Cosmically Comical

      "Mom? Dad? Um, you know how I said we were going to the Lake District for a field trip?

Well...we are actually hurtling through space a zillion miles away from Earth. Please don't be  mad."                                                                                              

       12-year-old Liam Digby is extremely tall for his age. He spends the majority of his middle school years being mistaken as an adult and soon realizes that being tall has its perks. He can ride roller coasters when the rest of his class cannot. He can pose as a teacher and drink coffee in the teachers' lounge. He can even test drive a Porsche! Well, he can almost test drive a Porsche. He and his friend Florida, a celebrity-obsessed fashion junkie (love her!),  break away from their weekly drama class and peruse the shopping mall posing as a father-daughter duo. Liam, a World of Warcraft addict, believes that he is gaining "skills" to prepare him for the next Level. The action really starts heating up when Liam enters a contest to visit the World's Most Awesome Theme Park. The only catch is that the contest is for dads and kids. Guess who enters it as a father and daughter pair and wins? You betcha: Liam and Florida. What ensues is a Dahl-like competition that tests the bravery, intelligence, and most of all "dadliness" of our hilarious main character.

As Liam would say, it is "absolutely cosmic!"

Recipe to Read By: Out of This World Moon Pies

Moon pies traditionally combine marshmallows, cookies, and chocolate, but you can always add a smear of peanut butter or Nutella for a cosmic flavor combination.

Ingredients:

1 box Devil's food cake mix
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Marshmallow Fluff

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spray two cookie sheets.
2. To Make Chocolate Cookies: Mix together cake mix and baking powder. Stir in eggs and oil.
3. Drop the dough onto cookie sheet by rounded tablespoonfuls. Leave at least 3 inches in between each one; dough will spread as it bakes.

4. Bake in preheated oven for about 11 minutes. Allow to cool at least 30 minutes before filling.

5. To Make Cosmic Marshmallow Filling: In a medium mixing bowl, blend together 1/2 cup butter or margarine, confectioners' sugar, flavored extract, and Marshmallow Fluff. Mix until smooth. Stick your finger in and bask in the glory that is Marshmallow Fluff Filling.

Assemble pies by spreading 1 to 2 tablespoonfuls of filling on flat side of a cookie crust, then covering filling with flat side of another cookie crust.



 

The Moral of the Story Is...

I've been on a fable kick. First, The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop Elementary, then Arnold Lobel's Fables, and now Squids will be Squids: Fresh Morals, Beastly Fables. This book of important life lessons is brought to you by Jon Scieszka (You know, the guy who wrote The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. Quite the cool guy, I know.)

It's one of those books that gets funnier with repeated readings. And it's even funnier if you read it to a bunch of fourth graders who have a wicked sense of humor and love a good moral.

Right away you sense the type of book this is going to be. Maybe it's in the title, or the colorful, yet peculiar illustrations that are not unlike Stinky Cheese. Or perhaps it's the age range written in tiny font on the inside jacket flap (Age: 49-630 in dog years).

The introduction gives a nice overview of the history of fables, complete with a short Aesop biography. I like this part:

Fables have been around for thousands of years. And it's no wonder. Because even thousands of years ago people were bright enough to figure out that you could gossip about anybody--as long as you changed their name to something like "Lion" or "Mouse" or "Donkey" first. (Pretty clever, huh? I wish I had been on my fables kick back when I was in school. My brother would have been named "Baboon.")

Squids Will Be Squids is a collection of random, outrageous, laugh-out-loud-even-if-you-don't-get-it fables that Mr. Aesop may or may not have written back in his day. The morals, although seriously bizarre, are full of wisdom if you listen carefully enough. I highly suggest you read this book two or three times and you'll come away with a new outlook on life, if not a hearty belly laugh.

Check out Jon Scieszka's website for boys called Guys Read here: http://www.guysread.com/

Recipe to Read By: Elephant Ears (Named after my favorite fable entitled Elephant and Mosquito.)

Ingredients: A box of puff pastry, cinnamon and sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

2. Thaw the puff pastry. (Microwave for 10 seconds at a time until bendable).

3. Lay the sheet on the table and sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar and tablespoon of cinnamon. Spread the mixture and make sure that all of the dough is covered.

4. Stare at the dough like it's a Magic Eye poster and find the center. Mark it with your knife if you want. Next, starting with the right side, begin to roll the dough one inch deep, stopping before reaching the center. Continue with the left side. Once both sides are rolled up, fold on top of each other. (Basically, you are rolling each side towards each other and then creating one ginormous roll of elephant ears. Mmmm.)

5. Slice the huge roll into 1/2 thick pieces and lay flat on the cookie sheet.

6. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry, if you haven't eaten it already. Puff pastry is goo-ood.

7. Cook for 10 minutes or until golden brown and you can smell the cinnamon and sugar in the oven.

8. As soon as the cookies are finished cooking, remove them from the oven and remove from the cookie sheet and let rest. (If the cookies are left on the cookie sheet the sugar will harden and the cookies will stick).

9. Serve and enjoy!

10. Moral: Food and books go together like peanut butter and baloney sandwiches. Am I the only one who eats that? Pickles and salsa? Doritos and hot chocolate? Well, you know what I mean!

Recipe courtesy of http://www.ifood.tv/. Watch the video on how to make them here!

powered by ifood.tv

Open up, it's the Population Police!

Attention all third children! I'm sorry to break it to you, but in the future, families are only allowed two children. Yes, that means that you would not exist. And if your parents decided to have you illegally, you would have to go into hiding forever. No school. No baseball. No TV. No friends. No life.

Luke is a third child, or Shadow child, who has lived in his family's attic for all of his eleven years. He yearns for a chance to go to school with his brothers, to ride a bike, to take a trip in the car, to even sit with his family at the dinner table, but as long as the government continues to strongly enforce the Population Law, he will never set foot outdoors. He and his family live in constant fear of the Population Police knocking on the door and finding out about him. And you thought being grounded was bad...

