The Man That Corrputed Hadleyburg, etc.

Given the title of this Mark Twain work, I feel a little better that it's not Boys WHO Bite. This short story is in book form, with a healthy 3 AR points. The reading level is 7.9, so I am going to use it frequently for my students who don't want to read anything on a level 5.0. This was a little difficult for me to get through, and it will be interesting to see what students think. Hadleyburg has a reputation of a town of high morals and values, but after being treated badly by a resident, a man sends a sack of gold to the town, and instructions on how it is to be awarded. He then sends letters to the top 19 citizens to tell them how to get the award; deceit and devastation result. Fine for students who want some Literature.

Elizabeth Van Steenwyk's Three Dog Winter (1987) was a good sled dog book that gave in to the 80's trend toward problems and involves step-brothers learning to get along while racing. Decent length, decent cover, and has circulated steadily. Have a couple of students in mind for it.

Ann Warren Turner's Love Thy Neighbor: The Tory Diary of Prudence Emerson (2003) was rather enjoyable and had a lot of good details about life in the colonies. Prudence's family supports the king, which doesn't make them popular. Along with the every day occurences such as chores, sickness and schooling, politics and history of the time are covered in an instructive but enjoyable way.

Stolarz's Project 17 looked good (students spend the night making a film in a deserted insane asylum before it is torn down). It was told from different points of view, like Teri Fields' Hold Up, which I liked, but I didn't like any of the characters. That, and the first few chapters involved students making tuna salad and talking to a guidance conselour, which I'm afraid fall into the "this didn't capture my attention" category. May have to take a look at this again; it's book fair week and I am a little weary.