
Love the relationship they discover on the roof.
They see into each other's soul and she sees he needs a new wife and he sees she is simple but connected to the horses-has no idea about the outside world.
Love how Alysha trains the stallion-Finn. Hunter tends to the other animals and knows his kids are in good hands with his inlaws.
Slaves wonder to the island and she knows what she needs to do-follow in her father's footsteps so they can continue their journey.
He meets a man he thought he'd never see again, she is amazed at everything she's learning about her father's life.
She finds love and wants to explore him.
Love mysteries, treasures, different locations and all the adventure of making it all work.
Alysha realizes how damaged his family is once she lives among them. She is so perspective. She finds out why his son won't talk and she is able to bring his grief forward, releasing him from his pain. After the job of training Finn her work at the estate is done.
Sexual scenes. She is able to learn more about her father and mother. Hunter also learns of his wifes last days and her private secret past.
He keeps his promise and sets her free to go to CA, her father's real dream.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

This story is about a puppy named Biscuit who sneaks into school with his owner. Throughout the story, he learns about everything at a school and all what a students does on a normal day at school. I would use this in my classroom as a first day of school book to start off the day. This book could possibly calm the nerves of students of what the day and year will bring.

Grade Level- Kindergarten through First Grade

Lexile Level- 100 L

This book is fairly dated but I feel as though it would still get the point across to the students. This story is about one Berenstain Bear who is afraid to start kindergarten. Throughout the book she finally conquers her fear. This book would be a great book to read to all kindergarteners. This book would allow them to know that they are not alone in feeling scared to start school. It might even calm their nerves. I think this book could open a group discussion to see what the class, as a whole, was afraid of before they got to school that day. They could go into detailed and explain what made them feel comfortable about starting school. They could then do a drawing or who or what made them excited to be at school that day. I feel like this book is simple but could act as a great "ice breaker" for the kindergarteners. 

A link to my main blog showcasing my picks for this week's Top Ten Tuesday entry.  Some personal stories linking to books that resonated with me as I read them coming up through school.

I haven't had much time for leisurely reading (although my stack is seriously tempting me), but at least my school assignments have been fairly interesting, if at times somewhat tedious. 

I re-read Macbeth for an English paper, but I just kept wishing that I was back in high school English joking with my friends about Ian McKellen as Macbeth yelling at the ghost of Banquo. 

I also read The Wife of Bath's Tale a while back which, surprisingly, was actually pretty cool. I made a note that if and when I ever teach it, I would compare the Wife of Bath to Samantha Jones from Sex and the City. It was awesome to read a character like that in something like Chaucer- it made the language feel a lot less tedious.

Currently, I'm working my way through Paradise Lost, but it's slow going. Still, it feels like I'm accomplishing something as I read it. I think I'm enjoying it more because I just think of Supernatural as I'm reading. Also, it's in my giant English textbook, which I like to plop on a table and mark with washi tape tabs.

Alongside the first few books of Paradise Lost, my English teacher assigned a couple of chapters out of Gulliver's Travels. I just started reading the part where he's marooned on an island of intelligent horses and 'Yahoos', hairy animal-like savages who somewhat resemble humans. I've only read a few pages of it but it reminds me a bit of The Time Machine. I can't decide if I'm going to read the whole book yet.

I still read In Search of Respect here and there, but it's tough to read about the lives of people who really never even had a sliver of a chance at a good life. There are a lot of things that you don't really think about when considering why people can't escape extreme poverty. In one example I read, a neighbor of Philip's "subjects" (for lack of a better word) gets a good job at an office- a rare accomplishment and her first decent-paying job. She buys a new outfit for work- a bright yellow, tight jumpsuit. Her friends and boyfriend think she looks gorgeous and wish her good luck at her job- they don't even realize that the outfit alone will be enough to get her into trouble, and maybe even let go. They have no access to what "dressing nice" means in that situation. It's mind-boggling, but it's understandable- they're stuck in the bubble of their neighborhood's street culture, where "dressing nice" means something very different. 

I'm still keeping up with my readings in Freedom On My Mind for African American History class. Currently we're learning about the Underground Railroad... well, everyone else is learning about it. I already knew pretty much all that we've covered so far- I've had an interest in it since my dad taught me about it when I was very young. Harriet Tubman was ridiculously badass and if you haven't read much about her, you really should. 

It's been great reading epic works of literature and learning so much, but damn I can't wait to be done with this semester and get started on all my fun books!