Duncan's Book Blog

Read and Tell

2009-08-31T17:48:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to school Bulldogs! Are you ready to be an awesome reader - and ready to try out blogging? Let me know what your favorite summer read was, and what you are reading now. Make sure to give me the title and author!

Darklight Cover and More!

2009-07-21T14:23:00.000-07:00

I cannot wait to get my hands on this book! Lesley Livingston just posted the cover of the Wondrous Strange sequel... and it's gorgeous! Other big news... I'm attending Comic Con this Friday- and I get to meet:
Eoin Colfer
Holly Black
Alyson Noel
and my favorite guy... D.J. MacHale!

Summer Reading List

2009-06-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

It's summer- and that means we have time to READ! Let me know what you are currently reading, and what books you have completed. I have completed 4 books so far, including How to Ruin My Teenage Life by Simone Elkeles. Check this posting for my reviews and updates.

So Many Books, So Little Time!

2009-05-11T18:34:00.000-07:00

So many book, so little time! I am reading the new Percy Jackson book, but fully plan on a trip to Barnes and Noble for Pendragon Book 10: The Soldiers of Halla. I cannot WAIT to see what happens to Bobby and the Travelers.
FYI: At the end of audiobook 10 there is a special interview with D.J., and I was fortunate enough to write the questions that they asked! We will be getting a copy soon...and I can't wait to hear his answers! Check this posting for a complete listing of the questions!

Curt's Big Day at RBV

2009-04-25T18:44:00.000-07:00

Curt White is now an official Rancho Buena Vista High School varsity baseball player. At 11:00 AM, he threw out the first pitch with his family and friends watching. His dad told me the BEST news ever; Curt was declared cancer free by his doctor last week! We are so thankful, and extremely happy for Curt.

Kids Need to Read...

2009-04-19T15:44:00.000-07:00

The Barnes and Noble event with P.J., Nathan, and Alan was amazing! All of their efforts benefitted their non-profit organization, Kids Need to Read. I got 1 copy of Orbis 3...but P.J. promised to sign more for my classroom. "KNTR" non-profit gets books into the hands of schools and libraries that need books. What a great idea- and what a great group of guys supporting this worthy cause.

Books WORTH Book restriction!

2009-03-28T10:42:00.000-07:00

Wondrous Strange is one of the BEST books I have ever read. It's a must read... along with City of Glass, just released by Cassandra Clare. If you read a great book that you want to share...blog and tell! Include title and author- and WHY you recommend it.

Magical Moment we will NEVER Forget!

2009-03-01T13:47:00.000-08:00

Our Community Comes Together in a BIG Way!

2009-02-27T21:27:00.001-08:00

February 26th was a MAGICAL evening! I want to give a HUGE thank you to Rancho Buena Vista High School for hosting... you did did a fabulous job. A special thanks goes out to Paul and Angie, Diane Eisendrath, Roger Royster, and Kelly McKinney... the REAL Dream Team!

Vista's BIG Give Reveal February 26th

2009-02-17T21:13:00.000-08:00

You are cordially invited to attend :

Vista’s BIG Give Reveal
on February 26th, 2009
from 6:00 PM-7:00 PM
@ Rancho Buena Vista High School stadium

Curt and Ashleigh will be the guests of honor at “The Big Reveal,” a finale celebration scheduled for Thursday, February 26 at Rancho Buena Vista High School during which the City will present Make-A-Wish with a check for all of the funds raised.

Celebrate with us as our community comes together for
VISTA’S BIG GIVE REVEAL
Join Vista schools, city employees , local businesses , churches , and residents as we present a check to the
Make-A-Wish Foundation® of San Diego

Questions? Please email bethduncan@vusd.k12.ca.us

Make-A-Wish: Vista's BIG Give

2009-01-08T16:40:00.000-08:00

Many Hearts...One Community Vista's BIG Give
Wish Week: February 9-13th, 2009

For more information on how you can help, please email me at: bethduncan@vusd.k12.ca.us

Or, to make a donation, please send a check [Made out to Make-A-Wish] to:

Beth Duncan, Vista's BIG Give
c/o Vista Academy of Visual and Performing Arts
600 N. Santa Fe
Vista, CA 92084

This is our Wish blog... if you need anything, or if you have comments, questions, suggestions, or updated news on donations- tell me about it! I am SO very excited about this opportunity, and I can't wait to see what happens.

