Book Cover Rant

Disclaimer: I show several book covers as examples in this post, this does not mean I hate the book, I just don't like the covers.

Don't judge a book by it's cover.

It's practically a golden rule, but whether or not we like it, we all break it to some degree.

To begin  here are the conditions under which  I decide to read books.

• A recommendation from a friend
•  A review that I read and respected
• The author
• The premise, as described on the inside flap.
• The title

• THE COVER

 If I see a book on a shelf my brain makes a split second decision based on the last two factors, I almost always look at it more closely, but other people may not, so for your viewing pleasure here are things I'm sick and tired of seeing on covers.

"The Prom Queen" 

 If there is no dance or fashion show in the book, don't put the heroine on a catwalk.
Thanks.

"Partial Nudity"                                                                                   
For obvious reasons.

 Decapitated Persons"  
Just... why?
Who thought this was a good idea?

 . "Using a 20 something to portray a young teen" 
  Ummmmmmmmm...
                     

                          

Three books that make me cry

When a book made me cry when I was eight or nine, still getting used to reading, it made me never want to pick up the book again. Now it makes me stronger person to read heart wrenching books but there are few that really make me cry. Here are three.

"Dear Mr Henshaw"
By Beverly Clearly

When I first read this book I loved it from the first page forward, I loved the way it was written, and the storyline. but when I got to the middle I realized what a sad book it was, now I break down crying when I reread it.


"Bridge to Teribithia"
By Katherine Paterson
You probably know the plot of this one, and I, like anyone else who has ever read it, can't help crying when they reach the last pages. So sad, but wonderful.




"A Ring of Endless Light"
by Madeline L'engle

Probably the least known of these three, it's actually my favorite. If you haven't  read it continues the story of Vicky Austin, started in "Meet the Austins", "The Moon by Night and "The Young Unicorns". But it can also be read alone. It's about Vicky and her family, the summer her grandfather has incurable leukemia, it's about Vicky growing up. And finally, it's about Death.
 

Homeschooling & Tragedy

When anything like the Newtown shootings happens, I normally try to avoid stories about the tragedy. I admit it, I know I probably will find out everything, soon. But this was different, the moment I saw "school" and "children", I clicked. And became so sad.
That afternoon we went to the grocery store, my dad got out and a man we know moderately went up to him and said, "another good reason for homeschooling". He didn't say what he was talking about but my dad understood.   I saw this today, http://fox5sandiego.com/2012/12/20/interest-in-homeschooling-surges-following-deadly-elementary-school-shooting-in-ct/. It is on the same topic. My problem with mentioning homeschooling at this time, saying it's just another reason to homeschool, is twofold, firstly wait more than a week to put morals on this tragedy. It is so horrible, so terrible, that letting everyone grieve is best . Also talking about this as a reason for homeschooling, opens a whole new can of worms, there are rumors that Adam Lanza was homeschooled.
If you have opinions about this please comment.

A Rant

In my email I have an alert set up for news stories about homeschooling, my main reason for setting the alert up was so that I could see political stories about homeschooling. Because that's  what interests me the most, politics and homeschooling. But for the six months or so I have had this alert set up, I have had  almost no domestic political homeschooling stories. Other than the very helpful comment from Paul Ryan about how they respect that parents can make their own decision about education. This video, yes this! Is one of the only proofs I can muster that politicians pay attention to homeschooling . And it comes from a very unhelpful source, everyone knows that Ron Paul types like homeschooling. I have nothing against them, it is great that there are homeschool supporters!
But we need new ones, otherwise homeschooling will forever be a stereotyped institution.
There. I'm done. Thank you for listening.