Friday, September 11, 2009

Sophomore Independent Reading Selections for 1st Marking Period 2009-2010

Hey, Lovely Sophomores!

Please write a short post letting everyone know the author and title of the book you've selected to read for independent reading during the 1st marking period.

As I am posting this DEREK JETER hit number 2,722, the record for most hits by a Yankee!!!!!!!

Oh, and I am currently reading Pilgram at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard. This novel is about a year Annie Dillard spent living and observing nature in the blue valley of Virginia. I love the vivid description she uses to narrate her experience observing nature. Here's an example of her writing style:

"Outside in summer I watch the orb-weavers, the spiders at their wheels. Last summer I watched one spin her web, which was especially interesting because the light just happened to be such that I couldn't see the web at all. I had read that spiders lay their major straight lines with fluid that isn't sticky, and then lay a nonsticky spiral going the other way. It seems to be very much a matter of concentration. The spider I watched was a matter of mystery: she seemed to be scrambling up, down, and across the air. There was a small white mass of silk visible at the center of the orb, and she returned to this hub after each frenzied foray between air and air. it was sort of Tinker Creek to her, from which she bore lightly in every direction an invisible news. She had a nice ability to make hairpin turns at the most acute angles in the air, all at topmost speed" (Dillard 53).

Over the summer I read:

Ann Rynd, Anthem
Jon Franklin, Writing for Story
David Thoreau, Walden
Maxine Hong Kingston, Warrior Woman
W.E.B Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk
David Sedaris, Naked
Truman Capote, In Cold Blood
Joan Didion, Slouching Toward Bethlehem
Eudora Welty, One Writer’s Beginnings
Spencer Wells, Deep Ancestry: Inside the Genographic Project
Frank McCourt, Teacher Man
half of Dante Alighieri's, Inferno

I love to read!

Mrs. Kaplan

P.S. Also, sign your post with your first and last name as well as your block.

58 comments:

Shara Joy Aya said...

Shara Aya C block

well yeah... the book i chose was from John Steinbeck titled Of Mice and Men. i started it today... it's a lil funny kinda...

antoinette galbo said...

the book i chose is from jerry spinelli. its called knots in my yo-yo string.

Destiny S. Audinett said...

Destiny Audinett C block:

The book I chose is The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. I honestly just picked up the book because I was attracted to the wording in it. It has a slightly poetic feel to it.

Aimee Horowitz said...

Right now I am reading The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander. Ben Zander is the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and is a professor at the New England Conservatory of Music. I was fortunate to hear him speak this summer at Alan November's Building Learning Communities Conference in Boston. He was truly entertaining and inspirational. His attitude about students and learning and his attitude about life made me want to read his book.

I am also reading Sholom Aleichem's Wandering Stars, which I bought in Montreal while taking my son to school at McGill. Last year, while I was there I bought and read The Last Lecture, which I highly recommend to all. Both of my boys read it as did my daughter and we all thought it was most inspirational. (Love the McGill bookstore!)

Over the summer I read Teaching Adolescent Writers by Kelly Gallagher. I will be sharing some of what I learned with the teachers at our school. I also read Jennifer Weiner's Best Friends Forever, which was a birthday gift from a friend; a quick and fun read. Two other books that I read and loved are Lucette Lagnado's The Man In The White Sharkskin Suit and 42 Keys to the Second Exodus by Vivianne M. Schinasi-Silver. Both are memoirs so they weave together history and personal stories. Another book I read was Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.

I am looking forward to reading Azar Nafisi's Things I've Been Silent About as I loved her first book Reading Lolita in Tehran.

Gabriella Iacono said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Chris Hewporth said...

The book I am reading is called The Bumblebee Flies Away by Robert Cormier.

Congratulations to Jeter on passing Lou Gehrigs record for most hits as a Yankee!

Gabriella Iacono said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Gabriella Iacono said...

the book i chose is the host by stephinie meyer.

gabriella iacono

sierra white c block said...

the book i chose to read is journey to the centre of the earth by jules verne

BrandonHelfer said...

Swallowing Stones by Joyce McDonald

Chris C. said...

chris court D block

inkheart by cornelia funke

i saw the movie and it was great, im reading it to see how it is in the book.

DJenne said...

The book i am reading is NIGHTFALL by issac asimov & robert silverburg

Alex Lopes said...

Dear Ms.Kaplan, my mother found the book, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. I am going to start reading that, so I won't be reading Shelock Holmes right now. Maybe that will be my next book. Thank you .

From. Alex Lopes
Block: E

brianna recinos said...

brianna recinos
d-block
anne frank.
the diary of a young girl

Leorie said...

Leorie Beriguete C Block

Hey Ms Kaplan I'm reading The Color of Water by James McBride and it's such a great book i read 1 to chapter 3 cause it is so good. I hope thats ok

aisha said...

Aisha Balaquiot , C Block

The book i chose was Murder on the Orient Express, by Agathe Christie.

A.Figsz said...