City of Glass ARCs... Want One?

2008-12-02T19:27:00.000-08:00

If you want an ARC, support our Pages and PJs fundraiser on December 5th at Oceanside Barnes and Noble! I have a limited amount, so let me know if you are coming. THANK YOU Cassie Clare and Simon & Schuster publishing for sending us these awesome gifts!

Pages and PJs with DJ: December 5th

2008-11-24T18:16:00.000-08:00

Bring your family and bring your friends to meet the AMAZING D.J. MacHale, author of the Pendragon series. He will be signing books at the Oceanside Barnes and Noble from 6-8 PM. 20% of sales that night will go towards our Recommended Read program. You know how cool it is to check out hot new reads from me, so do me a favor...SUPPORT THIS FUNDRAISER!

Wear your PJs to school and to Barnes and Noble. It's going to be GREAT!

Hayden's Newest Blog

2008-10-16T20:32:00.000-07:00

Blog the Third

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, females and males.. and everyone else I
haven't mentioned, get ready for... A BRAND NEW BLOG! That's right, for just 3
payments of $19. 95*, you can get a suscription to Hayden's Blog ABSOLUTELY FREE!
And if you blog now, you can get a sneak peek at the script of," TWILIGHT: THE
MOVIE: IN IMAX: IN 3-D! "

* No actual money required

DJ MacHale is Coming to our School!

2008-10-03T18:03:00.000-07:00

December 5th! Pages and PJs with DJ! More info to follow

2008 is going to be GREAT!

2008-08-24T21:02:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for some serious excitement?

________________

Welcome to 6th grade, and welcome to Duncan's Book Blog!

Those of you that are new bloggers, introduce yourself and let me know a little bit about your reading interests and habits.

If you are a return blogger, welcome our new Bulldogs!

Breaking Dawn is AMAZING!

2008-08-03T00:20:00.000-07:00

Breaking Dawn

Midnight Release Party

Barnes and Noble Oceanside

The release party on August 1st was a HUGE success! Over 800 people anxiously waited until midnight to buy their copy of Breaking Dawn. As you can see from the picture, many kids couldn't wait to start reading... starting at 12:01 A.M.!

Once you finish, tell me about your favorite parts. Hopefully you tabbed [my book is full!] so share your favorite quotes and passages.

WARNING:

Do not read this posting if you haven't finished the book! You don't want to spoil the story, believe me! Nothing I predicted came true; Stephenie Meyer outwitted us all!

Talk to me all about Edward, Bella, Jacob, and MORE!

And so the Lion Fell in Love with the Lamb

2008-07-15T12:31:00.000-07:00

Breaking Dawn Predictions and Fan Fiction:

Will he, will she? Hot or cold, heartbeat or hollow? Fangs or fur?

TEAM EDWARD, OR TEAM JACOB?

What do you think is going to happen with Bella and Edward in Breaking Dawn? Will Jacob imprint, and if so, who is the destined one? How can Edward change Bella into something that he hates about himself?

Share your thoughts, favorite quotes, and opinions on Breaking Dawn. Also, change up what you know from the first 3 books. What would have happen if Edward wouldn't have left Bella in New Moon? What if Jacob immediately imprinted on Bella in Twilight?

Aloha From Maui

2008-07-10T14:37:00.000-07:00

CLMS - CLHS Summer Conference

Here are some pictures from my first few days in Maui. This is actually my homework: to create a podcast and post it on my blog. Enjoy!

Talk to me Baby!

2008-06-26T19:47:00.000-07:00

What are you doing for fun this summer?

What are your BIG plans for this summer? What are you doing, and more importantly, what are you reading? Talk to me baby!

Hayden's Summer Blog

2008-06-19T09:19:00.000-07:00

Hayden's New Summer Blog!

