Old School Wednesdays is a weekly Book Smuggler feature. We came up with the idea towards the end of 2012, when both Ana and Thea were feeling exhausted from the never-ending inundation of New and Shiny (and often over-hyped) books. What better way to snap out of a reading fugue than to take a mini-vacation into the past? Logo designed by the wonderful KMont Today, Thea finally reviews the second book in the Moribito series, Guardian of Darkness by Nahoko Uehashi. Title: Moribito II: Guardian of the Darkness Written by Nahoko Uehashi / Translated by Cathy Hirano / Illustrated by Yuko Shimizu Genre: Fantasy, Historical, Young Adult Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books Publication date: This edition 2009 / First published in 1999 Hardcover: 245 pages In the marvelous sequel to the novel (and Cartoon Network series) MORIBITO: GUARDIAN OF THE SPIRIT, Balsa returns to her native land to fight a corrupt ruler and face her own demons. Balsa returns to her native Kanbal to clear the name of Jiguro, her dear mentor, who saved her life when she was six years old. But what should be a visit of truth and reconciliation becomes a fight for her life when she […]

Passion Blue Official Stuff – Author – Victoria Strauss Pages – 342 Publisher – Amazon Children’s Publishing Summary – “Be sure you know your true heart’s desire, or you may find yourself sur…

Everyone is special. I love this book and video, what a great reminder of the value of a person. We are all important and special.

Title: The Watch that Ends the Night Author: Allan Wolf Publisher: Candlewick Press Publication Date: October 2011 Genre/Format: Historical Fiction/Novel in Verse Summary: Told from 24 different perspectives in multiple genres as letters, undertaker's notes, telegrams, forms and booklets but primarily in verse, this harrowing tale takes the reader through the journey that different people took on the Titanic. The points of view range from workers like lookouts and stokers, 3rd class passengers like an immigrant and refugee, 2nd class passengers like a tailor, 1st class passengers like a millionaire and socialite as well as the captain, ship builder, the business man, the ship rat and the iceberg. The story begins on April 1st, 1912 with preparing to sail and ends with the survivors aboard the Carpathia on April 18, 1912. What I Think: This novel obviously takes the reader through the complete tragedy of the RMS Titanic and the amount of research that Allan Wolf must of done makes this novel not only a wonderful piece of writing, but an essential part of Titanic-lore from now on. I specifically liked how after the story was completed, an afterword was added with Titanic information and a clarification of the fact vs. fiction within the novel specifically when it came to the characters. This novel will be used in classes learning about the Titanic for years to come because of the historical accuracy and the interesting and in-depth way the story is told. It is also a perfect addition to any English Language Arts classroom because it has perfect examples of different types of poetry (each character has their own style), using dialogue in poetry, historical fiction, figurative language and other literary devices and using multiple-genres. I feel that this book is a great way to teach these elements because the Titanic is such a well known topic which would lend well to students connecting with and understanding the text. This book truly makes history come alive. Read Together: Grades 8 - 12 Read Alone: Grades 9 - 12 Read With: Titanic series by Gordon Korman, I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 by Lauren Tarshis, Voyage on the Great Titanic: The Diary of Margaret Ann Brady, RMS Titanic, 1912 by Ellen Emerson White, Exploring the Titanic by Robert Ballard, Any nonfiction book about the Titanic Snatch of Text: "dash-dash dash-dash-dit dash-dit dash-dash Looking upward, I imagined the invisible words filling the room. I watched them swirl about, then fly up and out through the skylight, past the masts and rigging, on their way to heaven, I guess- a kitten's small mewl swallowed up by cold, empty space." (Harold Bride- The Spark p. 42) "A shadow, cast by my prodigious bulk, becomes a phantom finger stretching out to mark the route Titanic's bow needs trace across the sea's gray-rippled endless face. The pinnacle of these humans' ingenuity means nothing to the Iceberg's cold enormity;" (The Iceberg p. 121) "Reggie Lee and me, nesting like two old married pelicans. Two hours on and four hours off. If I was more of a thinkin' man, this lookout business might drive me batty." (Frederick Fleet- The Lookout p. 129) Reading Strategies to Practice: Foreshadowing, Making connections, Visualizing, Cause/Effect, Compare/Contrast (primarily the classes), Vocabulary Writing Strategies to Practice: Figurative language (specifically similes and metaphors), Personification, Onomatopoeia, Imagery Writing Prompts: What could have been done to avoid the sinking of the RMS Titanic?; Write a poem using the style of one of the characters in the novel. Topics Covered: Integration- History, Titanic, Classes, Telegrams, Death, Loss, Differences, Family, Immigrant experience Translated to Spanish: No

This blog reviews books written for children and young adults about World War II along with popular culture movies, comics, food from the early 1940s