This is Amber Figueroa. The book i picked out is called When I Was Puerto Rican by: Esmeralda Santiago.

Chris Smart said...

I just began the book called, "Strays Like Us" by Richard Peck. I chose this book from the library in your class..

brittni said...

Hello! Yhis is Brittni from your C block class. I picked the book "A Wind In The Door" by Madeline L'Engle. The cover was very strange, and it caught my attention. Well, GO YANKEES!

Caroline Swift said...

Caroline Swift
D Block

I am reading the book The Outsiders by S.E Hinton

donna c. said...

hi
this is donna from c block
im reading parrrot in the oven
by martinez

Courtney Springer said...

Courtney Springer from block C. I chose the book Rumble Fish my S.E. Hinton.

Andrew Casale said...

Hi its andrew Casale from c block and the book im reading is The dead and the gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer. i sent you an email since i didnt know how to comment on the blog but i figured it out

luke opulski said...

The book I have chosen to read is Beowulf.
Luke Opulski D block

Anita Kathleen said...

Anita Kathleen Platis - C Block.
I am reading Parrot in The Oven by Martinez.

Whitney Hess said...

The book I'm reading is a Wrinkle in Time by Madeliene L'engle

Natalie Allen said...

natalie allen C block:

I chose to read Parrot in the Oven written by Victor Martinez

Lori Lee(: said...

The book I chose was The Chronicles of Narnia The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis.

Danielle said...

danielle derenzo
D block
the book im reading is my everest story by mark pfetzer & jack galvin

Jamie Lepard said...

The book i choose to read is Stargirl By Jerry Spinelli.

charlene said...

hey....watz up...my name iz charlene and im going to read A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle...the book sounds soo weird...but whatever

Alex Lore said...

Hi!!!!..its alex lore from your D block class..The book I chose was "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London..And introduced by:MELVIN BURGESS.. WAY TO GO DEREK JETER!!!!

Lennie Giordano said...

The book i picked is called 2oo1 A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke

Radwa Ahmed said...

Hey there, Ms.Kaplan, it's Radwa Ahmed from c blook class. Im reading the book Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye. It's such a good book and I can relate the culture and the langauge.

nicolette said...

Hi, my name is Nicolette Varvaro and I am in your C block class. I am reading Inkheart by author Cornelia Funke.

Jayde Bressi said...

I am reading Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen

Adriana Pinzon said...

I chose Rumble Fish by S.E. Hinton because it looked interesting and he is the author of The Outsiders and I heard that book was good too. [[C-Block]]

Nicholas Martucci said...

yeah... i chose contact harvest as my book for class... o and by the way jeter beat lou Gerick's score

steven urcinoli said...

i choose the book Othello by julius lester.

steven urcinoli said...

the book i choose was othello by Julius lester

steven urcinoli said...

othello by julius lester.

steven urcinoli said...

othello by julius lester

steven urcinoli said...

othello by julius lester

steven urcinoli said...

othello by julius lester

steven urcinoli said...

othello by julius lester

sultan kabiawu said...

the book i chose for my first indepent reading choice was, Malcolm X an auto biography by, Walter Dean

William Ao said...

William Ao , C Block

The book im reading is Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Jaclyn A. said...

D-Block
I'm reading "Shabanu:Daughter of the Wind" by "Suzanne Fisher Staples".

Deena LoIacono said...

Deena LoIacono-D block

The book I chose is called "Chelsey" by Chelsey Shannon. This book is about her life and how she lived through it. Its a really good book so far.

Alex Garcia said...

Hey Mrs. Kaplan just doing this real quick since its pretty late.
The book im reading is Tangerine by Edward Bloor. Alex Garcia D Block.

Chris Frank 24 said...

this is christopher frank

Chris Frank 24 said...

heyy miss kaplen, your not so bad.

Chris Frank 24 said...

heyy miss kaplan this is me again. sorry about before. forgot to put my name. christopher frank

DJenne said...

Hello Mrs. Kaplyn this is DJenne Jean-Louis remember yesterday I was in your advisory choosing another book because the book I origanally chose was more boring than channel 1 news. Well... The new book I chose is "The Pigman`s Legacy" (Sequel to "The Pigman") although I didnt even read "The Pigman" im just happy this book is better than the other one.

Chris Hepworth said...

Chris Hepworth
D-Block

Hi Mrs. Kaplan I am reposting because I realiized I got the name of my book wrong. The name of my book is The Bumblebee Flies Anyway by Robert Cormier.

Emely Funes said...

Emely L. Funes Block D

I choose a book called the diary of anne frank by Anne Frank herself. I just choose this book because it sounded like a true story so it caught my attention.

Gabriella Iacono said...

my name is gabriella iacono. and i am reading the host by stephinie meyer. what is goin on in my book right now is the Healer and the Seeker are trying to figure out what is going on.

Jayde Bressi said...

Jayde Bressi
d block.


The book im reading is American Star by Jackie Collins. Right now in my book the main characters are not talking anymore. They moved away from eachother and started to see other people, even though they think of eachother all of the time.