Here it is... Hayden's new blog. Feel free to blog about whatever! It's a new start to an old blog that simply ran out of room. So Mr. Cowkid [please change your icon- it's a bull, not a cow!] Blogg-R, or BlogCat... do you know "How lucky, how lucky you are" to have your own blog? Use it well my friend. May the luck of the cow be with you.

Summer Reading

2008-06-17T13:41:00.000-07:00

Pages and PJs with PJ: A Great Success!

Thank you to all who participated in our Barnes and Noble fundraiser. It was an honor to meet PJ Haarsma; he is an amazing author! Hopefully all of you purchased The Softwire books I & II. PJ promised that we could read the ARC copies of book III, so I'll let you know when they arrive. We love you PJ!

Summer Blogging:

Let me know what you are reading this summer. What's HOT, what's NOT! Don't forget to mark your calendars for August 1st, 10:00 PM @ Oceanside Barnes and Noble for the Breaking Dawn release party.

Pages and PJs with PJ

2008-05-03T16:18:00.000-07:00

PJ Haarsma is coming to our school on June 6, 2008!

Make sure to read both of Mr. Haarsma's amazing books Virus on Orbis and Betrayal on Orbis 2 before June 6th. PJ will come to our school and present to our 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. He will also come to Barnes and Noble that evening for our

Pages and Pjs with PJ fundraiser event from 5-8 P.M.

June 6th @ O'side Barnes and Noble

He will be signing books, so have yours ready! Barnes and Noble will have plenty on hand that evening for you to purchase.

Blog: What questions might you ask Mr. Haarsma? What do you want to know about becoming a successful writer and web designer? Blog on this post and I'll see if Mr. Haarsma can answer some of your questions right on this blog. ;-)

Team Time Talk

2008-04-19T22:07:00.000-07:00

Road Trip to LA to meet the amazing

Cassandra Clare

Driving to LA last week to meet Ms. Clare was a fantastic experience. She talked with us about writing, how she develops plot and sub-plot, and how she plans to finish up her exciting series with City of Glass. Check out our Rune t-shirts that we made- they are awesome! Cassie also signed our books and gave us chapter one of City of Glass. AMAZING!

********************************

Blog: What book have you selected for your Team Time project? What is your opinion of the plot so far? What are you thinking about doing for your project [movie, tri-fold board, video book report, talk show...]? Make sure to include book title, author, genre, and characters that you know so far.

Book Reviews: Read to Write

2008-04-06T10:16:00.000-07:00

Y Thank you to Mr. Benz and Mr. Lewis for sending us the Grey Griffin series! Y

Book Reviews:

Reading, Reviewing, Writing, Publishing

Bloggers, you are currently working on your first in-depth book review. What book are you using for the assignment, and how is it going? Blog any Qs that you might have, and post comments on any part of the review. Remember, the key to this assignment is :

Writer's voice and write to your audience. Follow all directions!

V Don't forget to find and print your Barnes and Noble reviews for a grade. Sign your name next to your review once you have printed it.

Whatcha Reading? I Can't WAIT to Hear!

2008-03-17T09:31:00.000-07:00

To my Independent Radical Readers from Room 700...

Your only homework over Spring Break is to READ! Blog and tell me what you are reading & how you like it. Is it worth the honorable "Book Restriction?" Remember our class goals- make or cross the line on the Pink Chart!

Hayden's Spring Break Blog

2008-03-14T07:32:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Hayden's Blog!

This is Hayden's "CowKid" blog to journal his vacation accounts over Spring Break. Feel free to read and enjoy his accounts or post comments.

Significant Passage Hunt

2008-03-04T22:10:00.000-08:00

Find It, Share It, Explain It!

Find a significant passage or quote in your reading to share. Include the quote, book title and page #, and why you selected it [explain its meaning to the plot].

Character Traits 3.2

2008-02-06T09:15:00.000-08:00

Reading Standard 3.2 Character Traits

How the character's qualities affect the outcome of the story.

