Turtle in Paradise

The year is 1935. Our country is in the middle of the Great Depression. This means that many people were out of work and did not have much money. Turtle's mom gets a job as a housekeeper to an uptight women who doesn't allow children in her home. As a result, Turtle gets sent to live with her Aunt Minnie and menagerie of cousins in Key West, Florida. When she arrives she discovers things are wildly different than she has expected. Besides the fact that nobody wears shoes, she unearths a supposedly dead grandmother and uncovers a long buried pirate treasure. Throw in some hilarious scenes, memorable characters, and a serious adventure and you've got the makings of one terrific novel.

Here are the top three things I absolutely LOVE about this book:
1.) The Character Names.
     Beans, Kermit, Pork Chop, Slow Poke, and Too Bad, to name a few.
2.)  The Diaper Gang
Turtle's entrepreneur cousins belong to the very exclusive Diaper Gang. Yes, they change diapers and swaddle fussy babies in exchange for candy. Hey, times were tough. Candy was a hot commodity.
3.) The History.
You learn a heap about what life was like in Key West in 1935. I was intrigued by all of the references to Little Orphan Annie and Terry and the Pirates. Turtle even meets Key West's most famous writer (Ernest Hemingway, perhaps?) and advises him to write for the funny pages.
4.) Alligator Pears.
You'll have to read to find out what they are!

Little Orphan Annie



Terry and the Pirates

Recipe to Read By:
A True Key West Cut Up
Key West Cut


Here's a picture of the Key West Cut-Up we made in my class. A little sour, a little sweet, a LOT delicious!

Toby Alone

Do you absolutely love adventure books? What about fantasy-adventure books?
Ohhh, boy do I have a book for you!

Thrilling chase scenes, terrible secrets, having the whole world looking for you and wanting you dead, living every day in survival mode: These are the elements of Toby Alone, a fantasy/adventure that will leave you so far on the edge of your seat that you may find yourself on the floor without even noticing.

Toby Lolness, the main character, is a twelve-year-old boy who is 1 ½ millimeters tall.

Yes, millimeters. Meaning one-thousandth of a meter. One-tenth of a centimeter. Tiny. Miniscule. Infinitesimal.

Toby lives in the High Branches of the Great Oak Tree with his loving, devoted parents. His father, a brilliant scientist, makes an incredible discovery about the tree which turns their world upside down. Overnight, Toby is separated from his parents and begins a desperate escape for survival that sends him all over the massive tree. Along the way he learns meets many people, among them the lovely and mysterious Elisha, who immediately befriends him, and Joe Mitch (aka enemy number one), the fat weevil farmer whose rise to power banishes the Lolnesses to the Lower Branches and turns the entire tree against them. Toby must escape the powerful Joe Mitch and his nasty cronies and save his parents from being executed. Quite a large task for such a small person! This story is full of flashbacks so you have to pay close attention to what is going. However, it's completely worth the extra brain power.

Warning: The ending will leave you hanging, but don't get angry--there is more to come. (This is only the first of a 2-part series.)

After reading this book, I found myself staring at the shady oak tree in my backyard with newfound curiosity. Was there an entire world of microscopic people living in this oak without my knowing it? As if my dog, Kendall, knew what I was thinking, she began sniffing the grass and lower branches for signs of life. Perhaps it was a bug, or a feather, or a bit of squirrel poo that caught her attention and made her begin to pant and claw. I like to think otherwise…
Hey, adults can have imaginations too, right?

Recipe to Read By: Tree Bark

Don't gag yet--this is not the brown cardboard stuff that tastes like dirt many of you ate as small children (don't deny it--we've all tried it one time or another). This is the chocolate/Oreo variety of tree bark that tastes 100 times better than the real thing. In fact, it's so good, you may find yourself telling people that it's tree bark just so they'll stay away from it.

Ingredients

8 oz semi-sweet chocolate

6 oz white chocolate

2 tbsp peanut butter

10 Oreo sandwich cookies

Directions

Place semi-sweet chocolate and white chocolate in separate medium microwaveable bowls. Microwave until completely melted, following directions on package.

Add peanut butter to white chocolate; stir until well blended.

Crumble half the cookies over chocolate in each bowl; mix well.