One lonely day when his family is gone, Luke stares out of the vent in the attic, watching the other families in the neighborhood leave for work or school. To his utter amazement, he catches a glimpse of another person behind the window--another third child! After many weeks of waiting and planning, he finally works up the nerve to dash across the backyard and into the house of Jen Talbot, a fellow Shadow Child. Luke is amazed to find out that Jen uses the computer, takes trips in the car, and even eats potato chips and all kinds of other junk food (which was outlawed by the government years ago)!

Here's the weird part: Jen's dad works for the government! He works for the same people who offer rewards for turning in people with third children and kill them when they are found. And his very own daughter is a third child! Craziness, I know!

Through Jen, Luke learns about the Population Law and why the government enacted it. You see, years back there were too many mouths to feed and not enough food. People went hungry and did terrible things for food. (I can understand that. You DO NOT want to be around me when I'm hungry!) The government decided that families could only have two children, so there would be plenty of food to go around. Jen thinks the Population Law is a bunch of baloney and organizes a rally of hundreds of Shadow Children to protest in front of the president's house and she wants Luke to join her. This is incredibly dangerous and risky, but it could also be their only chance at living a normal life of freedom. What will Luke choose? What would you choose?

My students LOVED this book because it's suspenseful and it makes you THINK! I haven't read the rest of the series, but Among the Imposters is at the top of my library list.

Recipe to Read By: Potato Chip Cookies

These salty-sweet bites are in memory of Luke's first junk food experience.

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/2 cup more for coating
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup potato chips, crushed (Hint: A ziploc bag and a rolling pin work well for all crushing purposes.)
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Directions
1. Heat oven to 375°F.
2. Cream the butter and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed. (Be careful of flying sugar!)
3. Lower to medium speed and add the vanilla, then add the flour and cinnamon and keep on going until it's all mixed up nicely.
4. Fold in the potato chips and pecans.
5. Form into golf-ball size balls.
6. Roll them around in the sugar that's left over to get them all nice and sugary.
7. Place on parchment- or foil-lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart.
8. Bake until golden brown around the edges, about 13 minutes. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks (or your mouth).

Sweet. Salty. Yum.

Recipe courtesy of Real Simple Magazine.

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life

I am going to attempt to summarize this book in three sentences:

1. Jeremy Fink, science lover and collector of mutant candy, has in his possession a beautiful, yet mystifying box that can only be opened with four special keys, which are no where to be found.

2. The box contains "the meaning of life" and is to be opened on his 13th birthday.

3. His father, who died in a tragic car accident, left the box for Jeremy in his will.

A mysterious box. Missing keys. The meaning of life.

Intrigued?

Thought so.




Wendy Mass, who is also the author of Every Soul a Star, has a great blog AND website.
I highly suggest you check them both out. (You know, in between devouring this book and starting your own mutant candy collection.)

Recipe to Read By: Mary's Chocolate Chip PB Cup Cookies

Jeremy Fink, aficionado of all things sweet and gooey, believes that all life's problems can be solved with a little sugar. And peanut butter.

Ingredients

-Nestle Tollhouse refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough (or any other similar product)

-Reece's peanut butter cups, unwrapped. (Be sure to look for any mutants.)

Directions

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-Bake cookies as directed on package for seven minutes.

-Remove hot cookies from oven and press a Reese's PB cup into the center of each one.

(Careful not to touch the actual cookie--those chocolate chips are HOT and looking to scorch any wayward fingers!)

-Return cookies to oven until golden brown around the edges.

*Note: This also works with other types of bite-size chocolate bars and cookie dough. I don't think Jeremy would mind too much if you experimented, as long as you stash a handful of candy in your pocket for later.

"Home, Home on the Range"

A Heart of a Shepherd is not for the faint at heart, nor is it for crybabies. (I happen to be both and I wish someone would have warned me first!) I don't usually grab books on a whim without reading about them first, but something drew me to this one. After reading the first few pages while sitting on the floor of the library I was completely absorbed. My library surroundings soon faded and I was transported to a ranch in Oregon, where heartache, adventure, and the beauty of nature surround me.


Roseanne Parry weaves a fascinating tale about Brother (his real name is Ignatius), a young boy who lives on a ranch with his grandparents, father, and four brothers.
After his father leaves for Iraq and his brothers all go away to school, the job of tending the livestock and managing the ranch falls in Brother's hands. This becomes quite a job for an 11-year-old, but Brother is determined to work hard and prove to his older brothers that he can do it with only the help of his grandfather, who is slowly failing in health, and one lone hired man.

There are some intense scenes where Brother learns how to stitch up the wound in his brother's head, births a cow (yes, this was gross but also amazing!), and helps to heal a sick animal. When I try to remember what I was capable of at eleven years old (lemonade stands and friendship bracelets--definitely not birthing cows!) Brother becomes even more of a hero in my mind.

If you love animals, realistic fiction, or are just looking to transport yourself to a completely new
and wonderful setting, this book is for you. But like I said, keep a box of tissues nearby.

Stories with animals and grandpas always get me...

Recipe to Read By: Molasses Cookies
Brother's grandma always keeps a jar of these spicy cookies on the counter.
Word to the wise--don't stick your finger in the molasses jar and then lick it. It definitely DOES NOT taste like darkened honey.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup margarine, melted
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup white sugar

Directions
1.In a medium bowl, mix together the melted margarine, 1 cup sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in the molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger; blend into the molasses mixture. Cover, and chill dough for 1 hour.

2.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Roll dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining white sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.

3.Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until tops are cracked. Cool on wire racks.