While you read, focus on finding character traits for your main characters that affect the plot. Some character traits include : bold/shy, brave/cowardly, eager/reluctant, faithful/disloyal... Describe how the trait affects the plot. X-Factor: Include the passage from the book that shows the trait.

Commit to Share It's "Book Swap" time.

2008-02-03T21:43:00.000-08:00

Are you ready for a new book to read, but you don't have one? Here's your chance to advertise for a new book.

If you have just finished an amazing read, one that you're willing to swap, post the title, author, and brief synopsis on this blog. Any interested students will respond to your post and commit to bringing in a book to swap. Make sure to write your name inside the book so you get it back.

Ready or Not... be Ready to Read!

2008-01-10T21:09:00.000-08:00

Are YOU ready for school, ready for work... and ready to READ?

3 weeks of vacation...sleeping in...cartoons until noon...sound familiar? So how did reading fit into your vacation schedule? Did you find yourself tied to an amazing plot? Were you mesmerized, drooling, and unable to put down your book until the very last page? Were any of your break books worth "Book Restriction"? Enough questions- let's talk blog. I want to know the answers to the following questions:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. How much time did you dedicate to reading?

2. Did you visit Barnes and Noble or the library for new books?

3. Did you surf the Net for book ideas/new releases/links to authors?

4. # books read these past 3 weeks [Be honest ;-)]

5. The BEST read from vacation...and give us details! Talk Plot!

Here are my answers. Remember- I try to lead by example, so I do my homework too!

1. I dedicated a lot of time to reading these past 3 weeks. I read every day, with the exception of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

2. I LOVE Barnes and Noble! I went 3 times and bought too many books. I also visited Jamba Juice and had my favorite Orange Dream Machine [A little reading~a little snackie]! The good news is that I read all but 3 of the books I bought. I have 3 days left though, so watch out!

3. One of my "Teacher-to-Do" list items included contacting publishers and authors searching for opportunities for our Recommended Read program. I contacted 4 different publishers and 2 authors. :-) I blogged on a website dedicated to teen reads [they have no idea I'm old! haha] and wrote down a list of HOT new reads out in January.

4. To date [Drum roll please....] I have read 10 books [plus 1 re-read so it's actually 11]. Just so that you think I'm not crazy- I don't watch T.V., reading is so much better! I'm just starting The Luxe by Anna Godbersen. It looks good- I'll let you know!

5. Best book that I've read has to be City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare. It was so so so good, although I cannot elaborate on the plot just yet. Since this was an Advanced Reader Copy [ARC], revealing any plot secrets would be totally uncool. Once the book is published, I'll tell you why I loved it. ;-) It's a blog rain check!

Hot releases in 2008- What are YOU waiting for?

2008-01-03T16:01:00.001-08:00

The Battle of the Labyrinth Rick Riordan

Check out the info on Riordan's fourth Percy Jackson book, The Battle of the Labyrinth. It's a book I cannot wait to read! Surf the Net for your favorite authors and post the title, synopsis, and release dates.

Publication Date: May 6, 2008

Synopsis:

Percy Jackson isn't expecting freshman orientation to be any fun, but when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears, pursued by demon cheerleaders, things quickly go from bad to worse.

Time is running out for Percy. War between the gods and Titans is drawing near. Even Camp Half-Blood isn't safe, as Krono's army prepares to invade its once again impenetrable borders. To stop them, Percy and his friends must set out on a quest through the Labyrinth-- a sprawling underground world with surprises and dangers at every turn.

Along the way Percy will confront powerful enemies, find out the truth about the lost god Pan, and face the Titan lord Krono's most terrible secret. The final war begins... with the Battle of the Labyrinth.

[Synopsis courtesy of Rick Riordan's website]

Book Blogs... Start Talking Plot !

2007-12-30T17:42:00.000-08:00

This blog spot is for you to "Talk Plot" and share ideas on the books you are reading. Let us know the:

title, author, genre, and a brief synopsis of the book you are reading [or have just finished reading].
Include HOT examples form your Hot List tabbing, and let us know whether your book is a push, or a pass!