The Hottest Reading List for Summer 2015

The Hottest Reading List for Summer 2015 Family reunions, road trips, and barbecues. Whatever your favorite part of summer vacation, it’s exhilarating just to have so much time and freedom on your hands. And, as the days get longer and the nights get warmer, there is nothing more relaxing than finding that perfect summer book to inspire and excite you. Here are some of the most exciting books of this season. Whether you’re a horror aficionado or a historical romantic, you’re sure to fall in love with at least one of these incredible summer reads. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee Genre: Literary Fiction The incredibly talented and reclusive Harper Lee’s buzz-worthy sequel has had every English teacher giddy for the summer to arrive. In this sequel to the 1960 To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee picks up the story 20 years after the famous racial trial of Tom Robinson. The book focuses on the political upheaval during the 60s and 70s and Scout’s relationship with her father, Atticus Finch. Maximum Ride Forever by James Patterson Genre: YA SciFi/Fantasy The world’s number one bestseller releases the last installation of the Maximum Ride series. The heroine, Maximum â€Å"Max† Ride is a teen who has escaped a classified lab facility known as â€Å"The School.† She and her friends have been developed as human-avian hybrids and use their newly-found wings to save the world. An engrossing series that may leave you wanting to finish all nine books in one sitting. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion Genre: Romantic Comedy When left-brained geneticist Don Tillman is told that he would make a good husband, he logically concludes that there is a statistical probability he should get married. Thus, the Wife Project is born. Despite his best efforts to find the perfect, logical mate, he ends up with Rosie Jarman. Flighty, fun, and out-of-control, Rosie is trying to find her biological father with Tillman’s help – and they both fall in love in the process. Full of heart and humor. Finders Keepers by Stephen King Genre: Suspense/Horror King has recently been stepping back into the world of sequel after his long departure following the finale of the Gunslinger mega-series. Now, he brings readers back into the strange, obsessive world of Det. Ret. Bill Hodges who took down the Mercedes Killer in Mr. Mercedes. This time he and his band of misfit detectives are tasked with solving the case of a murdered writer after his killer is released 35 years later. Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari Genre: Humor Rising King of Comedy Ansari uses his unique voice and unparalleled wit to highlight how romance is changing in the digitally-charged 21st Century. With the help of New York University sociologist Eric Klinenberg, he conducted a worldwide research project that is both hilarious and poignant. Not only is this a funny book for those who are looking for love, it is a sociological phenom, with insights from today’s top social scientists. Paper Towns by John Green Genre: YA Fiction As young children Margo and Quentin discover the dead body of man who commits suicide in a local park. Flash forward a decade later and both teens are dealing with issues, although they have drifted apart as friends. That is, until one night when Margo comes to Quentin’s bedroom and asks him to help her complete a revenge plan against people who have slighted her over her high school career. A compelling and provocative read that will keep you turning pages. Woman with a Secret by Sophie Hannah Genre: Thriller/Suspense From the bestselling author of The Monogram Murders, this novel follows the strange tale of Nicki Clements. As a terrible murder is discovered on her street, Nicki’s strange behavior tips the cops off that something is wrong. Although she is not a murderer, she has a dark history that reveals over the course of the novel, making the reader question what is means to be innocent. A gripping and compelling read. Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh Genre: Thriller/Suspense Eileen Dunlop is working in a boys’ prison outside of Boston in the 1960s. This story, full of dark, stunning prose, tells the story of how Dunlop becomes involved in a strange crime. She herself is no angel, though. Haunted by her own issues with shoplifting, perverse sexual fantasy, and stalking a prison guard, she befriends the sunny Rebecca St. John. This friendship ultimately leads to a crime that surpasses even her own dark imagination. The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson Genre: Humor On Allan Karlsson’s 100-year birthday, he climbs out of the window and heads for an unknown adventure. On this last great escape, the reader learns all about Karlsson’s past – helping American presidents, thwarting Russian spies, and acting as the integral motivator for some of history’s most watershed moments. The unique and hilarious voice of the protagonist will keep you engrossed and the history will feed your brain. Do you have one more book to complete our list? Your suggestions are always welcome!

Introduce Kids to Weather with These Coloring Pages

Introduce Kids to Weather with These Coloring Pages One of the earliest ways kids begin learning about the weather is by drawing and coloring weather symbols like suns, clouds, snowflakes, and the seasons. Teaching children about the weather with art and pictures not only makes it easier for them to understand, it also makes learning about severe and more serious kinds of weather less scary. Weve rounded up a collection of  family-friendly  weather coloring books offered by  the National Weather Service that help keep families informed and safe during severe weather events. Kids are encouraged to read about each severe storm type and then color in the pictures.   Meet Billy Maria Created by NOAAs National Severe Storms Laboratory,  Billy and Maria are two young friends who learn about severe weather through their adventures in  thunderstorms, tornadoes, and winter storms. Young students can accompany them by reading each story page and then coloring in the pictures.   Best for ages: 3 to 5 years The smaller coloring spaces, large text, and  simple sentences make these books appropriate for younger children.  Ã‚   Severe Weather with Owlie Skywarn NOAA also aims to capture the attention of kids with Owlie Skywarn, their official weather mascot.  Owlie is known for being wise about the weather and can help your children and students to do the same.  Booklets are 5-10 pages long and include fact boxes with illustrations that can be colored in. A  quiz (true/false, fill in the blank) is included at the end of every book to test what kids have learned.  Ã‚   In addition to the Owlie Skywarn coloring books, kids can also follow Owlies weather adventures  on Twitter (NWSOwlieSkywarn) and Facebook (nwsowlie). Some of Owlies Activity books  talk about: TornadoesHurricanesFloodsLightningWinter Storms Best for ages:  8 and up The coloring books are expertly designed and very informative, but almost too informative. The font type is quite  small and the information is a little above the coloring book stage of student interest.   Teachers: Weave Coloring Into Your Weather Science Lesson Plans Teachers can  implement these weather coloring books into the classroom as part of a daily plan over the course of five days. Using a severe storms theme, we suggest teachers present all of the materials one day at a time. Print out all of the booklets in the list, but don’t pass out the quiz. Present the material to students and then give them the quiz to take home and complete with their families. Tell students their assignment is to â€Å"teach† their families about severe storm preparation. Parents: Make Weather Coloring An Anytime Activity Just because these coloring books are educational, doesnt mean they dont make a good anytime coloring activity! Parents and guardians should use them at home, too, to begin to teach kids about weather safety from  a very young age.  Each of the coloring books actually shows kids how to react in the event of severe weather so that whenever storms do hit home, your kids will feel more  relaxed and ready for them.   Follow this family plan to implement these booklets in your family nights. We suggest parents plan one night per week to review the written information in the booklets. Since there are five booklets, you can complete this small course of study in just five weeks. Since storm preparation is so vital, you have to remember to practice the safety information over and over. Here are the steps: Assign one night for reading and reviewing the information together.Give your kids supplies to color the pages. Make sure you tell your kids to think about the safety information as they color.Check with your kids periodically to see what they remember. Put the details into practice at  home with random questions about the material. Since storms can happen suddenly, knowing what to do quickly and â€Å"on the spot† is vital to learning and preparation.At the end of the week, go over the information together again. Present the Owlie Skywarn quiz and see how many of the answers your kids can guess.Design a weather drill poster or paper so that you and the rest of your family will know what to do during a storm. Post it to a central spot, like the refrigerator.  Periodically, practice the weather drills so that your family stays refreshed.