4. Put on a cowboy hat, lasso your dog, and pretend you're heading into town to buy some horseshoes and goat feed.

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

Watch the book trailer here or by going to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ0EZdiX164

Bibbety-Bobbity-Boo! (And Booger Cookies, too)

There's no voice on the outside that can tell you more than the voice on the inside. (From Be the One with the Wand, chapter nine).

Hunky Dory is a witch. And not just any witch. According to her mother she will be "the wickedest witch wherever the four winds blow." She is at the head of her class when it comes to casting spells, brewing potions, and turning handsome princes into frogs, much to the envy of the others in her coven.

Despite her natural witching abilities, Hunky has a strong desire to be something else. Something....good. More specifically, she wants to use her witchcraft to practice wishcraft. Yes, you read that correctly: The wickedest witch wants to trade in her nefarious schemes to become--oh boy get ready for this--a fairy godmother. (Insert collective gasps here.) As you can imagine, this does not go over well.

Hunky gets kicked out of Miss Harbinger's class and is thrown out of her own mother's cave to boot. Confused, hurt, and alone, Hunky heads for the woods where she conjures up a house made of chocolate chip cookie dough (gingerbread is so overrated) and charges people one gold coin to grant their wishes from the bottom of a well. Among the characters who visit her are: Goldilocks (who helps herself to anything in the house--typical), Little Red Riding Hood (who wishes for a jean jacket to replace her outrageously uncool red cape), Wolf (who wishes for a grandmother costume--weirdo), and the devilishly handsome Rumpelstiltskin (who becomes a surprising friend despite his evil ways).

To reunite with her mother, Hunky grants her a deep down, remove-the-corn-husk to find it wish that even her mother herself doesn't know she wants. As it turns out, her wish was to be an aunt, so a baby appears for Auntie Malice. (Hunky is crazy-good at pulling babies out of nowhere.) As you can imagine, all things cute, cuddly, and giggly are incredibly revolting to a witch, so Hunky's mother is less than pleased to have a cooing baby in her care.

"Hunky, you've really gone too far this time. This baby doesn't even speak the same language as we do. And the things that come out of that baby's behind are about a million times more foul than anything I could have concocted in my cauldron." (I love that last line!)

Top 3 Things I Love About this Book:

1.) The fantastically unusual names of the characters. (Sinus Infection, Acid Reflux, and Frantic Search being my favorites.)

2.) It teaches you a lesson without you even knowing that you are being taught a lesson. (Esme is sneaky like that!)

3.) It includes a recipe for cookies :)

Recipe to Read By: Hunky's Booger Cookies

Don't eat too many of these disgustingly good cookies, or you'll be too heavy for your broomstick to carry you, as Hunky would say.

You can find the recipe on Esme's blog or by flipping to the end of the book.

This post is dedicated to my book-eating dog who also, quite coincidentally, loves to eat boogers.

Thank you, Kendall, for not eating this one.

Super Easy Cookies with a Patriotic Flair

Watcha reading over the 4th of July? Ok, yeah. Let's not kid ourselves. Since I know for a fact that NO ONE (not even the biggest of bookworms) will be curling up with a book during barbeques and fireworks, I have decided to go ahead and post one of my favorite, easy, and extremely versatile cookie recipes. In a mere 15 minutes, you will have a warm, festive, and downright tasty treat that will be gone in less time it took you to make them.

Get those ovens preheating, pronto!

Red, White, and Blue Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

-box of cake mix (any flavor will do, but for Red, White, and Blue Cookies I would use vanilla or yellow)
-1 tsp. baking powder

-2 eggs

-1/2 cup of vegetable oil

-red and blue food coloring

-sugar

Directions

1. Pour the cake mix into a large bowl and mix it with the baking powder.

2. Dump in the eggs and oil. Mix well. (There should be no eggy or powdery lumps)

3. Preheat the oven to 350.

4. Divide the dough into 3 piles. Stir in drops of blue and red coloring into two of the piles, leaving one pile the same.

5. Roll dough into tablespoon-size balls.

6. Roll the balls into sugar. (The dough will be sticky. Try extremely hard not to lick your fingers!)

7. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or whenever they start to smell really good and you can't take the anticipation anymore.

8. Let cool for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a wire rack or your mouth :)

Happy Fourth! The books will be back with a vengeance next week.

A Mysterious Book Found in a Mysterious Location...

A few days ago, Kendall knocked her favorite toy under the bed and I found her frantically scratching and pawing at the carpet, trying desperately to reach it. Knowing that she wouldn't rest until it was in her mouth again, I got down on my stomach and peered into the dusty blackness. As I slid my arm as far underneath the bed as physically possible, my hand hit something hard and heavy: a book! Even without seeing the cover, I knew exactly which book it was: The Invention of Hugo Cabret--a favorite among my students a couple of years ago. How the book ended up under the bed, however, remains a mystery, although my literature-loving dog may have something to do with it...

Don't be intimidated by the size of this book. Although it is heavy enough to do some serious damage if you drop it on a toe, 284 of the 513 pages are original illustrations hand-drawn by the author, Brian Selznick.

The story takes place within the walls of a train station in Paris where Hugo, an orphan, lives in a secret room. Hugo has tended to the station clocks ever since his uncle disappeared, and he knows all of the secret hallways, tunnels, and rooms hidden beyond the station walls. Hugo spends his days fixing the clocks, stealing bites of food when he can, and trying to stear clear of the Station Inspector who will send him off to an orphanage if he is caught.

The only thing Hugo has left of his father is an automaton (an old-fashioned robot that writes) that was found in the rubble of the museum where he worked after it was burned down. Hugo is absolutely certain that if he can fix the automaton by reading father's notes, it will write a message from his father.

"What is it?"
"An automaton."
"What's that?"
"It's a windup figure, like a music box or a toy, except it's infinitely more complicated."
"What do you mean?"
"This one can write. At least I think it can. It's got a pen in its hand, and it's sitting at a desk. I'm sure that if it were working, you could wind it up, put a piece of paper on the desk, and all those little parts would engage and cause the arm to move in such a way that it would write out some kind of note."

