Lesa Boutin

latest read

If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period by Gennifer Choldenko turned out to be nothing like I expected. One of the main characters is, Kirsten, a chubby (I refuse to use the word fat!) seventh grader who hates her body. As a fat-butted-sista' I totally related. Not to mention the uneasiness she experienced because of the tension between her parents.

Then there is Walk, short for Walker. He's new to Kirsten's expensive private school, a highly intellegent African American boy who's there on scholarship. I loved the respect Walk has for his mother, as well as the other adults in his life. And I was completely surprised by some of the turns in the story like, Jamal, Walk's cousin. Jamal's mother is worried about him; she thinks he's into to some shady business deals. And, although I won't reveal just what he was up to, I actually laughed aloud when I found out.

Kirsten and Walk struggle to figure out where they stand in the changes that are going on around them, at home, and at school. This is a great middle grade novel and I would recomend it to all middle schoolers.

Lesa Boutin

Which Jane Austen Character are You? (For Females) Long Quiz!!! created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Elizabeth Bennet As one of Austen's most beloved characters, Elizabeth Bennet represents what most women would like to become: strong, independent, and loyal. Of course, she has her faults including a stubborn will of iron and a clinging to first impressions. Overall, Lizzie is bright and lovable...something to admire and aspire to. Elizabeth Bennet 81% Jane Bennet 78% Emma Woodhouse 72% Elinor Dashwood 63% Marianne Dashwood 44% Charlotte Lucas 31% Lady Catherine 19%

certifiable

Amanda Noble, Special Agent, sequel to Zookeeper Extraordinaire, has a new character in it. I've been gradually introducing him, and then this week all of sudden , BAM! he's so cool that he throws even me for a loop. He pops up with some lines that has left me with a grin on my face all week long. I honestly could not stop thinking about it. But it was like he came up with it on his own, like it wasn't me. Even at the company Christmas dinner this week, everyone there was eagerly waiting to hear if their name would be called to win a door prize. Everyone but me. I was totally into what this guy might say or do next, so in a room filled with a couple hundred people it was just me, Amanda, and--you'll have to read the book to find out his name--in my head having a blast.

I believe this pretty much makes me certifiably insane, and all that's left now is to pick out the straight jacket color that best matches my red hair.

                                                                                                                  

Breakfast of champions

I was sitting here, hammering away on the next Amanda Noble book, and realized what a perfect picture of a loser I am! It's barely 9:00 in the morning, and I've already been at the computer for hours. Got hungry, but didn't want to take the time to prepare a proper meal, so I nuked leftover pizza from last night. Then sitting here at the computer, I saw myself in the mirror. Agh! My hair (although I did actually brush it and my teeth this morning) is mushed in a million directions, because I tend to run my hands trhough it, and mush it around when I can't find the next sentence I want. I have a, now cold, slice of pizza that looks like a rat gnawed on it, and a Coke that's beginning to lose it's fizz, sitting between my keyboard and monitor, and I couldn't help think what a glamorus life an author leads!!

Vampirates!

  

Vampires and pirates! Nuff said.

Alfred Kropp

  

It's hard to say too much about these books without giving anything away, but I love Alfred Kropp. Alfred's family has a past that he's unaware of, and in the first novel, Extraordinary Adventures, Alfred learns about that past. I like the way Alfred is unhappy with his physical appearance. We're always reading about girls that are unhappy with their looks, so it's refreshing to hear it coming from a boy. It's easy to picture this big gallute stumbling his way into becoming a hero. Both books are action packed and easy reads. Although lengthy for reluctant readers, it's well worth sticking your nose in and going along for the ride.

Pictures of Hollis Woods movie

Did you watch the Hallmark production of Pictures of Hollis Woods? I never read the book, and I will confess that it was because I didn't like the cover. Sorry. But when I saw the movie was coming on I decided I could give up a couple hours of my time. Wow! It was great! If the book is anything like the movie, I need to read it. I'm a huge fan of Alfre Woodard (sp?) and escpecially like Sissy Spacek who can fool you into seeing the character and not herself better than many actors. My husband came in about 45 minutes into the movie and after watching for a while he commented, "Is the ending of this movie gonna make me cry?" We watched and waited to see if Hollis was going to have a happily ever after. By the end my reply to him was, "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm crying!" It was great.