Audiobooks

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Audiobooks are, as many people know, books that you can listen to. There are many different reasons why someone might want to listen to an audiobook instead of reading a paper or electronic copy. I will cover a few of them in this post.

One reason someone might choose an audiobook is if they are a reluctant reader. You can get the story and vocabulary from an audiobook without actually reading. Another reason someone might want an audiobook is, even if they are a good reader, if the book is above their level. For example, if a 7-year-old heard about the story of Keeper of the Lost Citites, or Greenglass House, and wanted to read them, those books are above an average 7-year-old reading ability. However, if the 7-year-old had a good vocabulary, they could listen to an audiobook. That way, they could get the story without reading the challenging text. One reason I use audiobooks is that if I want to relax, I can turn on an audiobook and close my eyes. This way I can close my eyes and listen to the story. I don’t have to keep my eyes open.

Keep in mind, the point is not to turn you off paper books. I am simply giving you a new resource. You can get audiobooks, e-books, and videos on Overdrive, a free app. Until next time!

The School Story

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Hello again! I just finished this book today, and I really enjoyed it. I hope you do too. The book is called The School Story.

When Natalie Nelson’s mom, an editor for a big publishing company, tells her daughter that school stories are in demand, Natalie thinks writing a school story can’t be that hard. It became a project just for Natalie. So when she writes The Cheater, she never had big plans for it. Make copies for friends, maybe get some extra credit. That all changes when she lets her ambitious best friend, Zoe Reisman, read the first fifteen chapters. Zoe convinces Natalie to use a pen name, Cassandra Day, to go behind her mother’s back and get it published with her mom as the editor, all without letting her mom know her daughter wrote it. The girls enlist the help of the sixth grade English teacher, Ms. Clayton, to be their adviser. This is another wonderful story from Andrew Clements.

I found this story because I was looking for another short and fun story from Andrew Clements. A few of his other books that I’ve read and liked are Frindle, No Talking, The Landry News, and Report Card.

Cook Forest Vacation

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Like I said in my previous post, I’m on vacation. Woo-hoo! First camping trip of the summer! I’ve taken a few pictures of me reading at my campsite, which I’ve included at the bottom of the post. Right now, I’m at the Clarion library.

The Clarion library is an amazing library. In the main area, there are couches and chairs everywhere. The shelves are made of dark wood that looks quite pretty. Sitting on the shelves is an extensive collection of books. And then, downstairs, there’s the children’s section. My favorite part is the children’s section. There’s almost a whole floor devoted to playthings and children’s books. The walls and bookshelves are painted bright, inviting colors, and there are large stuffed animals on top of the shelves. There are beanbags and large pillows scattered around. There’s a little puppet theater, as well as a miniature cottage. Even better, there’s a whole shelf of games!

I really enjoy seeing different libraries when I go on vacation. Let me know in the comments if there are any library recommendations for me. I’ll definitely try to go!

  • This is a picture of a log formation I like to climb.
  • Do you like my chair?
  • This is a close-up of the log formation with me reading on it.
  • Aww! Panda
  • Big turtle
  • A gigantic children’s area
  • Beanbags and pillows!
  • Coloring table
  • One fish, two fish
  • Miniature cottage
  • Twin tigers
  • Puppet theater
  • Clarion quilt
  • A shelf of games!

Kane Chronicles

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Hi! Just wanted to let you know: I’ll be camping this weekend, so I’m thinking about posting from there. Make sure to look for it! Anyway, onto the present post. The topic is the Kane Chronicles, a series about Egyptian mythology in the modern world.

The main characters are Carter and Sadie Kane, a brother and sister who barely know each other. After their mother died, Sadie went to live with their grandparents, the Fausts, in London, while Carter traveled the world with his dad, the great Egyptologist Julius Kane. When the siblings find out that all the mythical monsters are real and out for blood, they must learn to work together in the face of danger. This series is based on the stories of ancient Egyptian magicians. (And no, they don’t pull cute, fuzzy rabbits out of hats.) Follow the adventures of the Kane siblings in this trilogy as they save the world, and, while attempting to save it, almost destroy it.

This is a series written by Rick Riordan. He has published many books about mythology in the modern world. There are series about Greek mythology and Norse mythology. I recommend this series to readers who don’t mind a bit of peril. (I’m not big on scary books, and I like this trilogy, so don’t worry.) If you like this series, read the others by Rick Riordan. They are all pretty similar. If you like a bit of variation, maybe read another book in between. Hope you enjoy it! If you have an opinion, or any questions, comment. I’d love to hear about your experiences.