Cool stuff, right? Find out more about automatons here.

Brian Selznick not only weaves a fascinating plot of mystery, history, and movie-making, but he captures the reader with his amazing illustrations that are able to tell a story on their own.

Let me know if you want to borrow this one--it will be sitting on my highest bookshelf along with all of my other prized books where the dog can't mistake it for a chew toy...

Recipe to Read By: French Sable Cookies
Sable cookies are a classic French cookie originating in Normandy. Sable is French for "sand," which refer to the sandy texture of these delicate shortbread-like cookies. I feel very sophisticated baking these and make a point to tell everyone that they are French.

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
10 tablespoons butter
½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
1. In a medium bowl mix the flour and baking powder and set aside. In large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix in the dry ingredients until a smooth dough forms.

2. Form the dough into a disk shape or 2-inch diameter log. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour. (You can sneak bits of cookie dough while you're waiting for the time to pass.)

3. Preheat the oven to 350F. Roll out the disk of dough to ¼-inch thickness, and cut out the sables using any shaped cookie cutter. (A fluted one looks very authentic, but the only one I could find was a Christmas tree and it worked fine).

4. Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for 15 minutes, or until they are lightly browned around the edges. Cool the sables for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Voilà!

Recipe courtesy of http://frenchfood.about.com/od/cookies/r/vansable.htm

P.S. Thank you Nick G. for donating a copy of this book to the classroom library!

The London Eye Mystery

I grabbed this book for two reasons: 1.) I love a good mystery. 2.) I love people with British accents. With high expectations for a good mystery involving funky British sayings, this book did not disappoint.

Ted and Kat live a relatively normal life in London with their parents. I say "relatively" because Ted lives with a brain syndrome that makes him think differently than everyone else.

However, when Aunt Gloria and her son, Salim, come to visit Ted and Kat their lives becomes much less normal and much more interesting.

Upon their arrival, Salim declares that he would like to visit the London Eye, a ginormous Ferris-wheel type ride that allows for amazing views of the city. While their mothers wait for them to buy tickets, a man approaches the three children and offers them his ticket for free. He explains that he is claustrophobic (afraid of small spaces) and can't bring himself to ride. The children happily accept the ticket and give it to Salim, who excitedly walks onto the next pod. Kat and Ted watch Salim get onto the ride and follow his pod all the way around, with Ted timing his descent to the exact minute. When Salim's pod finally reaches the ground they watch all of the other people file out, keeping a close eye out for Salim. Minutes pass, and as the pod empties they realize that Salim is not there.

They wait patiently as the other pods empty, but still no sign of Salim. What happened to him? He couldn't have just disappeared!

So begins Kat and Ted's impressive attempts to piece together all of clues left behind and solve the mystery of Salim's disappearance. Sounds cool, huh?

Go on, you know you love a good mystery, too! You super sleuths out there may even solve it before Ted and Kat do...

"I want to ride on the Eye, mummy!"

Here is a list of some of my favorite British words. Can you guess what they mean? Keep scrolling down to see if you were correct.

Fun British Words
1. Banger
2. Bloke
3. Bobby
4. Rubbish
5. Gobsmacked
6. Higgledy-piggledy
7. Ice lolly
8. Jumper
9. Loo/Water closet
10. Nappy
11. Numpty
12. Telly
13. Trainers
14. Post
15. Queue
16. Biscuit
17. Tube

Recipe to Read By: Digestive Biscuits

Fancy a biscuit? Despite their weird names, these cookies are very popular in Britain and resemble a crumbly graham cracker. After baking a batch of these simple, yet tasty treats,

practice your British persona by raising a pinkie, dunking a biscuit in some tea, and asking in your most elegant and regal voice, "Pardon me, but could you direct me to the loo?"

Ingredients:
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon rolled oats
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons milk

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Mix in the oatmeal. Cream together the butter and the sugar and add to mixture. Stir in the milk until mixture forms a thick paste.
3. Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth. Roll out dough to approximately 1/8" thickness. Cut into rounds with cookie cutter about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Transfer to cookie sheets and prick with a fork.
4. Bake 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden. Let cool on wire rack. Store in an airtight tin.

5. In your best British accent, walk around asking people if they "fancy a biscuit."

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

American Equivalents to Fun British Words

1. Banger=Sausage 2. Bloke=Man 3. Bobby=policeman 4. Rubbish=garbage 5. Gobsmacked=utterly astounded 6. Higgledy-piggledy=in disarray 7. Ice lolly= popsicle 8. Jumper=sweater 9. Loo/Water closet= bathroom 10. Nappy=diaper 11. Numpty=stupid person 12. Telly=TV 13. Trainers=sneakers 14. Post=mail 15. Queue=a line you wait in

16. Biscuit=cookie 17. Tube=subway

Skeleton Creek

Warning: Do NOT read this book if...
-You are by yourself
-You are in a dark place
-It is thundering/lightning/general storminess outside
-You are easily spooked
-You still sleep with your parents
-You cover your eyes during scary movies
-You refuse to go first in haunted houses

You scaredy-cats know who you are and don't say I didn't warn you!

Skeleton Creek isn't just a mystery. It's a creepy mystery that sucks you in until the very last page, where it spits you out panting and trembling. If you weren't afraid of the dark before, you will be after reading this. Trust me.

Ryan and Sarah live in the boring town of Skeleton Creek, Oregon where nothing exciting ever happens. When researching the history of their town's dredge, they stumble across the mystery of Old Joe Bush, a miner who worked on the dredge and was mysteriously killed. The two curious teens make a midnight jaunt to the abandoned dredge in the middle of the woods where two things happen: they bare witness to a bone-chilling "phantom" and Ryan has a terrible accident that leaves him in the hospital for two weeks.