Drop spoonfuls of the chocolate mixtures onto wax paper-covered baking sheet, alternating the colors of the chocolates.

Cut through chocolate mixtures several times with knife for marble effect.

Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm.

Break into 14 pieces.

Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Label the container "Tree Bark" and no one will touch it.

*Recipe courtesy of: Kraft Foods

Watch the video of how to make this yummy concoction here

A Presidents' Day Adventure

Here's another title to add to your Official List of Top 10 Favorite Historical Fiction Novels:

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg.

(Sidebar: Please DO NOT tell me you don't have a list. You know how I feel about Historical Fiction lists, people! Also, it's okay by me if you want to bump out Number the Stars from the Top 10. It makes me weepy, too. I won't tell your teacher.)

With it being Lincoln's birthday and all I was feeling especially patriotic and America-loving and thought a trip back in time to the Civil War would be especially historical. I even donned my American flag earrings (and I swore I would NEVER be one of those teachers who accessorized by the season!) and a red and blue sweater. With my Fourth of July mix playing in the back ground and a giant hot dog at the ready, I was ready for reading.

As soon as I cracked open the book and began reading, The Stars and Stripes Forever was immediately drowned out and my hot dog long forgotten. Rodman Philbrick, whom you may recognize as the author of Freak the Mighty, weaves an enormously engaging tale of Homer Figg, adventure bound farm boy from Maine and fib-teller extraordinaire. Homer sets out on wild journey across America to find his brother, Harold, who was illegally sold to the Union army by their despicable guardian (despicable meaning foul, awful, or worthy of being despised). His journey begins with an escape from the little town of Pine Swamp, Maine and an encounter with two of dirtiest slave catchers in the North, Smelt and Stink, and a kindly Quaker named Jebediah Brewster who not only hides runaway slaves in his basement but funds Homer's journey across the country. Stink and Smelt are not the only sleazeballs Homer will come across in his journey to find the Union soldiers. After traveling by train to Portland, Homer then sails to New York aboard a steamship for the very first time and is taken advantage of by two professional thieves who swindle his money and leave him for broke. As the journey continues, Homer is featured as a headlining attraction while traveling with a Medicine Show, whose leader is arrested for being a spy for the Confederate Rebels. (This is called treason). Just when you think the edge of your seat can't get any tinier, Homer finds himself smack-dab in the middle of the Battle of Gettysburg, dodging bullets and bayonets, all the while keeping up the search for his beloved older brother. I won't give away the ending, but I will tell you that after finishing the book I bit into my cold, shriveled hot dog wishing I had paid closer attention in my 10th grade U.S. History class.

Recipe to Read By: MARY TODD LINCOLN CAKE

The marriage of Mary Todd to Abraham Lincoln is best expressed by the words Lincoln had engraved inside Mary's wedding band, "Love is Eternal." Mary expressed her feelings in less dramatic, but lasting and tasteful terms. She baked him her favorite white cake.

This is her recipe. (If you really want to annoy your mom, tell her you want to be 100%AUTHENTIC and cook it over hot coals without any electric devices--just like in Lincoln's day.)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup butter (churned by hand)

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/4 c. cake flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 1/3 cups milk (fresh from the cow)

1 cup finely chopped almonds

6 egg whites - stiffly beaten (collected from the hens out back)

Directions

Cream sugar, butter and vanilla.

Sift together cake flour and baking powder three times.
Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk.

Stir in almonds. Gently fold in the egg whites.
Pour into two greased and floured 9 x 11/2-inch round baking pans.
Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Note: Although far more complicated, this is tastier than a cold hot dog any day.

*Recipe courtesy of the Southtown Star

More Lincoln Food Facts:

It is said that his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln had a hard time getting him to remember to eat at all. When she did discover things that he truly enjoyed, she made sure that they were available whenever he wanted them. For the most part, his food tastes were simple. He loved fresh fruit, particularly apples. One of his favorite meals was simply fresh fruit and nuts, cheese and crackers.

Thank you to Esme of http://planetesme.blogspot.com/ for the fabulous recommendation!

