Racing the Sun by Paul Pitts

Racing the Sun by Paul Pitts is about 12 year old Brandon Rogers, a young Navajo who has grown up in the Salt Lake area, and knows little about his heritage.  That all changes though, when his Navajo grandfather moves off the reservation and onto the lower bunk in Brandon's room.

At first, Brandon doesn't know what to make of this new change, but as he warms up to his grandpa, he starts learning things he didn't know before, and starts to realize that his Indian heritage is something he can be proud of.

I have read this book with my students, and have enjoyed it tremendously.  I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a good middle grade read, or a positive coming of age story.

The Shores of Bountiful

I am so extremely excited to announce that my third book has finally been published.  It's been a long time coming.  The Shores of Bountiful is available to take a look at on Amazon, in both paperback and ebook formats.

The story follows events in The Book of Mormon, and spans the events of Helaman chapters 1 and 2.

"Elizabeth is devastated when Lamanites attack Zarahemla, and her betrothed is killed in battle.  Her friend Joshua, whom she has known since childhood is equally crushed; both by the anguish he shares with Elizabeth, as well as his own guilt that he could not save the man she loved.  But together, the two find comfort in their shared grief."

Here is a link to the page for The Shores of Bountiful on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Shores-Bountiful-Loralee-Evans-ebook/dp/B00EZGSO5S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383775515&sr=8-1&keywords=loralee+evans

A new school year has begun, once again.  And I want to put a plug in for a great writer whose books are both uplifting and entertaining.  J. Scott Savage, the author of the FarWorld series, which I have mentioned before in this blog, created a fantastic world when he wrote the first FarWorld book, Water Keep.

I just started reading Water Keep with some of my students, and so far, they are enjoying it immensely.  They are very invested in the story, and we've only finished chapter 3.  As a teacher as well as a writer, it is important for me to find books that are challenging enough to push my readers, but not too challenging to be above their heads.  I also want them to be stories to which my students can relate, that they enjoy, and which teach them something positive about themselves and humanity at the same time.  The FarWorld series does all this.

The first book introduces Marcus and Kyja, the main characters,  both of whom are considered odd and disabled in their worlds.  (Marcus, a boy, lives on Earth, while Kyja, a girl, lives on FarWorld.)  Marcus requires a wheelchair to get around, while Kyja can't perform a single magic spell despite everyone else on FarWorld having the ability.  So often my students feel like Marcus and Kyja; like they can't do things that others can do, or lack advantages that others have, but as they watch Marcus and Kyja working together to overcome the problems, and not letting their 'disabilities' discourage them, they begin to think that they too can be successful despite any real or perceived disadvantages.  I really like that.   

Review for Jack the Giant Slayer 2013

I really enjoyed watching the movie Jack the Giant Slayer, a fun twist on the traditional fairy tale, Jack and the Beanstalk.  It was directed by Bryan Singer, and produced by New Line Cinema, Warner Bros., Legendary Pictures, Original Film, Big Kid Pictures, and Bad Hat Harry Productions.

The movie stars Nicholas Hoult as Jack, Eleanor Tomlinson as Isabelle, Ewan McGregor as Elmont, and many other talented actors.

Jack is reluctantly thrust into an unexpected adventure when a monk entrusts him with a small bag of magic beans in order to keep them out of the hands of the king's evil advisor who wants to use them for his own selfish ends.  One of the last things the monk says to Jack, is "...don't get them wet."  But when one of the beans falls through the floorboards of his house, and gets wet just as the princess, Isabelle, running away from home, comes to his house seeking shelter in a rainstorm, the adventure begins. 

While the movie was rated PG-13, it was a very mild PG-13.  There were no inappropriate words, there was a positive moral (hard work and selfless courage pay off in the end) and though people do die, there was very little, if any, blood. 

One of my favorite lines of the movie was when Ewan McGregor's character is fighting with the bad guy, and says, "I may not be the hero of this story, but at least I get to see how it ends."

As I said, I really enjoyed this movie, and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to watch a fun, positive movie with plenty of action.

Far World Air Keep by J. Scott Savage

Far World Air Keep by J. Scott Savage continues the story of Kyja and Marcus, two friends from different worlds.  Kyja, from Far World, can't do magic, while everyone else, even the chickens, can.  Marcus, from Earth, can't walk, and needs a wheelchair to get around.  Alone, they can't do much, but together, they've got a chance.  In Air Keep, Marcus and Kyja have successfully gotten the Water Elementals and the Land Elementals to help them, and now must secure the help of the Air Elementals.  Will they be sucessful?  You'll just have to wait and find out. 

Review: To Kill A Mockingbird

I wanted to submit a review of one of my favorite books in the world, To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee.  The movie, produced by Universal, was also well done, and I think gave a fairly good interpretation of Ms. Lee's story.  My students and I finished reading the book today, and they were both happy that they'd finished, and sad that it was over, at the same time.

The book, narrated by Jean Louise Finch, (nicknamed Scout) follows her life as well as that of Jem, her brother, and Dill, their friend.  It begins when they are all fairly young, when the greatest concerns they have are their worries about "Boo" Radley, a neighbor who hasn't left his house in years, and about whom they have many frightened and far fetched ideas.  But life does not stay as simple as they would like, and they are forced to grow up a little too quickly when their father, a lawyer, is called upon to defend a black man who has been accused of raping a white woman.

Both book and movie teach, without becoming overly didactic, the value of human life, and of honor and of compassion.  It teaches that while there is ignorance, dishonor, betrayal, and evil in the world, and tragedy too, that there is more good there, than bad. 

And that's something I think is important to know.

DJ Weaver

My last few posts have been sad news, and this is no exception.  On Wednesday, March 6, 2013, a young boy named DJ Weaver whose family lives in our town, and who was in my son's class at school, was hit by a semi while crossing the street on his bike to get to the bus stop.  He later died at the hospital. 

In a way, this hit me harder than the shooting on the 14th of December in Connecticut.  I didn't know DJ personally, but my youngest two children did.  I pray for his family to have peace, and God's comfort with them.

"Oh God of heav'n, send Christ again
Bring in his reign of peace
And make Earth pure for tiny hands
And safe for tiny feet.

Then give back my child to me."*

*Cope, Kenneth. "Tiny Hands." My Servant Joseph. 1993. Embryo Records.