After the accident Ryan is left recuperating in his bedroom and is forbidden to have any contact with Sarah. However, the search for the truth is far from over. Sarah continues to hunt for clues and video tape her findings, sending them to Ryan by email where he secretly checks them without his parents knowing. Readers can watch Sarah's videos by going to http://www.sarahfincher.com/ and typing in the passwords she gives Ryan (which are located throughout various chapters in the book).

OK, this is really embarrassing but I have to get it off my chest: I watched the first of Sarah's videos by myself one Tuesday night after everyone went to bed. I don't know if it was the dark room, or the quiet house, or the late hour, but I was spooked. VERY, VERY SPOOKED. After that I couldn't bring myself to watch anymore of the videos. I know, I know, I'm a huge wimp. When I work up the courage to finally watch the rest of the videos it will be at 9:00 in the morning, with all of the lights on, and surrounded by people. WIMP!

As Ryan and Sarah begin to piece their clues together they realize that the mystery is larger than they ever imagined and that the entire town seems to know something that they don't.
The story ends with the two of them making their way back to the dredge (dun dun DUN) and leaves you with a cliffhanger that makes you want to throw the book at the computer in total frustration. (Or, if you're like me, you'll be breathing a huge sigh of relief that it's finally over. For now.)

For those brave enough to want more, the sequel, Ghost in the Machine, comes out October 1, 2009 and you can pre-order it HERE. You're on your own for that one, though. I've had enough of sleeping with the lights on...

Recipe to Read By: Bone Cookies
These sweet treats are pretty authentic-looking. You can even add 1-2 drops of yellow food coloring with the extract for an "aged" look.

Ingredients:
1-1/2cups sugar
Pinch of salt
5 egg whites at room temperature
Pinch of cream of tartar
1teaspoon almond, vanilla, orange or lemon extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 220°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Prepare pastry bag with round #10 tip (about 3/8-inch diameter).
2. Combine sugar and salt in small bowl. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in small bowl with electric mixer at low speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar mixture, beating constantly. Beat until stiff peaks form and meringue is shiny and smooth. Add extract; beat just until blended.
3. Fill pastry bag with meringue. (Note: Mom probably has a piping bag collecting dust somewhere under the counter behind all of her other never been-used wedding gifts of long ago.)
Pipe log 3 to 4 inches long. Pipe 2 balls on both ends of each log. Smooth any peaks with wet finger. Repeat with remaining meringue.
4. Bake 30 minutes; turn off heat. Leave cookies in oven overnight; do not open oven door.
5. Take the hamster/gerbil/mouse out of your little brother or sister's cage and replace with these cookies. When he/she starts to cry pick up one of the bones and eat it. Watch them howl. (I didn't tell you that!)

Recipe courtesty of http://www.howstuffworks.com/
Click on the link to see a cool pic of what the finished cookies look like: http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/meringue-bone-cookies-recipe.htm.

Every Soul A Star

Have you ever read a book that was so good it made you want to jump inside of it and live among the characters? Every Soul a Star is one of those books. Wendy Mass, the author, has crafted characters that are so real they could actually be living down the street from you or sitting next to you in class. And don't get me started on the setting...Great Galileo's Ghost!

The Moon Shadow Campground is a place that every kid dreams his parents will take him for vacation. Besides being an astronomy haven and the number one spot in the nation to watch the upcoming solar eclipse, the campground offers its guests many unique areas to explore, called the "Unusuals." This includes a labyrinth (which is like a maze, but not exactly), panning for gold, painting the Art House (yes, you paint the actual house), Alien Central, the Sun Garden, and the Star Garden.

Confession Time: I've never been camping in my life (the combination of bugs, no toilets, and bathing in rivers never appealed to me) but I would be tempted to book a ticket to the Moon Shadow Campground tonight-- if it weren't a fictional place, that is.

Every Soul a Star revolves around three characters:

Alpha (or Ally) is lucky enough to live at the Moon Shadow. Her parents have owned the campground since before she could remember and she couldn't imagine living anywhere else. She has been home schooled her entire life and her best friends, Eta, Glenn, and Peggy, are the kind you can only see through a telescope. You can imagine her shock and consternation (meaning alarm or worry) when her parents tell her they are packing up and moving to Chicago.

It just so happens that beautiful, suburbia-loving Bree, born to scientist parents (she swears she was switched at birth) is moving to the Moon Shadow. Her family is going to take over the campground for the next few years while Ally's family returns to civilization. Despite her pleading and begging, Bree must leave behind her clothes, her friends, her makeup, her LIFE.

Jack is the quiet kid who sits in the back of the room drawing, trying to blend in and not be noticed. Slightly overweight and uninterested in school or friends (or anything for that matter), he accepts an offer from his science teacher, Mr. Silver, to accompany him on a trip to the Moon Shadow campground to watch the solar eclipse and perform an important science experiment. Although he couldn't care less about the eclipse, helping Mr. Silver with the experiment will get him out of going to summer school.

These three completely different kids with completely different lives have no idea that their paths will become forever intertwined...

Recipe to Read By: Man-in-the-Moon Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup softened butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

3 cups flour

frosting in white or light yellow (use canned frosting or make your favorite recipe)

Yellow sugar sprinkles

candy corn

mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream butter and sugar together.

3. Beat in egg and vanilla.

4. Add flour one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. The dough will be stiff.

DO NOT CHILL THE DOUGH!

5. Roll one half of the dough out about 1/4 of an inch thick.

6. Cut out cookies using a moon-shaped cookie cutter. (Or use a round cookie cutter and then cut in half to make a crescent moon.)

7. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes. (Watch carefully so your moons don't burn. Nobody wants to eat a black moon!)