Summer Reading Programs

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Hello! This post is going to be about, as the title says, summer reading programs. The reason I do summer reading is that I would read anyway, so why not get rewarded for doing it? There are many different summer reading programs, but there are 2 I do every year. In this post, I will be recommending the Heights Libraries reading program.

The first program I do is at the Heights Libraries. The theme this year is the Great Outdoors. If you’re a reluctant reader, the program I recommend is the Heights Libraries program. This gives you credit for every day, any type of reading. If you read comic books for 5 minutes, you get the same credit as if you read a classic novel for 2 hours. One reason you would do this if you’re someone who reads all the time is that it is easy to keep track of. I read every day, so I know that if it’s, say, June 10, I’ve read 10 days. The prize system is that you get a free book for signing up and a free book for completing the board. The board has 30 squares, 1 for each day. At 5, 15, and 30, you get 1 raffle ticket. There are quite a few different prizes, including 4 tickets to Cedar Point. One of my favorite prizes is the book bundle. It includes a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble! Once you complete one board, you can get another board. For more information, visit your local Heights Libraries branch.

I hope you decide to check out the program. Let me know below in the comments if you recommend any other programs. Keep reading!

Treehouse

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I just realized that I promised book reviews and where I like to read, and have only written book reviews! This is about my treehouse.

My dad and grandpa recently finished a treehouse in my backyard. I enjoy reading there. It’s on four posts that are secured into the ground, because we don’t have any trees strong enough to hold it. Despite that, it still feels like I’m in the trees, due to the big tree, whose branches stretch over the treehouse.

Here are a few pictures of me reading Nightfall, the 6th book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series (you might remember it from my preview post), in my treehouse.

Geronimo Stilton Series

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This is a series I enjoy reading when I want something easy and fun. The target range for Geronimo Stilton books is ages 6-12.

Geronimo Stilton is a mouse who runs The Rodent’s Gazette, a daily newspaper for New Mouse City. Geronimo also writes bestselling adventure books based on his crazy life. Thea Stilton, Geronimo’s adventure-seeking sister, Trap, Geronimo’s food-loving cousin, William Shortpaws, founder of the Rodent’s Gazette and Geronimo’s grandfather, Benjamin, Geronimo’s favorite nephew, and Bugsy Wugsy, Benjamin’s friend, are a few other main characters.

The Geronimo Stilton series currently has 72 books. The series is written by Elisabetta Dami, under the pseudonym of Geronimo Stilton. There are also quite a few other series related to the original, such as Spacemice, Kingdom of Fantasy, Thea Stilton, Creepela Von Cacklefur, and many others. Below is a picture of the first book of the series, Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye. There may be small mentions of other plot lines, but these books can be read in any order.

Greenglass House

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Hello again! Happy summer! Greenglass House is the first book in a series. I read it, and it wasn’t my favorite, but I think that’s because I’m not a fan of scary books. Hope you have a better experience!

This is a book that I recommend to readers looking for a good mystery with a bit of a scare. I can’t say much more than that, as it would give away the plot of the book. 13-year-old Milo is the adopted child of Ben and Nora Pine, owners of a smugglers inn at Greenglass House, where famous smuggler Doc Holystone once lived. Normally quiet during the winter holidays, Greenglass House has 5 unlikely visitors, who all have secrets of their own. I liked it until the end, where it got a little scary.

There are 4 books in this series by Kate Milford. The second book is called Ghosts of Greenglass House. Greenglass House has won the Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery.

Image result for greenglass house


Preview Post: Keeper of the Lost Cities

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Hi! This is a preview of the type of posts I will be writing. This is one of my favorite series. Hope you like it!

This was the first series I really got into after Harry Potter. I strongly recommend this to readers of any age looking for a good read. The main idea is similar to Harry Potter. Sophie Foster is a 12-year-old high school senior who feels like an outcast. This all changes when she meets Fitz and discovers she isn’t human. But even in the Elvin world of power and wealth, Sophie doesn’t quite fit in. She goes on many adventures with her friends that help her discover things aren’t always as they seem.

7 books are currently available. The series is written by Shannon Messenger, who has promised a book 8 published in the fall of 2019, as well as a book 9 in the fall of 2020. Whether there will be books 10 and beyond is uncertain.

Image result for keeper of the lost cities

Welcome!

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Hello! My name is Nora, and I love to read. I decided to start this blog so I could recommend my favorite books to the world.

As well as recommending books, I will take pictures of me reading in different places throughout the summer, like my home or on vacation.

I only plan on writing consistently during the summer, so I will really start writing once school ends on May 31. Hope to see you then!