Favorite fiction

It is very difficult for me to choose a favorite book as I have many. It really depends on the kind of mood I am in. I have a pretty eclectic taste when it comes to reading...well actually with everything. I can however, share a few of the books and authors that I have enjoyed or enjoy reading. I love almost all Stephen King, Clive Barker, Dean Koontz, James Patterson, Dan Brown, Tom Clancy, David Baldacci, Charlaine Harris, John Grisham and Anne Rice (a middle and High school favorite). I could go on, but as you can see I tend to lean towards the suspense/thriller categories. I enjoy fantasy/adventure as well as some drama.

Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut is one of the first books i remember truly enjoying. Its a collection of short stories that basically have a common theme of human nature in society. It is an older book, some stories were written in the '50s I believe, but the book was put together in the late '60s.

I also enjoyed reading Wally Lamb's, This Much I Know is True. It's about a gentleman's struggle through life having to deal not only with his own life's trial's and tribulation's but also having to care for his twin brother who was declared schizophrenic. While going through all this he is reading his grandfathers autobiography and learning a great deal about himself and his mother. There is definitely plenty of drama to keep you interested in this one.

When the Wind Blows by James Patterson is a great Science fiction novel. A recently small town widowed veterinarian and FBI agent who is on leave, discover a group of mutated children that have wings, 200 year life spans and are extremely intelligent. The whole experiment was backed by the US Government and has ties that hit close to home. Frannie and Kit help the children escape and eventually find their true parents. The Lake House is a sequel to this book, but I have not had the chance to finish reading it as of yet.

Shared Reading

I love the idea of shared reading groups. It not only allows for group interaction, but also allows for the not so fluent child to participate in reading allowed without the pressure or stress of being the focus of attention. It is a great way to introduce key vocabulary words. This is a perfect way for the second language learner student to be exposed to and have the opportunity to practice language both with text and with their peers as they emulate the story in their own lives. I've been witness to many children, mine included, that role play the stories that they read out on the playground and in their environment.


A to Z teacher stuff is a site I came across and thought it was really helpful for embellishing lesson plans or getting ideas and fillers for lesson plans. There are a lot of great books within the site. It is a teacher-created site that serves as an online re-source. In addition fo finding thematic units, lesson plans and tips it also serves as a discussion forum.
www.atozteacherstuff.com

Artie Knapp is a featured author who's stories captivate children's interest by using humor. His stories are based on life experiences that children can relate to and he also has some books that relate to life hurdles. His stories are great for using with lesson plans.
www.artieknapp.com

Laura Numeroff is the Author of the: "If You Give series"... , "What People do best series" and about twenty other books not included in her series. If You give a Mouse a Cookie jump started her career. Many teachrs also use her stories to supplement their lesson plans. Her books are a great way to connect reading and writing.
www.lauranumeroff.com

Author's Profile

Cornelia Funke is a multiple award winning author of children's fiction. She is originally from Germany but now resides in Los Angeles. Her books are fantasy and adventure. Many of them have been translated to English. Among her more popular are the Inkworld Trilogy, Dragon Rider and the Thief Lord. She also has a Ghosthunters series and a few picture books.

www.corneliafunke.de/en/

Brandon Mull is the author of the Fablehaven series for young readers. Fablehaven is fantasy world filled with trolls, satyrs, witches, imps, fairies and much more. There are plenty of adventures, plots and twists within the four books to keep kids reading. A screenplay has been written for the first book and one is in the works for The Candy Shop War; not part of the Fablehaven series.

http://www.brandonmull.com/

Diane deGroat is an award winning illustrator/author of children's picture books. With the encouragement of her grandmother she took art lessons as a pre-teen and would win awards for local art contests. She was an illustrator for twenty years after college working with different authors and publishers. When illustrating was no longer a challenge for her she took writing classes, read a lot more and Roses are Pink Your Feet Really Stink was her first book she wrote and illustrated. since then she has written the Gilbert holiday series and others . She makes school visits and offers workshops in an effort to promote children's writing.

www.diandegroat.com