8. Remove from oven and allow to cool on cookie sheet for five minutes before placing cookies onto wire rack.

9. After cookies are completely cool, frost. (Load up that frosting--Mmmm)

10. Sprinkle with yellow sugar sprinkles.

11. Add a candy corn nose and a mini-chocolate chip eye.

12. Dust off your telescope and take a bite out of the moon while gazing at the sky.

*Recipe courtesy of http://www.fortunecity.com/millenium/sherwood/504/mooncookie.html.

Dying to Meet You is not your ordinary novel. There are no chapters. There are no paragraphs. Instead, the entire story is written as a series of letters. Intrigued?

Ignatius B. Grumply (I.B. Grumply for short) is a former best-selling author of mystery stories. Unfortunately, he hasn't had a best-seller for over 20 years. His publisher, Paige Turner, is anxious for another story and has already paid Ignatius $100,000 in advance. However, little does she know that Ignatius is suffering from an intense bout of writer's block AND he has already spent the money.

Ignatius sends a letter to Anita Sale, a real estate agent, and she helps him to find a 32 1/2 room Victorian mansion on 43 Cemetery Road, where hopefully he will find the peace and quiet he needs to write a hit novel.

Upon moving into the mansion, Ignatius is irritated to find a young boy, Seymour, who lives in the attic. His parents (who own the house) have taken a trip to Europe and left Seymour in the care of whoever moves in. This does not please Ignatius in the slightest. It also does not amuse him that the ghost of a woman (who also happened to be a writer) inhabits the mansion as well. So much for peace and quiet!

Let's test your predicting skills: Can a young boy whose parents abandoned him and the ghost of a woman who died 97 years ago inspire a grumpy old man to write the next best-seller?

Of course I won't tell you, but I promise you'll have a great time finding out on your own! The letters written by Ignatius, Seymour, and Olive (the ghost) are fantastically entertaining and will keep you turning pages until the very end.

Note: If you love the letter format of this book, check out Kate Klise's other popular reads:

Regarding the Fountain

Regarding the Sink

Regarding the Trees

Letters from Camp

Trail by Journal

Recipe to Read By: Ghost Cookies

These ghastly delights are super easy and require no baking!

*Note: I have also found them to be a great tool for overcoming writer's block. (Ignatius, are you reading this??)

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (6 oz.) Baker's White Chocolate

18 Nutter Butter Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

decorating gels and/or assorted small candies

Directions:

Microwave chocolate in medium microwavable bowl on high 1-1/2 minutes or until chocolate is completely melted, stirring every 30 seconds.

Spread chocolate onto one side of each cookie for the ghost's "body." Cool slightly.

Decorate with gels and/or candies to create "faces." Cool until chocolate is set.

Recipe courtesy of Kraft foods.

Click here to see a picture of the finished cookies.

Are You Up For a Challenge?

Kids, grab your parents!!!

For a second year, Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) and US Airways are working together to help children nationwide discover the joy of reading. Starting April, adults are invited to join the 2009 Read with Kids Challenge and help collectively log five million minutes spent reading with kids. You’ll have the chance of winning a family vacation to the Walt Disney World Resort® and more great prizes. Get on board! Visit www.RIF.org/readwithkids today.

I love, love, LOVE this website, especially the Book Search feature. Be sure to download a copy of The World's Grossest Books List to bring to the library.

RIF Reading Planet: http://www.rif.org/readingplanet/

Recipe to Read By: Super Easy, Fun, and Delicious Candy Cookies

While you're perusing (looking at) the RIF webpage, munch on this sugary snack. You may even get away with crumbs on the keyboard and chocolate smudges on the desk when your mom realizes how incredibly easy (and relatively mess-free!) these little treasures are.

Ingredients:

One roll of slice and bake cookie dough. Any flavor will work. (Try to convince mom to buy the chocolate chip, the sugar, AND the peanut butter--trust me, one batch will not be enough.)

Bags of assorted chocolate candy. (Think Hershey's kisses, Reese's PB Cups, Bite-Size Milky Ways...go a little crazy here...)

Directions:

First, slice the cookie dough into 1 to 1 1/2 inch slices. (Time to break out the ruler, people!)

Next, lay the slices on their sides and cut them into quarters (that means 4 equal pieces).

Place each quarter into a greased mini-muffin tin.

Next, peel the wrapper from the candy. (One piece for every cookie you are making.)

Throw away the trash before mom does and score some major brownie points.

Bake the cookie dough at 350 degrees for just a few minutes—6 to 8 at the most.

*Important* Almost as soon as you pull the warm cookies from the oven, you’ll want to begin lightly pressing one piece of candy into each cookie. The warmer and softer the cookies, the better!

Try all kids of combinations! Here are my faves:

Peanut butter cookie dough with Hershey's Hugs

Sugar Cookie dough with Snickers

Peanut butter dough with Rolos

Chocolate Chip dough with bite-size Milky Ways

Recipe courtesy of the Pioneer Woman. Watch how to make this recipe step-by-step by clicking the link:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/01/cookie_dough_and_candy_/

There is something you need to know before opening this book: It is a parody. Parody: (noun) meaning a ridiculous imitation. It is meant to be funny. So laugh. A lot. Even if you don’t get it.

Lois Lowry (yes, the one and the same Lois Lowry of The Giver and Number the Stars fame) weaves a hysterical story about the four Willoughby children who desperately want to be “old-fashioned”. Their parents, the loathsome Mr. and Mrs. Willoughby, aren’t exactly the doting parents who only want the best for their children. In fact, they are quite the opposite.

Their father, an impatient and irascible man, went to work at a bank each day, carrying a briefcase and an umbrella even if it was not raining. Their mother, who was indolent and ill-tempered, did not go to work. Wearing a pearl necklace, she grudgingly prepared the meals. Once she read a book but found it distasteful because it contained adjectives. Occasionally she glanced at a magazine. The Willoughby parents frequently forgot that they had children and became quite irritable when they were reminded of it.

