Winter Character Education Day...

Character Education Day:

This is always a fun time learning about character traits; caring, responsibility, respect, citizenship, trustworthiness and fairness.

8th graders from AMS that are part of the Longhorn Leaders came over to implement the lessons. We had a wonderful time.

Watch this video so you can be a part of what made us so "happy" Tuesday!

The Corner On Character:

Top 10 books on character you must share with your child. (Pre k- 2nd grade)

1. Caring- Horton Hatches The Egg by Dr. Seuss

2. Respect- The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

3. Responsibility- I Just Forgot by Mercer Mayer

4. Honesty- Ruthie and the Not So Teeny Tiny Lie by Laura Rankin

5. Kindness- Hey Little Ant by Phillip Hoose

6. Friendship- Enemy Pie by Derek Munson

7. Manners- Time To Say PLEASE! by Mo Willems

8. Empathy- Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts

9. Acceptance- Stand Tall Molly Lou Mellon by Patty Lovell

10. Citizenship-What if Everyone Did by Joann Stover

I hope you will find time to share these wonderful books with your child and enjoy reading them together.

This week was a short week with MLK Day on Monday, we didn't have school. Then on Thursday we had a snow day. We received about 5 inches of snow.  The Snow Day Bucket List I shared with my kiddo's.

My grandson, Oliver and his daddy building a snowman "Olaf".

Book club:

My book club just got started reading our newest selection The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett

I am only about 75 pages in but I am really getting hooked. I have been thinking about it all day. I am hoping I can finish it this weekend. 

 Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

My Review:

Red Queen was incredible. For anyone who enjoys YA and dystopian fantasy books you will not be disappointed.

The book is a dystopian fantasy with two main groups of people. The Reds and the Silvers. The Reds have no real value they are powerless and subject to the Silvers cruelty. Silvers on the other hand have these extreme type of powers and they are considered to be like gods who live in the lap of  luxury. With a revolution on the rise and a simple Red girl somehow having powers that only Silvers should possess things get really interesting pretty quick.

Mare Barrow's life is challenged in so many ways... being a Red is just one of them. When the royal family discovers that Mare has powers that they can't explain away, they give her a new identity as a Silver. She can either go along with the charade or they will kill her. 

I loved Mare, she gets thrown into a world she knows nothing about, she is in constant danger from discovery of her true identity.  Yet, she meets two princes both seeking her affection. Yes, there is a love triangle of sorts but luckily it all gets nipped in the bud so don't let that stop you from reading Red Queen.

All the key characters were very well developed and even the villains were complex. There was so much betrayal and manipulation...oh what a plot twist! When you thought things couldn't get any more intense...it does. Just when you thought you had a character figured out...they would somehow surprise you. I think the quote that can sum up Red Queen would be...

"Anyone can betray anyone."

The world created by Aveyard was cruel and beautiful all at once. If your looking for an addictive read that is full of action and a real page turner I highly recommend picking up Red Queen.

Happy Reading,

Mrs. Shamhart