Princess Academy

Confession: I would NEVER have picked this book up had it not been for the Newbery Honor Award. I'm not a big reader of "princess" books because they are usually too fluffy and predictable. However, after reading a plethora of favorable reviews I decided that I would give it a try. (But at the earliest mention of a dashing young prince or a wicked stepmother I was moving on! Take that, delicate, pink princess book!) Shamefully, my preconceived notions couldn't have been more wrong. After reading the first page I immediately knew this was no Disney fairy tale.

The story takes place on the slopes of Mount Eskel, where the majority of the residents work in the stone quarry. Miri, a fiesty, yet incredibly tiny girl is the main character who aches to work alongside her father and sister in the quarry. She lives a happy, if unexciting, life until word comes from the lowlanders that the prince will choose a princess from Mount Eskel. You can imagine the hullaballoo that ensues. (Don't you love that word--hullaballoo? I need to find more ways to use it.) Here lies the problem: Prince Steffan will not choose a bride without her going through a rigorous training in lowlander life. A special academy is set up on the other side of the mountain for all eligible girls to attend. Unlike The Princess Diaries (which I admit to watching on more than one occasion), the Academy is nothing like Julie Andrews' crash-course in princess etiquette. On the contrary, the girls are isolated from the outside world and deprived of visiting their families, are humiliated daily by Tutor Olana, and face a myriad of dangerous situations, such as a group of bandits who invade the Academy. Doesn't sound like your average glass slipper--talking mirror--evil spell casting fairy tale, now does it? In addition to her bravery and quiet intelligence, Miri discovers an unspoken, language called "quarry-speech" that allows her to lead the other girls out of danger and prove herself as a true heroine, despite her small size.
This book will appeal to tomboys, girly-girls, wannabe princesses, princess-despisers and even dare I say it...boys! Yes, it's that good. Go ahead and read it--I promise no one will call you a sissy.

Recipe to Read By: Biscuits with Honey
Honey is a rare treat on the Slopes of Mount Eskel, and Miri often fantasized about hot biscuits drizzled with the sweet amber liquid on bleak winter evenings.
These easy-peasy biscuits are delicious in any weather or at any altitude.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups self-rising flour
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup milk

Directions:
1. Combine and mix ingredients together.
2. Pour out on floured waxed paper. Pat the dough out with your hands until dough is not sticky (add a little flour if necessary). Fold double.
3. Cut biscuits with a biscuit cutter.
4. Bake on a cookie sheet at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 20-25 minutes.
5. Drizzle with honey
6. Drizzling won't give you nearly enough honey, so pour the rest of the honey jar into a bowl and plunge your biscuit into it. This will make a sticky mess, but that's okay. You're not trying to marry a prince, are you?

Two Thumbs Up for MBS

"Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?"

The results are in: fourth graders love The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart. And what's not to love? The four main characters are wonderfully unique and likeable, there are countless opportunities to solve mind-bending puzzles, and the non-stop adventure keeps your fingers turning page after page after page. The plot revolves around four "gifted" children who are brought together through a series of strange tests given by Mr. Benedict. We immediately took to Reynie, the main protagonist, who is a problem solver by nature and reluctant leader of the MBS. The other characters include Sticky Washington (don't call him by his real name--George!) the human encyclopedia, Kate Wetherill, the acrobatic daredevil, and Constance Contraire, the tiny klutz with a sour attitude. Mr. Benedict has gathered the children together to help him with a top secret dangerous mission. The four of them must work together to foil a treacherous villian from sending messages through the minds of innocent people. My students loved solving the puzzles along with the characters and even learned Morse Code! Although the 512 pages look intimidating, we devoured this book in record time and were pleased to learn of a sequel, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey.

Recipe to Read By: Snickerdoodles

Mystery stories call for a recipe with a mysterious past. No one knows where the name “snickerdoodle” comes from and even the origin of the cookie is shrouded in mystery, but what isn’t mysterious is where all the cookies go when you make this delicious recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Stir in the eggs. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until well blended. In a small bowl, stir together the 2 tablespoons of sugar, and the cinnamon. Roll dough into walnut sized balls, then roll the balls in the cinnamon-sugar. Place them onto an unprepared cookie sheet, two inches apart.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be slightly brown.

Remove from sheets to cool on wire racks.
4. Eat under the covers with a flashlight and a copy of The Mysterious Benedict Society.

*Recipe courtesy of http://www.allrecipes.com/