(I LOVE that line about the adjectives. It makes me giggle every time I read it.)

The Willoughby children consist of the eldest, Tim, who is quite bossy and selfish, the two twins, Barnaby and Barnaby (nicknamed A and B), and timid Jane, who dreams of a name with more than one syllable. For some unknown reason, they are quite determined to become “old-fashioned” children. What is an old fashioned child, you ask? You know, a wise, worthy and winsome (meaning charming and innocent) orphan like Mary Lennox, Heidi, Pollyanna, or Raggedy Dick. (You may be interested to know that 99% of my fourth graders had never even heard of the before-mentioned characters. If this is the case with you, please turn off the computer/Wii/PSP and get thee to a library without delay. You have some major catching up to do on your childhood.)

After finding a baby on their doorstep, Mrs. Willoughby demands the children to dispose of it immediately, wherein they find the perfect place to dump it; the run down mansion inhabited by Commander Melanoff, a candy making tycoon who lost his wife and son in an unfortunate skiing accident in Switzerland. The Willoughbys leave the baby on the doorstep and return home to find their parents have planned a jaunt around the world and are leaving them in the care of a nanny. The nanny turns out to be quite delightful and a wonderful cook, although nothing like Mary Poppins. (Contrary to our favorite umbrella-toting nanny, the Willoughby nanny believes sugar is diabetes-waiting-to-happen and strictly forbids it.) Through an interesting and coincidental chain of events, the Willoughbys end up back on the doorstep of the Melanoff mansion and are taken in as orphans, along with the doorstep baby. A few more surprises and many more laughs ensue, but I won’t spoil it for you.

I recommend reading this book with your parents—they might just get a bigger kick out of than you do—and they can explain all of the references about old fashioned characters you have so appallingly missed out on.

P.S. Check out the glossary in the back. It is full of wondrously wicked words that will impress all of your friends.

Recipe to Read By: Nanny's Ginger Cookies

Although she doesn't actually make them in the book, this treat is what brings Commander Melanoff and the Willoughby children together . I just figured since she makes everything else, ginger cookies MUST be in her repertoire (meaning a supply of skills a person has).

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut up, still firm

6 tablespoons butter flavored (or regular) shortening

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup molasses

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (Yikes, I omitted this! Whoever heard of pepper in a cookie?)

1/3 cup sparkly sugar (for rolling)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Have ready two or three large cookie sheets lined with parchment or Silpats.Using an electric mixer, beat butter until creamy. Beat in shortening, then add sugar, 1/4 cup at a time. Continue beating for another minute. Beat in egg, vanilla and molasses.In a separate bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, soda, salt and remaining spices. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until mixed.Shape dough into 12 evenly sized balls (a little bigger than golf balls). Roll the balls in sparkly sugar. Place 3 inches apart on cookie sheets and bake one sheet at a time on center rack of oven for 13-15 minutes. Cookies should appear cracked on top but still slightly soft.Makes 12 big cookies.

How to eat these the "old-fashioned" way: After you get home from school, change into your play clothes immediately and proceed to the kitchen, where you will pour yourself a tall glass of milk and eat them at the table with a napkin. Tell your mom all about your day at school while she bustles around the kitchen in her apron getting tonight's roast and potatoes started. You may only eat two cookies, though, because you do not want to spoil your dinner.

*Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart, who reminds me of Nanny in her no-nonsense, practical, motherly way.

Sahara Special

Do you have a secret self that no one knows about? Is there a part of you that you keep hidden from even your family? Hmmm. Well that's okay, I don't either. But wouldn't it be exciting if you did? Sahara has a secret. A big secret.

I read at home, and write, too, but whatever I write, I make sure I'm by myself and then, when I'm done writing, I rip it out of my notebook. Ihide it in my binder behind section 940 in the public library, where all the books about Somewhere Else are located. This very paper, for instance, will someday be an archaeological find. Someday, someone will reach behind section 940 and find the dusty works of me, Sahara Jones, Secret Writer, and that person's life will be made more exciting, just by reading my Heart-Wrenching Life Story and Amazing Adventures. Someday, people will see I am a writer.

Sahara Jones is repeating fifth grade. After her dad left two years ago, she stopped doing her classwork and began writing a series of letters. Dear Daddy, when are you coming home? Why didn't you take me with you? All of the letters are now in her "official file," which only teachers can see. After spending a year being pulled out for "Special Needs," Sahara's mom decides that enough is enough and that Sahara should be in the classroom, whether she fails or not. (Thanks, mom!) Enter Miss Poitier (or Miss Pointy). With her long, flowing skirts, purple lipstick, and unconvential teaching methods, Sahara is immediately enthralled by her new teacher. Miss Pointy issues each student a journal and instructs them to write as much or as little as they like.

Although she writes her secret library pages in profusion, she is reluctant to write in her classroom journal. Her first journal entry declares herself a writer, in which Miss Pointy pointedly (ha) replies with, "a writer writes." There are a number of other memorable "Pointy-isms" that found me scribbling furiously in my Nightstand Notes* so that I would remember to say them to my own class. (Note to my class: You may have begun to wonder why I have suddenly donned purple eyeliner, tell long, drawn-out stories with seemingly no point, and hand out copious amounts of glittery stickers; it's because I'm emulating my new teacher-idol, Miss Pointy.)

The story is told through Sahara's eyes, and those who read the book will admire her honest insight to the world and tickle-your-funnybone dialogue. With the help of Miss Pointy and some unlikely classmates, Sahara finds the courage to overcome her fears and throw her "official file" to the wind.

*Nightstand Notes are just a simple notebook that I keep next to my bed for jotting down thoughts, reflections, or anything else I want to remember while I'm reading. I have about 10 books on my nightstand at this moment, so the NN help to keep my thoughts organized.

Miss Pointy's Schedule:

Puzzling, 9:10-10:40

Time Travel and World Exploring or Mad Science, alternate days, 10:40-11:30
Read Aloud, after lunch

Read Together after Read Aloud

Read Alone after Read Together

Art of Language, end of the day

I know, it makes your own school day seem pretty dreary, huh?

Recipe to Read By: No-Bake Chocolate Cookies

This cookie recipe has all of the characteristics of Miss Pointy: it's sweet, sloppy-looking,

no-nonsense, and a little nutty.

Ingredients:
2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
3 cups quick cooking oats

Directions:
1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, cocoa, milk and margarine. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, salt, peanut butter and oats.
2. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Allow cookies to cool for at least 1 hour.

(I only make it about 10 minutes, but I recommend following the directions.)

Store in an airtight container.

Hint: Bring some to your teacher and score some major brownie (ahem, cookie) points.

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

Kudos to Esme Raji Codell:
I can't tell you how much inspiration I've gained as a teacher from this author. I recommend Esme's fabulous book, How to Get Your Child to Love Reading, to parents and teachers alike, as well as her equally exceptional children's literature website, Planet Esme, and Book-A-Day Blog.

Goodnight Opus

A note from the author:

This work of fine literature is not suggested for use by an adult unless accompanied by a kid or a kid guardian. If a suitable minor cannot be located, a proper set of bunny jammies should be worn during the reading. Please help us maintain these minimal standards.

I first picked up Goodnight Opus by Berkeley Breathed during an internship in the children's wing of the Alachua County Library Headquarters. Although shelving was my primary duty, I often found myself hiding behind the YA shelves with a stack of books, completely absorbed in one story after the other. It was during one of these clandestine reading operations that I discovered Goodnight Opus. After reading it through three times, I hid it behind a non-fiction display case and made a point to revisit Opus every afternoon during my shelving shift. It soon became my "secret" book, one that no one else ever mentioned (or was ever able to check out!).

The first feature to catch my eye was the Pixar-like illustrations; so vividly detailed that one feels as if the story is animated on a movie screen. The story begins with Opus, decked out in pink bunny jammies, having a story read to him for the two hundred tenth time. (Let me know if you recognize which story it is.) However, as Granny begins to nod off and quietly snore, something extraordinary happens: Opus departs the text. Leaving his black and white bedroom behind, Opus (along with the monster under his bed) enters a world of color and goes forth on an adventure aboard the Milky Way flying machine. Throughout his travels, he visits the tooth fairy, goes skinny-dipping with Abe Lincoln, and sails through the Blue Mist Lagoon. Opus returns home to his bedroom to find Granny waiting for him, a curious look in her eyes. Perhaps she, too, has departed the text?

If you are lucky enough to come across this book in the library, seek out a hidden spot, plop yourself down, and get ready for a wild ride that will leave you wondering if you really can depart the text...And let's keep this gem of a book between you and me. I wouldn't want the secret to get out.

Fun Fact: This book has been banned in seventeen countries with early bedtimes.

Recipe to Read By: Milky Way Peanut Butter Cookies
Departing the text may leave your tummy rumbling. Here's a satisfying snack for all travels aboard the Milky Way flying machine.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
36 bite size Milky Way bars [If you have Fun Size bars instead, just cut them in half to create bite size.]

Directions:
1.) Cream together white sugar, brown sugar, butter or margarine, vanilla, peanut butter and the egg.

2.) Add in flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

3.) Wrap 1 heaping teaspoon of dough around a bite sized Milky Way candy bar.

4.) Bake 13-16 minutes at 350° F (175° C). Let cool 5 minutes before removing from pan.


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

A Classic to Make You Smile

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle was first published in 1947 by Betty McDonald. Although quite dated in language, the whimsical nature of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and her cures for every child's behavior problem prove to be timeless. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is a kooky woman who lives in an upside down house, bakes enormous batches of cookies, and welcomes all of the neighborhood children to hang out at her house (where they dig for pirate gold in the backyard and eat raw cookie dough). Above all, she knows EVERYTHING about kids of all ages and sizes and can "cure" them of any disease they may have. Parents frequently call Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle to seek her advice on how to cure Selfishness, Answerbackism, or Never-Want-to-Go-to-Bedders Syndrome, among others. Her silly cures are not only hysterical, but 100% effective. If you are a picky eater, frequently leave your toys out, or never want to go to bed HIDE THIS BOOK from your parents. There is a Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle in every neighborhood just looking to cure you of your ailment!

Some interesting facts about the author:

-Betty McDonald's husband's name was Donald (hehe--Donald McDonald)

-Mrs. McDonald worked an odd assortment of jobs before she became a writer including
secretary to a mining engineer, tinting photographs, keeping records for a rabbit grower,

running a chain letter office, modeling fur coats, and selling advertising.

-The stories in Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle were first told to her daughters, Anne and Joan (who make an

appearance in the book as the quarreling twins).

*Recipe to Read By: No Roll Sugar Cookies

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's favorite treat to make for any visiting children. Be sure to eat a huge chunk of raw dough (unless your parents are squeamish about raw egg being consumed).

Ingredients

1cup granulated sugar
1cup powdered sugar
1cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 eggs
4 1/4 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Directions

1. In large bowl, beat 1 cup granulated sugar, the powdered sugar, butter, oil, milk, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in remaining ingredients except 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Cover; refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm. (The waiting is the worse part!)

2. Heat oven to 350°F. Place 1/4 cup granulated sugar in small bowl. Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls. Roll balls in sugar. On ungreased cookie sheet, place balls about 3 inches apart. Flatten to 1/4-inch thickness with bottom of glass. Sprinkle cookies with a little additional sugar.

3. Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until set and edges just begin to brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

4. Make sure you share, or your mother may pull out a cure for Selfishness.

Recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker.

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/